How To Cut The Cord In 4 Steps

Let’s break down how to Cut the Cord in 4 steps.

Cutting the cord can seem complicated because there are so many choices. Cord-cutter jargon can also make Cutting the Cord seem overwhelming. Hulu, Netflix, and Crackle. Internet, Wi-Fi, and OTA Antennas. Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Sling TV, DirecTV Now, and Pluto TV. Live TV, Streaming TV, and DVR Recording. What does it all mean?

How To Cut The Cord In 4 Steps

Step 1: Internet

To cut the cord, you need an Internet connection.

I recommend 3 Mbps as a minimum Internet download speed for streaming a TV show or movie. 6 Mbps is needed to stream two shows at the same time. And so forth. These are the minimum speeds! If you plan on watching 4k video or Ultra HD, you will need faster download speeds.

More information about Internet speeds… How To Test Your Internet or Wi-Fi Speeds

Worried about data caps?… Is 1 TB of Internet Data Enough For Cord-Cutters?

Step 2: Buy a Roku or Amazon Fire TV or Smart TV

To watch shows from the Internet, you will need a streaming media player. A streaming media player is a piece of hardware that connects to your Internet (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and your TV – usually HDMI, but composite is also an option. The streaming media player streams TV shows and movies from the Internet and displays the video to your TV.

These are highly rated streaming media players:

• Roku
• Amazon Fire TV

Some TVs have streaming media players built into them. These TVs are called smart TVs. A smart TV is a great option if you don’t want to buy a separate piece of hardware to stream shows.

Smart TVs that have great picture quality and are well supported – TCL Roku Smart TV

Read about the Roku TV… The Best Smart TV is the Roku TV.

Step 3: Get TV Shows and Movies

TV shows and movies will come from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, and DIRECTV NOW.

This is where it can get confusing really fast. And this is where I’m going to try to make it very easy.

For new cord cutters, I recommend starting with the following services:

• Netflix
• Hulu – For broadcast TV shows from ABC, NBC, FOX, plus more.
• CBS All Access – Optional, but you’ll want this if you watch CBS shows
• CW App (Free)
• YouTube (Free)
• Pandora (Free)

Let’s take a brief look at why I’ve selected each of these.

Netflix

When it comes to TV content and value, it is very hard to beat Netflix. Netflix has highly rated original shows and many popular TV shows from TV networks and cable channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, AMC, etc. TV shows are typically available several months after they were shown on broadcast TV, cable, or satellite.

Netflix is a great value at only $7.99/month SD and $10.99/month HD.

Hulu

Hulu’s strength is delivering current TV shows from major local TV broadcast stations such as ABC, NBC, and FOX (but not CBS) within a few days of showing on live TV. Hulu allows you to watch these shows when you want (“on demand”) without needing a DVR or TV antenna. This is a great option for those who can’t get Live TV broadcasts through a TV antenna, or don’t have a DVR to record your shows to watch on-demand.

Hulu costs $7.99/month for limited commercials and $11.99/month for commercial free.

CBS All Access

CBS All Access is like Hulu, but just for CBS shows. If you don’t watch any shows on CBS, you probably don’t need CBS All Access. I only recommend CBS All Access for those who watch Live TV shows on CBS.

CBS All Access costs $5.99/month with limited commercials and $9.99/month for commercial free.

CW App

The CW app provides FREE episodes 1-3 days after they run on Live TV. This is only for current shows. This is one of the easiest and certainly the cheapest way to watch popular CW shows.

YouTube

YouTube has been around for so long, it is simply part of everyday life. Everyone uses YouTube for general information, learning, quick “how-to” videos, funny vines, fail vines, “unboxings”, music videos, and all types of video entertainment.

Pandora

Pandora is where you can get free music streamed over the Internet to play through your TV or phone. You can create custom Pandora music “channels” with the artists and genres you like.

Step 4: Cancel Cable!

Try out your new cord-cutter setup. When everything is working… And when you are getting the shows you want to watch… And you are ready…

Cancel Cable!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

You cut the cord in 4 steps!

You are now a cord cutter!

Be ready to say, “No!” to the offers from the cable company when you call to cancel. Enjoy all the new content you have. Tell your friends about how much money you are saving as a cord cutter!

Step 5 – Bonus Step: More Content – More TV Shows and More Movies

Even though you are officially a cord cutter at Step 4, the most amazing part of cord cutting is Step 5. In Step 5 you can add more services to get access to even more TV shows and movies. And ONLY the services you need to get the shows you want!

If you aren’t getting all of the shows you want, one of the popular services below will probably have your show.

Check them out these services to find your shows and stream them to your Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Smart TV:

• HBO Now – It’s HBO. Game of Thrones. Westworld. And so much more.
• Amazon Prime Video – Buy or rent lots of movies and original TV shows; Some are FREE if you have Amazon Prime
• Amazon Channels – What are Amazon Channels?
• Sling TV – Live cable TV programming such as The Walking Dead on AMC and sports on ESPN
• DIRECTV NOW – Live cable TV programming such as The Walking Dead on AMC and sports on ESPN
• Crackle – Good movies and original content. Plus, it’s FREE! So why not try it!
• ABC App – The ABC App provides FREE ABC episodes 1-3 days after they run on Live TV. This is only for current shows.
• TubiTV – FREE TV shows and movies
• Pluto TV – FREE TV shows and movies, Live Streaming TV
• VUDU – Buy or rent movies; And FREE MOVIES are always available in the “Movies On Us” section

Do you want to watch News? Read about the Top 5 FREE News Channels for Cord Cutters.

Try them all! Many of these services have FREE TRIALS that let you try out the service. And almost all of these services allow you to cancel at any time.

How to Cut The Cord? It is Easy…

There are a lot of choices for Cutting The Cord. But becoming a Cord-Cutter can really be easy.

Drop a note in the comments sections with any questions.