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N3OGH

Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano

Premium Member

join:2003-11-11

Philly burbs N3OGH Premium Member More reading I've just been doing more reading anyway....

RRedline

Rated R

Premium Member

join:2002-05-15

USA RRedline Premium Member Re: More reading If I wasn't splitting my cable bill with another person, I would ditch the TV part of it. It' is WAY overpriced, and the amount of airtime devoted to commercials sickens me.

N3OGH

Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano

Premium Member

join:2003-11-11

Philly burbs N3OGH Premium Member Re: More reading I'm keeping it for now, there's a few shows I like to watch when I've had a few brewskis, and reading would be a waste of time.



But, I've found over the years no movie or TV show can match what my imagination can make of a good book. The story evolves in my mind's eye and fits like an old pair of jeans.



Don't get me wrong plenty of good shows & movies I enjoy, but I find I just enjoy a good read more. It's the one thing they could take from me at this point that would bother me. Fortunately, they can't....

abillbox3

@comcast.net abillbox3 Anon Re: More reading well you have FiOS so your already in a comfy position to be talking. You enjoy a good read more because you know your FiOS FTTH is always there when needed with uncompressed signals. That's the truth, you're more relaxed than say the average cable user.

N3OGH

Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano

Premium Member

join:2003-11-11

Philly burbs N3OGH Premium Member Re: More reading Yeah, and the e books download at lightning speed NYC Girl

Premium Member

join:2007-02-04

Bronx, NY NYC Girl to N3OGH

Premium Member to N3OGH

said by N3OGH: I've just been doing more reading anyway....

Good for you. You are better off anyway!!

lordfly

join:2000-10-12

Homestead, FL lordfly Member I am that close... to dropping DirecTV. Given that I pay $50/mo to watch my local news, Disney Channel and the Food Channel, it just makes very little sense. I already have my Netflix subscription. If I dropped satellite, I would pay $200 to put an OTA antenna up and add on a Hulu plus subscription. How does anyone justify the prices they charge?



BTW - the $50/mo is for the most basic Family package with HD. The Family package has to be requested and they keep on trying to force other packages. Half of the Family package is commercials and most of those are in a foreign language.

TwiztedZero

Nine Zero Burp Nine Six

Premium Member

join:2011-03-31

Toronto, ON 1 edit TwiztedZero Premium Member Re: I am that close... said by lordfly: I would pay $200 to put an OTA antenna up and add on a Hulu plus subscription.

Channel Master 4221 if you do go this route.





And instead of Hulu, save more bucks and grab XBMC and all the plugin's you can get your hands on, especially Navi-X, I watched the entire first season of Game of Thrones this way!



That could be good, if you're in an area that is blessed with good OTA HDTV signals. I strongly recommend aif you do go this route.And instead of Hulu, save more bucks and graband all the plugin's you can get your hands on, especially, I watched the entire first season of Game of Thrones this way!

OTA

@verizon.net OTA Anon Re: I am that close... I have a Winegard HD8200U in my attic - big antenna, tight fit, but the quality of some OTA signals is phenomenal. And zero monthly fees. Over the years (with both analog and now digital TV) I have saved a small fortune.

Lagz

Premium Member

join:2000-09-03

The Rock Lagz to TwiztedZero

Premium Member to TwiztedZero

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· hlmJTMzw

TwiztedZero

Nine Zero Burp Nine Six

Premium Member

join:2011-03-31

Toronto, ON TwiztedZero Premium Member Re: I am that close... LoL @ Lagz That'll do it, though it won't be as good as an awesome CM4221HD antenna with 45 mile range (provided you get it up high enough). ShellMMG

join:2009-04-16

Grass Lake, MI ShellMMG to lordfly

Member to lordfly

We dropped DirecTV after nearly 15 years in December, 2010. That extra $70 a month in our pocket was nice, especially when our income tax went up and my husband was forced to take unpaid furlough days. It got to the point we'd forget what we were watching after a ridiculous run of stupid commercials.



Now we've learned that our car insurance is going up $30 a month *per vehicle* (it's a Michigan thing, hitting everyone). Good thing Verizon Wireless let us out of our aircard contract for $60 a month because they screwed our data signal.



