What Cable and Satellite Companies Do Not Want You to Know

I have waited too long to write this post.  Seriously.  You have probably experienced the high cost of cable television or satellite television.  I had satellite for over ten years and the price went form $35 a month to almost $70 a month in that amount of time and I dropped features...

This post is not about blasting the decisions of corporations to charge exorbitant prices for their services.  I kept my service for that long and did so because I wanted the service.  But I have been playing around with over-the-air signals since they moved from analog to digital, and I have found out a few things.

• The quality of signal over the air (with an antenna) to a digital HD television is better than any service can provide.  Why?  One, it is free.  Two, it is a free HD signal for which a service charges extra!  

 From what I have researched, the cable and satellite companies have to compress the signal in order to get the signal to your television converter box.  That is why you have to pay extra for the special converter box.   Local stations just shoot the signal into the air and your receiver puts it back together.  Free HD TV!

• Near major cities you have an opportunity to recieve more channels than basic cable can provide.

In the Atlanta area, with a good antenna, you can get up to 45 channels.  The majority broadcast in high definition. What I also found out is some channels I get over the air would cost me extra if I wanted the satellite provider to provide them.

"But I have to have an outdoor antenna."  Yes and maybe no.  I live 35 miles outside Atlanta and receive dozens of channels for free with "rabbit ears".  You can also buy and install (or have installed) antennas that mount in your attic.  The higher the antenna the better signal you can receive.  Outdoor antennas can increase your ability to snag more channels out of the air.  Experiment with it.

"Rabbit ear antennas are ugly."  Manufacturers make slender, new techie antennas that complement your electronic hardware.  Do not make excuses; I am trying to save you money (about $1,000 per year).

• Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime together are cheaper than cable or satellite.  That's right.  You can get all three services and still pay less than you do with your service.  They do not force you into a long term contract either.

I have been using Netflix for over a year and still have not seen all the movies and all the television shows (finally finished Eureka and now working on Heroes).  Netflix also provides plenty of family friendly (and Christian) movies.  Not to mention that you can see many movies on Amazon and most of your popular television shows in Hulu Plus.

• For my Christian friends and family, you should look into Sky Angel which provides internet service for many channels for as low as $14.99 a month.  They have also launched a new television viewing option called FAVE which has many family friendly stations including a sports package.

If you choose the internet option, you should make sure you are not relying on a slow internet feed.  I have fairly slow service and can watch movies and surf at the same time.  I am upgrading to accommodate more toys but that is for another post.

 So, are you going to keep paying $70 to $150 a month for options you can get cheaper and for a higher quality?  I dropped satellite (though I must be honest, I also picked up another service at a locked price for cheaper than I what I had and cheaper than Hulu and Amazon together).  Save to today and keep some of your money.  Better yet, invest it and save for your future.