Dumping Cable But Somehow Keeping Internet...

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut The market seems to be speaking loud and clear.

Yes: Lots of complaining, but lots of eventual accepting of the situation and paying the high price of multi-channel video entertainment.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I want to either go OTA, or to get bare bones basic cable TV instead of my present service.

Today will be my LAST DAY of cable TV!! As I type, I am watching OTA television and I get a lot of local channels. Reception is beautiful. This is ALL that I will ever need.

Tomorrow I am taking my cable boxes back to Cox Cable and telling them all I want is internet. Free at last, free at last.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut The market seems to be speaking loud and clear.

+1

I just heard another one speak up...

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Today will be my LAST DAY of cable TV!! Free at last, free at last.

[F4mandolin]

I just got zapped this morning by Direct TV......they offered us a few channels for free for 3 months back in Feb. I called today to cancel so I wouldn't have to pay for them when the period ends. When I asked to be put back on my basic package......it isn't there anymore. I would have to have another package that cost $1 more and had 13 less channels. Can't help but wonder if they did it on purpose. I won't be accepting anymore free offers from them just in case they have another motive....... Another year and I will be going internet for everything.

[W2R]

Took back my cable TV boxes this afternoon so it's a done deal. No more cable TV at my house. I will be retaining cable internet.

My bill went down from almost $172/month, to $62/month, roughly a $110/month decrease.

That is almost like getting a second mini-pension!! Only I didn't have to work at all in order to earn this one.

My dear F says laughingly that I am going to be insufferable for a few weeks since I have been more than a bit vocal with my glee. It is a great feeling, that's for sure.

Cox Cable made no offers whatsoever to try to keep me from canceling my TV service. Not one offer, not a penny off what I had been paying although I made it clear that my motivation was to lower my bill. I wouldn't have accepted any offers anyway, but I thought that was interesting.

[F4mandolin]

Recommendation.....Kingdom, with Stephen Fry.....classic. Think it's on YouTube anyway......

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4mandolin Recommendation.....Kingdom, with Stephen Fry.....classic. Think it's on YouTube anyway......

Thanks, I'll check it out on Youtube. But for tonight, it's the American Idol semi-finals for me! I want to see whether Caleb makes it to the finals or not.

[RockyMtn]

I'm probably going to get bashed for this but here goes....

Cable/Satellite/Internet is like any other good or service. If you don't like the price don't buy it or buy something cheaper.

I'm sure we would all like to drive nice cars but that doesn't mean we can afford to. We might like to live in a nicer house or apartment but we choose not to. If you don't like the price of cable don't buy it. Why should tv/internet be any different than any other good or service? So tv used to be free...gas used to be a dime a gallon too. Want free tv then put up an antenna and watch free tv. Can't get OTA at your house? Well if you can't get it now you probably never could get it even in the days before cable.

There...I said my piece.

Now for some constructive thinking....Here are some other options for you to consider that might lower your cable/internet bills.

1. OTA antenna
2. The oft mentioned Netflix, Hulu, Roku, etc. They still cost something.
3. Get dvd's from the library.
4. Get wifi free at McDonalds or Starbucks.
5. Get shows off of the various networks websites.
6. Dump your landline and get a magic jack.
7. Downgrade to a cheaper cable package.
8. In many markets you have multiple distributors. A cable company, Dish, DirecTV, ATT Uverse and/or Verizon FIOS. Call around...make a deal. Change providers every six months.
9. Read a book.

Me, I wouldn't give up my Directv. I think it is one of the best values out there in terms of entertainment. Been to a movie lately...it's like $12.00 a ticket. Been to a sporting event lately....for a halfway decent ticket and a dog and a beer figure $500.00 for a family of four for a NFL, NHL, or NBA game. Maybe $200.00 for a MLB game.

I like sports and I like the pristine HD picture on my 55 inch Plasma. My beer is cheaper and colder, my bathrooms are cleaner, my chair is more comfortable and I don't have to listen to a bunch of loudmouth drunks.

[Mulligan]

Rocky Mtn, I am a big sports fan so I have to agree with you. I remember the "good old days" when you were very lucky to see a few games that you really wanted to. Now, you can literally see practically any team every game. Break it down on a daily basis, it's a good deal for me. Though I still feel like my chain is getting yanked when other people get better prices for same package just because they are new customers, I would give up my a/c before I give up my sports packages.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Took back my cable TV boxes this afternoon so it's a done deal. No more cable TV at my house. I will be retaining cable internet. My bill went down from almost $172/month, to $62/month, roughly a $110/month decrease. That is almost like getting a second mini-pension!! Only I didn't have to work at all in order to earn this one.

Excellent news!

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Excellent news!

Thanks, it sure is for me! I don't think I will miss it at all.

[tmm99]

Congrats W2R!! I am happy for you!

I am totally happy with no cable since almost everything I ever watched was local channels. OTA and Hulu+ is more than I need.

[clifp]

A few years ago I called up Time Warner and threatened to go to Direct if they didn't drop my price. They dropped $35/month but this year they prices started going up. So I tried again and they held firm on their price.

