Hidden Costs of Cutting the Cable? 

your savings after all those other services was only like 25-30 buck.... having to jump site to site or program to program is a real pain in the butt... The 30 bucks is well spend just to have a box and have all the content I want in one easy to access place... plus wait till ur ISP starts putting on bandwidth caps or making you pay overages will cost you a ton more to do what you are...

There is one huge issue I have with cable cutting, data caps. Suddenlink is my local provider (my only local provider) and we have a 250 GB data limit, while that might sound like a lot for a family 4 where 3 of them are avid TV watchers and I play a lot of online games so if we cut the cable we would hit that cap very quickly. So basically look if your isp has a data cap because if they do the fees and penalties of going over that cap would make it so you would not be saving much if anything (if it is just you and maybe a roommate/spouse then you should be good)

Hidden cost? The point is to stop watching shit and spend your time having a life.

I used to be a cable cutter but when I added up all the money I was paying for Netflix (horrible movie selection), Hulu, and the odd movie rental, cable was really not a bad choice. I pay $39.99 for Time Warner's Variety pass, which is every channel minus the premiums. Since I go the CableCARD rout my bill is about $76 for internet and cable including all charges. Now IF I had to rent a cable box or two for an additional $20, then yeah, I'd boot the cable, but as is it much more convenient then having to scour the internet for content.

as a F1 fan I'm glad you mentioned that. I will miss the commentary from David Hobbs and Steve Matchette.. but it makes it more realistic to cut the cable now...

Things like chromecast have made cutting the cord a ton easier. I haven't had cable for over 10 years now. Round about the time I notice that Video cards had S-video hook ups I no longer saw the point. Even w/o chromecast building an HTPC is pretty easy and the first thing I notice was with out the ability to mindlessly channel surf I get so much more done with my time.

I'm fine with what I get without a high cable bill except sports. I couldn't care less about the pros but when ESPN is profiting by monopolizing the entertainment that my tax money provides, i.e. college sports, I think it's time for some sort of revolt. Withdraw teams from the ESPN deals for instance. The taxpayers put up the greatest amount of money, by far! A little unity and we can get back control of what our money pays for! I've payed taxes all of my productive life and I've only seen one live college football game. (while I was a student) Now I must pay a ransom to watch a game on TV?

Cut the cable? I find the idea of anyone paying for TV to be utterly bizarre. The five channels of ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten, and SBS of the analogue days were hard enough to keep up with. Why would you want more?

I've been cut for years now. I still get about 10 usable channels directly coaxed to the wall. Between that and a HTPC, its all good!

Im in St Louis Mo and I get 100gb Charter has really stepped up and its only $39. Month. Thats wired but on wifi on my AC router I get 94gb and never had a problem. If you have Comcast you may need to call to get your modem upgraded.

Put up a standard terrestrial antenna with a receiving rage of 150 miles. put it on a pole around 20 feet high and you'll have more channels than you need. and save on average 100 a month.

Antennas don't work in Hawaii unless you live in close line of site proximity to the station. Don't really know why but found out after ditching time Warner Oceanic cable. Had to go back for basic service. :( Now using BASIC service and Netflix service. Saving $10 a month only. Also using cable internet service rated speed is about 30 (usually clocks 27 on speed test). Any ideas how to save more?

You guys need to make more of these aka HD NATION!!!!

Tekzilla nails it. I haven't had Sat/Cable since 2007. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu can fill in the gaps. Sports are difficult. I have missed a lot of the XGames. There just doesn't seem to be a way to get that content without paying a cable company. Grrr. I told the family that they have permission to by any DVD or TV show on DVD (Blu-Ray). If you budget a percentage of you current cable bill toward discs then you can own and watch most anything you want at a fraction of the cost. We buy whole seasons of TV shows at a time and we also seem to own every Christmas video ever made. Of course newer content is the hardest. Some lifestyle changes are necessary.

Hi I live in central Fl , I have Directv , and I pay $ 190.00 a month , and that's with only showtime , I really want to completely disconnect from it but I'm addicted to the PAUSE,PLAY,RECORD BUTTON Cann you please tell me if there's a system out there that I can buy with these add on's PS I LOVE YOUR SHOW ..... Lawrence , M

Nice to see Robert back on set, even if it's only a special guest appearance!

Most people miss the whole point of cutting cable. The point is to cut all that garbage out of your life. I have to laugh at these people that call themselves cord cutters but are actually just looking for a cheaper way to watch the life-wasting crap that is stealing hours of your time that you will never get back. I cut cable almost a decade ago. Why? Because I have a life. Try it. You might like it.

