I'm thinking about ditching Cable TV. Advice?

[titsrock]

Hey All-
In the U.S., I believe we are headed for a dark recession/possible depression even with the recent "bailout" bill. I think that bill is merely a "large finger" which will plug one leaky hole in the Dam of the U.S. Economy, metaphorically-speaking. No matter who wins the Prez election, dark times are coming, and I want to "consolidate my finances" to be in a better position to "ride this bitch" out...so to speak.

Has anyone been living a non-cable TV lifestyle? Does it "get old" watching your favorite TV shows online? Do you have a "solution" which integrates your broadband connection and your TV? Is there a box or some such service which allows for downloaded internet content to be played on TVs? I don't need HD quality, just decent viewing quality.

I believe the only drawback to this idea is Sports-programming. I love college football and college soccer and English soccer. I watch my favorite English soccer teams games either on Fox Soccer Channel or Justin.tv or some sort of "suspicious" feed from our chinese friends. Basic cable and network cover 99% of the college football I watch. I don't watch MLB, NBA, NHL or Cbball with any regularity that I'd miss those sports.

Are there technologies that I should look at to make a non-cable TV "entertainment" experience worthwhile?

If I ditch Cable--that's basically a $700-800 savings annually for me. So there's no point in blowing $700 on a bluetooth, whizzybang superbox from Harmen Kardon...for example.

Just interested in thoughts at this point....let the discussion begin!

 

[ChefChiTown]

I didn't have cable TV for over a year. It sucks really bad, but you do get used to it fairly quick. To be honest, you actually start to realize how much you don't even need cable in order to watch decent TV programming.

When I finally got cable installed again, I found myself to still watch the same things I did when I didn't have it. So, I would try it out if I were you. It's not so bad, IMO.

 

[Torre82]

I havent had cable TV since 2004, and that was on a 6 month dealy with 20$ monthly. Before that? Since 2001.

Cable TV sucks when you can just upgrade whatever internet connection you have and download the movies you want. (and some you dont)

45$ a month for my DSL bill automatically covers all the movies, albums and bullshit I download. Be a child of the digital age and shun cable/satellite networks.

 

[Legzman]

I'm planning to do the same thing. We're falling behind on bills and cable is to fuckin expensive anyway. I'm cool with it as I got my tv for games and movies anyway. So high def cable is an unnecessary cost when I think about it.

Oh but we're keeping the internet the same. I gotta have my internet porn as well as online gaming. I'm very addicted to both.

 

[calpoon]

the economy collapses and your worried about your fucking tivo? I think you may have bigger fish to fry, mate.

 

[titsrock]

I didn't have cable TV for over a year. It sucks really bad, but you do get used to it fairly quick. To be honest, you actually start to realize how much you don't even need cable in order to watch decent TV programming.

When I finally got cable installed again, I found myself to still watch the same things I did when I didn't have it. So, I would try it out if I were you. It's not so bad, IMO.

THis is exactly what I'm thinking. I would simply watch my serial dramas (Lost, Battlestar, Burn Notice) online..with my laptop on my lap keeping my balls warm throughout the forthcoming winter since it heats up a bit:nanner:

I do like watching CNN/MSNBC for cable news...finding a stream of these channels is a problem, I think.

 

[titsrock]

the economy collapses and your worried about your fucking tivo? I think you may have bigger fish to fry, mate.

No, actually. I don't have a mortgage and my utility bills are half what they were when I lived in Cali. I drive a small shitbox and everywhere I need to go is less than 5 miles away.

I'm in good position. I'm looking for perfection.

 

[calpoon]

yeah, then fuck cable. I haven't had it in years. I barely even use my TV.

I think that you can even watch some sports games online.

PS. I don't really miss watching the news. after all cnn, bbc, they all have thier own websites, even Ny times, not to mention all the servers, and tons of blogs, and of course can't forget people posting to message boards like this one. I am usually way more informed then most people (who just watch the TV news) without even really trying.

 

[ChefChiTown]

THis is exactly what I'm thinking. I would simply watch my serial dramas (Lost, Battlestar, Burn Notice) online..with my laptop on my lap keeping my balls warm throughout the forthcoming winter since it heats up a bit:nanner:

I do like watching CNN/MSNBC for cable news...finding a stream of these channels is a problem, I think.

To be completely honest, the only channels I truly missed where the Food Network and Comedy Central. But, I only missed Comedy Central because I like the Colbert Report and South Park.

Seriously, not having cable isn't nearly as bad as it seems. You just have to figure out what channels your area gets with just standard TV and find out what shows are played on what channels. After that, you quickly find a TV schedule that you can watch and not even miss having cable.

