TECH NOW: How to cut the cable cord

Jennifer Jolly | Special for USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption TECH NOW: How to cut the cord from cable Contributor Jennifer Jolly kicks off a four-part series on letting go of the ties to your cable bill.

Netflix%2C Hulu and Amazon Prime are good for digital content

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Cost for Internet service may go up without a TV bundle

If you've made the decision to join numerous cord cutters and ditch cable TV, congratulations! No one likes huge bills, especially not when you can find most of your favorite content online for a lot less. But once you've made that call, how do you get started — especially if you're not that tech-savvy? We'll walk you through the process from start to finish.

INVEST IN AN ANTENNA

TV antennas have come a long way since wire hangers and tinfoil. Today, a sleek and modern antenna can pick up HD-quality broadcasts from major networks for a fraction of the cable cost. While the quality of the broadcast will depend on where you're located, the price (free after you buy the antenna, which typically cost around $30) can't be beat. If you're interested in watching sports or other live events, broadcast TV is still the most reliable way go.

FIND YOUR FAVORITE STREAMING DIGITAL CONTENT

While watching broadcast television gets you a lot of content, the selection is limited, and you don't have access to cable shows to which you're likely addicted. Luckily, there are a lot of online options that provide on-demand entertainment. The three most well-known are Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Each has strengths and weaknesses:

Netflix has a huge catalog of online movies, as well as television shows and kids entertainment, which you can stream to your computer, television or mobile device for $8 a month.

Hulu provides the best access to TV shows, offering the most shows online the day after they air. Hulu Plus subscribers ($8 a month) get better access to content, as well as the ability to stream to TV or mobile devices.

Amazon Prime subscribers ($79 a year) also get access to Prime Instant Video, which has a broad selection of movies and television for streaming.

If you're looking for content you can't find on broadcast television or streaming sites — and you can't wait for the end of the season to pick it up on DVD or find it on Netflix — iTunes and Amazon both offer digital video downloads for current television shows (new episodes are typically online the day after they've aired) and new-release movies. Expect to pay $2 to $3 per episode or $30 to $60 for a season of television, with typical DVD or Blu-ray costs for movies.

One word of caution: Keep an eye on how much you're spending per month on this kind of TV and video content. It's easy to tap a few buttons and get instant gratification on a show or two, only to get hit with bill shock when you realize how much you have spent on a few episodes of Game of Thrones and a season of New Girl.

There are also some new names popping up in the streaming TV and movie market, such as M-Go and Vdio.

But the new player getting the most attention right now is Aereo ($8-$12/month). Aereo lets you watch regular TV on any device, and lets you record shows with a DVR. It does it all without any additional cables, set-top boxes or an antenna, because Aereo has created tiny antennas and connected them to the Internet. The downside? Aereo isn't available anywhere on the West Coast … yet. You can check the website for availability.

BRING TV BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM WITH STREAMING BOXES

Now that you have all this entertainment available on your computer, chances are you want to bring that entertainment to your big screen TV. Fortunately, this is easy with set-top media streamers. But before you buy, see if you already have a streaming device in your home: Some televisions, Blu-ray players, and game consoles will also connect to services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. If you don't already have something, here are a few options that won't break the bank:

Roku : If you want content, Roku offers easy access to more online content than anything else. Set-up is simple: Plug your Roku into your television and connect it to your Wi-Fi network for instant access to streaming media content. The new Roku 3 will cost about $100, while older models start at $50.

Apple TV : Though it doesn't have the variety of Roku, it offers iTunes integration and AirPlay. If you're an Apple fan, both of these are great to have — but if you don't use iTunes or other Apple products, we recommend Roku. Apple TV is priced the same as the Roku 3 at $100.

FanTV : Newly announced Fan TV — expected to launch this fall — is the latest set-top box to get a ton of buzz. It promises to provide streaming, DVR, replace your cable and offer live television in one package. This, plus rumors that both Amazonand Microsoft are launching their own set-top boxes this fall underscore a major trend.

CANCEL YOUR CABLE SERVICE

If you've sorted out how to get great digital content, it's time to cut that cable cord. Most providers will require a phone call to cancel.

If you're getting Internet from your cable provider, be aware that the cost for service may go up without a bundle discount, typically between $10 and $20. If you're told that your bill will go up more than that, it may be time to find a different Internet provider, as well. While you're on the phone, find out what exactly your future bill will be and whether you should expect cancellation fees.

Next up in our four-part series — how to find your favorite shows, sports and other entertainment.

Questions? Be sure to ask them in the comments section or send us an e-mail.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly.