It makes total sense when you think about how expensive your cable bill can be. Since there are many quality streaming services available, it's difficult to justify paying a hefty monthly bill. But you need to know what you're doing to get the best value.
Why there are more cord cutters than ever
Americans are canceling cable subscriptions at an alarmingly fast pace. Research firm eMarketer released the following forecasts, indicating that cord-cutting is exploding faster than previously thought.- In 2017, around 22.2 million U.S. adults will have cut the cord on cable, satellite or telephone company TV services. This number is up 33 percent from 16.7 million cord-cutters in 2016.
- Despite the rise in cord-cutters, 196.3 million U.S. adults will still have a traditional pay-TV service with cable, satellite or telephone companies this year but this number is down 2.4 percent compared to 2016.
- By 2021, it is projected that U.S. adults who still have traditional pay TV with cable, satellite or telephone companies will drop even further to 181.7 million, an almost 10 percent decline from 2016.
- By 2021, the number of cord-cutters will almost equal the number of people who are "cord-nevers" (or people who've never subscribed to pay TV) - a total of 81 million U.S. adults.
Step 1: Get an antenna
If cutting the cord is a move that you want to make, you'll need to add an HD antenna to your system. This will allow you to pick up local channels, and several others, that will let you watch live TV for free. You might be surprised at how many free channels you can pick up with an HD antenna.With an HD antenna, you can pick up over-the-air (OTA) broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, PBS, ION and many others. Many of the most popular television shows, along with sporting events and local news, are broadcast on OTA television in High Definition. FOR FREE!
But which HD antenna should you get? Here are a couple great options.
Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Multidirectional Range
The HDTV attic-outdoor antenna offers a completely new take on a traditionally mounted system. With its sleek, minimalistic design, the multi-directional antenna can bring high-quality programming to your TV without having to deal with a bulky, unsightly antenna that is difficult to install.
Reduce clutter, save money, and get high-quality HDTV with the amplified outdoor antenna.
This advanced system provides uncompressed HD broadcast to multiple televisions in a home with a range of 60 miles! You no longer have to settle for a large, bulky, or more expensive rooftop-mounted antenna.
Click here to purchase the Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Multi-directional Range from Kim's Shop.
Komando™ Indoor Amplified HD Antenna
The Komando™ Indoor Amplified HD Antenna is a razor-thin antenna that is easy to set up and brings you over-the-air broadcasts from major networks. No monthly fees, subscriptions or contracts!
You can continue to enjoy your favorite top-rated shows from prime time, along with news, sports, documentaries and, of course, cooking shows! Everything you need to get started is included in the box.
This is one of the best-selling items in Kim's Shop. In fact, we only have a handful of open-box items left in stock. This is a great opportunity for you to pick one up at an incredibly reduced price! Click here to purchase our open-box Indoor HD Antenna for just $49.95.
Bonus: We've also rounded up some additional indoor antenna options you can choose from. Click here to see our top picks in every style!
Step 2: Choose the streaming service that's best for you
One huge mistake cord cutters can make is signing up for too many services. This can add up to a huge monthly expense and defeats the purpose of cord cutting to begin with.Instead, you need to decide which channels are important to you and which streaming services offer them. Don't worry, we've done the research for you.
We've created a comparison chart showing which channels are offered on each service. Here's a small preview:
Step 3: Select a streaming media gadget
There are two types of steaming gadgets: set-top boxes and HDMI sticks. HDMI sticks are the size of USB drives and plug right into your TV's HDMI port. That means less clutter in your entertainment center and they're also cheaper. Click here to see a chart comparing HDMI sticks.Streaming boxes are larger and more expensive but tend to be more powerful. Click here to see a chart comparing popular streaming boxes.
These are the basic steps that you need to cut the cord. Now you have the tools you need to start saving up to hundreds of dollars per year.
