RVTV Option Three: Free Over The Air TV with PCTV

Realistically, someone must Drive!

Perhaps, elementally, the best way to describe a RV lifestyle is Portable. Your Recreational Vehicle, (and mine) and everything in it, was designed for travel.

And because we, as American RVers, can, (and often do) pick up on the moment's notice, as RVers, our RV World is thus: Elementally different from life in the mainstream.

Realistically too, someone must Budget!

For example: If you are a seasoned RVer, (one or more trips out of your home town) you have learned to routinely monitor and record purchases, and economize on some expenses, (Fuel for instance) in order to avoid being stranded someplace awful.

Outside of having to actually beg for change to buy gas, is there anything worse than running unexpectedly short of funds in an RV?

A Pound of Prevention is worth a Ton of Cure.

For me, RV travel budgeting, always comes down to need-tos and nice-tos.

So, I generally begin with two-column lists. To assist me and expedite these essential, if odious chores, I now use a powerful, easy-to-master PC Software, called Nomads Notes.

Don't fret, RV Friends: It's nothing like ordinary accounting software. (See Resources.)

Here's one sample Budget Item on my List: Need to have: Portable, Affordable TV.

Because, for me, access to televised news of the World and local affairs, as well as daily weather forecasts, is all-important: TV is a must. (Top: Need-to column, please.) 

For entertainment, outdoor sports, ESPN does it for me. For pure, quality, entertainment, it's PBS. (Top: Nice-to column entries, thank you.) 

Portable, Personal Computer Television (PCTV):

When I sit down to itemize my RV travel need-tos, I just automatically place PCTV at the top of the column. Why? My unique, Computer-delivered RVTV is 100% portable, paid-for, and just plain convenient.

I take PCTV along on every trip. So equipped, I can set up, and tune in to Over The Air (OTA) or free Park Cable TV; reliably, in a few minutes.

After a modest first-cost-of-purchase, PCTV Service is 100% free. And, my Computer TV works great everywhere I go, provided I am within range of DTV Signal, or alternately; provided I have access to RV Park Cable.

If you're new to RV life, or planning to go More-Time, or Full-Time; and you possess: An ordinary PC Laptop or Desktop Computer, Monitor, and/or an LED TV; making your home TV system, road ready, as well as option-rich, is actually going to be surprisingly easy.

Many RV units come equipped with Crank-up Roof Top Antennas. With a PCTV Adapter, and a little Coax, you are: OTA Plug and Play ready!

Alternately, when you stay at select RV Parks, you can connect Park

Cable Service, right to your Computer, via the portable PCTV Adapter.

I use, and recommend: Hauppauge WinTV. It's available as a USB Adapter for Laptops, and as a PC (Card) Internal Tuner for Desktops. (See Resources.)

RV Park Cable Service:

Before I started my Satellite TV Business, (at the Turn of the last Century) and prior to the US Digital Television Transition, in June 2009, I counted on my Bat Wing Antenna to furnish nearly all my RVTV.

Looking back, I recall, before the Transition, I used to carefully plot my RV trips, making certain to stop at RV Parks featuring free Cable TV Service; particularly, just to supplement the meager choices of OTA Programming.

My regular media diet could be, thus, at least irregularly enriched, with a variety of distant channels, sports, movies, and exotic channels; not available OTA.

Now, in the Twenty First Century, I travel with a laptop PC and a WinTV Adapter, which when united, optionally convert Off The Air (OTA) Signals, or Park Cable Service, to Premium Quality Digital Television (DTV).

The Very Best RVTV:

These days, (post Transition) my RVTV consists of: 1. Satellite TV Ground Mount Kit and Receivers, 2. CRT TV and Digital Converter, 3. LED TV, and 4. PCTV Adapter and Laptop Computer.

In all, an impressive array, (if not outright arsenal) of RVTV Equipment.

With available OTA, my WinTV Adapter, captures Standard Definition (SDTV) Enhanced Definition (EDTV) and even High Definition (HDTV) TV Signals, and displays crystal-clear TV, right on my laptop!

Now, depending on budget, availability, weather, time of day, and actually mood; I can choose between Satellite, (via Antenna Kit) OTA, (via Bat Wing) and Cable (via RV Parks).

RV Friends: Don't be too judgmental. Owing to all the TV Paraphernalia I admittedly travel with, and the related preparation; I have been called: A Poindexter, Nerdy, Techie, Techie Tubie; and other more colorful names; not fit to print.

Frankly, I prefer Tubie, to Wannabe Tubie. So, call me Tubie, if you want. But please, just let me get on with my quest for Premium-quality, Portable, Affordable RVTV!

Quest, Test and Conquest:

In 2014, my personal RVTV Quest, Test and Conquest currently includes: Nearly every kind of Portable TV available: PCTV, OTA, Satellite HDTV and SDTV, and Cable TV.

OK. I'll grant you: Free RV Park Cable is not portable, per se. But, as I will seek out better RV Parks, those providing Cable in the package, and as Cable Service works so perfectly with my PCTV, I have come to include it.

Added Bonus: With OTA Signal available, and Cable attached to my PCTV Adapter, I can watch, and even record two programs at once. Ideal for those crunch times: Around the Christmas Holidays.

Free RVTV at its very best!

RV Friends: I am always on the lookout for new ways to get better TV on the road. Right now, Internet TV seems to be the ultimate RVTV Frontier.

For a Future RVTV Article, I vow to investigate and truthfully report: Internet TV: Leading Edge or Bleeding Edge.

Five Options:

Recently, I have also written and publishedan Illustrated Technical How To Series, along with a Free Special Report, covering all (5) Five available methods for obtaining the Very Best RVTV on the road, as well as the complete, companion DIY Procedures, you will need to secure the Very Best RVTV on the road, for yourself. (See Resources.)

Happy Trails and Thanks for Tuning In!