Cord-Cutting 101: Helping N.J. to eliminate their cable bill

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

What exactly is cord-cutting?

Cord-cutting is the act of eliminating your over-the-air antenna or cable TV service by utilizing a streamer to receive content like movies and TV shows.

Using a streamer found in big box stores like Best Buy and by subscribing to a service like Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, consumers can easily eliminate the middle man otherwise known as the cable company.

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

But isn't this just a fad?

Not at all. According to Venture Beat, there are over 75 million Netflix subscribers worldwide and considering that, it's safe to say that we've shifted from the traditonal model of consuming our media. With more and more iPads and Kindles in backpacks, our kids will be the first streaming-only generation.

In fact, the Washington Post reported that in 2015, 40 percent of U.S. homes subscribe to a streaming service such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video or Hulu. That's an incredible amount considering the pay-cable options that we have.

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So are there any drawbacks?

Yes. Considerable ones. Cord-cutting works best when the viewer has a definite sense of what he or she wants to stream and, as a result, subscribes to services accordingly. Keeping up to date with live and local news is a big consideration for many. Sometimes a deal-breaker.

They're in luck. Livestream is a channel offered on various players for free and comes with largest selection of live local news from across the United States. Befofre deciding, it's advisable to check what apps and channels are offered with each player.

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

OK, I want to cut the cable cord, what do I need?

First, a small bit of bad news: At the very least, you'll still need to pay for an internet connection since you'll be using that signal as the highway for all of your content delivery.

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

STEP 1: CHOOSING THE HARDWARE

The cord-cutting has begun. Once you have a strong internet signal, it's time to pick your streaming hardware. As you will see, there are several options and sizes and they are all affordable.

Almost all of them offer the mainstream apps like your Netflix or Hulu as well as niche free channels serving up everything from TED Talks to public domain film noirs to Popeye cartoons. Yes, there's an all-Popeye cartoon channel.

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ROKU PLAYERS ($39-$129.99)

Hardware: One of the mainstays of cord-cutting, Roku's line of streamers (Roku 2, 3, 4K) boast hundreds of free channels, games and even a remote with a headphone jack. Available in five different models including a WiFI-only portable Roku stick for easy portability.

Cool feature: Roku players feature a cross-platform search and will tell you which streaming service has what you're searching for. A very nifty tool.

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AMAZON FIRE TV ($39.99-$99.99)

Hardware: As more and more cord-cutters are invested into the ever-growing Amazon ecosystem, its Amazon Fire TV streamer (and portable WiFi-only Fire stick) is perhaps the best choice. It's lightning fast. It's ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction) tech learns what movies and shows you like and gets them ready for you.

Cool feature: With its Siri-like Alexa, users can ask the remote to check sports scores, weather or play music.

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GOOGLE CHROMECAST ($35)

Hardware: Google's WiFi-only Chromecast is the cheapest way to stream all of your media. There's a catch, however. There's no remote. Instead, your smartphone or tablet acts as your remote with all of your streaming services "mirrored" to the TV.

Cool feature: You can "cast" a tab from your mobile browser to your TV using the handy Chromecast app and mirror everything from web pages to Facebook to Pinterest to Amazon Instant Video which does not have an official Chromecast app.

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APPLE TV ($69-$199)

Hardware: Easily the sleekest hardware of the bunch, Apple TV (after a hefty redesign) wants to replicate your iPhones, iPads and Apple Watch on your TV.

Cool feature: While you can use Siri to search, the Apple TV's elegant glass Touch surface on the remote was designed for the Apple generation. You never have to hunt for a button to press or have a light on to see.

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

STEP 2: CHOOSING A STREAMING SERVICE

You've got the internet signal and you've chosen a streamer. Now it's time to decide which streaming service suits your needs best. Will it be the film-heavy Netlix? Or, if you're a TV junkie, HULU may be in order.

Let's take a look at the most popular streaming services and how much they cost.

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NETFLIX

The lowdown: This granddaddy of streaming services unarguably comes with the most cache. In addition to a robust library of rotating movies, there's also water-cooler hits like "Making a Murderer," "Orange is the New Black," "Bloodline" and "House of Cards." The also feature four series revolving around Marvel superheroes like "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones."

Price: $7.99 monthly

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B

The lowdown: Offering up hundreds of network shows the day after they air and featuring exclusive content like "The Mindy Project," the Stephen King adaptation for "11/22/63" or the buzzy new series "The Path," Hulu should easily be the TV buffs choice. Note: Currently-airing CBS network shows are unavailable.

Price: $7.99 monthly with limited commercials; $11.99 with no commercials.

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AMAZON PRIME

The lowdown: Perhaps the most underrated of the bunch, Prime boasts such awards darlings like "Transparent," "The Man in the High Castle" and "Mozart in the Jungle" as well as a hearty selection of movies to stream and rent. In addition, a Prime subscription also comes with perks like Amazon Music, photo storage and free two-day shipping on Amazon orders.

Price: $99 annually

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SLING TV

The lowdown: For serious cord-cutters, Sling TV is a must. It offers no-contract streaming of all mainstream cable channels like CNN, HGTV, History Channel, Cartoon Netwrok, Lifetime, TBS, TNT and ESPN. What's more, it can be added on to Roku players, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV but not Apple TV.

Price: $20 monthly. Package channel add-ons range between $5-$15 monthly.

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STEP 3: ADD AN EXTRA

While there should be plenty of content in the above services to keep viewers entertained, there are a few premium add-ons to help enhance your cord-cutting experience.

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HBO NOW

The lowdown: In addition to its rotating lineup of films, documentaries and sporting events, the mother lode of the pay-channel's entire library of TV content is a huge selling point. Can be added to Apple, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.

Price: $14.99 monthly. A bargain.

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SHOWTIME ANYTIME

The lowdown: In order to watch hits like "Homeland" and "Shameless," Showtime Anytime can be added on to several premium services like Amazon Prime and Hulu. It's also available as a standalone channel on Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV players.

Price: $8.99 monthly

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CBS ALL ACCESS

The lowdown: New hits in the CBS stable like "Big Bang Theory" and "2 Broke Girls" are available the next day. In addition, a vast library of classic shows like "Beverly Hills: 90210," "I Love Lucy," and the entire "Star Trek" franchise can be viewed. Can be added to Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

Price: $5.99 monthly

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Anthony Venutolo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Should you do it?

Face facts: With more and more Americans taking the plunge and not looking back, streaming content will soon be the new norm.

Still skittish? There's certainly no crime in buying a player and adding a few streaming services or add-ons. It's a great way to evaluate existing TV watching patterns and see if you'll miss your cable remote once and for all. You may be surprised to discover that you won't.

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