I've been kicking this around for years but finally decided to pull the trigger. I disconnected all the cable boxes and turned them in. No more paying for cable TV and all those channels I never watch. Although it took just a few minutes (and a 10 minute drive to turn in the equipment), coming to that end was a slow process.
It started with the purchase of a Samsung Smart TV about a year ago. It has built in wireless and is capable of reading any FAT based formatted drive via a USB 3.0 port. We have a SATA external hard drive enclosure that connects via USB that will except any SATA drive. Just drop the drive in and the TV reads it...it even recognizes the file structure. The TV has built in CODECS and we haven't found a format it won't play yet. The CODECS (and the rest of the software on the TV for that matter) can also be updated via internet. We started watching shows over the internet more than via cable. Apps to access Netflix, Hulu Plus, and even YouTube are built into the TV, no other devices (like a game console) are needed. Even my cable company had content that can be streamed over the internet right from their website...TV series from ABC, A&E, FOX, FX, the History Channel, NBC, SyFy, TBS, TNT, and more. Watching "Top Shot All Stars" while I'm typing this. Why am I paying for cable?
I also started doing research on TV over the air (OTA). I learned a lot from a site called TV Fool, which also can tell you what stations you can pick up over the air. You can type in your address and it will give you the stations you can pick up (and the signal strength, which will give you an idea on what kind of antenna you'll need). Unfortunately in my area I can only pick up the big 4...ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX plus a couple PBS and local broadcasts. In case you didn't know, all OTA broadcasts by the Big 4 are in HD...so it's actually better quality than what you get over basic (non-HD) cable stations. Also, there's no such thing as a HD antenna...they are all UHF/VHF antennas. If your TV came with one of those round antennas and/or "rabbit ears" (rare these days), those will work fine as long as there's a strong enough signal. It's the TV that translates the signal to HD, the broadcasts are still UHF/VHF...just like the old days, if you're old enough to remember TV before cable.
The only thing that really stopped me from "cutting the chord" was my love of sports. If I cut the chord there would be no more ESPN. I wouldn't be able to watch any live games on anything other than the Big 4. Monday Night Football is on ESPN!!! I started to do some math (you knew I was desperate then).
NFL Sunday ticket is available via the PS3, but that is $299 for the season (they actually dropped it from last years price of $339). Kinda pricey. The other option for NFL games is Game Pass ($39.99, $29.99 to follow one team), but it's not live (although you can get live radio broadcasts). The replays of the game is available as soon is the game are over. MLB.TV is just $64.99. The best I can tell is NBA League pass is $179, but I'm scared of trying it due to a review on Deadspin. Still, compare that to $1000+ a year that I'm paying for cable and I can get all three and a subscription to Hulu Plus and Netflicks and still come out over $400 ahead.
Then I saw this...Amazon exclusive offer for Madden 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket. Still researching this because the wording makes it unclear on whether you can get the stream through the PS3/XBOX without Direct TV if DTV is available in your area. I've searched the net and even DTV is vague and says that Amazon and EA Sports is in control of the deal. This would be an obvious no brainer if you're a DTV subscriber and want Sunday Ticket. I guessing you're going to see a lot of unopened Madden 25 Anniversary Edition games for sale on EBay. Sunday Ticket is $59.99 a month for the 5 months of the season...easy math, $299.95 vs. $100 for the Madden Anniversary Edition.
I'll keep posting as I learn more...
Wow there are few folks who actually take the plunge but many talk about it. The wife has actually talked about this to some extent but it never gained traction. I'm the holdout. I actually like the ability to flip. Is that a great reason to not go without cable? No. The sports thing is also a big stumbling block for me. I can't wait to see how things work out. I'm not saying I'm ready to take the plunge but I'm fascinated with the idea of it. Still how could I just randomly flip through channels? Good luck Yaj.
ReplyDelete