I’m sick of cable, sick of CableCard, sick of cable bills, sick of “60 Minutes” not recording because a football game ran too long.
So I’m on a journey to cut the cable cord, once and for all. Hopefully you can help me do it.
I’m not concerned about movies right now. I get what I need through Netflix.
So it’s my TV needs that must be addressed. I wish I didn’t enjoy mindless TV as much as I do, and I sure hope my mother doesn’t read this, but there you have it.
Here are some things you should know about me (and in some cases my husband).
Entertainment Content - Video
Live Content - Video
Audio Content
Preferences
Devices
Subscriptions/software
Now What?
So where do I go from here?
I only just subscribed to Hulu Plus yesterday, primarily so I could watch TV content through my iPad while riding my stationary bike or lounging on the couch.
I use Hulu a fair amount but I’m not sure yet if Hulu Plus fills the content gaps for me.
Netflix is nice for catching up on series and I’m currently watching Season 1 of “Damages.”
Can you help me cut the cable cord? What are some content tips? Where are the gaps? What products would you recommend? How about content navigation and universal search a la Google TV?
Please share your experiences in the comments section below and also let us know how you’re advising your clients on streaming content.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep you posted from my end.

If you have cable, you are an idiot. Most channels are unwatchable because they put their logos on the screen all the time, AND they show TONS of commercials which they’re being paid to show and you’re paying to watch! I don’t watch broadcast TV either, but at least you don’t have to pay for that (it isn’t worth the cost of electricity to run the TV though.)
I cut the cord when I moved a few months ago
Have windows media center running on Mac Mini (bootcamp) with a silicon dust HoneRunHD (adding a second one some). This allows two shows to be watched/recorded (on any WMC PC in house) via HomeRun tuners and one by each TV’s built in tuner. So if two us are watching different TV’s (living room and bedroom) we can watch 2 shows and record two.
For TNT, Brave, etc. shows I rent or buy with AppleTV (99c or $2.99) - only buy the ones I can’t rent. This is all in HD - can’t stand watching SD. You can also get a bunch of the shows for free on iPad/Computer (which I use when travelling).
There’s a bit of upfront investment, but my WMC does so much more than TV (and was original reason to buy: ripped all my DVD’s and blu-rays and stream to WMC)
Not a sports fan at all. That said surprised you can get HD NFL for free OTA
So I pay about $5 to $30 a month for content depending on time of year.
I recently started using Miro; downloaded the application which saves programs to my computer. Later, I can watch any of the programs from my local computer. So far I am really happy with Miro. I also have the Netflix subscription which provides my movies. I haven’t used Hulu Plus.
Advantages of Miro:
Programs are saved in my computer rather than being streamed; this provides better video quality.
Miro allowed me to select the content I want and then looks for updated content. For news, I included them in my list to download, I watch them when I get home or early in the morning.
Disadvantages of Miro:
Some of the network channel series are not included and must be streamed; Miro provides a bridge to Hulu and uses Hulu to stream.
Computer must be on to downloaded video.
It doesn’t separate channels between what members of the family wants/likes. It would be nice if Miro would provide a setting that allows separate viewing for my wife and me.
i’m going to follow intently as I would like to do the same thing…
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Hi Stefani
I have an HDMI connection from the PC (Mac Mini running windows) to the TV.
I have an Digital antenna and a SiliconDust HomeRunHD tuner. This has two tuners that you connect your antenna (use a splitter to split the coax into two) and to the network.. This essentially behaves as a pool of tuners. When a Windows medai cneter “tunes” to a channel to watch or record a program, it grabs one of the tuners.
You can add additional HomeRunHD’s if you need more than two tuners.
I get all major networks. Anything I want to watch on Bravo or TNT (one or two shows), I rent or buy on AppleTv ($99c to rent, $2.99 to buy, if not available for rent).
Regards
Mark