I'm running out of places to cut.

JasonOD

@comcast.net JasonOD Anon It just doesn't matter..... Like the article before outlining the risks of increasing rates, it just doesn't matter. As cableco's and content providers begin hitting price nirvana and 40~90% net/gross profit margins, the service becomes a money machine. Sure they'll lose some, but they'll be able to afford hanging on if they need to as the wind will remain at their back, with no effort on their part.



And people who do leave aren't lost forever, cable in general enjoys a captive market, they'll get a few back over time. Terabit

join:2008-12-19 1 recommendation Terabit Member Well Said The industry does indeed "work tirelessly" to keep it this way.



Why is it in 2012 we have no streaming TV service that would open up the market (competition) in America? Because contrary to GOP economics, competition is not in best interest of any company.



It's why you can pick any industry and will notice that in majority of the cases, it's big Gov nations that offer the most competition to their citizens. Their powerful consumer protection agencies and FCC equivalents have mandated and enacted market conditions (rules) that promote competition.



Microsoft, Google, and Apple also need to team up and use their billions in hard cash go after these crooks. The consumer would jump ship overnight as most people loathe and despise their monopolistic cable company.

nunya

LXI 483

MVM

join:2000-12-23

O Fallon, MO nunya MVM I did it...and survived! The cable company isn't completely "fired" though. I still have their internet service. I upgraded to the 100/5 plan due to usage caps. The local phone company can't even come close.



We have a Netflix subscription, an OTA antenna, a MythTV backend DVR, Roku / MythRoku, Wii, and 360.



I tried Hulu+, and it sucks ass. Too much $. Every time I found a decent show it was "only available on PC". They can shove off if they think I'm going to sit in front of a PC/laptop to watch TV. I do occasionally splurge on an Amazon instant video.



For the record, I DO NOT download any pirated or illegal content. It's too much trouble. If it's not available, I simply don't watch it. While I like TV, in the grand scheme it's just not as important as I though it was prior to "cutting the cord".



The family grouched and griped for a while (mostly the kids), but they eventually got used to it.



Saving about $60 / month, and that does account for the Netflix and HSI upgrade.



Cord cutting is actually kind of fun if you are into tech. jjeffeory

jjeffeory

join:2002-12-04

Bullhead City, AZ jjeffeory Member Re: I did it...and survived! You could connect a PC to your TV to watch those " "only available on PC"" programs. I have an inexpensive MPC and it is my device of choice for watching anything not coming from the cable box. No need for Roku, appleTV, DVD, BR player, or anything else...

Contents

Contents

join:2003-04-10

Circle Pines, MN Contents Member A proud cable cutter



Netflix still works for me (even though selection is getting slim), along with an occasional Amazon movie.



The shocker for me was when I discontinued Comcast cable my internet bill went up quite a bit. I didn't realize the bundling had such an impact. Comcast told me that by including basic cable my monthly bill could be smaller with HSI than by itself. Sticking to my guns, I only have HSI.



1 1/2 years later, I recently switched from Comcast residential service to their Business Class contract. The 250 gig cap goes fast when more and more TV's in the house get a streamer. HSI bill is now $99 for 22/5.



Watch this 3.7%. That percent will only grow as people get educated. TV's are embedding the most popular streamers along with wifi now. That "only" 3.7% is going to burst. I cut the cable about a year and a half ago and I am still very happy that I did. It is almost hard to watch Cable now, with the 15 minutes of commercials per show and all..Netflix still works for me (even though selection is getting slim), along with an occasional Amazon movie.The shocker for me was when I discontinued Comcast cable my internet bill went up quite a bit. I didn't realize the bundling had such an impact. Comcast told me that by including basic cable my monthly bill could be smaller with HSI than by itself. Sticking to my guns, I only have HSI.1 1/2 years later, I recently switched from Comcast residential service to their Business Class contract. The 250 gig cap goes fast when more and more TV's in the house get a streamer. HSI bill is now $99 for 22/5.Watch this 3.7%. That percent will only grow as people get educated. TV's are embedding the most popular streamers along with wifi now. That "only" 3.7% is going to burst.

