Cable TV is so 20th century.
Pick a few folks and ask them how many channels they get with their cable or satellite bundle.
The answer might just be zilch. Cord-cutting — the act of eschewing expensive monthly fees for cable or satellite TV in favor of streaming services such as Netflix is known — has become more popular in recent years.
Still, as Forbes magazine noted in March, it’s a trend that seems to have more bark than bite as far as doing damage to major cable companies.
One problem is that streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime only offer certain shows or movies for set monthly fees. Premium TV shows — ones that HBO churns out that become Emmy award winners — are hard to come by for cord-cutters.
Sure, there’s a lot of password-sharing for streaming service HBO Go going on in the world, but it’s not exactly above board. The only legitimate way to have HBO Go access is to be an HBO subscriber, and the only way to do that is through a cable or satellite TV service provider.
That’s why some articles that hit the Web last week telling cord-cutters how to get Internet providers to hook them up with HBO gained traction. The Wall Street Journal’s site called it “like ordering off the secret menu at In-and-Out Burger.”
Calls to two major Internet providers for Savannah got different answers about the packages the Journal mentioned.
Comcast’s “Internet Plus” package was available for an apartment in South Historic District. That gives the customer a limited channel lineup — basic as it gets — Internet speeds that work for streaming and HBO for about $80 a month.
An inquiry to AT&T found the company’s “HBO Internet Plus” offer was not available for an apartment in North Historic District. That deal, which has broadband speeds suitable for streaming and HBO, is only available in areas where U-verse TV is offered, according to AT&T’s customer service representative.
AT&T, however, was more than happy to offer a higher-priced bundle through DirecTV as consolation.
The locations that were checked were in ZIP code 31401, so they may not apply for the entire Savannah area. It’s worth calling and checking on your own if “just Internet plus HBO” is something you’re interested in.