10 Questions Answered When It Comes to Cutting the CordIs it time to ditch the cable box? Do you find yourself paying a large bill each month for hundreds of channels that you don’t even watch? With so many new options available for watching live TV and television streaming services, it might be time to cut the cord. If you feel that you are paying out money for channels you don’t watch, cutting the cord in 2021 might be the best option for you.
This article will answer ten of the most frequently asked questions regarding cutting the cable cord! Are you ready? Let’s go!
How to Watch Live TV Without Cable?
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is how do you still watch live TV without cable? To answer this question directly, you have two available options.
- Get an HDTV indoor antenna – yes, this is a bit old school. Albeit still extraordinarily cost-effective and allows for you to get local channels for free. You can usually access ABC, NBC, PBS, FOX, and CBS with a simple indoor antenna. Even live sporting events like NFL games can be viewed when broadcasted on FOX or CBS. With an HDTV antenna, you will observe everything in HD, so you won’t lose any picture quality using a simple antenna like this. Setting up an HDTV antenna is a breeze. Place the antenna on the wall next to your TV. Plug the antenna into your TV, and you are ready to go!
- Watch live cable TV with a live streaming service – subscribing to a live cable streaming service is usually a much cheaper rate than holding on to a cable or satellite service. Another benefit of choosing a streaming service is that you can cancel it if you are not satisfied. There are no contracts or long term commitments for live streaming services.
What is the Best Option for Cutting the Cord?
When it comes to cutting the cord and finding a better, cheaper option for viewing TV, you have many choices in 2021. Let’s take a look at some of the options and their pricing.
- Hulu Plus Live TV – $55/month
- Sling TV – $30/month
- Youtube TV – $65/month
- Fubo TV ( Best for Sports Fans) $60/month
There are many other options available, but the above four seem to be the most popular. These prices might seem a bit high to you still, but once you investigate all you are getting, you’ll see that you now get channels you will watch. These services are not cluttered with hundreds of channels that serve no purpose to you.
Is Cutting the Cord Worth It?
Most live streaming services will cost you around $50 a month. You might be thinking that this isn’t saving you much compared to cable or satellite. With an average cable bill of $107 a month, you are almost splitting your account in half. I would say that is quite a bit of saving if you look at it at a yearly expense rate. Most people who cut the cord save on average at about $600 a year. You can cut this cost even more drastically if you opt for a streaming service like NetFlix. Although Netflix doesn’t stream live, if you aren’t worried about live TV but are more interested in TV shows and movies to watch, this could be a viable option for you that would save you upwards of 75% of your annual cable billings.
So when it comes to saving money and keeping more in your wallet each month, yes, we believe that cutting the cord is worth it.
Can You Watch TV on a Smart TV Without the Internet?
In short, the answer is yes. You can still access TV channels if you happen to have an HDTV Antenna. You can also hook up DVD players and even soundbars for better quality audio.
You won’t be able to access the apps that come with the Smart TV or download new Apps to the TV. Internet access is required to perform these functions.
What Equipment Do You Need For Cord Cutting?
It is quite simple when it comes to the equipment needed to cut the cord. Here is a list of what we recommend to get started.
- Laptop
- HDMI Cord
- Smart TV
- Streaming Service like Netflix or Hulu
- Internet
If you have a laptop, an HDMI cord, and a good TV, you can cut the cord starting today! You can stream the service of your choice ( for example, Netflix, Sling, or Hulu) using your laptop. Plug the HDMI cord from your computer to your TV, stream everything to your big screen! It’s that easy to get started.
What Do I Need to Know Before Cutting the Cord?
There are a few questions that can be asked before cutting the cord. One of the biggest problems you should ask yourself is, what do you find yourself watching regularly? Do you find that you only watch the local news? Perhaps you are a sports fanatic, and you discover that 97% of the time, you watch live sporting events? Realizing what you generally tend to watch on TV will allow you to determine which streaming service best suits your needs.
Price is the second question we would ask you to observe. How much are you currently paying for cable or satellite? If you find a streaming service that fits your needs and ditch the cable box, how much would you save over one year? Often when we look at monthly savings, it doesn’t seem like much. Yet when you do it over a full year, you might be greatly surprised that you discover you can save hundreds of dollars by switching to a streaming service that suits your needs best.
How to Watch Local Channels Without Cable?
We get it; you want to cut costs but still have access to local channels! After all, how else will you stay up to date with what’s going on in your area if you give up local news stations by cutting the cord? Well lucky for you, you can cut the cord and still access local channels. Some of our favorite streaming services for this include but are not limited to:
- YouTube TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- AT&T TV Now
- Sling TV
All four of the options above will allow you to access live local channels while still cutting the cord with your previous cable or satellite provider.
Can I Watch TV With Just the Internet?
It is possible to watch TV with just the internet. As long as your TV has an HDMI port or Wi-Fi capabilities, you can access streaming services for your TV.
How Do I Get Free Basic Cable?
You can access free basic TV with an HDTV Antenna. You can also see which channels you will be able to access before getting an antenna! Here is how:
Visit: https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
From here, put in your local zip code and hit “go.”
You will now see a table with orange, yellow, red, and green tables showing local and national TV stations. The green and yellow boxes indicate easy access to channels with your indoor antenna. The orange and red boxes will display channels that may be hard to receive with an indoor antenna alone.
You can judge which channels you will likely receive if you opt to get an HDTV indoor antenna. Allowing you to ultimately decide if you will have access to the media you are looking to watch.
Can you DVR without cable?
Cutting cable doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on watching the shows you want when you want. There are recording devices available that you can purchase that will do the same thing that your current DVR does, just without the large cable bill to follow!
Some of the most popular recording TV devices on the market today in 2021 include but are not limited to:
- Mediasonic Homeworx HW180STB 3 / 4 Channel HDTV Digital Converter Box with Recording and Media Player
- TiVo Roamio OTA 500 GB DVR and Streaming Media Player (2014 Model) – Works with HD Antenna
- Digital Converter Box + Digital Antenna + HDMI and RCA Cable – Complete Bundle
- BoostWaves® Digital Converter Box DVR
Remember, as we head into 2021 with so many streaming services available. With a little investigating what services offer, you can easily find the perfect fit for your TV watching needs. There is no reason to be spending over 1000 dollars a year on cable or satellite services anymore. So now is the time. Decide what you watch on TV most of the time. Find a service that fits your needs. Subscribe to the service and try it out for a month. If you enjoy the service and find that none of your needs are lacking, go ahead and cut the cord. Save money and still benefit from great TV at the same time.
