My Cord-Cutting Experience

 I thought I'd share my "cord-cutting" experience. Also, when my friends  and family ask me how I did it, I can just point them to this blog post.

The cord-cutting concept is to continue to subscribe to your cable operator's high speed internet service, while removing all other services --- multi-channel video services (local TV broadcasts, "cable channels", premium services) and landline phone (if you've got that). Cord cutting means that you are removing your video and other unnecessary services from your cable TV package ... and just keeping your internet service. In my town, I only have one internet service provider (ISP) --- my cable company. Should others offer service in my neighborhood in the future, I may select a different ISP, but I don't have a choice today.

Why Did I Cut the Cord?

My total cable bill was approaching $250 a month for a video / internet bundle. It had been inching up gradually for years. Plus, I was already subscribing to a bunch of streaming services ---Hulu, Netflix, AppleTV, Amazon Prime, and Peacock). It was out of control. Also, I was paying a monthly fee for the cable box, and receiving video services I just didn't watch or use. Enough already!

Laziness, habit, and momentum got in the way of taking action. Until now.

What Did I Do?

Before cutting the cord, I set up my new solution as a trial for a week. Once the trial proved successful, I removed all my cable operator's services except high speed internet and returned my set top box and old remote control. And, brought my month fee to the cable operator down from $250 to $55 a month (for a 75 mbps download level of service).

I decided to go the Google TV (Chromecast for TV) route, adding a subscription to YouTube TV. Then, I just added the streaming services I was already subscribing to as Google TV apps. I'm already pleased with the Google / Android ecosystem and see no reason to mix platform providers.

Google TV is a device that attaches to one of the HDMI ports in your TV. It is powered by a USB 5 volt adapter. It connects to your home Wi-Fi network. It also comes with a handheld remote control, that provides voice command input to navigate to content. along with a few buttons. Set up is easy using the Google Home app on your mobile phone. 

Once set up, Google TV's Home page and interface is the main starting point for your TV watching experiences. The Google TV device was $30 and there is no continuing fee to use the device. While it will provide access to free content (Pluto TV, Tubi, and others), you'll probably want more. For example, your local broadcast TV channels, many of the cable networks you enjoy (for example, MSNBC, CNN, Bravo, TCM, AMC, etc.), and the streaming services you may already have (in my case, Hulu, Max (HBO), Netflix, AppleTV, Amazon Prime, and Peacock).

Once I had Google TV up and running, as described on the site at this link, my next step was to subscribe to and add YouTube TV to Google TV. YouTube TV is a streaming subscription service, with a monthly service fee (at the time of this post, $73 per month). It provides a wealth of the content we enjoy ... a grid based program guide (and voice guide) for live  streaming of local TV broadcast stations, and a large number of the typical "cable" networks. It offers DVR like recording of all the content it streams (through a command that will add broadcasts to your "Library" for later viewing). You navigate to YouTube TV from the starting point of your TV watching experience ... Google TV's Home Page (a single button on the Google TV remote control).

I then added each of my streaming services as apps to Google TV, again to easily access them and navigate to them (but remote control navigation or voice command).

That was it ... I was fully set up to access all the content I had previously, all available through a single portal --- the Google TV device and its Home interface.

After running the trial for one week (with my cable TV set top box disconnected), I was assured that I continued to have all the content I had before, with a better, more integrated navigation experience. I returned my cable box and remote, and removed my video services from my cable operator. I own (not rent from the cable company) my cable modem --- a less than $100 unit. My Motorola SBG6580 (an older cable modem that supports downloads of up to 100 mbps) is more than sufficient. These can be purchased used on eBay for less than $50. Cable operators must allow you to use your own cable modem without an additional monthly fee.

My monthly $250  internet / video cable expense is now $55 for high speed internet (75 mbps service is more than sufficient) and  $73 for YouTube TV ($128 a month). I was already subscribing to the other services, so there is no change there. Cord Cutting was a 50% savings, with a better experience.