A spokesperson told KSBY that Spectrum was bowing out of a business it "inherited" four years ago as a result of deals between Time Warner Cable and Bright House in 2016. It's offering promotional deals from Abode or Ring (minus service subscriptions) as compensation. The company first alerted customers in December.

It's not offering refunds, though, and the offers won't help customers who spent much more outfitting their homes with cameras and sensors. Charter told Gizmodo that a "small percentage" of customers would be affected, but that still leaves many people with gaps in their security that could cost hundreds of dollars to fix. The firmware on the devices doesn't allow switching to other services, either.

The shutdown makes a case for transitioning to dedicated home security devices and services. While those aren't immune to shutdowns, they're less prone -- and the equipment is more likely to be useful if the service ever stops.