While I love to provide computer training, much of my business now involves cord cutting. For those unfamiliar with the term, cord cutting is the process of cutting TV service ties with the local cable or satellite TV provider. These costly TV services often require contracts, including early termination fees and needless bundles including phone, Cable TV, internet and sometimes home security (that rarely gets connected). All you need is an internet connection to begin saving. According to the latest US statistics, 83% of US households have cut the cord in favor of streaming and/or antenna bases Over-the-Air (OTA) digital TV. The transition to ATSC 3.0, also referred to as "NextGen TV" will likely increase these percentages. Antenna-based OTA TV viewing in the US in 2022 has increased to 23%. Streaming is often a lower cost or no cost alternative to Cable TV viewing.
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How do you begin the process of cutting the cord? I usually recommend that you schedule a free consult where I will demonstrate each of the streaming devices that are available. Most customers choose between Roku, Google TV or Fire TV streaming sticks. The next step is to decide if an antenna with or without a wireless digital tuner and DVR are of interest. Adding an OTA antenna will typically save you $45/month. While there are several options to choose from, the most popular is the AirTV Anywhere digital tuner which seamlessly integrates into the Sling TV app as its user interface which uniquely combines over 600 Free Ad Supported TV (FAST) programs, optional premium subscription content along with the integrated OTA antenna TV content. The other choice is the Tablo Gen-4 digital tuner and integrated DVR which incorporates an OTA digital tuner and DVR along with a free App which offers over 125 (FAST) programs.
Another decision in the cord cutting process is to determine if you want to eliminate the ongoing cost of your Internet Gateway that you are most likely renting from your cable company for $12-17/month. Replacement can be with either a Gateway or a multi-node Mesh network. A Gateway is single device which integrates both a modem & router whereas a Mesh network is a modem combined with either a 2 or 3-node blended wireless routers which are ideal for larger and multi-story homes. The cost is nearly the same but coverage with mesh is generally far superior to what can be achieved with a Gateway. Equipment payback is usually under 12 months.
The advantage of Streaming rather than Cable or Satellite TV is that you always have the option to watch free, live and on-demand TV and movies or you can pay for a monthly subscription streaming package such as Philo, Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo TV or DirectTV. Remember, you can cancel or pause your monthly subscription service(s) for added cost savings!
Here is a link to a list of the most popular Subscription Streaming Services (Credit: CNET).
The final step in the process is to estimate the monthly cost savings you should expect to receive from cord cutting. Our custom Cord Cutting Calculator will show you the monthly, yearly and 24 month cost savings from streaming compared with the current cost of your Cable TV or Satellite TV service. The calculator will factor in one-time equipment costs and any of your optional streaming subscriptions. It will also calculate the number of months it would take to pay off the cost of any initial hardware investments such as streaming sticks, OTA digital tuners, DVRs, OTA Antenna and network upgrades. Keep in mind most cable and satellite companies charge monthly for their modem/router, set-top-boxes and DVR's.