Cable TV Prices Continue To Rise At Over Four Times The Rate Of Inflation

[athena53]

Most of my tv watching is now on Netflix or Amazon Prime or PBS or BBC, and I have access to more high quality shows that I have time to watch...without commercials! It is hard for me now to watch shows with commercials.

I know. You can breeze through a 30-minute show in 20 minutes. I love that! DVR watching with the cable company was an improvement but you still had to Fast Forward through commercials.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I know. You can breeze through a 30-minute show in 20 minutes. I love that! DVR watching with the cable company was an improvement but you still had to Fast Forward through commercials.

I noticed when I went to Netflix that almost universally any 30 minute show on cable was 22 minutes, and any 60 minute show was 42-44 minutes.

That's an insane amount of commercials to have to sit through.

 

[Chuckanut]

I remember when I cancelled cable tv there was an initial period where I missed having 24/7 news channels like CNN or CNBC and others, but after a while I got over it and now I am glad that I did and I do not miss it. Most of what they call "breaking news" is just not that important after all, or at least not so important that I have to be glued to the tv to see it in real time everyday...
<snip>
how much they ramble on and on about the same piece of news with a never ending parade of talking heads and I am amazed that I used to watch that stuff everyday.

John Dickerson who hosts CBS's Face the Nation had this to say the other day when talking about how the press ruined their own reputation:

a lot of hysterical coverage about every little last thing that doesn’t warrant it.

I use my Tivo to record the news and news-like shows. So last night when one station had two opposing political operatives giving the usual party-lines, I just FF through them. Alas, even the talking-heads were too similar. All from the D.C - NY corridor, same type of thinking, God Forbid they have somebody from Des Moines, Tucson, Boise or Lexington sharing their thoughts. FF again - no point in hearing the same opinions from four different people.

I did manage to watch my recording of Mercy Street from a week ago. There is still some good TV on the air. And the NOVA episode on train wrecks promises to be very interesting. Thank you Tivo.

Free, OTA TV is great with a good DVR!!!

 

[Sojourner]

I noticed when I went to Netflix that almost universally any 30 minute show on cable was 22 minutes, and any 60 minute show was 42-44 minutes.

That's an insane amount of commercials to have to sit through.

Daytime TV is even worse. A one hour show has almost 22 minutes of commercials, which leaves around 38 minutes of actual "show". 38 minutes! Considering the value of time, it's mind boggling to think about actually sitting through the entire hour just to see those 38 minutes.

 

[W2R]

Not for me!

Like several others here, I am spending $0.00/year on television since I cut the cord. I love having that extra $110/month or more to spend as I wish, or to soften the pain from other increased expenses.

To amplify...

After a few years of not having cable TV, I find TV to be less and less enticing and more and more of a bore. I haven't been trying to wean myself off of it, but that has been happening with zero effort on my part. I think the only "draw" it had for me was that I was paying for it, so I assumed it had some value which it really does not have.

I don't watch TV most days because there are SO many other things I want to do. It's the "problem" that many other retirees here have described, of not having enough time to do everything and wondering how we ever had time for work.

If anyone is interested, here are some of the free or nearly free entertainment options that keep me busy without TV: reading books, video games, iPad jigsaw puzzles, podcasts, youtubes, reading and writing on several forums, helping with the moderation on this forum, keeping my house clean and pleasant and habitable, exercising and counting calories, keeping track of finances and portfolio, online shopping and browsing, conversations with F, pleasure drives, and so much more.

And if these activities weren't enough, now it's Carnival season too with parades every night between now and Mardi Gras next Tuesday.

I just don't have the time for TV. Most TV shows bore me anyway because they are either inane, or else they are designed to terrorize us - - when the hugely scary music begins to play and/or multiple killings are depicted, I feel like I am subjecting myself to intentional psychological manipulation and I resent that. So, I turn off the TV. There are enough scary things in real life without having to look for them on the tube.

I have access to Amazon Prime (which I have for the shipping), and to Netflix (which F subscribes to and shares with me). But honestly, I do not watch shows on either one except when he comes over and wants to watch TV.

