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Old 10-16-2015, 02:42 PM   #241
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I have to pay "retail" for internet, so around $75
That can't be right. I pay $45 / month for TW internet and basic cable. They must have you set up for the lightning fastest Internet available (that you probably don't need). Mine is 50 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload.
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Old 10-16-2015, 02:46 PM   #242
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Called Dish to cancel my subscription. Instead, got a $25 discount per month for the next 8 months. a $200 saving. May call again to cancel it for good when I retire before 8 months is up.
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Old 10-16-2015, 02:54 PM   #243
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Of course, TWC says that since I'm not on a "bundle", I have to pay "retail" for internet, so around $75.
Are you sure?
I have nothing but internet via TWC. The "standard" internet is $34.99 and I have the "extreme" upgrade to 30/5 speed for an additional $20, so $54.99 total. Maybe you have a faster speed than you need?
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:02 PM   #244
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That can't be right. I pay $45 / month for TW internet and basic cable. They must have you set up for the lightning fastest Internet available (that you probably don't need). Mine is 50 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload.
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Are you sure?
I have nothing but internet via TWC. The "standard" internet is $34.99 and I have the "extreme" upgrade to 30/5 speed for an additional $20, so $54.99 total. Maybe you have a faster speed than you need?
But TW internet is not available at every location in the country. Maybe you two are getting an exceptionally good deal and have the same provider?

I'm getting Cox Cable mid-level internet (up to 50 Mbps download/5Mbps upload also), for $66.99/month. That's not very much less than what HFWR is being charged.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:10 PM   #245
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Well, HFWR said he was using TWC for internet, so it seems a fair comparison.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:16 PM   #246
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Comcast gives us a $10 break if we bundle with TV, charging only $60 for internet. Plus fees. Of course, there's no alternative in our neighborhood, so they have no incentive to lower the price.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:20 PM   #247
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Well, HFWR said he was using TWC for internet, so it seems a fair comparison.
Oh!!! I'm sorry. I didn't notice that.
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Comcast gives us a $10 break if we bundle with TV, charging only $60 for internet. Plus fees. Of course, there's no alternative in our neighborhood, so they have no incentive to lower the price.
Cable internet from just one cable company has been given a near monopoly in most locations, it seems to me.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:27 PM   #248
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So we use Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and a small fistful of other channels. For phone we are happy with Ooma, and then for surfing it is the internet provider in La Quinta California or Oregon. No OTA, as our locations are surrounded by hills that block the transmissions. We have matching routers and our home network names and passwords are the same in each location - when we shift from Oregon to California all we do is disconnect our CPUs and move them, leaving all wires and keyboards and mice and printers in place. Idea is to have minimal possibilities for error and seamless transitions. We call ahead by a few days and get service turned on and make our payment at that time.

All that said, Time Warner failed to get us hooked up - again - and wasted about 4 hours of our time on cell phones yesterday and today, with THREE alleged supervisors failing to call back as promised after claiming to escalate our service request. This should have been simple, and yet the mutton headed system seemed to delight in raising my ire, though I was very aware each person I spoke with was only earning a wage and not directly responsible for the failings of the system. When we finally got a tech on site he discovered the tech who disconnected our internet 6 months ago took the lazy route and put a block (removable only with a security tool) at our house rather than disconnecting at the pole. Remove block, instant internet.

Time Warner sux.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:39 PM   #249
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I did the same as easysurfer today (Sling) and the thing that tipped the scale was the NL Division Series on TBS.

I think maybe it was Mulligan that brought it up as an option since I'm not really a sports nut.

I do really like TCM so I imagine I'll stay on with Sling for at least a while (I'm 7-day trial and missed a chance for 14 had I signed up on the Roku). Even if I stay, it's still much, much less than I'd been forking over to Comcast every month!

I think I could survive on Sling along with finding a way to watch CNBC. I can already get NHL package on internet and I have found a way to get a computer number (I forget the correct term) established in Europe and then you can buy the NFL package through Europe at a cheaper price. Im just a bit lazy and counting Sling and CBS I would only save about $40 a month which isn't quite there yet to force me to learn a new way to learn to watch tv. I am retired and don't have a lot of desire to learn anything new. If my budget ever got crunched enough, my cranial capacity to learn would increase quickly though.


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Old 10-16-2015, 03:42 PM   #250
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Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister View Post
Are you sure?

I have nothing but internet via TWC. The "standard" internet is $34.99 and I have the "extreme" upgrade to 30/5 speed for an additional $20, so $54.99 total. Maybe you have a faster speed than you need?

Nope, it's the 15mb/s... Maybe you got an "introductory" rate, or maybe they're punishing me for having the audacity...

