Finally cutting the TV cable

[asurfaholic]

So the wife and I have decided that paying $100/mo for a couple channels is not sensible, so we are preparing to cut off the cable services.

But we do watch some things, such as NFL, she likes food network and some other things like NCIS, and my daughter watches disney channel.

I have an xbox 360 connected to the living room TV, and internet connection at the other TVs, but what are some ways that we can still watch what we want, when we want.

I looked a bit into Apple TV, but Im not sold on it.

Please spill everything you know on the topic

[Suzanimal]

We didn't have cable for years, I bought a Roku (http://www.roku.com) and paid for Amazon Prime (it's 99.00 per year now), Netflix(7.99), Hulu Plus (7.99?), and Crackle (free) all of that cost 24.23 per month (not including the Roku, they start at around 50.00) and it was enough for us and our 2 kids for years.
The only reason we got dish back was for my Dad but since he passed away we really can't justify the cost for a couple of tv shows we can certainly live without.

[asurfaholic]

So do you get football games in there somewhere? What about food network shows?

[specsaregood]

We didn't have cable for years, I bought a Roku (http://www.roku.com) and paid for Amazon Prime (it's 99.00 per year now), Netflix(7.99), Hulu Plus (7.99?), and Crackle (free) all of that cost 24.23 per month (not including the Roku, they start at around 50.00) and it was enough for us and our 2 kids for years.
The only reason we got dish back was for my Dad but since he passed away we really can't justify the cost for a couple of tv shows we can certainly live without.

If you use bing for web searches instead of google, you can easily earn enough credits to get hulu plus for free (if you do a few searches a day).
http://www.bing.com/rewards/redeem/000100000064
I've got about 8months of free huluplus on my account from all the searching i do.

oh, another vote for the roku here, its inexpensive and works.

[specsaregood]

So do you get football games in there somewhere? What about food network shows?

I don't think there is any football on it. There are a number of sports channels:
http://www.roku.com/channels/#!browse/sports/by-popular
But you'll need to drill down into each one, as many of them require a cable tv provider to get access to.

Here is the listing for food:
http://www.roku.com/channels/#search/food/by-popular

[Suzanimal]

So do you get football games in there somewhere? What about food network shows?

A lot of Food Network shows are online and on Hulu, I guess it depends on what shows she likes.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/pl...-episodes.html

As far as sports goes, if it's on a local station (abc, nbc, cbs) you should be able to get it with antenna. If it's on cable, I'm not sure, my husband runs a sports bar so he watches all that stuff at work.

[oyarde]

My package with Dish sucks too , but it is only $40 a month , so I am not going to complain.Here in the boonies I have to pay more than that for the net .

[Cleaner44]

We didn't have cable for years, I bought a Roku (http://www.roku.com) and paid for Amazon Prime (it's 99.00 per year now), Netflix(7.99), Hulu Plus (7.99?), and Crackle (free) all of that cost 24.23 per month (not including the Roku, they start at around 50.00) and it was enough for us and our 2 kids for years.
The only reason we got dish back was for my Dad but since he passed away we really can't justify the cost for a couple of tv shows we can certainly live without.

This is exactly what we did as well.

+rep to Roku

[easycougar]

I have an old PC hooked directly up to the VGA port on my TV that has Windows Media Center on it. I bought one of these things and I turned it into a DVR so I can record over the air stuff (in HD even!): http://hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hvr2250.html. You hook your outside antenna directly up to it and can record anything off of your local channels. I also added a Netflix app to Windows Media Center.

When there's absolutely nothing on TV (which is often), I use this site which offers continuous live streams of a multitude of different TV shows:
http://www.giddyupnetwork.info/pages/live-streams

[aGameOfThrones]

I got a medium tv plan with Internet(better deal with both). Funny thing is that I still stream some shows from online "friends" when I want even though I have them on my plan. I just like watching on my own time.

I have an appletv and I really only use it for AirPlay, I also have a roku and that gets more use than the appletv. I read that the NFL is doing something similar like MLB.tv this year. Netflix has a lot of Disney stuff. Crackle is free. Hulu has commercials, but some don't mind. If you have a basic cable plan with internet you might be able to get HBO without having to get those $$ cable boxes and use HBO go over your favorite streaming box.

[Chester Copperpot]

I find having a smart TV is awesome... most of my viewing is youtubes so i just type in whatever I want and watch it whenever..

in addition i download various movies or tv shows and put them onto my 1tb hd... the hard drive is hooked up to the TV and basically functions as a video jukebox.

my only problem now is ive got a couple hundred DVDs that I need to give away or throw out. lol

[milgram]

Sports may be free to watch online if you can trick the official streaming websites. For example, the NFL provides free streaming of all games in certain countries to boost interest in the sport. If you connect to their streaming site using a VPN from one of those countries, you can also watch everything.

Granted they eventually notice the moochers and block their corresponding VPNs, so it can be a hassle to keep it working. If the NFL finally offers streaming in the US next year, it might be worth paying for it.

[Origanalist]

I have a outdoor antenna bought off ebay that brings in the local channel that carries the Seahawks and get's local news for anyone interested. Cable just isn't worth the money.

