Internet as an Alternative to Cable Television
Cutting the cord can ease the stress and cost of cable TV — but watching the same shows over the internet means getting your hardware, content subscription, speed, and data right.
1 Cutting the Cord for the Internet
So you have finally decided to cut the cord and cancel your Cable television service. This will alleviate the stress and cost associated with your CableTV bill — and if you’ve ever wondered why cable companies keep raising prices, we’ve covered that too. However, what if you still wish to watch the same television shows and movies you received through your Cable television service? There are a few options available to you, but the most effective is to turn to the Internet as your source for entertainment.
It seems like the perfect option, right? You will save on your CableTV bill as it will no longer exist, and if you already have an Internet connection, everything is set for you. Unfortunately, if you will rely solely on the Internet for access to television shows and movies, there are a number of elements that you need to take care of in order to ensure that you receive what you want and when you want it. This may result in higher Internet prices—that is why negotiating with your Internet service provider is very important.
2 Hardware and Content Subscription
Ensuring that you have the appropriate hardware and content subscription are the first two things that you must do so that you are able to use the Internet as a suitable alternative to Cable television. The specifics of what you will need will vary based on how you wish to watch television, how much you can pay, and what equipment you currently own. For example, if all you want is to watch television or movies on your computer, all you need is a content subscription from a provider like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, or a television network that offers online access.
However, if you are looking to watch your shows or movies on your television or otherwise project off your computer, there are some pieces of hardware that you will need. For example, the Chromecast from Google is a device that you plug into any high definition television. The accompanying application allows you to control your entertainment directly from your smartphone or tablet computer. Another option if you do not wish to use the Chromecast is to purchase a cable that allows you to connect your computer to your television. You can then watch movies or television shows from the Internet on your television. All of these options still require a content subscription like Netflix in order to obtain the shows you wish to watch.
3 Internet Speed and Data
Of course, streaming television shows and movies from the Internet is a heavier bandwidth load. As such, it tends to require two major things if you will be using your connection for this purpose: a faster connection speed and a higher amount of data each month.
In order to avoid “buffering,” otherwise known as waiting for videos to load, you will require an Internet connection speed of at least 10 megabits per second. However, many recommend that 50 megabits per second is a better speed to ensure that there are no wait times, as if your neighbours are using the Internet at the same time, your speed will slow down. You can still get away with slower speeds, but you will often find that you have to wait for your movie even after starting. If you do not let it fully load, you will often have to buffer partway through at least once, which is why faster speeds are necessary.
Additionally, streaming movies and television requires a high amount of data. The average full-length movie (not at high definition like 1080p) is approximately 1 gigabyte of data. Now, if your current connection offers you 60 gigabytes each month and you watch 10 movies and 2 seasons of a television show, how much data will that take? Assuming each of those movies is one gigabyte each, you already have 10 gigabytes down. Most full seasons of television will reach around two gigabytes, depending on the quality of the stream and the length of each episode.
With that in mind, you have used up a total of 14 gigabytes just by streaming content alone. What if you were using the majority of your data already and didn’t have 14 gigabytes to spare? Or, what if you were streaming content at extremely an extremely high quality like 1080p? At 1080p, individual movies will be more than 1 gigabyte and seasons of television will be more than 2 gigabytes each. Almost everyone who streams movies and television online requires large quantities of data so that they do not go over their cap and face exorbitant penalty fees.
4 Higher Internet Prices — and How to Fight Them
At face value, a faster connection speed and higher data cap is no big issue. They are things that you need in order to get what you want, so what is the issue here? For many individuals, the big issue is the price that they will face from Internet service providers.
If you need more data, you upgrade your plan. If you need a faster speed, you upgrade your plan. Unfortunately, upgrading your Internet plan will cost you quite a bit more money. Additionally, if Internet service providers know that they have exactly what you want, they will find a way to charge extremely high prices. In their minds, individual consumers do not have enough leverage or skill to negotiate. This is a major reason why it is very difficult to negotiate with service providers.
The negotiation process is, first and foremost, a time-consuming process. Additionally, when negotiating you have to be stubborn and not back down from what you are hoping to get (a lower price on your monthly bill). If you are still looking to lower the price on your monthly bill and do not have the time or ability to negotiate, let Billshark help you. We are an expert team of shark negotiators, with the skills and experience necessary to work on your behalf to lower the price of your monthly service provider bills. Our experience has made us privy to the tricks that service providers will use in order to avoid lowering their fees. Furthermore, when a professional negotiator makes the call, it indicates to service providers that you are serious as a client about getting a lower price from them.
Finally, if you are worried about our fees—you shouldn’t be. If we do not succeed in getting you a lower price, you do not need to pay us. If we do lower your bill, our only fee is splitting the first year of savings with you.