I switched to Dish, but really was forced to stick with Time Warner for internet since I don't have a land line and DSL is slower and not much cheaper. Dish + Internet is the same as the Time Warner bundle. But I do get $25/month discount for 2 years and free HBO/Showtime for Game of Thrones etc. Generally I am happier with DISH than the cable, especially the Hopper technology which records all prime time shows automatically and lets you skip all commercials.

I canceled Netflix which I'll probably start up again the future but maybe not, if the streaming service of Amazon Prime get better.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Today will be my LAST DAY of cable TV!! As I type, I am watching OTA television and I get a lot of local channels. Reception is beautiful. This is ALL that I will ever need. Tomorrow I am taking my cable boxes back to Cox Cable and telling them all I want is internet. Free at last, free at last.

Wow, W2R - congrats! Fantastic. You'll notice your monthly expenses drop.

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyMtn Cable/Satellite/Internet is like any other good or service. If you don't like the price don't buy it or buy something cheaper.

You've made really good points. I don't think people should be so beholden to an expectation of having the premium service. If you want it and it is worth it to you, then fine, pay for it. Otherwise, don't, and be happy that you're saving money even if it means giving up that which other folks pay the premium price for the premium service.

That last bit is important though. Things are changing and will continue to change. There's the Aereo situation, and net neutrality, and a whole host of other pressures. If any of them break against broadcasters, then you should plan on broadcasters responding to that, reducing the value of the less encumbered product even further: More commercials; more invasive overlays (especially on "free" channels); less costly programming; etc. We may be one or two big breaks against broadcasters away from seeing even the local baseball teams move to scrambled cable exclusively. And that sort of thing will happen anyway, even without breaks against broadcasters, because cord-cutting itself is an ongoing trend against broadcasters new revenue stream, a new revenue stream made essential by today's investors' insistence on continual revenue growth.

[Socal Tom]

Directv for tv, cable for internet, roku for streaming Tv( netflix hulu etc)

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Thanks, I'll check it out on Youtube. But for tonight, it's the American Idol semi-finals for me! I want to see whether Caleb makes it to the finals or not.

I don't think anyone started an AI thread this season, did they?

I haven't been glued to this one, but I really like both Caleb and Jena. I'm not really a big fan of the heavy-metal style of Caleb, but he is just so awesome at it, and has branched out a bit from that style, that I smile when I hear that voice (though I don't care to look at the guy). Jena is also awesome, it's just hard to fathom that talent and poise at 17 YO.

I liked Jessica too, but I think she was somewhat out of her element on this show. But I think she'd be great to hear in some bar with a good band, or coffeehouse as a solo.

Best judges ever.

-ERD50

[W2R]

ERD, I was a Jessica fan, too but do also like both Caleb and Jena.

Still loving my OTA television (even though I do realize that it isn't the right choice for everyone). Every single show I have wanted to watch so far has been available to me and reception is outstanding.

Honestly, with my video game hobby, reading, podcasts, forum activities, and more, I don't even think I will sign up for services like Netflix and Hulu, at least not right away. I am still in "entertainment overload" even with OTA television.

And, I am saving $110/month! I can become even more of an Amazon addict. Or, to be more practical, I should use it to hire a gardener since I have been neglecting my yard somewhat.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Took back my cable TV boxes this afternoon so it's a done deal. No more cable TV at my house. I will be retaining cable internet. My bill went down from almost $172/month, to $62/month, roughly a $110/month decrease. That is almost like getting a second mini-pension!! Only I didn't have to work at all in order to earn this one. My dear F says laughingly that I am going to be insufferable for a few weeks since I have been more than a bit vocal with my glee. It is a great feeling, that's for sure. Cox Cable made no offers whatsoever to try to keep me from canceling my TV service. Not one offer, not a penny off what I had been paying although I made it clear that my motivation was to lower my bill. I wouldn't have accepted any offers anyway, but I thought that was interesting.

That is amazing, to go from full service cable with all the bells and whistles to no cable tv at all. I have read somewhere on the interwebs that the cable providers could care less about the tv as they are just distributors of that.

I am almost ready to do the same.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever That is amazing, to go from full service cable with all the bells and whistles to no cable tv at all. I have read somewhere on the interwebs that the cable providers could care less about the tv as they are just distributors of that. I am almost ready to do the same.

What pushed me "over the edge" was attaching an OTA antenna (while I still had cable) and then seeing all that was available to me. So if you are thinking about it, that is what I would recommend doing. If you decide that you still need cable, you won't be out very much since they are cheap.

Frank offered to make mine and I took him up on that, since he is a ham radio operator and unusually expert with antennas. I would have done it myself, but I haven't designed an antenna since I was in engineering school, decades ago. It cost him less than $5 so I paid him by just buying him lunch. But, if you look on Amazon there are lots of OTA antennas and as I mentioned most of them are cheap.

I wonder if some cable companies might be pushing people to do this. Then once everybody is streaming video content through Netflix and similar providers, and using their cable internet services instead of using their television services, the cable companies could increase their charges for internet. Oh well. Anyway, I am researching cheaper broadband just in case.