Cut The Cord: Support & Information Page
"Cut the Cord" is a community presentation meant to help you get rid of the cost and limits of "cable TV" and replace it with the endless options available from online streaming. The original sessions were presented in person in 2016 and 2017 at library and town events all over CT, and are now continuing in virtual form, via Zoom.
“Better Net!” is a new companion presentation that picks up from the necessarily brief discussion of home internet in the CTC presentation, and fills in all the details of how to get the best possible internet and wifi service in your home or small business. (Prior participation in “Cut the Cord” is not necessary; this is a completely standalone presentation.)
While (even now, four years later) there's no shortage of information about "cord cutting" on the web, most of it is aimed at a more experienced audience familiar with the details of using the hardware, apps and other tools used to find and view streaming content. It's hard to wade through discussions of one product vs another, or one approach vs others, when you don't have an understanding of how the overall process works and what your options are.
My presentation, now adapted to virtual meetings on Zoom and similar apps, is aimed at regular TV watchers who are ready to tell Comcast, Cox, Charter and other cable companies to get lost... to take their high prices, rigid service options and endless customer service headaches to the virtual dump. We're at a point where even a non-technical Do-It-Yourselfer can replace cable TV (and cable phone service) with better options — cheaper, more flexible, and free of contracts and overhead costs.
Almost everyone hates their home internet service... and with good reason. The equipment is often whatever junk the service provider chooses to offer, it's often indifferently installed, and it's rarely set up and optimized for the best needs of the household. All of this is fixable, in relatively simple steps from basic changes to a complete replacement of the system right from the incoming service jack. Don't put up with glitchy operation, poor service, loss of wifi coverage in parts of the house or worries about security — fix it! This presentation will show you how.
Geared to cover the spectrum of interest, the material is broken into color-coded pages for the (almost) completely non-technical, the user who is confident making a few technical changes and the user with advanced technical knowledge. Whether it's learning specifically how to fix the problems yourself or a good grounding in what to ask for from your provider or a hired consultant, everyone who is unhappy with their internet service, security and costs will take away something useful!
I may be specially, if not uniquely qualified to give this presentation and help guide the average TV viewer and cable customer to a successful 'cord free' entertainment experience:
I had originally planned to give one small talk in my home town of Tolland, and perhaps a few in adjacent communities. Once the word went out among librarians and town rec managers, though, the interest in hosting a "Cut the Cord" session was overwhelming. The eventual list of sessions follows.
It was a lot of fun to give these presentations and over a year or so's rotation they could have gone on for a long time... but in August 2017 I moved to Denver, Colorado. Oh, well.
But then came the Zoom era... so it's all back!
| Town (all in CT) | Day, Date & Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Tolland | October 26 (2016) | 40* |
| Tolland | November 16 | 45* |
| Manchester | January 12 (2017) | 180* |
| Trumbull | January 19 | 100* |
| Canton (1) | January 21 | 80* |
| Groton | January 25 | 60* |
| Putnam | January 28 | 50* |
| Canton (2) | February 2 | 50 |
| Milford | February 8 | 125* |
| Bolton | Thursday, March 9, 10:30am DAY PROGRAM at the Senior Center |
25 |
| Pomfret | Thursday, March 16, 7:00pm | POSTPONED - TBA |
| Meriden | Wednesday, April 5, 6:30pm | 80* |
| East Hampton | Wednesday, April 19, 6:30pm | 25 |
| Simsbury | Tuesday, April 25, 6:30pm | 75 |
| Granby | Wednesday, April 26, 6:30pm | 50 |
| Coventry | Wednesday, May 3, 6:30pm | 35* |
| Ellington | Tuesday, May 9, 6:30pm | 60* |
| North Stonington | Wednesday, May 10, 6:30pm | 25 |
| North Haven | Thursday, May 11, 6:30pm | 50 |
| Holland, MA | Wednesday, May 17, 6:30pm Community Center ( $5/person ) |
20 |
| Somers | Monday, May 22, 6:30pm | 40 |
| Wethersfield | Tuesday, May 23, 6:30pm | 50 |
| Newington | Wednesday, May 31, 6:30pm | 80* |
| Wallingford | Wednesday, June 14, 6:30pm | 60 |
| Cheshire | Saturday, June 17, 2:00pm | 100* |
| Brookfield | Thursday, July 6, 7:00pm | 100* |
| Lebanon | Tuesday, July 11, 6:30pm | 49* |
| Glastonbury (1) | Thursday, July 20, 6:30pm | 53* |
| Hamden | Tuesday, July 25, 6:30pm | 160* |
| Glastonbury (2) | Tuesday, August 8, 6:30pm | 60* |
| 29 Sessions | Total Attendees to Date: | 1,927 |
| End of the Run... Sorry! | ||
| Woodbridge | Tuesday, October 3, 7:00pm | CANCELLED |
| Waterbury | Saturday, October 21, 2:00pm | CANCELLED |
| Durham | Thursday, October 26, 6:30pm | CANCELLED |
| *Full Room | ||