One of the oft-noted trends in this young millennium is cord-cutting, another way of saying good-bye to one’s monthly cable bill. According to a list of tips on taking the cord-cutting plunge, the cheapest method is to get an antenna.
The article, published recently in the Los Angeles Times, notes that the use of an antenna is the way Americans got TV, period, not all that long ago. It’s a better option now, because there are more television stations in the first place, and there are more options per station thanks to increased output capability using digital multistream technology.
Next on the list is the use of the internet. This is increasingly becoming an option as internet-ready television sets become available and the number of programming options increases. However, many of the program sources come with a price tag, which is still not the case for free over-the-air broadcast fare.
The third option cited are set-top boxes – however, the boxes are said to cost from $100 to $200, and the programming they may provide access to also may carry a price tag.
The fourth and fifth options are, in the opinion of RBR-TVBR, not options at all. They are switching to satellite or telco MVPDs. Although there are differences between CATV, satellite and telco, they are essentially the same type of programming package with differences in distribution. What they share in common is the bill that reliably shows up in a consumer’s mailbox every month.
I dumped cable over two years ago for an antenna and computer hooked to my big screen. Because I live pretty far from the TV towers, I get an occasional drop out or a slightly scrambled signal for a second, but it’s still worth it to save well over $100 a year. Having the computer hooked to the TV, and with a tuner card installed, it works as a dvr and can stream programming that doesn’t come in over the air.
I am a happy camper!
Oops, I just noticed I made a typo: It should say over $100 a month…
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