Dropping Cable

[CaliforniaDreamin]

We are seriously considering dumping cable. With internet, our bill is $167 a month. Since we have plasma, we can get the local channels, right? That's all we watch anyway. We will need to get a new internet service provider but that's no big deal. Or maybe we can keep TWC, I'm not sure.


Those who have done this, how painful was it? How many channels do you pick up now? Are you happy you made the decision?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Since we have plasma, we can get the local channels, right?

It doesn't matter what type of tv you have, as long as it is not an old CRT. You need to buy an antenna for your tv - a Google search will give you the information you need.

 

[brymolmom]

We did it back in Feb and aside from missing our DVR, I LOVE IT!!!

DH bought a 'good' antenna for the roof, we get about 10 or so stations on the TV. We have Netflix and watch some thing through that. We have a computer that we can hook up to the TV to watch shows we missed. For example, missed the premiere of SURVIVOR on Wednesday so we watched it via computer last night.

I am very happy we decided to do it. And love saving all the $$!

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Since we have plasma, we can get the local channels, right?

It doesn't matter what type of tv you have, as long as it is not an old CRT. You need to buy an antenna for your tv - a Google search will give you the information you need.

Thanks! I did not know that!

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

We did it back in Feb and aside from missing our DVR, I LOVE IT!!!

DH bought a 'good' antenna for the roof, we get about 10 or so stations on the TV. We have Netflix and watch some thing through that. We have a computer that we can hook up to the TV to watch shows we missed. For example, missed the premiere of SURVIVOR on Wednesday so we watched it via computer last night.

I am very happy we decided to do it. And love saving all the $$!

Oh no. No DVR! That's my addiction!!! But I can learn to live without it with all the money we will save. We are in the middle of a divorce right now, and I'm trying to cut down on everything possible.

We have Netflix and also I watch a ton of shows online, like you said you missed Survivor, you can get most tv shows the next day or week online.

PS: Yes, I'm going to Disney. This trip and the plane ticket were bought before the divorce decision. I couldn't stand to let go of it. Yes, I'm rationalizing this trip to you guys, but right now, other than my DDs, it's the only positive thing in my life.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We dumped our cable over 2 years ago and have a convertor box and a flat tv top antenna, we still get probably 10 channels. There are so many new shows starting in the next week, I won't be able to keep up with all of them, so I don't miss cable at all. We also have a Netflix subscription and use the streaming option ALOT. We will even sometimes have 2 different devices streaming at once.

We have DSL through AT&T and that is like $20 a month. Our cable was at least $50 or more a month and there was never anything good on.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

We dumped our cable over 2 years ago and have a convertor box and a flat tv top antenna, we still get probably 10 channels. There are so many new shows starting in the next week, I won't be able to keep up with all of them, so I don't miss cable at all. We also have a Netflix subscription and use the streaming option ALOT. We will even sometimes have 2 different devices streaming at once.

We have DSL through AT&T and that is like $20 a month. Our cable was at least $50 or more a month and there was never anything good on.

10 channels (give or take) sounds good to me. Like you said, there is nothing on cable. We have our cells thru ATT so I may call them today and get set up with DSL. I also stream a lot. I stream so much, I cancelled the DVD option last month and not just because of the price hike. I can't wait for the new fall season!!!

 

[DawnM]

Here is what we did.

We dropped pay TV (direct tv) and went to three ways to watch TV.

1. We hooked the cable line directly into the TV and even though we do not subscribe to TWC for anything but cable modem internet, we found that they did not scramble about 25 channels.

2. We put up an antenna and get Crystal clear local channels.

3. We bought Roku boxes and hooked them up to the TVs and subscribed to HuluPlus ($8) and Netflix ($8 for streaming only option).

So, for $16/month we get all we need to watch TV.


Dawn

 

[thomas998]

I wish we could drop cable... but where we live no antenna we have tried will allow us to get all the normal local channels. Before the switch to digital TV we could easily go without cable... now we have to have it just to get the locals.

Before you switch make sure you will be able to get the local channels or you may find yourself switching back. You also need to look at the home owners association rules in your neighborhood, they can sometimes limit where you place an antenna on your house and may even forbid it... which means your only real option would be an antenna in the attic. I would not recommend spending a lot on the inside antennas beyond simple rabbit ears. We went through all sorts of different antennas and NONE worked that well... you might look into just getting the most basic cable package, most cable companies have one that will cost you less than 30$ for the local channels only.

 

[sam_gordon]

Check to see what locals you can get. http://tvfool.com and http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx have you put in your address and tell you what stations you can get, what kind of antenna to get those stations, and what direction to point the antenna.

Also, you need to make sure your TV has an ATSC tuner. Plasma, LCD, LED, DLP doesn't matter. A google search of the TV manufacturer and model number should tell you if it will handle over the air digital broadcasts.

 

[sam_gordon]

Before you switch make sure you will be able to get the local channels or you may find yourself switching back. You also need to look at the home owners association rules in your neighborhood, they can sometimes limit where you place an antenna on your house and may even forbid it... which means your only real option would be an antenna in the attic. I would not recommend spending a lot on the inside antennas beyond simple rabbit ears. We went through all sorts of different antennas and NONE worked that well... you might look into just getting the most basic cable package, most cable companies have one that will cost you less than 30$ for the local channels only.

