How I learned to ditch cable but still love HDTV*
Originally Published 11/30/2010 – And I still don’t miss cable.
You don’t need cable or satellite. How much are you spending on that every month? $50, $60, $70? My bill used to be around $60 a month. That’s $720 a year. Screw that. Unless you’re a serious couch potato (and if you are, you might wanna peel yourself off the sofa and get out of the house) it’s just not worth it. Sure it’s nice to have ESPN. But ain’t it better to go out and enjoy a big game with a group of friends at your favorite bar? Your favorite TV series will end up on DVDs faster than you’d think, and you can use Netflix to get those for cheap.
HD is going mainstream and that means over the air broadcast network TV. Here’s a small and cheap setup that’ll get you situated for just enough high-def in your house, but not so much that you feel obligated to watch it.
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The TV: LG 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV – $329.98
| or… 1080p LCD HDTV – $431.80
There comes a point where a TV gets too big. Unless you’re mounting this thing above a fireplace and setting your couch up 10 yards away, a 32inch TV is about as big as you’ll really need. As far as the difference between 720p and 1080p, if you’re a gamer or a serious movie fiend you’ll want the 1080p. 720p is still hugely more detailed than a regular broadcast, but the 1080p is about twice as more detailed than a 720p. Splitting hairs? Eh, maybe. Read more from Cnet here. LG makes sleek and sturdy HDTVs that come highly rated online & are pretty affordable.
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Ditch cable and get an Amplified Antenna: GE Quantum 24775 Antenna – $30.11
First know this: There is NO SUCH THING AS AN HD ANTENNA. Any old set of rabbit ears can pull in an HD Signal since they’re broadcast on the same UHF and VHF bands. It’s your HDTV that does the work when it receives that HD signal. Quality in antennas do vary, and buying an amplified (translation: you plug it in) antenna could be a good idea if you live in an area that struggles to pick up over the air broadcasts. We use the GE Quantum 24775
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Consider getting Netflix: $7.99 – $11.99 per month
If you’re into the high-speed streaming thing (sorry, I’m not quite there yet) Netflicks will only cost you $7.99 a month for unlimited movies. Most of us probably spend that each month on vending machines. Regular DVDs are $9.99 a month w/ Blue-Ray delivery costing an extra $2.00 more. Adios HBO and Starz.
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Invest in a blue-ray player – LG BD570 – $157.95
Watch a football game in HD then switch over to your standard def Casino Royale
Total Startup Cost = $530.03
Total Cost for one year of cable/sat. at $60 a month = $720
You won’t miss it. Really.
*With that said, I’m no tech wizard. All I know is what works for me, and I’m happy as can be with our 720p (gasp! It’s NOT 1080p!!!!) HDTV. I still can’t believe I used to pay for satellite. Most nights we land on one of our 4 PBS channels anyway. Leave all your comments, tips, and experiences below.
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PBS is great! Love POV and Indepedent Lens
The standard argument is that, at 42″ or less, when viewing movies 720p is as good as 1080p. That being stated, both my 42″ tvs are 1020p anyway. Nice lifestyle post Joe. I like when you branch into other topics outside the sartorial.
This set up doesn’t work for anyone who wants to watch a program that is only on cable, like most sports events. You also can’t watch Food network or HGTV shows, which are very popular.
I have the new Apple TV and I LOVE using the streaming Netflix service onto our HDTV with it — it’s especially great if you have kids. The selection is still limited, but it’s growing stronger each month and there’s already more than enough for me to watch.
One thing to consider about this from the budget perspective is that in order for to work consistently and stream in HDTV you may need to increase your internet speed and therefore your monthly bill. I started with a low DSL connection, then moved to a faster DSL, and finally have settled on a cable internet connection which was a jump from $38 to $49 a month. (A year from now it will be $59 a month.) We’ve never had cable so it didn’t hurt too much but something to consider.
It is really fantastic having so many options on demand.
@Harris: Right. Hence – “You don’t need cable or satellite.” I think it’s pretty clear that if you want to watch cable, you’ll need cable. The image you see at the top? That was taken during the ABC College Football Saturday Night game. It was on network.
I have the WD TV Live HD Plus which plays Netflix, Youtube, Pandora, etc. Also picked up an LG Bluray player for $75 for Netflix Blurays.
With the WD TV Live HD Plus you can play almost ANY format over the network. I have a NAS and you can download and watch stuff whenever you want.
