In this day and age, I’m really beginning to wonder if I need cable. It’s costing me hundreds of dollars a month, when I really find myself so much more often relying on my DVR, Netflix, Apple TV, or Hulu. Yet, I have this strange attachment and an innate fear of cutting ties with cable. Today I decided that I wanted to make the call once and for all and did some research.
Here’s my biggest concerns:
- Wanting to simply watch mindless television sometimes. Can I still do this and surf around without cable?
- Live sporting events
Both of these concerns were immediately squashed in my research. You DO NOT need cable to access great tv shows, movies, and live sporting events. What you DO need is to know your options.
Here are some:
- Cut Cable Today recommends Sling TV as a top option. Sling TV allows users to stream a collection of popular cable channels to their TVs, computers, and mobile devices, all starting at the low price of $20/month. There is no contract + you pay month to month. If you aren’t feeling it, just get rid of it! You can also try Sling TV free for 7 days if you aren’t sure. Live sports? Watch ESPN, ESPN2, and TNT for free with their basic package, and get 9 more sports channels if you need them with their Sports Extra Package.
- Just Plain TV recommends a few different things, firstly that simply using Netflix and Redbox are immensely simple ways to cancel your cable. At such low prices and a vast selection, you’ll want for very few things using these outlets.
- Tom’s Guide discusses the pros and cons of Smart TVs, which almost every major TV manufacturer makes now. These allow you to connect to the internet through your television, and easily select options such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, even play games easily.
- Tom’s Guide also discusses Apple TV – the pro here being that you can access iTunes and stream any movies or television shows you may have downloaded already
- Just Plain TV also mentions that a simple TV antenna will give you about 30-40 free channels if you’re near a city. All you need to do is make sure that your antenna can get UHF and VHF channels. Here are some high quality antennas that they recommend:
Moral of the story here: you have options. Explore them + figure out what is best for you, and your wallet! Comment with any of your cable-cutting tips please!
Live Cheap, Feel Rich! 