Use iTunes, Not Cable

I'm certainly not the first to suggest that people could start using Apple TV instead of their cable TV provider. No one seems to think that would happen - and being a long time Tivo fan, I never did either.

Something happened though recently that made me change my mind. First, I did the math, looking at the TV shows I really wanted to watch. I need the Daily Show, Colbert, The Office, and Scrubs. I figured that would currently run me about $36 a month - not bad, and certainly better than my cable bill plus Tivo bill plus HD plus etc... So for another installment of how technology is making my life better, I look to iTunes and the TV show downloads.



My economist friends will argue that the remainder is the value of bundling all shows together. And it's a valid argument, but leaves out one strong assumption. I don't want to be able to channel surf - that drain takes away from the rest of my life, and I'm not strong enough to resist it.

The quality isn't awful on my 50" TV (better than something I Tivo'd off Comcast, non-HD), and it's actually very good streaming from my mac mini to my laptop. This was the selling point for me, being able to watch these shows anywhere in my house, wirelessly streaming them to my laptop. No need for Apple TV - just a couple computers and a decent wireless connection.

As if people didn't need enough reason to ditch the cable provider, here's one more - just get what you want from iTunes.