Cable vs. Netflix

[Scanner]

I was wondering about giving up cable totally and who has accomplished it.

I don't watch TV at all anymore and I have a friend who gets a lot of his shows thru netflix (Battlestar Galactia). I have been thinking of doing this because I notice I tend to just watch old rerun movies on Encore channel, like Witness, Shawshank Redemption, etc.

THe only other thing I watch faithfully is the Weather Channel but that's definitely available via the net, local forecasting.

I don't know. . .just turning the TV into a movie center. . .whaddaya think? It would save nearly $900/year.

[creditcardfree]

We don't have cable and haven't had it for 12 years! We have had netflix for at least two years. We get three movies at a time, usually, one for the kids and two for the adults.

My husband has just realized that he can watch many reruns of cable shows online through netflix. There is no limit on how much we can watch instantly online.

I say go for it!

[disneysteve]

I would suggest an intermediate step. Cut back to limited basic cable. We pay under $11.00/month for our Comcast service. Then, supplement with Netflix and online options like hulu.com and fancast.com as well as shows at individual network websites. Nearly everything is available for free online these days. Heck, my 79-year-old mother's VCR broke recently and she figured out how to watch her soap operas online. If she can do it, anyone can do it.

With Netflix, don't forget that not only do you rent DVDs but they have a ton of stuff you can stream on your computer at any time.

[Broken Arrow]

I've done that, and I am happy to have done it.

Netflix takes care of movies (including Blu-Rays), and as for TV shows, Hulu and some of the channel websites will provide them for free! My netflix is $10 a month.

[Fizgig]

I canceled cable about a year ago and have no regrets. I'm still a TV junkie and there are plenty of other sources that are either free or very cheap.

Here's where I get my TV/entertainment from:

1. Bunny ears. A $20 set top antenna plugged into my HDTV delivers a crystal clear high def picture off the airwaves. If you do not have a HDTV, you'll need a converter box that costs about $40. Every once in a while I need to play with the antenna direction to clean up the picture, but it's FREE so I don't mind.

2. Netflix $8.99/mo option. I rarely watch the DVDs, but mostly rely on the streaming content. With a high speed internet connection, it streams HDTV quality pictures to my television through my TiVo. If you do not have a TiVo, there are some other options to stream it to your TV but I'm not sure which.

3. Hulu. Here's where I watch most of the basic cable shows that I miss, like Daily Show/Colbert, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and some others. Usually I watch it on my laptop but I can also hook up the display output to my television and the picture quality is pretty good. A little flat, but good enough.

4. Sidereel. Here's where I find the premium cable shows, like Weeds, Dexter, True Blood, etc. It's of dubious legality and the picture quality isn't as good.

5. Itunes. Very, very rarely there's something that I want to watch and can't find elsewhere. I love The Soup on E, and pay $6 for eight weekly episodes. It's a steal.

I considered what Disney Steve recommended and looked into limited basic cable. Maybe in his area it's different, but with Comcast around here, limited basic is just an analog signal of the local channels. I get a HDTV signal of the same channels for free off the airwaves, so I chose not to go that route. Good luck.

[elessar78]

I'd go Netflix. I rarely ever watch anything on live TV anymore. Sports mostly. Everything else is on TiVo/DVR. So it's not like I need it for the live aspect.

[Scanner]

Thanks.

The only thing I think I would miss are 3 things:

1. My Eagles Games. But I can watch that a pub if I am free on a Sunday or Monday night (would have to include a beer and wing cost feasiblity though ).

2. History Channel and Science Channel. But admittedly, it's only the cosmotology stuff and Modern Marvels that usually interest me and they are available by CD, maybe even free at the library.

3. Syndicated stuff. I could probably collect this stuff used online or at flea markets (Seinfeld, Star Trek TNG, Stooges)

[kork13]

I totally agree with the rest. My roommates and I have had cable for about a year because they wanted it, but we rarely watch it. They're moving out this month (and taking the TV with them), so I'll be going to no cable....and I couldn't be happier. I use Hulu to watch 1 or 2 shows online each night, which is plenty for me. I'll probably get Netflix eventually, but it depends on a few factors (mostly, where my next assignment is and when I'll be moving there).

[wincrasher]

I love both.

The netflix streaming is awesome. The Tivo does it, but so does a Samsung Blue-ray player and there is a $99 Roku box that is a dedicated device for streaming netflix.

I save on cable at my apt in DC by streaming my cable at home with a Slingbox. It works great on my laptop.

Lately on cable I'm digging Hell's Kitchen and the new show about the Fat Bachelor and the Herd - think it's called More to Love.

[illinigamer]

I don't watch TV at all anymore and I have a friend who gets a lot of his shows thru netflix (Battlestar Galactia). I have been thinking of doing this because I notice I tend to just watch old rerun movies on Encore channel, like Witness, Shawshank Redemption, etc.

A.) Battlestar Galactica is awesome. I don't have SciFi, but we just got the last DVDs on Netflix.

B.) I cut back to the lowest amount of cable that would allow me to watch all the Cubs and Bears games. I used to have some premium channels, but Netflix is just so much better. If it was not for sports, I would cut out cable entirely.

[junosama]

I honestly don't watch much TV either. I prefer to buy movies on itunes once in a while or tv show episodes. I do want to get netflix eventually though, but for now im fine with itunes.

Some sites like Hulu can have good shows and stuff as well for when you feel like watching something.

[buildmybudget]

A friend of mine did just what you're looking to do. He cancelled cable, purchases a digital antenna and purchased netflix. Although there are some shows they have given up, I don't think theycould be happier with the money they have been saving. I only wish I could convince my wife togive up cable!

[Aiming4Simple]

We're a family of five and get along fine without cable or even a digital antenna. We buy movies for holiday and birthday gifts; I also check out DVDs for free from the library. Redbox is another option.

Broadband Internet is our source for all our news and weather information.

[Aleta]

We got netflix in late May of this year, and we love it. If you rent blu-ray you're talking 4.99 or 5.99. We pay 8.99 and $2 extra for blu-ray movies plus we have straming video from Netflix. They have so many genre's to choose from. For those of you that like yoga or meditation they have that too. Just type in your preference in the search column.

I would personally downsize down some of my satellite. I personally don't need 100 channels.