Cut That Cord! How to Ditch Cable
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! Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Cut That Cord! How to Ditch Cable Written by Dan Price Published November 2017. Read the original article here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cut-that-cord-how-to-ditch- cable/ This ebook is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its original form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this ebook is prohibited without permission from MakeUseOf.com. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Table of contents The Pros and Cons of Cord Cutting 4 Pros 4 Cons 5 Devices 5 Roku 6 Chromecast 7 Apple TV 8 Amazon Fire TV 9 Android TV Boxes 9 Apps 10 Free Apps 11 Paid Apps 11 Software 12 Plex 12 Kodi 13 Emby 14 Over-the-Air Antennas 15 Are You Ready to Cut the Cord? 16 Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! The average American household now pays more than $103/month for cable television. And for what? An excessive number of ads, hundreds of channels you never watch, and below-par customer service. It’s not exactly an enticing deal. Thankfully, people are starting to wise up; cord-cutting is more popular than ever. In the second quarter of 2017, the pay-TV industry lost more than 760,000 subscribers. Experts predict that by 2021, the total number of cable subscribers will drop to 181.7 million – a 10 percent decrease in just five years. And Netflix now has more subscribers in the United States (52 million) than any of the “big six” cable companies. It’s an undeniable fact: cord-cutting is here to stay. If you’ve been reading about the cord- cutting phenomenon but you’re not sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. This is how to cut the cord and ditch cable TV for good. And it’s the only guide you’ll need to read on the subject. The Pros and Cons of Cord Cutting Before diving into the specifics of how to cut the cord, we need to make one thing clear: Cord- cutting is not going to be for everyone. There are some pitfalls you need to think about and lots of questions you need to ask yourself. Let’s briefly summarize some of the pros and cons of cutting the cord. Pros Save Money: It’s almost impossible not to save money by cutting the cord. Yes, there might be some up-front equipment costs, but long-term you’ll be much better off. You could subscribe to several leading video-on-demand (VOD) providers, and still pay considerably less than the $103/month cable TV average. Fewer Ads: Most streaming services don’t have ads; you can watch your favorite shows uninterrupted. Even some free services that do have ads – such as The Roku Channel – screen significantly fewer ads than cable TV. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Flexibility: Subscribers have been asking cable TV providers for à la carte packages for years, but the companies have steadfastly refused, presumably knowing it would lead to a significant loss of revenue. While not truly à la carte, cord-cutting offers a much more customizable experience. Cons internet Speed: You might be surprised at the number of channels you can get using an over- the-air (OTA) antenna, but ultimately streaming services will provide most of your content. Therefore, you need a fast and reliable internet connection. Netflix offers a handy guide on its website. Data Caps: If your ISP institutes a data cap, you might need to boost your internet package to the next level. Your Favorite Shows: Thanks to the growing prevalence of network-provided streaming services, you should always be able to get the shows you want. But it might not be worth subscribing to HBO Now if you only want to watch one HBO show. You might need to make sacrifices. Devices Broadly speaking, you need four things to be able to cut the cord successfully: a set-top box or streaming stick, an OTA antenna, an app for your locally-saved media, and some video-on- demand apps. Firstly, let’s take a look at some of the devices that are available. Usually, you’ll only need one device. In terms of app availability, the choices are near-identical. The differences are found in the hardware and operating systems. If you’re not sure which is right for you, check out our comparison article. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Roku If you want a one-size-fits-all solution, a Roku is the best choice. It’s the most agnostic out of all the set-top boxes, and it’s straightforward to set up. The company refreshed its entire hardware line-up in mid-2017. It now offers five standalone devices. • Roku Express: The Roku Express has a maximum picture quality of 1080p HD and the entry-level remote cannot control your TV. • Roku Express+: The Express+ can connect to your TV using HDMI or composite A/V ports. It’s fantastic for adding smart capabilities to older TVs. • Roku Streaming Stick: The Roku Streaming Stick offers MIMO Wi-Fi support and ships with a smart voice-controlled remote control. • Roku Streaming Stick+: The Roku Streaming Stick+ offers 4K resolution and high- dynamic-range imaging. • Roku Ultra: The Roku Ultra is the company’s top model. In addition to 4K resolution and high-dynamic-range imaging, it offers a USB port and a micro SD slot for expandable storage. You will also find the Roku operating system built into some mid-range smart TVs. Apps on Rokus are called channels. You can install both private and public channels. Public channels are found using the on-device channel store or by using the web portal. Private channels need a unique code and are installed through the web portal. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Chromecast The Chromecast is Google’s contribution to the cord-cutting world. It’s a dongle that plugs directly into the HDMI port on your TV. Unlike the other devices on this list, you do not install apps directly onto the device itself. Instead, you use your computer, phone, or tablet to cast content to your TV. Because there are no apps to worry about, Chromecasts are very easy to set up. Chromecasts are compatible with iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, Macs, Windows computers, and Chromebooks. Because Chromecasts require a secondary device to allow them to display content, they are probably not suitable for first-time cord-cutters who want to add smart capabilities to their television sets. They are, however, perfect for other TVs in lesser-used rooms in your house; you can do a surprising amount with them. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Just because you don’t install apps directly on a Chromecast, you don’t need to worry about the availability of content. Most of the popular streaming apps are Chromecast-enabled, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Crunchyroll, FOX, and Google Play Movies. You can pick one up for around $35, which puts them in a similar price bracket as the RokuExpress and Express+. Given the two devices’ feature sets, you should probably opt for the latter. Apple TV Apple TVs are the most expensive and least flexible streaming devices on the market. However, if you’re heavily integrated into the Apple ecosystem, they could be the best choice for your needs. Once you have set up your Apple TV, you can download and install the usual array of apps from the App Store. Perhaps more interestingly, the device also works brilliantly with other Apple devices, apps, and services such as Siri, HomeKit, and Apple Music. Apple TV also has AirPlay technology, meaning you can use your device to cast your Mac’s screen to your TV. You can finally kiss goodbye to all those dongles and adaptors. (Note: If AirPlay is the only important factor for you, you can find cheaper alternatives that will still work.) Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Amazon Fire TV The Amazon Fire TV takes a similar approach to the Chromecast; it’s a dongle which plugs directly into the back of your TV. However, unlike the Chromecast, you can install apps on the Amazon Fire TV. It comes with its own Android-based operating system and on-screen user interface. Apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, YouTube, ESPN, AMC, HGTV, Comedy Central, CNN, and many more are available. You can also sideload apps onto your Amazon Fire TV. Because it’s an Amazon device, the Fire TV also offers Alexa. That means you can use it to control your smart home, give voice commands to your TV (such as telling the device to play a particular show or display a specific channel), and you can even install third-party Alexa skills. If you have an Amazon Echo in your home, it could be the best device for you. (Tip: If you have an Amazon Fire TV, you should consider using Velcro or double-sided tape to affix the dongle to the back of your TV set. Given its weight, it’s liable to damage your TV’s HDMI port if you leave it dangling freely.) Android TV Boxes Much like the mobile version of the Android operating system, Android TV comes in many different variants, some of which look drastically different from each other. For example, the aforementioned Amazon Fire TV runs on Android, but that version of the operating system looks nothing like the Nvidia Shield’s operating system. Copyright © 2018 MakeUseOf.