Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post for options on cable alternatives. I do not prefer or endorse one service or product over another.
I recently went through the song and dance with the cable company where my introductory rate expired and I call and threaten to cancel my service. Of course, they “see what they can do” and I end up with the rate for another extended period.
I recommend that everyone make this phone call to save money on the monthly bill. What is so annoying about it is the business model is they hope that customers put their payment on autopilot and don’t notice the rate increase. It is the exact opposite of a loyalty program. Plus, I have to sit through the sales pitches to get a more expensive package. I just want to interrupt the phone rep and say “I just called you to get my rate lowered, why would I then turn around and sign up for a more expensive package?”
That said, I continue getting a deal just good enough that I have not switched to alternatives yet, but for what some people pay, I think it is certainly worth the research. Ultimately, I hope a day comes where some TV service finally offers a pay-per-channel model where customers can pick and choose the stations they want for a flat rate per channel. It seems every carrier leaves off at least one station that most people want from the basic package so they must upgrade to get it. In doing so, they end up with 80 other channels that they will never watch.
In my research, here are alternatives that I have come up with.
TV Antenna
I really do think that people forget that free TV does still exist. Many TV’s nowadays have a tuner built into them to receive HD signals. If your TV does not, indoor TV antennas are not very expensive. Also, keep in mind that any antenna will pick up an HD signal, so you do not necessarily have to get an antenna labeled HD. Of course, some are powered and some not and what you need will depend on how strong the signal is in your area. If an indoor antenna doesn’t work, there is the option of an outdoor antenna. Believe it or not, there are still contractors that are trained in mounting TV antennas and setting up your house for the signal. From my research, the cost will be up to $200, but you could make that up in just a few months of cancelled cable bills. I will also admit that the outdoor antennas are a bit of an eyesore.
Streaming TV
Streaming TV is becoming more and more popular. To my knowledge, Roku was the first and Apple TV has also gained in popularity. In addition, Samsung, Sony, and others offer smart TV’s with wi-fi built in for streaming or blue-ray players have the option of streaming TV in them as well. There is some free content, but the most popular option for streaming TV is Netflix and Hulu Plus. Last I checked, both are about $8 a month.
Replacing the Internet
This, for me continues to be the biggest stumper in truly getting a better deal. In my area, there are only a couple of internet options and if they are not bundled with cable, they are $50 a month. My negotiated deal with my cable provider is $80 for cable and internet, so it hasn’t quite been worth it yet to make the switch. That said, however, I’ve heard of folks paying in upwards of $160 – $200 if they have all the movie channels. In that case, you could save $100 a month and make up the cost of the other equipment mentioned very quickly. If your internet usage is light, you could look into a cell phone with unlimited data and make your phone a hot spot. I’ve hear stories, however, of companies limiting bandwidth if they notice large amounts of data being downloaded through the phone.
What You Might Miss
These options are contingent upon each person’s TV watching preferences. The biggest hurdle for me is sports. I don’t watch as avidly as I used to, but there are certainly events that I like to watch that are not on network TV. ESPN is the most frustrating in this setup. They have a streaming app, however, you must enter your cable information to prove that you are paying for ESPN through your cable before it can work. It used to be a free perk for gamers using Xbox that were subscribed to their gaming service. The ESPN/cable alliance appears to be taking that away from Xbox as well. Other than that, certainly there may be other programming that you can’t get on the other streaming services. Do some research on what you can get online or through streaming TV so you know what you can and cannot get.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the TV world is in dire need of some better competition. I think we are on the verge of it, but not quite there yet. What annoys me the most is that it costs the cable company no more or less to set someone up with a basic package or a premium package, yet they can charge such wide-spanning rates. Even worse is my original example that they charge various amounts for the same service and it takes an obligatory phone call to threaten to cancel to keep the rate you have.
Have you looked into cable alternatives? What has your experience been?