I haven't had cable since I moved out of my parents house like 8 years ago except for a short time when it came with an apartment I was renting. I use Netflix, Hulu, and Prime to watch all of my content and then there are a few shows that I love and pay for. I usually purchase them through the PSN store. For me, cable would be an absolute waste of money since I wouldn't watch most of the channels. The few times I have had access to cable, like when staying in a hotel or at a friends house, I usually just turn it to the Science Channel. If I could pay cable companies for just 1 channel that would probably be it.

I'm old enough to remember when the only channels you could get were ABC CBS NBC and PBS and having to watch them on a little black and white TV

one down side whtm abc 27 wmar 2 was abc I got but it didn't last

i love the digital subchannels such as BUZZR and Antenna TV

One of the only issues I have with the online sports streaming that I've looked into is that most (if not all) only support live streaming. Its great that we have the option available, but I as much as I want to watch F1, MotoGP, TdF, etc. I have no desire to wake up at 4am to see it, and would much rather be able to tell the app to download the stream and let me watch it later in the afternoon at my own leisure.

My hidden costs are zero. I get PBS over-the-air and on Roku and I use free streaming services like RU-vid. I used to get free unscrambled cable, but I never watched it anyway, the only thing about cable I miss is Turner Classic Movies, but with all of the money I save I can just go out and buy DVDS of my favorite classic films. You can also take advantage of all the free trial subscriptions and free movies when you buy a Roku.

Anyone wanting to cut cable. I'd recommend getting a decent htpc or building one. And setting up xbmc. And getting everything for free including live tv. There's many different ways to get actual live tv. And many add-ons to watch TV series just like Netflix but free. And i would recommend a tv antenna for local stations if interested. Also with the add-ons you can watch 1000's of movies on demand including the newest movies. Some that Arnt even out on dvds

Sorry for the geographic stereotyping, but the person from Arkansas who posed the questions WOULD NOT have access to any college sports events w/o pay cable unless he went to a friend's place or to a sports bar. Also if he was a baseball, basketball, or hockey fan he would not have access to his favorite team even if he paid for the premium download service as those games are blacked out (if his favorite team is the one geographically closest to him.) I don't know about hockey or basketball but on MLB, I don't have access to video of the Cardinals here in STL until 90 minutes after the game concludes. There is a reason sports network contracts keep growing; it's the only programming that has to be watched live to fully enjoy and the one that has successfully erected the most gates a person has to go through to access the content w/o a paid cable TV subscription.

thanks for the info, guys!!

I think one of the most misunderstood things about over the air TV is that you need a special "digital antenna" when in reality regular bunny ears work fine

If I watch stuff on the CW website how can I put it up on my TV screen?

But you have to get internet! Comcast in my Area charges me $109 a month for internet and basic cable. So I called and asked about just internet and they said the basic package is about $70 a month. Then I asked what the real price after taxes, and other ridiculous fees would be, and they said it would be closer to $90 a month!!!!!! So I'd save $19 a month! (sigh)

What about convenience? Do i want to visit several internet sites, use apps, use window antennas, and so on to save $45 a month? Then what about recording the shows i don't have the opportunity to watch in real time...what then?

Home owners could hook an external antenna to the point where cable fed into the house.. This assumes you are not using a Cable based ISP. Since I use DSL, the cable is otherwise unused. This might be called recycling cable as well cutting it.

***** What about the Mohu Leaf indoor antenna?

Netflix has a habit of dropping movies and series without notice so they can add new ones. I don't have any other streamers but guessing they pull the same crap. Supernatural is only up to season 12 on Netflix btw.

(At 4:15) I don't get ANY "sites" on my TV with an antenna... :P

Robert, you're an F1 fan?! I cut cable months ago and that was my worst fear was losing F1.

My ISP jusp updated my speed I get 6 down 1 up now. Use to be 2.5 down and 500kb up

I cut the cable 2 years ago and went to a over the air antenna a roku and Netflix. Still got a $60 internet bill but that's ok to me, if you want all the crap on cable keep it. But I don't believe you can save much paying for all those add on's

At first I thought that cutting the cable meant cutting cable TV and radio, but then... 5:46 Here Shannon says "via the coax line", and I was confused. 4:36 You didn't ask? 5:41 Not the one who's watching, but let's not quibble about details. :-)

What about the cost of Internet service. Wouldn't that be part of the cost?

There is no such thing as a "digital " antenna. An antenna is an antenna is an antenna! The on difference in the type of antenna is, as far as reception goes, is vhf and uhf signals. Uhf being the higher frequencies and vhf being the lower frequencies. By the way. You can recieve free tv with a paper clip, if you have local TV stations.

I cut the cable and never looked back. HAPPY HAPPY!! I have wireless with a local co-op.

