Top 21 Reasons To Get Rid Of Cable Once And For All

Cut Cable Today ^ | 3-11-15 | Mr. Cable Cutter

[RKBA Democrat]

Unsure if you’re ready to take the plunge and cut the cord? The truth is that now is the best time in history to make the call. It seems like every day, there are new reasons to get rid of cable. But in case you aren’t sure what those reasons are, I’ve collected them here, all in one place for you.

#1 It’s Easier Than Ever

Had you asked me a few years ago if getting rid of cable was feasible, I would have hesitated. But now, well, things are different. It’s easier than it has ever been. All you really need is an Internet connection, a streaming box, and a streaming service. Anyone can set it up–no tech savviness required.

#2 Financial – The Savings are Massive

According to the FCC, cable prices are rising at a rate that’s higher than inflation. In fact, many expect the average cable bill to be somewhere around $125 by the end of 2015. That’s almost $1500 a year! Crazy, right? Especially since you probably signed on for some great promotional rate that expired after one year…yet you’re locked in for at least two. Not to mention all of those hidden costs!

The facts are impossible to refute: if you cut the cord, you’ll save big, even if you’re paying for subscription services. It’s one of the biggest reasons to get rid of cable that exists. Period. Check out my setup, which costs me only $39.49 a month.

T-Mobile customers have even bigger cost savings — With Sling TV and T-Mobile’s latest partnership, T-Mobile users can now sign up for Sling’s basic package for just $14/month for up to a full year. That’s an incredible 30% in savings! You can watch more than 20 channels on your T-Mobile eligible device, and can even cancel the plan whenever you’d like. Plus, you won’t ever have to worry about data overage fees with T-Mobile’s Binge On plan — just another way you can save! Learn more about this money-saving offer here. (Link embedded in article) There are plenty of other streaming options with similar promotional deals, so it certainly doesn’t hurt to shop around until you find one that saves you the most — and because you’re free of cable, you have the ability to do so risk free!

#3 Available Content Keeps Growing

I remember back when Netflix first started their streaming service, it seemed like they had very little I wanted to watch. Man, are those days gone. These days, there’s seemingly endless content. From hit shows to documentaries, there’s something for everyone.

#4 Watch Live Sports Online

Many people hold onto their cable for live sporting events. Admittedly, this was my biggest sticking point. But like all other aspects of cord cutting, this segment is growing quickly. MLB has MLB.TV, which will allow you to watch just about everything. The NBA and NHL also have streaming services through their respective leagues.

The most difficult to find is the NFL, but you can watch most of your home team’s games with an antenna. And if you can’t give up ESPN, you can also try Sling TV. For more detailed info on how you can cancel cable and still watch your favorite live sports, check out my guide here (link embedded in article)

#5 No More Cable Contracts

Contracts suck. And while big cell phone companies like T-Mobile are making moves to give the people what they want with respect to contracts, the cable companies aren’t budging. But the paid streaming services, well, they aren’t wasting their time trying to lock you in. Netflix, Hulu Plus…they all will let you quit whenever you’re ready. No hidden fees.

#6 Freedom from a Broken System

Making you pay for a bunch of stuff you aren’t watching, and raising the rates in the meanwhile, is a broken system. Why should you be part of that? When you get rid of cable, you are stepping away, freely, into the future. And the future is bright (and much cheaper).

#7 Bye Bye Commercials

Did you know that the average child has seen 16,000 commercials in a year? That’s right, their brains are being inundated with advertising. God only knows what negative effects this can cause. By getting rid of cable, you can drastically reduce, if not completely eliminate, the commercials your child is exposed to.

ESPN. No Cable. No Strings Attached. Try it Today. Sling TV.

#8 Extra Benefits From Streaming Services

Sometimes when you sign on with a streaming service, you get extra perks. For example, Amazon Prime comes with free 2-day shipping (which I take frequently advantage of). BallStreams gives you access to Summer League and international competitions. And many sports streaming sites don’t blackout games.

