News out in recent days suggest that the power in the world of television could finally be shifting to the consumer instead of the cable giants. Both HBO and CBS recently announced that they will soon initiate their own streaming services, joining companies like Hulu and Netflix as go-to sources for media in the era of cord-cutting. It's possible - just possible - that รก la carte television is just over the horizon - and it's not a moment too soon!
For decades, cable giants like Comcast and AT&T and satellite services like DirecTV have controlled non-broadcast television. Instead of allowing consumers to buy only what they want to watch, they've lumped all kinds of dross in with the good stuff to create "packages." Almost everyone who buys these services knows the syndrome well. If you want to watch the History Channel, you have to buy the package that includes the Golf Channel. Want to watch Nickelodeon? You also have to pay for Bravo. You're stuck buying a whole smorgasbord just to get the few dishes you want.
That’s so 2004! Is it time for you to cut the cord? Here's how.
You can learn what channels are available by visiting websites like TV Fool or Antennaweb. Once there you submit your address: both sites return a list of broadcast stations in your area, ordered by distance to the tower. Both color-code their report to suggest the type of antenna you'll need, depending on distance. There are three kinds of antenna:
The distance guidelines are just that: if your home theater is on the side of the house facing the tower and there aren't buildings around to the signal, the maximum range is probably good. If the signal has to penetrate several walls inside your house (as it does on mine), you'll need to step up the signal.
Expect to buy an indoor antenna for each television in the house, though a rooftop antenna is usually configured for two (or more) feeds. Installing indoor antennas is dirt-simple, though you may need to fiddle with it for a while to get proper orientation. We bought two different amplified antennas from Mohu for about $60 each. Word of advice: if you buy an open-box version at BestBuy or Fry's, make certain everything is in the box!
You may find references to a service called Aereo in older articles about cutting the cord. Ignore them: this service is dead or dying since a summer, 2014 Supreme Court decision essentially made its business model illegal. Bottom line: we now pick up local signals over the air in HD, which would have cost us an extra ten to twelve dollars per month through our former cable company. Advantage: consumer!
You may already have a smart TV or Blu-ray player that's internet ready, but if you don't - or even if you do - you''ll want to look into a streaming device or two. They're everywhere out there, from all your favorite vendors. We looked at Slingbox, Tivo, Roku, Chromecast… and ended up choosing a Roku 2 and a couple of Chromecast dongles. I have no idea how well the others work, but both of these devices proved easy to install and easy to set up and use.
The Roku 2 streams content wirelessly and feeds it to your TV via an HDMI cable. Unlike some of the others, the Roku also allows component connection, so if you have an older television without HDMI ports or a TV without enough HDMI ports that's a plus. The Chromecast streams wireless devices (phones and tablets). Both support "channels" like Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu, which allow you to stream content whenever you want, pause, and go back and forth like a cable DVR - do note that a Chromecast is a very weak on the rewind bit, and a Roku 2 isn't as slick as a DVR. Point, however, being that streaming devices have access to an enormous catalog of content. You can watch much of it for free, and if you're addicted to some current content you can buy it on demand (or wait until the next season). Not only that, channels have their own content - think "Orange is the New Black" or "Alpha House" (you thought I was going to say "House of Cards," didn't you).
These streaming devices cost $30 to $50. You also need to pay for monthly subscriptions to services like Hulu and Amazon Prime. The three services to which we subscribe cost us a total of $314, a little over twice what we were paying for cable every month.
You'll want to evaluate your internet speed for streaming: experts advise a speed of 12 mbps or faster, especially if you'll be running multiple streams simultaneously. We get by OK on 6 mpbs, but can see buffering when the connections slows down.
Besides the obvious cost saving, with streaming video, you aren't stuck with a cable company's fixed-price bundles. You only pay for the content you want, and can access to some that's unavailable to cable subscribers, content you can watch on your own schedule. - and you can watch them whenever you want, binge-watching if that's your bag. If close enough to a tower, wiht a good antenna you can get HD free instead of extra. You can also find old episodes of golden oldies like "Leverage," "The Highlander" or "The Dresden Files";or you can go back to the beginning of a current show and catch up to what's happening now.
