Ok, this is probably a very ridiculous question..........how do I cut the cord and join

[a kennedy]

streaming service, ya know like Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix??? How do I cut the cord so to speak. Our cable has our WiFi connection on it, if I “cut the cord” do we lose our WiFi?? So sorry, just not sure how all this works. Thank you.

[piddyprints]

1. Just take the TV part out of your plan.

Just keep the WiFi. You might have to call your provider. Tell them you just want internet, no tv.

Then sign up for the streaming service you want. I know that Hulu, Netflix, and Peacock can be turned on and off month to month. So if you're watching a long series on Netflix, for example, and ignoring the others, just turn off your account. It'll be there when you're ready. I don't think Prime is that flexible.

We haven't had TV for about a decade now. We have Xfinity/Comcast cable, but just internet.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. "We have Xfinity/Comcast cable, but just internet."

This is what I have. I finally got it installed in February. I haven't regretted it for one second.

[piddyprints]

7. I love it when people ask,

"You know that commercial where...?" My reply is always, "I haven't seen a commercial in years and have no desire to."

We are so spoiled not to have to watch that stuff. Yeah, we do buy the no-ads streaming plans.

[underpants]

2. We got an Apple TV box but others use Roku

The Apple box was a one time $100. Then I think we just add Hulu etc through the Apple Store on the TV like you’d add an app on your phone.

Others more knowledgeable will have better info.

[Auggie]

13. Your info is right on

[yellowdogintexas]

14. Rokus are about half the price of Apple; so is the Amazon Firestick

If you are already a Prime member, the Prime Video is included with the membership. We have Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Acorn and Britbox. We know we can cancel and re subscribe at will. You can catch up with MSNBC on You Tube

Also, PBS has Passport. If you are already a donor to your local PBS station, you can get Passport free. It has a ton of classic PBS stuff.

Also if you have the ROKU, you get Free Speech TV free. Then you can watch Stephanie Miller every morning.

Cut that cable and join the untethered world.

[Haggard Celine]

3. I have the cable company provide my wifi.

They charge a reduced price for people who just want to stream. I have Hulu, Prime, Peacock, and a few others. Tell the cable company that you don't want their content anymore, just the streaming service. Then choose the services that you want. They make it pretty easy.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Do you or do you not have a smart TV?

Some TV's are, for example, already Roku-enabled.

If you have a smart TV, your TV will be able to see the cable/modem/router, assuming it is within range, and connect to it. You'll need the C/M/R's password. The connection might be accomplished through a Wifi card in the TV set and there will be no cable running between the TV and the C/M/R. Or, there were be a cord running from the C/M/R to the TV set. It will be an ethernet cable, and it will plug into the ethernet port on the back of your TV.

If you do not have a smart TV, you'll need to buy a streaming device. It will sit near the TV or plug into a USB port.

Which one to get? They're reviewed all the time. Consumer Reports had a list of them in its preferred order, on page 33 of its October 2022 issue.

[piddyprints]

6. Lol I didn't even think to ask that.

We have a smart tv, but I stream on my iPad a lot. We also have an Amazon FireStick, which we really like. You can tell it to find a certain show or movie and it will display all the services that have it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. Then hardware-wise, you're ready to go.

I have one old smart TV, not new enough to work particularly well at watching streaming services. The TV I watch most often is a not-smart TV. I use a Roku 3 to bring in the shows I want to watch. It can connect to my C/M/R either via Wifi or an ethernet cable. I connect via Wifi. It's old, but it works. The new devices won't exactly break the bank. They're constantly going on sale too. If you don't like this week's price, wait 'til next week.

Once I got the Roku connected, back in March or April, I largely threw in the towel on the over-the-air broadcasts. I am just south of Washington, DC, and I can get TV stations from Baltimore.

[FarPoint]

8. have Spectrum wifi only...

$44.00 month....I added YouTube TV for channels and already have Prime, Netflix, Disney Plus , Max and Paramount....So much better! A real cost savings too.

[Alliepoo]

9. Good question!

I’m bookmarking coz I want to know, too!

[GenXer47]

11. has anyone checked out antenna signals lately?

There are a lot more channels than there used to be. Digital broadcast allows for channels like 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, etc. There are Olympic sports on almost all the time, totally free.
And Telemundo has great movies.

[CountAllVotes]

12. I got rid of cable TV

I watch TV via rabbit ears.

I am able to stream via a wi-fi connection and watch other programs online in my bedroom on an old Windows 7 computer w/an 18" screen on it.

This set-up costs me nothing, that's right nothing!

My wi-fi connection costs $45 a month.

If you want all of the other stuff you have to pay for it.

I don't care to pay for a bunch of things I will likely never use or watch.

Best of luck.