FLATLINE

join:2007-02-27

Buffalo, NY FLATLINE Member Re: A proud cable cutter I'm with ya and my story is similar but I opted for the basic cable because it was cheaper. All I needed was the internet, I wanted the fastest they had for gaming and streaming at the best price. Even if that meant having basic cable included. But we did drop all the rest and we had everything but phone.



Netflix, the local Blockbuster and Hulu Plus see the most action but all in all we don't spend anywhere near the time we used to watching TV. We found other ways to entertain ourselves.



Anyone up for a race on Grand Turismo 5? Mr Matt

join:2008-01-29

Eustis, FL Mr Matt Member Network TV Sucks and here is why! The year 1980 was a pivotal year for network television viewers. That was the year that many people began to subscribe to premium channels like HBO and Showtime. That meant that viewers with discretionary income would watch first run movies on the premium channels and not on network Sunday through Saturday night at the movies. Between 1980 and 1990 most of the X Day Night at the movies disappeared. Then came the replacement of really quality network programs with crap. Look at the program guide. We now have junk shows like:



The Voice.

The Biggest Loser.

Fear Factor.

Amazing Race 20.

Celebrity Apprentice.

Dancing With The Stars

Fashion Star.

Survivor: One World

Undercover Boss

American Idol

Q'Viva! The Chosen

Which are cheap to produce and have minimum entertainment value. All CBS needs to do is exhume Arthur Godfrey and restore Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.

We now have two local channels showing programs from the 50's through the late 80's. Do you want to watch The Voice or the Dick Van Dyke show?



Unfortunately one must subscribe to cable to have a greater choice of quality programming. Right now any broadband service provider that offers entertainment programming is scheming for ways to block streaming program services like Netflix.



VoIP subscribers are dumping their VoIP service when the promotional pricing expires and find that their telephone service is only as reliable as their cable service which isn't very. The year 1980 was a pivotal year for network television viewers. That was the year that many people began to subscribe to premium channels like HBO and Showtime. That meant that viewers with discretionary income would watch first run movies on the premium channels and not on network Sunday through Saturday night at the movies. Between 1980 and 1990 most of the X Day Night at the movies disappeared. Then came the replacement of really quality network programs with crap. Look at the program guide. We now have junk shows like:The Voice.The Biggest Loser.Fear Factor.Amazing Race 20.Celebrity Apprentice.Dancing With The StarsFashion Star.Survivor: One WorldUndercover BossAmerican IdolQ'Viva! The ChosenWhich are cheap to produce and have minimum entertainment value. All CBS needs to do is exhume Arthur Godfrey and restore Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.We now have two local channels showing programs from the 50's through the late 80's. Do you want to watch The Voice or the Dick Van Dyke show?Unfortunately one must subscribe to cable to have a greater choice of quality programming. Right now any broadband service provider that offers entertainment programming is scheming for ways to block streaming program services like Netflix.VoIP subscribers are dumping their VoIP service when the promotional pricing expires and find that their telephone service is only as reliable as their cable service which isn't very.

FFH5

Premium Member

join:2002-03-03

Tavistock NJ FFH5 Premium Member I'm part of the 20% - cut back extras on principle I didn't end my cable TV subscription, but I did stop paying for the premium channels and downgraded to the basic Plus pkg(just above the basic tier). It cut about $60/mo off the bill. Could I have afforded to keep paying that? - sure. But I took part of that $60/mo and subscribed to Netflix and get a movie from RedBox every now and again. It is all Comcast's fault because I just refused to accept their never ending price increases.

HaloFans

join:2006-12-18 HaloFans Member Re: I'm part of the 20% - cut back extras on principle quote: It is all Comcast's fault No competition. Ultimately, the telcos are to blame because they said deregulation in 1996 would promote competition.



Comcast can happily keep pressing the more money button every year. No competition. Ultimately, the telcos are to blame because they said deregulation in 1996 would promote competition.Comcast can happily keep pressing the more money button every year.

crenelle

@comcastbusiness.net crenelle Anon no time for lame broadcasts And no desire to subsidize cable television. We don't have time to watch TV. I had Dish for my mom, who never visits, so we ditched it.



