Cut The Cord: No Smart-TV Required

The centerpiece of my front room is my Zenith 12-S-370 radio from 1939.  It’s the radio my Great-Grandfather purchased to enjoy the “wireless”.  Similar vacuum-tube filled cabinets once dictated most of America’s schedule.  Time blocks set aside for programs like “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One” and “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” were not to be interfered with.  If you missed the broadcast that week, you would never get another chance to hear it.  This method helped ABC, CBS, and NBC keep audiences engaged and advertising dollars flowing in.  This same formula easily transferred to television and kept audiences tethered for several decades.  Innovations like VHS and TiVo made it possible for you to watch TV on your schedule – loosening the tether more than a few notches at a time.
 
TV manufacturers have recently seen this growing change in behavior and started adding access to Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and other non-broadcast companies apps to your television.  The birth of the Smart-TV was a great start, but nowhere near the finish line.  Slow app interfaces, no addition of new providers, and lack of updates soon turn most Smart-TVs buyers back to cable and satellite.  This requires posing the question – Do you need a Smart-TV to “Cut The Cord”?  Sorry to spoil the surprise ending, but the answer is “no.”
 
There are countless devices available to boost your current TVs IQ.  These new innovations and content providers allow you to cut that cord all together.  In the coming weeks I’m going to review a few of these devices.   My reviews will cover the best possible “cut the cord” configuration for each device. Finding the right combination and device will allow you to watch media on your terms.