Eliminating your FAT cable bill is easier than you think !
These days, streaming devices are inexpensive and popular, compared to the steep monthly price of a cable subscription. Cable subscribers pay anywhere from $80/month on the low side, to over $150, for simple cable internet service with TV. Now in 2014, cable TV is losing market share to sites like Hulu, Amazon, and Neflix. Not to mention satellite. It’s time to cancel cable and save, while adding services you only dreamed of. It’s easy to find great alternatives to cable TV.
There are a variety of alternatives to cable TV. You can hack the Internet for free service. But even most straight forward paid streaming service can end up saving money. Cancelling cable and moving to streaming Internet TV is not for everyone. But, now it’s easier than ever. This guide will help help you make the decision to switch to cable-free TV – either streaming online, or via satellite.
Try it first with a free trial
Internet TV often provides the same service at a lower cost than cable TV. But not always. Before cancelling your cable, it’s best to take several streaming sites for a test run. Testing the waters before you dive headfirst into online streaming will give you a good sense of how a streaming service can serve your viewing habits. Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Hulu Plus all offer free trials . You can see what they offer, and see if you like it.
Based on what shows are most important to you, you may get everything easily through streaming TV. Hulu, and Amazon offer a huge library of TV shows and movies, so if you’re into TV series shows you probably won’t miss cable at all. But, if you’re most interested the news or sports these are often not available through Hulu, or Netflix. Often you’ll have access to local news through a simple (cheap) pair of rabbit ears for your TV. Just for fun I bought a very small TV antennae and picked up over 40 broadcast TV channels in my area – several were digital. Sounds old-school but it works. This, with streaming 
Internet TV movies, offer a great variety.
If this is still not working for you, there’s still the option of moving to satellite TV service. These start as low as $39/mo. and carry more sports and news channels than most cable providers. That with broadband internet will give you all the options you need – often for much less.
Do some research
Look around, especially on sites like this, to compare service options and rates. When you go to your cable company it will help with negotiating rates down, especially if you’re cutting all but your cable Internet service. Cable companies will want to keep you as a customer, but will try to only discount your service $10-$20 for going to Internet service only. If you were utilizing a bundle deal with Internet service, it’s likely that you will pay slightly more for an Internet-only service package. The increase in cost is likely between $10 to $20.
Research streaming services too – costs, and content. Purchasing a video streaming box, like Amazon Fire, Roku, or Google Chromecast, will cost money but will likely save in the long run. Many use a gaming console, home theater computer, or a DVD player. These are good, but for variety of choice a video streaming box is most convenient.
Smart TV’s are now better than ever, and come equipped with software that allow access to Netflix and Hulu Plus. If you’re in the market for a new TV, you might be able to save a few bucks by getting a Smart TV and skipping a streaming box. Do some shopping around though – even the best streaming boxes aren’t more than $99 dollars, and you might have to pay considerably more than that to get streaming functionality built directly into your TV.
Costs for Streaming TV services vary. Netflix and Hulu will run you $7.99 per month,. Amazon Prime costs $99 a year (approx. $8.25/mo.), but in addition to their video streaming services, you’ll also get free two-day shipping and instant access to thousands of Kindle books.
Each streaming device has it’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s likely you just won’t be able to find certain shows anywhere other than an obscure website. For this reason, I recommend getting a streaming box that’s equipped with an Internet browser. This will fill in the gaps, and ensure that if it’s on the Web, you can get it on your TV.
For example, the Roku device is a cheap easy way to just watch pretty much every Internet video streaming service out there. The top of the line is the $99 Roku 3. However, if you’re on a tight budget, the $49.99 Roku 1 is a fine choice. No matter which version you pick, you get access to more than 1,000 Internet TV channels. For those new to Streaming TV, and only used to cable, this is a shocking amount of movie choices at your fingertips. Roku does not offer features such as a web browser, but you can use it to search for a movie across all other Streaming TV channels available.