It shouldn't be a surprise that they could charge much less for your internet connection one way or the other and still make money, but there isn't a lot of competition out there. slckusr

Premium Member

join:2003-03-17

Greenville, SC slckusr Premium Member cut my dish They give me a welcome package for about 22 bucks a month. It gives me local channels,some others and some HD and I still have my DVR capability. Its not gone yet but i notice i only turn my sat box on when it records shows i dvr'd off the big networks. (easily found on hulu or w/e). firedrakes

join:2009-01-29

Arcadia, FL firedrakes Member Re: cut my dish yeah. look at this yeah to cut dish network. not worth the amount for what i watch

maartena

Elmo

Premium Member

join:2002-05-10

Orange, CA maartena Premium Member Sports The biggest problem is.... sports. If you are like me, you like 2 or 3 sports teams but really could care less about the entire league, you aren't going to be any cheaper with an online package for those sports.



I like the Anaheim Ducks, Anaheim Angels, and the occasional L.A. Galaxy game. If I get the most basic package of cable or satellite, all these three teams are included, and broadcast in full 1080i HD via a regional sports network.



If I wanted to catch those teams online, I would have to subscribe to NHL Game Center and MLB.tv. And not watch L.A. Galaxy, as they don't have an online subscription yet.



Getting those two subscriptions will get you ALL NHL and ALL MLB games.... but costs the same as a full year of cable or satellite. So if you are like me, and just like your *local* teams, but don't need to see all the games cross country..... it is just as cheap to stay with cable or satellite.



Also, I find it relaxing sometimes to climb in my lazy boy, grab the remote, and just see whats on. No need to think ahead for what I want to see and where I might go to see it.... just turn on a channel, and surprise me.



To each his own.... but I will keep my DirecTV subscription. chances14

join:2010-03-03

Michigan chances14 Member Re: Sports said by maartena: The biggest problem is.... sports. If you are like me, you like 2 or 3 sports teams but really could care less about the entire league, you aren't going to be any cheaper with an online package for those sports.



I like the Anaheim Ducks, Anaheim Angels, and the occasional L.A. Galaxy game. If I get the most basic package of cable or satellite, all these three teams are included, and broadcast in full 1080i HD via a regional sports network.



If I wanted to catch those teams online, I would have to subscribe to NHL Game Center and MLB.tv. And not watch L.A. Galaxy, as they don't have an online subscription yet.



Getting those two subscriptions will get you ALL NHL and ALL MLB games.... but costs the same as a full year of cable or satellite. So if you are like me, and just like your *local* teams, but don't need to see all the games cross country..... it is just as cheap to stay with cable or satellite.



Also, I find it relaxing sometimes to climb in my lazy boy, grab the remote, and just see whats on. No need to think ahead for what I want to see and where I might go to see it.... just turn on a channel, and surprise me.



To each his own.... but I will keep my DirecTV subscription.





even if i wanted to cut the cord, i couldn't anyways because where i live the only internet i can get is a 1mbps WISP connection exactly. i know the majority of people on here hate sports but the people who like sports are kind of stuck.even if i wanted to cut the cord, i couldn't anyways because where i live the only internet i can get is a 1mbps WISP connection

King P

Don't blame me. I voted for Ron Paul

Premium Member

join:2004-11-17

Murfreesboro, TN King P Premium Member I cut the cord in 2003 ...and haven't looked back. Well, at least the cable TV cord. Not the internet cord, unless you count the WISP I subscribe to for teh interwebz. Hylas

join:2001-06-30

Tempe, AZ Hylas Member What About the "Never had a cord" crowd? So, I've never had pay tv services. I'm not a cord cutter... What's the percentage of folks like me?

Chester2

join:2000-10-17

Menlo Park, CA Chester2 Member I cancelled my premium channels yesterday My cable bill came yesterday and it was just too much. I was paying $60/month for HBO, Showtime & Starz. I looked at my Tivo and had just 7 season passes on those channels of which only ONE is currently airing. $60 for one show!?! Cheaper to buy the DVD box set when it comes out.



