6 Cord-Cutting Tips

Millions of Americans are “cutting the cord” – getting rid of their cable or satellite TV services in favor of cheaper streaming alternatives. Why pay for channels you never watch when you can piece together a combination of content providers that offer what you’re eager to see?

Cord cutters sign up for a variety of services to enhance their broadcast TV options. Hulu Plus. Amazon Prime. Netflix. Each provides programming at less than $10 a month. Even a combination of all three means a lower monthly bill than what you’ve likely been paying for years.

You’ll even get access to critically hailed shows not found on any cable service, from “House of Cards” on Netflix to Amazon’s “Transparent.”

It’s a big decision, in part, because we’ve become accustomed to the convenience that traditional cable and satellite companies offer. And there will be trade offs if you sever that cord. Yes, you’ll get access to so many classic TV shows and movies you could watch them for years and never catch up.

Related: Bye TV Cord, Hello Streaming

But if you want to know who just became zombie food on the latest installment of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” you’ll have to find out by buying new episodes one at a time. Sports junkies will see their diet restricted in the new streaming landscape.

Sports junkies will find their diet restricted in the new streaming landscape.

So, before you take the plunge and consider the world of streaming alternatives, follow these five guidelines:

Is Your Internet Speedy Enough?
You’ll instantly miss cable TV if all you see on your streaming services is the word, “buffering.” Pokey download speeds mean you won’t experience a seamless viewing experience. In short, you’ll sit through some delays while watching your new favorite shows. Consider calling your Internet provider and researching the current speed levels. Sites like Speedtest.net will give you a rough idea of how fast your current service is. You might want to boost your Internet speed before snipping that cord.

Consider an Old-School Antenna
You’d be surprised how much content you get for free with an antenna well under $100. Most give consumers the major broadcast channels in HD plus a few unexpected channels. Availability depends on home location and the amount of stations broadcasting in a given area.

Weigh the Sports Alternatives
Cutting cable means no ESPN, TNT or other channels that serve up an array of sports content. That hurts, but there’s a way to cushion the blow. Streaming services like MLB.TV and NHL GameCenter Live offer all out of market games in HD, and you can watch them all across several devices.

Consider Your Streaming Tool Kit
Consumers can stream content to their TVs from a variety of gadgets. There’s the Roku 2 and 3, hockey puck-sized devices that bring dozens of streaming channels into your home. Or, you can try out one of several sticks (Amazon’s Fire TV, the Google Chromecast) that offer similar services. These gadgets are one-time fees less than $100, but to receive much of the content they stream you have to subscribe to individual services.

Spend Wisely
Ex-cable subscribers can binge on all these offerings and end up paying more than they once did for cable. So choose carefully. Understand that you’ll be missing some entertainment choices as a result, but you’ll have access to content you never did before.

Wait for the Next Innovation
For years only cable subscribers could savor HBO’s eclectic originals. Earlier this year, the pay cable giant launched HBO Now, which lets consumers access the channel’s lineup without a cable subscription. The past few months also introduced Sling TV, like a junior cable service but for a fraction of the price (the basic service starts at $20 a month). The home entertainment field is awash in change, and most of it gives consumers even more choices to consider.