hey it is michael welcome to the channel and if you're clicking on this video chances are
you are thinking about cutting the cord and maybe you don't know where to start well today's video
i'm going to walk you through the process step by step the seven steps you need to take to cut
the cord you know with so many options out there the process of cutting the cord can easily become
complicated and overwhelming but it doesn't have to be when you are just starting out you don't
need to spend days and weeks researching the best ways to cut the cord because that's my job i've
been doing it since 2016 helping thousands of people just like you switch from cable to live
tv streaming so right now we're gonna go through those seven steps it is a simple but detailed plan
of how you can drop your big cable bundle and switch to a live tv streaming service that has
the best of cable at a lower monthly price let's get started number one review your cable tv bill
the first step to cutting the cable cord is to check your last cable tv bill and specifically
you're looking to see if you're locked in a contract and may face an early termination fee
when you cancel if you don't have a contract you can skip ahead to the next step in the process
but if you do have a contract read the fine print and find out when that contract ends but if you
can't get clarity in the fine print you need to live chat or call customer service and ask them
these three questions number one i'm thinking about cancelling cable tv service will i owe an
early termination fee number two if so how much is the early termination fee and number three
can i avoid paying an early termination fee if i keep internet service and that last question is
key because some cable tv providers are waiving the early termination fee if you sign on for an
internet only plan there's a catch though you may be required to sign a contract for that
internet plan and speaking of internet service that is step two get quotes for internet service
all live tv streaming services require a high speed internet connection every single one of
them so cutting the cord makes the most sense for people who already have internet or are willing
to pay for it and to help you identify the best internet deal there are three factors to consider
price download speed and data caps let's talk more about each of them for price if your cable company
is your only option for internet service call them up and see how much an internet only plan will
cost but if you're lucky enough to have a second option for internet like from the phone company
you can check their prices too when i told my youtube community about the cost of internet
service the majority of the nearly 300 people who responded said they pay 50 dollars to 75 a month
and one way to lower that price is by purchasing your own modem and router instead of renting
equipment next to download speed and to stream live tv without any lag or buffering you're going
to need an internet plan that can meet those needs for typical household i recommend buying
an internet plan with download speeds ranging from 50 to 100 megabits per second and preferably
200 megabits per second it is possible to stream with a 25 megabits per second plan but service may
not be as reliable with an internet plan that has download speeds of 100 to 200 megabits per second
a handful of devices can be connected to the internet at the same time no buffering and now to
data caps because with the rise of streaming some internet service providers have added data caps to
their plans and that can result in extra fees this is really going to impact larger households and
heavy users if the internet service providers in your area have data caps you may be able to pay an
extra 25 to 50 a month for unlimited data however internet providers insist that most customers
are not affected by data caps and this is important if you currently have internet service
don't make any changes to your plan at this point for this step you are just getting quotes for
internet only plans next up setting a streaming tv budget that is the third step to cutting the cord
after you have determined the cost of an internet only plan from the previous step you can subtract
that amount from your current cable and internet bundle and this is going to help you figure out
the potential savings from switching to streaming for example if you have a 150 cable and internet
bundle and then you get quoted sixty dollars for internet service alone that leaves ninety
dollars for your streaming tv budget some live tv streaming services advertise that they are about
half the price of cable but it really varies and the more expensive live tv streaming plans
they have more well-rounded channel lineups that include local broadcast stations the most popular
sports networks as well as the popular cable news networks i'll share my recommendation for the best
live tv streaming service for beginners coming up in just a minute right now though step four buy an
entry level streaming device live tv streaming services do not have monthly equipment fees
no more cable boxes but you may have to purchase a streaming media player to stream on your tv
one popular brand is roku and this is the roku premiere a good option if you're on a budget or
just starting out for a one-time cost of less than 50 roku premiere and roku streaming stick plus
are two great options for first-time streamers roku devices plug into your tv and connect to
the internet to allow you to stream each device comes with a remote so that you can navigate
all of your streaming apps if you are intimidated by this part of the process don't be rokus are
really easy to get started with i've got the roku premiere in my hand here's the device
and you can see there are two cords the first one is going to go into the back of your tv
set into the hdmi input and the second one is the power cord that'll go into a power outlet
you also have the remote it comes with batteries too so you don't have anything extra to buy
and when you turn on your tv after setting this all up for the first time
you will get instructions on the screen that are going to walk you through this
step-by-step to connect to the internet so let me show you the box again for the roku premiere
there are other options besides roku they include amazon fire tv and chromecast with google tv i
like them too i have those devices but i recommend the roku for first time streamers can't go wrong
with the roku and one more point here if you have a fairly new smart tv you may be able to skip this
step because the live tv streaming services may be pre-installed or available for download from your
smart tv however i still like the roku because you can get access to content that you won't find
elsewhere moving on to step number five test out a live tv streaming service while you're
still paying for cable tv and there are a handful of options to consider but i recommend that you
start with youtube tv youtube tv is one of the more expensive options but it is also the most
cable-like of the major live tv streaming services and it is still cheaper than cable it includes
more than 85 cable channels local stations your abc cbs fox nbc and pbs unlimited cloud dvr up to
three streams at once and a simple navigation you can access youtube tv from select smart
tvs as well as compatible devices like your roku youtube tv typically offers a one week free trial
and by the end of that time you should know if live tv streaming is a suitable cable alternative
during your youtube tv free trial compare its channel lineup to what you're getting
with your cable tv provider go through your cable tv live guide and write down all of your
must have channels and then repeat the process using youtube tv's live guide you also want to
use your free trial period to evaluate youtube tv's user experience and performance here are
some questions to answer number one how long does it take to change channels number two is there any
lag or buffering and number three have there been any error messages you can get youtube tv's free
trial offer directly from its website usually no promo code is necessary and after you sign up just
make a note of when that trial ends so that you can cancel it if you're not going to continue the
service you do have to provide payment information when you sign up for the trial but if you cancel
before it expires you won't be charged so if you test out youtube tv and there are no major issues
i recommend that you stick with it for a month or two while you adjust from cable to streaming but
if there are some things that aren't working out with youtube tv here are some alternatives so if
you want to extend your testing period you can sign up for multiple free trials from multiple
services and then see which one you prefer step number six cancel cable tv service we're almost
there after you've tried out youtube tv and perhaps other live tv streaming services it
is time to call up your cable tv provider and tell them you want to cancel i recommend that
you cancel by phone and call early in the day for a shorter wait time and during that phone call you
may be able to negotiate with customer service for a lower price on an internet only plan if you have
a competing offer from a phone company this is the time to mention it once you've dropped cable tv
make sure that you return any rental equipment to your provider to avoid paying additional fees
so congrats you've officially cut the cord and switched to streaming but we are not finished
yet step seven is to continue to comparison shop if you like everything about cable tv except the
high price the combination of youtube tv and an entry-level roku device is a great way to
start streaming tv however you can save money by periodically comparing streaming plans and deals
and this is possible because cable is different from streaming in another way
with streaming services there are no contracts so you have the flexibility to switch providers
whenever you want to here's an example if you only need live tv streaming for football season
you could cancel youtube tv during the off season and try a cheaper option like sling tv or
philo based on my viewing habits i switch between different streaming services
several times a year all to save more money but i suggest that first time streamers
master youtube tv with a roku premiere or roku streaming stick plus to start sure it's a one
size fits all plan but it works for most people because it is so simple so good luck with your
transition from cable to streaming i have written instructions this step-by-step guide on my website
michaelsaves.com i will link to that in the description below if you found this video
helpful please like it consider subscribing to my channel and i'll see you back here soon take care