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03-01-2014, 06:20 PM
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#41
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by happy2bretired
I tried Hulu once and didn't like it because of the ads, but for the $$, I might be willing to try it again if I ever decide to get rid of cable.
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The worst thing about hulu+ is the ads are all the same. It is bad enough there are ads, but seeing the same commercial over and over again is painful. Having been spoiled by a DVR, I find it is tough to go back to commercials again.
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03-01-2014, 06:34 PM
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#42
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NH Hiker
The worst thing about hulu+ is the ads are all the same. It is bad enough there are ads, but seeing the same commercial over and over again is painful. Having been spoiled by a DVR, I find it is tough to go back to commercials again.
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+1
We did the free one week trial of Hulu+ and were totally turned off by the commercials. We ended up with subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video (already had it). Between those two and OTA broadcasts (many captured on our DVR) we're never at a loss for something we want to watch.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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03-01-2014, 08:13 PM
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#43
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 757
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Cut the cable cord 8 months ago at the start of ER. Used to pay $129/month for Charter Internet/TV; now paying $45. We go with OTA and Netflix streaming thru the Apple TV. Also lowered phone bill for 2 ATT iPhones from $95 to $40/month. By my calculations that's $1668/year in savings from pre-ER costs.
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03-02-2014, 06:23 AM
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#44
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,686
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I haven't compared costs recently, but in the past I checked about dropping to just internet service with Comcast, and found that our internet cost would go up on a monthly basis. That may or may not be true.
What we did is drop down to the lowest TV package with internet -- about $78 per month. That is $14 for TV, $62 for internet (which includes $8 for the modem).
We had been able to take advantage of various promotions by calling every six months or so, and getting them to drop our total cost to $100-110 per month. At same point (maybe when they started building luxury office tower in Phila.) they would not drop the cost at all. So we are saving $20-100 per month, depending on how you want to calculate savings.
We added Netflix at $12-14 per month, and looking forward to the day when there will be true competition in this business.
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03-02-2014, 07:01 AM
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#45
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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When my bandwidth isn't constipated, this works well enough. The problem is that my DSL service (no real alternatives here) AND I have to extend the network from the church office to here because they aren't accepting new customers (which slows it down), and it often gets constipated to the point where this is unusable for a while. If that ever resolves itself here, I'll be a dish-ditcher too and get an outdoor OTA antenna thrown up somewhere.
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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03-02-2014, 08:05 AM
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#46
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Williston, FL
Posts: 3,925
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I am/was paying near $200 per month. Internet, phone and TV.
I am making the same transition. I could give up my landline quite yet, so I went to Magic Jack. Internet goes up, and phone price goes down. Savings is $13 per month.
Now it's onto the TV. I bought a Roku box. I am putting up an outdoor digital TV antenna, and replace my analog antenna that has not been used in many years. It will run on my cable that is already routed. I plan on subscribing to Hulu+ and Amazon (next time I order something)
I should have a better subscription, and save over $100 per month. There are a new new/business channels I will miss, but the savings will be worth it. I can watch the clips on the internet anyway.
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03-02-2014, 08:25 AM
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#47
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,499
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Would love to dump cable TV. unfortunatrly DW is addicted to several SciFi channels. And cooking shows, and.... oh well.
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
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03-02-2014, 08:48 AM
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#48
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,528
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We are paying $205.00 per month for internet, tv and phone through Comcast. Our 2 yr contract is up in August of this year and I will be making some changes. I am really hoping that I can get DH on board.
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03-02-2014, 09:11 AM
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#49
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 908
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I cut the cord 5 years ago. I'm using an attic mounted antenna connected to a TivoHD. The Tivo service charge is $10.75/month when I prepay for a year. I also have Netflix streaming and Comcast internet service. I don't pay a cable modem charge, as I bought my cable modem when I joined for $90 - it paid for itself in 11 months.
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03-02-2014, 09:33 AM
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#50
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 307
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamer
We are paying $205.00 per month for internet, tv and phone through Comcast. Our 2 yr contract is up in August of this year and I will be making some changes. I am really hoping that I can get DH on board.
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For most people, I think it comes down to how much do you like sports. Pretty much everything else can be obtained over the air or through some streaming service for a much lower price. The cable companies have a lock on sports.
