Television. Hate it or love it, you probably can’t do without it. In the old days, all you needed was an antenna and you were able to tune in five or ten channels for free. It was a luxury at first to have a basic cable subscription for ten dollars a month. But as time went on, you wanted more paid subscription channels such as HBO and your bill probably doubled because of it. Today, a cable television subscription is easily more than $100. My cable bill was over $300 with “landline phone” (totally useless), premium package TV (watched maybe three channels) and internet access (fast but quirky). I was already using Netflix and most of my viewing was using that service.
Easy Steps to Freedom!
Now with the expansion of high-speed internet services, it is easier than ever to replace cable TV. There are more options than ever once you find an internet provider.
- Find a high speed internet provider, in Northern New Jersey options include FIOS, Verizon, T-mobile or even a cable internet only package.
- Set up your TVs to be compatible with internet streaming. Most modern “Smart Tvs’ may be ready to use as streaming devices. Options for older TVs include Roku, FireTV or Chromecast streaming devices.
- Test your internet TV setup.
- Cancel your cable TV subscription and return all unnecessary equipment from your cable TV provider.
- Enjoy your new TV system while enjoying cost savings.
My Journey
I couldn’t justify paying $300 per month for cable TV service to watch a few news programs and one or two entertainment channels. The high-speed internet service that came with it was unreliable, especially in bad weather. I decided to replace my cable service with a less expensive alternative.
My home network was set up with a direct connection to my cable modem, which was located in the basement near the cable line that came into my home. From the cable modem, the signal went to a wifi router, and from there it was distributed throughout the house by CAT 5 ethernet cable. I used network hubs and switches to connect the cable to my computers. The wifi also powered the Ring doorbells and Alexa devices in my home.
I chose T-Mobile as my internet provider because it became available in my area and offered a reasonable price. T-Mobile provided a 5G modem/hub with both Wi-Fi and wired connections. I first put the modem in the basement because that is where my primary network hub is located. However, the signal was weak, so I moved the modem to an upstairs bedroom. But I couldn’t connect the wire directly to my old network because it was too far away. I solved this problem by purchasing a Wi-Fi to Ethernet adapter. This adapter saved me from having to reconfigure my existing devices.
I equipped all my TVs with Amazon Firesticks, with my Amazon Prime Membership I was provided with many streaming channels for free plus Prime Video content such as Movies and TV shows. I supplemented these offerings with Netflix, MAX and Paramount subscriptions. Total cost with the internet service, and subscriptions is around $100 per month.
