The cordcutter movement is growing more and more these days. People are looking to save money by cancelling that pesky cable bill and finding alternative ways to fulfill their entertainment needs via internet and/or wireless needs.
Netflix. Plex. Over-the-air antennas. Just a few of the options cordcutters rely on to stay entertained without cable TV. Give the gift of cutting that special someone's cable bill with these fantastic gifts for cordcutters.
OTA Antennas
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If you or someone you know is looking to cut out the cable bill from their budget, but still enjoys just throwing on the TV and vegging out without the hassle of finding something new to watch on Netflix (right?), an over-the-air (OTA) antenna can be a great compromise. But before you consider whether to buy an OTA antenna, you'll want to know what channels are available in your area and what type of antenna you'll need to draw them in. This TV signal locator from TVFools.com will let you know what signals are available from you or your giftee's address, and from there let you determine whether you should be getting an indoor or outdoor antenna.
An OTA antenna can be hooked up straight to a TV in your house to watch live TV. A couple of the other items on this list require a OTA antenna — HDHomeRun Connect and TiVo Roamio. If either of those boxes tickles your fancy, you'll need one to draw in the signal. Depending on what channels are available in your area, you'll need either an indoor or outdoor digital antenna. The antenna we've recommended here is designed for urban areas, and can be set up indoors or outdoors. Again, the channels you'll get will depend on a number of variables, so the price of this antenna makes it great for testing purposes.
HDHomeRun Connect
The HDHomeRun Connect is a HDTV broadcast tuner that, working in conjunction with an OTA antenna, lets you draw in the available HDTV channels broadcasting in your area. Set up is easy — simply connect your HDHomeRun box to power, the antenna, and your router, then install the software on your computer. From there, you're able to watch live TV from the available channels shows on any DLNA-compatible device connected to your Wi-Fi network, whether that be a smart TV, or a phone or tablet running the HDHomeRun DVR app.
But that's not all. What makes the HDHomeRun a real home run (I'm sorry) is its DVR compatibility with Plex. If your gift recipient is a Plex user, then HDHomeRun receivers are certainly worth exploring.
TiVo Roamio
TiVo… Now that's a name that's been around for a while. The Roamio is certainly worth looking into if you're cutting a cord and considering an OTA antenna. The Roamio comes with 1TB of space to record all your favorite shows as well as built-in integration with Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Hulu and more.
It's a TiVo, so you'll be able to pause and rewind TV live, as well as use SkipMode to skip over the commercials in your recorded content, or use QuickMode to watch your shows 33% faster with no audio distortion, meaning you can binge watch your favorite shows in less time.
Xbox One S
The latest and greatest in gaming and home entertainment, the Xbox One S is an absolute beast of a machine. On top of all the gaming goodness, you can easily make the Xbox One S the center of your home entertainment with support for 4K HDR video via BluRay or streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video.
You also get 2TB of storage, so if you've got a huge collection of media backed up you can dump it all onto your Xbox One S. Or instead, set up a Plex server for all your media and use the Plex app to stream, saving that valuable space for kickass games.
As Daniel Rubino writes in the official Windows Central review, this is a great gift option for those considering taking the leap into 4K:
For those who use the Xbox primarily for watching movies with some gaming, the decision is different. If this is the year you want a 4K TV and you already have high-speed Internet, the One S could be the linchpin to getting you to switch. That is how I am using it having upgraded from a previous 55-inch 1080p TV from 2013. With the One S, I now have 4K Netflix, the ability to watch 4K HDR Blu-ray movies, and I even get to try Forza Horizons 3 in HDR.
Gift memberships to streaming services
Netflix. Amazon Prime. Hulu.
These are the services that are largely replacing cable TV for an ever-growing number of consumers. Whether or not your loved one already has one of these services, you can cover a few months of their favorite streaming service for a gift that keeps giving as the year goes on.
Your best value is absolutely a year's worth of Amazon Prime. Not only do they get access to both Amazon's music and video services, they also get all the benefits of being an Amazon Prime including next-day delivery on a number of products.
Both Netflix and Amazon Prime offer electronic gift cards for their services, but you should also also be able to find them at retailers. Hulu currently doesn't offer electronic gift cards, but you should be able to find physical Hulu gift cards at retailers such as Target, Best Buy, and Walmart.
