Thinking About Cutting the Cord?

In October of 2012 my husband and I cut the satellite cord, and I’m here to blog about the experience.

Dissatisfied with the tier of programming offered, the continual rise in subscription rates, and the mandatory contract which renewed with every single change made to our subscription, we had decided enough was enough.  We aren't sport fans, we don’t like reality shows, and we don’t speak Spanish – so this ruled out many of the channels we were paying for.  When it came down to it, we realized there were only a handful of TV programs we actually enjoyed watching and yet we were paying just under $90 a month for a "choice" package, one DVR, HD and an additional TV.

Total Choice?  Not exactly.  If it were our choice, we would be able to select a certain number of channels and create our own package, or pay a set price per channel.  But subscribers of satellite and cable know that is not how it works.  The satellite and cable companies select the channels and offer packages that are always lacking channels that are only available in their next tier or package.  And then they lock us into a contract.

Sound all too familiar?

Our contract had expired and we were suddenly free to explore options.  Before cutting the cord, we started scouring the web for information on streaming devices and settled on the Roku2 XD which we purchased at our local Walmart for $79.99 plus tax.  Set up was a few simple steps: 1) Connect one end of the HDMI cable (not included) to the Roku player and one end to the HDMI port on the TV;  2) insert the batteries (included) into the Roku remote; 3) connect the power cord to the Roku device and wall outlet; 4) configure your wireless network which is automatically detected; and 5) link the Roku player to your Roku account and you’re good to go.    

We cut the cord the following month and have no regrets.  We were so happy with our choice that we bought a second Roku for our bedroom, and sent another as a gift.  Since then, we've recommended streaming to anyone who will listen and they are now among the happy streamers who have cut the cord.

Aside from the Roku player, we subscribed to Hulu Plus for $7.99 a month and bought an annual subscription to PlayOn which was on sale at the time for $29.99.   To summarize – for a little more than one month’s subscription to our satellite provider, we are now able to view almost everything we watched before we cut the cord ... and it costs us all of $7.99 a month.  Why pay more?

I’ll be writing about what’s available to view and the current events that continue to change the way TV is viewed with the hope of  encouraging others to cut the cord and make a choice that is truly their own.

Your questions and comments will help determine future blogs, so please feel free to post questions and comments, and I'll happily reply.

Click, browse, and enjoy!

Note: Roku and the Roku logo are registered trademarks of Roku, Inc. in the United States and other countries.