Giving up cable

[Purseval]

We have to have a certain digital package in order to get Internet, the only alternative is dialup (actually we can't even get dialup anymore because we dropped the dialup phone company) and that would drive us crazy. If I could find high speed Internet on its own we would drop cable in a heartbeat.

 

[peggster]

If anyone has tips on what kind of "rabbit ears" to buy or how to get more channels, that would be cool. DD would love to have PBS, she misses Sid the Science Kid!

I bought this antenna on recommendations from folks in my neighborhood, and I've been very pleased with the reception. With rabbit ears I got maybe 2-3 channels, and with this I get about 17 or 18.

 

[QueenGoblin]

We gave up the expanded basic channels about 6 months ago but kept the local networks (we get no reception without cable). Saved us about $35 a month. We picked up the basic netflix deal that allows us to do streaming video which we can watch on our tv. The kids have pbs and Netflix has tons of kids programs available. I don't think they even really noticed the other channels are gone because they love the streaming shows so much. I like the fact that they no longer sit through so many commercials for toys and junk food.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I am currently doing all the research to get rid of my directv and this is what we have decided.

I am upgrading to a Flat screen and that will cost me $800
Stand alone HD tivo $150 (with the purchase of the TV from Best Buy)
Indoor Antenna - $40
Powerline $130 - to bring internet into my family room
Slingcathcer $99 (allows you to show whatever is on your computer onto your tv)
Dedicated laptop for tv (will allow me to download from Itunes and play on tv through slingcatcher)
Looking into an internet tv to stream through the computer to the slingcatcher

This will cost me approx. $1500 to buy everything - but over the course of 5 years - I will save $3000 over what I am paying to Directv! That is a no-brainer to me!!!

We have netflix so this will stream to the Tivo, our blu-ray or through the slingcatcher
Then we can stream all the other channels through hulu, etc.

The real reason we are getting the laptop and slingcatcher is for the kids to watch their kids shows and Disney Channel. You can download the current ones on iTunes and so they can each pick a show that we will get for them.

 

[zulemara]

I am currently doing all the research to get rid of my directv and this is what we have decided.

I am upgrading to a Flat screen and that will cost me $800
Stand alone HD tivo $150 (with the purchase of the TV from Best Buy)
Indoor Antenna - $40
Powerline $130 - to bring internet into my family room
Slingcathcer $99 (allows you to show whatever is on your computer onto your tv)
Dedicated laptop for tv (will allow me to download from Itunes and play on tv through slingcatcher)
Looking into an internet tv to stream through the computer to the slingcatcher

This will cost me approx. $1500 to buy everything - but over the course of 5 years - I will save $3000 over what I am paying to Directv! That is a no-brainer to me!!!

We have netflix so this will stream to the Tivo, our blu-ray or through the slingcatcher
Then we can stream all the other channels through hulu, etc.

The real reason we are getting the laptop and slingcatcher is for the kids to watch their kids shows and Disney Channel. You can download the current ones on iTunes and so they can each pick a show that we will get for them.

get a wireless router for 40 bucks and a wi fi card for another 40 and you save yourself 50 over that powerfline.

slingcatcher? sounds to me like a fancy version of dual video cards. If you're gonna have a dedicated computer, get one with dual video inputs and hook the TV up that way. Your tv becomes the second monitor.

 

[Purseval]

We have a computer with an HDMI video card that goes out to a 50-inch Sony, its only purpose in life is to provide blueray-quality video to the tv. About $50 for the card, pc was an older one I kept when we upgraded my wife's pc.

MY pc has the Internet connection and an external hard drive, I got one black friday at Target for $60, 1TB. I download whatever I need, put it on the external, move it to the other pc and play it through the Sony. Smaller programs like my wife's British soap opera go on a flash drive or she can watch it on her 21-inch lcd monitor right over the network.

 

[Swmr359]

I grew up without TV, and my parents still don't have it. My dad likes to watch shows on Hulu, also most of the networks have the shows on their sites; I've found that the quality of the show depends on the time of day (the more people online the slower it loads)
I also found that when I came home from college and had to rely on the internet that there were a lot of shows I didn't NEED to see and freed up a lot of time

 

[DawnM]

I don't get this.

We have cable modem internet but dont' order TV from them at all. How can they not give you stand alone internet?

Dawn

We have to have a certain digital package in order to get Internet, the only alternative is dialup (actually we can't even get dialup anymore because we dropped the dialup phone company) and that would drive us crazy. If I could find high speed Internet on its own we would drop cable in a heartbeat.

 

[thefirebuilds]

get a wireless router for 40 bucks and a wi fi card for another 40 and you save yourself 50 over that powerfline.

slingcatcher? sounds to me like a fancy version of dual video cards. If you're gonna have a dedicated computer, get one with dual video inputs and hook the TV up that way. Your tv becomes the second monitor.

slingbox is a wireless solution to an expensive pair of video cards. I think it's quite a bit cheaper in the long run, especially over having a dedicated PC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slingbox

 

[dex08]

I am currently doing all the research to get rid of my directv and this is what we have decided.

I am upgrading to a Flat screen and that will cost me $800
Stand alone HD tivo $150 (with the purchase of the TV from Best Buy)
Indoor Antenna - $40
Powerline $130 - to bring internet into my family room
Slingcathcer $99 (allows you to show whatever is on your computer onto your tv)
Dedicated laptop for tv (will allow me to download from Itunes and play on tv through slingcatcher)
Looking into an internet tv to stream through the computer to the slingcatcher

This will cost me approx. $1500 to buy everything - but over the course of 5 years - I will save $3000 over what I am paying to Directv! That is a no-brainer to me!!!

We have netflix so this will stream to the Tivo, our blu-ray or through the slingcatcher
Then we can stream all the other channels through hulu, etc.

The real reason we are getting the laptop and slingcatcher is for the kids to watch their kids shows and Disney Channel. You can download the current ones on iTunes and so they can each pick a show that we will get for them.

Don't forget there is a monthly fee for Tivo -- $12.95 or Annual cost of $129 OR 3 years for $299 OR pay one-time lifetime subscription fee of $399.

 

[mistysue]

We don't have cable. I like the amount of time it gives me to actually live my life.

You can still get shows online for free and on demand. By going through hulu I've even gotten to catch a lot of documentaries I would have missed on cable that I've enjoyed.

My sister has cable... I go on vacations.

 

[StephMK]

I would love to do this & could give up my cable favs but DH won't be happy w/o his sports channels. Is there any way to do this & get sports games?

 

[2bearsmom]

We are thinking about giving up some of the cable we have now. We have Comcast because we got the deal of having internet, phone and cable. Now that my dh and I each have an iPhone we are talking about getting rid of the home phone and internet service and trying to decide what to do with the cable. My dh and 8yr old ds will probably need some sort of sports package with whatever we decide, I can't possibly see them giving up football and hockey! Even with the internet the kids do like going on to play some games and do their webkinz, even though we wouldn't need it because we have service on our phones. We are going to check out Direct TV and dish.

 

[thefirebuilds]

I would love to do this & could give up my cable favs but DH won't be happy w/o his sports channels. Is there any way to do this & get sports games?

sports bar?

 

[Mrs.Reese]

We haven't had cable in three years now. I really don't miss it but I have DSL and watch pretty much everything I want on hulu. We get more done. The house actually gets cleaned, yard mowed, get my workouts in. People tease us mercilessly but I can think of much better ways to spend $100/month.