Over The Air vs. Paying Cable vs Streaming

photo credit to shutterstock.com

Introduction 

This article will discuss the comparison between free over the air television vs getting cable/satellite television. The advantage and disadvantages of having to watch free over the air channels comparison to having to pay for watching cable/ satellite channels. 

Short History 

When television went from analog to HDTV by the United States government that all full power over the air stations to switch from analog to digital although not through necessary in high definition (HD) by February 17,2009. Eventually, they extended the deadline to June 12,2009. The low power had a different deadline to meet to switch over to digital. 

When the free over the air stations went digital also came advantage of adding more channels to add more different types of programming. These add channels is referred to as sub channels. Each station has an opportunity to add how many sub channels as they want. Each sub channel that they add means more advertising money that a station are able to get.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Over the Air

Photo image credit from Best Buy website 

The advantages of having over the air channels is that you don't have to pay for their stations because they rely on advertising money that they receive. 

Next is that Each stations can add different sub channels with different types of programs that allows to watch different shows that they can air. Each sub channel that the stations are able to get different networks in which contains of different array of different programs that they offer. Some of these outside networks that are offered are comedy, movies, crime shows, old syndication shows they have shown years ago. 

Some of the different networks can be from some of the major networks. Some of the different networks are: METV, Antenna TV, Laff, Create TV, True Crime Network, Buzzr (shows old game shows) to name a few. 

One of main disadvantage is that it doesn't have any of any of main channels like espn, CNN, Food Network plus others. Although the one thing though is that over the air channels does provide some substitute for that it lacks that to try to have some variety that would be capable to what cable does have. 

Another disadvantage is some places like the rural areas their variety of over the air channels might be limited to people. One the reasons that there might not be any television towers that would transmit signals to the television set to homes in the area. 

Third disadvantage is that for people who are sports fans is that over the air television doesn't have a lot of sports being shown. Most of the time they are shown on weekends, but there has been some sports that has been televised during the week. But the sports that would show teams that are not from your team in your local market.  There has been times where they would televise your local teams. 

Another thing is that people can't watch movie channels like TNT, HBO, Starzs, Hallmark and others. But there is an alternative to this is that people can rent movies for DVD/ Blue Ray for free. The only place that you can rent movies for free is from the local library. Most libraries has the new releases and some older movies. 

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Cable And Dish Companies 

photo credit: The Atlantic 

The advantages that some people would have lots of different channels with lots of different channels with different genres that would interest a lot of people with Cable and Dish companies. 

The companies offer different tiers of various channels with a number of channels a family would get. The higher tier that the people would choose means more variety of channels that they are able to receive. 

Next advantage is that more people from the rural area would have a chance to receive more channels to watch more programs on their television. 

Now for the disadvantages of having cable and satellite TV. The first thing is that you have to pay to subscribe for cable and satellite TV. The more the higher tier which offers more channels the price would increase. Which means more money that you have to pay when you subscribe to these companies. Getting pay per view and movie channels will cost more money as well. With all these channels that you pay, how many channels do you actually watch on regularly? We all don't like to pay for channels that we don't watch.  That is also a disadvantage of paying money to cable and satellite TV. Some cable and satellite bills can cost you up to and over hundreds of dollars that's before taxes and fees are included. Which means that you would pay over thousands of dollars every year. 

Streaming Apps 

photo credit: Gear Patrol 

If you don't want to pay for all of those channels there is an option for that. Some companies like Disney and Discovery plus others which are also cable channels brought out their own apps with three or more channels in one app or movie channels which has shows and movies. Another example is that movie companies like HBO, Paramount also brought out their own apps that are only one channel that will show only movies. As for sports like NBA, MLB and NFL and even college level like NCAA has apps to have people who loves sports can watch games. 

But the disadvantages of getting these apps also cost money as well. If you get a few of streaming services the cost might be reasonable priced but if you get a lot of them it can cost you a lot of money. 

Final Thoughts 

For me I like over the air channels. I know that it's free and and limited channels but I get about fifty channels and unlike cable and others where there is contains lots of different channels with different programs but I do have limited income to pay for cable or satellite. 

