You may have heard people referring to a change in their TV viewing as “cutting the cord”, but what does that really mean? And why would someone want to do it? Read on to find out.
A Brief History
Originally, analog TV was broadcast over the air and the signal was captured in the home by a TV with an antenna (or aerial on the roof). Unlike digital signals used today, these analog signals were susceptible to electronic noise and interference. Satellite and Cable TV came along and added channels, and in the case of cable, removed interference issues. But these were paid services, where the broadcast networks were supported by ads.
When digital television was developed, picture quality and signal compression improved. Eventually, the FCC pushed for the end of analog TV to free up that part of the radio spectrum for other uses. As such, TVs need a digital receiver to continue to receive broadcast TV signals in their homes without a cable or satellite subscription. This could be in the form of a cable box or HDTV antenna.
If you’re interested in more information about analog TV, check out this Wikipedia article.
What Is Cutting the Cord?
The “cord” refers to the cable or satellite subscription you pay for to get content to your TV. You may have heard stories of dissatisfaction with customer service, price hikes, or available content driving folks away from these traditional providers. Thankfully, there are ways to get content to your TV without involving cable or satellite companies. The folks who choose these alternative methods to view TV are “cutting the cord.”
How Can I Get TV Shows Without a Cable or Satellite Subscription?
There are two main methods cord-cutters use: an HDTV antenna or streaming services. You could actually use both if you wanted to, connected to different TV inputs.
HDTV Antenna
An HDTV antenna connects to your TV at one end (HDMI or coaxial port), and the other end can be either inside or outside the house. The most common indoor antenna looks like this:
This kind of antenna works best if you can put it near a window that faces the direction of the broadcast signal origin. However, if you live in a remote area, or are surrounded by trees or other obstructions, this antenna may not be powerful enough to pick up decent signals. You might need a roof antenna. Those have a variety of designs, but most look like one of these two:
These are a bit more expensive and difficult to install, but they have a much longer range and are unidirectional.
Using an antenna, you can usually get the standard broadcast stations, such as NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CW, and UPN. Several of these also offer “subchannels” with additional content. More on subchannels
An antenna incurs a one-time cost and can be paired with an optional DVR for more control. Without a DVR, all content is delivered in real-time.
Streaming Services
Streaming services are the other way to get content on your TV. You may have heard of many: Netflix, Hulu, YouTubeTV, Peacock, BritBox, Prime Video, and so on. Most require subscriptions and an internet connection to work, though some allow downloading for offline viewing.
The hardware for running the streaming services can vary. If you have a device with an internet browser (computer, tablet, phone), you can stream on it by logging into your streaming service website. Smart TVs often have apps for streaming services preloaded, with the ability to download more. Alternatively, you could purchase a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast to plug into an HDMI port on your TV. Prices range from $30 to $150. (Bonus points if you can guess which company offers the most expensive device.) Any of these devices can provide the platform to run your streaming apps. Even those with smart TVs may consider a separate streaming device if the TV streaming apps offer a subpar experience.
Roku offers its own channel of free streaming and on-demand content as a perk of owning the device. On all devices, free content is available from “channels” that offer it, like:
- PlutoTV
- Freevee
- Crackle
- TED (as in TED Talks)
- Tubi
- Sling Freestream (also has paid version)
- Fawesome
- Filmrise
- Crunchyroll (anime)
- Xumo (best for live news and sports)
Note that these and other free channels are usually subsidized by short advertising breaks. In my experience, these ad breaks are much shorter than on broadcast or cable TV. In general, though, most streaming services have a recurring monthly or annual cost separate from the one-time hardware cost.
Need More Information?
If you’re interested in learning more about cutting the cord, I present classes about cord-cutting in the library, complete with a demonstration of streaming on a Roku device. Space is limited, so please register in advance.
