Goodbye again, cable TV. But I'll still miss your best stuff.

Ever wonder what you’d miss most if you cut cable TV out of your life? Or if you’ve already cut the cord, ever imagine what you’d most appreciate if you brought the whir of a DVR back into your living room?

Well, once again the conclusion of college football season has prompted the end of a cable-television subscription in this writer’s household. For about five months, thanks to my alma mater stretching out the season as long as possible (and vanquishing the two top teams from the Yellowhammer State to bookend a national championship!), here are the highlights.

Visible fast forward and rewind: Don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone, as the cliche goes. Watching a replay of a game on Roku’s YouTube, though, is tougher than on a cable DVR. Not to mention walking away from the TV mid show and trying to pick up where you’d left off. The filmstrip-style indicators in several streaming apps are functional, but they don’t equate to fullscreen rewind and fast-forward.  And my kingdom for slow-motion functionality (well OK, not my kingdom, or I wouldn’t be this cheap in the first place).

One-stop shopping: Where in the world of streaming apps is the latest season of that show I’m ready to binge-watch? Hulu? Amazon Prime? Crackle? Arrow, arrow, arrow, OK, arrow, arrow, back … you get the idea. Well, when it’s cable, just hit the DVR list or pull up the on-demand channel and boom, you’re there.

• Plenty of other live sports: My challenge this spring is to find affordable ways to watch Major League Baseball, the PGA and LPGA golf tours and Orlando City soccer.  

Local programming: My other challenge this spring is to wire an attic antenna to my three TVs. Window or set-top antennae just don’t cut it where I live. But Betonbet I’ve got a plan (wrings hands in dastardly fashion) …

wzimmerman@tronc.com | Twitter, @ZMediaWorks

Check out some films and TV shows to stream that are worth your time. Looking for something to rent? Check out the newest movies to rent here. Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye’s Facebook page. 

• Archive: Cutting cable yields unexpected benefits beyond saving money »

• Archive: Same streaming device yields differing performance as apps vary »

• Archive: Even gradual switch to streaming internet from cable TV means hurdles »

The National Assn. of Realtors said home sales rose 3.3% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. (Feb. 22, 2017)

The National Assn. of Realtors said home sales rose 3.3% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. (Feb. 22, 2017)

The National Assn. of Realtors said home sales rose 3.3% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. (Feb. 22, 2017)

The National Assn. of Realtors said home sales rose 3.3% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. (Feb. 22, 2017)

Uber has hired former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to help investigate claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. (Feb. 21, 2017)

Uber has hired former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to help investigate claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. (Feb. 21, 2017)

The bank that financed a mortgage at Fashion Square Mall will take over operation of the retail property on Thursday.

The bank that financed a mortgage at Fashion Square Mall will take over operation of the retail property on Thursday.

Mark Zuckerberg talked to the Associated Press and detailed his thoughts on Feb. 16 in a 5,800-word manifesto on his site. (Feb. 17, 2017)

Mark Zuckerberg talked to the Associated Press and detailed his thoughts on Feb. 16 in a 5,800-word manifesto on his site. (Feb. 17, 2017)

Matt Englett, an Orlando attorney who has been disciplined twice previously, has been suspended by the Florida Supreme Court for three months.

Matt Englett, an Orlando attorney who has been disciplined twice previously, has been suspended by the Florida Supreme Court for three months.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.

Exit mobile version