You may no longer have immediate access to shows you've learned to like, unless you want to pay for the privilege. Many network apps require you to log in with your cable provider to see current episodes of shows like "The Bridge," "Perception" or "The Walking Dead." Paying $1.99 per episode sort of defeats the purpose of cutting the cord. Fortunately, many series are available free after the subsequent season begins, so your patience may be it's own reward. If you opt for a streaming device or two, expect at least one extra remote and the need for additional power strips for the added plugs. You won't find a channel guide like the one you have with your cable or satellite subscription; but a website like TV Guide can tell you what's playing tonight on the broadcast networks, including the secondary channels.
Until recently, it's been tough getting used to not having a DVR. The ability to pause live programming and back up to hear what the actor mumbled in the last scene is pretty neat. Fortunately, there are now DVRs available for cord-cutters, though they're pretty expensive - especially the ones that involve a monthly subscription.
As far as I can tell, the people who are hurt most by cutting the cord are diehard sports fans. If you're paying the fees of the NFL Sunday Package or shelling out for Major League Baseball, you may need to adjust. Do your research before cutting the cord, because - as far as I can tell - your options with streaming are limited, since ESPN and other sports networks have all the broadcast rights locked up.
Of course, if you cut the cord it's a good bet that the cable companies will be begging for your return and offer you all kinds of inducements to come back. I know this from experience...
That's one family's experience with cutting the cord. As they say at the EPA, your mileage may differ.
For decades, cable giants like Comcast and AT&T and satellite services like DirecTV have controlled non-broadcast television. Instead of allowing consumers to buy only what they want to watch, they've lumped all kinds of dross in with the good stuff to create "packages." Almost everyone who buys these services knows the syndrome well. If you want to watch the History Channel, you have to buy the package that includes the Golf Channel. Want to watch Nickelodeon? You also have to pay for Bravo. You're stuck buying a whole smorgasbord just to get the few dishes you want.
That’s so 2004! Is it time for you to cut the cord? Here's how.
Over-the-Air Broadcast Content
If you live anywhere near a decent-sized metropolitan area, you can probably pluck the signals of the big four networks (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC) plus a PBS station out of the ether with a modern antenna. Independent stations that carry My20, the CW and ION are also available; not to mention a wealth of religious and foreign-language broadcasts, depending on where you live. Not only that, but many network also broadcast a secondary channel with movies, reruns or other alternative programming. Where I live, I can pick up 65 channels - about as many as a basic cable package (including, believe it or not, a couple of home shopping networks).You can learn what channels are available by visiting websites like TV Fool or Antennaweb. Once there you submit your address: both sites return a list of broadcast stations in your area, ordered by distance to the tower. Both color-code their report to suggest the type of antenna you'll need, depending on distance. There are three kinds of antenna:
- Regular indoor antennas: OK if you live close enough - they say twenty miles, but the outer limits of their reach is more realistically about fifteen
- Amplified indoor antennas: Identical to the regular antennas except that they include a powered signal amplifier between the antenna and the television. They're supposedly good for up to fifty miles, though forty is probably more realistic.
- Outdoor antennas: If you're a long way from the tower or in hilly terrain, you may need such an antenna mounted on the roof.
The distance guidelines are just that: if your home theater is on the side of the house facing the tower and there aren't buildings around to the signal, the maximum range is probably good. If the signal has to penetrate several walls inside your house (as it does on mine), you'll need to step up the signal.
