Missing Cable

Well for the first time in a while I do not have cable.  Is this a bad thing?  I guess I mean when you are bored you can always turn on the TV.  Why don't I have cable?  Well the new APT goes through some unknown cable company and their prices are crazy, $50 just for BASIC cable!!  Then add like $10 per premium channel!!  What a rip off, and this does not even include HI-def channels or On Demand, I can get Hi-Def cable with all the channels I want from Comcast for way less then this crap!  So I'm trying to find an alternative…well I have been d/ling all of the shows I watch.  Trying to figure something else out…..