There are a variety of streaming services that fill the gap. All of them have a free trial.
For starters check out PlayStationVue, DirectTVNow and Sling.
Also, it doesn't matter which direction is SW...{:-}
Dont’ worry about it.
I pulled the plug, and sought out some content in other places - It didn’t take long to learn that it’s ALL utter BS.
Youtube is an app built into most tvs and stuff. Don’t let your kids near it, but use it for the treasure trove of information and lectures that are hosted there.
Netflix is cool too but it too is totally leftist BS. But if you need entertainment there is no getting away from the lefties. AT least don’t pay a lot for it.
I use Freerepublic.com and drudgereport.com. The rest is garbage.
Withdrawal is treatable with either solo therapy (whiskey) or collaborative therapy (sex).
Once the withdrawal’s over, your new problem will be combating the addiction of binge-watching.
Seriously, though, cutting the cord was the best thing I ever did. Lots of time and i watch what I want. I still buy DVDs in the 5 buck bin for a library and occasionally whip out a good movie (since they’re so hard to come by these days).
Good luck.
You need a fast Internet connection.
Mine is with Cox Cable
Tue Sep 19 7:54 PM Downlink: 64 Mbps Uplink: 6 Mbps Latency: 14 millisec
$79 a month.
Get a decent internet connection (at least 12MB/s, a bit faster might help but “gigabit” or 100MB/s won’t, video streaming isn’t that fast yet, and you can upgrade later if needed).
Get an AppleTV. New ones just came out today.
On it, get Netflix, Hulu (commercial-free), and/or Amazon Prime Video (when available, soon) apps. Peruse other video apps (Fox News, Livestream, many other apps which act like specialized “channels” but with more content and are on-demand), including sports apps. They usually cost a nominal fee (like $10/month, though some are free), but that all adds up to still a lot less than “TV”.
Find a local Redbox for new movies cheap rental. See what’s at the local library.
It’s OK to lament loss of a few shows. You’ll get over it when you realize how absolutely crappy most TV really is, and how much you’ll come to hate commercials.
Gardening.
If you have ATT cell service, upgrade to the unlimited data plan and you get then get DirectvNow for $10/mo with free HBO. You’ll need a good broadband plan, too.
I cut the cord and they tried to charge me an extra $480.00. (they deducted it from my bank without my approval). Make sure your contract is over. It took me 4 months to get my money back! They are EVIL... I went with Suddenlink. Got the TV with the stations I wanted, phone, and internet for less than I was paying for Direct alone. Suddenlink has all the football stuff (Red Zone, etc.)
I have:
- 12MB/s internet service
- AppleTV 4 (soon getting the new 4K model)
- Amazon FireTV Stick (discarding soon)
- Blu-ray disc player
- Several Redbox kiosks nearby
- Libraries
- Lots of my own discs I haven’t watched yet
- Netflix
- iTunes (buy/rent, not cheap but exactly what & when I want)
- Hulu (but will cancel very soon, just not much I watch)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Fox News app
- ABC News app (still the best for breaking news)
- Livestream
- Numerous high-profile TV channel apps
- and no time to watch anything.
I looked into this just last month. The ONLY good internet in my neighborhood is comcast cable. To buy a Tivo DVR with the features I’d want is 170 plus a monthly 15 dollar fee. To get the Pac-12 network for football and basketball the only option was sling tv which would be around 45-55 a month. When I started looking at the Roku and Amazon fire devices many people reported audio issues through a home theater.
Currently I don’t think the technology is quite good enough yet. I fully anticipate in 5 years it will be.
Don’t forget to buy a $25 antenna. I live in BF Kentucky and still get some decent vintage movie channels (grit, movies, this,get, classic) I would definitely put these up against $75/month cable premium movie channel crappola. Also ME TV is great for vintage television. I do pay $20/month for sling during baseball season to watch my Reds but will cut that in two weeks.
Hulu Live includes Fox News, Fox Business, several sports channels, and many other channels (main networks, USA, TNT, FX, etc).
Just call them up and cancel. Be prepared for lots of phone calls begging you to come back. My response that their programming had turned all gay and I wasn’t allowing any of it in my house any more. They eventually gave up calling me.
This only works if you have a yard and no Homeowners Association to answer to:
I live out in the middle of nowhere, the nearest cable service is 15 miles away, there are no broadcast stations within reach without a 250 ft tall antenna mast.
But I can receive over 3,000 channels with my Free To Air satellite system; I don’t pay any bills. I have about $600 invested in equipment, most of it in the 6 ft C band dish and controller. But if you are a good scavenger you can do it for nearly nothing as there is lots of functional old equipment out there that people will give away just to get rid of it.
I could double the number of channels I could receive with a larger C-band dish and chopping down a few trees.
You can get into KU band satellite and receive about 1500 channels for much less money ($200 or less), with a 3 ft diameter dish, or even less. Some even re-purpose Dish Network/ Direct TV dishes to work with Free to Air, although that is not ideal.
My only problem is that I am not a linguist, and half the channels I can receive are in a languages I don’t understand.
Besides the free entertainment there is one really cool thing: I can receive several network news RAW Feeds.. The news and video directly from cameras and reporters in the field, before the producers and talking head anchors make their little edits and changes to fit their agenda. .
I paused Dish, and have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Britbox, Acorn and the ton of channels Roku offers.
I eventually decided that PS Vue had a better deal. For $35 (now $45) I can get the ESPN's, Fox News, FS and Big Ten Network plus the NBA, NFL and MLB Networks.
wow, all these people saying how much money they are feeding the beast. I pay this much and I pay that much, all the while you are still feeding the beast that truly is our enemy.
Sure, I love all that entertainment though, I still want to watch stuff from time to time but I dont want to give my hard earned money to Hollywood in any way, shape, or form.
Here is your solution and all you need is a good wifi connection. Buy an Amazon Firestick for $39 or less when on sale. Watch and follow the easy instructions on how to “side load KODI on to a Firestick.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sideload+kodi+amazon+fire+tv
Once installed you learn your way around fairly quickly. I find most anything I want to watch on Exodus, anything from movies in the theater to old time classics to all 30+ seasons of The Simpsons. Anything such as original programming from Netflix, Hulu, et all.... its all there to punch up and stream. I like Phoenix Sports and Sports Devil to get every MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, collection, semi pro, any friggin soccer game you want is there too.
After your $39 investment for the stick and your 10 minutes to load Kodi, you are done, no monthly fees or nothing....
Enjoy the programs
STARVE THE BEAST
Firestick with Kodi. You will be glad you did. I got rid of a $125/mo satellite bill and havent missed a thing yet.
I just got directvnow...for ten bucks a month and no contract for 60 plus channels. If you have ATT unlimited data cell package that’s the price you’ll pay...pretty good deal really. Also check KODI...a little tricky to install but once you get it free movies and tv.