Cord cutting is a popular option for people who want to fully personalize their TV experience, and save some money while at it. Although on face value it looks like a simple thing, it can be confusing. That’s why people doing this for the first time end up making many cord cutting mistakes.
Besides, making that move from your pay TV service to cord cutting may feel drastic. It can be a bit scary as well. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If anything, the only thing you need is to gather as much helpful information about cord cutting as possible.
Well, in this post we will help you out. We will be looking at some of the common cord cutting mistakes and how you can avoid them in the future.
1. Rushing into It
Cord cutting is a good thing and there are so many benefits to gain from it. But do not rush into it.
Before you decide to cancel your cable, you must have a strategy in place that transitions you to a new entertainment or TV platform with ease. For example, if you intend to watch local channels in your city or town, you may need to invest in a new antenna and set it up before cutting the cord.
Try to also write a checklist of all the things you will need to cord cut seamlessly. Have you chosen a streaming service for example? How have you paid for the subscription? Do you have streaming devices ready and a good Internet connection? You will need to be prepared with all these things before cord cutting.
There is also no guarantee that your cord cutting experience will be as fantastic as you probably hope. So, before rushing into it, how about leveraging the free trials offered by most streaming services? This way, you can explore their entertainment options. This will help you get a feel of what to expect should you decide to fully subscribe to them.
2. Hoping Cord Cutting Will Be Just Like Cable
This is also one of the more common cord cutting mistakes. Let’s get this thing clear, there is nothing out there like cable. One thing that sets cable apart as a TV entertainment option is the ease of use.
Once you are connected, the only thing you need is remote and you are done. Cord cutting, on the other hand, requires a learning curve. There are just so many things to navigate through before you can start enjoying the ultimate experience.
Think of it as buying a new device. You need time to get used to it and learn how to navigate through various features, right? The same applies to cord cutting. While the entertainment options and the diversity offered by this idea are massive, you won’t access them just right away. You will need some time to learn the ropes so it may be a good idea to be patient.
One of the key cord cutting mistakes a lot of people make after making the switch is searching for channels instead of specific shows that they want to watch. Let’s say for example you are a fan of a certain show on Fox Sports. In most cases, a majority of people would search for Fox Sports after cord cutting. What this search returns is probably a Fox Sports app available on your Fire TV Stick or any other streaming device.
You will be required to have a cable login to access this app since it’s just a streaming version of Fox Sports, the same channel available on your cable TV line up. To avoid this scenario, you may want to search specifically for the name of the show you want to watch. Chances are you will end up with many different options to stream it.
3. Wanting to See Everything
One thing we have learned about cord cutting over the years is the fact that you will get a ton of content. Cord cutting also allows you to access this content using a wide array of devices, including your mobile phone. It can be tempting to try and consume as much content as you can at any given time.
However, you may want to resist that. It’s good that cord cutting offers you so much to watch, but it doesn’t mean you should watch everything. This increases the risk of overpaying for services that you don’t need.
For example, let’s say you are a big fan of Game of Thrones, a show available on HBO Now. A lot of people will end up paying for a full year HBO Now subscription just to watch one show. It doesn’t make any sense, does it? The good news is that there are no contracts with these cord cutting services. It is possible to just subscribe to HBO Now only when Game of Thrones is on and canceling that subscription immediately after.
In essence, you end up watching your favorite shows without incurring long term costs in subscription fees. This rule should apply to everything else you are watching. It is often less expensive to buy each show at a time using a full season pass instead of adding new channels or services to your bill.
4. Failing to Understand the True Cost of Cable
There are a lot of folks out there who believe that cable is way cheaper. To some extent they are right. If you just get one cable bill each month, you are more likely paying less in TV content compared to someone with multiple online subscriptions and all that. But you also need to ask yourself what is the true cost of cable?
It is very common to find people with a traditional cable TV also holding subscriptions on Netflix and other online streaming services. So, in essence, you are already paying for cord cutting in some way even though you still have your cable in place. People don’t account for the fees and taxes that are often associated with cable.
And there is also the matter of price hikes. Although streaming platforms are not immune to price hikes (Netflix just increased its fees this year), the rate of these hikes and the frequency in which they happen is much more tolerable compared to cable TV.
5. Not Taking the Time to Do Research
Cord cutting needs to be a fully personalized experience. You can’t just take advice from a friend and get the same services or devices that they are using. While you may still enjoy it, it may not be as personalized as it should be. In that case, try to do your research. As we have already noted above, the cord cutting world is full of diversity. There is so much content to watch and you are going to find something that appeals to you. It may take time but it will be worth it.
There is of course nothing wrong with asking around for some advice from friends. They are more likely going to point you in the right direction. But don’t stop there. There are so many online forums these days where you can learn a lot about cord cutting and what it entails.
Please also note that in most cases, the more you get exposure to this industry the more you will start to appreciate its benefits and the kind of value that it offers. So, don’t give up too early once you are in.
Cord cutting is more like a complex wine. It requires time to appreciate the different flavors available but by the moment you swallow, it will feel so much better. And as always, there are no commitments in cord cutting. If you find that there are some channels or services that you thought you needed, only to find out that you don’t, you can always cancel anytime, no questions asked.
Final Thoughts
Cord cutting is a great way to lower your TV bill and access a wide variety of content using multiple devices.
There are so many people doing it these days and as online streaming options expand, this number will continue to rise each day. But cutting cord is often the easiest part. Getting ready for what follows is harder than most people think.
From acquiring all the gear you need to cord cut to understanding the complex streaming ecosystem, all these things can be frustrating and require time to get by. But the experience is outstanding. Just try to avoid the cord cutting mistakes above and you will be fine.
Well, in case you are one of the people who are already cord cutting, let us know your experience so far. But if you are still jittery about this or perhaps you don’t know where to start, we would also love to hear from you.
Tell us your biggest concerns about cord cutting and why you are hesitant. We also invite all questions on this or any other query that you may have about TV entertainment. Drop us a comment down below please!