But for others like yourself that are able to afford cable and satellite can get purchase that if you wish. That depends on a person preference. 

History of the Mitchell Park Domes

Photo Credit: Clarence Schreiber 

Mitchell Park Domes are one of the most fantastic places to visit in Milwaukee with their unique bee hive shape domes.

History of the Mitchell Park Domes 

The current Domes replaced the original Conservatory which was built in 1898. The original conservatory exhibited flowers in a “greenhouse” setting and served the public until 1955. Because it was determined to be unsafe and impractical to repair, the conservatory was demolished.

A design competition, won by a local architect, produced the plans for the new conservatory. Donald Grieb’s winning entry called for three beehive-shaped (not geodesic) glass domes, 140 feet in diameter at the base and 85 feet high, offering 15,000 square feet of growing space for plant display. Each dome would have a distinct climate and exhibit plants in a naturalistic setting. These are the Desert, Tropical, and Floral Show domes.

Construction began in 1959 and proceeded in stages. This allowed for the building to be paid in yearly appropriations, thus avoiding the cost of bonding. The total cost was $4.5 million when it was completed in 1967.

Desert Dome 

Photo of the Desert Dome 

Photo credit: Clarence Schreiber 

The Desert Dome’s fine collection of succulents (plants that can store water) and water-conserving trees, shrubs, and bulbs are grouped by geographic regions. Your tour will take you from Madagascar to southern and eastern Africa, the Canary Islands, South America, and finally North America.

Each area is characterized by unique plant species able to survive drought and intense hot sun. Although many of these plants look like cacti, cacti are native only to North, Central, and South America. Regional signs as well as individual plant labels will help you recognize these extraordinary plants.

Tropical Dome 

Photo of the Tropical Dome 

Photo credit: Clarence Schreiber 

In our microcosm of the rainforest, you’ll encounter over 1,200 species of tropical plants as well as some tropical birds. Rainforest products you’ll see in the Tropical Dome include so much more than our favorite houseplants!

Perhaps the most familiar plants of the rainforest are those we have incorporated into our homes and offices for decorating — plants such as philodendrons, peperomias, bromeliads, orchids, ferns, marantas, and calatheas. Other flowering plants that provide vibrant color to the tropical exhibit include amaryllis, hibiscus, anthurium, calliandra, clerodendron, crinum, and heliconia.

Unusual tropical life forms are also apparent. A rainforest ecosystem develops vertically as well as horizontally. Our favorite houseplants are often found growing as ground covers in the tropics; their adaptation to low light enables them to survive in our homes. A wide array of epiphytes (plants that use other plants for physical support) such as orchids, bromeliads, and ferns are growing overhead on tree branches. Indeed, it is in the forest canopy, along tree branches that much of the plant productivity and diversity occur. Vining plants that scramble up trees to gain more light include vanilla, passiflora, quisqualis, and aristolochia. The tallest trees of the rainforest are called “emergents” because their canopies rise above all others. Here in the Tropical Dome, our emergent is the kapok (Ceiba pentandra), reaching 85′ tall. Look at its base and you will discover an important adaptation to the shallow tropical soils – buttressed roots that afford additional support for the tree.

Floral Show Dome 

Photo of the Show Dome 

Photo credit: Clarence Schreiber 

Each show has a specific theme, generally categorized as historical, cultural, or fantasy, and chosen at least a year in advance. We select plants specifically for a particular floral exhibit and grow them at our Horticulture Division’s Greenhouse Center. Once in place, a show must last from six to fourteen weeks. We change potted flowers as needed. For a long-running Summer Show, there can be 3-4 complete changes of plantings.

It takes many talents to make these themes realities. A landscape architect, horticulturists, arborists, artists, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and welders work together to create each show. The actual process can take 8-10 working days. Props are modular and thus, versatile; they can be modified and reused. One building could be an Italian villa and then be transformed into a Spanish hacienda, Williamsburg mansion, or southern plantation home in future shows.

The Floral Show Dome provides serene settings to be captured by artists and photographers, duplicated by visitors in their gardens, and used by students learning about flowering plants. Simply put, the Floral Show Dome offers beauty and inspiration for all.

