Cutting the Cable

With tough economic times comes a breath of sanity as we re-evaluate how much we are spending on stuff we don't really need. Cable TV is near the top of that list. And its high cost makes it a tempting target. But can you survive without cable?

First of all, you don't have to pay for both cable and high-speed internet access. Check out what you pay for cable TV and you may find that by dropping it and keeping your internet access, you can save hundreds (or maybe thousands) of dollars each year. And if your phone is also provided by your cable company, consider what many people have done: go with cell service alone.

But what will I watch?
That is a legitimate question. Let's examine the options:

Broadcast TV -- Long regarded as "a vast wasteland," things have improved in past years. Granted, you may not find a gripping show about origami or bonsai pruning (or whatever other esoteric topic), but there is very entertaining stuff out there for free. The cables companies have long made their money by convincing you that you need to see their stuff and that there's nothing like it on "regular" (that is, broadcast) TV. And it is true that all those cable channels are able to offer content the networks don't have time for. But, the truth is, you end up paying for dozens and dozens of channels you never watch.

However if what you're looking for is to be well entertained for a few hours each night, an antenna, an HDTV and a DVR (digital video recorder) or Windows Media Center can do the job just fine for free. That is, if you can receive over-the-air (OTA) TV where you live. Almost everyone can, and if you can't, your cable company probably offers (at a reduced rate) a selection of just your local channels.

Hulu.com -- this free site has a huge collection of shows available on-demand with reduced commercials. Hulu's biggest attraction is that it allows you to watch TV when it is convenient for you, not the networks. Since it was formed by NBC and ABC, most of their shows are well-represented, but Hulu also has lots of shows from the other networks and even some cable shows.

Other sites -- there are many, but the free ones worth looking at are CBS.com, Crackle and IMDB. The paid sites include HuluPlus.com (which has commercials), Netflix and Amazon.

Boxed sets of DVDs -- you can buy a season of most TV shows in a boxed set that will set you back somewhere around $30-$40. If one or two shows are all you really watch, then watching them this way is a huge improvement. This is partly because it frees you from "appointment TV" where you watch when they tell you to watch.

Movies from Redbox -- for $1 to $2, you can rent a movie from Redbox. The kiosks are plentiful and have a supply of the most recent films. Plus, you can reserve them on line.

Blu-rays and DVDs from the library -- you can't beat the price on this one. And while the selection at smaller branches is limited, larger libraries have hundreds or thousands of DVDs to choose from. Again, don't overlook the boxed sets of past TV shows.

That sums up most of the options. If you're worried about your favorite football team, there's NFL Game Rewind for about $40 for the regular season which gives you all the games (for all the teams) usually on the next day (no live games). And there are all kinds of other sources for video content on the internet, far more than what is on cable.

Well, I dunno.
There's no doubt about it, this kind of change will force you to update your philosophy. If you've formed the habit of watching "whatever is on" and have relied on the cable to broaden that to a bearable minimum, then things are going to have to change. Four or five networks can't provide the variety of a hundred cable channels. But they can match the quality of the entertainment experience if you do the following:

1. Take the time to find the broadcast programs you enjoy
2. Find a way to watch those programs when you want to
3. Break the habit of "watching whatever"

OK, how?
I'm glad you asked! Try this:

• Check out the most popular programs and other things that look good on Hulu.
• Ask your friends what they watch.
• Watch the fall preview shows to find new shows to watch.
• Get a DVR or Windows Media Center (see my posts on WMC) and record your favorite shows and possible new ones.
• Or get familiar with Hulu or other sites that have your content.
• If necessary, get a media extender so you can watch more content on your TV.
• Or move your computer to the living room and connect it to your TV.
• Or add a large screen, nice speakers and comfy chair to your computer.

You can do this! And once you have, you'll wonder why you waited so long.

Windows Media Center - Part 2

In my previous post about Windows Media Center (WMC), I shared some of its advantages. But it has more, and if you're not enjoying them, here are some things to consider:

It's better than Hulu
Hulu.com is great, and it's free, but it's not in high definition. If you have an HD tuner for your computer, everything you record can be in stunning HD. Hulu also forces you to watch commercials; WMC has a skip-ahead feature that works great to remove commercials.

It's better than Tivo
While it requires more tech savvy than Tivo (or some other video recorder), WMC has some distinct advantages:

• There is no subscription or any other fee; at $20/month, 5 years of Tivo costs $1,200
  
• You can burn DVDs of your favorite shows to save or share
• You can store a large library of shows to watch on your huge hard drive

You can add as much storage as you like to your computer by adding a second or even a third hard drive. Two terabyte hard drives, which can hold over 300 hours of HD broadcasts, can be had for around $100. Plus, any money you spend on your computer makes it a more powerful tool for many things while a high-capacity DVR can only do one thing. And with a DVD-burner, you can make a DVD that your aunt Matilda can watch on her DVD-player.

It's better than paying to watch shows on the internet
Hulu Plus, Netflix and Amazon all charge you to watch content that was once free over the air. And their image quality can't really compete with WMC. Of course, the trick is to set up WMC to record shows in advance. Then, you can watch them for free any time later. So, if you were born with the "planning" gene (or if you can learn), you can save money with WMC and have a superior experience.

What about buying a season of shows on DVD?
WMC is free. A season of shows on DVD costs around $30-$35. Now, while you do get extra features with the DVDs, you have to wait a year from the time the first episode airs before you can buy and watch them. And WMC can sort your recorded shows into series (sorting by title) then sort those series into episode order (sort by first air date). However, if you want a show that's only available on cable, you might avoid the cost of cable altogether by buying it on DVD.

Watching Windows Media Center in the living room
The biggest downside to WMC is that it is easier to watch on your computer (which is probably not in the living room and therefore less comfortable) than on your TV. But there are solutions for that problem:

• move your computer to the living room and connect it to your HDTV
• use your Xbox as a media extender
• use your Blu-ray player as a media extender
• add a large monitor and some easy chairs to your computer room

A media extender brings audio and video content from someplace else, such as your computer or the internet, to your TV. My Blu-ray player does this and it works fairly well. Adding a 22-inch (or larger) monitor to your PC (not to mention a decent chair) can really improve your computing experience and is well worth the expense.

Other features
The guide shows your current TV listings and listings up to 10 days in the future. It is searchable and you can easily record a single episode or a whole series. But what if you want to record something that isn't in the guide? You can add a search term to what you want to record, so that you can record everything with your favorite actor or your favorite sports team. If the network tends to run a little (or a lot) late, you can have WMC add minutes or hours to the end of the recording--so you never miss the end of the show. By adding a second tuner, you can record two shows at once on different channels, or watch one live while recording another (or even record two and watch a third recording).

Like most Microsoft products, this one is so loaded with features you may never discover them all. And if there's something else you need it to do, there is an army of developers out there with add-ons that probably do it.