Comcast graciously cancelled my premium channels and even gave me an addtional $25/month discount for not cutting the cord completely. If you're not getting a discount call Comcast and threaten to cut-the-cord. I've received a $25-$30/month discount every time I have. rick0204

join:2009-05-20

North Bergen, NJ rick0204 Member Re: I cancelled my premium channels yesterday I cancelled all of my movie channels about 2 years ago when Netflix was very popular. Recently my cable company started new packages that were very competitive. And Netflix raised their prices and lost Starz content for streaming. Plus my cable company started HBO GO this past month. So I guess I am returning to premium pay TV. I get HBO, Showtime and Starz for $25.00 and I watch HBO GO in HD through my Roku on all the TV's in my house. I am cancelling Netflix streaming and cancelled the DVD's a few months ago. I was very disappointed in cable's constant rate hikes but more disappointed in Netflix's poor business decisions and lack of new streaming content. When HBO GO is launched on the Xbox Netflix will really look like just a bargain basement service. I am sure that I am not the only one who has returned to premium movie channels due to HBO GO and cable promos.

sm5w2

Premium Member

join:2004-10-13

St Thomas, ON sm5w2 Premium Member It's lame that these surveys never mention OTA It's lame that these cord-cutting surveys never mention the number of people putting up antennas to receive OTA hi-def local TV stations.



OTA (not the internet) is the only credible replacement for the average household when cutting the cable-cord. tmc8080

join:2004-04-24

Brooklyn, NY tmc8080 Member new generation VOD = RSS



not even the six strikes plan will put a significant dent in the changeover from cable-tv subscriptions to internet video as a primary source. keep arguing that model doesn't fit a family of "X" all you want.. the cost savings realities of being lower income families of the 99% speak louder than that tired rhetoric.

Fion

@rr.com Fion Anon Thinking of Cutting Frankly I think it's about time more cut back on cable and dish. We put up with a lot of crap, form the amount we way to the shear length of commercial interruptions.



I personally end up watching my TV over the internet via Netflix or other services. I also watch a lot of british TV which on the whole is better than ours, I think because they have far fewer commercials and they write their seasons before recording them, where we write along with recording, so their shows have a more recognizable plot and tempo.



Add to that the fact that I pay $180 a month for 'all the best' cable, phone and high speed internet and I have friends in the UK who gets a similar package (phone, 70+ channels, 30mbps broadband, TiVo) for under £50! Mind his is slightly more restricted as he has a cap on his broadband, but the example shows with clarity just how much us folks here in the US are willing to take it up the ass for our TV and internet. Not to mention the 20 minutes of commercials for 1 hour of television. In the UK it's about 4 minutes.



Funny thing is my only option is cable or dish (and the dish here is horrid). He has half a dozen companies who offer services. So prices are low because of competition. Where here all these mega corporations have a complete monopoly on the system. All my 'bills' are that way.



So thank you but I'll stick with my cheap or free internet TV and reserve my actual cable for shows I really love, like HBO. But frankly with HBO Go I don't even need that anymore. marcw2

join:2001-05-18

Saint Paul, MN 1 recommendation marcw2 Member how I cut the cord...

»marcjw.wordpress.com/201 ··· -how-to/ Yep, Antenna, MythTV, Roku are saving me over $1,000.00 per year. Here's how I did it:

LaVidaVideo

@centurytel.net LaVidaVideo Anon Just wait until EVERYONE has real bandwidth and big disks... If you had 100Mbits up/down to your house, why wouldn't all your friends privately share their video libraries with you? (This is exactly what is happening right now offshore in bandwidth rich markets).



Right now, you can buy 4TB disks (the price will come down again). The size of disks doubles every year -- and the only thing that really fills them up is TV and Movies.



Just wait a couple of years and it will be EXACTLY like MP3s, only you can watch video from your own PC or anyone else that has bandwidth. tmc8080

join:2004-04-24

Brooklyn, NY tmc8080 Member Re: Just wait until EVERYONE has real bandwidth and big disks... Fact check reveals that single largest hdd is only 3tb capacity... yes 4tb is highy anticipated THIS year, but don't hold your breath...



I agree with the premise that this is the year we will see a tipping point with more consumers choosing internet video and shunning the traditional catv bus model. your comment..

