At the end of April I moved to a new place, and decided it was an opportunity to try life without cable TV. I bought an amplified indoor antenna, signed up for Hulu+, and got an Apple TV to cover all of my streaming options (my Blu-ray player gives me access to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu+, etc., but Apple TV gives me iTunes – and a much better Hulu+ interface). I figured out how/where to watch most of the cable shows I like, and told myself that I wouldn’t mind being a season behind all of my HBO and Showtime original programs. (Note: I watch a lot of TV. It’s my main form of entertainment at home.) My internet got a little more expensive when it was no longer bundled with anything, but all told my monthly bill went down by $100/mo.
Just a month and a half later, though, I’m seriously considering going back to cable.
For the most part, I love the antenna: it looks great, and works well (partly because I live very close to DC). Much of the time, the major networks are crystal clear. I get about 40 channels with it, including the network “alternates” and stations like PBS, the CW, etc. But reception is unreliable, and in bad weather it’s super unreliable. I find that I sometimes miss critical lines/moments because of momentary signal glitches, and it’s particularly frustrating when I’m trying to watch a performance (like during the Tony awards, or So You Think You Can Dance).
I’m also less willing to track shows down than I thought I’d be, even though $100/mo is pretty good motivation. I realize this is sheer laziness/habit, and that I’m probably just spoiled from years of cable viewing (my family first got it in '85), but I find that I’m not so happy about, for example, not being able to finish the recent season of Game of Thrones until it’s available on DVD/iTunes. (And before anyone says something, I’m not interested in illegal/unauthorized ways to watch things.) I watch a lot of HBO/Showtime stuff, and a few new seasons are about to start, and I’m sad about the idea of falling behind all of it.
I’m making myself wait another week or two in case I’m just going through some kind of cable withdrawal, but I have a feeling I’ll be calling Comcast soon enough. And I’m feeling oddly guilty about it – like I failed at something.
Has anyone cut the cord but then reverted to their old ways?