Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[Rianne]

Good discussion, lots of complaining, but I'm not seeing any $$ amounts. What are you paying? I pay with AT&T UVerse:
Fast Internet: $20/month
3 HD TV/DVR on all, 250+ channels, Showtime, Starz $108: DH must have tennis channels and all sports channels
I'm getting $35 off per month b/c CBS is out for now
I do get Prime (with membership) and Netfilx ($12.99) for multiple users/gave it to niece and nephew.
What are you paying for the alternate TV viewing experience?

 

[MichaelB]

Good discussion, lots of complaining, but I'm not seeing any $$ amounts. What are you paying? I pay with AT&T UVerse:
Fast Internet: $20/month
3 HD TV/DVR on all, 250+ channels, Showtime, Starz $108: DH must have tennis channels and all sports channels
I'm getting $35 off per month b/c CBS is out for now
I do get Prime (with membership) and Netfilx ($12.99) for multiple users/gave it to niece and nephew.
What are you paying for the alternate TV viewing experience?

FYI, there are probably more than a hundred posts where members detail what they pay for different TV services, including cable and streaming.

 

[jim584672]

When I had regular "cable" channels on YouTubeTV I found that even if I wanted to watch something the number of commercials is absurd. A billion channels and nothing to watch. Now I just have Internet only and nothing else. Movies from the library and my $30 tuner/DVR device.

 

[Rianne]

FYI, there are probably more than a hundred posts where members detail what they pay for different TV services, including cable and streaming.

Saw one complete month bill for cable/internet in the last month. There are spots of various changes and additions. Could you quote a complete monthly charge of all cable/streaming/internet services? Just not seeing the complete package cost. After all, if you're aware of a hundred posts going back over 100 pages, please inform.

 

[RonBoyd]

Saw one complete month bill for cable/internet in the last month. There are spots of various changes and additions. Could you quote a complete monthly charge of all cable/streaming/internet services? Just not seeing the complete package cost. After all, if you're aware of a hundred posts going back over 100 pages, please inform.

I was sure that I had posted all of my foolishness but I can't seem to locate it in this thread. I, will find some time tomorrow, to give you "to the penny" accounting of all my TV viewing expenses for, say, the past six month.

I will warn, however, that I am not typical in that I have a bunch of equipment and subscribe to several services "just because."

 

[Rianne]

I was sure that I had posted all of my foolishness but I can't seem to locate it in this thread. I, will find some time tomorrow, to give you "to the penny" accounting of all my TV viewing expenses for, say, the past six month.

I will warn, however, that I am not typical in that I have a bunch of equipment and subscribe to several services "just because."

I appreciate that. We lack talent in understanding equipment how to hook things up, what wires connect to what, what apps are the best. I will say, Prime gave us the CBS app for free. I don't know if that's normal. I stayed with ATT because they came through when I complained...took some doing. Now I feel completely out of the loop regarding the best deals and what stuff (equipment, boxes, apps, who's on first, what's on second, I don't know's on third. Something like that.

 

[beowulf]

I will say, Prime gave us the CBS app for free. I don't know if that's normal.

You might want to make sure they gave you the CBS All Access app and that it's not just a free trial. It runs about $60 a year normally and we make lots of use of it. Xfinity does provide Netflix at no cost, but, of course, it's just hidden in their overall high pricing.

 

[Midpack]

Repeating myself but FWIW:

• Dish satellite was proposing to charge us $96/mo even with lots of discounts when we dumped them for 3 TV’s, 1 DVR and 120+ channels including 100 we never watched once.
• Since Feb 2018 we only have PlayStation Vue at $50/mo (going up $5/mo) also on 3 TV’s with cloud DVR and 60+ channels, but we haven’t lost anything we actually watched.
• So we’re saving about $600/yr with no sacrifices.

We pay $50/mo for internet (300 Mbps fiber), but we’ve had internet service for 15 years (including all our years with cable or satellite) and we’d have it without streaming - so it’s not a TV expense for us. YMMV

If you’re a family with 3 or more viewers, you can save a lot cutting the cord.

If you’re single or a 1 viewer/TV household, cutting the cord won’t save a lot. And if you wouldn’t have Internet service without streaming, you won’t save anything.

