Best Things to do Before Cord Cutting Cable TV or Satellite

Cord cutting is no different, then planning a trip or vacation. Those that spend more time planning ahead before cutting the cord, will have a far more satisfying outcome.

Instead of simply dumping a familiar but very expensive cable TV or satellite plan. Check out these top 3 things to do first before you cut the cord.

Living without cable TV is not really hard, it takes a different mindset and a little getting used to. But you will find the extra money saved every month, makes the initial growing pains worth it.

Before Cutting the Cable TV Cord Do This First:

1. Buy the Right Media Streamer For Each TV

Besides a reasonably fast Internet connection. (5Mbps for SD or a lot Faster for HD and 4K) The first thing you must have as soon as you drop off your cable or satellite TV box is a media streamer.

There are many great choices when it comes to media streamers. But each television will need its own media streaming box to stream content from the Internet.

There are several great options when it comes to media streamers. Here are our top three favorites.

Roku

Roku makes one of the nicest media streamers when it comes to the amount of channels and ease of use. There are thousands of Roku Channels available. And they cover a wide range of subjects even including Adult X Channels. And most every major streaming service is available on Roku and our other two favorite media streamers.

Don't miss: Popular Media Streaming Services that offer Free Trials

What sets Roku apart from other media streamers is their simple user interface. It's so easy to use no matter if you are eight or eighty years old.

It's also most affordable option since they make media streamers like the Roku Express which only costs $30, and their top of the line Ultra model only costs $99. The Apple TV and Nvidia SHIELD prices begin at $150 and can go up to $200 depending on which model you choose.

Don't miss this list of current Roku models »

Apple TV

Next up is the 5th generation Apple TV. Because it's not only easy to use, it's also a lot more powerful so the picture quality and sound is top notch. If you are an Apple fan, you'll love this media streamer. Even if you are not, the Apple TV 4K is still very impressive.

Like Roku you will find most major streaming apps on an Apple TV. But Adult and other Free TV Channels can't be installed directly like on a Roku yet can still be cast from a web browser using Apple's excellent AirPlay.

The Apple TV is a high quality media streamer and if you own an iPhone you will be very comfortable with the user interface.

Nvidia SHIELD

While the Apple TV and Roku have built a nice walled garden and tightly control what you can use on their platform, the SHIELD is the anything goes media streamer. Since it uses Android TV for its operating system, you can easily side load apps which are not in the Google Play store.

For apps like Kodi, this is the best media streamer available today. The Nvidia SHIELD offers both excellent performance and build quality. And Nvidia backs up their box with firmware updates for years. And this is something you will not easily find from other Android streaming box sellers.

2. Look into Adding a Powerful Antenna for Free HD Content

Adding a roof or attic antenna is the second best thing to do for watching FREE local channels like CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, PBS, and more.

A smaller indoor antenna like the Clearstream Eclipse from Antennas Direct may be enough if you live close enough to the TV towers and could save you a trip up the ladder. But installing a much larger antenna like an ANTOP Big Boy will certainly do a better job on the distant weaker channels.

Dollar for dollar, using an antenna to watch free network channels is one of the best thing to do when cutting the cord.

3. Choose Your Streaming Plans Carefully

Signing up for streaming TV plans is where it can get tricky. And if you are not careful, signing up for too many streaming plans at once can end up costing as much as the cable TV service that you are trying to replace.

But if you choose wisely and only sign up to a couple streaming services at a time, the choices of what to watch is infinitely better than any cable TV or satellite subscription.

Or you can opt to only watch TV from free streaming sites like these and maximize your cord cutting savings.

Trying to stream all the same channels as what you watched on cable will cost the most. Fortunately, if you can skip sports, Philo TV is currently the lowest cost option. And you will still get many great cable entertainment channels for a much lower price. Here is the Philo channel list which offers 55 live channels for $20/month.

Netflix and Hulu are also great options for tons of on demand binge worthy content.