Best Way To Cut Cable
What is the Best Way To Cut Cable? I probably get this e-mail once a week. I think the question most of my readers are actually asking is “how do I talk my husband/kids/partner into cutting cable?”. The answer to that question is “with the least disturbance possible.” Now that sports can be watched without cable many people are finding their partners more open to getting rid of it (you can check out my post How To Watch Football When You Don’t Have Cable). My mom and I finally got my dad to cut the cord about four years ago and I think he likes it even better now- he rarely has to watch commercials!
Best Way To Cut Cable
- Buy an HDTV antenna. Before you start picturing rabbit ears and aluminum foil don’t freak out- antennas have changed ALOT since the old days. A modern day antenna can look as slick as your other electronics or even be easily hidden. And from the charts I am looking at online when it comes to antennas more expensive is not always better. If you go here you can see the 100 top selling TV Antennas on Amazon and most are under $30. Feel free to check through the reviews and find one that you think will work. If you get a cheaper one and like it you can always upgrade to a more expensive one. Some of my readers get as many as 30 television channels with their antenna.
- Check your TV- you may already be able to stream. If you bought your television after 2009 there is a decent chance you can already stream some television shows via the Internet. With a “Smart TV” apps like Hulu and Netflix are already embedded in them. If you have that you don’t need to buy any additional items- you already have everything you need in your house.
- Check your gaming system and Blu-ray player. My Wii is probably a decade old and I can stream Netflix and Hulu on it to my television. So if you have a half way decent gaming system or a Blu-ray player you likely will be able to stream as well already.
- Try an HDMI cable. While it may seem basic this is probably the easiest way after the antenna. If your computer, laptop or chrome book has an HDMI port and so does your TV you are in business. Just connect the two and anything you can watch on your computer you can watch on your television. With so many people doing live streaming you can even catch some stuff live.
- Get the best Internet Deal you can without sacrificing speed. You will never get rid of cable if your internet speed isn’t good enough to stream video effectively. People who are smarter than me say you need a speed of atleast 10 megabits per second per TV set. My cable is around $70 a month and does everything I need it to- see if you can stick around that price as well.
- Get a streaming device. If you still need an external streaming device you have a ton of options. These are the five most popular:
- Amazon Fire Stick: This is what I use in my home and I love it. I just TELL it what I want to watch and it finds it. I was shocked to see I could tell it to find a show and it would pull up Hulu- I assumed it would only work in Amazon products. Enjoy tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills including Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, YouTube, Amazon Video, NBC, WatchESPN, Disney, and more. It’s normal price is $24.99 so that is your price to beat.
- Amazon: click here to check price
- Best Buy: click here to check price
- Target: click here to check price
- Roku Ultra: Whether your TV is HD, 4K or HDR, the Roku Ultra will optimize your content for the best picture resolution possible. The new voice remote (with buttons for TV power and volume control) makes it easy to control both your TV and Roku player. You can enjoy 500,000+ movies and TV episodes across thousands of FREE or paid channels. Plus, use your voice to search across top channels by actor, show and more. Includes headphones for private listening and a lost-remote finder.
- Roku Streaming Stick: Portable so you can easily hide it behind your TV, move it around the house, or take it to a friend’s. Plus, the new voice remote lets you easily control your TV with buttons for TV power and volume or use your voice to search across top channels by actor, show and more. Enjoy 500,000+ blockbusters, award-winning original series, kids’ shows, and more—across thousands of free or paid channels like Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, and PBS KIDS.
- Google Chromecast Ultra: You can stream up to 4K Ultra HD & HDR picture quality over your WiFi network with the Chromecast Ultra, a streaming device that plugs straight into your TV’s HDMI port. Chromecast Ultra provides fast, reliable performance with minimal buffering and smoother streaming. Use your iPhone, iPad, Android device, or laptop to stream thousands of Cast-enabled apps.
- Apple TV (nice because it integrates with your other Apple products): The Apple TV 4K makes your favorite TV shows and movies even more amazing. Videos play in stunning detail with picture quality that’s more true to life. Enjoy content from iTunes and apps like Netflix, Hulu, and ESPN — or use the Siri Remote to find just what you want. The Apple TV 4K features faster performance than ever with the A10X Fusion chip for all your games and apps.
- Amazon Fire Stick: This is what I use in my home and I love it. I just TELL it what I want to watch and it finds it. I was shocked to see I could tell it to find a show and it would pull up Hulu- I assumed it would only work in Amazon products. Enjoy tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills including Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, YouTube, Amazon Video, NBC, WatchESPN, Disney, and more. It’s normal price is $24.99 so that is your price to beat.
- Pick your streaming service. Your last real step is to pick your streaming services. Here are the most popular (and my experience with the ones I have):
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- Amazon Prime ($119 a year): How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Free shipping, free music, free photo storage and free television shows. They have their own original programming as well as older shows you may want to watch. Also all five seasons of Downton Abbey- which is a selling point for me.
- Hulu (starts at $8 a month but I think it’s worth the extra $2 a month to cut all the commercials): they have ABC, Fox and NBC shows the day after they air as well as lots of cable networks (like Comedy Central and SyFy). I also find they have a REALLY good selection of older programs- I am currently watching Community and they recently added all the seasons of Golden Girls which my friends have been enjoying.
- Netflix (starts at $9 a month): They have more movies and television shows to pick from than the others (as I type this I am watching “Burn Notice”). They have their own very popular shows (“House of Cards”, “Orange is the New Black”) and a nice selection of British series as well (love me some “Broadchurch”).
- SlingTV ($20 a month): My parents have this so they can get live sports. They have tons of different channels depending on what package you pick. You can also make changes or cancel at any time- so if you watch hockey you can add the sports package during hockey season and then cancel once the playoffs are over. If you are interested in Sling TV click here to check it out on Amazon- sometimes you can get a FREE FireStick when you sign up for Sling.
- CBS app (starts at $4.99 a month)- I added this when I moved into my new house. I LOVE it. I have access to all the CBS shows the day after they air. Plus I have LIVE CBS stations- 4 of them. So if I want to watch Big Bang Theory on Thursday night at 8 I can. On New Years Eve I had friends over and just turned on the app and we watched the ball drop live. On election nights I can watch the results live.
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