Help, please! I want to ditch cable TV and go with antenna and a subscription like...

[Fridays Child]

...Netflix (don't want the DVDs, just the streaming service) Hulu Plus, or other service (are there others?). But I am beyond confused by the whole thing. What do you guys use? If you've managed to wean yourself off of cable TV, are you happy with the decision? What do you miss the most?

I pay $70 a month for my TV service and there are only a few shows I really like--mostly re-runs of sitcoms that are no longer in production. I would miss cable news (mainly, MSNBC but CNN, to some extent, as well). I love PBS but I'm pretty sure I can pull in a good signal by antenna.

I looked at antennaweb.com and it indicates that I would need two different antennae to get all of the local channels. I'm skeptical of that but even if it's true, the only channel I'd be missing by not getting the second antenna is KGUN9 which I think is ABC.

But, for the streaming content, I don't know what system or "box" I need to get. I'm not interested in video games, so I don't necessarily need a game console. I don't own a high definition TV, if that makes a difference. Premium channels aren't of much interest to me, except that it might be good to have Current, if that's possible. Actually, though, since I've never seen Current, I'm only assuming that, as a Liberal, I'd like it.

So, any help you guys could offer would be appreciated.

[Fridays Child]

1. What? No opinions?!?

Oh, well. Maybe I posted this too late in the evening. I'll kick it in the morning.

[Tobin S.]

2. We have that kind of set up and it runs through our Wii

You can probably get a refurbished Wii and go this route. You will need broadband internet access to do this. We have a service that operates from something like a cellular signal. That modem is hooked to our Wii which is hooked to our TV.

Our internet service costs $30 a month and our streaming Netflix subscription is $10, I think. Plus, the high speed internet service gives us internet access on our computers at no extra cost. So $40 a month for broadband internet access and all of the movies and old TV shows you want.

[rucky]

3. A 50-dollar Roku box should do you just fine.

http://www.roku.com/meet-roku

[siligut]

4. I second the Roku box

And congrats on breaking the cable habit FC, we are soon to follow.

[Fridays Child]

15. It reminds me of when we gave up our landline and went with cell phones only.

It seemed like such a risky venture, at the time. Now that I look back at it, I have to chuckle at how hesitant we were.

[Betty88]

5. roku is wonderful

I love it because you watch more than just netflix, hulu and amazon there are plenty of free channels you can add to the device.

[Fridays Child]

16. Is it necessary to have a high definition TV?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. I have a Roku as well

The only reasons I keep cable are that my Internet comes from Comcast (I had bad luck with DSL) and that I'm right under a flight path, and I'm told that digital signals break up a lot in this neighborhood. Also, I have become addicted to MHz Worldview's International Mysteries. But I have the lowest of the low cable tiers.

Here's my set up:

Cable Internet with basic-basic cable TV (local channels and public access plus CNN and TBS)
Subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Acorn TV (British and Canadian content), streamed through the Roku. Occasionally I watch one of the free Roku channels, like Snag Films (amazing collection of documentaries) or Vanguard Films. Democracy Now and Free Speech TV are also available as free channels.

Just this gives me more content than I have time to watch.

[rucky]

8. That sounds like the perfect set-up

I wouldn't miss a thing. If only I could convince my wife of the same...

[Fridays Child]

14. Thank you for the Roku link. That's probably the way I'll go.

[Pool Hall Ace]

6. Wow, this post could have been made by me

so I'll give it a kick, too.

In the mean, time, checking out the Roku . . .

[alarimer]

9. I use my PS3 to stream Netflix and Hulu

It's also a Blu-Ray player. But that's an expensive option. Roku box is the cheapest option.

The WII also streams, but not in HD (you get HD on some streaming shows, but not all and it depends on your bandwith, but Netflix at least adjusts the picture automatically.)

Note that HULU Plus (7.99 a month) is what you would need. Also CBS is not on HULU at all currently, so you'd get ABC, NBC, and Fox shows, as well as Comedy Central for current shows.

[whistler162]

10. Roku.. $20 off the two top end boxes this weekend

and don't forget to sign up for Fatwallet - http://www.fatwallet.com/Roku-coupons/ for a 3.5% rebate.

[Fridays Child]

12. Thanks for the tip!

[hunter]

11. Here's a previous thread from GD...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021862332

[Fridays Child]

13. Many thanks!

I've bookmarked the thread and saved the link. I'm going to read the article carefully and try to get my questions answered.

[Kaleva]

17. I have a Blu-ray/dvd player that came Netflix ready

It's hooked up to my modem and tv so I can stream movies and tv shows and watch them on the big screen. In the beginning my subsription to Netflix included getting Blu-ray or dvds via mail but I dropped that part and my cost now is $7.99 a month and I'm perfectly happy with what I'm able to watch.