Help me get rid of my cable

[Hokiefyd]

We pay close to $200/month (all taxes and fees included) for cable service which includes a home phone we don't use, broadband which we use heavily, and digital cable which we use moderately. I'd like to reduce this to potentially broadband only, and perhaps watch TV over the air or through other resources. I understand that there are ways of doing this, but I'm not familiar with them.

We watch a lot of shows on HGTV and Discovery and Velocity, etc. Could probably do without them, but we do enjoy them. Basic cable would get us most of what we watch. Our HD TVs would only run in 480 mode, but we'd potentially save a lot of money over time. We are under a contract with Time Warner, but I would pay the ETF to get out, if we could get what we wanted.

I understand there are ways to watch TV for free. Sites like Hulu or something? Someone who used to work here did that stuff, and it sounded like he got most of what he wanted, though it may have been a little more work. Heck, maybe a lot of this stuff is available through Netflix or similar on a subscription basis, I don't know.

Those more in the know, please walk me though how to do this.

 

[dishdude]

Off air antenna + a Roku box is an excellent way to cut the cable. Most channels on the Roku are free, some are subscription - but you only pay for what you want, not hundreds of channels with nothing on that you never tune to. It's easy and intuitive to use, just like operating a cable box.

 

[Turk]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd


Those more in the know, please walk me though how to do this.


I want out of Cable TV also, but want to watch certain shows on the computer. I have Amazon Prime & watch regular Hulu.

So, yes, I too am awaiting the possibilities...

 

[JHZR2]

We never signed up, problem solved. You would be amazed at how much great stuff you can accomplish if not tied to the boob tube!

 

[eljefino]

+2 on amazon prime. Free shipping on motor oil is a bonus.

They have most of Discovery Channel stuff like "Mythbusters" up to probably last season.

Weird how old "National Geographic" documentaries show up on youtube, apparently legitimately.

RedBox DVDs.

I have a $30 USB HDTV dongle that records high-def signals off the air in their native MPEG2 transport streams. This is an exact copy with no generation loss. I could edit the ads out if I felt like it, flip the files around, or drop quality and burn DVDs. In fact there are some "freevo" softwares that edit the ads for you, fairly well.

 

[VicVinegar]

I still find a lot on Netflix, but I also don't watch that much. I guess I won't burn it out like some will.

I'd love to cut cable, but my wife wouldn't stand for it unless we really had to.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I understand there are ways to watch TV for free.


Really? Really...

It's called an "antenna".

We ditched Satellite for an antenna and Roku with Netflix & Hulu Plus streaming. Bizarrely, we now get better picture quality for free.

Most prime time shows are available on Hulu or on a network's own website for a week or two after they air. Many cable network shows are available on streaming services.

 

[BobsArmory]

We got rid of our cable bundle a while ago. went with a small antenna, basic Netflix and a DSL Line. The DSL streams fast enough for netflix.

Also, try looking at LowerMyBills .com for phone service. It's amazing how cheap you can get a land line for.

 

[raffy]

Cable TV is way overpriced in this country. We have not had it for over 10 years now and have never missed it. We have high speed Internet and can watch streaming video on our Roku, though we don't use it all that much. We also have a Netflix subscription (but DVD only, no streaming) which allows us to have two videos out at at time; we find that is plenty for us and the kids. We also borrow videos from our local library. Many of the shows on Discovery or History channels are available on Netflix.

Our "landline" phone service is through Ooma and costs us about $3.75 per month for taxes. This includes basically unlimited (well, 5000 minutes per month which is 50 to 100 times more than we use) long distance service to the US and Canada. Check out Ooma's website (www.ooma.com). You will need to purchase an Ooma box ($150 or so from Amazon.com), and it's easy to set up via your internet connection. The great thing about is this is that once it is set up, you do NOT need a computer to use your phone. I disconnected the outside line to our home and was then also able to use the internal house phone lines to hook other phones up to the system, just as if we had regular landline phone service.

