Canceling Cable, out with AT&T, or dropping DirecTV -- a step by step guide
Here's what we did to cancel cable yesterday (OK, technically, satellite!). DirecTV with no premium movie channels, etc., had been running us $62.11/month after all the taxes and fees, or $745.32 a year. And yes, we've done the call, threaten to cancel, get the rate dropped thing multiple times, but it always creeps back up -- that $62.11 already reflects an $11/month credit from the last time we called and played that game. Think: What do you watch that is worth $2.00 a day, and can you replace that with cheaper alternatives?
The hardware we bought
Here's what we purchased. We may also later hook up a computer so that we can stream shows from network sites, etc. to the TV, but will see how it goes first and if we actually need more to watch.
- Mr. Mashup kindly took some pictures illustrating how he hooked up the antenna and so on. See the handy Flickr photo set for his explanations!
Hardware we bought:
- Antennas Direct Clearstream 2tm Long Range HDTV Antenna with Mount. We actually got this at Fry's for cheaper -- So figure around $100 for an antenna. We tried an indoor antenna at first, but it wouldn't pick up channel 5 and didn't pick up as many channels as the roof-mounted one -- and the quality we're getting is awesome.
- If you don't have an HDTV, you'll also need a converter box to convert the digital over-the-air signal to an analog signal your TV can read. This runs about $40 (and up, depending on what kind you buy). Read reviews before you buy, because some have pretty bad reviews. For an example of a decently reviewed one at a decent price, see Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box (for Antenna Use).
- We also picked up a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi Ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc Player for $110 from Video & Audio center.
- Lastly, we wanted a way to record shows, so bought a Channel Master CM-7000PAL Digital Video Recorder for $342.43. While this has a higher initial cost than something like TiVo, there is no monthly fee as there is with TiVo and many of the other services, so it pays itself back relatively quickly.
So that all ran about $560 -- which is about 9 months of DirecTV, so will pay itself back in less than a year. There are also other, cheaper DVR alternatives, or your setup may be cheaper if you already have a Blu-Ray player or stream Netflix through a Wii or PS3, etc.
Content
Here's where we are receiving content:
- Over the air. We are receiving 52 channels in the Western Chicago suburbs, but what you can pick up will vary, depending how far you are from a city center, how high your house is, and what's in the way. Check AntennaWeb for a conservative estimate -- it estimated we would pick up about 23 channels, and we're getting almost twice that many.
- We have a $7.99/month Netflix streaming subscription, which we just dropped down to streaming-only this month when they raised the price of DVDs by mail. If you don't do Netflix already, what I'd suggest is signing up for the free trial and seeing if there is enough of the types of shows you want to make it worth it to you.
- The Blu-Ray player we purchased has built-in streaming for both Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, as well as other services. Amazon gives out free instant video credits sometimes, and also runs sales fairly often.
- We're both signed up for the monthly Redbox free rental text club.
We occasionally rent from Blockbuster Express with the free codes -- which I've been trying to post for you at least weekly 🙂They're out of business.- We use our library heavily. Many will let you put reserves on movies and TV shows on DVD, so even if they're popular and often checked out, you'll get them eventually -- or they'll send them from another library in the system. Put yourself on the list for a number of items, and something usually comes in each week.
- Many network sites also have certain shows available online the next night or the next week. We don't currently have a PC hooked up to the TV, but can watch on the computer.
- We have not signed up for Hulu Plus -- if you're a heavy TV watcher and your shows aren't available over the air, do their one week free trial and see if it will work for you at $7.99/month. Also see what is freely available at Hulu.com.
- Several years ago, we owned a Roku box, but it broke some time ago and we never replaced it -- because by that time we were watching Netflix through the Wii. If you do Hulu Plus or another online service, you can stream through a computer to the TV or look into something like Roku if you want a cheaper solution -- the boxes run around $60 and up.
We already had Netflix, so I'm not counting that as a new cost -- but $7.99/month is $95.88 a year, if you're a new signup. Again, even if I add that in, we're still paid back in less than a year. So if we really want to, we can also throw in the occasional new on-demand TV show or movie.
What we're missing
We are no longer receiving channels like Food Network, CNN, or TLC -- no Extreme Couponing or Toddlers and Tiaras for me. We'll live. We don't get Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, but the amount of kids content in Netflix is more than enough, and we're getting a couple of PBS channels over the air. We don't get A&E (no Hoarders!) but many of their shows are available on their site.
What we're getting
We are receiving all of the network stations over-the-air -- NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, PBS -- plus a number of other stations. So for those of you who are sports fans, any games that would normally be broadcast on Fox, etc. are still there for the watching. And the HD channels are gorgeous.
How our expectations change
Not to sound like an old curmudgeon, but... when I grew up we had the rabbit-ears TV where the knob had broken off so you had to turn it with pliers, and you had to wrap the antenna in foil and sometimes have someone standing there holding it to get the signal, and it was a big deal when we got two more channels when they added the UHF.
We're now conditioned that we have to pay for cable, and have to have hundreds of channels, and have to have movie channels, and ... well, you know what? I'm now getting 50 channels over the air for free, plus more cartoons through Netflix than the kids could ever watch, plus $1.00 movie rentals from Redbox, plus I can still pause live TV and set everything to record automatically... it's more than enough entertainment for any one family.
So that's all she wrote! If you have any other suggestions or alternative ways you cut the cord yourself, please add in comments.
Can you get HGTV? Thanks!
Not over the air -- but you can watch full episodes of a lot of HGTV shows for free online: http://www.hgtv.com/full-episodes/package/index.html
Maybe you already wrote this, but what do you do for internet?
