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There was a time when this phrase was associated with childbirth. But if you put it into Google Search, you get 284 Million post related to cable TV. Of course the common reference today means to no longer pay your local cable provider a monthly fee and instead use on air and internet streaming services to get your entertainment and news.
First thing you should do is call your current provider and see if they can offer a better deal. This may involve a one year contract on changed service. But if you’re happy with what you have, except for price, this would be the first step to take.
We are in the process of cutting the cord ourselves. Starting at our vacation rental property in Maggie Valley, NC, Picture Perfect Cabin. Being a small community, our TV services were limited. Our choices were, one of the dish services or the only cable service for our neighborhood, Carolina Mountain Cable.
For years we had our cable and internet service with CMC, and it met our basic needs. As time and technology changed (smart phones, tablets, laptops and streaming services) we increased our internet speed to accommodate our guests needs. As always happens, prices increased and I started looking at available options. I also wanted something that would allow greatest flexibility and offerings for our use when we were enjoying our vacation home. What could we do that would give greater value and more entertainment options for our viewing pleasure?
In checking the price structure, I could save about $70 by dropping the cable service. Of course I needed to keep the internet service for internet and wireless access and whatever streaming service I selected. Also important to us, was access to local network for news and weather as well as keeping up with programs we enjoy from the networks. This would also provide a test to see if this would also work for our home.
I have had an Apple TV device for many years at my home, so I was familiar with the streaming concept and use. I also investigated Amazon Fire Stick, Google Chromecast and Roku among others. I enjoy the Apple TV, but it is an older model and to put two into our vacation property (one for each TV) would have been more expensive than the Roku models. The various Roku devices seemed to have good reviews on all I investigated. With two TV’s at the house I went with the Roku Ultra and Roku Premiere. They both would do the job, but the Ultra had a few more features and I felt it would give me the opportunity to try out both to see if one was better suited for my home.
Ultra has the added benefit of earphones that when connected, mute the TV. This may benefit bedroom tv viewing while your partner sleeps. The Ultra also has a slot where you can add a micro SD card. The advantage of this is that on all streaming of channels, it takes a few seconds to load the service. Think of loading an app on your phone each time rather than having it already loaded on your phone. While this only takes a few seconds, having the SD card allows you to have all these streaming channels pre-loaded. While not necessary, a small card that is suitable for use can be purchased under $10.
Roku has its own list of channels as well as access to subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, Sling and others. There are a multitude of channels covering many genres of tv shows, news and movies. What it doesn’t give is live network TV. This leaves two options: On Air with an antenna or streaming service that offers live network TV.
Since this home is in the North Carolina mountains I was concerned that an antenna may not be able to bring in the three national network channels. But I went to Best Buy and talked with them about my needs. They recommended one that was not the most expensive they carried, but thought it had the best chance for my area. And if it didn’t work as expected, I could bring it back. Well, it was taken back. My test resulted in poor reception at my location. So without an elaborate outdoor antenna system (vetoed by wife), that left me with a paid streaming service as my best option.
The first thing I did was look at the programs and channels we liked to watch from our home. Again for the reason of testing for our eventual use at our home and viewing pleasure. None of the services had all the programs wanted, but the ones that came close were Youtube TV and Hulu Life TV. Both were priced at $40/month. I decided onYoutube TV which has resulted in a savings of $30/month from our old cable/internet bill. Be aware of the difference between Youtube TV and Youtube. We have all watched videos from cute kitties to training and personal videos on Youtube. Youtube TV is their subscription service that mirrors cable TV viewing.
The results have been great. Lots of channels, in fact after a few months I’m still discovering interesting new channels. Between Roku and Youtube TV we have many of the features we’ve become use to using. Recording, pause, fast forward and rewind. Although not all channels support all these features.
As I write this, we are spending a few days at Picture Perfect Cabin with our three year old granddaughter. She has already found the channels that have unlined programs suitable for her. I feel we will make that change from our cable service at our home to the Roku and Youtube TV. As things change some of the other services may be more in line with our entertainment preferences. Fortunately there is no long term contract with Youtube TV, so I can make a change anytime I desire.
So outside of the cost of the devices, I’m saving about $30 each month on my cable bill, but more importantly, I have access to many more channels than without the Roku. Obviously many add ons are available, like HBO and others. So do your research and see if it’s time for you to cut the cord.