Folks who have cut the cable cord, advice needed

[MrSquished]

I don't know if you will save much money after cable internet, Netflix, and Hulu Plus.

I pay ~$62 a month just for cable internet. For about $110 after taxes and fees, I could get cable internet, TV, and phone. So I'm saving about $50 a month by not bundling. But I also don't use Netflix or Hulu Plus.

As for sports, I don't watch as much as I used to. I get local games OTA. For ESPN and others, that's where XBMC comes in.

well I live in Northern NJ so stuff is a bit more up here. From what I know of previous tv packages I have used I figure I will save a minimum of $40 if I subscribe to several of the Hulu/Netflix type services. But most likely closer to $60-70 bucks a month.

That's $720-840 bucks a year. I'll take that any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[ponyo]

well I live in Northern NJ so stuff is a bit more up here. From what I know of previous tv packages I have used I figure I will save a minimum of $40 if I subscribe to several of the Hulu/Netflix type services. But most likely closer to $60-70 bucks a month.

That's $720-840 bucks a year. I'll take that any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

That's pretty good savings. I could save even more if I switched to Uverse/DSL but I can't go back to slow DSL after using cable internet.

I haven't missed paid cable/satellite TV. Not one bit. We probably watch more TV now than before.

 

[DesiPower]

Antenna and PC hooked to TV, used for hulu and some other sites... Never been happier

 

[Jimzz]

I use OTA digital TV and a roku. Roku has a lot of great free content.

Got a deal on amazon prime and then another deal for Netflix popped up. To be honest just 1 of them is more TV than I need but wanted to try both and had offers I could not refuse.

 

[sixone]

OTA + Netflix via Roku = great

I don't mind waiting for most movies. The ones I really want to see, I'll head to the theater.

Have saved about $4,000 in four years since I cancelled Dish.

 

[Joe1987]

I cut the cord for 2 years. about to come crawling back like a little bitch.

Same here, there used to be a ton of free content, then I noticed CBS tightened up on the streamed content, followed by many other content makers. I think it's going to get a lot worse too, the OTA stuff will likely go away if Aero and similar services are successful in court.

My cable/internet provider has some neat stuff, if I'm at home, I can stream almost all live content to mobile devices.

OP, find someone that will share their account with you, so you can use HBO GO, and ShowTime AnyTime.

 

[Chaotic42]

Roku + Netflix + Hulu Plus + TV antenna I think is the best option short of the -redacted-.

Yep. This is what I do, minus Hulu Plus.

 

[Captante]

That's pretty good savings. I could save even more if I switched to Uverse/DSL but I can't go back to slow DSL after using cable internet.

I haven't missed paid cable/satellite TV. Not one bit. We probably watch more TV now than before.

Just switched to uverse/DSL myself & it is slower but so far I can live with it. Optimum was just so expensive I simply couldn't do it anymore.

 

[purbeast0]

since you are fine with pirating i don't see why you would even consider cable.

 

[PliotronX]

The Roku is more powerful than it first appears, I run Plex media server on my desktop with Rarflix on the Roku to stream my entire library. Going to build a 15TB Mini ITX FreeNAS server with the Plex server addon this spring

 

[zerocool84]

I tried but couldn't do it. I don't watch any regular network TV shows as they are all the same, I can't live only on Netflix as I watch tons of sports which OTA doesn't cover it all (football/basketball). Even though I watch a lot of Netflix, I couldn't live without cable.

 

[Williz]

I did this, I have a HP microserver running WHS with Sickbeard, CouchPotato and Headphones. With around 8Tb of storage, a semi decent lp gfx card and asus dg soundcard hooked up to my AV receiver. I get homw from work and I'll have any tv shows or movies to choose from to watch.

 

[sportage]

I have way too much paid media shit, but I really like just having a good HD antenna (if you can get local reception), and a few tivo's as the best option.
Only bad is that tivo charges way too much for their services.
And the newer tivo units will not hook up to an antenna. Avoid newer units.
But people are right, you really don't need cable nor satellite.
I have a Netflix queue list I will never get thru.
One thing leads to another.
Recently hooked on old Dennis Weaver "for" TV movies, i.e. Cocaine: One Man's Seduction, Intimate Strangers with Sally Struthers (bad acting but still ok), and The Children Of Time Square (not with Dennis Weaver).
Try "Mercy or Murder", the old tv movie staring the father knows best dad Robert Young as the spouse of alzheimer's victim.
You can spend weeks with Netflix alone.

ps. Also recommend The Boys next Door with Charlie Sheen, and one with his real life father and brother, In the Custody of Strangers.
I like these old netflix flicks from years ago....

 

[edro]

Roku + Netflix + Hulu Plus + TV antenna I think is the best option.

That's what I do, except Roku=Smart TV.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Why doesn't someone build a competitor to the TiVo box without all the service fee BS? Like a Roku with Antenna and LAN inputs, HDMI output, and maybe a SSD inside for some DVR functionality?

 

[Jimzz]

Why doesn't someone build a competitor to the TiVo box without all the service fee BS? Like a Roku with Antenna and LAN inputs, HDMI output, and maybe a SSD inside for some DVR functionality?

Tivo sued and the courts have upheld Tivo's patents. Its why cable companies have to pay a fee to use DVR boxes to Tivo.

http://gigaom.com/2013/06/07/learning-lessons-from-tivo-dont-make-patents-your-business/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiVo_Inc._v._EchoStar_Corp.

