Here’s a topic of conversation that is becoming more prominent every day. Cut the cable. Technology is progressing, as technology does and the beauty of that is that it provides the consumer with options.
Do you still have cable? Perhaps you even have a combination of products such as cable and Netflix, and Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Depending on your personal needs and preferences, you may be able to pare down significantly if you cut the cable.
Waypoint Real Estate Group knows that managing your budget is important. Below we would like to share information about the various products available so you can better understand what you have, what you need, and hopefully how much you may be able to save by cutting the cable.
Cable (Offered by various providers)
Average cost: ~ $90/month
What you get: Enjoy television and sports, as they premiere, or pay an additional fee to use DVR or On Demand services to watch anytime you want. Access to movie channels (dependent on plan) and On Demand films.
The catch: Most cable services require that you bundle cable, Internet and a landline for the best deal. This could mean you end up paying more for services that you aren’t using. Additional channels cannot be chosen a la carte so getting the channels you love could mean a hefty increase.
Satellite (Offered by various providers)
Average cost: ~ $75/month
What you get: Television and sports as they premiere. Limited access to movie channels.
The catch: Satellite dishes aren’t particularly attractive and many communities even have regulations against them.
Average Cost: $11.99/month (Additional costs for DVD service)
What you get: Unlimited streaming of all Netflix movies and television shows (far more than you could ever watch). Immediate access to Netflix original series.
The catch: Shows often have a waiting period between airing on cable and showing up on Netflix. Sometimes this wait can be several months.
Average cost: $99/year
What you get: Access to instant streaming of all Amazon licensed movies and television (once again more than you could ever watch), instant access to Amazon studio productions, and free two-day shipping on all Amazon Prime products.
The catch: Shows often have a waiting period between airing on cable and showing up on Amazon. Sometimes this wait can be several months. Not all programming on Amazon Streaming is free with Prime. Some shows require an additional fee to stream.
Average cost: $99 one time device fee. After that, shows and films are purchased individually, or by the season. Costs average $3/episode (discounted for the whole season) or $12.99/film.
What you get: Just about everything you could find on cable, available at the same time, or the day after, and a wide movie selection, including new releases.
The catch: Depending on your television habits, adding new apps and purchasing new shows or movies can become costly.
Average cost: $99 one time device purchase.
What you get: The Roku 3’s interface and speedy processor makes it feel quicker and more responsive than any other streaming box. More than 1,000 channels are supported, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, MLB.TV, Amazon Cloud Player, Vudu and (finally) Youtube. It also has cross-platform search that scours several major TV and movie services to find content. And Roku’s remote has a built-in headphone jack that lets you listen without disturbing others.
The catch: The Apple TV still works better within the Apple ecosystem. And the Roku 3 isn’t the best option if you’re mostly looking to stream your personal digital media collection.
Only you can decide what option is the best for you and your family, but being educated about your options is the first step to saving money. Waypoint Real Estate Group wants to know: Have you cut the cable? If so, what alternatives are you enjoying?
Waypoint Real Estate Group serves Central Florida, specializing in Celebration, FL.