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Home > Entertainment > Topics:  Television
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Use Hulu.com and Cut Out Cable TV Expenses

Submitted by: 42Emma  11/07/2008 2:37 PM
 
If you're looking to reduce monthly expenses, try cutting out cable TV. It may seem extreme, particularly if you do like watching TV, but hear me out.

I used to pay over $60/month for cable TV. I'd watch a couple of shows at night after dinner, and then maybe a few shows over the weekend, but I always felt like I was paying a lot for the amount of TV I watched. Then I discovered Hulu.com.


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Hulu is a website backed by NBC Universal and News Corp. According to Hulu.com, they have over 900 current primetime TV hits on the site. You can watch any of the shows for free. They still have commercials, but fewer than if you watched the shows on regular television. And you can get new shows at the same time they air on regular TV, so you don't have to wait to see them.

Hulu has a really good variety of shows, from The Office and 30 Rock to Heroes and Lipstick Jungle (all favorites of mine). They also have shows that air on cable networks, like The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report. And you can also watch old movies on Hulu (e.g., Men in Black, Ghostbusters, etc.).

I figured that cutting out cable would save me over $700/year. That's a lot of money back in my pocket. Sure, I have to give up some of my favorite shows that they don't carry, but I catch them at friends' houses. My boyfriend is into sports, so he could never cut out cable altogether, but he has cable at his apartment so he can still watch the games there.

All in all, I think it's a pretty nice service. I still have my Internet access, obviously, so I can watch shows on Hulu, but it is nice to know I'm saving a lot of money by cutting out cable TV. And it's also nice that I can still watch new episodes of my favorite shows when I'm traveling or if I'm out to dinner and miss them when they air on regular TV, as I'm not tied down to a schedule and don't have to pay for a DVR service.


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Comments:
 
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This is great and can also be used if you only have 1 TV for the entire family (as we do).
 
Posted by anonymous on November 10, 2008 1:27 PM
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Hulu isn't the only one. ABC, NBC and CBS also have huge free video libraries:
http://abc.go.com/player/index?pn=index
http://www.nbc.com/Video/library/
http://www.cbs.com/video/

Another blog article on this:
http://lifehacker.com/5055337/five-best-sites-to-stream-tv
 
Posted by Chris de Vidal on November 13, 2008 9:12 PM
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Yes! Hulu.com along with NBC.com. and ABC.com has saved me tons of money.

Also good is Netflix.com, whch now allows members to watch free streaming videos. They have tons of great TV shows and movies.
 
Posted by A on November 14, 2008 3:11 PM
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I have lately discovered all the wonderful shows on PBS.com that are available. I've always been a fan and contributor to them.

We were forced into giving up cable TV recently due to heating costs and wow, you know what? We don't miss it. Not even my 15 year old daughter who when asked when we received a windfall which was enough to have it turned back on plus, if we should said "NO way. I am getting way more done without it. I never realized how stupid the shows were until I stopped watching them. "

We do have a Netflix subscription and with all you can watch on there, the other free streaming shows on line I wonder how much longer a shelf life cable TV has in any case.

Ila in Maine
 
Posted by anonymous on November 21, 2008 1:32 PM
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Does anyone know if hulu.com and the US networks such as ABC and NBC are accessible from outside the USA? I am taking an assignment in LATAM and it would be great to keep up with 'my shows'. THX
 
Posted by Dee on November 21, 2008 2:34 PM
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OK. So I have questions. What if cable is also your internet provider and telephone provider? While I could give up on the telephone, I don't want to give up on the broadband. Also, the channels I like on cable are not the network channels but channels like HGTV; History Channel, and the 24/7 news channels. Are they available online?

Suggestions?
Thank you and Happy Holidays
 
Posted by Vicky on December 23, 2008 2:12 AM
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Vicky.

I have never had cable tv at my house, and the phone is via AT&T. After nine months, we got the lowest cable broadband available. My wife said it is faster then the mid range DSL we had at the apartment. I don't know about the channels you mention, sorry.

One thing I would reccomend, there are cards that allow you to run the video from your computer to your TV. I have never used one, but my wife is not crazy about watching a 19 in CRT from the office chair when we have a 26 in tv with a comfortable couch. We are looking into that.
 