 

[Spectralwolf]

Why doesn't someone build a competitor to the TiVo box without all the service fee BS? Like a Roku with Antenna and LAN inputs, HDMI output, and maybe a SSD inside for some DVR functionality?

We have an hdhomerun dual to put ota over network. Windows media center for dvr with guide and schedules built in. There's a free program I can't remember offhand that will auto monitor the folder wmc records to, convert file to plex friendly format then dump in plex folder on PC which is accessed on rokus through our house on the plex channel. Little convoluted setup but once done everything is automatic/legal and no monthly fees.

 

[velillen]

I tried but couldn't do it. I don't watch any regular network TV shows as they are all the same, I can't live only on Netflix as I watch tons of sports which OTA doesn't cover it all (football/basketball). Even though I watch a lot of Netflix, I couldn't live without cable.

Who is your internet provider though? With comcast you get access to NBC Sports Streaming which covers a ton of games. You also get access to ESPN3 or whatever they call it now which covers even more games.

Honestly with those i have been able to watch (in HD) every Seahawks game (OTA), every Sounders game (OTA when local, NBC streaming/ESPN streaming), and probably 90% of Manchester United games (NBC streaming mostly). Plus i have started watching F1 (nbc streaming).

I use an HTPC with 2 HDhomeruns (1 for OTA and 1 does free cable channels that still come through...even though i rarely watch those) so i still have a mediaguide and DVR. Rest of my media sits on a unraid server so its at least a bit protected.

 

[TXHokie]

We have an hdhomerun dual to put ota over network. Windows media center for dvr with guide and schedules built in. There's a free program I can't remember offhand that will auto monitor the folder wmc records to, convert file to plex friendly format then dump in plex folder on PC which is accessed on rokus through our house on the plex channel. Little convoluted setup but once done everything is automatic/legal and no monthly fees.

This is what I have minus the plex stuff. Got two hdhomerun for a total of four channels on a big central MCE server. Got a few cheap Xbox360 to extend MCE to other rooms and share recorded contents and live TV/music/home videos in one place. It's cool to stop a show in living room and pick up where I left off in bedroom. There's a bunch of MCE plug ins but the best one I like is the one that automagically remove commercials from recordings.
Yeah I do miss cable sports but that's beer money.

 

[Spectralwolf]

This is what I have minus the plex stuff. Got two hdhomerun for a total of four channels on a big central MCE server. Got a few cheap Xbox360 to extend MCE to other rooms and share recorded contents and live TV/music/home videos in one place. It's cool to stop a show in living room and pick up where I left off in bedroom. There's a bunch of MCE plug ins but the best one I like is the one that automagically remove commercials from recordings.
Yeah I do miss cable sports but that's beer money.

Lol Reminded me of the name of the program. MCEbuddy. Software that can autoconvert and strips commercials.

 

[ProchargeMe]

My girlfriend and i have only had high speed internet for the better part of a year now, and I couldn't care less about cable TV now. The only thing I miss are sports channels, but going to a bar to watch the game has its advantages sometimes.

 

[RearAdmiral]

I thought I would just get TV again after I bought a house. I've been in there since October and I don't really care about TV anymore. It feels nice saving the money and I feel like I can do a bit more with my time. I still play an occasional games and watch a good amount of movies and netflix though.

As some people have pointed out it usually just seems like people replace the service with streaming options that end up costing a solid amount monthly anyway haha.

 

[notposting]

We ran an HTPC setup since around 2007. First with VMC, then 7MC, eventually ended up with a WHS + MyMovies, HDHR, 7MC setup. Somewhere around 700 discs ripped to our server, plus clear-QAM tuning through Comcast (Limited Basic, but beauty HD with no extra charge). Comcast has since encrypted them though requiring boxes or Cablecards, so to hell with that.

However, right now we are using a Roku 2XS and have Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Aereo as the primary channels we are using (we also have things like Crackle, PBS, Lifetime, etc on there). Aereo gets us a pile of channels (Detroit area) and the DVR has worked well thus far.

Of course, we are on a $30 internet only promo, eventually after 18 months I think it goes to ~$60. Comcast does have a $50 6/1 tier regular price tier though, would probably downgrade to that if it came down to it.

Probably helps if you just don't give a crap about watching things and aren't picky about what's available when you do bother to watch things. Heck, I've basically given up watching sports or even caring for the most part at this point.

 

[notposting]

I thought I would just get TV again after I bought a house. I've been in there since October and I don't really care about TV anymore. It feels nice saving the money and I feel like I can do a bit more with my time. I still play an occasional games and watch a good amount of movies and netflix though.

Yeah, there really isn't that much better selection when you do have 800 channels available,

As some people have pointed out it usually just seems like people replace the service with streaming options that end up costing a solid amount monthly anyway haha.

But at least with the streaming options you know what you are paying. Most of these cable/telco companies then add outlet fees, outlet HD fees, HD tier fees, mythical local franchise fees, box rentals, HD box rentals, HD DVR box rentals, DVR fees, PMITA fees, random price increases, change channel lineups left and right, etc etc.

 

[NoCreativity]

If you do netflix streaming there is a shortage of newer content on it. We have to supplement with mailed discs to get a lot of newer stuff. I haven't looked into Amazon or Hulu so that may make up for newer television shows and movies.