Like many people, there came a point when I took a look at my monthly bill for cable/satellite TV and various streaming video services and just thought it was much too high for what I was getting out of it. I had the common realization that while my cable provider delivered hundreds of channels to my home, I really only regularly watched a few. So, I took the initial steps toward cutting the cord.
What I learned fairly quickly is that while there were quite a few options available for cord-cutters, there wasn’t always an easy path to effectively drop out of the cable TV ecosystem, replace wanted channels, and still keep costs lower. There are now quite a few streaming services that will deliver the majority of the channels you used to get from your cable TV subscription. But, in some cases, they don’t represent a huge saving. My goal was to accomplish a combination of things - cutting the cord, finding good channel access replacements, and also reducing costs. Below are some tips on how I managed to accomplish all three.
Addressing Broadcast TV
One of the first things you may want to replace when cutting the cord, is access to your local broadcast TV stations. Fortunately, broadcast TV is relatively easy to access without a subscription. In a move back to the days before cable TV, you simply get an antenna and pull those signals right out of the air and send them to your TV screen. The antenna may look different (being HD instead of analog) but the concept is similar. The trick here is to find a decent HD antenna and then see how many local channels you can access. With any luck, you will be able to get all the major networks and maybe a few more local stations, all for the cost of an antenna.
You do have other options to add local broadcast channels with packages from various streaming services, but if you’re looking to cut costs, the antenna is probably your best route.
Add a Few Streaming Subscriptions
We live in a world with a wide (and growing) selection of streaming services to consider. Whether you go with just one or pick a couple, you should be able to add access to quite a bit of streaming, on-demand content while still cutting the cord with your cable provider. Whether it is Netflix, Hulu, Prime, AppleTV, Disney+, or some other option, you have many choices when it comes to streaming content.
For the most part, these streaming services still offer inexpensive monthly subscription fees for access to their content. Some have extra bells & whistles, like providing access to local channels, that can drive up the price. But the basic versions deliver a lot of bang for your buck. I went the route of including 3 full-time streaming services and then added a fourth now and again, for short periods in order to watch specific content they offer exclusively.
Consider your Tech Solutions
This is an important piece of a successful equation when it comes to cutting the cord. First off, you’ll want to make sure you have good, high-speed internet access. You don’t want issues when streaming content and accessing the internet at the same time (especially if you have kids who might be on their phones or playing video games while you are trying to watch a movie). So, remember that cutting the cord may not mean you don’t still have one cable still connected to your house, delivering high-speed internet access.
You’ll obviously need at least one TV, but fortunately, the TV screen market has become so commoditized that even a large high-definition TV is relatively inexpensive. Next up, you’ll need a device that delivers access to various streaming apps. Many TVs now come with this feature built-in, but you may also want to look at options like Roku or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.
Lastly, you may have become very used to recording broadcast shows on a DVR with your cable or satellite provider to watch later. Well, that is replaceable as well. You could go with an option like Tivo, or buy another company’s broadcast TV box (like Tablo) that comes with either a hard drive or cloud storage so you can still record shows for later viewing. This TV tech ‘stack’ is probably the trickiest part of setting up your own custom TV content package. However, it is entirely possible to put this all together yourself and save a few bucks every month for your trouble.
