The idea that you need a cable or satellite TV subscription to watch high-definition movies and television shows at home is outdated. Nearly all content is available on the internet, and with high-speed connections available in most locations the need for cable television is quickly vanishing.
Here are the steps you can follow to cut the cable and start enjoying the same movies online for much less than you are paying your cable company:
1) Subscribe to a streaming video service like Netflix or Hulu Plus. These services are built around delivering quality content directly to you over the internet. With a service like Netflix you will also get DVDs sent to you in the mail, so anything you can't stream you can have delivered.
2) Upgrade your internet service to the mid-range package provided by your ISP. It should be somewhere around 5-10 megabits per second for the downstream. If you don't know what that means, don't worry - your ISP will.
3) Connect your computer to your television. Most newer televisions will have the option to connect to your computer with a standard VGA monitor cable, and some even offer HD connections. Once connected, simply change the input source of your television to be the computer and you are almost finished!
4) Connect your computer to your sound system. All computers have a connector for headphones, which you will use to connect to your sounds system. Purchase a special cable from your local electronics store to connect a headphone jack to an auxiliary input connection. The clerk at your local store can help you with this. When everything is connected, make sure your audio system is set to Aux so you can hear the sound from the computer.
5) Cancel your cable - you don't need it any more!
With this type of setup you can stream movies and television shows directly to your television, even some shows on premium networks like HBO and Showtime! When implemented properly, you can reduce your monthly expenses by $50-$100 depending on the package you purchased from your cable provider.
There is a couple of downsides to this method. You will have trouble using your current remote control to play new movies. It is recommended that you get a wireless mouse to control your computer, or you can use your smart phone to control it with a special app. You will also occasionally run into network speed problems, which will stop your movies in the middle without warning. This doesn't happen very often and is only a minor inconvenience.
Here are the steps you can follow to cut the cable and start enjoying the same movies online for much less than you are paying your cable company:
1) Subscribe to a streaming video service like Netflix or Hulu Plus. These services are built around delivering quality content directly to you over the internet. With a service like Netflix you will also get DVDs sent to you in the mail, so anything you can't stream you can have delivered.
2) Upgrade your internet service to the mid-range package provided by your ISP. It should be somewhere around 5-10 megabits per second for the downstream. If you don't know what that means, don't worry - your ISP will.
3) Connect your computer to your television. Most newer televisions will have the option to connect to your computer with a standard VGA monitor cable, and some even offer HD connections. Once connected, simply change the input source of your television to be the computer and you are almost finished!
4) Connect your computer to your sound system. All computers have a connector for headphones, which you will use to connect to your sounds system. Purchase a special cable from your local electronics store to connect a headphone jack to an auxiliary input connection. The clerk at your local store can help you with this. When everything is connected, make sure your audio system is set to Aux so you can hear the sound from the computer.
5) Cancel your cable - you don't need it any more!
With this type of setup you can stream movies and television shows directly to your television, even some shows on premium networks like HBO and Showtime! When implemented properly, you can reduce your monthly expenses by $50-$100 depending on the package you purchased from your cable provider.
There is a couple of downsides to this method. You will have trouble using your current remote control to play new movies. It is recommended that you get a wireless mouse to control your computer, or you can use your smart phone to control it with a special app. You will also occasionally run into network speed problems, which will stop your movies in the middle without warning. This doesn't happen very often and is only a minor inconvenience.