Is It Time to Cut the Cable?

Communication technology keeps advancing at a frightening pace, with yesterday’s bold innovation becoming today’s outdate platform. What’s the use of that landline, millions of Americans over the past decade have asked, if I have a phone in my pocket with the capacity to do much more than just make and take calls?

The latest frontier in 21st century communications is your television; specifically, the decision whether or not to cut the cable (with its escalating monthly costs) in favor of streaming services. Not surprisingly, consumers would be wise to weigh a number of factors — personal, economic and otherwise — to determine if the time is right to make the switch.

Review Your Cable Package: Let’s face it, many people subscribe to cable and other services and never look back; they just send in that check every month. Considering dropping cable, however, provides a strong incentive to dig into your agreement’s fine print. For example, are you under contract? If so, you’ll likely have to wait it out or eat an early termination fee. Also, look closely to determine what other services cable is providing, such as internet and/or phone. Unbundling these might not save as much money as you think.

Picking Priorities: The number and range of streaming services has exploded in recent years, with surely many more to come. Cutting the cable means relying on these outlets — Netflix, Apple +, Hulu, you name it — for your news, entertainment and sports programming. There are simply too many options out there and that requires figuring out your personal must-haves. Gather the family, compile a list of favorites and then cross-reference those shows to streaming services. Suffice it to say, the fewer services you need to access the maximum desired programming is the way to go.

DVR Down: The ability to DRV is among cable’s most attractive features, one that enables you to record a favorite show, movie or sporting event and watch it later (fast-forwarding through the commercials, of course). Be aware that live streaming services offer cloud DRV services that often come with limitations compared to what your cable company provides. You will want to double check to make sure the cloud DVR options meet your needs.

Root on Your Team: Sports fans can access any number of streaming options showing live games but depending on which sport(s) you follow, the local team(s) in your area and how many games you want to watch, it can get costly. Channels devoted to NBA basketball, NHL hockey and MLB baseball teams, known as regional sports networks, are available on most cable networks but are rare and expensive on streaming services.

Trial Run: Cutting the cord can save a lot of money but you want to be sure you have all your streaming ducks in a row before you make that fateful call. Try installing everything on your TV and unplugging the cable box so that you can get used to streaming. Familiarize yourself first, then move on to helping others in your household. There will be a few bumps along the way but with a little time and patience everything will be fine.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful