Many of us are looking for ways to cut unnecessary expenses, and one area that many of us should look at is cable TV. Not too long ago those of us who did not have cable TV service were looked at as freaks, however there are new entertainment alternatives that can be considered as a substitute for cable, detailed in this article from Kiplinger’s:
- Digital TV – Like analog TV signals this will depend on where you live, however if you are in range of the signal the picture and sound for over-the-air digital TV are crystal clear. What a far cry from the old analog signals that could result in scratchy sound and flickering picture.
- Legal online streaming video sites – All of the major broadcast networks now offer streaming video of their shows, with the selection of shows expanding constantly. There are also tons of shows available to stream on sites like Hulu.com. And for you sports nuts out there, there is ESPN360.com, which offers streaming video of most ESPN programming if you subscribe to participating internet providers (AT&T is one of them).
- RedBox DVD Kiosks – Selection is limited to mostly new releases, but their rental rates are super cheap ($1 a night). Of course $1 is just too much in my eyes, so look for the free codes out there at sites like InsideRedBox.com. You can even get a free rental code direct from RedBox every Monday by subscribing to text message alerts.
- iTunes - If you are in a pinch, you can purchase a lot of content off of iTunes.
- The public library – The library here in Houston sucks, but libraries in many areas offer a good selection of DVDs for free checkout.
Online streaming services are great, especially if you have a laptop you can hook up to your TV so you don’t have to watch everything on a small screen. We originally signed up for satelite service mainly for ESPN, and now that we are no longer under contract we will likely cancel service now that we are sure the ESPN360.com will display on our TV through our laptop. Monthly savings = $53.26!
Of course if you aren’t ready to cut the cord on your cable, you may be able to reduce costs by changing your programming package (do you really need HBO?) or just asking for a discount.
If the Rangers would put more games in HD on KTXA/27 (or just more games IN GENERAL on broadcast), I might be mollified. As it stands, only 25 Rangers games will be on “free” TV, so to get the other 133 (there’s 4 missing!!) I have to be able to see Fox Sports Southwest.
Of course, the missing component in all of this is the entertainment and quality value. My family rarely goes to movies, doesn’t do theme parks or attend many concerts. (That’s not to say we’re sloths
We like free museums, North Texas Irish Fest and outdoor festivals) TV is a big part of our “entertainment” line item in the budget, and services like Hulu or other streaming sites really don’t cut it for quality, even on a “simple” 37″ HDTV. Plus, programs like MythBusters, Burn Notice, Psych, Modern Marvels and others either aren’t available online or aren’t available in even as decent a quality as Hulu streams.
Fortunately, as you pointed out, price cuts can be found, especially in areas with competitive service providers. Assuming it holds out until we can move, Verizon is running a $79.99/mo (for up to a 2-year contract, minimum 1-year) bundle for 20/5 Internet and “HD Extreme” television. That’s a definite price improvement over my current DirecTV bill that’s just north of $150….
I guess it depends on what your preferences are. Before we signed up with Dish Network we only felt like we were missing out when there was an LSU football game on ESPN. Between work, the kids, and everything else there are some days the TV isn’t even turned on, and even then most of the time it is on one of the broadcast networks.
You are absolutely right though that cable TV is relatively cheap entertainment as compared to going to the movies or even renting movies. It’s all about figuring out what your needs are and fulfilling those as economically as possible.