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Cut the Cable Cord

How to Cut the Cable Cord
Smart cord cutters keep Wi-Fi and use it to get Internet TV. With wireless, you basically have the world. You can connect a streaming service like Roku (see below) to get a multitude of channels and pay as you watch, use Netflix to watch past seasons of TV series ($7.99 a month for unlimited streaming), and iTunes or Amazon to buy shows individually for $1.99. If you subscribe to Hulu Plus ($7 a month), you get most of the popular shows, such as Mad Men, one day after they air on TV.

I mentioned streaming services: To cut the cord, you have to own an intermediary hardware device such as Chromecast, an Amazon Fire stick, or a Roku box or stick. I have a Roku box at home and know how it works, so I decided to pay 50 bucks for a Roku stick in Florida; also, the Roku has a separate remote.

Cord Cutting Pros & Cons
Cord cutting has advantages and disadvantages. It saves you money for sure; you don’t have to subscribe to channels you have no interest in watching, and advertising is minimal. But you do pay a price: no more live TV. Without cable, I’ve had to go cold turkey on my diet of real-time broadcasts on network channels such as ABC, CBS and NBC. No daily news and talk shows, no CNN, sports matches and awards shows. If there’s a hostage crisis, I won’t be able to watch it as it happens.

I happen to be addicted to live TV. I don’t know about you, but at home in upstate New York I wake up with Hoda and Kathy Lee and go to bed with Jimmy Kimmel. But I pay $180 a month for this privilege, along with premium cable channels such as HBO and Showtime – extremely self-indulgent for a senior on a fixed income.

New Developments for Cord Cutters

Sling TV which will stream live TV for $20 a month. Channels streamed by Sling TV will include ESPN, ESPN2, CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Travel Channel, Food Network, ABC Family, HGTV, Disney Channel and Maker.