Getting Rid of Cable TV

There are a number of sites available where you can watch TV online. Here are a few sites; CBS, FOX, NBC, HULU, ABC, these networks have the shows available online for you to watch. Now keep in mind you may sacrifice on quality if that is the case you may need to increase your internet speed and bandwidth. There would be an increased cost however the money you save on cable should cover that. Of course you are not going to get live sporting events, there are other sites like the NFL network were you can buy a package. There are other sites out there that stream sporting events however I am not sure that they are legal, however they are available. I will not list them just because of the legalities involved, just know that they are out there.

If you live in Canada as I do, then you can check out CTV, Global Network and City TV just to name a few if you want to stream shows on your computer.

Hulu is a great site with a lot of content however those living outside the U.S. are unable to watch it because they are blocked. There is a way around this, if you live outside the United States you can sign up to a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Definition from Wikipedia

"A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can be used by only one organization."

Basically if you live outside the U.S. you can sign on with a VPN located in the U.S. and access Hulu because it will show that you are accessing their website from the U.S. There are many free VPNs there are also some that cost as well, typically I have seen that you can sign up for about $5 per month.

There are other services to choose from when trying to access other content online. I use Netflix myself and it costs me $8 per month. This has a nice variety of movies, TV shows, kids programing, family programing, comedy etc. Netflix does not carry a lot of new movies that are popular, however they have a large assortment of content to choose from. I would suggest streaming Netflix from your Wii, Xbox or PS3, I find it works a bit better than streaming it from your computer. Anyways check it out, when you sign up you can actually get a month for free as a trial run to see how you like it.

There are other devices that you can use if you want to ditch your cable box for something better. The Boxee Box is made by D-Link it has an HDMI port, USB ports, ethernet jack, optical audio out as well rac audio out. As well it comes with a remote with a small keyboard on one side of it. Basically the Boxee Box aggregates content from various free and legal internet sources and give you several choices to choose from for your viewing pleasure. It has a bunch of built in sites like CNN, ABC, BBC it takes the content from the those sites and displays and categorizes them for you. The Box retails for about $200 and is available in Canada and the U.S.

I found that my cable bill seemed to go up every month and I rarely watched TV. I was paying $85 per month do I decided to take action and cancel my cable saving me $1020 per year. I use various sites to watch TV shows as well I do use Netflix at a cost of $8 per month. I stream Netflix onto my Wii on the upstairs tv and stream it on my Xbox downstairs. It works out great for what I need it for. If you are looking to make the switch to an alternative from cable then make sure to do your research and find out what fits best for you.

According to a Canadian research firm the Convergence Consulting Group, 2.65 million people cut their cords between 2008 - 2011, cable and satellite only added about 113,000 subscribers. This is growing evidence that viewers are finding alternative and cheaper ways to watch television.