In past writings, I’ve discussed the increased availability of “cord cutting” for TVs — in short, the many (and increasing number of) alternatives to traditional cable television. It’s time for an update!
Before we investigate what will work for you, we have to ask two questions.
How much is cable television in Las Vegas?
Due to competition from streaming and other alternatives, cable companies across the U.S. have introduced lower-priced no-frills plans. For example, a basic “starter package” from Cox Las Vegas is currently $25 (plus taxes and Internet fees). Except for the TV-antenna route (more on this below), all cable alternatives work best with at least 30 mbps Internet ($40/month for the first year, then $67/month). Many of the popular streaming services, such as Netflix, can run $10-$15 a month each.
Why are you considering changing?
Do you want to lower your bill or improve your selection? The reason I don’t use Cox Cable TV is I can get many more alternatives via my Roku box, including British TV series, Broadway theatre, Great Courses, and even the Metropolitan Opera. But trust me, I spend more than most on overall TV-entertainment-related charges.
If you’re happy with your current channel selection on cable, but are concerned about the cost, first visit one of the Cox stores in the Las Vegas Valley and discuss ways to lower the bill. You may be paying for more Internet than you need or other alternatives that you can live without or not taking advantage of current offers. I find that a face-to-face discussion in the store is more helpful than trying to deal with Cox on the phone.
The lowest-cost TV option in Las Vegas is an antenna, which can be purchased on Amazon for $20. They’re easy to install and due to the overall topography of the valley, reception (especially the major networks in HD) is good to excellent, plus you can receive a lot of minor stations (oldies TV, religious, Spanish-language) as well. All are very free and very legal.
To improve selection with or without the antenna, I recommend a Roku box ($35-$75, depending on the model, with no extra or hidden fees). Unlike other competitors (Apple TV), Roku boxes are extremely user-friendly, operate well on 30 mbps Internet (though I recommend a wired hookup, as opposed to wireless), and offer literally thousands of channels both paid and free. Check out the free (with ads) improved Roku Channel before anything else.
Are you an Amazon Prime member (due to their free shipping)? Roku includes the extremely well-stocked Prime channel!
Are you a member of Vegas PBS? If so, sign up for PBS Passport, which allows you to access thousands of hours of current and past programming whenever you like.
The YouTube channel on Roku offers a huge selection of every sort of programming (either free with ads or paid) and Clark County Library card members can access the Kanopy channel for an excellent selection of movies, TV shows, documentaries etc.
What to avoid? I noticed at local Las Vegas flea markets and shopping malls a couple of stalls offering third-party TV boxes (known in the business as IPTV). While I haven’t analyzed them thoroughly, most of these boxes run over $100 and include a monthly subscription. According to experts I’ve chatted with, many of the channels (especially for the most popular choices) aren’t accessed through legal contracts and you may find your favorite choices unavailable in a short time.
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What about Direct TV as another option with more channels available?
I cut the cord earlier this year. Now I stream YouTube TV with Philo so I can get the A &E channel which is not included in the YouTube stream. I have Amazon prime and I kept Cox for internet broadband at 30 megabytes per second. When I first cut the cord I was saving $30 a month but immediately YouTube raised the rate $10 a month for everyone so now I’m saving just $20 a month but still $240 a year as significant and I’m much more happy about this arrangement than all cable, but wish PBS was a little more user-friendly on streaming.
Itep, you really want to try for Wi-Fi I’ve at least 15 megabytes per second and higher. Anything lower and you may experience buffering.