With the season premieres of Game of Thrones and Mad Men trending up a storm on the web, it's hard to imagine that anyone would want to cut the cord with pay TV. However, just because you don't have a pricey cable bill doesn't mean you can't get your TV fix.
Apparently, more Americans are opting to ditch cable and satellite for online streaming services, set-top boxes, and over-the-air (OTA) antennas. Morgan Stanley recently released a report saying that because there are so many options out there, 1 in 10 pay TV subscribers are looking to cut the cord sometime within the next year. That's 10 percent of pay TV subscribers -- and those numbers are up from 8 percent last year.
It's not too hard to imagine. If you need a bit of convincing, HDTV OTA antenna manufacturer Winegard just released a fascinating infographic replete with all sorts of interesting information about how and why you may want to ditch pay TV. For instance, the company says that the cost of the average pay TV subscription is currently at $86/month. For a few bucks more, you could get a full year's worth of Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime. Don't wait too long, though. Those pay TV subscription numbers are supposed to skyrocket to about $200 per month by 2020.
People love being able to watch the latest pay TV shows when they air, but do you really need them? Apparently, nine of the top 10 TV programs are on the standard broadcast networks, which can be had for free in most areas of the United States via an OTA antenna and tuner. Winegard says that in 2013, 19.3 percent of all U.S. households (about 22.4 million) with TVs relied solely on OTA signals for that entertainment fix. After all, who doesn't love getting something for free?
If you're looking to cut the cord, figure out which shows are on the standard broadcast networks and which are on pay TV channels. If most of your favorite shows are on broadcast networks -- and you don't mind waiting a bit for the others -- then you may be a candidate for cutting the cord. In addition to an antenna, you'll need an ATSC (high def) tuner. Most HDTVs have one of these built-in, but there are also outboard tuners -- some with built-in DVRs -- available.
For movies, and previous seasons of pay TV shows, take a look at the aforementioned streaming services to see what best suits your tastes. Also, you may already have a device that can tap into streaming services, since many of the top selections are currently available through connected Blu-ray players, Smart TVs, game consoles and set-top boxes, such as Apple TV and Roku.
Just know that when choosing an antenna, there are options as well. First, consider whether or not to get an indoor or outdoor antenna, as well as whether it needs to be amplified or non-amplified. Depending on your location, you may be able to use a fixed directional antenna versus something bidirectional, which can pick up signals from multiple locations. Winegard also suggestions opting for an antenna that can handle both VHF and UHF, since both frequency ranges are used for digital TV broadcasts in the United States.
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