 

[pb4uski]

Repeating myself but FWIW:

• Dish satellite was proposing to charge us $96/mo even with lots of discounts when we dumped them for 3 TV’s, 1 DVR and 120+ channels including 100 we never watched once.
• Since Feb 2018 we only have PlayStation Vue at $50/mo (going up $5/mo) also on 3 TV’s with cloud DVR and 60+ channels, but we haven’t lost anything we actually watched.
• So we’re saving about $600/yr with no sacrifices.

We pay $50/mo for internet (300 Mbps fiber), but we’ve had internet service for 15 years (including all our years with cable or satellite) and we’d have it without streaming - so it’s not a TV expense for us. YMMV

If you’re a family with 3 or more viewers, you can save a lot cutting the cord.

If you’re single or a 1 viewer/TV household, cutting the cord won’t save a lot. And if you wouldn’t have Internet service without streaming, you won’t save anything.

We have Dish TV... skinny Welcome Pack programming is $30/month... plus $22/month for equipment ($15 for DVR and $7 for a Joey) plus a few bucks for taxes and whatever is $55/month... 3 TV would be $63/month....more importantly, Dish is intuitive enough that DW likes it and understands how to use it. We're sticking with Dish TV for now since streaming with HGTV and locals doesn't save us very much.

 

[pb4uski]

.... Xfinity does provide Netflix at no cost, but, of course, it's just hidden in their overall high pricing.

Are you sure about it is free? I can't find that anywhere and we have Xfini at our winter condo.

The Netflix subscription will run through Comcast and will be included in the customers’ monthly cable bill.

Comcast will let non-Netflix subs sign up for the subscription VOD service directly through X1 on TV, including a one-month free trial for eligible consumers. Comcast customers will then be billed for Netflix at the standard rates ($9.99 per month for the most popular two-stream HD plan).

 

[Dawg52]

Are you sure about it is free? I can't find that anywhere and we have Xfini at our winter condo.

Netflix not free on my Xfinity home setup.

 

[beowulf]

Yep, its “free” - meaning there is no line item on my bill for it and my price didn’t go up from the year before. I had Netflix before that for $8.99 a month and I had to call them to switch it to Xfinity. It was a hassle with calls back and forth to both providers, but it fell into place in the end. We have the double play package - TV and internet with several TVs, a DVR and some of the premium channels. Not cheap, but our only other cable choice is Fios and they are more expensive for less. Now that I’m retired, I figure we save at least $20 a week by having coffee at home and not at Starbucks. Good trade off, IMHO. All cable companies rob you blind, but, for now, I’d rather have it than not.

 

[Midpack]

We have Dish TV... skinny Welcome Pack programming is $30/month... plus $22/month for equipment ($15 for DVR and $7 for a Joey) plus a few bucks for taxes and whatever is $55/month... 3 TV would be $63/month....more importantly, Dish is intuitive enough that DW likes it and understands how to use it. We're sticking with Dish TV for now since streaming with HGTV and locals doesn't save us very much.

We wouldn’t have switched if Dish was competitive. They gave us huge discounts for two years but when they said they’d have to go to a lesser discount with a new 2 year contract, that’s when we dropped them. From time to time I see great cable and satellite teaser rates, and they go out of their way to hide the full price you’re on the hook for usually months 13-24. I don’t have the appetite to play those games anymore - been there, done that.

I’m not trying to convert anyone, but the PS Vue interface is much like Dish Network. After much apprehension on her part, DW had everything figured out in two days.

 

[pb4uski]

Let's try it another way...

Yep, its “free” - meaning there is no line item on my bill for it and my price didn’t go up from the year before. I had Netflix before that for $8.99 a month and I had to call them to switch it to Xfinity. It was a hassle with calls back and forth to both providers, but it fell into place in the end. We have the double play package - TV and internet with several TVs, a DVR and some of the premium channels. Not cheap, but our only other cable choice is Fios and they are more expensive for less. Now that I’m retired, I figure we save at least $20 a week by having coffee at home and not at Starbucks. Good trade off, IMHO. All cable companies rob you blind, but, for now, I’d rather have it than not.

If you called Xfinity and dropped Netflix, would your monthly Xfinity bill go down or stay the same?

