Cable has been a staple in American households for decades. But according to Business Insider research, nearly 5 million people have cut the cable in the last 5 years. Cutting the cable cord is a great way to save money. On average, people spend around $86 per month on cable (that’s $1032 a year!). With new technology that allows you to stream TV and movies directly to your TV without cable, many people are finding cheaper ways to watch.
At Audio Video Charlotte, we are experts in installing and integrating your whole network in order to give you great entertaining solutions for your home theater. We want to help you decide if getting rid of cable is right for you.
1. Do you watch a lot of sports?
If you watch a lot of Live Sports than keeping cable is your best option. Especially, if you like watching regional sports or catching every game of a season, you will need a cable provider.
But if you only watch major games, you can access those on the basic networks, ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, through an antenna.
As an alternative, you can find out where the games are playing in your community through an app on your phone. An app like Thuuz Sports shows you when and where a game will be on, whether you can catch it online, on cable, or even at local sports bars and restaurants.
2. How long can I wait to watch my shows?
If you like watching a show at the time it airs than keeping cable might be the answer. But, if you don’t mind waiting a few hours, a day, or even a whole season, you can save tons by cutting cable and using a streaming service.
Many television shows are available the day after they air on streaming services. Amazon Instant Video, Google Play or iTunes sell individual episodes for $1.99-$3.99. Sometimes you can purchase a season pass for additional savings and sometimes your show will be available a few hours after airing on the network.
A subscription to Hulu Plus allows you to watch most shows the day after they air and Netflix usually streams the last season during the current season.
Cutting the Cable Cost Breakdown
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There are costs to watching TV through streaming services, but depending on your TV watching preferences, you can save up to 50 percent. You could have a subscription to Netflix ($95.88 a year), Hulu Plus ($95.88 per year) and get 5 television series with 20 episodes per season (@ $2.99 per episode= $299 a year). This is still about $500 less than a yearly cable subscription. You could use the savings for a better TV, a better sound system, or whatever else your family may want. |
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Take a moment to call your Audio Video Charlotte media representative to discuss your many options when it comes to home entertainment.
