General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why I cut off my cable TV service in 2001 . . . [View all]Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)were actually intelligent.
As they got dumber and dumber, I kept cable simply because it was a way not to have to replace my analog TV, but I gradually dialed down to local channels plus public access only. And that's how it was for maybe three years.
Then, in the fall of 2012, Comcast announced that it was discontinuing analog cable and would require customers either to buy a converter or get a new TV.
I chose to get a new TV. When I set it up, I discovered that I could bring in all the local channels with just a $30 tabletop antenna, and not only bring them in, but also in full HD. I was astounded at how good PBS nature documentaries looked in HD.
Comcast told me that if I wanted to receive HD programs on my new TV, I would have to pay $10 a month extra, or else I would get low-definition broadcasts. I knew what those look like, since my mother had a small HD TV in her assisted living place with first tier cable, and the picture looked worse than an analog TV.
So here I was. I could receive beautiful HD over the air at no extra charge. I was already streaming Netflix with a Roku. There was nothing on the cable-only channels that I wanted to watch except MHz Worldview on public access, and then MHz Worldview developed an app. I added Hulu Plus and AcornTV, and now I have more content than I have time to watch. To further enrich my viewing experience, I won an Apple TV as a door prize, and I use it to stream programming purchased from iTunes. This is how I watch the newest episodes of Doctor Who or HBO programming.
I don't watch pro sports, I'm not a fundamentalist, and I have no use for shopping channels or "reality" shows.
Therefore: no cable.