Cut The Cable Cord

For years, the only way to watch the most talked about TV shows and biggest sporting events was with cable TV. But with prices that are increasing at 4 times the rate of inflation, paying well over $100 a month for a huge bundle of channels that I mostly didn’t even watch just didn’t make sense. I knew it was time to cut the cord and get rid of cable TV. These days, there are several great cable TV alternatives that give you access to all your favorite channels without the high cost, long-term contract, or other drawbacks of traditional cable TV.

I’ve spent hours researching cable TV alternatives and I finally I cut the cable cord. And, unless something really miraculous happens, I’m never going back. I’m saving about $150 a month since I cut the cord.

Believe it or not, getting rid of cable is easy and it doesn’t require advanced technical skills. There are only a few simple steps (more or less) to cut the cable cord. Your time will be spent learning how to work your devices and apps. But that will come later.

Baby Steps

1) Choose your streaming service

All of the streaming services offer pretty much the same things, access to TV and movies. But first, what is a streaming service?

A streaming service is the conduit which will stream (deliver) TV and movie content to your TV, smartphone, or PC. Netflx and Amazon Prime are probably the most popular streaming services. Other options include Hulu, Direct TV Now, PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. You will always access these streaming services to watch your entertainment content.

Please be aware that streaming services do cost. You can pay anywhere from $7.99 to $60 a month for your service depending on what packages your purchase. Content packages include local stations, sports, kids programming, HBO channels and other traditional cable networks, and other genre configurations.

Pay close attention to this. This is an important piece to the puzzle. When you cut the cord, DO NOT FORGET TO GET/KEEP WIFI. Nothing will be able to stream to any device if there is no WiFi. You must have WiFi to cut the cord and access your streaming service. You’ll want to make sure there are no data cap on your internet downloads so you can stream as much as you want.

2) Get a streaming player

A streaming player, such as a Roku or Apple TV, will let you watch streaming services like Sling TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and other cable TV alternatives right on your TV. Think of this as your cable box replacement, only it’s much smaller, gives you access to way more content, and you own it, so say goodbye to equipment rental fees!

Streaming players like Roku and the Amazon Fire Stick are hand held remotes that deliver your streamed content to your chosen device via USB. You plug a piece of equipment into your TV or PC, open the player and watch the selected programs.

3) Select an antenna

Another one of the best cable TV alternatives is the tried-and-true antenna. Most people don’t realize just how many FREE TV stations they can get with a quality antenna. Chances are that you’re in range of dozens of great over-the-air (OTA) broadcast channels, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, PBS, ION, and a host of other smaller regional stations. Many of the most popular TV shows, local sports games, and local news come on OTA TV in crystal-clear High Definition. And get this – the broadcasts you can pick up with an HD antenna are HIGHER QUALITY than what cable provides because their broadcasts are compressed! And did I mention these channels are totally free?! One of the best antenna’s on the market is the Mohu Leaf Indoor Antenna. Another option is Flatwave. This is optional as some streaming services will offer local channels.

What To Watch

Now that you have a streaming service (Sling TV), a streaming player (Roku), and internet service, we can talk about what you’ll watch.  Let me just say, the possibilities are endless.  Not figuratively endless…literally endless. It will take you some time, and a few recommendations from friends and family to decide which channels you’ll download – but that’s part of the fun!

The channels you watch now will still be available to you a la carte style. I use Sling TV. There are two package option with this service. One package offers X channels. The second offers X channels plus Y channels. Then, you can add on additional packages as mentioned above (cable movie channels like HBO, comedy channels, sports, channels, Spanish language channels, lifestyle and entertainment channels and more)…all for a fee of about $5 to $15 a month.

How Much Will It Cost

Obviously, that will depend on which streaming service you select, the cost for the internet service provider, and the packages you add to your streaming service. Here’s how it breaks down for me: Streaming Service: Netflix $10 a month, Roku streaming stick $50 (one time), internet $50 a month, Sling TV $60 a month for both channel packages and two or three add-on’s.

So, for the initial outlay of cold hard cash, I spent $170. My monthly fees are roughly $120. That’s a saving (for me) of about $180 a month.  Just … WOW!!

But don’t trust me. Seriously, don’t trust me. I’m not as tech savvy as most and I’m certainly not an expert on cutting the cord. Do your research and really see if cutting the cable cord is feasible for you and your family. The biggest advantages for me cutting the cord were saving money and only paying for channels I actually watch.

Lastly, don’t be intimidated by not having cable. True, the idea of not watching TV the way you’ve always watched TV may seem daunting but just remember, the way you watch TV is changing…not what you can watch or when. All of your favorite shows, channels will still be available to you…only you won’t be paying through the eyeball to see them!

Comment down below and let us know if you cut the cord or if you still need a little more time to get used to the idea.