Confession: I used to be addicted to video channels. Well, according to my friends, I still am. Every chance I get during our weekly potluck, I make sure to grab the cable remote and change the channel to my beloved VH1 Soul. Again, according to my friends.
A year ago, I decided that I no longer wanted to deal with the high price of cable so I packed up ALL of my boxes and told Comcast, “I QUIT YOU!”.
Now, I do still have them as my ISP (Internet Service Provider) but that day ended my up and down relationship with high fees, barely watched channels and poor programming packages.
Let’s talk about how I did it.
First, do you know what cord cutting is? Neither did I, until I tweeted one day about how happy I was to get rid of my cable provider.
The technical definition via Technopedia states that:
Cord cutting refers to the process of cutting expensive cable connections in order to change to a low-cost TV channel subscription through over-the-air (OT) free broadcast through antenna, or over-the-top (OTT) broadcast over the Internet.
Why in the world would you do it? Well, I’ll tell you.
- Saves you money for all the times you didn’t watch the run of Twilight movies
- Gets rid of the desire to order that ugly wreath from QVC
Sounds great…but I have to list the cons.
- Your cable provider may/will jack up your service prices
- Unfortunately, you can’t live tweet that episode of Love and Hip-Hop.
Four Questions to Ask Yourself:
1. What are you REALLY watching?
2. Can you live without live tweeting the latest reality show?
3. Did you know you could get HDTV from an antenna/coaxial cable?
4. You really don’t need all 350 channels….
Granted, the last one wasn’t a question, but you get the idea. There is LIFE after cable. Here are some ways to make the cable transition as painless as possible.
Devices:
Roku: A new player in the game, Roku has a number of devices in its lineup to satisfy your wishes of a cordless life. The UI in my opinion could be improved but if my mother, who sends pictures as emails instead of texts can figure it out, so can you. $50 gets you started and up and running in NO time.
Game Console: Wii, PS3 and XBOX all have the ability to connect to streaming services to view your content. I personally view most of my content through my Wii but it’s generally the same for all consoles. The content is similar and most of the major players offer channels on them. Prices point varies but it is a huge score if you already own one of these devices.
AppleTV: The bee’s knees. AppleTV is the perfect solution if you already have your house/apartment stocked with Apple products. With its retail cost of $99, it’s a low bar entry into the cordless world. The ability to send video, games or other applications from an iPod, iPhone or iPad is a feature that’s unmatched to other devices like it.
Streaming Fresh Content:
Netflix/Hulu+: Deemed the major players in the streaming content game, Netflix and Hulu+ offer content that was previously on TV (Lost Girl, Mad Men) to content that should never be shown on TV (Y’all know those movies…THOSE MOVIES.) For a monthly fee, you can enjoy all of the spoils that both platforms have to offer. One of the good things is that Hulu+ and Netflix have are apps that can be downloaded from your device marketplace so you can enjoy your marathon of “Orange Is The New Black”, which is awesome, on the go.
HuffPostLive: Eager to break the humdrum routine of daytime television, HuffPost Live broke the trend by offering original programming as well as live conversations among users through mediums such as Google+ and Skype. The content is set up just like a regular broadcast station with 12 hours of programming during the week. On August 13th, they will celebrate their one year anniversary and as a frequent user, I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
YouTube: An old player that keeps reinventing itself is YouTube. Bought by Google in 2006, it has truly changed the way we view media online. From original series to recaps from some of our favorite commentators, YouTube is a mainstay in my household.
Here are some of my favorite channels/shows:
So tell me, Have you made the move to cut the cord?
Still holding out for the Free HBO/Cinemax/Showtime?(Uh, why?)
Sound off below!