Making the call
Your cable provider will most likely try their best to retain you as a customer. After years of working for an Internet Service Provider I can tell you, the customer service agent you speak with is paid to try and convince you NOT to switch or reduce services. You could be offered a free paid channel, or a temporary discounted rate, to stay on. Best not to take these options, since they expire at some point then you’ll be right back to where you started. If you want to cancel, don’t be tempted by these offers. If you’re hoping to get Internet Service only, at a reasonable rate, it’s best to have competing rates in your area at hand. That way they know you’re serious and they will try to match those rates. If they refuse to match the best rates for Broadband Internet Service in your area, you have no choice but to cancel.
Review Broadband Internet Service offers in your area. In my neighborhood, I can get a good cable package for about $140/mo. If that same cable company offers me Internet Service only I pay $60. However, I can get Verizon High Speed Internet at twice the speed (with a phone line) for $44.
Live sports, news, and local broadcasts
Unfortunately, live local news broadcasts and sports events are still relatively difficult to get on your set-top streaming box. In this vein, downgrading to the lowest priced cable option will be a benefit. Major national networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX) do stream just about every professional sport event online and the service is available to anyone with a verifiable cable account.
Rather than waiting around for local news syndicates to make local new on streaming sites, you can get your news via RSS, or you can get a simple TV Antennae for local news and events. Otherwise, satellite TV is a good option.
Major sports networks have also dropped the ball when it comes to offering live streams comparable to those seen on cable, but they’re slowly getting better. Currently, there are a handful of ways to stream games, but they typically can’t match live TV broadcasts when it comes to quality or speed. This is likely to change in the years to come, however, as services like WatchESPN and MLB.tv become more common.
Satellite TV as an option
While the hype is streaming TV, satellite services are adding more and more content. At the time of writing this article, Dish has an option for $19/mo that gives free installation, and 55 channels! That with a good broadband connection and phone line is all the service most folks need or want for not more than $50-$60/mo. If you still want Netflix, or other streaming TV, go for it.
No need to be a media expert to do this
Some will say you need to be on top of the latest technology, to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck and the right services. However, I’m not a proponent of this.
Go with one of the big players, like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. These are adding content every day, and continue to expand as they become more popular. Once you have your TV setup with an Antennae, your streaming device at hand, or possibly a reasonably price satellite service, there’s nothing more to do. You’ve got literally hundreds of channels to view. Sit back and let’r run.
Recommendation
All in all, switching to streaming is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. The business model for Cable is flawed, and it is destined for failure. Outside the outrageous fees, inflexible bundles, and horrendous customer service cable system doesn’t provide the freedom or variety that the Web does, which makes cancelling cable an increasingly attractive option.
Based on my research (and I do a lot of research in this area) here’s an awesome example of what you can get if you switch today:
Low cost package with local news, shows, and sports:
Dish Network – 55 channels; free installation – $19/mo for 12 month
AT&T DSL – Download speeds up to 3mbs – $14.95/mo.
Total Monthly Cost: $33.95/mo.
Middle of the road with high speed broadband, and streaming video:
Verizon Fios High Speed Internet – 15mbs downloads – $44.95/mo
Streaming TV with Netflix – $7.99/mo.
Total Monthly Cost: $52.94/mo.
High End with Fastest Internet Service, news, sports, and streaming TV:
Verizon Fios – Download: 75 Mbps Upload: 35 Mbps (just like really super fast) – $64.99/mo.
Dish Satellite – “America’s Top 200”; 240+ channels available; free install, sports package (a ton of content) – $39.99/mo.
Streaming TV with Amazon Prime – $8.25/mo.
Total Monthly Cost: $114/mo.
Of course, each of these services must be available in your area. It’s easy to review all similar services here to determine if they are in your area and at what rates.
At what point do people who see this “high end” option I’ve outlined, realize it’s a lower monthly rate than they pay for fewer services with cable, and finally admit to themselves it’s time to dump their cable company? Not too long I’m think’n.