So, the activities described above are what I do instead.

 

[explanade]

Daytime TV is even worse. A one hour show has almost 22 minutes of commercials, which leaves around 38 minutes of actual "show". 38 minutes! Considering the value of time, it's mind boggling to think about actually sitting through the entire hour just to see those 38 minutes.

DVR?

 

[Midpack]

This describes exactly what I did about 2-3 years ago. I still pay the cable company for internet access, but no more cable tv for me.

I remember when I cancelled cable tv there was an initial period where I missed having 24/7 news channels like CNN or CNBC and others, but after a while I got over it and now I am glad that I did and I do not miss it. Most of what they call "breaking news" is just not that important after all, or at least not so important that I have to be glued to the tv to see it in real time everyday...and don't get me started about the constant barrage of commercials...I did not realize how intense it was until I got away from it. For example, I sometimes see cable tv news when I am in a waiting room or a restaurant somewhere, and I can now see how pervasive the commercials are and how much they ramble on and on about the same piece of news with a never ending parade of talking heads and I am amazed that I used to watch that stuff everyday.

Most of my tv watching is now on Netflix or Amazon Prime or PBS or BBC, and I have access to more high quality shows that I have time to watch...without commercials! It is hard for me now to watch shows with commercials.

Great description! I think you do have to get away from it for a while yo really see what an incredible time and emotional energy waste it all is.

+2. Exactly the minor epiphany in progress in our house. Live streamed non-local/non-major network programming is broadly available. Live major networks [-]is[/-] was the last stumbling block for us. But about half our prime time major network viewing has been DVR, so live isn't really that important, on demand is fine. DW likes to "watch" (more listening really) local morning news, but when pressed, weather forecast is her priority - how to dress. As dumb as it sounds, she's finally realized that's not worth $82/mo when we can just look at our phones for weather 24/7.

And now that PlayStation Vue has all the live channels we care about, including major networks where we are *** with cloud DVR - cord cutting has become a no-brainer for us. Cuts our cost to less than half, with viewing on way more devices.

The only loss we need to do something about is PBS. We may have to settle for limited on demand streaming from the PBS app to get our This Old House, A Chef's Life, Nova, Frontline, etc. fixes.

** just recently realized how lucky we are, only available in 7 metro areas so far.

 

[Cobra9777]

... My last contract with AT&T (18 months ago) they offered fiber, the tech admitted it was DSL, and in the following visit admitted it was really ADSL ...

Just about always the fiber offered by the phones companies is fiber to the neighbourhood and DSL from there to the home. That way the DSL run length is very short meaning that it can be faster. DSL speed is inversely proportional to the distance to the switching station. None of the phone companies are running fiber to the house ...

I read that some newer neighborhoods with AT&T U-Verse are getting fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Also, I have Frontier FiOS (formerly Verizon), which is also FTTH. But yes, most "fiber service" like U-Verse has a short ADSL leg over copper for the final run from the neighborhood node to the house. Speed varies based on the length of that copper run, but bandwidth is generally on par with cable or better. Certainly nothing like traditional DSL, which is copper wire all the way to the CO and comparatively slow by today's standards... and usually "borderline" for streaming HD video. My son has U-Verse (FTTN) and gets 45/5. He seems to be quite happy with the bandwidth as well as the stability and reliability.

 

[Chuckanut]

I noticed when I went to Netflix that almost universally any 30 minute show on cable was 22 minutes, and any 60 minute show was 42-44 minutes.

That's an insane amount of commercials to have to sit through.

FWIW, Tivo how offers 'skip mode' on most prime-time network TV shows. Record the show then wait about 15 minutes after the show is over. You can usually hit one button on the remote and skip over the commercials. No need to FF.

 

[Chuckanut]

I can't really claim to have 'cut the cord' since I still have a 'cord' bringing FIOS into my home. But, it's much cheaper than full blown cable TV/Internet.

If I ever have 5 hours a day to watch TV, either I am very sick or my life has taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction.

