<p>Our cable costs over $75 a month, and the company keeps raising the prices.
Right now, we hooked our television to an antenna. From the antenna, we get about 20 free channels. </p>
<p>I’m also looking into Amazon Prime, YouTube channels, and Hulu. Amazon, especially, has a ton of good programs. Any other suggestions? </p>
<p>Did you or anyone you know get rid of cable? If so, how did it turn out? Do you too suspect that cable might be waste of money?</p>
<p>I bought a Roku box in the hope that it would let me discontinue cable, but it hasn’t worked out that way. </p>
<p>HBO GO if you’re into their top shows (i.e. Game of Thrones, Girls, True Blood)</p>
<p>We still have cable in our house; although, we just downsized our TV package. A few of our close friends and family members have gotten rid of cable. They’ve just found the increasing costs for the channels received a waste. </p>
<p>Google Chromecast will help. Basic cable is included in our homeowner’s association fees so I just pay for HBO and Showtime. I’m realizing I’m out of the loop regarding what others pay. I stream Netflix with Chromecast so the cost for Netflix has to be factored in too. </p>
<p>We haven’t had cable for decades.
Stream Netflix shows ( House of Cards, Orange is the New Black).
Hulu ( the “free” stations)
Amazon prime ( Alpha House, Jeeves & Wooster)
Acorn ( Foyles War, Doc Martin)
PBS site( Downton Abbey & Sherlock)</p>
<p>Netflix is a bargain.
$7.99 for unlimited streaming for up to two devices at a time.</p>
<p>Sports are the only reason we still have cable. DH’s main entainment is college basketball and football. I think sports are what are keeping cable companies in business. Myself, I am happy with Hulu and Netflix.</p>
<p>We love sports (especially SEC sports), but are anxiously awaiting the day Comcast adds a cafeteria-style option.</p>
<p>Luckily H is content with the radio, he even listened to most of the Super Bowl in the garage.
(& no, he wasn’t rooting for Denver)
;)</p>
<p>We cut off cable 4 years ago. We have terrible reception so I do have Hulu plus and Netflix. I also have Amazon Prime though typically don’t use it but plan to start. </p>
<p>Amazon Prime only has limited free shows. More stuff is pay per show/season. But if you are just starting out you will get a lot of viewing in before you feel you are picking over stuff so maybe worth it for the year to try. I’d pick Netflix over that. But same thing as to finding stuff to view after awhile, excepting now they are starting new shows. Internet searching will reveal lists of hidden gems on each. Even a thread here I found recommendaitons but it was a mixed bag for me. (fyi Foyles War and Doc Martin are on Netflix, but maybe acorn has more recent season I dunno) I think Amazon just snagged Downton Abbey.</p>
<p>No cable (ever) here either (to save money, there are days when I would love to have it, especially for sports – but I don’t want it badly enough to pay for it). Netflix is the drug of choice here. $21/month and we get streaming in a couple of devices and 2 DVDs at a time. Not everything is on streaming, which is one reason we keep the DVD option. Of course, I am always a season behind. But that is okay with me as long as I eventually get to see it.</p>
<p>intparent and GTalum,</p>
<p>Do you also have an antenna?</p>
<p>We don’t have cable TV now, we do have cable internet service. We do have Netflix and Hulu Plus streaming on a Roku device, and we have a 14’ Winegard antenna up on our roof that gives us over-the-air high definition TV reception for all major TV networks. A regular TV antenna is all that is needed…you don’t need a “special” HD antenna. The antenna you have from 30 years ago might be all that is needed. If you live in a city, a rabbit ears antenna might be all that is needed to get free OTA HD TV. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7698P&d=Winegard-HD-7698P-Platinum-Series-High-Definition-VHFUHF-TV-Antenna-(HD7698P)&c=TV”>http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7698P&d=Winegard-HD-7698P-Platinum-Series-High-Definition-VHFUHF-TV-Antenna-(HD7698P)&c=TV</a> Antennas&sku=</p>
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<p>Ditto that. For $35 you can get a Chromecast that can take what you see on your computer screen and show it on your wifi enabled TV. It has Netflix, HBO go , Hulu plus built in but you can still cast pretty much anything you want. It has dramatically changed how I watch TV.</p>
<p>Do you get sports on google chrome cast? Food network? This is something I too want to dump when I find a decent alternative.</p>
<p>We’ve got Chromecast too. You don’t need a wifi enabled or full blown smart TV to use the Chromcast dongle…just need an HDMI jack on TV, the Chromcast dongle enables wifi needed.</p>
<p>We cut back years ago to just paying for local channels with our satellite company. ($25/mo.) We can’t get reception for one of the major networks without it. The locals package gives us the major networks, pbs, and about 30 other channels plus the satellite company has free previews of various channels each month. I’ve considered getting Netflix but so far just get movies free from the library.</p>
<p>We haven’t had cable for a long time, and we watch a LOT of tv. We have a homemade antennae that gets us probably around 20 channels, hardly anything I would want to watch but I am able to get the news-- I need to have at least that for severe weather or other emergencies. We don’t own a radio besides what’s in the car, I suppose we could get by with that but I prefer to have the TV so I can see the radar without having to go be in the computer room We subscribe to the NHL thingy that allows me to stream games onto my TV so I didn’t miss hockey. I can get NBC so I can watch the olympics, but I miss getting CBC. I can’t pick that up apparently.</p>
<p>Whenever I want to watch a show, my fiance gets it onto the tv one way or another within a few hours of whenever it aired, and he can stream live events for me. I don’t know how he does it. But I’ve never NOT been able to watch something in the 2 years or so we haven’t had cable. The only time it is a bummer is my mom and I used to watch shows together and text during the commercials, and I don’t ever get to see them at the same time she does anymore. I can’t talk to the girls at work about our shared shows anymore because they always see them first. The surprises are always spoiled for me. And it takes me forever to discover new shows because I never see commercials anymore, so I never know what’s on and I don’t happen across a new show channel surfing or waiting for something else to come on. But, it’s worth the $70 or so a month we save.</p>
<p>We will have cable again someday if we can afford it, but it will always be the first luxury to go. We keep the cable internet, though. We need that for work anyway.</p>
<p>So the Chromecast just plugs into your tv and picks up the signal from your phone, tablet or computer??? Do you pay a monthly fee beyond the $35 device??</p>
<p>I’m curious what everyone without cable pays for internet? My D and her roommate in NYC don’t have cable. They have an antenna and pick up about 25 channels and they have a Roku. They use Netflixs, Hulu and HBO Go. They still need an internet connection with costs $49 a month were they are.</p>