More Ways to Save on Cable TV Costs

Here's a comment that was recently left on my post titled Comments: Save Money by Cutting Cable:

Other ways to save money on TV:

1. Consider bundling up on TV, internet and phone packages. You can find the combination for under $90.

2. If you need a TV recorder, consider getting software to use your computer to do it for you.

3. If you have HDTV, buy a cheap antenna to get local channels over the air. Most of them [have] good HDTV programming is on there anyways.

4. Most major networks (ex. NBC, ABC) let you watch shows for free online. Avoid paying for shows on iTunes, etc.

5. Combine #3 and #4, and you should have many options to watch your TV when you want it!

Good thoughts!

Comments

[Brandon Barkley]

I won't give specific sites since it is not completely legal, but if you miss a television broadcast of pretty much any primetime broadcast show or a popular cable show, it is possible to "acquire" the show online for free usually by the next morning.

I don't feel guilty doing this if I forget to set up something to tape on my DVR because I would have skipped the commercials anyway.

[Blaine Moore]

Or, you can combine 2, 3 and 4 to get a really good setup, by pushing your online shows from NBC/ABC through your computer to your HDTV...

[Chris]

The easiest way is to just cut your cable. Remove the TV from your living room and you suddenly find many other things to do!

[maxconfus]

"3. If you have HDTV, buy a cheap antenna to get local channels over the air. Most of them [have] good HDTV programming is on there anyways."

I think that #3 is incorrect. The signal you receive with an over the air antenna is not high def, it is digital tv though.

[Brad]

maxconfus, not only is the OTA signal hi-def, but it is often a better picture since it is a pure digital signal. If your local cable company is like Comcast is here, the signal gets converted to analog and back to digital before it gets to your TV. Over-the-air is a great way to get hi-def without paying. If I didn't want ESPNHD and ESPN2HD, I wouldn't bother to pay for HD from Comcast.

[Justin]

Our city of 60k+ doesn't have any OTA television. Well, we do have PBS, but that's it. We living in a valley 50 miles from the nearest broadcast site.

[Senor Revington]

@ maxconfus

You are wrong. There is hidef OTA. There is also SD over the air. The Hidef is usually very good because it is not compressed like over cable. Its not always accessible but its there. At my last apartment I could get 70% of the channels without an external Antenna.

Also brandon is right. You may have moral obligations but you can download almost any show in HD. I personally don't feel bad about it since to get the things I want I am forced to bundle things I don't. Channels, access etc. Some may think tis wrong but I think its wrong I had to pay 10$ a month to NOT have TV all of last year when I didn't won a TV or watch it and only wanted cable internet. Its give and take. Now though ATT dry DSL is where my money goes. Screw cable all the way (we have charter in my area, BLAH).

[maxconfus]

brad, not exactly, it seems you may be confusing hdtv with edtv. if the tv station is over-the-air broadcasting a signal that is 1280x720p or 1920x1028p then yes it's hdtv but since most broadcast 480i then you are absolutely not viewing hdtv, although you are viewing digital tv.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Standard_video_res.svg
Check your local area to find out what is really being broadcast; http://www.hdtvpub.com/local/localarea.cfm

[Brad]

maxconfus,

No, I'm not confusing HD with ED at all. There are 8 stations in my area that broadcast in HD in addition to their SD signal.

[Lord]

I no longer watch OTA SD, only HD, and with 44 channels to choose from, there are ample choices. Every broadcast station has its HD channel now although a few, usually the old UHF channels, only broadcast a SD signal over it. Even then, they usually broadcast multiple subchannels.

[Lord]

Here there are 12 that transmit in HD, a few at 720p, most at 1080i. They cover all major and minor networks. That is still more than many cable/satellite networks.

[Jenny]

Someone suggested getting rid of the TV. Just because you have cable doesn't mean you should do that!

I know a few friends in college who got by with no cable by using their TV for video games and DVD's only. Especially with the cheap cost-to-entertainment ratio of Netflix, you can find plenty to do without the costly cable package!