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!
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