Cutting the Cord
I am contemplating getting rid of my cable TV service. Time Warner raised their rates again, and I am starting to feel that it really isn’t worth it. I cannot justify spending as much as I am for the limited number of channels I actually watch.
I wrote down the shows/movies I watched this past week, and discovered I stick to only a couple of channels for 95% of my time in front of the tube. My most recent selections were limited to AMC, the Food Network, ESPN, Versus, Fox Soccer, and USA. Sometimes I switch over to NBC, MSNBC, or Fox News if I want to catch up on current events, but even then I don’t stay very long. I rarely deviate from my “favorite channels” (all the channels mentioned above) as set on my cable box. I also know that I do not use the on demand and other features that Time Warner offers enough.
After thinking about it a little bit today, I could think of only a couple of issues I would have if I showed Time Warner the door:
1. DVR - Could be remedied with HuluPlus and/or network website streaming.
2. Current AMC episodes - I suppose I could use Amazon or iTunes but that could get expensive. I could always wait for DVD, but I risk losing interest or finding out about major plot elements through someone’s loose lips.
3. Live sports (hockey and soccer in particular) - This is the biggest hold up for me. The options out there are limited and some require to have cable to get them anyway. I could get NHL GameCenter for hockey, but I am not sure about soccer. I would definitely miss being able to catch MLS and English Premier league games on ESPN and Fox Soccer. I could always spend more time at the local soccer bar :-)
If I do go through with this, I will need to pick up a decent HD antenna and perhaps a subscription to a service or two to fill in the programming holes I can’t fill from broadcast TV or the internet. I can always link up some of these services through the PS3, so that makes getting them to the actually TV that much easier. I might have to think about it for another day or two, but I will definitely have a decision by the end of the year.