 

[Gotadimple]

I can't really claim to have 'cut the cord' since I still have a 'cord' bringing FIOS into my home. But, it's much cheaper than full blown cable TV/Internet.

If I ever have 5 hours a day to watch TV, either I am very sick or my life has taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction.

+1
Basic cable for the local news (because it's Seattle, there are many hills). DSL from the phone company (because I hate Comcast, and only want their basic cable). Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for evening viewing after the news.

Cable TV prices will continue to rise as people discover they can stream for significantly less cost.

Rita

 

[youbet]

I am more than happy to settle for whatever's broadcast on major networks, Fox & ESPN.

How are you getting ESPN without cable?

 

[imoldernu]

Comcast (cable only no phone or TV) $80/mo. 30mbps.

Cost is criminal. Broken government.

 

[euro]

I read that some newer neighborhoods with AT&T U-Verse are getting fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Also, I have Frontier FiOS (formerly Verizon), which is also FTTH. But yes, most "fiber service" like U-Verse has a short ADSL leg over copper for the final run from the neighborhood node to the house. Speed varies based on the length of that copper run, but bandwidth is generally on par with cable or better. Certainly nothing like traditional DSL, which is copper wire all the way to the CO and comparatively slow by today's standards... and usually "borderline" for streaming HD video. My son has U-Verse (FTTN) and gets 45/5. He seems to be quite happy with the bandwidth as well as the stability and reliability.

In my area, ATT U-verse was not fiber (I had it for many years before ditching it). Interestingly enough, my remote mountain cabin actually DOES have fiber-optics cables (all the way!) - I guess they decided to make it a fiber test area even though the cabins are on 10acre+ lots and according to the tech who installed my internet service, I'm the ONLY active subscriber along the 5 mile dirt road! Crazy! When I signed up, they put in a 500ft run of fiber cable (no charge) to connect my cabin to the main run along the dirt road. I wasn't interested in TV programming, so I have internet only and while I subscribed to the slowest available data speed, it is INSANELY fast, compared to my TimeWarner setup in the big city.....

 

[Midpack]

How are you getting ESPN without cable?

Most Sling TV, DirecTV Now and PlayStation Vue packages include ESPN and ESPN2 live, along with many other channels. Higher $ packages include other ESPN channels.

As you're in Chicago, you can completely replace cable/satellite, including CBS2, NBC5, ABC7, Fox32, ESPN, ESPN2, NBCSN along with about 40 other channels for as little as $39.99/mo with PlayStation Vue - all LIVE. Plus it includes automatic cloud DVR and streaming on up to 5 devices - TV's, PC/laptops, phones and tablets. All you need is an ISP (minimum 10 Mbps, but faster for more than 2 devices or higher resolution like 4K) and almost any streaming device. Free 7-day trial, no contract. You lose WGN, PBS and Viacom channels (for now at least), though you can easily stream some of that content on demand for free elsewhere - I can live with that.

How's that?

Except for those people with many TV's who want 250 channels for $200+/month - PlayStation Vue is a no brainer in Chicago (and 6 other large metros) IMO.

 

[explanade]

How many recordings can you store on the cloud DVR?

Can you commercial skip recordings?

How long can you store recordings?

 

[Midpack]

I'm not an expert, but to the best of my knowledge, see below:

How many recordings can you store on the cloud DVR? How long can you store recordings? No limit, but your recordings are deleted after 28 days (I gather that's how they manage space).

Can you commercial skip recordings? Yes, but. On some streaming devices it's much like a cable DVR, easy to do. On others you just blindly FFWD best guess, and RWD if you've gone too far.

 

[youbet]

Most Sling TV, DirecTV Now and PlayStation Vue packages include ESPN and ESPN2 live, along with many other channels. Higher $ packages include other ESPN channels.

