If you live in Chicago, chances are you’re a victim of the Comcast monopoly. You’re probably reading this on Internet bandwidth supplied by Comcast, and your TV might right now be turned on, with broadcasting piped through a Comcastic cable box.

A Comcast combo package with Internet (capped Internet, that is), cable TV, and telephone service will set you back at least 100 bucks each month. Those who subscribe to premium channels pay close to 200 dollars. That’s the equivalent of 80 Keira Knightly hot dogs at Hot Doug’s in Roscoe Village. How could you possibly pass up 80 Keira Knightly hot dogs?!

In part 1 of How to Ditch Comcast, we’ll show you how to start reducing those monthly fees by replacing Comcast TV with free, high-quality, over-the-air programming.

“How?” you ask. With rabbit ears.

That’s right, those irritating V-shaped towers of telescoping metal that only seem to work after you’ve wrapped them in layers of tin foil and tied some of that foil to yourself.

We all know that rabbit ears have had a reputation for delivering staticky, distorted, squint-inducing picture quality. But that was so last decade, back when cell phones came with briefcase-sized battery packs, Apple computers were a laughing stock (some would say they still are), and episodes of Friends made sure I stayed away from the TV every frickin' Thursday night.

Now, all of the basic TV networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC, in addition to PBS and a handful of other local stations -- are broadcasting digitally. Most stations even broadcast in 720p or 1080i HD.

This means Blu-Ray-like picture quality, no image degradation and hardly any signal interruption. Best of all, it’s free and it’s brought to you by the same exact antenna that tormented you years ago. You also no longer have to adjust the antenna until the picture becomes clear. It just works, unless you live very far from downtown Chicago where the broadcast towers are located.

Don’t believe us? Check this out:

Here’s what you’ll need and how to set it up:

For those of you with an older TV, check your instruction manual to see if it has an ATSC tuner. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to buy a digital converter box, which runs about $50-70 and can be found at most electronic stores in Chicago.

In addition to the converter box, you need an antenna. An old antenna that’s been gathering dust in your closet should work fine. Otherwise, Radio Shack still sells them, and I'm sure you can find a used one off Craigslist. If you live far from downtown Chicago, say at least 20 miles, you might need a slightly stronger, amplified antenna.

Once you have converter box and antenna, just attach the box to your TV’s antenna-in port, and plug the antenna into the converter box.

Switch on your tube to enjoy digital TV goodness.

For those who have a newer TV, such as an LCD or plasma HDTV, find an antenna, plug it into the antenna-in port and fire up the tube. No converter box necessary, but some TVs require you to switch on antenna mode in the on-screen config menu.

That’s all you need to get basic stations in digital or high definition! Keep in mind, though, that this replaces only the local Comcast channels. Still, why pay 25 dollars for something that is otherwise required by law to be free?  

What about more “premium” programming? In parts 2 and 3 of How to Ditch Comcast. Tech Loop will show you exactly how to get it, legally of course.

Part 2 walks you through how to easily access some of your favorite shows, news and movies online with content aggregators like Boxee and streaming video sites like Hulu. Part 3 tells you how to attach your computer to your TV for seamless, inexpensive, on-demand programming.

Now get up and dust off those rabbit ears.    

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