I Just Cut the Cord and Purchased a Streaming Box, Now What?
Congratulations on joining the cord cutting family! Now that you have done the hard part of canceling cable, you can get to the fun part of exploring the great big world of free and inexpensive content.
The first thing to do is buy an antenna so you can watch FREE over-the-air TV. This is not your grandpa’s over-the-air TV. Since the switch to digital, over-the-air content has grown with sub channels that bring you countless movies and shows, both new and old. My parents had been paying $20 a month for about 15 local channels in SD; when they installed an antenna they ended up with over 30 channels in clear and bright HD.
Now, no matter which streaming box you purchased, head over to the app store and start browsing around. You will find hundreds, or thousands, of great apps – many of them free. Of course, you have the big name streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Instant, and Hulu but there are also other excellent apps such as Crackle, Weather Nation, Livestream, and so many more that give you great free content.
Don’t forget to check out YouTube; some of the best original content created today is free on YouTube. Many streaming boxes include a YouTube app that opens up a world of options to you; from gaming to gardening there is a wide array of shows which could keep you busy for a lifetime.
Don’t rush yourself; it will take a bit of time to explore this new world. Cable may have 200 channels to pick from, but cord cutters have thousands of options from which to choose.
Will I be able to watch over-the-air TV on all my TVs using just one antenna?
In short, yes; you can network an antenna to all of the TVs in your house. The best way to do this is to purchase a long-range antenna, such as the Sky 60, and mount it in the attic or on the roof. From there you can network it throughout the house, just like your cable company did, using a splitter to feed coax to multiple TVs.
Success will be based on how strong the over-the-air signal is, and how many TVs you want to connect. If you live in an area with a strong over-the-air signal, you can buy a smaller antenna, like the Leaf, and connect one to each TV.
To make sure you are purchasing the correct antenna, plug in your zip code to see what’s available over-the-air in your area and which antenna you will need.
Luke Bouma is the owner of CordCutterNews.com and is a dedicated cord cutter. Cord Cutter News gives you some of the best reviews and news about cutting the cord. You can find them on Twitter @CordCuttersNews or on their Facebook Page.
