If you’re tired of paying your outrageous cable or satellite bill, you now have options! We could all use a little extra money each month, and with so many TV and movie viewing options available now, paying for cable or satellite is now a way of the past.
Get Local TV:
To watch your local TV channels (usually 3-6 channels, depending on the viewing market), purchase an antenna and install it in your attic or on the roof. If you live within 30 miles of a major TV station, then you can purchase a smaller antenna; but the further you live from the TV stations, the bigger antenna you’ll need – for better reception. Calculate the mileage range from your local TV stations (in the largest city near you), and search “antenna” on www.amazon.com
TV & Movies:
Many TV shows offer links to watch the most recent episodes on their website (sometimes at no cost, but usually not until 8-24 hours after they are aired). For TV shows and movies, set up an account with Netflix ($7.99/month at www.netflix.com) or Hulu Plus ($7.99/month at www.hulu.com). You can also rent movies if you are an Amazon Prime member. (The annual cost for Amazon Prime is $99 at www.amazon.com, which also includes free shipping for Prime-eligible products purchased on Amazon.) You can also buy or rent movies and TV shows (individual shows or the entire season) on Vudu (www.vudu.com). Redbox is also an option for movie rentals (usually the most recent releases) to be played on a DVD player. The cost is less than $2 a day. Just be sure to return your movies the next day, to avoid additional charges. Browse for Redbox locations and movie titles on www.redbox.com
How to stream to your TV:
You can play these websites on your TV by connecting a game console (XBox, PlayStation 3, or Wii), or a laptop computer/tablet to your television. If you don’t have either of those available, you can purchase devices like Roku, AppleTV ($79.99 on www.amazon.com) or Chromecast ($34.99 on www.amazon.com). Movie rentals are also available on iTunes (for Apple users using an AppleTV device) or Google Play (using Chromecast). The most versatile connection device by far is the Roku ($39.99 on www.amazon.com). These devices may not be necessary if you have a newer Smart TV.
Get Sports:
Sports fanatics can live stream by purchasing a package on these websites:
NBA League Pass at http://www.nba.com/leaguepass/index.html
MLB at http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?c_id=mlb&affiliateId=mlbMENU
Record shows:
If you’d like to record shows, you’ll need to purchase a DVR (i.e. Tivo), because most cable and satellite providers will require that you return your DVR (unless you actually own it).
Just a note: Personally, we’ve tried all the options, but we now use Netflix and Redbox only, because they offer the greatest quantity and variety of TV shows and movies.
Call to cancel your cable/satellite account and “Voila!” – no more paying that costly bill every month. The initial cost of purchasing an antenna, DVR, and streaming devices are easily offset in just a few short months by the savings off your bill. And if any of your favorite TV shows or movies are still not available through all the options above, you can purchase them on DVD, with all the money you’re going to be saving every month! Congratulations! You are cable/satellite-free!
Mainstream Momma 