Posted by itsrichard on December 23, 2008 11:33 AM
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I could really use to save money four hurricanes later and four more tornadoes. Blessed to be protected from on high!! I love the show the closer!! Oh man do me and the husband love this and he loves house.. Is there a stream where i can pick up closer from tnt?

House is from chanel 9 are 23 on suddenlink cable down here. Satelite is the only other thing, and its higher, and not great in storms.
Are cost of living is horriable right now, and state is suffering. Any help with anything is appreicate. I need a new computer, i need a new anything..

I need help period. grin.. But well i am better off then most here.. So any advice you give i pass along and tell them of the site..
Thanks for the time and advice you will send.. And thanks for the site, really appreciate it being here.

 
Posted by Effie on December 25, 2008 1:52 PM
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My cable company just dropped the network that has Joel Osteen, the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston and a bestselling author, on each Sunday (and I think Monday) night(s). I love Joel Osteen's sermons! In this terrible economy, his pep talks really give me a lift. He's very good for my mental health.

Does Hula have the religious cable networks available? I would love to still be able to watch Joel.
 
Posted by LB on January 01, 2009 12:41 PM
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This comment is for LB.

If you have the internet,You can watch Joel Osteen online at this web address- http://www.joelosteen.com/About%20Us/Pages/AboutUs.aspx

After you get to Joel Osteen's Homepage
Click on the left side of the page about mid ways down where it says Watch Joel Online.

 
Posted by Sandi on January 04, 2009 9:59 PM
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There is also Fancast.com to watch tv shows and movies
 
Posted by anonymous on January 13, 2009 2:52 PM
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My husband and I have been using Hulu for a while now and love it! I always wondered why more people don't do it, then I realized that they usually have to watch it on their tiny laptop screens!

My husband hooked up our TV to our home computer and made a "Media center" Now when we watch Hulu it is just like watching TV!
 
Posted by Cami on January 22, 2009 11:18 AM
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Cami or others: could someone tell us how you hook up your computer to the TV in order to watch on the larger screen? This is very appealing to us, and it turns out that our local TV station also now offers livestreaming of the local news broadcasts.
 
Posted by jeannie on January 25, 2009 2:01 PM
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Does anyone know if there is some German TV available on the internet?
Thanks for your assistance
 
Posted by H Hendricks on January 26, 2009 8:56 AM
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We live where Time Warner Cable has monopoly. The whole complex of apartments are wired with Time Warner cable. We even have a bulk discount on the charges. But who needs 1000 channels.

The chance to save by using just the Time Warner broadband internet connection would be gratifying. Has anyone had success using just the broadband portion of Time Warner Cable ?
Would be nice to stop the Cable TV service and keep the broadband for internet/phone purposes.
 
Posted by Chris on February 02, 2009 3:17 PM
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Does Hulu carry and Fox News shows? Somehow I think I know the answer if NBC is involved.
 
Posted by Michael on February 12, 2009 11:25 AM
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Fox is a content partner with Hulu and airs over 30 of their programs on Hulu. Looks like the Fox news content is limited to Bill Oreilly's Talking points. http://www.hulu.com/search/fox?company=fox+news&showname=bill+o%27reilly%27s+talking+points&sort_by=relevance
 
Posted by anonymous on February 12, 2009 12:14 PM
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I live in a rural area of Upstate NY and there are no cable services down my road. I asked Time Warner for service and the price for me is hundreds of dollars too high.

Now can Hulu be installed at my house at a resonable monthly price. I do have Internet service from Rochester computer company at $9.95 per month.
What would I need to buy /and from whom, to get the service called HULU?
 
Posted by wilma caswell on March 02, 2009 10:28 AM
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@Wilma Caswell: as long as you have internet service you can access hulu.com. For a list of the software/bandwidth you need to properly view the programs go to this support link:
http://www.hulu.com/support
and it's free!
 
Posted by anonymous on March 02, 2009 12:19 PM
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With Hulu, do you all ever have any problems w/ it running too slowly or stopping during a show to 'catch up' w/ the internet speed?
 
Posted by Chrissy on March 03, 2009 2:18 PM
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@Chrissy: yes it happens to me from time to time even though I have cable internet through comcast.
 
