Millions of people cutting cable and satellite, turning to "downloading" shows on "computers"

Although we’re generally loath to report on trend-based surveys, this one seems ripe for discussion: In a new study released this week, one in eight Americans have said that they will cancel or cut back on cable and satellite television services in the next year. Most respondents to the survey by Boston-area consulting firm Yankee Group cited the usual rising costs/economy sucks reasons for discontinuing their relationship with pay TV providers, but a slightly more interesting factor is the growing number of users turning exclusively to the Internet to get their shows. Even if Hulu switches to a monthly subscription service, as it recently hinted it might, that’s notably less than the average $71 bill for cable or satellite—and of course, there are many more free options (both legal and illegal) that can get you the same programming, albeit with a slight delay. So let’s take our own informal poll: Is it even worth paying for television anymore? Or is that only for graying, increasingly out-of-touch suckers?