Cut the cord today!

[JC]

I already have a Roku, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. With HBO promising a'la carte this spring (I'm hoping this is just the start), it was about time. I already pay Charter (The Devil) $53 a month for 60Mb internet! If I could get OTA locals here (tried the Mohu Leaf) I'd be all good, but my house is for sale and I'll try to buy a house with better antenna-friendliness

How's your cord-cutting experience, especially if you live in a non-urban area?

 

[RossMAN]

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

 

[DesiPower]

Cut the cord August 2013
House in suburbs
No regrets
You forgot Hulu

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

We dont. Very few are available on Hulu, others we forfeit

 

[JC]

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

I am wondering how I'll do without TNT, TBS, and Comedy Network (love Adult Swim!). Hope I can get reruns. I can always add Hulu and still be ahead, $$-wise.

 

[Kaido]

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

Big news today:

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/dish-tv-sling-tv/

 

[Mai72]

I've read that a lot of young people (18-25) don't watch much tv anymore.

I'm currently staying with my dad and he watches TV all the time. It's either Fox, CNN, or some type of reality show like Gold Rush. Tonight was Celebrity Apprentice. He also tends to watch TV super loud. I love my dad, but it gets annoying fast!

When I was living in South Korea and Thailand I watched zero TV. All of my video viewing was done on my computer. If I wanted to check out the news for a few minutes I'd hit up a news website or check on my smartphone. I didn't miss it at all.

 

[Mai72]

BTW, I've been watching TwitchTV lately.

I like CashNastyGaming! http://www.twitch.tv/cashnastygaming

*He screams a lot, so click the link at your own peril.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Been thinking about cutting my cable TV service as well and just going with internet service - maybe after the Superbowl. My bill with Concast is $160.00/mo and I only watch like a dozen channels with regularity. I'd be paying ohly $60.00/mo if I give up the cable T.V.

How much do all those other things like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc add up to though? Is it really that much cheaper if you're paying for all that other stuff?


On a totally unrelated note... this is post # 6969 for me. Giggity.

 

[poopaskoopa]

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

I'm like the OP. Netflix, Amazon, Roku plus Plex.

I think USA Networks is available as a Plex channel, as is SyFy. They don't carry all the show nor all the episodes, however. HGTV was also largely available until some of their shows became available on Netflix. I don't think I've seen TNT on Roku or on Plex. Food Network might be. Some of History & A&E shows are on Roku but most of their popular shows aren't. ABC, NBC, CBS channels are also available. Fox is not(unless you're a cable TV subscriber).

The only thing that I really miss is live sports(USB tuner on my laptop plus a mohu-like antenna can get me NFL) and cable sports network but the kids and wife were doing a good job of cutting off access to that really well anyway.

 

[postmortemIA]

I thought Comcast is the worst, Mediacom's internet is 15Mbps for about $65 w/o cable, drops to $50 with cable package

 

[RossMAN]

With the cable TV savings (around $120/mo) I could purchase just aired episodes on iTunes/Google Play/Amazon and probably still come out ahead.

Or wait 6-12 months and watch them on Netflix.

 

[JC]

How much do all those other things like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc add up to though? Is it really that much cheaper if you're paying for all that other stuff?

Netflix streaming=$8/month. Amazon Prime=$9/month ($99/year). Hoping for HBO at $20/mo or less.

 

[JC]

With the cable TV savings (around $120/mo) I could purchase just aired episodes on iTunes/Google Play/Amazon and probably still come out ahead.

Or wait 6-12 months and watch them on Netflix.

I was paying $117/month for DirecTV with HBO. I was watching probably less than 10 channels :/

 

[dullard]

How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?

I cut the cable in Jan 2007 and haven't looked back. Sure it was tough for about a month or two (I did miss those channels that you mentioned). But honestly, with all the spare time that I suddenly had, I filled my life with other activities. I don't really miss cable even the slightest (that was after growing up watching 8+ hours per day, I watched TV just about every moment that I was awake).

That said, I took the cable savings and started buying shows. For far less money per month, I get all the shows I ever want exactly when I want them. Many months I spend nothing since I get a backlog of episodes when I do buy them. Plus the library has most shows on those non-premium channels anyways if I was bored. Or there is always Youtube or other legal free ways of getting one show here or there. I use an antenna for the rest.

My yearly cable increases (same package, a few crap channels added once or twice, but the rest was the same):
1999 to 2000: 5.11%
2000 to 2001: 4.89%
2001 to 2002: 10.73%
2002 to 2003: 8.03%
2003 to 2004: 5.85%
2004 to 2005: 4.24%
2005 to 2006: 5.19%
2006 to 2007: 6.24%
Average increase: 6.28%.
Average inflation in the same period: 2.65%.

