In the current time of rising prices, blackouts over fee disputes, and the poor customer service many customers are greeted with, many people are looking to rid themselves of their cable. However, many who tired of cable are not ready to give up TV altogether. Here are a few alternatives to cable:
Satellite Options
Because of cable’s corner on the market, many customers who subscribe to cable in their area have no choice over who their provider is, usually leaving them dissatisfied at their service for the amount of money it costs to simply keep up with the news, their favorite shows, and follow their favorite teams.
Satellite offers consumers the chance to choose who their provider is (DirecTV or Dish), pick their subscription channels, and negotiate on price based on package. DirecTV is the number one satellite choice in the nation, and has been known to provide customers with a satisfaction cable has yet to produce. Check out directv.com for pricing and subscription information.
Additionally, cable has been known to struggle in rural areas, whereas satellite yields service in all locations. Because satellite works off of a satellite signal, satellite TV can be watched anywhere. Whereas cable can be out due to power lines being down, satellite sees little to no interference in that department.
Streaming Options
If a consumer has a subscription to DirecTV, they can access their account from any location and on any device. They can stream from their DVR-ed shows, from DirecTV’s library of available shows, and from their On Demand library.
Other streaming options include Amazon Instant, Netflix, and Hulu.
-Amazon:
Beginning with Amazon Instant, Amazon’s streaming library is available to its Amazon Prime members. Prime, which is a subscription service Amazon offers, allows subscribers quite a few benefits, including access to rent or purchase digital movies. However, this service is only offered to Prime members, and it does cost about $80 a year to be a member.
– Netflix:
Similar to Amazon, Netflix requires viewers to have an account. Members are offered access to a wide variety of TV shows, movies, documentaries, foreign films, and even concert footage. Additionally, Netflix customers can sign up for mail options, which allows them access to an even larger library of movies and TV shows not available to digitally stream.
Customers can pay for a subscription to one or both of Netflix’s options, which is $7.99 a piece with a total of $14.99 for both options. Netflix can streamed through any mobile device, computer, or TV set through the use of Wi-Fi, a streaming device, or through Blu-Ray players. While Netflix does not offer current TV show seasons, they update their site frequently and are commercial free.
-Hulu Plus:
For $7.99 a month, customers have access to most current TV shows, access to some complete seasons of TV series, and a few movies. While Hulu is a great option for those looking to keep up with the current seasons of TV, Hulu feels slightly limited and has frequent commercials.
If you’re ready to ditch the cable cord, these alternatives are a great choice.