My experiment to cut the expensive cord...

Loko_Ino
Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
edited September 26 in Chit-Chat
So the wife and I finally got tired of paying the $120 cable bill every month and decided to cut the cord. This is our 2nd month without cable and our bill is not $-50 cause apparently you pay ahead for cable and since we had paid they owed and we got a nice size credit. We still get braodband and phone from them but that is a package for like $55 so instead of a total of $135 a month we pay that $55.
We started with Boxee, fairly good program. They have a set top box (STB) but I opted for just downloading the software onto my laptop and connecting via HDMI to test, since their STB goes for $199, pretty big investment. I like their program a lot. A nice feature is they have a build in browser so you can go out to the web without actually closing Boxee and they have add on apps that you can get, one being a launcher program that will launch those stations that they don't actually stream but have a stream on the internet, like SYFY channel.
In the end we decided to go with Roku for $80 just for the sake of not being so customizable actually. We wanted something simple the kids could operate and Roku gives you just that. They have a channel store, a la app store and there is also a sort of underground group of users who create channel streams for lots of prgramming Roku does not stream. They make these channels into streams and post them to sites and you just add the channel and you can get it also, not sure the technical process but works. They also support Hulu+, which brings me to my next suggestion: netflix and Hulu+.
The subscriptions you want for sure are Netflix and Hulu+. We got the netflix subsctription with no DVD for $7.99 and Hulu+ is $7.99 also. Between these two streamers you can see most current TV, past TV and quite a large movie collection along with Cable series. Amazon on demand is also a good one to have up your sleeve in case a movie goe there. There is no subscription for them, they are pay as you use and are fairly decent priced. Be aware though that there are some shows that Hulu+ cannot stream and only make available on Hulu via web, odd but has to do with licensing to a branded STB versus the internet...so keep that laptop handy.
Quality is not an issue I have had a problem with. Most times the pictures are in HD and sound and pic are excellent so I don't worry about that. There are possible issues if your broadband is not very good. I tend to get 1.5Mbps speeds to I am good. Since I used to play WoW I made damn sure my broadband was l33t.
Our next goal is to get an indoor antenna for OTA news channels. According to antennaweb.org in my area I should get all the major networks with a simple indoor setup.

Questions?

Just my little anecdote on cutting the cord, hopefully some of you take the plunge and save that $100+ a month also.

Replies

  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    hubby and i did the same thing! It really is a good saver :)
  • mom2jj
    mom2jj Posts: 12 Member
    We would definitely consider that but we are a sports fan family and enjoy having all the sports channel. I don't think my husband could do without that :(
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
    We did it years ago and went to a basic cable package for $15 a month. We saved money, but eventually got it cut back on. Since we don't have too much money for entertainment outside the house these days, TV and movies is where we get our entertainment.

    Great think about now is you can watch quite a few shows on the internet for free. Good luck. I hope it works out and ya'll enjoy the savings.

    I would love to cut it back now, but I dont' think my 8 year old could live without sponge bob and dragon ball z:laugh:
  • gameovergt
    gameovergt Posts: 502
    my cable/online connection is covered under my HOA fees. Now I am stuck with Comcast!
  • up2me2lose20
    up2me2lose20 Posts: 360 Member
    hubby has been interested in roku also. we are tired of our cable's bad service and our dvr stinks and we can't get HD tivo with our cable company. last night we connected my laptop via hdmi to the tv and watched a show, but it was not full screen. not sure how to fix that. also looking into an antenna for the local channels. thanks for your info!
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
    I'm not understanding Boxtee and Roku. Are these things just on your computer or on your tv?
  • ande2994
    ande2994 Posts: 136
    I had cable for one year in college, when it was included with room and board. Between a digital converter box (which was nearly free with the government voucher) and tv/movies on DVD (usually free from my library), I already spend too much time watching tv. Why would I want to PAY for another excuse to sit on my butt??
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Our next goal is to get an indoor antenna for OTA news channels. According to antennaweb.org in my area I should get all the major networks with a simple indoor setup.