We have Comcast. Don't ask -- it was a whole big brouhaha a while back when we were going to switch and do a bundle with AT&T DSL/DirecTV, they told us that DSL was available in our area... and... it's not.
Thanks for the step by step!
We just did this when we moved two months ago. Canceled direct tv (but be warned they are terrible about sending the box to return the equipment.... I have already called 3 times and still habe not received it) also we have netflix streaming through our wii. I love that i get to choose what myson watches and not just annoying wow wow wubsy. We bought our antenna from either walmart or target ( I don't remember) currently debating hpw to install it. (We are in a rental and don't want to drill through the walls) no dvr yet (that has been the biggest adjustment. We just decided that we are spending way too much money and watching to much junk tv. We use our elgin library which eve has a redbox like machine outside!!!! Keep an eye out for a cheap dvr for me! Its brutal not having one!!!
Rachel, congrats on cutting the cord. The ChannelMaster DVR is -fantastic!- I think your step-by-step guide explains everything very well for anyone ready to make the jump.
We have been cable-free for 7 years over here... until last month.
You mentioned you have Comcast for internet. Not to send you running back into Comcast's arms, but I don't know if they ever made you aware that with internet access, you also get free cable for one television in the house. It is BASIC cable (no expanded channels) and it is also NOT HD, so you do not get the glorious quality that you do with HD over the air. But, you do get the Comcast OnDemand shows and movies free as part of it.
After being informed that this wouldn't add anything to our existing Comcast internet bill, we added it for one TV in the house. I blogged about this here if you'd like to learn more: http://www.jillcataldo.com/node/3891#comment-108663.
Again, not trying put you "on" cable - but in the interest of "if it's free, you might want it too" I thought I'd share. 🙂 Other than that one TV with the free Comcast box, the rest of our house is still over-the-air only, and we love it. It's actually irksome to me that the cable & satellite companies charge more to allow you to access the HD channels and subchannels that are free with an antenna. But we do like having the On-Demand stuff free to catch up on the cable shows that we like.
Super, thanks! I'll make a note to call them -- fascinating.
Really Jill, comcast never mentioned that to me when I called to cancel our cable. I have the economy internet and called a few wks ago to see if they can lower that bill and they said no...now I am going to try to call them again myself. Rachel, if you call can you post what they tell you? Thanks!
Becky, I had no idea this was even something Comcast offered their internet-only subscribers until a Comcast rep came to our door after the big storms this summer that led to days without power. He wanted to verify that our Internet and Cable TV service had been restored after the big power outages the week before.
I said the Internet is back on and fine, but we don't have Comcast for TV. The tech said that with the Internet package, we would also be eligible for free cable television for one TV. This sounded almost too good to be true, but he assured me that there was no charge for one cable box and the cable.
And a few days later, a tech came out, installed the cable box on one tv, and we've had it there ever since. Our monthly bill has not changed. Again, though, keep in mind that it is BASIC, and it's not HD. We actually lost the HD subchannels (11-2, 38-2, etc.) on the TV that has the Comcast box. But again, the OnDemand is pretty nice to have "free," being that we're paying for the cable internet regardless.
Thanks Jill..I'm going to call AGAIN! 🙂
Thanks Racheal and Jill. We are cable free to. We have Comcast Internet and get basic on all our TV's. I'll have to call for the free cable on the one TV tho. We bought a converter box so we can get HD on 2 of our main TV's. I actually do not miss the garbage TV that cable offers. I don't miss the DVR either. We just found ourselves watching more TV and now we read, talk and make love more :). Lol
If you like documentaries, search for "free documentaries online" and find several sites you can play on your computer for free.
If you like odd movies and live in Chicago near Facets (facets.org), 1517 W. Fullerton, I recommend buying a monthly membership with them. For $8.99 a month, you get one DVD at a time (either via mail or from the store), and you get free admission for two to almost all of the cool movies they show in their small theater. Not the same selection as Netflix, new movies are often out, but they have a lot of obscure movies there (facetsmovies.com), and it's a good cause to support.
How easy is all of this to install? Is there someone out there you recommend who could install all of this for a fee if I don't feel up to it?
I'd be right with you if we could get ESPN over air. The website you post only shows us getting 6 channels, I think we're too far from Chicago.
Hi all. I decided that I'm cutting off Comcast this week. Lets see what happens. They have raised our rates $100 a month in less than two years and offer us a smaller package each time. Each time I cut back more, they would change something and the price would increase in 6 months or so again.
Initially, this is going to be hard for us with no internet, phone or cable but we will survive! I will be saving close to $2000 per year. WOW, I can almost pay off the van with that 😉
Before comcast...
we checked out tons of movies from the Library, and if our Library didn't have it we just went to worldcat.org and found a library that did and placed an "interlibrary loan".
We did have internet but our Library also has around 30 computers that are pretty open most of the time and are alot quicker than ours and my entire family can use them at the same time! No more fighting over who's going to go on first LOL
We read alot of books, played board games and actually went for walks and bike rides. Do people still do that in the suburbs LOL Just kiddin.
Eventually, when our cell phone contract is over we will upgrade our phones to get unlimited text, internet and incoming calls but we have another yr or so for that one.
All in all it will be a sacrifice but it will be worth it.
we have never had cable and don't do the local channel antenna thing. netflix streaming, redbox and the library is all we get. there are plenty of great shows and movies without commercials that way. you will get used to it. you find other ways to spend time when you're not watching tv