I recently picked up a 47″ 1080p 120Hz LG television on a Black Friday deal. It ran me $600, but it’s worth it to me as an avid movie watcher. I regularly work with 1080p video, so I can use it as a test monitor too.
Also dont forget the Xbox 360 now has ESPN3 (and netflix) which has some college football, soccer, etc on it whenever you want
I admit, I am one of those schlubs that just can’t part with his DirecTV. I blame BBC America and my sports package. If I had an HDTV I would probably consider the switch (as it would free up about an extra 2 hours a week due to shows I would no longer be able to watch). The one thing I would add to this list is a DVR. Even though you are without Cable, you should still be able to record programs on the stations you get. This is nice for those special events or if you missed something and want to quick rewind 10 seconds.
Sports package keeps me paying for cable. No way around it.
Eye candy is dandy but you got to have the sound too. My advice; consider purchasing a computer speaker set instead. They are smaller and less expensive but you still get the range, surround, and subwoofer. If your dwelling is apartment sized like mine, trust me this is all you need and you save precious beer money.
32-inch TV is nice … for a bathroom.
SMPTE maximum recommended viewing distance for a 32-inch TV is 4.3-feet.
Recommended viewing distance from THX is 3.6 feet.
This is, of course, for movies. TV is different.
I have 50-inches and I sit about 8 feet away. 720p is fine at this distance. SMPTE recommends 60-inches from that distance, in which case 1080p would also be required.
See a calculator: http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html
I like movies. Tiny TVs are fine for the casual viewer, but HDTV doesn’t really make much difference when you get down to 32-inch or smaller. Here’s a chart for resolutions: http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/09/1080p-charted-viewing-distance-to-screen-size/
post script: I do this for a living.
I also blog about it at wesleytech.com
Here are a few relevant articles.
I might make a recommendation on the BD player. Go with Samsung, they have the best internet features. The BD-C6500 is $139, and has WiFi built-in. Check out their app store: http://www.samsung.com/us/appstore They support Netflix, Blockbuster, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Cinemanow, Skype, Pandora, Napster, and so much more. I’m not a shill for Samsung. I don’t sell them in my store, but I want to get one.
@Steven: I think there are two types of guys when it comes to TVs. Those that are like you, and those that are like me.
Nice post, Joe. I enjoy these lifestyle posts, too. I’ve actually tossed around the idea of getting rid of my cable since I only watch MLB and very few tv programs (The Walking Dead and the Discovery Channel are pretty much the only things I watch). B/c of this post, its kick starting my look in to Netflix and an internet media streamer.
If you’re into streaming video, don’t forget Hulu Plus! $7.99 a month (same price as NetFlix’s streaming service) and you get access to a lot of current TV shows, including the latest episodes the day they are aired, as well as a back catalog of older shows too.
They stream in 720p when available (depending on the show) or 480p. You can watch on a lot of different devices including your iPhone, iPod, Mac/PC, the Roku streaming box, as well as a Playstation 3. My only complaint is that they do show ads, but then again you were watching ads on satellite/cable TV too, except now you’re only paying $7.99 a month and can watch TV on the go.
My setup at home is all run thru a Playstation 3. It can play blu-rays, dvds, Netflix streaming, Hulu Plus, and the cherry on top is that I can play a video game too if I’m so inclined.
Anybody looking to stream Netflix/ Hulu+/ Pandora/ Amazon VOD to their TV should SERIOUSLY look into a Roku player. Roku XDS gets my highest recommendation!
A cool addition would be to pick up a PS3 instead of a separate blu ray player. Cnet rates the PS3 as one of its best blu ray players, its also capable of streaming Netflix in HD, you can surf the web with it (also play songs from Pandora, watch Hulu thru the browser), and you got a quality gaming platform with titles for a variety of genres. Add in the the new way to play games with the Move controller and you got one heckuva do-everything piece of tech for $300. my $0.02
@ Aaron, you beat me to the punch with the PS3 rec.
As others have already said you really can’t omit streaming netflix. Roku is the cheapest and maybe best way for this. I use a Xbox360 since it can also stream movies and tv shoes from my PC.
Lots of good information here.
When I was a bachelor living alone I didn’t have cable. Relied on an OTA antenna plugged into an HDHomeRun network-attached TV tuner with Windows Media Center as my DVR. Worked for me as a tinkerer and tech junkie but my girlfriend would rather pay for cable than mess with all that so now that we live together we have cable. I have two WDTVs to play stuff off my server. Have a 42″ 1080p LG LED local dimming TV in the living room. Sorely lacking sound though so we’re getting ourselves a surround sound system for christmas.
