How can I watch TV over the Internet without selling my first born? [ASK MR. NOOBIE]

QUESTION: I know you have already written a few posts about ditching cable, but I am basically a technology neanderthal when it comes to understanding most of it. I currently have an Optimum triple play package but I really want to find a more affordable option. I would get just Internet from them and get a Roku but at $50 for their Internet services, I feel like I am still being ripped off. Would you be able to give me an idiot-proof guide to watching TV and getting Internet without selling my first born? – Erin N.

ANSWER: Erin, you’ve just discovered the one part about watching television over the Internet with devices like Roku that no one ever seems to talk about—the fact that you still need Internet service.

Sure, you can pay super-low membership fees for services like Netflix and Hulu Plus and watch them on a Roku but it will only work if you have a reliable, high-speed Internet connection. And you’re right, Internet service can easily cost upwards of $50/month (I pay roughly $65/month to Comcast).

I’m not sure what you’re paying for your triple play package but if you just got it you might be on a promotional rate which is why dumping the cable (or phone) part and still paying $50/month doesn’t feel right. Once you get off the promotional rate (usually after 6 or 12 months) and your triple play price goes sky-high, the $50/month Internet-only option may seem a lot more attractive.

One more thing. Several networks offer free Internet streaming but only if you already subscribe to the network through a cable or satellite company. So if you dump your paid television programming, be prepared to not qualify for free Internet streaming any more.

The cheapest solution

The only true free (or low-cost depending on how you configure it) option I know of is to dump your cable completely and invest in a decent antenna strong enough to pick up your local networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc.) Of course, there are a few caveats to this. One, you have live close enough to a major city to pick up the over-the-air signals. And two, you have to be able to live with only local channels. This means no ESPN, TBS, TNT, HBO, etc.

And because very few people watch a television show when it actually broadcasts, you’ll probably need to invest in some sort of recording device like TiVo or a comparable system. And then guess what? You’ll have another monthly fee.

What can you live without?

It all comes down to what you can and can’t live without. Right now, you probably have the best selection of channels with your triple play package. That’s why you are paying a premium. If you go to just Internet and a Roku, you’ll still have a lot of choices but may have to sacrifice a show here and there. But you’ll pay less money. And finally, if you go to an antenna-only solution, you’ll pay the least but get the least amount of programming.

One thing I want to point out that may seem obvious to some but isn’t to others—the over-the-air signals you pick up these days are all digital and mostly in high defintion. This means the picture will look every bit as gorgeous (actually slightly better) than what you would get from your cable or satellite company.

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