Posted by ray@tiphero on March 03, 2009 2:47 PM
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Dee- re your question about getting US TV outside of the US.
I was not able to get US tv outside of the country.
We got to the same sites we use in at home and it looked like it was going to work, but when we clicked on the show, we got a message saying the shows were not available outside the US

We didnt use HULU, but we went directly to some of the networks
 
Posted by Nancy B on March 04, 2009 9:05 AM
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How can you hook up your TV to your computer?
 
Posted by Jane Smart on March 06, 2009 11:21 AM
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Anybody able to tell us HOW to stream your computer through your TV for a more comfortable viewing experience? Thanks so much!
 
Posted by Tina on March 06, 2009 7:53 PM
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Hello! My name is Moses Wilson here in Memphis, Tenessee. The price for making a living has gone through the roof. My Light, Gas and Water Bill has went from 85 dollars to 412 dollars. I went to discuss the problem with L, G and W but nothing has change. The company said that the meter was read but it wasn't read.

how can a person at a new resident for 3 years put up with this problem their blackmail the tax payers that work hard each and every day? Please look into the problem.
 
Posted by moses_wilson@yahoo.com on March 09, 2009 2:06 PM
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Thanks so much!
 
Posted by Laurel Santiago on March 10, 2009 2:17 AM
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could you tell me how to hook my computer to my tv............???? thanks a bunch!
 
Posted by cathy on March 12, 2009 2:55 PM
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Anybody able to tell us HOW to stream your computer through your TV for a more comfortable viewing experience? Thanks so much!
 
Posted by ROBIN on March 12, 2009 10:48 PM
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you have a video card on back of your computer and if you have s-video on your computer and tv you just connect them with a s-video cable. if you dont then upgrade your video card might cost 75, then you're all set.
 
Posted by joe on March 14, 2009 4:36 PM
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Time Warner New York has Basic Cable for just 16 Bucks a month but you have to ask for it
 
Posted by Zack on March 14, 2009 7:16 PM
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Maybe better yet save TV watching for one day a week? (Other than for news)
 
Posted by Hawky on March 19, 2009 5:05 PM
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can you watch hulu with one internet hook up as well as using the your computer online ?
 
Posted by anonymous on April 11, 2009 4:24 PM
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Yes you can Hulu is a website that streams videos, its like watching youtube. The best thing is to use two monitors (or 1 computer monitor and a tv) Any video card with more than 1 hook-up will allow you the option to set up for dual display. Set it to that the displays are not the same and you can watch hulu while actively online at other sites I use this method to watch blu-ray movies
 
Posted by Jai on April 20, 2009 7:12 PM
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For viewing shows from your computer to your television set without an S video hookup, you can find a converter. PC to TV converter, there are various brands out there and the prices vary, but these converters have been out there for quite awhile--I used them in my classroom before we got LCD projectors.
 
Posted by Dana on April 29, 2009 10:52 PM
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My daughter got a cord from Amazon.com for $10.00 that hooks up internet to our very large TV its wonderful!
 
Posted by Linda Lambert on July 18, 2009 8:54 AM
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What kind of $10.00 cable was it?
 
Posted by anonymous on July 23, 2009 3:08 PM
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To the lady who is asking about if she should change to direct TV. NO! a thousand times NO!

Unless you are a computer tech wizard and unless you like following directions like a lab rat after cheese for every little thing, DON`T DO IT!

We changed from Brighthouse to Direct TV and it was a nightmare. Everything had a laberynth of directions, menus and submenus and so on. You could not simply click and save or tape a program.

They have weekly menus, day and time etc. You cant do a simple thing without doing a bunch of other things and if you go to page 9 on the manual you have to page 7 and then to 19 and you cant do this without doing that. It was a nightmare.

They also connect your TV`s so there is TV 1 and TV 2, well, you get the idea and if you do something on TV 1 you cant do it on TV 2.

We suffered greatly trying to follow the directions on the manual and we missed a lot of shows. We called them on the phone time and again but either they dont answer or they have just one person answering the phone, believe it or not. How else could I get the same person all the time? She wasnt very helpul either, least of all nice or sympathetic.

After only 10 days, we changed back to Brighthouse and breathed, no, heaved! a large sigh of relief.
 
Posted by wiscelia on July 26, 2009 7:14 PM
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My mother got Dish TV and since it was new to me (I was up to help after surgery). I called with a couple simple (I found out myself later) questions and no one answered the phone. I called again a day later and no answer. 3 days later I called again and asked what video on demand was. Did you have to pay for it? He said no (you do) and another question which he answered incorrectly. THAT is tech support???
 
Posted by Patt M on August 09, 2009 11:17 AM
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Hulu is fantastic. I'm glad to see more people using it to cut their costs. Great tips in this article, keep up the great work!
 
Posted by Iris Robin on August 10, 2009 1:50 AM
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Just noticed hula and I can see the value of cutting cable,except for the fact that I wish my compuer was set up by a couch instead of an office desk chair for watching shows
 
Posted by anonymous on August 13, 2009 8:01 PM
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The cord to hook your computer to your tv will depend on the type of computer you have and the type of tv you have. I personally use a VGA cord to hook my laptops to a newer tv. But I also had to buy an audio cable to use the volume in the tv.

Here is a great article that shows the different cords and what shape/size they are so you may check your computer and tv's to determine what cords you may need.

http://www.watchtvforfreeonline.com/hook-up-computer-to-tv.html
 
Posted by Dawn P on August 18, 2009 1:36 PM
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Just came here via Laura Rowley's article today. Have used Hulu and Netflix for 18 months. A lot of people have asked about hooking up the computer to the TV.

Here's my setup, if it helps anyone out, great.

Computer and 20" monitor in the bedroom. I have a wireless router which acts as a "splitter" for the internet connection.

Downstairs, I've got an older TV hooked up to an XBox 360. With a wireless adapter, (to connect to the router/internet I mentioned above) the 360 can connect to Netflix as well as a 3rd party program I downloaded called PlayOn, which lets you stream Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, Youtube and other sites through the TV. (more will come)

So I sit down on the couch, turn on the 360, connect to Netflix or Hulu - and watch whatever.

So how much did all this cost?

Got the 360 a couple years ago - but they go for about $200.
Wireless Xbox adapter = $90.
Router? $50.
Netflix subscription? $9 a month.
Xbox Live subscription? $5 a month - $50 a year
PlayOn software - got it on sale but $40 regularly

Total = About $400. For me 5 months of Comcast TV.

Once you cut the cable TV, you don't need to look back. I was already paying for cable internet, but instead of $90 for TV I pay $9 for Netflix and about $5 for Xbox Live. $14 a month.

Enjoy.

http://www.thefuzznetwork.com/how-to-videos
 
Posted by Glenn on August 20, 2009 10:17 AM
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Anybody know anything about sports without cable? I know ESPN 360 has some stuff, but not regular games/shows/etc. We're not much into network tv, but we do watch ESPN a lot.
thanks for the info!
 
Posted by maggie on September 22, 2009 2:00 PM
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Yes, sports anyone? That is the only reason we keep our cable around. My husband won't let me shut it down until we resolve the sports issue.
 
Posted by Amy on September 24, 2009 1:17 PM
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I agree with the author! I simply don't watch enough TV a year for it to cost me $700 a year. I use the Red Envelope $1 movie rentals when I really want to watch a movie without commercials. This might happen once a week.

I feel this is a huge cost savings.
 
Posted by Kim on October 24, 2009 7:35 PM
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Hulu will be charging in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yjb88av

Enjoy it for free while you can.
 
Posted by anonymous on October 26, 2009 3:24 AM
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Another website that does this also is Fancast.com
 
Posted by francine pavolini on October 29, 2009 2:23 AM
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I did this and don't miss cable at all! Of course, I'm still using the 27 inch color TV that I inherited from a friend who upgraded and was taking it to Goodwill 7 years ago. Obviously, TV is not a priority for me:)
 
Posted by Jonnie515 on November 04, 2009 12:39 PM
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I've recently discovered HULU and its great. I was thinking of acquiring FIOS, but with HULU I don't need it.
Wonderful site you have here
 
Posted by GeoGee on November 05, 2009 2:24 PM
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I want to save everyway I can.
 
Posted by anonymous on November 24, 2009 1:33 PM
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