How KilltheCableBill Enjoys Cable Free Entertainment
Antenna + Streaming Box + Streaming Services = Cable Freedom
One of the most popular questions I get from Kill the Cable Bill readers is: “What’s your cord cutting setup?” I love this question because there are so many ways I can answer it.
Maybe you only use your laptop, maybe you stream from your Xbox, maybe you use both… and a phone, and a tablet, and a smart TV. Isn’t it wonderful? There are so many ways to stream, and there are so many options for those looking for a cable TV alternative.
As far as my cord cutting setup goes; I’m a fan of the “All of the above” approach, and I try to use and test out as many devices and services that I can. Let’s start with something simple.
Over the Air Antennas
The most essential part of any cord cutter’s arsenal is an over-the-air antenna. For a small investment you can get thousands of hours of free television year after year. If you’ve ever read my blog before, you know I’m a huge fan of Mohu antennas; so it’s no wonder I use one in my house.
Since my local network’s tower is 20 miles away, I use the Mohu Sky Outdoor Antenna. It’s a little bigger than a laptop and it has stood up to some nasty windstorms. That’s not to say I haven’t lost reception a time or two; but compared to my old bunny ears from back in the day, it’s a godsend.
Streaming Boxes
For most of my video streaming, I use a laptop, smartphone, tablet, a WD Media Player (in the bedroom) and Mohu Channels. Mohu Channels is awesome because I get all my OTA channels and my Netflix, Hulu etc… all within one interface. Makes it really easy to move from service to service, channel to channel.
Channel surfing is not dead, but it has changed quite a bit. No longer do I flip from channel to channel with nothing on. Now I switch from program to program, and watch exactly what I want, when I want it, and it is always of superb quality.
Sure, you can buy a DVD player that streams Netflix and YouTube; but if I can’t get HBO Now or Amazon Prime on your device, you have lost my attention.
Naturally, I also utilize my Samsung smartphone & tablet for most of my mobile streaming. It’s seen better days, but it still runs as fast as the day I got it; and whenever I’m catching up on a show on the road, it never lets me down.
As I said earlier, I usually use my Mohu Channels for most of my streaming; but my Laptop has seen its share of video streaming as well. Although it doesn’t have the app support like Roku does, it is nice to jump from a game to Hulu in only a couple of clicks.
Streaming Services
As far as streaming services go, once again I say “All of the above!” I’m subscribed to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and am looking to sign up for Sling TV. I know it all sounds expensive, but surprisingly it’s still a lot cheaper than having cable. I would also have HBO Now, but I just have not signed up yet.
There you go, that’s my cord cutting set-up! It might look a lot like yours, or it may be completely different! That’s the beauty of cord cutting; where cable TV wants to define how you watch television, cord cutting wants to set you free. So what’s your cord cutting set-up? Do you use a Roku or do you use a computer? Share it with me in the comments below OR tweet it to me with the hashtag #KillTheCableBill!
Dave Kennedy is a long time cord cutter who became increasingly frustrated with the high cost of Cable TV and decided to make a stance. In 2011 he launched KilltheCableBill.com, a site dedicated to helping people save money through providing simple, cost-effective cable TV alternatives. Since then, David has helped 1,000s of people cancel their cable subscription while keeping the shows they love.
