Well, I bit the bullet and killed the cable. I am pretty sure I have either had a cable subscription or access to one since somewhere around 1980, so let's call it 40 years. Yeah, it was a big step for me. Ridiculously so -- it's just TV after all. I should spend more time reading and writing, right?
So now it's streaming exclusively for me. My paid subscriptions are as follows:
Netflix
HBOMax
Disney+
Hulu (ad supported)
Amazon (as a prime member)
Sling Blue (live tv)
I spent a fair amount of time researching the live TV options. Sling was really the cheapest and it had all the channels I might watch: AMC (for Better Call Saul), TBS/TNT/USA for general entertainment, NBCsn for NHL and the oddball sports I like -- Tour de France, etc. (I read that NBCsn is now going away. Sad.)
Sling, like most, has DVR options with 50 hours included which is plenty for me. It is very flexible with add-on packages. The guide is disappointingly barebones, though. Show descriptions are minimal and multi-click to access. No preview; I kind of miss being able to watch what I had on in a box in the corner while I surf for my options. The real convenience I'll miss is being about to switch quickly between two shows (using a "last" button). As far as I know, no live TV streaming service provides that yet.
However, the single greatest benefit to cutting the cord, apart from saving over $100 per month, is being able to manage my viewing options instantly on the web. Killing Spectrum cable, involved 25 minutes on hold, another 20 minutes in discussion with one of their reps who was trying to keep me, then hauling my cable boxes to the UPS store to ship back to Spectrum. It didn't take more than five minutes to sign up for Sling and be watching. And if I change my mind and want to try something else, it'll probably just be another 5 minutes of clicking. And in truth, I think Spectrum realizes that they have no shot at keeping cable vital. While they did try to save me, they never offered me huge discounts on bundles like the previous times I threatened to leave. They seem to be much more focused on their new wireless service than anything else. I think the writing on the wall has been read. Even by me, after 40 years.