    You better double check on that. I believe, and understood that most tv companies are going away with analog signals and only having digital signals.
  • up2me2lose20
    up2me2lose20 Posts: 360 Member
    our local tower broadcasts in hd.
    Our next goal is to get an indoor antenna for OTA news channels. According to antennaweb.org in my area I should get all the major networks with a simple indoor setup.

    You better double check on that. I believe, and understood that most tv companies are going away with analog signals and only having digital signals.
  • Hottness4Lyfe
    Hottness4Lyfe Posts: 321 Member
    I'm considered doing this....I'm still trying to figure out how to get my HBO. The current season series aren't available on-line.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    Our next goal is to get an indoor antenna for OTA news channels. According to antennaweb.org in my area I should get all the major networks with a simple indoor setup.

    You better double check on that. I believe, and understood that most tv companies are going away with analog signals and only having digital signals.

    The digital signal is still transmitted OTA, just a different format.
    It is acutally federal law for TV signals to be transmitted, hence the giant TV signal towers. This is also how your local station gets the networks: satellite to terrestrial receiver amplifier to other towers in the region. OTA signals can never stop.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    I'm considered doing this....I'm still trying to figure out how to get my HBO. The current season series aren't available on-line.

    Yea, HBO is a pain, I have never been a fan of them so not missing them.
    they do have online access for them now but you have to be a paying cable customer to get it which is stupid.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    I'm not understanding Boxtee and Roku. Are these things just on your computer or on your tv?

    Boxee and Roku are set top boxes that connect to the internet and give you TV from the web. Just like if you were to go to aetv.com and watch an episode, these do the same thing for you without having to have your PC connected to the TV.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    We did it years ago and went to a basic cable package for $15 a month. We saved money, but eventually got it cut back on. Since we don't have too much money for entertainment outside the house these days, TV and movies is where we get our entertainment.

    Great think about now is you can watch quite a few shows on the internet for free. Good luck. I hope it works out and ya'll enjoy the savings.

    I would love to cut it back now, but I dont' think my 8 year old could live without sponge bob and dragon ball z:laugh:

    Beleive me, Spongebob and DBZ are available online =)
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    I did forget one caveat to all this, most broadband providers cap your internet.
    ATT is like 150GB and comcast is 250GB.
    I have yet to come even close to either one and it counts toward all internet usage so the TV, iPods, iPhones, and laptops all count, and we have about 6 people in my household online most days..no issues.
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    I had cable for one year in college, when it was included with room and board. Between a digital converter box (which was nearly free with the government voucher) and tv/movies on DVD (usually free from my library), I already spend too much time watching tv. Why would I want to PAY for another excuse to sit on my butt??

    I find i watch less TV without cable but do have downtime that where i can catch up on specific shows rather than channel surfing mindlessly.
    Roku has Pandora and that is what we stream most of the time =)
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    We would definitely consider that but we are a sports fan family and enjoy having all the sports channel. I don't think my husband could do without that :(

    There is MLB and NHL and with a little investigation you can get NBA and NFL but not easily.
    Sports is the one downside but then i just go visit friends for a few hours =)
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
    I've suggested cutting the cable on occasion. Not getting good reception from Jan and Holland.. Basically, all I watch are the Soccer Channel, the Food Network and somethimes the Travel Channel. But we have the whole package. We get everything.

    Apparently, we couldn't live without Californication, Dexter and a bunch of other shows. So, whatever. When Mommy's happy, everybody is happy. Doesn't matter to me.
  • sarad777
    sarad777 Posts: 210 Member
    We're getting a boxee for our exercise room on Tuesday. Very excited. Sure beats staring at the wall while we exercise. I have it on my computer now and it works OK. I'm not interested in using my computer for it so I bought the boxee. Doesn't hurt I get it at cost either.
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