Expect to buy an indoor antenna for each television in the house, though a rooftop antenna is usually configured for two (or more) feeds. Installing indoor antennas is dirt-simple, though you may need to fiddle with it for a while to get proper orientation. We bought two different amplified antennas from Mohu for about $60 each. Word of advice: if you buy an open-box version at BestBuy or Fry's, make certain everything is in the box!
 |
| The paper-thin Mohu Leaf |
 |
| The sleek, modern Mohu Leaf |
Switch to Streaming
You may already have a smart TV or Blu-ray player that's internet ready, but if you don't - or even if you do - you''ll want to look into a streaming device or two. They're everywhere out there, from all your favorite vendors. We looked at Slingbox, Tivo, Roku, Chromecast… and ended up choosing a Roku 2 and a couple of Chromecast dongles. I have no idea how well the others work, but both of these devices proved easy to install and easy to set up and use.
The Roku 2 streams content wirelessly and feeds it to your TV via an HDMI cable. Unlike some of the others, the Roku also allows component connection, so if you have an older television without HDMI ports or a TV without enough HDMI ports that's a plus. The Chromecast streams wireless devices (phones and tablets). Both support "channels" like Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu, which allow you to stream content whenever you want, pause, and go back and forth like a cable DVR - do note that a Chromecast is a very weak on the rewind bit, and a Roku 2 isn't as slick as a DVR. Point, however, being that streaming devices have access to an enormous catalog of content. You can watch much of it for free, and if you're addicted to some current content you can buy it on demand (or wait until the next season). Not only that, channels have their own content - think "Orange is the New Black" or "Alpha House" (you thought I was going to say "House of Cards," didn't you).
 |
| A Roku 2 streaming media player |
 |
| Google's Chromecast dongle |
These streaming devices cost $30 to $50. You also need to pay for monthly subscriptions to services like Hulu and Amazon Prime. The three services to which we subscribe cost us a total of $314, a little over twice what we were paying for cable every month.
You'll want to evaluate your internet speed for streaming: experts advise a speed of 12 mbps or faster, especially if you'll be running multiple streams simultaneously. We get by OK on 6 mpbs, but can see buffering when the connections slows down.
The Upside of Cutting the Cord
Besides the obvious cost saving, with streaming video, you aren't stuck with a cable company's fixed-price bundles. You only pay for the content you want, and can access to some that's unavailable to cable subscribers, content you can watch on your own schedule. - and you can watch them whenever you want, binge-watching if that's your bag. If close enough to a tower, wiht a good antenna you can get HD free instead of extra. You can also find old episodes of golden oldies like "Leverage," "The Highlander" or "The Dresden Files";or you can go back to the beginning of a current show and catch up to what's happening now.
The Downside of Cutting the Cord
You may no longer have immediate access to shows you've learned to like, unless you want to pay for the privilege. Many network apps require you to log in with your cable provider to see current episodes of shows like "The Bridge," "Perception" or "The Walking Dead." Paying $1.99 per episode sort of defeats the purpose of cutting the cord. Fortunately, many series are available free after the subsequent season begins, so your patience may be it's own reward. If you opt for a streaming device or two, expect at least one extra remote and the need for additional power strips for the added plugs. You won't find a channel guide like the one you have with your cable or satellite subscription; but a website like TV Guide can tell you what's playing tonight on the broadcast networks, including the secondary channels.
Until recently, it's been tough getting used to not having a DVR. The ability to pause live programming and back up to hear what the actor mumbled in the last scene is pretty neat. Fortunately, there are now DVRs available for cord-cutters, though they're pretty expensive - especially the ones that involve a monthly subscription.
Who Shouldn't Switch?
As far as I can tell, the people who are hurt most by cutting the cord are diehard sports fans. If you're paying the fees of the NFL Sunday Package or shelling out for Major League Baseball, you may need to adjust. Do your research before cutting the cord, because - as far as I can tell - your options with streaming are limited, since ESPN and other sports networks have all the broadcast rights locked up.
Of course, if you cut the cord it's a good bet that the cable companies will be begging for your return and offer you all kinds of inducements to come back. I know this from experience...
That's one family's experience with cutting the cord. As they say at the EPA, your mileage may differ.
No comments:
Post a Comment