We also have a Radio Shack antenna to capture digital over-the-air broadcasts (we watched the NCAA basketball final game last night using that). Reception in our area is not great but we do get some stations.

At $200 per month, you definitely need to cut some service. Get rid of the cable TV and go to high speed internet only. That can be had for around $55 per month or less. For our Internet and phone needs we pay a total of roughly $70 per month, including Netflix. That's separate from cell service, of course.

 

[Barkleymut]

We looked at everything a few months ago as our Verizon cable/internet/phone bill was around $180/month. A comcast guy came door to door offering $99/month for same services. 2 year contract plus a $300 credit after third month. We jumped on it and have been happy except the crummy router Comcast gave us had some problems and was dropping the interwebs once every 3 or 4 hours, but I think we have that worked out now.

 

[Doog]

Just get basic cable and internet. I am sure that would reduce that bill by 50%. This is on reason why I buy the 720p TV sets for 1/2 price on sale. Basic cable is no more than 720 ever. I have DirectTV and ATT dsl. About $120/month for 4 sets in the house.

You can get under $100 if you work on it and still have 90% of what you have now.

 

[Doog]

You might try calling the sales office at TWC and tell them that Direct TV offered you the same services for $99 for 36 months and a free dvr player and see if they will match it. They did for my Mom about 2 years ago when she lived in an apartment. She had the phone and all.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I think this Roku is what I've heard about before. Of course we can use an antenna, but I don't know of any of the "cable channels" like HGTV or Discovery that are available strictly over-the-air. That would require something else, and I think Roku is the piece of the puzzle I was missing.

I'm looking at the Roku website. The Roku HD lists "instant reply control on remote". Does it have a small storage on the Roku box itself where it can rewind a show like a home DVR, or is everything on Roku served on-demand?

 

[daves66nova]

Here's a good post on antennas http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...rue#Post2452910

 

[jigen]

I'm not much of a TV guy so dropping cable was easy for me. Netflix, Hulu, and maybe HBO Go is more than enough for me. Lots of shows stream full episodes on their web pages also.

 

[stephen9666]

I've been cable free for 3+ years now. I watch TV online only. I've been planning on setting up an antennea, but I never get around to it.

We watch Hulu (regular, not Hulu Plus) and Netflix. Also, there are quite a few shows you can watch on the websites of the channels.

I have high speed internet only and I don't foresee ever going back to paying for cable.

 

[E365]

Free 1080i HDTV over the air is a wonderful thing. I just watch my favorite cable shows the next day on the station's website for free on the computer. NetFlix streaming via AppleTV also adds a lot to watch too. I don't miss cable one-bit.

 

[bmwjohn]

I got a Winegard antenna, amp.,miscl. cable splitters, clamps, etc. pole, and RG8 cable from Amazon and got decent performance in Indy airport area where an indoor antenna was almost useless. I do wish I had stepped up to a slightly longer range antenna and got a dual amp that would power 2 antennas. I have one low power station that I like located totally in the wrong direction and a small flat antenna hooked up to the amp should cure that. I have never had cable, I view bills on their yearly / annual cost, not the pennies a minute that cable people use. BTW quitting helps everyone, since those that quit or never start cable, etc. put pressure on the provider to be more competitive. AND, call your local politician, since who gets the cable franchise pays a fee for exclusive franchise etc. Their actions affect the cost. Let another franchise in, reduce fees, and you have price competition.

 

[Nick R]

Hokie, I sent you a PM about this.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

$200 a month? Yikes.

Ditch the cable TV, find an inexpensive Internet solution and toss up an antenna to catch the local news. Spend quality time with the family doing something other than pretending to be entertained. Go for a family walk (get yourself and the family in shape), take up a hobby the entire family can work on, do volunteer work (great family experience). Start a side business in which the entire family can participate (it'll teach the kids how to be entrepreneurs).

You'll be amazed at how much better life is without the idiot box, not to mention the $2,000 or so you'll save every year.

$200 a month? Wow.