How To Get Rid Of Your Cable Bill: Intro to Cord-Cutting

Thinking about how to get rid of your cable bill? If you’re like many Canadians, you probably only watch live television occasionally, opting instead for streaming services like Netflix or watching shows you’ve PVR’d. The only time you really flip on the old cable box, is to tune into your favourite hockey team’s games or maybe to catch the live finale of Survivor. This all begs the question, is the amount you pay for that service really worth it? Are you getting your money’s worth?

More and more of us are saying, “No, it’s not worth it” and cutting the cord. What still holds people back, though, is the thought that cutting the cord means we no longer have access to live events on television, or that we would have to now watch them on a computer screen. This is not the case. Let me tell you how you can cut the cable cord and still get all your favourite content.

Now there are lots of ways to watch content on your tv without a cable connection, and that's thanks to streaming devices. Essentially, they are like a small computer that you hook up to your television screen, basically using it as a monitor. Anything you can stream on the web in HD can be viewed in fullscreen on your hi-res television. You can get these boxes running the Android operating system and Windows, etc. They are sort of like Apple TV except they give you all the freedom in the world to install new software, control the look and feel, and explore options that may be blocked on the Apple devices with DMCA protection.

While many people do use these devices to view content illegally for free, such as streaming NFL and NHL, or torrenting new movies, there really is no need to do this. Almost all the television you see on the big networks is available for streaming on their own websites almost immediately, through their own streaming services behind an inexpensive paywall, or eventually through Netflix or Amazon Prime.

You can even stream Survivor, for free, on your big, beautiful television, in HD right off the CBS website. Just connect an Android streaming box to your tv, load the browser, and head to the CBS website. And we've compared the cost of Netflix and Amazon Prime for you here, so you can decide which is best for your needs.

With sports, it is a little bit more expensive, but still nowhere near what you’d pay in a year for a cable subscription. NHL Centre Ice is affordable. NFL Sunday ticket isn’t too bad if you’ve cut out your cable bill. Both have apps you can log into from your Android or Windows television device that enable you to stream the games in full HD on your TV. You can even watch some of the games that are airing on live television, streaming on that television channel’s website for free.

The other thing to consider about cutting out your cable bill is that one way or another, cable television is going to be as obsolete as that old Betamax in your garage eventually. Why not cut that cord now and save yourself money at the same time?

If you’re ready to cut the cord, my recommendation is to grab yourself the newest box from Minix. These are easy to use for beginners with loads of help online should you get stuck, and at around $170, it’ll pay for itself in just a few months with no cable bill. Check it out: Minix Android Streaming Box

Have you considered cutting your cable cord? Let us know in the comments!