Do not cut the cable until you read this-Chicago Tribune

• You are essentially choosing, say, Vudu versus Amazon vs. iTunes, which is difficult to do when their prices and contents may vary, depending on its agreements with the studios.

• The shows are available approximately 24 hours after they air on TV, then you must notify your friends not to speak of a show that you haven't seen yet.

• The video is compressed, full HD mode is not likely. But with rented and acquired shows, quality is still good — DVD quality or better.

• When something lacks, there's nobody to ask for help. You must read books, search the Web for answers to their problems, wade through Web forums asking questions, checking back later to see if your questions were answered. Meanwhile, your TV viewing is overturned.

Apple TV

Pro: of the three boxes that we tested, it is easier to configure and use.

CON: unable to acquire video iTunes of Apple TV; you have to use your computer to purchase and download content to Apple TV.

Boxee box from D-Link

Pro: comes with a Web browser, easily bringing the Internet to the TV. That makes it better for those who don't mind digging around all the videos that the Web has to offer and see it on the TV screen. Additionally, Vudu movie service is not available on Apple TV or Roku.

Cons: much of the content is really a simple link to a site like crackle.com, so you end up using the TV to show video Web Web resolution.

Roku

Pro: Amazon and Hulu Plus compare very well to iTunes of Apple TV's Hulu Plus lets you watch many shows today.

Cons: it cannot stream video from your computer, so that clip on your hard disk of 80 Grandma's birthday party? You cannot use Roku that play on your TV.

What you need to switch

• An indoor antenna that amplifies TV signals, such as 1440 RCA, at around $ 40. It can lie flat on a table or hang on the wall and connects to TV to bring HDTV and other signs of TV stations nearby. Warning: lightning and other conditions can affect how well come the signs and the construction of their House, the location and proximity of tall buildings or high ground will affect the performance of the antenna. You may have to keep trying until you find one that antennas work. Bonus: the HDTV signal is no longer being compressed by your cable/satellite box, so that the image will be too.

• High speed Internet, for, say, $ 50 per month.

Signature • Netflix ($ 7.99 per month) or Hulu Plus ($ 7.99 per month) or both (about $ 16 per month).

• An Internet TV box, Apple TV, Roku and Boxee box. It displays your signature on your TV. His sons PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 (spend an extra $ 30 to $ 40 for the remote that works with these videogame systems) will work too great, but good luck share it among players and observers of the TV at home.

• Computer, preferably a laptop that will be in the same room as the TV is connected to the Internet.

You should change?

Somehow, cable can actually be cheaper — and less of a headache — than going without for example, if you watch a lot of different TV shows, your cable bill will be cheaper than using Internet TV to subscribe to the shows you want to watch.

If you and the kids want to watch TV on the Internet at the same time, good luck: "hardly anyone has enough bandwidth to make streaming for more than one device at the same time," notes David Wertheimer, CEO and Executive Director of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California. "The hype ' cable-cutting ' is totally exaggerated. "

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