I "cut the cord" over a year ago and have never looked back. Even when my computer was down and I wasn't able to receive streaming video (Win98 computer), I largely re-watched the same VHS fare I've been watching for years, which is what I did occasionally even when I was paying nearly $100 a month for satellite.
I admit that I missed the Olympics, which really bothered me, as it is an event I have not missed since 1984. I have several hours of that telecast on VHS, as well. Aside from that though, I have missed little in the way of new programming. My viewing habits have changed, to some degree, though.
Cutting the cord requires you scour the Web for TV and movie providers. Hulu and Netflix are the top of the heap, but there are many others. Once you get a good list of bookmarks, you may have to wait a few weeks to see what you'd normally watch on TV, but you'll find that, with on-demand programming, your viewing habits change. I, and many others with whom I've spoken without cable/satellite, often wait several weeks for episodes to "stack-up," then watch several hours of one or two shows in a day or two.
A lot of this depends on the content in which you are interested; live sports fans have few options. However, ESPN has reportedly entered a deal with Microsoft to stream live events on the XBox.
Again, as your tastes change -- and it is as much an adaptation as a discovery -- you will probably include a lot of radio, podcasts, and short videos into your programming. If you are a gamer... you probably haven't read this far. But let's say you have, then you already have a significant entertainment outlet with that. I also have a series on podcasts that I started a while back, but have yet to finish thanks to recent events.
However, cutting the cord is nowhere near as difficult as it seems, and there is a wealth of online content to keep you entertained, no matter what you are into. As you adjust, you'll discover new formats, types of content, and entertainment-based programs that will accompany and even replace many of the TV programs you might otherwise watch.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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Lifehacker's guide to the streaming TV services.
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