#9 You Can Try Most Streaming Services For Free

With so many streaming options available, you might find it hard to decide which to go with. Luckily, many of them make it easy on you, allowing you to try them out for free. Here’s what some of the major streaming services offer:

Sling TV–Click here for a free 7-day trial (link embedded in article) Amazon Prime–Click here for a free 30-day trial (link embedded in article) Netflix–One free month Hulu Plus–One free week HBO Now–One free month

#10 Sends a Message to Big Cable

While cord cutting is still in the early stages (the major cable companies lost about .2% of subscribers between 2013 and 2014), things are getting worse, not better, for them. With HBO flying solo, and Apple looking to get into the game, there’s no way they can ignore the shift. When you make the decision to get rid of cable, you’re helping make sure that the cable companies take notice.

#11 Purposeful Viewing vs. Passively Watching Garbage

I think we can all agree that we probably watch more TV than we should. Especially if you have cable. Think about it–how often do you just turn the TV on and let it play in the background? Or sit on the couch watching reruns of one of those HGTV shows for no good reason?

When you cut the cord and go with a streaming service, you’re more likely to engage in purposeful watching. In other words, you aren’t just going to plop in front of the TV and watch some garbage just for the sake of doing so. Instead, you’re going to sit, search, and watch only when you’re interested.

#12 Better Quality

OTA HD broadcasts are HIGHER QUALITY than what cable provides. Cable companies compress their broadcasts due to limited bandwidth and infrastructure costs. You probably spent good money for an HDTV…it’s time to get the most out of your picture!

#13 It’s Legal

Some people mistakenly associate streaming shows with illegal activity. Rest assured, there are plenty of completely legal ways to stream content. Be it sports, TV shows, movies….the means are out there. Are their illegal streaming sites out there? You betcha. But they’re easy to spot, and quite frankly, you don’t want to use them–they’re loaded with pop-ups and spyware.

#14 Great Original Programming

Here’s a growing trend–streaming services producing and providing amazing, original TV shows that can’t be found elsewhere. Here’s a quick list of some of my favorites:

House of Cards (Netflix) Narcos (Netflix) Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Crackle) Behind the Mask (Hulu) Alpha House (Amazon) Transparent (Amazon)

#15 Most New Episodes of Hit Shows are Available Online or Via Antenna

Giving up cable can be hard if it means not being able to talk about the current hit show at the water cooler. What many people don’t realize is that the latest episodes of many hit shows are often available online. For example, AMC makes their episodes available for about a month. It’s also important not to forget that if the hit show you’re watching is on network TV, you can likely catch it live with a good digital antenna. Which leads me to the next point…

#16 Get Free HD Content with a Digital Antenna

I was shocked at how many stations I picked up when I got a digital antenna (over 70!!!). I picked up all sorts of stuff I didn’t know existed. Of course, what you can access depends largely on where you live. But unless you live pretty far out, chances are you can get some decent channels. For a look at just how many broadcast channels are out there, check out this table on Wikipedia.(link embedded in article) And if you’re wondering what stations are available in your area, you can try the FCC’s tool here.

#17 Fewer Dealings with Annoying Customer Service Reps

Who hasn’t had to deal with less-than-helpful cable customer service reps? I know I have my stories to tell, that’s for sure! While it’s true that you will still probably have to deal with your ISP’s customer service from time to time, gone will be the days of calling to deal with troubles with cable.

It’s a rare occasion that you would need to talk to your streaming service’s customer service. And if you have to, well, my experiences have been great. Netflix and Amazon customer service is hands down top notch.

#18 Greater Flexibility

When you’re streaming content, you have much more flexibility. Tired of Netflix? Drop them next month and switch to Hulu. Decided wrestling isn’t worth your time? Cancel the WWE Network and they won’t renew your subscription. It really is that simple.

There’s also flexibility in when, where, and how you watch. Most streaming services have apps that work on your mobile devices, allowing you to watch anywhere, any time. You can also hook your devices up to your TV via a variety of methods (HDMI cable, Apple TV, etc.).

#19 Customized Viewing Experience

Unlike cable services, most streaming services do their part in trying to customize your viewing experience to better suit your needs. For example, Netflix will suggest content based on your viewing habits. They also will give you other suggestions for similar content when searching. Hulu and Amazon Prime let you subscribe to shows and receive alerts.

#20 Easier to Sift Through Content

Is there anything more annoying than trying to search through your cable TV provider’s programming guide? Paging down through hundreds of shows you would never consider watching, trying to find that one program. Forget that! Regardless of where you choose to stream your content, you can rest assured that it’s completely searchable, making it simple to sort through what you want to watch.

