Free digital TV means $140 in monthly savings

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I always threatened to cancel my cable TV subscription, but when my bill jumped from $78 to $140 a month, it was suddenly a lot easier to return the gear to Mediacom and end the relationship.

What I had not fully realized was that 95% of what I watch is free.  In fact, all the top shows are in fact broadcast OTA (over-the-air).  What am I missing?  I can't watch Mad Men and The Daily Show at their initial air times anymore, but for $9 (Netflix) I can catch up on almost any cable show, like Mad Men, and there's a free app for The Daily Show.

For the sake of full disclosure, I had to replace the Internet connection my cable company provided as a part of their $140 package.  I found a company that provides DSL for $45/mo.  And I still have my Tivo DVR, so that's another $129/yr ($10.75/mo).  I can drop that (see below) and still enjoy all my shows.  Finally, my phone bill is $45 a month.  I'm keeping that.

What you need to cut the cable:

  • $35 TV antenna (and the guts to instal it)
  • $50 chimney mount and RG6 coaxial cable
  • $35 signal splitter/amplifier
  • $100 over-the-air DVR

Now, even if I give up my Tivo, I still can record two shows at once, and watch them on my computer, or TV (via Apple TV [$99]) or on my iPad if I want.

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