- Published in Tech Talk
Cutting the Cord
By The I.T. Guy
Click para español ->Cortando el cable
In today's world, having Cable TV at home does not seem like a viable option anymore. Instead, having high-speed Internet has become a "must" for average households in America.
It was not long ago when Cable TV exclusively provide at-home entertainment. Everyone's wish was to have the fanciest Cable TV package to have access to their favorite shows or sports events. Those days are long gone! Nowadays, consumers can purchase off-the-air antennas (OTA) to receive open broadcast television channels from the airwaves. In the Metropolitan New Orleans area, an OTA can pick up roughly 45 local channels, three of them being Spanish broadcast stations.
Cable TV is usually offered at high monthly prices, especially if a person opts for the premium packages. The streaming era has made it difficult for Cable TV providers to keep their customers hooked. For some time, they have been trying desperately to keep their customers by creating bundle packages with cable, telephone, and Internet services at lower prices prevent customers from
"cutting the cord".
There are ways to keep yourself entertained at home. A convenient setup for those to decide to forgo the cable bill is simply purchasing an OTA antenna and pairing it with a streaming device such as the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, or even a Smart TV. With such a set-up, you can easily watch almost everything and feel as if you had a full Cable TV package.
The biggest downfall of "cutting the cord" is getting reliable sports programming. Sports broadcasters have managed to keep Cable TV alive by getting exclusive rights at a hefty price for sports events. Even though some digital platforms have gained access to major sports contracts, they won't be able to push broadcasters aside anytime soon.
Streaming sports events is also difficult because of its live nature, fast-moving camera shots, the use of elaborate animations and the need for a national reach.
Depending on the Internet to get all your programming content will require your investment in a reliable high-speed connection, which may come at a high price and can be an issue for some. However, eliminating that burdensome Cable TV bill offsets that cost.
At the end of the day, if you are not an extreme sports fan, cutting the cord is the way to go. Eventually, television content will be streaming-only. Let's just hope the price for Internet service fees go down.