I read a design book about this topic recently (I don't remember the name). It was about the psychology of design and contained no photos. It said that there are two competing desires in our genes. One is for expansive spaces reflecting our need to explore and roam. The second is for smaller spaces reflecting the caves and protections our ancestors craved. The perfect space combines both. For example, our living room has 8-foot ceilings and isn't too large, but all the windows have expansive views down the valley. You get the feeling of space, but are in a protective environment. We have lived in all sorts of houses-- a 1927 Tudor, a 1990 cookie-cutter vaulted builder special, townhouses, apartments, a 1885 Victorian with 14-foot ceilings--but this modest 1970s ranch with three quirky add-ons is our favorite. No one else has one like it, people comment on how warm it is, and nothing beats an amazing view. Our Victoria house was stunning but always cold.

Interesting info. Thanks for sharing. I've been watching Create quite a bit lately! I get it here too. Our local PBS is a very progressive station and has always been recognized as a great station. They have a lot of great programming. For me, this is very comparable to getting Food, History, Discovery and other cable channels, without the monthly fees. Like I've said before, I can't justify cable or satellite. Broadcast has improved and gives me enough to be satisfied. Plus I've been bored with the cable/satellite programming I've seen lately. Friends with it comment often about "nothing to watch" on cable/satellite. Ironically, they watch broadcast more! That's good for us tightwads!

A few things to clear up: minnie_tx, unless you get a converter that works on batteries, have a generator or a UPS or something, it won't work with your battery TV when the power goes out. Remember, the converter needs power too. The extra stations will depend on the actual station, not the network. CBS, PBS, NBC, FOX, etc aren't giving you the extra channels. It's the local TV station that sets up the extra channels or not. In some areas, there may not be a secondary channel at all, although pretty much all have got a subchannel for HD broadcasts, but they're broadcasting the same thing. Around here, and probably in many other areas, the digital channels are not being broadcast at full power. So just because you get poor or no reception now, doesn't mean you won't get better reception when they go to full power. Actually, I've noticed a lot of problems with the analog channels for a long time and recently found out they cut the power on the analog channels too while they're converting over. I had attributed my poor reception to a bad antenna and the proliferation of cell phones, taller buildings, and other interference but it's just from lowered power broadcasts. The converters vary quite a bit. Not all have universal remotes, not all come with the cable, not all have a pass-through for analog and not all perform as well as others. Walmart has a $40 unit, so you can buy one for the price of sales tax with the coupon. Other places sell higher priced units, but they have more features. You have to decide which is best for you. BTW, not all converters are approved for the coupon. You may need to adjust your rooftop antenna (when so equipped). Depends on the antenna and your location. I've had mine for a few days now and initially was unimpressed but am becoming more pleased. I'll be happy when the power is increased because I don't think I'll need a new antenna. I get some snow on the picture now and use the combination of analog and digital for viewing different channels. If you've ever connected a VCR (or DVD) machine, it's the same concept. Your antenna plugs into the converter and your converter plugs into the TV's antenna jack. Mine, and I'm sure all have very good and basic instructions. It's very simple to do. I chose to buy locally in this instance rather than online. I felt more comfortable that if I wasn't happy with it, it'd be less hassle to return at a local reputable store than online. That was just my comfort lever for this instance. To do over, or again, I'd consider buying online, but many of the ones online don't have the same features. The other advantage was I made the decision to get it so I wanted it get it right away and not have to wait days for it to arrive.

Amy Geez, A lot of good that text alert did. Channel 6 was streaming live on their website. Not sure about their app because I dont have it. I just pulled up their website on my phone and they had a link to watch live. It was about 15-20 seconds behind live coverage. Not sure about the other locals. I prefer KOTV 6 because of the helicopter views. The blue alert only effected our TV that was on Cox cable. Our over the air TV was not covered up. I guess that tells me I need to put an over the air tv in our safe spot if we every have to hide it would good until we lost power. It really stinks that they did away with over the air analog TV signals. I used to have a little batter powered tv that was perfect for that. You could probably use some battery back up system. mike