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9% expected to cut their cable this year
05-26-2017, 10:01 AM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
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9% expected to cut their cable this year
Short article showing study about how quickly the paid cable biz is shrinking.
Here is the article
Highlight
Cord-cutting is being matched by a rise in streaming, also at a rate faster than ever. Per the Interactive Advertising Bureau's latest TV industry study, 56% of U.S. adults own a streaming-enabled television, up from one-third of adults in 2015.
Confucious said 'may we live in interesting times' ... advances in disruptive technologies are at lightning speed now and turning many industries on their heads... sure glad I retired from the TV biz when I did.
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05-26-2017, 10:30 AM
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#2
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Portland
Posts: 584
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No wonder Comcast kept calling me and offer Cable TV + internet deal - I currently only have internet with them. Even with the good package deal, I always politely declined the offer, nothing on the cable TV really interests me.
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05-26-2017, 10:36 AM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,504
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I don't know about other people, but I cut the cable a couple of years ago because TV has nothing to offer me any more.
I'm just not interested.
Higher quality news and/or fewer ads would get me back, but that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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05-26-2017, 10:45 AM
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#4
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: https://www.google.com
Posts: 750
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And at the same time, the cable companies have seen the writing on the wall and are quickly raising their stand alone broadband access rates. One way or another, they'll work to maintain their (ridiculous) profit margins.
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05-26-2017, 10:57 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,316
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We're cutting the cable in July unless Dish Network wants to continue to give us the almost 50% discount they gave us in Feb when we called to cancel our satellite service with them. There are too many FULL drop in streaming options with local majors and cloud DVR's available today at about $40/mo in our large metro area!
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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05-26-2017, 11:13 AM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,179
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
We're cutting the cable in July unless Dish Network wants to continue to give us the almost 50% discount they gave us in Feb when we called to cancel our satellite service with them. There are too many FULL drop in streaming options with local majors and cloud DVR's available today at about $40/mo in our large metro area!
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The only thing is, if you go with an "internet service only" subscription, you often pay quite a bit per month and if you bundle Cable/Internet, you end up paying only maybe $20/month more. Granted, I haven't yet fully researched streaming options (I'm a very late adopter to technology because of the exponential increase in depreciation hit as well as technological advances), so I don't even really know what exists out there, other than hearing a few brands like Roku/Google/etc.
Was just married in December, and will be moving in July. Wife and I each grew up/lived without cable, but are more than likely going to splurge with some "premium" content when we settle into the new home ("premium" in the sense that you have to pay for it compared to over-the-air freebies; just standard stuff like Food Network/HGTV).
__________________
Dryer sheets Schmyer sheets
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05-26-2017, 11:25 AM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Alberta/Ontario/ Arizona
Posts: 3,393
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooreBonds
The only thing is, if you go with an "internet service only" subscription, you often pay quite a bit per month and if you bundle Cable/Internet, you end up paying only maybe $20/month more.
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Yes, this is the issue, ie cable cutters have no intention of getting rid of their internet so since the cable companies are usually the internet providers they will still do OK as investments. John Malone was recently quoted as basically saying this.
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05-26-2017, 11:34 AM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,316
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooreBonds
The only thing is, if you go with an "internet service only" subscription, you often pay quite a bit per month and if you bundle Cable/Internet, you end up paying only maybe $20/month more. Granted, I haven't yet fully researched streaming options (I'm a very late adopter to technology because of the exponential increase in depreciation hit as well as technological advances), so I don't even really know what exists out there, other than hearing a few brands like Roku/Google/etc.
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With all due respect, only true if you don't really explore your options. We dropped our landline long ago and like others at ER.org we've always had separate internet, television and cell service - and no "bundle" ever even matched my total cost, they were all noticeably more! I've checked several times a year all along as I'm always looking for the best value. It's quite a racket, and has been for a long time...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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05-26-2017, 11:39 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,377
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooreBonds
The only thing is, if you go with an "internet service only" subscription, you often pay quite a bit per month and if you bundle Cable/Internet, you end up paying only maybe $20/month more.
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It was crazier than that in my area. I was looking at Google Fiber + Netflix and asked Comcast (my current provider) what they'd charge for Internet Only- they wanted more than I was paying for the Internet + TV + Landline package for 200bps Internet alone!
So, as soon as Google Fiber was available, I got it. I'm saving $70/month and now I have (theoretically) faster Internet, although I swear I can't tell the difference. I called Comcast to cancel and pointed out this pricing idiocy. She actually admitted that in areas where they had to compete with Google Fiber they offered TV "for free".
I miss such culturally enriching offerings as "My 600-lb. Life" and "Say Yes to the Dress" but for $70/month I'll live without them.
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05-26-2017, 11:40 AM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 17,116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
I don't know about other people, but I cut the cable a couple of years ago because TV has nothing to offer me any more.
I'm just not interested.
Higher quality news and/or fewer ads would get me back, but that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
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+1
We cut the cable about 12 years ago.
We get some over the air digital HD tv channels, and use netflix for $9/mo.
All that is too much to watch, we have a backlog of 65 movies and shows selected on our netflix
Sometimes I will rent a redbox movie when they send me a coupon so that costs 25 -> 50 cents per movie and I get it at the grocery store, so I pick up milk/ice-cream etc on the same trip.
