Are you paying too much for your cable or satellite bill?
The costs to simply watch television have gotten out of control. It’s not just the skyrocketing price of your selected channel package that you need to worry about.
You’re also being charged for things that you might not even know about. Take a look at your monthly bill to see a breakdown of the charges.
More than likely you’re paying monthly fees for each receiver in your home, DVR service and possibly a protection plan, just to name a few. All that, added to your monthly channel package, can be a hefty sum. In fact, the average cable bill is at an all-time high of over $100 a month. Yikes!
That’s why you need to know these helpful tips to save money on your cable bill.
Slim down your channel lineup
The days of cable or satellite being the only game in town are over. There’s another way to watch your favorite movies and television series nowadays. It’s known as “cutting the cord” and is becoming a very popular trend in the U.S.
What we’re talking about is people getting rid of their cable or satellite TV service and streaming shows online. The truth is, with so many fantastic streaming services available, it’s difficult to justify paying for an enormous monthly cable bill.
If you’re not ready to fully eliminate cable, there’s still a way to cut those costs.
The “cutting the cord” phenomenon has forced many cable providers to offer less expensive, basic channel packages. Instead of paying outrageous monthly bills to receive hundreds of channels that you’ll never watch, many people are taking advantage of these slimmed-down channel lineups.
Some basic packages out there cost nearly half of what you would shell out for a top-tier package. If the top of the line package is priced at over $100 per month and the basic costs $50, you would save $600 annually. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Slimming down your cable package is the safe choice for those who are afraid to go all out and cut the cord altogether. Those fears come from myths that are just not true.
Here are some of the myths that scare people from cutting the cable cord:
- You can’t watch live sports without cable – False: You can watch all major sports broadcasts on your local channels with an HD antenna. Also, almost every NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS game can be streamed to your TV for a subscription fee from each league’s website.
- Modern TVs do not pick up local channels – False: Free local TV broadcasts are still transmitted through the air throughout the U.S. You just need an HD antenna connected to your television. Many TV stations also broadcast two or three additional channels that are not carried by cable or satellite.
- Cutting the cord doesn’t save as much money as people claim – False: The average U.S. household pays over $1,000 a year for 189 channels of cable TV service. On average, only about 17 different channels are actually being watched. It makes sense to pay for just the channels you and your family watch.
- You will have to give up your favorite cable channels – False: Many cable channels are making the switch to internet streaming and more are constantly being added.
If you don’t fear eliminating cable or satellite completely, we’ll next show you some cord cutting options.
Cutting the cord
Cutting the cord is constantly getting easier. There are a number of great devices out there that let you choose from several streaming services. Here are a few of the best options:
Hulu
You might think of Hulu as the place to watch on-demand television. However, it has recently added Live TV to its service.
For just under $40 per month, members can access over 50 channels, DVR storage, real-time alerts and the chance to watch their favorite programs on the go. Users can watch unlimited content from Hulu’s original library along with streaming live shows. You’re even able to use both services at the same time on two separate screens.
Sports, news and your favorite programming can all be streamed live on Hulu. Want to save a show to watch later? No problem. Pause live TV, go whip up a snack and return to the point where you left off. Simple.
Hulu is a great choice if you want to cut the cord with no hidden fees, equipment rentals or installation appointments.
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Apple TV
Apple says the future of TV begins with apps. You already use apps like Hulu, Netflix, WatchESPN and HBO Now to watch TV on your mobile gadgets. Now, the same thing is happening with apps on your big screen, and Apple TV is designed around this reality.
You can enjoy complete, live TV packages without renting or connecting to a cable box or satellite dish. Just download apps like PlayStation Vue or Sling TV and just like that, you’re surfing live TV.
The Siri Remote with Touch surface takes the effort out of searching through all these apps to find something great to watch. Say something specific like “I want to watch the next episode of ‘Westworld’ and Siri will take you there. Or you can ask things like “what college basketball games are on today?” and Siri will tell you.
In addition, you can find apps and games in the App Store for added experiences created specifically for the living room. There are over 1,600 video apps to choose from.
Amazon Fire TV
With Amazon Fire TV you can enjoy over 7,000 apps, games and Alexa skills including access to over 300,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, Hulu and more.
One great thing about Fire TV is that it supports 4K Ultra HD for true-to-life picture quality. If you have a 4K television, you already know how difficult it is to find 4K programming. Fire TV helps fill that void.
You can also watch high-definition 1080p streams on Amazon Video, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and more without a 4K TV.
Even without a cable subscription, you’re able to watch the best of live TV and sports from AMC, ESPN, FOX and others with a subscription to Sling TV, or top-rated primetime shows with CBS All Access.
Prime members get unlimited access to Prime Video, featuring thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost.
Roku Ultra
The Roku Ultra is another great streaming player for HD and 4K Ultra HD TVs.
With the Roku Ultra, you have access to more than 350,000 movies and TV episodes across 3,500+ free or paid channels. You get to watch what you want and spend what you want.
From the most recent movies and shows to the classics, find where your favorites are free or least expensive to watch with an unbiased search across top channels. You’re able to search through a wide selection of paid or free channels, by actor, director or title. Just search with your Roku remote, mobile app or voice search.
You can move your Roku player to different TVs in your home or even take it to a friend’s house. Hotel & Dorm Connect allows you to stream on the go in your dorm or hotel room, making it a convenient travel gadget.
Google Chromecast Ultra
With Chromecast Ultra, you can stream up to 4K Ultra HD & HDR picture quality over your Wi-Fi network by just plugging it into your TV’s HDMI port. It provides fast, reliable performance with minimal buffering and smooth streaming. Use your iOS or Android gadget to stream thousands of Cast-enabled apps.
Use your phone as a powerful remote. Open the mobile apps you already use to access things like your favorite TV shows. No new logins or downloads are needed.
Just tap the Cast button to see your favorite content in up to 4K quality. No matter what resolution is available, Chromecast Ultra will optimize your picture.
It’s simple to search, browse, queue and control the TV from anywhere in the home with your phone. Plus, you will still be able to use your phone for other things without interrupting what’s playing on your TV.
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