Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[youbet]

.. currently on seasonal hold so I don't know what it currently is.

I used "seasonal hold" with my Comcast cable account while we were in Florida for two months this winter. I was very pleased and wish I had set it up for the full six months they allow.

My package costs $88/mo (for 3 TV's complete with all taxes and fees). During the "seasonal hold" period, the price was $18/mo (again complete) and we still received all OTA channels plus a small number of cable-only channels. We returned from Florida a couple of weeks before the "seasonal hold" period ended and found the much reduced package served us fairly well although the full package (and $88 price tag) has now turned back on.

A bonus I'm not sure that Comcast intended is that I discovered their streaming service went on uninterrupted during the "seasonal hold!" An app on my phone allows me to watch anything (streaming) I am subscribed to on my cable package at home. I thought this feature would disappear but, nope, while traveling I still had access to the cable channels my normal package provided.

I'm mulling over keeping Comcast but using the maximum "seasonal hold" period (six months) every year from mid-Jan though mid-July when we're either gone or not watching much TV. Averaging the full package cost of $88 and the "seasonal hold" package cost of $18 would be $53/mo. That's more like it.

 

[Midpack]

So this morning I turn on Hulu to watch the final round of the Masters and wouldn't you know it, no feed available from CBS. Fortunately Augusta National live streams full coverage of the tournament so I hook up laptop to the TV and stream masters.com.

I wonder what that was about? I watched the Masters in it's entirety on PS Vue yesterday.

 

[MBSC]

Philo will only offer their $20 plan to new customers starting May 6. Those who subscribe before then can choose either the $16 or $20 plan and will be able to switch between the two as long as their subscription remains active.

Starting May 6, we will move to only offering our $20 package — the 58 channel package — to new subscribers. For those who are already subscribed and anyone who subscribes before that date, nothing will change — you’ll continue to have the same package and same price options you have today.

Again, nothing is changing for anyone who has already subscribed by May 6 — you’ll keep the package you have and will continue to be able to switch between our two existing packages.

Source: https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/philo-is-moving-to-a-single-package-on-may-6th/

 

[camfused]

...and will be able to switch between the two as long as their subscription remains active...

That may be true, but I did not read that in what the CEO said. The way I read it, you will be able to stay on your $16 plan, and switch to the $20 plan, but it does not say you will be able to switch back to the $16 plan from the $20 plan.

Also, I wonder if when channels are added in the future, if the $16 plan will get them too.

BTW, my $16 plan is $17.16/month with tax, and I am glad I got in before this change happens. I am happy with Philo.

 

[MBSC]

That may be true, but I did not read that in what the CEO said. The way I read it, you will be able to stay on your $16 plan, and switch to the $20 plan, but it does not say you will be able to switch back to the $16 plan from the $20 plan.

The CCN article links to the CEO's original Reddit post where he further clarifies "will continue to be able to switch between our two existing packages".

Q. What if I sign up for the $20.00 one by then would I be able to revert to the $16.00 if I don't like the added channels in the $20.00 one?

A. That’s correct. Everyone (including people on the $20 package) will be able to switch freely if they subscribe by May 6. We wanted to make sure all our existing subscribers kept the same options.

Q. I was planning to go back to the $16 plan once the $99.00 6 month prepaid deal ends. Is that still possible? I bought 2 of them so I'm paid up until December.

A. As long as your subscription doesn’t lapse, you should be good.

Q. I canceled temporarily but I wanted to know if I activate my account again after the May 6th date, will I still have the option to switch between the two?

A. Your subscription needs to be active on the 6th.

 

[MichaelB]

A bonus I'm not sure that Comcast intended is that I discovered their streaming service went on uninterrupted during the "seasonal hold!" An app on my phone allows me to watch anything (streaming) I am subscribed to on my cable package at home. I thought this feature would disappear but, nope, while traveling I still had access to the cable channels my normal package provided.

My guess is Comcast is aware but the volume is low so it is probably a low priority issue. Someday it will just go away.

I'm mulling over keeping Comcast but using the maximum "seasonal hold" period (six months) every year from mid-Jan though mid-July when we're either gone or not watching much TV. Averaging the full package cost of $88 and the "seasonal hold" package cost of $18 would be $53/mo. That's more like it.

There is no reason you should not do this - if you can. How do you get internet when the TV service is on seasonal hold? When we had Comcast they wouldn't let us have full internet with seasonal TV, they insisted on both or neither.

 

[Buckeye]

I think my Cable provider is getting the message. I was paying $195 per month for Cable TV, internet and landline. Dropped Cable TV which lowered my bill to $78 for internet (60Mbps) and landline. Got myself a great antenna and an over-the-air DVR. Life is good, except I, seasonally, bought Sling TV to get more sports. Already had Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Last week, I found out that the cable provider had developed a Roku app. So now I have one cable provided set top box. Everywhere else, I am streaming live tv over my Rokus. Previously, I had to pay $7 per month for a set top box at each location. So now, I am getting 100 Mbps for internet, land line and the lowest tier of cable tv (125 channels). The 125 channels includes a bunch of sports channels.

