Getting rid of cable TV?

I don't have tv at all. By using Hulu's free programming, youtube and what's broadcast free on network tv stations' websites, I can watch just about anything I'd want to watch. I don't think I'd advise anyone to invest in Roku or cable. I'm guessing you'd find that the choices for good programming are not there, because for the most part, sadly, good programs are few and far between.

I'd give up cable except that my family watches programs on Animal Planet, HGTV, Nat Geo Wild, and such that aren't easily available online, especially with content providers requiring cable accounts to stream their online content.

We have an extensive and likely expensive cable plan that I very rarely ever make use out of, so in the future when I have a place of my own I doubt I'll ever sign up for one. If you live in an area that has strong reception you can get an antenna or buy a tv with one built-in to pick up local channels for the news and any shows you wish to watch live. My stepsister and her husband live in Boston and can watch the major networks in HD for free through an antenna they bought on Amazon. I think it's called the Leaf. It's paper thin and you just mount it to the wall.

I've never had a Roku. We use Apple TV, which doesn't have as many channels as Roku but has all the channels I'm actually interested in using. I don't know if Roku allows you to use something like the Airplay feature on iPads, Mac laptops, and iPhones to stream anything from your device to your TV. It's my favorite feature of Apple TV. I use it for streaming music the most. Apple is supposed to launch a new version of Apple TV as well as their own form of streaming cable sometime this year. HBO Go will become available to non-cable subscribers using Apple TV next month. I don't know how the current Apple TV compares to the current Roku but I'm sure you can find videos on YouTube. There are probably reviews of Roku on there, too. Amazon probably has heaps of reviews from people who own Roku so you can get a sense about their satisfaction with the product.

We cut cable a few years ago. Best decision ever.

I anticipated a day or two of withdrawal. Nope. Nothing! Nothing but freedom.

When I move out on my own I don't plan on getting cable tv. It's not worth the cost.

Haven't had cable or satellite for about 4 and a half years. Husband put up digital antenna. We get about 10 channels including 4 PBS and 4 network, 1 movie and 1 Christian for free.

I cut cable out over a year ago. I don't miss it. I have Netflix and that gives us most of what we would want. My kids still go to my mom's house and watch a little bit, but they haven't even asked me to get it back.

We cut cable about three years ago. We have a digital antenna for local network channels and a Roku for everything else: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Crackle, YouTube, etc. Best decision we ever made.

lunastella said:

We cut cable about three years ago. We have a digital antenna for local network channels and a Roku for everything else: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Crackle, YouTube, etc. Best decision we ever made.

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What was involved in setting the digital antenna up? I have been considering doing this.

The tricky thing about the digital antenna is that is has to have the most direct un-obstructed view possible of the towers. In our case, that is from the windows in the back of our apartment. In order to get the TV signal to the other rooms, we put the antenna in the proper window and then connected it to the nearest cable box with a coax cable, basically turning the entire apartment into an antenna. We plug our TVs into cable boxes in the other rooms and get a signal perfectly.

lunastella said:

The tricky thing about the digital antenna is that is has to have the most direct un-obstructed view possible of the towers. In our case, that is from the windows in the back of our apartment. In order to get the TV signal to the other rooms, we put the antenna in the proper window and then connected it to the nearest cable box with a coax cable, basically turning the entire apartment into an antenna. We plug our TVs into cable boxes in the other rooms and get a signal perfectly.

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I've having flashbacks to my childhood when you had to do that to get TV at all.

I have a roku, I like it a lot. Some of cable channels have their own "channels" on like A&E, the history channel and I think comedy central just addd one. So between the subscription services and the free things it's great.

I got a Roku (received actually...dad gave it to me after he bought a Smart TV!) and I love it. Now what to do with the Apple TV? LOL

I have both a roku and Amazon Fire tv device. I have not used cable for years and I cannot imagine going back to a place of commercials and having to adapt to a time frame for a show or even the hassle of taping with a DVR and then hunting for it.
This is set up like your very own Video store.. so easy. I can marathon tv series on Netflix or Amazon Prime. You can now get CBS for $5 a month. There are apps for NationalGeo, History, PBS and many others that are free. I get weather from Weather Nation and my news from free CBSN news