1.
I'll miss out on my
favorite shows!
a. Not true!
Or at least it doesn't have to be. Since I cut the cord, I've been
able to find all my favorite shows either via Netflix/Hulu Plus/Amazon Prime, or via a wonderful little computer
application called PlayOn. For the things that you can't find
via these services/methods, just connect up a simple indoor OTA HD
multi-directional antenna. This will allow you to pick up all the
networks' HD signals over the air (OTA), and, trust me, there are plenty of
them!
2. I won't be able to watch sports!
a. Again,
not true! There are several ways to get sports after cutting the cord,
most of which I've detailed here.
Granted, I mainly watch football religiously, and the other sports
sporadically. But there are more than enough ways to get the sports you
want to watch, either streamed to your TV, via OTA signal, or on the internet.
3. It will be too hard to set up.
a. Not
difficult at all. I've created a step-by-step setup guide here. It depends, of course, on
the equipment you buy and how savvy you are with electronics, but my guide will
remove a ton of the mystery from the process. My best advice is, don't
let the technology scare you. Once you've purchased the right equipment
and finished the setup, it's almost as worry-free as cable or satellite.
Not to mention about $100+ cheaper!
4. There won't be enough on to watch.
a. There's
as much, if not more, to watch once you've cut the cord as there is when you
have cable or satellite. The difference is, you get to watch it whenever
YOU want, not when the cable company decides to air it. Think of
streaming as having a giant, unlimited DVR from which you can pull your favorite
shows whenever you want. The TV YOU want, when YOU want it. Sounds
pretty awesome, huh? :)
5. It will be too expensive.
a. It can
cost a bit, but it's a one-time cost, rather than a monthly cost for the rest
of your life! The monthly charges are for the streaming services, and
they pale in comparison to cable/satellite monthly bills. We're talking
about $8.00/mo for Netflix or Hulu, and $79 a year for Amazon Prime (and you
really should be an Amazon Prime member anyway - the free 2-day shipping is
amazing!). As far as first time setup goes, you can expect to spend
between $100 and $300 to get up and running, depending on what you need to buy
and what you already have. If you need a new TV or desktop computer, the
cost can be higher, but most already have these items these days.
6. My internet access won't be fast enough.
a. Many see
streaming as something that needs a prohibitively high level of internet
access. However, these days, the streaming companies have optimized their
services to work very well even with the lowest levels of high-speed internet.
Now, if you're on dialup, you'll need to upgrade. But, if that's
the case, you should have done so long ago anyway. ;)
7. My family won't be able to figure it out when I'm not around.
a. My 8-year
old daughter operates it just fine. When we have problems with internet
access, routers, or streaming, either I fix it right away or my wife calls me
and I talk her through the fix. Generally the little issues get resolved very
quickly. That said, I've been streaming for about a year now, and I think
we've had problems 3 or 4 times. I'd consider that low-maintenance!
:)
8. That streaming thing is just a fad - it could go away at any time.
a. Oh ye of
little faith! Internet streaming is not a fad at all, and it just keeps getting
bigger and bigger. Netflix is growing by leaps and bounds, now even
offering its own original programming (see House of Cards). Hulu Plus is also getting
bigger and better, offering many mainstream shows and providing access to new
episodes 24 hours after they air. We keep up with many current series
with Hulu, and we don't miss a beat with the short delay! As a matter of
fact, Hulu Plus subscribers are subject to the same ups and downs as watchers
of traditional TV. My entire family is dismayed at the recent
cancellation of one of our favorite shows, Touch.
And Amazon's streaming service, as well as the plethora of shows/movies
included in a Prime subscription, is catching up fast, if it hasn't already
caught up! Besides these services, there are also many movie streaming
services, such as Flixter and Vudu, to keep
movie aficionados happy.
9. I'll miss out on all the funny/cool commercials!
a. Hulu Plus
has commercials, albeit at a highly reduced rate, in all of their shows.
Often you get to see the best commercials this way. Netflix and Amazon do
not have commercials, so you'll need to get your fix while watching Hulu ;).
And if the commercials you want to see don't air during your shows (for
instance, Super Bowl commercials), Hulu has a clips area where you can
generally find just about anything you want. The difference is, you can
get your fix when YOU want to, rather than when the networks want you to.
10.
I'll miss all the content I
have stored on my DVR.
a. You won't
need it! I used to store tons of Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond and
Monk episodes on my DVR so that I could watch them whenever I wanted. No
need anymore! These shows are available at all times, so you can find the
episodes you want to watch and enjoy them whenever you want. And you
won't have to worry about your DVR storage limit!