 

[ivinsfan]

Good discussion, lots of complaining, but I'm not seeing any $$ amounts. What are you paying? I pay with AT&T UVerse:
Fast Internet: $20/month
3 HD TV/DVR on all, 250+ channels, Showtime, Starz $108: DH must have tennis channels and all sports channels
I'm getting $35 off per month b/c CBS is out for now
I do get Prime (with membership) and Netfilx ($12.99) for multiple users/gave it to niece and nephew.
What are you paying for the alternate TV viewing experience?

Good point and this is a 102 page thread going back over 2 years, the info from 2 years ago is almost horse and buggy. Mods I think you might consider "refreshing" this thread on Jan 1 like you do with the WDYDT thread.

Anyone agree with me? No one is going to dig through 102 pages.

 

[beowulf]

My bill would stay the same and I’d have to pay separately for Netflix.

 

[REWahoo]

Good point and this is a 102 page thread going back over 2 years, the info from 2 years ago is almost horse and buggy. Mods I think you might consider "refreshing" this thread on Jan 1 like you do with the WDYDT thread.

Anyone agree with me? No one is going to dig through 102 pages.

Any difference in doing that or going back a few dozen pages and starting to read from there?

 

[RonBoyd]

I was sure that I had posted all of my foolishness but I can't seem to locate it in this thread. I, will find some time tomorrow, to give you "to the penny" accounting of all my TV viewing expenses for, say, the past six month.

I will warn, however, that I am not typical in that I have a bunch of equipment and subscribe to several services "just because."

Note:

I included the Internet charges, in case that is important.

I highlighted the Hardware items -- I am guessing that my total hardware "value" in in the $5,000 range... maybe more -- the TV and AVR cost over $2,000 each less than a year ago.

If you don't have a way to read an Excel file, let me know and I will find some other way to post.

View attachment Detailed I & E - Television Items YTD.xls

 

[RonBoyd]

So I don't have to come back to this (for any length of time), here is a simple copy/paste of the above Excel file. It is more difficult to read but one can struggle through it... if motivated. <chuckle>

Category Date Account Description Memo Amount
Expenses
Computer
ISP & DSL
1/2/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net $5.99
1/8/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.45
2/4/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
2/7/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.45
3/4/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
3/6/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.45
4/2/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
4/9/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.45
5/4/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
5/8/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.25
6/4/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
6/7/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.25
7/4/2019 Citibank - MC Platinum Dividend 1and1 Internet Inc. - bohill.net 5.99
7/9/2019 Checking-Bank of the West CenturyLink (Qwest) 69.25
ISP & DSL - TOTAL 527.48
Computer - TOTAL 527.48
Leisure
Television
1/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
1/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 14.08
1/17/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 15.00
1/17/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
1/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Acorn TV 4.99
1/22/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
2/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
2/9/2019 Amazon/Chase Visa Amazon - Logitech Harmony Companion Logitech Harmony Companion 105.00
2/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 13.99
2/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Acorn TV - 1 Year Subscription 49.99
2/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 15.00
2/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
2/22/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
3/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
3/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 15.99
3/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 15.00
3/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
3/22/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
43,549.000 Amazon/Chase Visa Amazon - Vizio SB36512-F6 Soundbar 388.83
3/31/2019 B of A Cash Rewards Britbox - 1-Year Subscription 69.99
4/8/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
4/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 15.99
4/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 25.00
4/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
4/20/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
5/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
43,596.000 Amazon/Chase Visa Amazon - 2)4-Port Coaxial Signal Booster 69.72
5/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 15.99
5/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 25.00
5/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
5/20/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
43,608.000 B of A Cash Rewards Tablo - QUAD OTA Tuner 213.49
6/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
6/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 15.99
6/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 25.00
6/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
6/22/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
43,644.000 B of A Cash Rewards Tablo - EPG Subscription 49.00
7/6/2019 Amazon/Chase Visa Schedules Direct - 1 year Subscription 25.00
7/6/2019 Amazon/Chase Visa The Hot Zone - s1e2 The Hot Zone - s1e2 1.99
7/7/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One CBS All Access Subscription 5.99
43,657.000 Amazon/Chase Visa Amazon - Optical SPDIF DAC 23.99
7/15/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Netflix Netflix 15.99
7/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME Live a Little Plan 25.00
7/18/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One DirectTV Now - SHOWTIME SHOWTIME 8.00
7/22/2019 Visa Cash Rewards - Capital One Hulu 5.99
43,673.000 B of A Cash Rewards Emby - Lifetime Subscription 119.00
7/28/2019 B of A Cash Rewards Best Buy - Silicondust HDHomeRun SERVIO 2TB DVR Best Buy - Silicondust HDHomeRun SERVIO 2TB DVR 149.99
7/28/2019 Amazon/Chase Visa Amazon Universal ROKU Remote 26.99
7/28/2019 B of A Cash Rewards flixtools - Opensubtitles (1yr Subscription) 15.00
Television - TOTAL $1,705.85
Leisure - TOTAL $1,705.85
Expenses - TOTAL $2,233.33

