Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Cutting the cord

Feb 15, 2016 1:37PM PST

Forgive me if this question/discussion has already been asked/occurred.

Considering cutting the cord but not sure what I may be missing out on. Here's my set up:

Cable provider: FiOs
DVR: TiVo Premiere (2 of them)
Streaming(?): Netflix
Movie Channels: HBO, Showtime, EPiX, etc.
TV: Network & Cable channels
Other: Chromecast (recent purchase but hardly use)

I watch a LOT of TV particularly on premium channels and select shows on network and cable channels.

If I cut the cord, what am I "giving" up? Is there one alternative that is better than the other (assuming there is more than one alternative)? One alternative I'm familiar with is Apple TV.

How does HBOGo, Showtime Now/Anytime, CBS Access, etc. factor into this decision? What are their benefits over an Apple TV, for instance?

I am not a techie (I understand SOME stuff) so please bear with me in sharing your insights.

Much, much appreciated.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Internet is not cable TV.
Feb 15, 2016 2:04PM PST

You can ask each which is fully on the web but it's a subset of what you have now. It is not "premium channels and select shows on network and cable channels" on the internet. There has been some movement but folk that cut the cord do accept that not everything is on the internet.

- Collapse -
Phrased differently perhaps?
Feb 15, 2016 2:15PM PST

Thanks. I am aware that internet is not cable TV. I provided the background namely to reduce any questions that may come perhaps if I didn't give enough detail.

Basically, I'm asking what are the benefits (besides cost, perhaps) of cutting the cord versus sticking with a provider (Comcast, FiOs, Charter, etc.) and the set up that I have currently?

- Collapse -
So far, it's 2 things.
Feb 15, 2016 2:35PM PST

1. Cost.
2. Almost all the content is On Demand.

Rather that being tied to a specific time to watch the content and maybe place, most of the content is on demand.

- Collapse -
Thank you
Feb 15, 2016 8:53PM PST

Thanks. Fortunately, with my TiVo DVRs I don't have to be tied to watching at a specific time unless I choose to do so.

- Collapse -
You will hate it
Feb 15, 2016 8:08PM PST

IME anyone who relies on premium channels and special network only shows will hate cutting the cord. OTOH, people who are mostly looking at cost and don't care that Netflix doesn't show all the latest movies might be very pleased at this move. YMMV, truly. Nobody here can measure your well being from cutting the cord based on even a little more info than you have provided already. [It's sort of like measuring tolerance to pain/levels of hot sauce Wink]

- Collapse -
Thanks
Feb 15, 2016 8:48PM PST

Thanks. Not so much that I rely on premium channels, just happens to be what I watch. The original content that they have.

You are correct, only I can measure my well being. Was just wondering if, besides cost, there were other pros or cons about cutting the cord.

- Collapse -
We say the same thing in your first paragraph ;) (n/t)
Feb 16, 2016 10:50AM PST

n/t

- Collapse -
My cord-cutting experiences
Feb 16, 2016 3:19PM PST

I cut the cord nearly a decade ago. I have two Tivos (a Premiere and a Roamio) and I keep them both busy with the over 25 channels I receive free over the air. (I paid to have a reliable antenna installed in my attic...payback on the expense was less than 6 months!) TiVos also allow you to watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon (Prime) and YouTube relatively painlessly, although the Premieres are a bit slow to launch the apps. Streaming works great on either of my TiVos once the app has launched. (Well, YouTube will sometimes stutter, but the other services work great.) What did I miss after cutting the cord? CNN and The Weather Channel, but I get TWC on my iPhone and iPad so it's not as important to have it on TV as it used to be. (Of course all local weather is covered by our local free over-the-air networks.) "Breaking News" is covered everywhere on just about any device, so a live CNN feed isn't as critical as it used to be for me. As for HBO, Showtime, and the other premium entertainment cable channels...I really don't miss them. It seems like their programming eventually makes it to Netflix or Amazon, and if it doesn't...gosh...there's just so much out there to watch I couldn't possibly keep up with any more. You won't miss what you don't know about...but you WILL appreciate having a little more money at the end each month after you cut the cord. Oh yeah, I really missed HGTV after we cut the cord too, but some HGTV shows are showing up on Netflix now. HGTV shows are generally not time-sensitive, so they're just as entertaining when they're 3 years old as they would be when they're brand new. Look at Sling.tv -- many of the cable channels you might miss are available via Sling. However, be careful, or all these extra little monthly fees for streaming services like Sling, Netflix, etc. can quickly add up to what you were spending on cable tv! Hope this gives you something to chew on as you make your decision.

- Collapse -
no way to tell you what you are giving up
Feb 16, 2016 3:40PM PST

no way to tell you what you are giving up other than high monthly prices. It really depends what you like to watch. I cut the cord years ago and still stay caught up with the latest movies, tv shows and such without much delay. You can catch episodes at some of the networks websites. There are plenty of legit free movie sites including contv, tubi or crackle. Then there are the pay sites like amazon prime and netflix. The only problem would be if you are into sports. You can get a lot of sport channels on roku but most are not free. You would have problems getting championship games and such.

When I cut the cord, I purchased several cheap walmart computers and hooked them up to all my tvs so I can watch anything I want, whenever I want without the strings of appletv, roku, chromecast, firetv or whatever. The tvs paid for themselves in 6 months of not having cable payments. The only thing I did was increase the speed of my internet service to make sure I did not get any buffering.

- Collapse -
Specifically regarding premium programming
Feb 17, 2016 8:32AM PST

If you 'cut the cord' the only way to get your premium programming will be to either pirate them or pay for them. You're already paying, so I'll assume you're not actually interested in pirating your content.

The ONLY reason for "cutting the cord" is to reduce expenditures. That's it. There is absolutely NO other upside. It's all about cost. If you want HBO or Showtime or other premium programming when it originally comes out, you'll have to pay for it whether you receive it via your cable (fiber) service provider or via and internet based service such as HBO Go, etc.

After all is said and done, if you really want the premium programming, it's probably cheaper to stay connected to your cable service provider. If not cheaper, then simply more efficient as you would have only 1 bill for all your tv programming rather than paying a dozen different online providers to get the same access to premium programs. And it's easier / faster to flip channels on your cable box than to boot up / shut down multiple different "apps" in order to access different programs via different providers.

- Collapse -
Cord cutting for non techies
Mar 1, 2016 11:23PM PST

HBOGo, Showtime Anytime, CBS All Access, etc. are apps that you load onto a streaming device like a Roku or Apple TV. They're not channels, but more like Netflix ecosystems where you can browse and view a whole variety of content (and in some cases live streams).

In the streaming world, most content you pay for is premium, not only because of its quality but because it usually is commercial free. You can purchase HBO, Showtime, et. al. as standalone streaming services.

I prefer Roku 4 to Apple TV for its superior app support and its mostly "agnostic" stance to streaming. Roku doesn't try to control your content or lock you into the Roku Store for app purchases.