[Ronin Truth]

Has anyone here tried Rabbit TV? Is it any good? https://www.rabbittv.com/?gclid=CJzJ...FZZqfgodqx0AKg

[jkr]

welcome!

[FindLiberty]

Zero TV here (11+ happy years without it), but the internet (via cable modem) for PCs and VoIP telephone lines are still connected via Comcast cable.

[Natural Citizen]

I have a outdoor antenna bought off ebay that brings in the local channel that carries the Seahawks and get's local news for anyone interested. Cable just isn't worth the money.

Ah, man. I remember those days. I was always the one with the chore of standing on the roof and turning the thing until the channel was clear. We had a relay going from the roof all the way to the living room with the old "is it clear yet?" gag. By the time word made it back to me it was usually not clear by then. Good old days...

But, yeah, I agree. Not worth the money with cable. 700 channels and not a darn thing on.

[BucksforPaul]

This is my setup since I cancelled my cable back in 2008 after the corporate whores mistreatment of Dr. Paul.

I have a PC hooked up to my TV with a HDMI graphic card I bough off of Amazon. I also bought a wireless keyboard the size of a smartphone and received a 1TB hard drive as a gift from my brother. I pay $7.99 / month for netflix and everything else can be found online. In fact, I probably don't even need netflix. Install ubuntu for better viewing experience on the PC with an up to date ad blocker. I use the following sites to watch anything including sports. There are more of these and all you have to do is google for them.

TV shows / Movies

http://www.primewire.ag/

http://www.watchseries-online.eu/

Live Sporting events

http://www.feed2all.eu/type/football.html

http://gofirstrowus.eu/

http://www.vipboxus.co/

Like I said there are a lot more of these websites so enjoy!!

[RJB]

I lived without a TV for years and loved it. Since getting married-- well there are compromises.

Every now and then I get sick of the voices in my house and think of my favorites scene from The Wall:

[mikey]

I would also recommend an HTPC. You get all the versatility that you get with a PC, and you can put it in a small case that will fit under the tv.
Like these for example: http://www.newegg.com/HTPC-Media-Cen...ategory/ID-690
I also recommend getting a AMD APU as it comes with both processor and decent video card in one.

[Schifference]

I called to cancel my cable & internet. I was presented with an option to have basic limited programing and higher speed broadband & free HBO for 2 years for $62 month. We get netlfix and hulu and have several WDLive hubs that have 1TB storage and stream Netflix Hulu youtube and whatever.

[V3n]

Not much to add - just wanted to say add me to the Roku group. Amazon Prime/Hulu Plus/Netflix + over-the-air antenna.

There are some shows we purchase on Amazon - like Walking Dead - $1.99 an episode for standard definition, $2.99 if we did HD. I don't mind paying for particular shows/episodes because still, unless we watch 50 shows a month at $1.99 we're still saving money not having satellite!

For NFL I did over-the-air antenna when I could, and streaming sites for other games. I'm getting a laptop with HDMI-out before fall, so I'll be able to stream the games to my TV.

Actually - we liked Roku so much, we bought a second tv and Roku to keep in the bedroom - but it would have been just as easy to move the first box from one room to the other... The one in the bedroom is the one with the headphone jack in the remote, so I can watch TV in there with headphones, and Lady_V3n can sleep.

[Suzanimal]

I've never heard of this...

Option #2: Streaming video + Aereo
Which brings us to option number two: Supplement your streaming video habit with live TV channels. One way to do that is by subscribing to a service like Aereo that delivers local channels to your set-top box or computer.
Sign up for Aereo, and you’ll get a dime-sized antenna attached to a machine in its own farm of TV receivers. This pulls in the stations you would normally get by adding a pair of rabbit ears to your set, and then streams them to you via the Net. Even better, Aereo works as a network DVR, so you can record shows and watch them at any time. For $8 a month, you get 20 hours of recording time; $12 buys you 60 hours and the ability to record two shows at once.

Aereo works directly with Roku set-tops and indirectly with Apple TVs, if you’ve got a MacBook or an iPhone. It also works with any Windows PC or Mac. Support for Google Chromecast is coming in May.

There are two problems here, though. The first is that these services are available only in a handful of major metro areas at the moment, though more are being added. (To find out if yours is one of them, plug your ZIP code into Aereo’s search engine.)

The second problem is that Aereo makes TV networks so uneasy that they’ve sued the Brooklyn-based startup for allegedly violating their copyrights. That case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court later this year.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/five-ways...624533080.html

[aGameOfThrones]

I don't know how good are the Mohu antennas, but those interested in them should check them out.

[69360]

I haven't had cable since 2002 and have never had a dish. I have a regular TV antenna, it works fine and all over the air free TV is HD now. I also have netflix, it's well worth it.

[thoughtomator]

I am TV-less over 20 years now and loving it. I really feel bad for all the TV zombies, I can see the damage it does to peoples' ability to think.

I do also enjoy the occasional NFL game, which I will watch at someone else's house, or at a bar. No need to hold onto a TV for them.