The half-cut cord: What's bugging me about cable

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

I cut the cord years ago. My wife sat across from me on the sofa and finally convinced me that paying well over $100 a month for the privilege of a bunch of random cable channels wasn't worth it. We could save money, learn to live lower to the ground, read more, and watch TV shows and movies on demand. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. I agreed. With apprehension.

It worked. We relaxed, we used an over the air antenna, we caught our TV shows on broadcast networks and just sat through commercials. I even borrowed an old DTV Pal DVR that could record antenna shows, so I could have a flexible viewing schedule.

I learned to love my limited life. Apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus -- say what you will about their content limitations -- are far prettier and easier to access than the typical pay-TV service. I indulged in the occasional digital rentals. I used my Xbox 360 as a streaming hub and power-used Bing.

Then, I moved.

The offer to upgrade to a local Fios service was tempting. It started with faster Internet, and then when I saw the total cable package offering with Internet, I thought to myself: I'm saving money on rent now that I live in the ... [Read more]