Once you start streaming you do discover shows that are not available on your cable. Of course just like cable, there is a lot of crap to wade through. Just depends on what you like. If you don't need to see the shows the second they originally air, then you might love streaming. For example, I have never seen an episode of Breaking Bad. But it is available on Netflix. I intend to stream the entire series this April. When Breaking Bad was originally airing, I had cable that included AMC. I could have easily watched it or had one of the tivo boxes grab it. But by waiting, I get reviews from other people and can binge watch it when I have the time. Some shows watch better when you don't have to wait weeks or months between episodes.
__________________
Retired Jan 2014 at 48.
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03-02-2014, 09:34 AM
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#51
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Senator
I am putting up an outdoor digital TV antenna, and replace my analog antenna that has not been used in many years.
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I'd recommend trying to use the old antenna before buying a new one, unless it's broken. There is no difference between a "digital" antenna and an "analog" antenna, it's a marketing ploy. I hooked up the old antenna (circa 1963) on the chimney and changed out all the coax because it was frayed and broken in several spots. This setup works much better than the old antenna that was in the attic since the signal has to pass thru walls. I've even made the home made wire hanger antenna's and they definitely work pulling in digital stations as well and I made this thing back when it was only analog.
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03-02-2014, 09:38 AM
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#52
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,499
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[QUOTE=target2019;1422092]I haven't compared costs recently, but in the past I checked about dropping to just internet service with Comcast, and found that our internet cost would go up on a monthly basis. That may or may not be true.
What we did is drop down to the lowest TV package with internet -- about $78 per month. That is $14 for TV, $62 for internet (which includes $8 for the modem).
[/QUOTE
Comcast told me the same thing.
__________________
Chief Retirement Strategist
The AR Group
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03-02-2014, 09:43 AM
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#53
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 307
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TWC told me the same thing. I mentioned that a new FIOS solution was just introduced to the area and the flyer I received advertised an intro price. They almost instantly matched it.
__________________
Retired Jan 2014 at 48.
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03-02-2014, 09:45 AM
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#54
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,995
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Quote:
Originally Posted by target2019
What we did is drop down to the lowest TV package with internet -- about $78 per month. That is $14 for TV, $62 for internet (which includes $8 for the modem).
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I bet you could buy that modem on Amazon for around $30.00 and own it outright, and then reduce your bill by an additional $8.00/month.
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03-02-2014, 09:50 AM
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#55
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gozer
So Mike Rowe had this plastic glove on up to his shoulder and was doing something terrible to a cow. I looked over at my wife and said, "you realize we are paying to watch this."
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Good one!
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03-02-2014, 09:57 AM
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#56
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Dryer sheet wannabe
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Richmond
Posts: 18
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Try it
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turn_the_Page
I'd do it in a minute, but DW refuses. More and more are doing it, the cable bills are just outrageous. Ours is $160 a month for phone, cable, and internet.
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Why not try it for a couple of months? You can always subscribe again but DW may be pleasantly surprised. Not only that but if you do re-subscribe, you may get a better deal if they are offering specials.
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03-02-2014, 10:07 AM
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#57
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Chicago area
Posts: 431
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I just subscribed to Netflix last month and am disappointed with how few recent movies they have available. On-demand has way more of that content...at a high price of course.
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03-02-2014, 10:12 AM
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#58
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnIntentionalRoad
I just subscribed to Netflix last month and am disappointed with how few recent movies they have available.
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You understand the movies they have available via streaming change every month?
New to Netflix Instant Streaming March 2014
__________________
Numbers is hard
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03-02-2014, 10:17 AM
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#59
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
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I called Comcast yesterday, chatted online with someone from sales, and asked if I cancel, how long before I can come back and qualify for the new customer rates?
That prompted them to offer, in writing via the transcript chat, the Blast Plus package, 45 channels plus Internet at "up to" 55 mps download, for $45 a month. No contract and one year rate guarantee.
I am buying my own modem from Amazon with my Christmas gift card money so that will save the $8 a month modem fee.
We replaced the landline with Ooma last year so that is only about $3 a month in random taxes or fees for phone service.
I guess we will have cable at least one more year. I don't think I can get a lower rate than that for Internet alone for that speed.
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03-02-2014, 10:23 AM
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#60
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,174
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim584672
I don't know why people get basic cable when they could just get an antenna and have perfectly clear HDTV for the basic channels. I don't even need a roof antenna, rabbit ears work fine. All the new TVs have built in tuners, all that is needed is an antenna.
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Except for a PBS channel, we are too far away from the other broadcast stations even with a roof antenna. But the low property taxes make up for it.
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