As you're in Chicago, you can completely replace cable/satellite, including CBS2, NBC5, ABC7, Fox32, ESPN, ESPN2, NBCSN along with about 40 other channels for as little as $39.99/mo with PlayStation Vue - all LIVE. Plus it includes automatic cloud DVR and streaming on up to 5 devices - TV's, PC/laptops, phones and tablets. All you need is an ISP (minimum 10 Mbps, but faster for more than 2 devices or higher resolution like 4K) and almost any streaming device. Free 7-day trial, no contract. You lose WGN, PBS and Viacom channels (for now at least), though you can easily stream some of that content separately for free - I can live with that.

How's that?

Except for those people who want 250 channels for $200+/month - it's a no brainer in Chicago (and 6 other large metros) IMO.

I guess I asked the question incorrectly. I meant to ask "how do you get ESPN without paying for it? (I incorrectly said "without cable.")

I don't believe this statement you made is correct:

you can completely replace cable/satellite,

I wish it was.

The conundrum I find myself in is sports. Only the Bears are available OTA for all games. The Cubs, Sox, Hawks, Bulls, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers (where my son attended), Wisconsin Badgers and several other teams I enjoy casually following are all predominantly cable. It's an ugly situation.

I have near zero interest in steaming movies, sit-coms, serial dramas and that kind of crap. We generally watch public TV, a few network shows and sports. I can get everything except sports OTA. But the damn cable companies really have the local teams locked up.

I'm not a sports fanatic but, for example, the thought of not having my Cubbies on TV out in the screenhouse while I'm grilling dinner this summer doesn't appeal to me. I don't sit and stare at the game for two hours, but I really enjoy being able to intermittently follow along with games while I futz with other stuff (like posting on the ER forum!).

If I could somehow stream (live) Cubs, Hawks and Big Ten games for a cost significantly less than my $90 (yes I hate that rip-off) cable bill, I'd cut the cord in a flash. But so far, no complete answer to the sports dilemma.

 

[Midpack]

I don't believe this statement you made is correct:

The conundrum I find myself in is sports. Only the Bears are available OTA for all games. The Cubs, Sox, Hawks, Bulls, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers (where my son attended), Wisconsin Badgers and several other teams I enjoy casually following are all predominantly cable. It's an ugly situation.

I have near zero interest in steaming movies, sit-coms, serial dramas and that kind of crap. We generally watch public TV, a few network shows and sports. I can get everything except sports OTA. But the damn cable companies really have the local teams locked up.

I'm not a sports fanatic but, for example, the thought of not having my Cubbies on TV out in the screenhouse while I'm grilling dinner this summer doesn't appeal to me. I don't sit and stare at the game for two hours, but I really enjoy being able to intermittently follow along with games while I futz with other stuff (like posting on the ER forum!).

If I could somehow stream (live) Cubs, Hawks and Big Ten games for a cost significantly less than my $90 (yes I hate that rip-off) cable bill, I'd cut the cord in a flash. But so far, no complete answer to the sports dilemma.

I tried to help out, the only need you mentioned was ESPN, sorry I couldn't read your mind.

You can get quite a few sports channels via streaming for way less than $90, but I don't know what sports networks you need to catch the sports you're after. There are sports junkies who have legally cut the cord and saved a bunch of money, they explain how on YouTube. Good luck.

 

[HadEnuff]

what about Major League Baseball?

Do they have an online streaming subscription plan?

 

[pb4uski]

I don't think there's any market for that dish.

Up in our neck of the woods it goes into metal recycling.

 

[bUU]

what about Major League Baseball? Do they have an online streaming subscription plan?

$113 a year.

Watch Live Baseball Online, Stream MLB Games with MLB.TV | MLB.com

 

[HadEnuff]

$113 a year.

Watch Live Baseball Online, Stream MLB Games with MLB.TV | MLB.com

thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[GTFan]

FWIW, Tivo how offers 'skip mode' on most prime-time network TV shows. Record the show then wait about 15 minutes after the show is over. You can usually hit one button on the remote and skip over the commercials. No need to FF.

If you load up a program called kmttg on a PC, it will auto-skip for you when you play back a show. No buttons needed and no commercials.

 

[youbet]

$113 a year.

Watch Live Baseball Online, Stream MLB Games with MLB.TV | MLB.com

Your local team(s) are excluded on MLB.com