[March 01, 2012] Pulling the plug on cable Tweet Mar 01, 2012 (St. Joseph News-Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Thousands of Americans have already cut the cord. They've discontinued their cable service and begun exclusively watching Internet video on their computers, phones and home televisions. And many of those people are finding that they're not missing any of the programming they really love while simultaneously saving hundreds of dollars a year and countless headaches brought on by cable and satellite companies. "Personally, I don't believe that streaming-only is for everybody, but those who can do it cut off a lot of costs -- sometimes, substantial costs," says Chuck Nill, general manager of St. Joseph Electronics. Essentially, those who pay for cable and satellite -- and they're paying an average of nearly $75 a month according to a 2010 CNN report -- are paying for convenience, picture quality and time-sensitive programming like live sporting events. However, a cable TV package can be replaced by an antenna, an Internet connection and a supplemental Netflix subscription, Mr. Nill says. If you live in an area with substandard reception, it may be worth it to buy an amplified antenna to boost signal. Mr. Nill recommends that those living in the St. Joseph area purchase a local range HDTV outdoor antenna (a one-time purchase of $100 to $129) to pick up the Kansas City stations. Not only will this antenna pick up 20 to 30 stations (including local NBC, ABC, CBS, CW and FOX affiliates), it will display them in an HD picture of better quality than cable or satellite TV, Mr. Nill says. Check out antennaweb.org to get an idea of what stations to expect, based on your address. You can supplement your antenna with a subscription to Netflix, which rules the roost when it comes to streaming TV shows for a monthly subscription. Netflix programming can be streamed on your computer, as well as through an Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 3. But it's an ideal choice only if you're willing to wait a bit after a show comes out to see it. Those who don't want to wait a couple of months could consider a Hulu Plus subscription for $8 per month. Hulu Plus keeps up to four or five of the most recent episodes of popular TV shows from networks such as ABC, MTV and FOX, and sometimes you can find whole seasons of series like "The Office" or "Grey's Anatomy." Naturally, you should look through Hulu Plus's offerings to make sure the service has the show you want to watch before you sign up. Those who do subscribe to a streaming service like Hulu Plus also should consider investing in a set-top box like those from Roku and Boxee. These boxes stream content from apps to your television, so you aren't stuck watching shows on a cramped computer or phone screen. Boxee ($167.99) boasts Netflix, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Pandora, CNN and Vudu Movies, among other offerings. Roku (a one-time purchase of $49 to $59) not only streams Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime Instant to your TV but also lets you watch NBC News and feature-length movies on apps like Crackle. "The Roku device has a lot of different apps, and it basically turns any TV into a smart TV," Mr. Nill says. If Roku sounds a little too out there for you, you can always visit a particular channel's website to find episodes of your favorite shows. Often you'll be able to access recently aired episodes, and sometimes even complete seasons. You also can buy and download HD episodes of many shows on iTunes. Still, wading through all of those websites to watch your favorite TV shows can be difficult and time-consuming. That's where Clicker.com comes in. This website aggregates links to the legal video you want to see online, and then directs you to the provider's site -- Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, iTunes or the network's website. These steps should direct many viewers to the programming they love without the use of cable TV. However, Mr. Nill says these steps aren't a solution for everyone. "Streaming is a good option to fall back on, but it's probably not for the sports fans and channel flippers," he says. Truly, live sporting events and cable news programs continue to be hard to find (legally) on the Web, but many affordable alternatives exist. Here are some helpful tips from PC World's Megan Geuss for those news junkies and sports fans who are thinking of cutting cable from their monthly diets. Presidential debates or State of the Union addresses are usually available live on CNN.com or MSNBC.com for free. And all major news outlets offer clips of their previously run programming for free, often in linked clips. When one clip ends, the next begins in approximation of a live news TV broadcast. MSNBC.com streams programming clips every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., although it isn't truly live because the spots air on MSNBC first. Similarly, Fox News Live streams online -- along with a chat room beneath the video player for viewers to share their thoughts -- between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. If watching clips doesn't bother you and you're not tied to a specific news station, give the free app Newsy a try. Newsy produces its own high-quality video blogs using media from major news and sports cable channels. It's a fast way for you to gauge what's going on in TV from your phone or tablet. Most major pro sports leagues offer some sort of paid online streaming service in which you can watch most (or all) of that league's games on your computer. The NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB all have online streaming services, though in some cases they block you from watching locally televised games. ESPN frequently offers its programming after airing. At WatchESPN (www.espn.go.com/watchespn), you can see entire replays of recent games. Ustream (www.ustream.tv) offers live coverage of smaller events -- such as the World Series of Boxing, PGA Tour events and the Alpine Skiing World Cup -- at pay-per-view prices. Shea Conner can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @stjoelivedotcom. ___ (c)2012 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.) Visit the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.) at www.newspressnow.com/index.html Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]