Parents = old school = feel the need for cable. Younger generation (born in 80's or newer) will not put that old cord around their neck unless they want to jump off of a chair. Let the big networks adapt or die. No more damn cooking channel or WE when you just want other specific channels. Plus every one of those packages is a rip off cost wise.

what ever happened to the good old sattelite dish

You can still watch ton's of US & worldwide channels by buying an IPTV box from $100 -$150. With a monthly subscription of $10 ot $15 you can watch what you want - KO cable for good.

Cord cutting = cheaper Cable / Satellite = More Convenient It depends on what matters most to you. ESPN is the next number reason I would have pay TV. I would pay for a stand alone service of they offered it.

Cut cable 3 year ago with no regrets. Broadcasters sell TV bundles that are pure crap, at least in Canada. Anyway, living off Netflix and other internet content and I don't miss cable at all. If I cannot find something on Netflix or online, then I need to do something else like read or something productive.

I appreciate your comments, and viewpoints. Direct TV, and Dish are terrible companies to deal with. I had both. Terrible customer service, terrible systems, and very expensive. Very hard to escape their grasp once they sink the hooks in. Will never have either again, and we are fine with the freedom of the antenna, and having escaped these blood sucking, unscrupulous companies. At least with Hulu you are not locked into multi year contracts, and forced to pay exorbitant equipment rental fees.

Lets see I have Netflix and Amazon Prime on my Roku Box which is pretty cool, and I also have a bow tie antenna to watch my beloved Chargers and Lakers games, Let us not forget XBMC on my OUYA gaming device. On my OUYA with certain add ons on XBMC I can watch just about TV show or movie you can think of. My bow tie antennae cost me about 10 bucks or less to build.

You failed to mentioned that with streaming only you are likely to exceed your monthly caps, another hidden cost. And my cable company, MediaCom,charges $15.00 more a month if you subscribe to internet only with out a TV package, another hidden cost, at least in my area which I feel is a pure rip-off.

Last time I had cable I was 11. Im now 21 and don't miss it at all. As for sports I really don't give a fuck, never did unless it was something like the olympics or the X games.(Sports have gotten way to political anyways) which are both available ota in HD for free. As for streaming, $30 a month internet through Comcast. Stream all day long (Crunchyroll and youtube, the others are shit) with no hiccups.

Cool your from Missouri, so am I. :)

I haven't watched Tekzilla for a good year or more. All I can say is Robert really let himself go. Sad to see Veronica Belmont go.

Missouri has 150 Mbps down.

Hulu and others only give you 30 day FREE trial, after it's a monthly subscription! There's a program called PlayOn, which collects all the popular channels from the web, like ESPN3, PBS, DW, France24, RT, Japanese and Chines news and many more in English to watch as a teaser. But now days, many adds are cut into the shows. Like anything else, once it gets popular advertiser target viewers, no matter what. I have PlayOn now some 3 years, many good channels are gone. I watched the Olympics on SkyTV in HD back than, showed a lot more events/programs than ABC, which bought the hole Olympics for the American TV full of adds, mostly showing events with American athletes! I get worried when something they start recommending a lot, like FREE software. Once it gets popular, they start charging to users.

In the uk almost everyone has over the air free tv 😂😂

First hidden cost is buying the scissors...

Just get xbmc lol I haven't had cable in a year just pay internet and get everything on demand including ppv and movies in theatres

2:09 that browser gave me cancer

For being a crappy company Comcast's internet is superb for me for the most part. We pay for 50 down and get 48-53 down. Uploads are about 8. The TV however is CRAP and overrated, and unless you pay big for the nice cable boxes they give you a crap one with a dated OS. For me i im gonna just stick with the internet package when the contract ends.

i cut my cable off & I love it!! I have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime & Sling TV. i saved lots of $$ & even downgraded my internet. I love it!!

Why would I subscribe to all these streaming services that mostly have outdated content. You're playing a monthly fees for that stuff having three for services you're already paying almost $50 a month. I'd rather just keep cable and have all their services and works a little bit more flawlessly. I thought the point of cutting the cable was to eliminate your fees completely not add new ones.

Good for you. If we All cut, maybe they will lower the prices.

Looking rugged there

I quess I'm the only one who remembers when cable started.They advertised no commercials.Now its full of B.S.,they make money off the people,and advertisers

slingtv is good check it out.

I only have Verizon FIOS dual package-internet(15down and 5 up-with their lowest price) and telephone. TV is the free digital airwaves.

Cutting the cord does not add up to saving unless you go to an OTA tv. Add all those apps together and you will end up paying more. Yeah cut the cable and see what happens to your internet bill.

Moviebox FTW

Ahhh 2014 back when 20 Meg's was normal now it's 50 megs

How would I get AMC? Really the only show we watch is the walking dead. About to cut uverse and just go with streaming since the kids are gone..

