In this article I will discuss how cutting the cable cord and ditching cable changes the way you watch television.
Sports. I’m not a
huge sports fan, I admit, so the example I have used throughout this series of
articles hasn’t included any programming for sports fans. Of course, major sporting events are
typically broadcast over-the-air, so a digital antenna can probably get you the
major sporting events and national championship matches. For day-to-day sports competitions, or if you
follow teams outside of your local viewing area, you may choose to subscribe to
a season pass from the governing body of the sport (i.e. – Major League
Baseball – MLB.com.) Just make sure to include this added cost into your math
to determine whether your savings will still be worth ditching cable.
Multiple Devices/Multiple Remotes. No more cable box means no more cable
remote. You may already be used to using
a separate remote for your DVD player, but be ready to switch more frequently
between devices and remotes. In the
example I’ve been using, I will need to stream some of my shows from Hulu Plus
on my computer via Airplay to my Apple TV in order to watch the shows on my big
HD TV rather than on my 13” computer screen (my shows on Hulu Plus are only
available on the computer and not directly on my TV via Apple TV or my Tivo because of
the licensing rights Hulu acquired).
That means fiddling with my computer, using the Apple TV remote and
using my TV remote. Oh, and switching
the TV input from the digital antenna to the Apple TV.
Program Guide. No
such thing as an onscreen program guide without cable TV. You’ll need to know what’s on and
when in order to view your over-the-air programs. You can watch your streaming programs
anytime. My TiVo does provide a program guide for my over-the-air channels, meaning that I only need to keep track of the shows to which I subscribe via Netflix, Hulu or iTunes. Hulu and iTunes will send you an email when new shows are available.
DVR. Until recently
there haven’t been many options for a digital video recorder that supports
over-the-air programming. That is
changing, and changing rapidly – do an internet search and you’ll find that a
number of companies are starting to come out with DVRs targeted to
cable-cutters. Certain TiVo DVRs work
with over-the-air set-ups. My TiVo
Premiere is one of those boxes (happy coincidence). Check the TiVo website to see which models
are compatible. Nothing better than
being able to pause and rewind live, over-the-air TV. I’ve grown so used to being able to pause and
rewind live TV that not having the ability is almost a deal-breaker for me in
terms of cutting the cable cord.
Delays Receiving Programs via Hulu Plus, iTunes and Amazon Prime. You can't watch programs on Hulu Plus, iTunes or Amazon Prime, even if you paid a subscription fee or bought a season pass, until they are released by the content provider. This can be a few hours after a program's original air date, or it can be up to a month later (that seems to happen with a number of shows I get via Hulu Plus in particular.) Be prepared for patience, and avoid water-cooler talk at work about these programs.
Delays Receiving Programs via Hulu Plus, iTunes and Amazon Prime. You can't watch programs on Hulu Plus, iTunes or Amazon Prime, even if you paid a subscription fee or bought a season pass, until they are released by the content provider. This can be a few hours after a program's original air date, or it can be up to a month later (that seems to happen with a number of shows I get via Hulu Plus in particular.) Be prepared for patience, and avoid water-cooler talk at work about these programs.
Pay-Per-View/Video on Demand. Nope.
You’ll have to wait a little longer for new movie releases and watch
them on Netflix or Hulu, or you can certainly rent newer movie titles from
iTunes or Amazon. As for video on
demand, that’s pretty much what Netflix and Hulu are designed for.
Public/Government Access TV.
If you’re hooked on local politics, then you may miss the local public
access channels that cable companies are forced to carry. One alternative: many communities now post videos of public
meetings to their websites. Or you can
do it the old-fashioned way and actually show up at town hall for the meeting
you’re interested in.
Next Article: My Call to the Cable Company to Cut the Cord
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