In Defense of Cable

Despite the widening array of shows on the Web, the online options don't yet match what you get—think HD, DVR, and sports—from your trusty set-top box

By Chris Albrecht

With Apple's iTunes now offering HD programming from all four major broadcast networks, Netflix streaming shows from CBS, and Hulu letting you cherry-pick the best skits from Saturday Night Live,, you might think it's time to cut the cable cord. But there are some things you should consider before telling Comcast where it can shove its overpriced coaxial cable. Whether it's time to dump cable depends on how much TV you watch, how important picture quality is, and whether or not you're a sports fan.

Let's say your cable bill is $70 a month (which roughly four out of five American households pay, on average), or $840 a year. Here in the Bay Area, that gets you access to hundreds of channels (no premium channels, such as HBO), HD programming, and a DVR. More than $800 a year for TV is a lot, especially in this economy…or is it?

If you watch just two shows each weeknight, that's 10 shows a week. With cable, you're paying roughly $7 per show (in HD) each month, or $1.75 per episode if there are four episodes of each show in that month.

Pricey Pleasures

On iTunes, individual episodes cost $1.99 for standard definition and $2.99 for high definition, but there is a discount if you purchase a season pass. I looked at the season-pass prices for a sampling of 10 popular shows (The Office, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, etc.), and it would cost $417 for a season's worth of entertainment. That's half as much as the yearly cable bill—but it's only for those 10 shows. If you have kids, that number could get a lot bigger real quick, and any additional programs you want to watch will cost extra.

With cable, you get everything you currently watch, as well as other stuff you might want to try (and don't tell me you never zone out in front of the TV, flipping through the channels). Plus, with iTunes, you have to buy the shows, which fills up your hard drive. And unless you have kids, will you watch any of these shows more than once?

Now, you could install an over-the-air antenna to pick up HD programs from the broadcast networks for free, but then you'd need to buy some kind of digital recording device, such as TiVo, and pay a monthly service fee, which cuts into the savings you got from dumping cable (which has a DVR) in the first place.