UPDATE…. check out our Cord Cutting Quick Reference Guide, inspired by YOU!

Help A Nerd Out! This week’s question (from Cynthia P.) is a little different…

“How hard is it to ‘cut the cable’ and switch from cable TV to subscription services? Does anyone have any advice?”

Keli W: Oh this is my new favorite topic: We did the following probably went overboard but whatever.  Devices – Roku (all apps for TV in one location), Antenna (for local channels), Tablo (to record live TV from the antenna and can watch it from other rooms) – we subscribe to Netflix (we were already doing this so no cost there), Amazon Prime (we were already doing this so no cost there) and Sling TV ($20) (extra $5 for most ESPN channels with access to app and $5 extra for Disney) It works great and we think we have more content than before we cut cable. Best decision EVER!

Andrea W: I just have to add the alternative perspective 🙂 I’ve been cable-free for over 10 years and my husband and I have just decided to add cable again. We’ve got wi-fi compatible TV, and have been using Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime for the majority of our viewing. Up until a few weeks ago, we were still able to get local channels via our coaxial internet cable, but that has now been blocked. We got a couple of good HD antennas, and that works great on one TV (near a window) and terrible on the other TV that is in the center of a room. We’re getting internet from a provider, and they have a special one-year offer. The service is priced competitively with other options for the things we want to watch, so we’re going to give it a try. I’m guessing we will revisit the conversation next year when the special offer pricing expires.

Gillian L: Apple TV is the way to go. You can access all of the streaming services in one place. An antenna for the local channels if you ever need to watch the news or sports games, but sports aren’t big in my household, so we’re not missing anything! And for a few bucks extra every month Hulu, which has all the major network shows up a day after airing, will remove commercials from your experience.

Aleshia G: We’ve been “cable-less” for several years. We own 2 Roku and 1 Apple TV for the “non-smart” tv’s, 1 smart TV and an X-box. Comparing the Roku‘s to the Apple TV – both are great but I actually the Apple TV device – allows me to share my screen from the iPad, so anything I can pull from the internet, I can see on my TV. The best, however, has been the X-box which will allow you to access the internet directly and has a faster and clearer connection than the Apple TV. Sling is great for streaming live TV, but costs as much as a subscription to satellite or limited cable. If they get the pricing right, then that would be the way to go!

Susan C: We have been cable free for 3 years. We have a Roku and subscribe to Netflix and Hulu. No need for DVR or anything. We have the antenna for the local stuff (news/weather). Honestly the savings is huge. The only thing I miss about cable is sports. But I am not sure I am a big enough sports fan to justify paying for cable to watch them. If there is a game I really want to catch we make plans to go to a friends house or to a sports restaurant to watch a game. That meal, still cheaper than cable.

Jennifer V: We did it and couldn’t be happier. Playstation’s Vue is much less expensive and provides all the cable channels I watch. We had SlingTV, but Vue offers more channels at a better price. We use an Amazon Fire box to access this, our Amazon Prime Videos and Netflix. We bought an HD antenna to get local stations. The only drawback is the complexity of using different apps to access different things and having to switch the TV source to get local channels. When visiting, my mother and mother-in-law cannot just turn on the TV to watch it. They need us to help them find what they want!

It appears the experts by experience have spoken! Great ideas to save money on that costly cable bill.