I get 26 Mbps and it is still way to slow

Best way: just watch youtube videos which has a lot of good movies for free and several interesting channels. Still bored? Read a book!

$$$$ The MOST EXPENSIVE.. part of Cable... is the "Electricity Used keeping your RENTAL TV components plugged in 24 hours"... More than the cost of your refrigerator...... 24 hours a day sucking $$$ Electricity... Could you do an average cost per household???

Women like me don't need sports. PERIOD. Why the hell would you subscribe to THREE services per month? There's literally no way that I would ever have enough time to watch everything good on Netflix, and then everything good on hulu, etc. . . I just have no idea why you'd need Amazon, Netflix AND also Hulu. If I'm ever done with Netflix, I'd just go to Hulu. I can't see why you'd do both at the same time. That's silly!

Free TV uses advertisers to pay for it...but hmmm...if I PAY for TV there's still advertising. Don't see the point in paying them to get paid. They charge you, to watch the advertisements that they charged the advertisers to show. Never in my life has an ad caused me to go out and buy something....well...ok...maybe tacos. Most of the ads now are for new drugs and then the law firms to sue the drug companies for the last drug.

No... I don't want to watch true blood or game of thrones (whatever they are) ... yeah I know I much be weird right!? I cut cable/satellite (at different times mind you) yrs ago and don't miss the $89 bill every month... hardly watch Tv at all anymore.

This video came out in 2009

The solution is XBMC.... Its free.... You cant beat that....

Net flix is ok but there shows and season are not updated as they should . i only can watch season 1 of The flash on netflix they have not put up season 2 , im not sure if they are being harrassed by the tv companies or not , i hope things such as this can be fix ed, Plus ...If your in a big town or cities you come out smelling good on stations but if your in a small town your kinda SOL ...Hummm I know the FCC is relaxing there rules for more over the air channels . i wish they was more like hot spots for sations all over the place , ..Like i see the Commercial like us cellular they have Towers all over the place for people to get there cell phones to work , so there stream is not dropped ,, i wish the Hotspots like that the Broadcast TV stations was the same way or if the Fcc could attach some thing to the hot spots on the tower of cell tower for tv , so people all around the place would reap the benifit of more station from even little town

torrents?

Whats with the old vaio 😂

Cut the cord and save money hell with cable

cut the cable and replace your (X) hours a day of video entertainment with the same amount of hours of video entertainment from the internet. But if you're addicted to your "particular shows" then it's going to cost you a lot of money pid to a cable company for that type of close-mindedness. For that type of being controlled by the corporate advertising machine you must either pay your money and be controlled or leave cable & quit paying the money and pick "new" video entertainment!!! New video entertainment but if you're addicted to familiarity, to the corporate formula of the suspense of the next show to force you to watch their advertisements next week to find out what happens to your favorite character then you've got pay the man for your addiction to specific specific particular shows. if you have addictions to particular shows and things you're familiar with get over the expense and stop whining about the money. if you're going to be controlled by what shows you watch then you're going to pay for it. If you're willing to pick new entertainment then it can be free. and it can actually be much better much more enjoyable entertainment to. for two years now I haven't waited for the time slot that any show comes on I sit down at the moment I want to watch TV I watch as much entertainment that day or that moment that I want to. end of story.

Everyone should be getting rid of their cable/satellite, I got rid of mine august or september 2008.

Americans already watch too much TV as it is. Why pay for TV programs? Advertisers also pay the cable companies, so all in all, the subsribers are just the profit for the cable companies. So why pay fro TV programming all the while see advertisements?

Can I watch Formula 1 for free? Thats the only time my dusty tv comes on.

You don't cut the cable to save money.

10 MB down? lol i wish I could get that.

"both require a cable subscription" nah 123 movies, piratebay, Kodi streaming etc. You can literally find just about any show you want to watch day one with a bit of googlefoo. Also shannon did you forget your makeup because it looks like you aged 20 years.

hbo now Netflix done

have not watched tv in years, netflix or you-tube play on a secondary monitor when i work. cuts productivity but enjoy life, if you cant get your work done with a tv on you're a failure anyway. screw the costs, its so cheap anyway, if you want to be special and cut something try the internet.... then you get some respect, i wouldn't do it.

google search 1channel

paying 225 cable. F-em.. I am done with Comcast.

25 down is good for the bay area? America is fucked...

Cable sucks, unfortunately, Comcocks are the only game in town. Why aren't there more broadband providers? We are still prisoners of Comcocks...

1:04 She's a fuckin camper!!! See this is why i stopped playing call of duty!!! Lol. =)

NFL red zone, NBA tv

HBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea 50 bucks a month isn't worth cutting cable and I don't even watch tv all that much.

Slingtv