DIY Cord Cutting Sacrifices Not Necessary

DIY Cord Cutting is complex and time consuming. At StreamWise Solutions, we will not lie to you. If you want to implement a low cost, content rich cord cutting solution then you can try to do it yourself. Just make sure you give yourself a budget of $800+ and about 20 hours of time, to do it right.

If you are not already experienced with Internet, WiFi, Antennas, Bill Negotiation, then you will need to add an additional 10 hours of time for education and research. Needless to say, its not easy to cut the cord while getting the most channels and saving the most money. In fact, many DIY cord cutters barely save any money at all. Why? Because they have not been cutting the cord every day for the last 12 years like StreamWise Solutions.

In this post we will share with you the most common issues and mistakes made by DIY cord cutters.

1. Networking and Wifi – In order to get live streaming and live antenna signals to work properly, you need to get the right networking equipment. This is a difficult purchasing experience for the average home owner. Why? Because there are thousands of different routers and modems out there. It will take you hours just to figure out which solution is best. And then comes the hard part…setting it up right.
   • StreamWise Solutions has tested hundreds of these devices in isolation and in combination with other devices. We only install the hardware that has passed our rigorous testing.
2. Antenna Installation – This can be the most frustrating activity for potential cord cutters. Why? When you first install an antenna, you will be blown away by the quality of the picture on the broadcast networks. But more likely than not, your DIY installation will cause you headaches. You will find that CBS comes in clear as a bell but NBC fades in and out. So, you will make an adjustment to the antenna. And suddenly CBS will be gone completely and NBC will come in as clear as an Irish spring. And you won’t know how to fix it. In fact, it might not even be a problem with the antenna placement. It could be a coaxial cable problem, a bad splitter or electromagnetic interference. It will take you forever to figure it out.
   • StreamWise Solutions has installed thousands of antennas all up and down the front range. From spiderweb filled crawlspaces to working on top of tall ladders, StreamWise Solutions has done it all. And we guarantee the signal.
3. Integration – The key to truly effective, money saving cord cutting is integrating free HD antenna signals with online streaming signals. Antenna signals are a completely different signal type from those that come from Netflix or Sling. So even if you have installed your antenna correctly and somehow managed to configure the most cost effective networking solution, you still need to figure out how to integrate everything. You can sacrifice convenience by plugging the antenna cable directly into the back of the TV; however, you won’t be able to DVR anything and you will need to switch inputs when you want to flip between CBS and Hallmark or between NBC and ESPN.
   • StreamWise Solutionshas been integrating antenna signals and streaming, online video for nine years. We have tested every integration service, paid and free, and we know what works.
4. Cost – Everyone who cuts the cord on their own ends up buying extra equipment. We know because we have done it ourselves before we started StreamWise Solutions. We also know because many of our customers were DIY cord cutters before they called us. When something goes wrong and your family is frustrated, the first thing you will do is go out and buy a new piece of equipment. The salesperson at the electronics store will tell you one thing and the internet will tell you something else. The decision making process will be painful and long.
   • We have spent tens of thousands of dollars just testing equipment and software services. What we install for our customers is the best solution for cord cutting from both a features and a cost perspective.
5. Happiness – For the DIYer, cord cutting can be an extremely rewarding experience. You will learn all kinds of things and be more confident in your ability to set up the latest home automation technology. However, your family needs to be patient if you take on cord cutting as a hobby. When you DIY a cord cutting solution, you will hear your name being yelled from across the house and you will receive texts like this: “How the how do I watch the Oscars?!?”
   • At StreamWise Solutions, our goal is for everyone to sit down on the couch, hit the power button on the remote and start watching TV.