Consumer Watch: Ways to cut the high cost of watching TV

photo Ellen Phillips

Many of my friends are dispensing with their expensive cable bills and going to other newer technology. While I can't stand the exorbitant monthly fee, I'm also a bit apprehensive about going cable-free. Any advice?

- Seth Subscriber

Dear Mr. Subscriber: According to my go-to standby Consumer Reports' ShopSmart, cutting the cord isn't necessarily an easy decision, especially if you're a devote of cable shows, such as miniseries or sports. On the other hand, if you think you're ready to cast the deciding vote along with your buds, ShopSmart offers sage hints that may tip the balance.

Think about the amount of TV and which programs you and your family watch. If you're TVholics, plus sports fanatics, maybe rethink the cable/fiber/satellite issue and stay where you are. However, assuming you pretty much watch network shows and don't care so much about sports or premium-channel programs, keep reading, (and calculating, as ShopSmart tells us that a step down saves $20 monthly and cutting down to the most basic cable plan can save more than $50 a month).

Buy a streaming device. Either a smart TV or a Blu-ray player is necessary, unless you plan to get either an Amazon Fire or an Apple set, a Chromecast, or a Roku box. At only $35 for the former and the latter's new streaming stick for $50, we should be able to strike a good deal.

The antenna perched atop long-ago sets have made a sophisticated comeback. In fact, you may be able to get signals via this method. To see how strong the local stations' signals emit at your address and what kind of antenna to buy, go online to antenna web.org, anntennapoint.com, and/or tvfool.com. (ShopSmart recommends the free, over-the-air broadcast TV (in high def)'s Radio Shack 15-254 set-top antenna, which costs only $35.)

Add the streaming device to certain services to watch more of a variety of movies and shows. For instance, Amazon Prime costs $99 yearly and Hulu Plus is $8 monthly, as is Netflix. Obviously, movie rental is available through Amazon Instant Video, Redbox, and Vudu.

And if you're just too faint-hearted to cold cut, perhaps downsizing is the better solution. Check with your company and find out its lowest-priced plan that offers most of what you want. Another option is to cut the service on all television sets but the one you and the family regularly watch. Antennas and/or streaming video service work just fine for the kids' rooms or other secondary sets.

One piece of interesting advice: ShopSmart tells us not to think we'll automatically save boo coos of money by freeing ourselves from this monthly money thief. TiVo, while having a great stand-alone DVR, is pricy and its monthly service runs $15-$20. Aero has a virtual DVR but is held up right now with legality issues at the Supreme Court. And even though you'll lose this hefty TV service fee, you'll also lose the triple-play discount, which can also be pretty hefty. Be sure to research all methods to ensure the most savings but still keep what you enjoy viewing.

Ellen Phillips is a retired English teacher who has written two consumer-oriented books. Her Consumer Watch column appears every Sunday. You may contact her at consumer watch@timesfreepress.com

Upcoming Events