I agree with Manny that PBS is awesome. Proud supporter of our local affiliate.
Oh also if you go cable-less and don’t want to pay for Netflix, check out your local library. They have a lot of new releases on DVD for free.
Great post! My understanding is that the difference between 720 and 1080 is virtually imperceptible on sets under 42″. I know I can’t really tell the difference.
“Tiny TVs are fine for the casual viewer”… If you’re viewing anything but casually, you might want to reevaluate the way you are spending your discretionary time and energy. Just sayin
720p and 1080p are just resolutions. If you have a TV that runs at 720p the native resolution is 1280×720 meaning if you run a 1080p video which runs at 1920×1080 it won’t look any different to you.
Now if you have a larger TV with a native resolution of 1920×1080 then run a 720p video the resolution is reduced and you will notice a huge difference no matter where you sit at.
Can’t agree with Joe G. enough. Roku is the best thing since Netflix. Netflix Instant on the big screen and Pandora on your home theater system.
Go with a PS3. It can stream Netflix, play games, blu-rays and connect to computer libraries over wifi. The guys who do the Criterion Collection use PS3s to test their blu-rays, so you can’t really go wrong there.
I have an older tube “hd” tv yet I picked up the apple tv and I love it! One thing about going streaming only is you start thinking about how much money you wasted buying dvds unless its a really stand out must see movie I don’t buy them anymore. 8 bucks a month and I have access to a ton of movies, tv shows, documentaries among other things. The apple tv has access to youtube and they just added a few sport apps to it which I haven’t check out yet since I usually go to a friends house to watch games. It is worth the price point and it takes up so little space.
I’m glad people are finally getting it. I have a PS3 connected through an affordable Sony STR-DH510 “Digital Audio/Video Control Center” via HDMI to a 720p Toshiba 32″ HDTV for Blu-Ray/DVD movies, games, and streaming Netflix. Netflix streams in SD and even some HD, although, StarzPlay content still lags in quality. Its not nearly as bad as with Silverlight, however. With Netflix I can stream plenty of movies including older obscure titles unavailable at Blockbuster in addition to content such as “American Experience”, “NatGeo”, “Bizarre Foods”, “Anthony Bordain” and many other cable shows and PBS documentaries. Anything not available streaming I just get in the mail.
For stuff I can’t get on Netflix I have a small laptop tucked away out of site that’s always on with the lid closed and hooked up to the TV; remotely controlled with a wireless laptop style keyboard. With that I can stream “Man VS Food” and many other shows not available on Netflix
I also have an antenna for PBS (LA has 9 PBS channels) and Universal Sports. World Cup winter sports anyone? Universal Sports has skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, etc..
The only thing I’ll miss from Direct-TV is FIM and F1 racing but I can go to the pub to watch it while being social. I’ll also miss the NASA Channel but after this June and the end of STS missions there won’t be much to watch there anyway.
Its hard to justify cable and satellite these days, however, things are going to change with Netflix starting next year; not necessarily for the better. Their contracts, agreed to before streaming was taken seriously by studios, are coming up for renewal. I expect Starz to be gone at the very least. They are also starting to produce their own content. A Kevin Spacy series is in the works at the moment.
We are truly in an era where, “amusing ourselves to death”, is affordable for everyone.
Oh, the laptop with the audio outputs connected to the Sony STR-DH510 works great for “internet radio” as well. I can effortlessly listen to streaming radio stations from all over the world in addition to podcasts, and Pandora.
I tried using the PS3’s browser and hated it. I wanted to love it but ended up getting an inexpensive refurbed laptop on Overstock.com for anything internet related on the TV. I do not understand why Sony doesn’t just let Mozilla’s port a version of Firefox to the PS3. It’s not like they are competitors in any way. In my opinion, the internet browser is the only thing that keeps the PS3 from being an entertainment hub juggernaut. It’s not like they couldn’t do a software upgrade. It seems like so many companies get lazy and stop development one step away from greatness.
I’ve got a 17-inch HD TV that I got for about $200 at Costco, 4 or 5 years back. It has always been plenty big for me, since I’m not the type to sit around watching TV for hours on end in my living room. I watch movies with one or two other people, and occasionally play videogames. That’s it. Cable is garbage, anyway – why pay through the nose to get 700 channels of the same crap? Maybe one day I’ll splurge and get a digital antenna so I can watch the news on PBS.