Whenever the local cable company makes a change or raises monthly
rates, many look at their monthly bill and ask if there is a less expensive
alternative. We hear about other people
“cutting the cord” and opting for a combination of receiving local channels via
an antenna and using one of the many internet-based streaming services for the
other channels. Like so many purchase
decisions, there is no one right answer.
As long as there is a single cable provider in our area and only two
satellite services available your choices remain limited. Both the cable and satellite companies force
you into bundles of channels. So if you
want to watch some of the most popular channels like ESPN, History, DIY, etc. you are required to purchase a bundle of
hundreds of other channels that you will most likely seldom watch. For example those who are not avid sports
fans are irritated that they pay about $5.00 per month for ESPN even if they never
watch it because it is part of the “bundle.”
Before you decide to cut your cable you should do an inventory over a
two or three week period. Write down what
you actually watch. Once you have that
list you can check if these programs are available using some other
service. For example, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon TV offer many of the same
programs found on cable. Services like the History Channel, Smithsonian
Channel and HGTV offer some complete
episodes of series on their respective webpages.
Once you do the research you need to then do the math. Right now you can’t cut the cord completely. You still need to have a robust internet
connection and install a TV antenna to get local stations. The former will come with a monthly fee and
the cost of the antenna will depend on where you live. Some can use simple rabbit ears while others with
require a more expensive outside-mounted antenna.
The streaming services like Netflix
and Hulu Plus have monthly fees. These fees need to be added to the cost of
your internet connection. Once you add
up all these costs you will be able to make an informed decision if cutting the
cord will save money and if it is for you.
Looking ahead, services like MyTV from Cincinnati Bell are beginning to
offer ala carte channels, promising that you will only pay for the channels you
watch. Since this service is not yet
available in most of the local area, it is too early to say if it will save
significant money. For sure, if MyTV becomes an option look for the Time
Warner to begin to offer an ala carte service to compete.
In all these discussions about television viewing options, no one ever mentions or discusses middle-aged women.
ReplyDeleteI am 55, and I HAVE to have cable, for two reasons. One is simply physical--I live in an apartment in a valley and even with an antenna I can pick up about six channels, three of the original networks and three subchannels. The other is that what is offered by either basic cable or the streaming options isn't what I watch. I like the older reruns on channels such as Up, INSP, Pop and Aspire. Since I use Time Warner, I'm able to get subchannels such as Laff, Antenna and MeTV. I like the Canadian dramas shown on Ion as well. Also, the Canadian series Heartland, one of my all-time favorite series, is only shown on Up, and it is illegal to download it anywhere outside of Canada.
By the way, my mother and sisters have all increased their cable channel lineups in the past five years, not done the opposite and "cut the cord." There simply aren't the viewing options available to us in basic cable or streaming, and we aren't interested in many sports.