According to their website, I can upgrade to the next level for $10/ mo.
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Old 10-16-2015, 03:50 PM   #251
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Nope, it's the 15mb/s... Maybe you got an "introductory" rate, or maybe they're punishing me for having the audacity...
I actually got fed up with having to call every year to get the "introductory" rate which is why I cancelled cable TV 8 years back. I haven't regretted it for a moment.
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Old 10-16-2015, 05:29 PM   #252
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... and I have found a way to get a computer number (I forget the correct term) established in Europe and then you can buy the NFL package through Europe at a cheaper price.
I believe you are probably talking about VPN software which gives your computer a "visible" IP address based out of Europe? That's how we've been getting the Beeb.
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Old 10-16-2015, 05:38 PM   #253
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I cut my cable years ago. Only have internet now. Saved myself $140/mo. Don't regret it a bit.
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Old 10-16-2015, 06:00 PM   #254
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Funny story. Local paving operation planned, and over a period of 1-2 months we noticed all the utilities (save one) coming out and marking off their lines. Everything is underground. There were actually two times I saw this, as the paving was delayed at one point, and the utilities needed to come again. Lots of colorful flags.

There was curb work, as well as corner access ramps, and of course the underground fiber was severed one day. I did not notice, as I was out at a job. That evening we saw orange cable laying on the ground as a temporary patch. This went around two corners of the block, so very long. Sometimes in the street. Other times on grass. Went on for a few weeks, with helpful neighbor at one point hanging the orange cable over a no-doggy-doodoo sign. What a smart maneuver.

Today an independent contractor came out and made all the necessary connections. Of course there was no warning, and some number of homes (maybe 50?) lost TV, Internet and phone. Of course I was home, and had time to go and converse with the contractor. He confirmed that Comcast did not mark off the underground fiber, and it is not the first time they did not respond to such a request.
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Old 10-16-2015, 08:09 PM   #255
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Originally Posted by ziggy29 View Post
I believe you are probably talking about VPN software which gives your computer a "visible" IP address based out of Europe? That's how we've been getting the Beeb.

Yes, that is it Ziggy. I was also reading the other day a lot of US sports bettors are doing this too so they can gamble online and get the money flowing both ways.


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Old 10-17-2015, 06:55 AM   #256
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Cableless for years

My ISP is charging around $60 for speed of up to 60 Mbps here in L.A. I use to pay half of that a couple of years ago. Fortunately, I haven't had cable for years. I have OTA and pretty much everything I want to watch via Kodi. My hardware components includes a laptop using mini display cable, wireless keyboard and an LCD TV screen. I also have Roku, Chromecast and MS wireless display adapter and a PS3. For subscription, I have Netflix, Hulu and Espn (the latter two I get from my kids). I get more streaming that I could ever want for around $70. To be honest with you, I'd rather be moving around outdoors hiking or biking, going places and visiting the grandkids in Hawaii. But it is nice to know that I can be a couch potato occasionally and have all these access to entertainment.
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Old 10-18-2015, 08:17 AM   #257
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I would love to get rid of cable and DTV. We have Comcast at main house and DTV at island (will be main house next June). I could be just fine with OTA and occasional movies on Netflix, but DH doesn't want to give up channel surfing at either location. And HAS to have sports. UGH!



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Old 10-23-2015, 07:48 AM   #258
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Dropped Cable TV Today

I've decided to stay with Sling for the next several months at least. I think that the pro/con list earlier in this thread is a fair assessment but I seem to have less connection-related problems (big exception: a few dropouts during the NLDS broadcasts from TBS).

My trial is over and I find enough offerings to make it worth it to me. I learned that the freebies they offer are valid for existing subscribers, not just newcomers. What they want is for you to prepay 3 months to claim the offer. I'm curious about the Roku streaming stick, so that's what I'm going to get. I already own Roku 2 and 3 units to handle the TVs, only one of which supports HDMI.

Between that and Hulu/Amazon Prime (also OTA), I feel that my viewing options are way better than when I was shackled to Comcast TV. It's not free of course, but I think in terms of overall value-for-the-buck.

Getting lots of sports is another issue, but less important for me, but if it were I'd have a different perspective.
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Old 10-23-2015, 10:40 AM   #259
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I'm dropping everything, inc internet effective November 7. I'll get one of those antenna attachments.


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Old 10-23-2015, 11:03 AM   #260
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We haven't had cable for 18 years. Back then, we had it only because the house I bought had it, and the cable guy must have forgotten to unhook it when the previous owners moved. (I swear we did not hook it up ourselves.)

An antenna works pretty well in my area. We get a couple movie channels (albeit, old movies), PBS, some other channels we don't care about and my current favorite, Antenna TV! We're also on the 1-disc-at-a-time program with Netflix.

We also check out DVDs from the library. They have a pretty good collection of fairly recent movies.
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