 

[ivinsfan]

Any difference in doing that or going back a few dozen pages and starting to read from there?

You could but you'd need to be a regular reader of this thread (which I am) and not someone just clicking on without realizing how old some of the info is. I've often clicked on a thread I haven't read before and started reading without realizing how old it actually is. Just a thought for 2020

 

[MichaelB]

Good point and this is a 102 page thread going back over 2 years, the info from 2 years ago is almost horse and buggy. Mods I think you might consider "refreshing" this thread on Jan 1 like you do with the WDYDT thread.

Anyone agree with me? No one is going to dig through 102 pages.

This isn't a thread about prices (like the CD rates). The discussion covers a much wider range of cable-TV related topics.


If someone has a specific question directed at the entire community, such as how much everyone pays for internet or TV programming, a new thread asking that would be more productive.

 

[Jeffman52]

DW and I, just this week, bought 1 Roku and subscribed to Sling TV (extra 5$ for their cloud DVR) which comes with a Roku that we can now put on the downstairs mancave TV. I have Netflix, CBS All access and for my football addiction I signed up for 99$ a year for NFL Gamepass.

By the end of the month I will be calling my Cable provider and dumping TV with them and keeping only internet. Actually that reminds me, between now and then I need to shop internet providers and compare prices.

Next on my list, I will be dumping Verizon and their high end cell phone service.

 

[MissMolly]

Our costs:

OTA for network/local stations including PBS- $0

Amazon Prime - $9.92/month - but we had Prime for several years before we figured out how to watch movies, so I wouldn't really count that. We would have Prime regardless.

Netflix - $0 - our son has us on his account

Hardware purchases - Antenna - $35. Tablo 4-tuner - about $350. 3 Roku streaming sticks - $25/each. 2 Roku TVs - $66 each. All purchased 2.5 years ago. About $600 altogether.

That's it. No other streaming costs although Hulu is included for free in our cell phone plan so we use the free Hulu also. We also have PlayOn (free download) and Plex (free download) and my brother shares shows/movies with us on Plex.

We do, of course, have to pay for internet - but again, we would have that regardless.

 

[ivinsfan]

This isn't a thread about prices (like the CD rates). The discussion covers a much wider range of cable-TV related topics.


If someone has a specific question directed at the entire community, such as how much everyone pays for internet or TV programming, a new thread asking that would be more productive.

Yes and current streaming specials and the like, the bonus would be answer to technical type questions would be easier to locate. People are posting a lot of streaming/cable prices.

 

[Rustic23]

I dished dish in Jan 2018. (see post 287)

Still with YOUTUBE TV. However, it is not at $55 including tax, and they have added discovery network. My internet bill is now $90 a month including tax, and is at 25mps. Still no ota tv and do not expect to have any. Only one internet supplier without caps. I have had Netflix for five months and dropped it. I still have Prime. I don't include them in the price equation as I had them when I had Dish.

I added Plex, I can't remember the 'life time charge' but I think it was $29. Used it for a month or two, but have not brought it up for several months. I figure I have saved over $1,100 in the past 20 months. I also own just about one of every major brand streamer. That's what I have not saved quite as much.

I am hoping that a streamer will come out with true a la carte pricing. I would like to add networks individually rather than have them bundled as cable does. We would be happy with the major ota networks, and a couple of news outlets.