Please, note that I have no connection to a cable company. I am just happy that I have gone from $195 to $105 per month. Your take?

When we cut cable (now have YouTube TV and love it) and phone (bought an Ooma system and pay $5 per month in communication taxes), Spectrum pursued us relentlessly to add cable back. I told them I wouldn't get cable TV from them even if it was free so they might as well quit calling!!! We still get internet from them but there is no other option for reliable service.

 

[chicamuxen]

Today's comic is very relevant to this thread.

https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2019/04/26

 

[Midpack]

^^ Not true for all of us (e.g. Comcast internet+Dish Sat TV), but a consideration for many.

 

[easysurfer]

When we cut cable (now have YouTube TV and love it) and phone (bought an Ooma system and pay $5 per month in communication taxes), Spectrum pursued us relentlessly to add cable back. I told them I wouldn't get cable TV from them even if it was free so they might as well quit calling!!! We still get internet from them but there is no other option for reliable service.

Do you still get calls from Spectrum or did they give up on you?

 

[harllee]

I have Spectrum cable and internet. If you cancel for a least 1 month and then sign up again you are treated as a new customer and get the new customer lower rates. At least once a year (usually when I am out of town, on vacation, etc) I cancel and then in a month sign up again. This results in substantial savings even if you have to pay a $35 reconnect fee. A much better deal than doing Spectrums' "vacation hold".

 

[albireo13]

Just got off the phone with Comcast.
Cancelled all cable TV and went internet only.
Bill will go from $190/mo to $89/mo.

Still too pricey but, we are moving soon and I will re-evaluate when we stop in the new house.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Just got off the phone with Comcast.
Cancelled all cable TV and went internet only.
Bill will go from $190/mo to $89/mo.

Still too pricey but, we are moving soon and I will re-evaluate when we stop in the new house.

What streaming/OTA services do you have? Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Sling, Antenna only?

 

[Midpack]

The subscriber losses continue, and they’re accelerating down...

Cord cutting continued at a steady rate in 2018, as cable and satellite TV providers in the United States lost more than 3 million video subscribers, a new report from Leichtman Research Group said.

Satellite TV services were hit especially hard. AT&T-owned DirecTV lost 1.24 million subscribers and finished 2018 with 19.2 million subscribers. Meanwhile, Dish lost 1.13 million subscribers and ended 2018 with 9.9 million. The combined DirecTV and Dish losses of 2.36 million customers in 2018 was up from the companies' combined loss of 1.55 million in 2017.

The top cable companies—Comcast, Charter, Cox, Altice, Mediacom, and Cable One—lost a combined 910,000 TV subscribers in 2018, up from a net loss of 660,000 in 2017. The six companies had a total of 47 million TV subscribers at the end of 2018.

https://arstechnica.com/information...ite-tv-sinks-again-as-online-streaming-soars/

 

[bUU]

The subscriber losses continue, and they’re accelerating down...

First-quarter revenue rose 18%.

Doing less work. Making more money. Why can't I find a gig like that?

 

[albireo13]

What streaming/OTA services do you have? Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Sling, Antenna only?

So far we have Netflix and Prime. No antenna yet. I am researching other services but, we plan to move in 2 months so I will wait for the dust to settle before making a decision.

 

[Midpack]

First-quarter revenue rose 18%.

Doing less work. Making more money. Why can't I find a gig like that?

Whose revenue rose 18%, there are 8 cable and satellite providers in the article? And streaming revenue, or their whole business?

 

[ncbill]

So far we have Netflix and Prime. No antenna yet. I am researching other services but, we plan to move in 2 months so I will wait for the dust to settle before making a decision.

Dish offers an antenna installation service if you want one at your new home:

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/tested-dishs-antenna-installation-service-went/

 

[MBSC]

Charter/Spectrum lost 152K residental TV customers in Q1.

Residential video customers decreased by 152,000 in the first quarter of 2019. As of March 31, 2019, Charter had 16.0 million residential video customers. Video revenues totaled $4.4 billion in the first quarter, an increase of 2.1% compared to the prior year period. Video revenue growth was driven by annual rate adjustments and promotional rolloff partly offset by a decline in video customers during the last year.

Charter added 398,000 residential Internet customers in the first quarter of 2019. As of March 31, 2019, Charter had 24.0 million residential Internet customers.

During the first quarter of 2019, residential wireline voice customers declined by 120,000. As of March 31, 2019, Charter had 10.0 million residential wireline voice customers.

