In an ongoing effort to cut our monthly expenses we've gotten rid of our cable tv and the house phone. To top it off we don't have any converter boxes! So far so good. The kids are not really missing it yet.....they can watch the few shows that they really enjoy online and they ahve tons of online games they like. The quiet is amazing! Just knowing the tv won't be on makes it quieter. We've been heading outdoors in the evenings after supper and watching the kids play for a bit. The only problem is I hand quilt at night when we watch tv! Now I have to get a new routine in place! So far by turning these two off I'm saving $70 a month! We all have a cell phone so we didn't really use the house phone anyway.