Did you know that cable TV in the United States costs $107 per month?
If you pay for this service, you know the woes involved when dealing with its issues. It might seem negligible at times. But when there are better services around, you must take advantage of it.
Don’t dismiss these opportunities yet.
With this guide, you’ll learn about reasons to ditch cable. Read on and find out how changing the way you watch television improves your experience.
1. Walk Away from Poor Customer Support
Cable companies knew that they have no competition and thus took advantage of it for years. They have no constraints, allowing them to run with undermanned call centers. This means people having cable problems won’t get support unless they wait for minutes or even hours.
These companies found themselves indispensable. With this, they came up with various unscrupulous schemes to gain profit at their customers’ expense. Some of these include selling packages that forced subscribers to shell out more money for channels they don’t like.
Other markets offer some options, but it isn’t enough to make an impact on the customer service level. That’s why expecting poor service from cable companies became an inextricable part of popular culture. Some shows even showed jokes about how their cable companies missed their appointments.
This changed when streaming services entered the fray. With technological advances, these companies can give definitive prices for their features and services. As a customer, you can sign up for an account, upgrade to a better package, and cancel without waiting.
You need not wait for installation because it’s all online. You won’t get company appointments throughout the service. They also won’t give any equipment, meaning there’s nothing to return when you discontinue their service.
2. Save More Money
For years, people advocating to ditch your cable company said that the primary reason is the cost. Take note, the gap between the two services aren’t as broad since streaming services continue to expand their content libraries. But a cable or satellite package of the same caliber remains more expensive.
Again, the lack of competition fueled most cable companies. That’s why they increased their price rates far more than the reasonable market price. They paint various factors as scapegoats, like TV surcharges, regional sports fees, and taxes.
The worst part is that in some cases, these price increases are illegal. With lots of people learning how to ditch cable, cable companies are panicking. That’s why they intend to squeeze every last cent of profit by overcharging.
Streaming services may increase their prices, but they add value to it. For example, the Netflix company only raised their rates five times since it started. In turn, the number of titles they have increased drastically and run little to no ads.
3. Get Free TV
Using an antenna, you gain access to free content over-the-air. It’s especially when you’re living near urban areas. There, you’ll get to watch free content from local networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, and more. You will be able to watch the 49ers game live or any other sports team without any problem.
Aside from getting content from major broadcast channels, you’ll find out these have better audiovisual quality. This is because cable companies use compressed TV signals. They then re-broadcast these using a lower resolution.
You need not worry about contract problems between cable providers and local networks after getting an antenna. That way, you get uninterrupted shows, whether it’s sports, the news, and other programs. Also, antennas continue working even when the weather is bad.
4. Pay for the Channels You Watch
Your cable package might feature 200 channels, but you won’t find anything worth watching. If you feel this, know you aren’t alone since the average consumer will only watch 17 channels 80% of the time. Regardless, the predatory pricing schemes and packages offered by cable companies resulted in millions of dollars of overcharge each year.
On the other hand, streaming packages offer you more flexibility. It means choosing the necessary channels and paying exclusively for them. For example, some services offer inexpensive base packages with optional add-ons for sports and other programs.
The base selection allows customers to know what channels they’ll pay for in the future. If you aren’t keen on paying for streaming services now, check out the linked article. You’ll learn about free streaming services you can try before committing.
5. Pick Your Preferred Streaming Device
If you’re a cable subscriber, you’re stuck with expensive cable boxes. You rent these instead of picking your preferred delivery service. This is the opposite when dealing with streaming services.
You can pick devices with the right features to manage your entertainment needs. Depending on your price preferences, you can choose between Roku, Apple, and Amazon Fire TV.
Popular Streaming Services
These are some of the most common streaming services around. Use these as a starting point if you decide to ditch cable.
1. Netflix
This is the pioneer in streaming services. Their prices have increased a lot lately, but it’s a great service with lots of great series and movies. This is a good service if you plan to spend your lazy Sunday watching shows.
2. Hulu
This is similar to Netflix, but it offers a 7-day free trial period. It has tons of exclusive content, like The Handmaid’s Tale. Sign up and see whether the service works best for you.
3. Amazon Prime
This service isn’t all about the two-day shipping benefit. If you have Amazon Prime, you can stream TV shows, movies, music, and other content. A yearly membership might sound too much, but it’s convenient when you consider the exclusive Amazon-original shows.
4. Redbox
Redbox is your best bet if you want to watch more recent movies. In most cases, you can rent movies as they come out on DVD. It’s convenient since you avoid paying for your entire family’s cinema outing.
Ditch Cable Today!
These are valuable reasons to ditch cable as soon as possible. Use these along with the most popular streaming services to break free from cable services.
Did this article help you decide? If so, read our other posts and learn more important tips and tricks today.