Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Some Cord-Cutting Basics 5
Chapter 1: Why Cut the Cord? 7
What’s So Bad about Cable? (Let Me Count the Ways) 8
Cable TV is expensive 8
You still get bombarded by commercials 9
You probably watch only a teensy fraction of what you pay for 9
Bundles are (usually) bad 9
Long-term (read: loyal) customers pay more, not less 10
You’re getting nickeled-and-dimed 10
You’re dealing with a near-monopoly 11
Customer service is pretty much non-existent 12
Technical support is a pain in the you-know-what 12
Those darned contracts! 13
Some Reasons Why Cutting the Cord Might Not Be for You 13
Your savings might be less than you hoped 13
You might still have to deal with channel bundles 14
You might still see commercials 14
TV watching will become more complex for you 15
You’ll use way more Internet bandwidth — and perhaps pay for the privilege 15
Your monthly Internet bill will probably go up 16
The quality of the streaming video might be poor 16
You might have to wait a long time to watch new shows 16
You might never see some new shows 17
The Benefits of Severing Your Connection to the Cable Company 17
You save money 18
You’ll probably be happier in the long run 18
You unshackle your TV 18
You unshackle yourself 19
You’re in control 19
Surveying the Cord-Free Landscape 20
Chapter 2: Snip, Snip Your 7-Step Plan to Going Cord-Free 23
Step 1: Deciding What You Want to Watch 24
Option A: Going with just your “must see” TV shows 24
Option B: Going with just a few streaming services 25
Option C: Going with OTA live TV 26
Step 2: Figuring Out the Equipment You Need 26
Step 3: Making a Streaming Services Budget 27
Step 4: Trying Out Lots of Streaming Services — for Free! 29
Step 5: Subscribing to Streaming Services 30
Step 6: Doing a Cord-Cutting Test Drive 31
Step 7: Cutting the Cord — Woo-Hoo! 32
Check your contract 33
Check your bandwidth history 33
Gather everything you need 33
Get ready mentally 34
Know the process 34
Return all equipment 36
Part 2: Cord Cutting Made Easy with Over-the-Air TV 37
Chapter 3: Understanding Over-the-Air TV 39
OTA? OTT? Live TV? What on Earth Is Everyone Talking About? 40
What is over-the-air TV? 41
The pros and cons of over-the-air TV 42
How Over-the-Air TV Works 45
The television station 45
The transmission tower 46
The antenna and tuner 46
What Channels Can You Access? 48
Understanding the factors that affect signal strength 49
Checking the FCC’s digital TV reception maps 50
Using TV Fool’s TV signal locator 52
Real versus virtual channels 54
Chapter 4: Choosing and Setting Up OTA Hardware 57
What Equipment Do You Need? 58
Choosing an OTA Digital Antenna 62
Antenna styles 62
Determine the range 63
Indoor or outdoor? 63
Amplified or not? 64
Unidirectional or multidirectional? 66
Look for VHF/UHF support 67
Watch out for bogus or exaggerated claims 68
Installing Your Antenna 70
Installing an indoor antenna 70
Installing an outdoor antenna 71
Connecting Your Antenna 73
Making coaxial connections 73
Connecting an antenna to one TV 74
Connecting an antenna to multiple TVs 75
Connecting an antenna to your computer 77
Connecting an antenna to your mobile device 78
Connecting an antenna to your Wi-Fi network 78
Improving antenna reception 79
Scanning for OTA Channels 80
Chapter 5: Watching Over-the-Air and Live TV 83
Watching Over-the-Air TV Using a Regular TV 84
Changing the TV input source 84
Watching over-the-air TV 86
Where’s the TV guide? 87
Recording over-the-air TV 87
Watching Over-the-Air TV Using a Smart TV 91
Watching Over-the-Air TV Using a Streaming Device 93
Look, Ma, No Antenna! Streaming Live TV 93
Part 3: Cable-Free Viewing with Streaming Services 97
Chapter 6: The Hardware You Need for Streaming 99
Let’s Talk TVs 100
Screen size 100
Resolution 101
HDMI ports 102
Streamers: Set-Top Box or Dongle? 103
Set-top box streamers 104
Dongle streamers 105
Set-top box streamer versus dongle streamer 105
What to Look for in a Streaming Media Player 106
Smart TVs for Streaming Media 109
Setting Up Your Hardware 111
Connecting a set-top player 111
Connecting a streaming stick 113
Configuring your streaming player 115
Chapter 7: Getting Your Internet Access Ready for Streaming 117
Investing in a New Router 118
Extending Your Wi-Fi Network 121
How Much Bandwidth Is Enough? 122
Taking a look at streaming media bandwidth usage 123
Going on a bandwidth diet 124
Understanding How Streaming Works 126
The streaming process 126
More about buffering 127
I Feel the Need — the Need for Speed! 129
Why does speed matter? 129
How fast is fast enough? 130
Testing your Internet speed 131
Chapter 8: Checking Out Free Streaming Services 135
Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch? 136
What to Expect from Free Streaming Services 137
Some Free Streaming Services to Check Out 138
Crackle 138
Haystack News 139
Hoopla 139
IMDb TV 141
Kanopy 142
PBS Video 142
Peacock 142
Roku Channel Store 143
Tubi TV 144
Xumo 145
Free streaming apps for kids 145
A few more freebies 146
Chapter 9: Checking Out Paid Streaming Services 149
What to Expect from Paid Streaming Services 150
What Types of Paid Streaming Services Are Available? 151
On-Demand Streaming Services .152
Amazon Prime Video 152
Apple TV+ 153
Hulu 155
Netflix 156
Paramount+ 157
Peacock 158
Cable-Replacement Services 160
fuboTV 160
Hulu + Live TV 161
Sling TV 162
YouTube TV 163
Checking Out Premium Channels 164
Part 4: The Part of Tens 167
Chapter 10: Ten Ways to Save Money in a Cord-Free World 169
Get the Smallest OTA Antenna Possible 170
Don’t Get Too Much Internet 171
Take Advantage of Skinny Bundles 172
Don’t Commit Until You’re Amazed at Your Luck 173
Watch New Shows on the Cheap 174
Subscribe Strategically 175
Keep an Eye on Your Subscriptions 176
Get a Credit Card Offering Streaming Cash Back 177
Give Up the Premium Subscription Plan 177
Save on Sports .178
Chapter 11: Ten Tips for Troubleshooting Streaming Woes 179
Check Your Streaming Device’s Download Speed 180
Restart Your Streaming Device 183
Check Your Streaming Device for Updates 184
Reset Your Streaming Device 185
Check Your Wi-Fi Connection Speed 186
Reset Your Wi-Fi 188
Make Some Wi-Fi Adjustments 188
Troubleshoot an Unresponsive Streaming Device 189
Troubleshoot a Blank TV Screen 190
Upgrade Your Hardware 191
Glossary 193
Index 203
