Sample Setups
Low Budget
If your television needs are very basic, you can easily get by with just an antenna for over-the-air channels and then a DVD or Blu-ray player to complete your home entertainment system. If you have a Redbox kiosk nearby or subscribe to the Netflix disc service, your monthly cost can be under $10. If you add Hulu Plus or Netflix streaming, you can still keep your fees to under $20 per month (excluding the cost of your internet service, of course). If you have a Blu-ray player with built in apps no separate device is needed for the streaming options.
Midrange
Add a DVR solution and a Roku to a basic setup and you can still keep your monthly fees well under $40 for your entertainment viewing. You can even have a satellite service like Dish Network in the mix using the ‘Welcome Pack’ I noted earlier and still stay within the under $40 price range.
This is an ideal solution for many who can’t really see living strictly with their local channels via an antenna along with some streaming options.
My setup is in this range, well below the average $105 I had been paying monthly to DirecTV.
Here’s what I have in my main viewing room:
· Comcast Digital Economy package for 12 months at just $7 more than I had been paying for internet alone. As part of the deal, I get 24 months of HBO included for free. In addition, there’s a wealth of on demand video included and some live network feeds I can watch online, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3. So I get some premium sports programming without needing to bump up to the much more expensive package that would include these networks. It actually turned out even better than that once I got it all hooked up. I found that I receive about 20 additional channels through the TV, including ESPN and my local Comcast Sports, that are not part of the Digital Economy package I subscribe to. Most are the standard definition feeds but hey, I’ll take it. Free is free. In particular, I like that I’ll be able to watch my favorite MLB team without paying extra. Why do I get these channels? I suspect it’s because I use a cable card and my own Tivo, so some channels that would normally be filtered out by a Comcast receiver box are not with my setup. Regardless, I call that an unexpected bonus!
· Tivo Premiere DVR service for $15 per month
· Netflix streaming for $8 per month (which I start and stop as desired based on whether I feel I am “caught up” with programming that most interests me)
· Redbox for DVD and Blu-ray rentals – roughly $5-10 per month
On my second TV, I use a Roku along with an over-the-air antenna. I also have a computer connected to it so I can watch anything available online through the TV; although generally I find that I’m covered using the antenna and Roku. There’s no additional monthly fee for my second TV. Now there’s a welcome change from the usual cable and satellite offerings!