Will you or won't you? The state of cord-cutting in 2015

We last looked at the cord-cutting revolution in early 2014 and asked who planned to do so in the coming year. A surprising number of you said you'd already done it. What has happened since then that will make those who haven't switched do so now? A couple of interesting developments have happened in this time.

Before we get to those, we'll pose the question one more time. Will you, or for that matter have you, cut the cord? If you have no plans to, then why? There are obviously many possible answers to these questions and many good reasons both for and against the change in your entertainment options.

What Improved Since Last Year?

The year saw a couple of major developents. The first was the release of Amazon Fire TV, a tiny set-top box with an ever-growing list of options, which obviously puts Amazon Prime front and center. Like other streaming services, it brings an increasing catalog of movies and TV shows, including original content.

The Fire TV Stick brings the same content, but is even smaller, simply an HDMI dongle that can be plugged directly into a TV. For those conscious of such things, it eliminates the need for a box near the big screen.

In March 2014, Roku introduced a stick as well. Roku has countless channels and, similar to Amazon, is always adding new offerings, or channels.

Perhaps the biggest news was Sling TV. As opposed to Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu, Sling works like a real cable or satellite provider, but it does so utilizing your internet connection. You can easily install it on Fire TV or Roku. It has lined up many channels, including all ESPN properties, which begins to eliminate the previous stumbling block of "live sports". Other channels include HBO, which is a first. Yes the actual live channel, not just the GO or NOW app. All channels also offer on demand shows. It isn't cheap, at $20 per month, though that's much less than cable. There are also packages availble for $5 each, such as sports, news, etc.

Other services have been around longer, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Lesser know ones such as Crackle and PlayOn also exist, though the latter -- in some cases -- requires you to verify a TV subscription.

So What Will You Do?

That, in a nutshell, is where we stand today. The real question is what you think? Have you joined the ranks of the surprising number that said they'd already cut the cord last year and, if not, will you do so this year?

You'll save money, though you can't cut your entertainment bill to $0 -- unless you plan to watch nothing. The services named cost money, though it's likely less than half of that cable bill. With the addition of Sling, live sports are coming around. We just need to wait for the NFL to catch up, which will happen at a snail's pace.

Let us know what you plan to do and what you think.

Image Credit: Subbotina Anna / Shutterstock