Cutting The Cord to “Cable TV”

Before you begin reading this article I pose this question.

Why are you paying more for what you do not watch verse less for what you do? 

If you are like me and only watch 8 favorite channels max why are we paying upwards of 80.00 a month for 8 channels. let’s do a bit of math here 8 divided by 80.00= $10.00 a month for 8 channels at a tune of $960.00 a year for 8 channels.

Am I beginning to peak your interest? Read On…

The Television world is growing rapidly. And if you’re someone who’s ready to cut the cable cord, there are a lot of great options to turn to like using an HD Digital Antenna.

Sure, you’re probably thinking of the rabbit ears from the good ‘ol days, but we have come a long way from those days. Not only are some inexpensive, some starting at $25 dollars, there’s also no subscription fee and can broadcast a variety of local programming, sports and movies all in HD.

What If you want more options though, you can stream. It’s a technology that lets you watch your favorite movies, shows, sports team or news team, virtually anytime and anywhere.

You just need an internet connection including WiFi.

This new way of tuning in is growing in popularity. Last year, almost two million people streamed as a cable-replacement.

So what do you need to do?

If you’ve recently bought a TV, it’s probably a smart TV, which can stream video right out of the box. If not, you’ll have to buy a streaming service device like Roku, Firestick or Apple TV.

These services are costing anywhere from $30 to $200 or more, these TV plug-ins have streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime loaded on them, and display them like the apps on your cell phone.

Those streaming services let you choose what you want to play back and watch. They all come with a monthly fee, typically between $8 to $12 and some more with extra content capability for a price which I have found to be as expensive as the cable packages available.

But not all services are the same.

For example, if you want to watch Elaine’s famous dance moves on Seinfeld you’ll only be able to do that on Hulu. But if you want to watch Ross and Rachel argue if they were on a break or not. Friends is exclusive to Netflix.

What you watch on those services also aren’t played live, meaning new shows are available to watch the day after they air.

If you’re wanting something more like cable services like Sling TV, Direct TV now, Hulu with live TV and even YouTube TV offer 50 plus channels that all play in real-time. They also have a monthly fee starting anywhere from $25 to 40.

And if your favorite channel like AMC or HBO isn’t included, you may be able to add it for an extra fee, this is where they begin to grab you by your pockets.

So where do we stand? The most popular COX Wi-Fi plan is about $85/month. Add a basic cable-like service like Sling TV for $25/month and you’re now paying about $110. Compare that to COX’s Wi-Fi and Cable Bundle of 140+ channels which comes out to more than $160.

For DirecTV now you can stream starting at $40/month plus your Wi-Fi monthly fee or you can sign up for the DirecTV Wi-Fi Cable bundle for $118/month. And of course, there are even more savings for those using an antenna or monthly streaming service like Netflix.

But one of the biggest reasons people are hesitant to cut the cord is so they can watch sports. Saints games are easy to watch because whether you’re streaming on a paid service or using an antenna. Their games are broadcast on local channels.

LSU, the Pelicans and other teams though play on different, sometimes national networks like ESPN or FOX Sports.

Adding those to a streaming service can be costly, which is why some experts say die-hard sports fans may want to just stick with their cable provider.

Breaking it down the savings are there. But, it also depends on what you’re interested in watching. Because for some TV fanatics cutting the cord may mean cutting channels you can’t stream. For others, it may be worth it which is why it’s best to look into it and see what’s best for you.

To sum this all up let’s do some math average cable TV subscriber pay anywhere upwards of $80.00 a month for 70-230 channels of premium Cable TV, IPTV 3000 channels of the same HD programming.

 IPTV: Internet Protocol television is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded media, IPTV offers the ability to stream the source media continuously. As a result, a client media player can begin playing the content almost immediately. This is known as streaming media.

Cable TV $80.00 x  12months = $960.00 a year.

IPTV $18.00 a months 12 months= $216.00 a year

Off the top your saving $744.00 a year or more depending on your provider.

Checkout the full list of channels available this is not a definitive list as more channels are added all the time and more content all subject to change.

You may have heard it’s illegal well see this article: Is IPTV Legal or Illegal?

If you are just a bit more curious, interested perhaps! Contact Me I will be happy to discuss the options and answer any and all of your questions.