During the first quarter of 2019, Charter added 176,000 mobile lines, and as of March 31, 2019, Charter served a total of 310,000 mobile lines.

Source: https://newsroom.charter.com/press-releases/charter-announces-first-quarter-2019-results/

 

[W2R]

The subscriber losses continue, and they’re accelerating down...

Cord cutting continued at a steady rate in 2018, as cable and satellite TV providers in the United States lost more than 3 million video subscribers,

Honestly I'm surprised that there were that many subscribers left.

On May 14, 2014, I quit cable TV and took my cable box back to Cox Cable. There was an unusually long line of hundreds of people there at Cox doing the same thing, carrying their cable boxes. They weren't all moving; nearly everyone was cutting the cord. I am so glad that I did that.

Even if Cox cable TV prices remained the same since then (which I doubt), still I would have saved $6,494 in the past five years from cutting cable TV out of my life. With price increases it is probably $7K-$8K in savings. And the best part is that I don't miss having Cable TV at all.

It's all about choices and as long as people make the right choices that make them happiest, even if they aren't the same choices as mine, still I'm really happy for them.

 

[RunningBum]

Which remote are people using with the Fire Stick? I read that you can turn on and off your TV with the fire stick remote if you've got CEC enabled, but I could only get it to turn on, not off. It also lacks a lot of other buttons, like volume. I'm looking at the sideclick, https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MRFY61G , which basically has a holder for the fire stick remote and a mini remote on the side to control power, channel +-, volume +-, and 2 other buttons you assign as you wish.

I'm supposed to be getting 100Mbps next month and am starting to think it may be time to cut the cord after all.

 

[W2R]

Which remote are people using with the Fire Stick? I read that you can turn on and off your TV with the fire stick remote if you've got CEC enabled, but I could only get it to turn on, not off. It also lacks a lot of other buttons, like volume. I'm looking at the sideclick, https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MRFY61G , which basically has a holder for the fire stick remote and a mini remote on the side to control power, channel +-, volume +-, and 2 other buttons you assign as you wish.

I'm supposed to be getting 100Mbps next month and am starting to think it may be time to cut the cord after all.

I can connect to Amazon Prime Video without my Fire Stick, with my newer Panasonic TV (bought back in 2013). So, my Fire Stick remote is in a drawer somewhere. I use my regular remote and just go to where the apps are and there it is. I think I watched half of one show on Amazon Prime Video last year. I'm not a huge TV fan these days.

100 Mbps is fine for streaming video. You probably don't even need that much so I think you will be fine, unless your internet provider has erratic slowdowns for some reason.

 

[robnplunder]

Not exactly a cord cutting move but I am going from AT&T to Xfinity for internet. Here's the rundown.


AT&T internet 18 (Mbps) for $64/month


Xfinity 60 Mbps for $29.99/month for 12 month, then to $39.99. Installation & equipment fee = $240 which will be recouped in < 8 months. It is much faster speed & cheaper. I was too lazy to make the switch but am finally pulling the trigger. Installation to happen in 3 days!

 

[aja8888]

First-quarter revenue rose 18%.

Doing less work. Making more money. Why can't I find a gig like that?

That's the same route GM, Ford and FCA are going: cut out the old bread and butter product lines (sedans, small cars) and make your short term, high margins on pickups and SUVs. This strategy is all good until it's not. One thing they don't dwell on is the loss of market share, which is usually permanent.

Kind of like what JCP did when they decided to go upscale when Johnson took over. Now they are one step out of BK (not saying that cable companies are this stupid, though)

 

[RunningBum]

I can connect to Amazon Prime Video without my Fire Stick, with my newer Panasonic TV (bought back in 2013). So, my Fire Stick remote is in a drawer somewhere. I use my regular remote and just go to where the apps are and there it is. I think I watched half of one show on Amazon Prime Video last year. I'm not a huge TV fan these days.

100 Mbps is fine for streaming video. You probably don't even need that much so I think you will be fine, unless your internet provider has erratic slowdowns for some reason.

I need the fire stick remote for a non-smart TV. That's why I'm asking. I'd rather not keep track of 2 remotes, though it's not a deal breaker.

I have issues watching sports with 25Mbps. I shouldn't, but I do. Noticeably choppy. I do a bandwidth test standing next to my TV with my laptop and it's 22-25Mbps. Even though I have a 3 levels, my wifi signal is strong throughout the house. It may be "good enough" for some but it's not for me, so I've been waiting for 100 to try, and keeping satellite until then.

I had previously said I was just going to keep satellite, but I'm seeing how it could work well with one streaming provider like You Tube TV. What I had been doing is using the ESPN, BTN, TBS, TNT, etc apps and logging in with my Dish account. It's clumsy to switch between apps quickly. But if everything is in the one YouTube app, and I can arrange the stations in the order I care about (as I've seen in a YouTube demo), it'll be fine.