After years of navigating the world of cable TV and rising fees, I finally took the plunge and cut the cord. It’s a decision I’d been putting off for a long time, but the ever-increasing costs and declining value made it clear that the time had come. This move also marked the end of an era for my trusty HDHomeRun Prime, which had been a central part of my setup since 2013.
Prior to 2013, my local cable company, Comcast, made it easy to access digital TV directly through the coaxial cable, but things changed when encryption became standard. Suddenly, renting expensive equipment was the only option, and that’s when I discovered the HDHomeRun Prime. With the help of a cable card (which was mandated by the FCC), it allowed me to decrypt cable signals (legally) and stream them across my devices. For a one-time investment, I was able to bypass ongoing rental fees, and it quickly paid for itself.
Over the years, my setup evolved. Initially, I paired the HDHomeRun with Windows Media Center on a repurposed laptop and used Xbox 360s as extenders. It was a creative solution, but times have changed. With modern apps and DVRs, the technology has moved forward significantly. Yet, as convenient as the HDHomeRun Prime was, the creeping costs of cable—especially the ballooning broadcast TV fees—became impossible to ignore. Spending nearly $500 a year for local channels I could get for free with an antenna no longer made sense.
Transitioning to over-the-air (OTA) TV has been smoother than I expected. I invested in a high-performance antenna recommended by a trusted expert and connected it to an ATSC 3.0-capable HDHomeRun device. This setup delivers crystal-clear broadcasts at no additional cost, and the savings have been substantial. For those channels that remain encrypted, my antenna also picks up older ATSC 1.0 signals as a workaround. You can see more about that journey here.
Cutting the cord hasn’t meant giving up on the news or big events. Local stations often share stories via their websites, RSS feeds, or YouTube channels, making it easy to stay informed without a cable subscription. And for marquee events like the Super Bowl, free streaming services like Tubi are stepping in, offering content in high quality without the added fees.
The broader industry trends are clear. As traditional broadcasters continue to raise prices and push encryption, they risk alienating even their most loyal customers. At the same time, free and flexible alternatives are gaining ground. The shift may not be immediate, but it feels inevitable.
Letting go of cable TV and the HDHomeRun Prime was bittersweet—it had been a reliable companion for over a decade. But the freedom and cost savings of a cable-free setup are worth it. It’s a change I’d recommend to anyone still on the fence. The options for high-quality, free entertainment are out there.