Best cord cutting options

[JBaby]

Have you considered giving up linear TV altogether? I've only been using various OTT streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now/Max etc. on and off for years and haven't missed anything. Today I couldn't imagine to go back to sitting through commercials every few minutes, having to tune in at a specific time to watch something, or programming DVRs.

Same. My Mom finally cut the cord 2-3yrs ago. But I stopped watching it completely over 5 years ago. And even when I did watch it it was only one thing. I’ve been a Hulu fan since it was in beta over 12 years ago. I don’t have any of these cable replacements either. Live TV doesn’t interest me at all. I’m good with Ad-free Hulu being my cable replacement. I consider Netflix, Amazon, and the 7 tv+ Channels I have to be my streaming services.

 

[A. P.]

I am with you. But I need my national and local news, and the big 4 networks & PBS. I am also kind of old fashion in the sense that I like to flip channels and find an old movie or show playing that I use to like. Or discover a new show or movie that is starting. Doing a lot of that during the pandemic.

Have you considered giving up linear TV altogether? I've only been using various OTT streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now/Max etc. on and off for years and haven't missed anything. Today I couldn't imagine to go back to sitting through commercials every few minutes, having to tune in at a specific time to watch something, or programming DVRs.

 

[randywsandberg]

Have you considered giving up linear TV altogether? I've only been using various OTT streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now/Max etc. on and off for years and haven't missed anything. Today I couldn't imagine to go back to sitting through commercials every few minutes, having to tune in at a specific time to watch something, or programming DVRs.

Me too @Rigby. I buy a year's worth of Amazon Prime which -- besides super fast free deliveries -- gives me tons of great shows and movies to watch. Plus I watch IMDB TV which also has great shows and movies. The only downside with IMDB is they run commercials but they're short and kinda sweet really. So no big deal.

Then, if I get bored or want to see a specific show like Westworld, I also get HBO Max or Peacock TV or Netflix, etcetera. Whatever floats my boat at the time on a per month basis so I can pick and choose what I want to see. I've been doing this since 2011 and have never missed regular TV even once.

 

[rayward]

You would have to ask them. I do know that with Comcast you can buy your own modem, you would still need to supply your own router if you do not have one, but by doing that you lower your monthly bill because you are no longer paying for a modem rental fee, around here that fee is around $13 to $14 a month, about $160 a year in savings.

The modem my friend bought who has Comcast paid around $80 for one on Amazon. He then bought his own router for about $120. So basically a onetime fee of around $200 for him, but going forward he will make that back with savings.

Also by canceling your TV with Comcast, you will no longer have equipment fees and misc fees like one for DVR and HD. I think back when I had cable, I think half my bill was a bunch of BS fees. I pulled out an old bill I had from DirecTV and looked at all the fees, I had a DVR fee, a whole home DVR fee, an equipment fee, and insurance fee, a regional sports fee, all that crap combined was around $80. I don't miss that.

You're spot on that it's the equipment rental charges that kill you which, if you have combined TV and internet, you cannot avoid. They charge for the modem/router gateway, more for the main set-top box, even more if it's a DVR, then still more for any other set-top boxes and the final affront: extra for HD. If you have just 2 TVs with the DVR service, that can run as much as $40/month.

When I cut the cable, I already had Apple TVs and an Airport Extreme router, so I had only to buy a modem. However, if you're bootstrapping a cable-free home, the initial equipment outlay can be steep, but the payback is quick. If you go with Apple TVs as your TV interface, you're looking at something like this:

$ 80 Modem
$ 120 WiFi Router
$ 300 2 x Apple TV HD ($150 each)
-------
$ 500

If you're eliminating $40/month in equipment cost, this will pay for itself in a year, after which you are into endless profit. That's not counting the savings on TV content.

I'm no fan of Comcast, but much of my negative opinion of them came from being overcharged for the TV service. Having them as an internet-only provider, I don't even think about them. I pay $50/month for 200mbps, but regularly get up to 250mbps on speed tests. AT&T forces you to use their gateway box, for which they charge you a monthly rental, of course, so that's not really an option anyway.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Then, if I get bored or want to see a specific show like Westworld, I also get HBO Max or Peacock TV or Netflix, etcetera. Whatever floats my boat at the time on a per month basis so I can pick and choose what I want to see. I've been doing this since 2011 and have never missed regular TV even once.

So many people don't get this. They add up all the various streaming packages together to get a high total cost, and use that as proof that streaming isn't cheaper than cable. They don't understand that you can just subscribe and unsubscribe from streaming packages with the click of a button, and thus there is no reason to be paying for all of them at once. Rather, it's so easy to subscribe to a few at a time and switch as needed, which greatly reduced the cost.

 

[rayward]

I am with you. But I need my national and local news, and the big 4 networks & PBS. I am also kind of old fashion in the sense that I like to flip channels and find an old movie or show playing that I use to like. Or discover a new show or movie that is starting. Doing a lot of that during the pandemic.

I get my streaming TV through Sling for $30/month, as it's the cheapest service that gives me at least the minimum of what I need in that regard, then I have Netflix and HBO Max on top of that. Sling claims to offer local stations, but they're not available in my area.

To get the broadcast channels, including PBS, I have an HD antenna which feeds into an HD HomeRun unit; I have the Connect Duo model ($100). I use the Channels app on my Mac to pull in the OTA signal from the HD HomeRun, which it transcodes on the fly for live viewing through my Apple TVs or to save it to a DVR. The Channels app is free, but the guide service (needed for DVR functionality) is $8/month (great value). The Channels app can consolidate content from multiple sources, so it also pulls in the channels from Sling so, for me, it acts as a single hub / DVR for both OTA and streaming TV.

This set-up has many advantages. The OTA channels are full 1080p whereas streaming is, at best, 1080i and often 720i (which is what Sling delivers), so the OTA content looks fantastic. Using Channels as the DVR (it can be installed on a Mac/PC or NAS) avoids the limitations, cost and typically awful functionality of streaming DVRs - the responsiveness is fantastic and it has a commercial-skip feature too. Because you're storing your DVR content locally, you can keep recorded content for as long as you like. The Channels DVR remembers your programs so you don't have to re-program all your series passes if you change streaming service. You use the excellent, free, companion Channels app on your Apple TV and any other iDevices as your interface for all TV content, and you can access it all remotely when away from home.

In my situation, the next-cheapest streaming service that includes my local channels is $30/month more expensive. So at $22/month in savings, the HD HomeRun was paid for in 5 months. My HD antenna cost $20 and picks up 123 channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS.