We just cut the cord, and glory is ours. I thought I would share how we did it to provide food for thought for those of you sick of cable (and maybe so people can stop bickering on my DirecTV blog post from years back).

I will walk through the requirements we had, what we used to have, and what the new setup looks like.

Requirements

The requirements for us are fairly simple:

• We want access to a core set of channels:
  • Comedy Central
  • CNN
  • Food Network
  • HGTV
  • Local Channels (e.g. CBS, NBC, ABC).
• Be able to favorite shows and replay them after they have aired.
• Have access to streaming channels/services:
  • Amazon Prime
  • Netflix
  • Crackle
  • Spotify
  • Pandora
• Be able to play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and other optical content. While we rarely do this, we want the option.
• Have a reliable Internet connection and uninterrupted service.
• Have all of this both in our living room and in our bedroom.
• Reduce our costs.
• Bonus: access some channels on mobile devices. Sometimes I would like to watch the daily show or the news while on the elliptical on my tablet.

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