Cord cutting 101
TV viewers need four things to cut the cable or satellite cord and switch to digital streaming:
Internet service. Comcast and CenturyLink are the most popular locally.
A device for streaming. Roku has about a 50 percent share of the market. Apple TV, Android TV (owned by Google), Amazon Fire are other options.
Streaming monthly subscription. These range from $8 to $35 or more depending on the channels you want. Netflix, HULU and Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Playstation Vue, DirectTV Now and HULU Live are some of the options.
A digital antenna. This is recommended to access local channels like NBC-2, WINK, Fox 4 and ABC-7. There are 28 channels available for free in Southwest Florida with a digital antenna.
Why I kept cable
My Comcast cable bill recently spiked from $155 to $177 a month. That’s when I began investigating cutting the cord.
But my wife and I enjoy HBO, and I enjoy sports, and by the time I began adding Internet cost plus startup costs for a Roku combined with the monthly fees for all of the channels we enjoy, I bucked the trend.
I bought a modem compatible with Comcast for $60 at Radio Shack, which lowered my cable bill by $10 a month. Then I called Comcast and threatened to quit. I went from one supervisor to another and then to a third. The phone call lasted 90 minutes.
In the end, Comcast offered me all new equipment, including the Xfinity 1 console and voice-activated remote (which is pretty cool). It also gave me Starz and Cinemax, which we did not have before, and let me keep HBO and all of my favorite sports channels.
My monthly bill dipped from $177 to $135. The only con: I’m locked into a two-year deal and have to pay $10 for every remaining month to get out of it. We’re saving $42 a month. Could I have saved a few dollars more? Maybe. But the convenience and comfort level made it worth it.
news-press.com
Cutting the Cord: Alternatives to Cable and Satellite TV Updated December 15, 2017
Your guides
Chris Heinonen
Daniel Varghese
Cutting the cord—canceling your cable or satellite TV service in favor of streaming or other options—is a hot topic. Whether because of the rising costs of TV service, declining interest in traditional cable programming, or other reasons, more and more people are dropping cable.
thewirecutter.com
Your Guide to Cable TV Cord-Cuttinghttps://www.tomsguide.com/us/cord-cutting-guide,news-17928.html
Cord Cutting 2017, the definitive guide with everything you need to know cordcuttingreport.com |
