I’ve been there. I loved U-Verse when I got it. It was a dream come true to finally ditch the satellite on top of my roof and be able to watch High Definition television – even when it was raining outside!
The introductory rate came and went. At $90 a month, the rate seemed like a pretty fair deal for high-speed internet and the u300 package – but after the first year was up, that rate jumped to $150 and then I had yet another increase just a few months later. I had previously setup autopay so it was a few months into my second year of service before I actually looked what I was now paying.
$175 a month! This for internet and a very average “middle of the road” package that included the crappier movie stations. No Showtime? No HBO?
No way.
Seriously – When did TV get this ridiculously expensive?
My wife and I were both a bit shocked at the realization that we were paying this much for television. We examined our viewing habits and determined that over 80% of what we were watching and recording were shows on the five major broadcast networks. The other 20% was comprised of one kid’s cartoon channel, one sports channel that I watch my beloved St. Louis Cardinals on, the History Channel and TBS.
Seldom, do we ever watch anything that isn’t being shown on these channels.
Enter our new plan – an HDTV antenna.
We shopped around and realized that a roof antenna was far superior to an indoor one that sits on, or around, your TV.
We purchased ours from Antennas Direct and paid only $99. Newer versions have since emerged and you can get bigger and better for a few more dollars.
But best of all – NO MONTHLY FEES!
I then purchased the MLB online package for $130.00. For that price, I can watch all MLB games, all season long, and do so on my iPhone or iPad.
We kept Netflix to give us a lot more inexpensive viewing options while satisfying our toddler’s cartoon desires. The kids also have a plethora of online options that they absolutely love. They couldn’t be happier and have established a daily cartoon ritual of favorites. Sure we get to use the iPad a little less these days but well worth it. You just can’t beat Netflix for $8 a month.
We also have Chromecast, which we purchased for a one-time $30 fee and a Roku player (no monthly fees either).
There’s a few stations that still aren’t available to watch without a cable provider to sign in with but… I hear that some people will download their favorite shows via utorrent.
Our yearly price to watch all our favorite TV shows now? Under $230! High-speed cable is $60 a month or $720 a year. We saved well over $1,000 and there’s not a show out there we can’t get – and the resolution of a HDTV antennae is perfect.
Don’t think you have to ditch the DVR either. Check out Simple.TV for a great DVR that will record your antennae viewed shows.
Another option to lose cable TV is the new Aereo Cloud DVR. It’s gaining popularity quick and the company is doing a great job of rapidly expanding into new cities.
These are just some of the many options out there for getting rid of cable TV or the incredibly expensive AT&T U-verse TV solution. The market is ever-expanding with many new alternatives cropping up almost monthly.
Find what works best for you and save yourself a bundle – instead of buying a bundle of channels that you rarely watch.