#21 There are New Streaming Options

It’s hard to argue–streaming is the way of the future. It feels like there are new options for streaming on a daily basis. CBS, HBO, and Sony are all jumping in the game. Apple sounds like it wants to as well. Who knows what services will come next? But here’s what I do know…they’ll keep coming.

Are you ready? It’s YOUR turn to be a cord cutter.

[RKBA Democrat]

22. It allows you to stop subsidizing the MSM via your cable bill.

Note - I don't post embedded links within articles. Five minutes with a search engine can get you info regarding specific providers.

This is just a good guide for what's out there if you haven't decided to cut the cord yet.

[BBB333]

“...many expect the average cable bill to be somewhere around $125 by the end of 2015...”

?????

[Gaffer]

I don’t call going to “streaming” in any fashion as “cutting cable.” It’s just a less formalized way of delivery but still relies on an ISP which also costs bucks for any decent “streaming” level bandwidth.

[mythenjoseph]

To heck with paying any of them...vaughnlive.tv/Pluto tv...sportshunter . eu for all sports world wide...why pay anyone?...take it for free and let the lemmings pay for it...they obviously aren’t concerned about subersive and blatantly biased reporting or leftist mantras. Go to the sites i have named you will be surprised what is streamed. FOR FREE with no downloads..(except for Pluto)

[Doogle]

...been OTA since 2015...

[FreedomFight16]

Playstation Vue is much better than Sling.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/channels/

[Snowybear]

I went back to cable. SlingTV and Playstation Vue (and other providers) are not ready and their infrastructure is not up to handling times of heavy demand.

I was sick of losing stream halfway through. During The Walking Dead it was so bad that I watch maybe 25% of the show if I was lucky, the rest of the time was a frozen screen.

This is with a known good 60Mb/sec connection using an Amazon Fire Stick.

It’s just not ready for prime time yet.

[Morpheus2009]

Netflix is more cost effective. Same with Amazon Prime. You can pick and choose your specific shows either way.

[Jamestown1630]

Before we cut the cord two years ago, our bill was around $225.00.

Once the equipment was paid for, we got it down to less than $100, which includes Internet, Roku, VOIP, and the other services that we use.

[Ken H]

23. You Tube is so comprehensive, anything worthwhile from cable will show up there.

[trebb]

I’d kill to be able to get cable. Satellite TV isn’t bad but satellite internet sucks (slow/expensive/insanely small bit bucket and unsuitable for modern applications/uses). We’re in a dead zone surrounded by modern technology.

[Jamestown1630]

At the time that we switched, the only thing we were going to lose that I cared about was losing Fox News. Haven’t cared so much for the last 14 months or so; but almost everything on Fox shows up on YouTube within a day or two; and we just watch it through Roku.

[Varda]

Sports - The only thing I watch is the NHL and if I could cut the cord I would. You can watch random games with NHL TV but all local games are blacked out because local teams have cable agreements.

NFL fans can watch local games OTA which as the article states is higher quality than cable. I used to be an NFL fan but no more. I do miss free.

[VanDeKoik]

1) No need for it.

There are plenty of things to watch on YouTube, Dailymotion, Hulu, Netflix, or from torrents if you really need to see it.

Hook a computer to a modern TV and it’s better than a cable box.

And besides, having cable just makes you more likely to sit in front of it and waste your day flipping channels.

Wish I could get my parents to ditch theirs.

[Vaquero]

I get my high speed internet through cable. It is the only method here.

I also get my phone and my tv through the same service. They are very reliable even during storms etc. during hurricane Sandy my power was out for 10 days but using my generator I had all of my cable services.

Cheap....NO. But worth it.

[oh8eleven]

#3 Available Content Keeps Growing
And as it does, those content providers will continue to raise their monthly prices.

[VanDeKoik]

And even better, you can just get a Chromecast or an Amazon Fire TV HDMI stick and run stuff from your tablet or phone.

[SquarePants]

I’m running an IPTV service on Perfect Player app on an Amazon Fire TV. 900+ channels including every cable channel I can imagine for $4 a month. It’s amazing and took about 20 minutes to set up.

[MCF]

I use Charter cable for the fast internet connection. But no TV.

[FreedomFight16]

It’s true that streaming services like Sling and Playstation Vue is still funding the lefties and their bias, but they can be a good stepping stone to completely cutting the cord. Hopefully at some point most channels will provide individual streaming services and we can choose which ones we want.