How much are you paying your cable company or satellite TV provider? Our cable bill has gotten so high, I actually tremble when I open it each month. We switched to one of the satellite TV providers last March to try to reduce our bill–but when one of our big trees leafed out, we lost our line of sight to the satellites and were forced to go back to cable.
Fewer subscribers
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that cable, satellite and phone companies had reported a net loss of nearly 400,000 video subscribers just in 2012’s second quarter. For that matter, the number of US households who subscribed to pay-TV services declined by 1.5 million households just in 2012.
So what’s happening
It’s basically because viewers now have options that are simply weren’t available in the past. There are on-demand downloads, Internet–based streaming services, over-the-air HD and on and on. The fact is, there are many new programming sources available and people who take advantage of them can save as much as $200 a month.
PlayLater
One of the options now available is PlayLater, which is an onlne DVR. It costs $9.99 every six months and allows users to record programming that’s available through PlayOn.
ChannelChooser.com
This option which was called a “gem” by one user is easy to sign up for, easy to use and provides access to a huge lineup of channels, including options from overseas such as SkyNews UK and tech-centric channels like Mashable TV. In fact, it has hundreds of channels you can choose from, including a lot of local network affiliates from around the nation. And, best of all, it doesn’t cost a cent.
Google Play
Google Play now incorporates a TV section where you can buy any show for $1.99. It will also allow you to buy entire seasons for about $22. This means you do pay to Google Play but it’s fairly affordable. And it’s pay-as-you-go. In addition, once you buy a series or show you own it.
Inner-Live.com
This online product is free and offers several channels. Though some people say it’s simply easier to go directly to their selected channels and view their programming on their laptop computers. It is said that Inner-Live is so easy to hook up that even their children can connect the television to their computer.
iChannel
This is a search engine that will show TV shows and movies of all types. You can search for a particular show or movie or just browse their offerings. The results it displays includes the number of websites that have the video available, the ratings entered by regular users andp the quality of the video.
Crackle and Hulu
These both offer a variety of movies and TV programs. Hulu costs $7.99 a month allows you to cancel at any time and has a wide variety of movies and TV programs. However, when I last searched Hulu, it had only 46 movies available. Crackle lists more movies (that you can watch free) but fewer TV series.
Grab TV off the air
Most TVs now have what is called a QAM tuner, which allows you to pull in over-the-air digital signals as broadcast from local TV stations and cable providers. You don’t even need a set-top box. You can even pull in local channels and public access channels in high def.
Cut that debt
If you’ve piled up so much debt that you’re afraid to answer the phone, we can help. National Debt Relief leads the industry in helping people get out of debt the smart way. We provide one of the best debt reduction plans that can help you reduce your credit card bills and save thousands in the process. Call us today or fill in the form you’ll find on the right side of this page for a free quote.
