Dropping TV service in favor of watching Web content gains popularity

If you have more patience than money, you may want to cut the cord. If you have the technical know-how to find your favorite movies and TV shows somewhere other than on your television set, it may be time to cut the cord. And if you are philosophically opposed to sitting through commercials, it just may be time to get out those scissors.

Cord-cutting — quitting cable or satellite TV in favor of online video sources — has become a popular move for people who want more control over their television watching.

Believers say it's the dawn of a new era of more personalized entertainment choices; skeptics say it's more about saving money in a down economy. Naysayers say the hype outstrips the facts — TV remains extremely popular. But this is no hype: In 2010, approximately 1 million U.S. households cut the cord. By the end of this year, 2.07 million households are expected to have dropped cable during the past four years, according to The Convergence Consulting Group, a company that reports to the entertainment industry.