Cord-Cutting is not about saving money but paying only for what you want to watch
When cable television was introduced a couple of decades ago, it was accepted nationally as the best means of getting access to shows, music and movies that have good values to the viewers. This euphoria is gradually waning as the cost of maintaining a cable service is becoming unaffordable due to their high subscription fees. This makes some people to consider cord-cutting to minimize the amount of money that they spend on subscribing to a cable TV, especially when there are programs that they don’t watch.
What is cord-cutting?
Simply put, cord-cutting is a term used in the broadcast television world when making reference to a situation where a viewer cancels his or her subscription to a particular service offered by a subscription television. It may also include the discontinuation of the patronage given to a television channel that operates pay services if the services of the pay television are seen to be expensive. The term also applies to a situation where viewers reduce the amount of hours subscribed to a TV station.
Why do people engage in cord-cutting?
Contrary to the erroneous views of some people, the main reason for cord-cutting is not for the reduction of money spent on these channels but a means of paying for what one really wants to watch not just paying for all the stations out of necessity or compulsion.
For instance, if I usually subscribe for 20 hours per month and I realize that the movies I watch only take 8 hours per month and I spend additional 4 hours to watch the news, I may decide to subscribe for just the number of hours that I use. What is the essence of paying the subscription fee for 20 hours when I will use just 12 hours? What becomes of the remaining 8 hours? It is wasted.
Another reason why people cut cord is if they are tempted by the services of a rival station to the one they presently subscribe to. For instance, if Mr A is a subscriber to a Station X, he may have to cut cord if Station Y now offers a better program than Station X. If Station X has some programs that Mr A enjoys, he may reduce his subscription to Station X so that he will use the remaining money to subscribe to other good programs that are present on Station Y.
Different methods of cord-cutting
There are a lot of ways to minimize the amount of money you spend on unwanted programs on the cable so as to get value for you money. These alternatives are discussed one after the other below:
Antenna
Some of the programs that are featured on cable network that makes its charge very expensive are also shown on local TV stations. Instead of paying through the nose for both wanted and unwanted programs, you can install an HD Antenna on your TV at home. This will afford you the opportunity of watching some of your favorite programs like sports and news without burning a hole in your pocket.
The good thing about antenna is that one can purchase a good one for less than $50. Once you mount your antenna on your TV, that will be the end of subscription fee as it does not apply to antenna.
Devices for Streaming
Practically everything available on the cable can be streamed. What this simply means is that instead of downloading music or a movie for later viewing, you can listen to the music on the go without wasting time waiting for it to be downloaded. The same applies to movies too.
The type of device that you can use for streaming varies. There are different devices from different companies like Amazon, Google, Apple and Roku. If you are interested in games, it is advisable that you get a PS4. Alternatively, you can get an Xbox. For people who are really into devices from Apple, you can go for Apple TV.
Laptop owners can plug their computer with the TV using any available port or using the HDMI. With a keyboard and a wireless mouse, you can go ahead and have the fun of your life without worrying yourself about expensive cable subscription.
Services that support streaming
When you have already got the right device that you need, the next thing is to get the right streaming service to go with it.
A lot of companies offer streaming services. Some of these companies are Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix and others. These streaming companies charge per month. Their subscriptions are little compared to that of cable TV. The average charge of these service providers is $10 compared to over $100 for cable.
With these streaming devices and services, you can determine the kind of movie that you want to watch or the music that you want to listen to. This will determine what you will pay as subscription fee which will be determined by you and not by your service provider.
Notably, their subscription is usually between $8 and $12 depending on what you want to view or listen to. This is very far from the charges of cable. Even if a subscriber decides to subscribe to three of these providers, the subscription fee will still be far less than that of cable. And as I said before, you will be paying a huge sum of money for programs that you will not watch.
Conclusion
It can now be seen that it is possible to get the amount of service that one wants without spending too much on unwanted programs. These cord-cutting options are about getting value for your time. They allow you the privilege of paying for only what you want and nothing else. This is one shortcomings of cable that needs to be addressed by their operators if they still want to enjoy the good patronage that they once enjoyed and ward off any competition.