My total cable company bill now: $14.99/month for internet (and that includes taxes, I bought the equipment outright).

 

[RaistlinZ]

Anyone use an HD antennae? How is the quality?

If I can get standard channels in HD with an antennae + Netflix for $8.99/mo. I think I'd be good to go.

 

[dullard]

Anyone use an HD antennae? How is the quality?

If I can get standard channels in HD with an antennae + Netflix for $8.99/mo. I think I'd be good to go.

All antennas are HD. There isn't a type of metal that gets SD and a different type that gets HD.

It all depends on your location. If you get a clear shot to the TV station, it comes in at perfect quality. If not, you'll struggle to get reception. I get about a dozen channels: ABC, CBS, NBC if I try hard to get reception (but some days it isn't possible), FOX, public stations, and crap stations that I would never watch.

My antenna in the office (upstairs) gets far, far better reception than in the living room downstairs. That is true even if I swap antennas. So, it is location, location, location. But, I just record it upstairs on my computer and use Wi-Fi to watch it downstairs usually.

 

[RossMAN]

I cut the cable in Jan 2007 and haven't looked back. Sure it was tough for about a month or two (I did miss those channels that you mentioned). But honestly, with all the spare time that I suddenly had, I filled my life with other activities. I don't really miss cable even the slightest (that was after growing up watching 8+ hours per day, I watched TV just about every moment that I was awake).

If we decide to cut the cord I'll either go down one of 2 paths:
1) Major Netflix/Hulu binge on 24, SOA, BG, and 20 other shows everyone here has seen.
2) Spend more quality time with family, friends and get more stuff done on my "to do list".

That said, I took the cable savings and started buying shows. For far less money per month, I get all the shows I ever want exactly when I want them. Many months I spend nothing since I get a backlog of episodes when I do buy them. Plus the library has most shows on those non-premium channels anyways if I was bored. Or there is always Youtube or other legal free ways of getting one show here or there.

Where do you buy your episodes from and what's your preferred streaming device?

 

[RaistlinZ]

Hm, I just realized that I may not even face the right way to get reception. I live in a 3rd floor condo and have a small patio. I can likely point an antennae from the railing, but I certainly can't put anything on the roof of the complex. Hm.

 

[dullard]

Hm, I just realized that I may not even face the right way to get reception. I live in a 3rd floor condo and have a small patio. I can likely point an antennae from the railing, but I certainly can't put anything on the roof of the complex. Hm.

TV stations are directional. There is a website that gives you your location relative to local stations and what type of antenna to use for what channel. It also shows the directions, so you can see if your condo will block them. You'll still get the stations, but you may have to work hard to move the antenna for every station if you go through too many walls.

 

[SKORPI0]

There is a website that gives you your location relative to local stations and what type of antenna to use for what channel. It also shows the directions, so you can see if your condo will block them. .

http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx

 

[Kaido]

Spend more quality time with family, friends and get more stuff done on my "to do list".

Funny you mention that, I just realized that I do actually do more stuff now that we're off cable (outside of binge-watching, of course ). I've been cooking almost every night now, the house is a lot more organized, I actually spend time outdoors...it's way too convenient of a trap to just flip through channels endlessly, even if there's nothing good on :biggrin:

 

[RossMAN]

Funny you mention that, I just realized that I do actually do more stuff now that we're off cable (outside of binge-watching, of course ). I've been cooking almost every night now, the house is a lot more organized, I actually spend time outdoors...it's way too convenient of a trap to just flip through channels endlessly, even if there's nothing good on :biggrin:

The house/garage/yard and my (lack of) cooking skills could use some free time.

 

[Kaido]

Where do you buy your episodes from and what's your preferred streaming device?

In my house, we use Roku 3's exclusively. Being able to use your own headphones wireless is awesome. We typically buy TV shows from Amazon & movies from VUDU if they're not on Prime or Netflix. Anything we own physically we just throw on Plex.

 

[Kaido]

The house/garage/yard and my (lack of) cooking skills could use some free time.

http://i.imgur.com/NV3Q19b.jpg

Computers & cable TV are like flypaper for humans haha

 

[zerocool84]

Cord Cutting is only good if you don't care about sports and all you watch is TV shows. I watch sports and I don't watch TV shows at all so cord cutting doesn't work for me since all there is to watch on Netflix and Hulu is shows.