This is not true. HOA's, by LAW, can NOT prevent you from putting up an outside antenna to pick up local channels. Link: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

I also disagree about indoor antennas beyond rabbit ears. Depending on the situation, an attic mounted antenna could work just fine where rabbit ears don't. It all depends on your location, the broadcast towers location, and the type of antenna you have. Use the links I provided in the previous post to help determine antenna choice.

 

[Candlz]

We didn't have cable for years and years and I miss those days! It was wonderful. IMO

 

[DawnM]

We finally opted for a rooftop $100 antenna with a $50 booster (bought on CL for $60 together because the previous owner couldn't hang with dropping cable and went back to it a month later!)

I thought none would work for us either when I tried all the smaller indoor antennas.

This finally works for us.

Dawn

I wish we could drop cable... but where we live no antenna we have tried will allow us to get all the normal local channels. Before the switch to digital TV we could easily go without cable... now we have to have it just to get the locals.

Before you switch make sure you will be able to get the local channels or you may find yourself switching back. You also need to look at the home owners association rules in your neighborhood, they can sometimes limit where you place an antenna on your house and may even forbid it... which means your only real option would be an antenna in the attic. I would not recommend spending a lot on the inside antennas beyond simple rabbit ears. We went through all sorts of different antennas and NONE worked that well... you might look into just getting the most basic cable package, most cable companies have one that will cost you less than 30$ for the local channels only.

 

[Ragnrok23]

For those of you who miss DVR, you can get a Tivo and that will work with an antenna. The price is expensive at first ($99 for the box, and either $19.99/mth or $400 for lifetime) but just look at it as 6 months of cable

I have an antenna in my attic (get about 30 channels, but really only 10 of them I watch) I have a PS that I use to stream Netflix with (thinking about Hulu- but they don't have anything I can't get through my antenna or Netflix that interests me yet)

Every once in a while I will hook up my laptop to my TV to watch Breaking Bad on AMC.com

Still trying to find a way to watch Sons of Anarchy if anyone knows how!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

We dropped ours last December when our contract ended. We did only have cable and DVR. There are probably a total of 5 channels that I actually miss and would pay for. The rest we are able to pull with our Digital converter box and the rooftop antennae that DH hooked up. It is a small flat antennae and looks nothing like those giant antennae of old. We get probably 30 channels or more and get all the local stations so I can watch my Good Morning America Cable was just not worth the price for me, I can find nothing to watch on TV for free and we use the money toward buying movies and doing other things (including going to Disneyworld ) According to DH Comcast lots a TON of customers last quarter so apparently we are not the only ones who fled from cable
Oh and we do not have a flat screen TV as of yet we have a regular TV we bought 6 years ago and it works just fine!

 

[Kies99]

We are a family of four: Me, Wife, DD9 and DD7. We dropped cable almost completely.

Check with your cable supplier as well about getting just the local channels. We pay Comcast $10 a month to get our local channels plus a few extra. They didn't scamble them all so we still get TWC and CNN plus all the digital music channels. Not counting TWC, CNN and the music channels we get about 15 total channels. It also means we don't have to deal with an antenna or worrying if the weather conditions will interfere.

We also use Netflix streaming only and the whole family is fine with it.

 

[thomas998]

This is not true. HOA's, by LAW, can NOT prevent you from putting up an outside antenna to pick up local channels. Link: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

I also disagree about indoor antennas beyond rabbit ears. Depending on the situation, an attic mounted antenna could work just fine where rabbit ears don't. It all depends on your location, the broadcast towers location, and the type of antenna you have. Use the links I provided in the previous post to help determine antenna choice.

You are correct that you are legally allowed to put up an antenna... but don't be surprised if some HOAs still try to make your life difficult. At the very least I would try to make sure it was on the back side of the house as out of view as possible, the FCC does allow the HOAs to put some restrictions on you.

As for the expensive antennas beyond rabbit ears. I can only go from my experience. We tried two different expensive antennas in our house before giving up and using cable. The best solution was an amplified antenna that got good signals on half the channels but for the other half of the local channels you had to turn the antenna 90 degrees to the side... we didn't want to live with having to get up every time you turned channels to readjust the antenna. A big part of whether an antenna will work will be how far you are from the TV tower and what kind of terrain you are on... our house is in a bit of a valley and probably just isn't capable of getting the new signals.

 

[JDUCKY]

Dropped U-Verse when we bought a house last June (didn't provide service in the area) and haven't missed it at all. 15 months cable-free!

I built an HTPC and have an HD HomeRun dual-tuner device hooked up to an antenna in the attic so we get all the locals (plus some Tampa channels off the back of the antenna) and it offers DVR functionality integrated with Windows Media Center. Can record one show and watch another (or record two shows).

Plus Netflix $7.99 streaming (haven't splurged for the Hulu Plus...yet).

Can't be beat!

 

[jodifla]

I think that the Neflix and Hulu streaming is likely to dry up, or get as expensive as cable down the road. Entertainment companies are starting to fight back.

 

[brymolmom]

Dropped U-Verse when we bought a house last June (didn't provide service in the area) and haven't missed it at all. 15 months cable-free!

I built an HTPC and have an HD HomeRun dual-tuner device hooked up to an antenna in the attic so we get all the locals (plus some Tampa channels off the back of the antenna) and it offers DVR functionality integrated with Windows Media Center. Can record one show and watch another (or record two shows).Plus Netflix $7.99 streaming (haven't splurged for the Hulu Plus...yet).

Can't be beat!

Can you give a bit more detail to what exactly was involved in a) purchases and b) setup to get this done. Would love DVR functionality!