Education Center 

As a cultural and educational facility of the Milwaukee County Park System, “The Domes” offers programming for school groups from grade K-5 through college, scouts, and adult clubs or groups.

• Programs for School Groups, K-5–College, youth groups, and summer school groups
• Programs for Scout & Youth Groups
• Now your class or group can Adopt-an-Animal in the Domes
• Programs for adult clubs or groups
• Programs for School Groups

Students will focus on rainforest and desert ecology, and plant and animal adaptations. Discussions will be appropriate for the grade level. To help you prepare for the program, a Teacher Information Packet/Worksheets are available. Each discussion/hands-on session will last 30–45 minutes. Afterward, students will complete worksheets during their exploration of the domes. Allow a minimum of 1-1/2 hours for this program. Programs meet state DPI standards and MPS standards for science content. One adult chaperone is required for every 8 students.

Gift Shop 

The gift shop is inside the Domes and is open during regular hours of Domes and during special events that they held a few times of the year. The gift shop is a place to buy plants, post cards, books, figurines plus other things. 

Weddings At The Domes 

The Domes are available for rental for weddings. No matter what the time of year, you’ll be surrounded by the beauty of live plants and flowers when you select the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory for your wedding site.

• Floral Show Dome – Themes of shows are subject to change 
• Tropical Dome – A lush environment, complete with a waterfall 
• Desert Dome – A light-filled landscape with the sculptural forms of succulents 

During normal operating hours, none of these sites is completely private, because the domes are open to the public. 

Private after-hour rentals are available. 

The plant areas of the domes are not air-conditioned and can get very warm in summer.

Available year-round during normal operating hours except on days when special events are scheduled. Private after-hour rentals are also available.

Greenhouses 

The greenhouses were built for growing plants for the show Dome when they have different floral shows. They also have built an extra greenhouse (which it's called the anex) for the use of different events that can be held there.

Different Programming on Create TV Channel

 Introduction 

Create TV is a PBS run television channel that runs different types of programs from cooking, travel, gardening, home improvements, arts and crafts. It started to over the air on January 9,2006 over the air as one of their sub channels and also on cable. Check out the channel on your local listing to find this station. 

Travel 

There a ray of travel shows for the people who enjoy traveling and for those who are interested in the different parts of the world. 

Some of the shows that you would be interested in are: Travels with Darley,  Burt Wolf: Travels and Tradition, Rick Sevens' Europe, Field Trips with Curtis Stone to name few they would gives you ideas on what to expect and some tips along the way. 

Cooking 

Who doesn't like cooking and looking for ideas, tips and more from some of the great people that Create has. Here are so.e of the shows that you might and enjoy in this group of shows: Cook's Country, Lydia's Kitchen, America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated, Chef's Life, Christopher Kimball 's Milk Street, Simply Ming plus a lot of great shows that they offer. 

Arts and Crafts 

If you enjoy painting pictures and different types of crafts to make Create TV offers some good shows to get inspired from. Some of these shows includes: Art of a Cowboy,  Best of Sewing by Nancy, Best of the Joy of Painting, Craft In America, Fresh Quilting plus other types of shows that you would be interested in and start of a new hobby. 

Fitness 

If to want to get in shape or to improve your health some of these shows might be of interest to you: Classical Stretch: By Essentrics, Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr, Step It Up with Steph, Yoga In Practice are the shows that can expect and for a peace of mind. 

Home and Gardening 

The joy of home and improvement and gardening is always a great thing to improve the look by landscaping and improving the look of your home. There are some great tip improve the look from the outside and inside the home. Here are some of the shows that would give you ideas from these shows: P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, P. Allen Smith's Garden to Table, Growing A Greener World, Garden Smart, For Your Home, Classic Woodworking,  Ask This Old House, A Growing Passion (Create), plus a whole lot more. 

Finally 

Create TV is one my favorite channels to watch in enjoy. It's fascinating that one channel with multiple types of programs that cover many different types of subjects. If you have never watched Create TV I highly recommend catching this channel out. You might be surprised the different shows that you would enjoy. 

The Create TV logo was borrowed from Create TV's website. Please check out their website for the list of more of their shows, recipes plus you can also shop from their shop.

*Picture taken from Create TV website.