We did finally upgrade our internet to 35 speed, and it's plenty fast. Used to have DSL which was 1.5
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05-26-2017, 12:01 PM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,075
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I enjoy sports channels so it is tough to completely get a way from cable type services. I have PS Vue as it gives me what I want at a good price. I was able to talk Comcast in to another promotion at just $20/mo but it's only for a year. At some point my monthly internet cost will be high unless 5G options and others comes to my area. Right now Comcast is my only internet option.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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05-26-2017, 12:11 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dutchess County
Posts: 1,599
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The only thing I can get over the air is WTBY "Hellfire and Brimstone". So cable it is.
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05-26-2017, 12:25 PM
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#13
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 926
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
I don't know about other people, but I cut the cable a couple of years ago because TV has nothing to offer me any more.
I'm just not interested.
Higher quality news and/or fewer ads would get me back, but that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
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+2 Sunset beat me to it.
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05-26-2017, 12:43 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
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Regarding internet-only pricing, yes, it is intentionally high to discourage people from dropping their bundled TV and phone service. But there are options. We have 2 decent broadband ISPs, Frontier FiOS and Charter/Spectrum cable. You can periodically alternate between the two and always get the lower new-customer pricing. With FiOS, we also discovered that internet + broadcast tier TV is cheaper than internet alone because of the double-play discount. This also saved me the hassle and expense of putting an antenna on the roof because we are 35-40 miles from the broadcast towers.
Longer term, I think wireless technology may advance to the point that wireline ISPs are obsolete, or at least wireline all the way to each home. If you think about it, most of us pay for two ISPs, wireline to the home and wireless for our mobile devices. Ideally, we would have one wireless ISP for home and mobile. That may still be 10+ years off, but I think it is inevitable just based on the rate of improvement we've seen in wireless up to this point. Then again, if our consumption of broadband capacity continues to increase at recent rates, it may be difficult for wireless to match that rate plus close the gap to wireline.
__________________
Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
AA: 85/15 WR: 2.7% SI: 2 pensions, SS later
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05-26-2017, 01:11 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,946
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
Higher quality news and/or fewer ads would get me back, but that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
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Higher quality news .
How about any "quality" non bias news. I'd buy that no matter if it was delivered by cable, streaming, satellite, OTA or any other media. Ain't going to happen anytime soon.
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05-26-2017, 01:12 PM
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#16
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Brewster
Posts: 367
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Unless you live in the Big City, chances are you have only one choice for Internet service: your friendly cable monopoly. Here on the sand bar, there's Comcast, full stop. There's a fiber backbone that runs about a mile away from my condo, but ne'er the twain shall meet. Even if they offered residential service (they promise it someday maybe), there's no way to get it into my development without hideous expense that the unit owners will never countenance.
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05-26-2017, 01:17 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,946
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightcap
Unless you live in the Big City, chances are you have only one choice for Internet service: your friendly cable monopoly. Here on the sand bar, there's Comcast, full stop. There's a fiber backbone that runs about a mile away from my condo, but ne'er the twain shall meet. Even if they offered residential service (they promise it someday maybe), there's no way to get it into my development without hideous expense that the unit owners will never countenance.
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No cable available out here. No cell service either so it's either DSL for Internet access (and lucky to get that) or satellite. I have 3meg DSL and but I am lucky to get 1meg most of the time. So that pretty much eliminates streaming services too unless you want to wait and wait and wait for the buffers to fill.
Small price to pay for living in the country.
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05-26-2017, 01:23 PM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,593
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobra9777
Regarding internet-only pricing, yes, it is intentionally high to discourage people from dropping their bundled TV and phone service. But there are options. We have 2 decent broadband ISPs, Frontier FiOS and Charter/Spectrum cable. You can periodically alternate between the two and always get the lower new-customer pricing.
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+1
In my neighborhood, there are two primary HSI providers -- AT&T and Charter -- and I've found their pricing to be fairly reasonable. Right now I'm getting 22mbps via AT&T U-verse for $42/month (including taxes and fees), and because I'm also a DirecTV customer they are giving me an additional $20/month credit, bringing my total for HSI to $22/month. Not bad. Of course, I had to ask for that by calling up DirecTV a few months ago and negotiating pretty hard, but that's a pretty small price to pay for $240/year in savings. Plus, they gave me a $50 one-time credit and some other small discounts. This is how the game is played these days. Whether it's HSI or cable/satellite TV or home/auto insurance or other expensive monthly services with multiple competing providers (like natural gas here in Georgia) , if you don't periodically call up and threaten to cancel due to excessively high pricing, you'll end up paying hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars more than necessary over the years.
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05-26-2017, 01:36 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,140
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We dropped cable and our land line in January of this year. We went from $180 bill to $70. They also tried to tell me it would cost more. Um no. $70 is much less than $180. And even if internet cost would go down if I bundled with cable, why pay $20 a month more for something I don't need? I couldn't be more pleased with my antenna and my Rokus.
__________________
And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.- Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
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05-26-2017, 01:42 PM
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#20
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 158
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Just found this internet service. It's considerably cheaper and portable. I'm considering jumping in!
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