Cutting the Cord: How do I get started?
Severing your relationship with traditional pay-TV service -- cutting the cord -- remains a hot topic. As many as 7% of pay TV homes are expected to drop their service or switch to an online video app instead.
Many of those are already "cord cheaters," who may cut their $100 pay-TV bill to $75 and use the $25 to get video from Amazon, Hulu or Netflix , said Billy Purser, senior director of marketing at Digitalsmiths, a data firm owned by TV software and DVR maker TiVo. The findings came from a consumer survey the firm conducted.
There's still more than 101 million pay-TV homes, according to research firm IHS. But the buzz around cord cutting has raised many basic questions with readers. Here's a few that I've received that I've answered with the help of some industry experts.
Q: How do I get started with cutting the cord?
A: Determine your needs and wants – and your budget, says Phil Swann, editor and publisher of TVPredictions.com. If certain channels or programs are important to you, you want to do some research to make sure they are available through another service before dropping your pay-TV service.
If you already have a smart TV or a Net video (or over-the-top) settop box such as Apple TV or Roku, a tablet, and a smartphone, and you live someplace where you can get both reasonably-priced broadband and (over-the-air digital TV signal) reception via a cheap antenna, "you may be in business," says Joel Espelien of consulting firm The Diffusion Group.
"You also have to decide how much of a sports fan you are," he said. "League passes are great if you really only like one sport. If you like to watch the playoffs for everything, then (cutting the cord) is probably not for you."
Also, add up what your online video costs will be to ensure that you really will play less, Swann says. "Don't forget to call your pay TV operator before dropping to see if you can get a better deal," he said.
Q: What about that idea of getting local TV channels using an antenna?
A: Many of your favorite programs may be available over the air from local broadcasters. And the good news is that antennas "are much smaller, more powerful and easier to aim than your grandparents' antennas," said Richard Schneider, president and founder of Antennas Direct.
Most people who are within 70 miles of the transmitters should have the ability to receive DTV signals, he says. If you are within 25 miles from the transmitting towers you usually can get by with an indoor antenna. Beyond that, you probably need attic or outdoor antenna. Antennas Direct has its own calculator on its site to help you see how far you are from transmitters. You can also check Antenna.org from the Consumer Electronics Association and National Association of Broadcasters.
With indoor antennas, you may be able to use old rabbit ears antennas. Newer indoor flat antennas can stick to a window or wall and usually work up to 25-30 miles away and cost $49 -$79. Outdoor antennas cost $50 and up and you may want to pay for installation, which can run $100-plus.
Antenna maker Mohu has an online tool, too, that recommends an antenna and tells you what channels you are likely to receive. A $149.99 outdoor/attic antenna such as its Mohu Sky can be paired with a a splitter to send the signals throughout multiple rooms in the home, Mohu CEO Mark Buff says.
Channel Master has a $10 FLATenna (free shipping) that the company recommends customers try before investing in anything more expensive. "For a lot of people, the FLATenna will be all they ever need," said the firm's Shelly O'Connell. If you decide you want to upgrade, you get a $10 credit and get to keep the FLATenna.
Q: How do I cut the cord if my only option is that "expensive cable company"?
A: You may be stuck with your cable provider if they are your sole Internet service provider, too. "There's satellite Internet, but it's slower," Swann said. "You can also use a mobile Internet device, but that may be costly, too, plus it's restrictive to the device you connect it to."
Q: Is there a way to quit pay TV and still get the Golf Channel (or other channels such as HGTV)?
A: Before Sling TV came along, everyone just wanted to know how to get ESPN without a pay TV subscription. Golf Channel is now available on PlayStation Vue, which became operational in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia last month. The channel is part of the $59.99 tier, a $10 step up from the basic service.
Live streams of HGTV and other cable channels can be found also on Sling TV.
Q: Is there an article, or source that I can go to for getting information about an alternative to cable?
A: Well, beyond obviously following this column and TVPredictions.com, there's no one-stop shop because the landscape is so dynamic.
Espelien recommends perusing the websites of Net video devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku to see what they offer.
"Cutting the Cord" is a regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail. And follow him on Twitter: @MikeSnider.