I have NetFlix, so when I didn't have cable, I could just watch movies when there was absolutely nothing on TV. Or, I could play video games, read, run errands, etc. Why do I have cable again? HA, I should get rid of it...damnit!!!

 

[MrZiggles]

My situation is almost the opposite. I added to my cable package when I saw a decent promo offer. Now I don't have a reason to shell out $8 for a movie ticket. And I don't need NetFlix. And I stay home more instead of going out at night. So I figure I'm saving money with cable.

 

[METAL HEAD]

if you have a comp you really don't need a tv anymore. plus most of the shows on tv end up on dvd now anyway. i bareley watch tv anymore does not interest like it used too.

 

[zell]

First of all,what kind of cable do you have where you are paying $700-$800 a year.I think that might be part of your problem.

I have basic cable without a box and I love it and I'm only paying about $540 a year.As long as I have an option,I will never get digital cable(I'm assuming that's what you have).There are so many channels that there is no way that you could validate having them all.I would be willing to bet that people that have like 120 or so channels only watch no more than 20 of those at the most,and that's the whole scam of cable in a nut shell.You are paying a shit load of money for 15 news channels,5-10 Spanish channels,home shopping channels,cable access channels,and all this extra bullshit that you won't watch on a regular basis.

If the cable providers actually gave a shit,what they would do is work with some developer to create a cable box that would allow you to have a set amount of basic cable channels in a package deal.Say your neighbor likes all the shows on A&E but you don't,then you don't have to have and pay for that channel on your individual basic cable package.I watch 3 shows on FX and there is nothing on Comedy Central that I watch,why should I be paying for both of those?Shouldn't I have the option just to pay for the ones that I actually watch?But like I said before,that's part of the whole scam anyway.

 

[Dean Henneberg]

If you ditch cable, you'll have to ditch your TV too eventually because all TV is going digital next year here in the US. You'll have to get a special box if you ditch your cable just to watch TV.

 

[dante004]

In what century do you all live in. Haven't you heard about Sattelite TV. You know with satelite dish. You pay 100 euros or dollars and for that money you get satelite dish and receiver and now i watch 10000 channels on the satelite for 100 Euros for over 3 years. And i can watch every single American sport and every single match and every single film or anything else. This is extremely popular in my country and half the people in my city ditched Cable TV for Satellite TV.

 

[zell]

In what century do you all live in. Haven't you heard about Sattelite TV. You know with satelite dish. You pay 100 euros or dollars and for that money you get satelite dish and receiver and now i watch 10000 channels on the satelite for 100 Euros for over 3 years. And i can watch every single American sport and every single match and every single film or anything else. This is extremely popular in my country and half the people in my city ditched Cable TV for Satellite TV.

There will always be the debate of which is better.Satellite has way more channels(not that anyone is ever gonna watch them all),but is much less reliable than cable.One of my coworkers said that he can't get satellite because of trees in front of his apartment and he wouldn't be able to get a signal,or that's what the installation guy told him.

 

[dante004]

Well your coworkers must either cut the trees or get another installation guy. I have to disagree that it's less reliable becouse i have 3 cable dishes for over 3 years and i have had signal all the time for 3 years and i don't watch all 10000 channels, but i watch all the new movies and all sport games aveliable all over the world live while i can't watch nothing like that on cable.

But maybe it's worst in USA to watch sattelite becouse only time you lose your signal is when there are really strong winds which hasn't happened in my country, but in USA it's happening every day with all those hurricanes. Still Sattelite is much better and much cheaper so i don't understand why would anybody pay for cable TV. I only put more dishes becouse they are cheap.

 

[Becks...poamr]

I haven't had cable since 2003.

It sucks really bad, but you do get used to it fairly quick. To be honest, you actually start to realize how much you don't even need cable in order to watch decent TV programming.

What Chef said.

 

[DukeLaCrosse]

buy a VCR. thrift stores have VHS tapes for like a dollar each nowdays

 

[Facetious]

If you ditch cable, you'll have to ditch your TV too eventually because all TV is going digital next year here in the US. You'll have to get a special box if you ditch your cable just to watch TV.

There is a govt subsidy in place for this. The box costs nothing . . at least in Calif.




Can't you get basic - basic for almost nothing ? I think that there's even a free cable program if you know where to look.

I don't know why, but I continue to pay out for cable services and yet I rarely watch tv. All I seem to get is sensationalism, lies and a great deal of boredom out of it.

Too bad that there wasn't ala carte viewing, maybe Amimal Planet, Discovery, Hitler ch, Court TV and basic local programming for $15 / mo. But NO !!!!

 

[calpoon]

there's a hitler channel? or is that a joke about the history channel, on account that they always show shit about hitler, like Hitler's lost condom.