Do cord-cutters pay more everywhere?

[Zuma]

We switched from pricey a cable/landline/internet bundle and Verizon cell plan to Time Warner Internet only ($49.99), Republic Wireless ($19.99) and PagePlus cellular ($13.13), Netflix streaming ($8.00) on Roku about 2 years ago. Works well for our needs with savings in the neighborhood of $150/mo.

 

[bUU]

Verizon's chief is now saying that the future is 40-50 channel packages, so if you want 300 channels then you'll be buying a half dozen separate packages. That'll undercut concerns that people are paying for too many channels they don't watch, but of course it will still end up netting roughly the same amount of revenue, just more from people who watch more television and less from people who watch less television, which is fair. It will remain a shell game.

 

[John Galt III]

Paying $94 per month for expanded basic with Service Electric Cable TV in Pa. Waiting for the increase notice which comes every December. Will add the increase to the gf's monthly fee to live here, since she wants to keep the cable but I want to drop it. I was watching Fargo a few days ago on FX and could not believe the amount of commercials they loaded it up with. I must be the only person in the US who is not stripping out the commercials with some technology. As for sports, my only addiction is alma mater college football games, and yes I need cable to watch those. I get some local OTA here but no cbs, no abc, no nbc. GF has to watch her game shows on Game Show Network and Turner Classic Movies.

 

[jjquantz]

We are currently paying $64.13 for Verizon FIOS internet service. We dropped the cable last fall when the 2 year triple play special offer expired. The special monthly rate was $124 but went up to $154. We didn't need a land-line and they wouldn't budge on the rate (the only competition here is satellite) so we dropped the cable as an experiment. Overall it's been a success - as many others have noted the only thing that causes any problems is sports. But we get DW's Cubs games through MLB and she is slowly adjusting to missing the Nats.

Our watching is primarily through Netflix, some Amazon Prime and we now have an account at SlingTV so that we can add ESPN/TBS during those 3 months out of the year when various "important" sports events must be seen. What little OTA programming we watch is also streamed so we don't have to see the ads. How in the world do people put up with the commercials? Ten or 11 minutes of ads in a 30 minute program!

 

[John Galt III]

.... How in the world do people put up with the commercials? Ten or 11 minutes of ads in a 30 minute program!

That's my main beef. Paying a fortune for cable AND having way too many ads.

 

[Dawg52]

How in the world do people put up with the commercials? Ten or 11 minutes of ads in a 30 minute program!

Beer and bathroom breaks.

 

[Mulligan]

Beer and bathroom breaks.

I sit with my ipad on my lap... Commercial breaks dont bother me as I just look on it during down time....If the above options are not needed at that time.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jjquantz]

I sit with my ipad on my lap... Commercial breaks dont bother me as I just look on it during down time....If the above options are not needed at that time.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

DW is much the same. I, however, have never been a multi-tasker. I like to focus on one thing at a time, fully and completely. So, a movie is fine - no commercials, but the continual stopping and starting of something that's supposed to have some narrative coherence because of ads drives me batty. And, of course, sports can be even worse. Let's see, somebody scores a touchdown with 22 seconds left in a quarter - Break to commercial, extra point, break to commercial, kickoff, break to commercial, run one play, end of quarter, break to commercial.

ARGH! It is so nice to have the technology to avoid this.

I have the same problem with texting - it's fantastic for discrete exchanges of information (I'm running late, meet me at the zoo, etc.), but I find it an incredibly frustrating way to have a conversation. DW and others apparently don't feel that way.

 

[sengsational]

Beer and bathroom breaks.

In the rare event when I watch live TV (and not something I've already got on the DVR), I start watching, pause on the first commercial and do about 15 minutes of something else. When I come back, I have enough buffered to skip commercials.

 

[GTFan]

All paths lead to the same place. There is no way to permanently gain an advantage over the average except through work, continual unending work. Subscription video entertainment is worth a certain amount. By hook or crook providers will eventually get practically everyone on to the track toward paying that amount. Those who keep up to date with the latest dodge will benefit, until that dodge is woven into the pricing model and they'll have to work to find and learn the new dodge. There may always be a marginal advantage in playing suppliers off each other, yet there will always be that question in the back of one's mind whether it is worth the work, year after year. Those who feel it is will get that marginal advantage in price at the expense of a marginal expenditure of time and effort. Fair is fair.

If you call 'work' a 15 minute phone call that saved me $40 a month over 2 years, sure. I don't.

I agree about providers wanting their money no matter what - the 300GB data cap trials that Comcast is rolling out to cities across the country is a perfect example (they charge $10 per 50GB after you go over the cap). Comcast is scared that more people are cutting the cord and reducing their massive profits from the TV side of the house so they're determined to make it up on the HSI side if you start streaming video instead. And they're going to get away with it as long as the FCC keeps looking the other way, knowing full well that Comcast has a lot of folks by the nuts for wired HSI access.

 

[GTFan]

Usually your posts are extremely sensible, but this is one I just can't relate to. You could still see lots of sports OTA, although maybe not the exact same games you want to watch. We get lots of sports, including just about all Saints games, OTA.

So really it's NOT watching sports that has you tied to that big cable bill - - it's watching a few particular games instead of other games that you could see OTA at the same time. And that would be only on the (probably very few) occasions when your game is not OTA.

Bear in mind that I'm not a team sports fan, so maybe I just don't "get it" but to me, that is just not worth well over $100/month. If I was a sports fan, I'd probably either watch a different game (hey, it's all sports!), or else I'd go order a $6 sandwich at a sports bar and watch the game there on the rare occasions when I couldn't get the game at home.

Methinks you don't understand how much stuff is only available on cable. I'm a big racing fan and only some of the NASCAR, Formula One, IndyCar, MotoGP etc. stuff is available OTA. The vast majority of it is on cable.

And as mentioned if you like watching more than just your local teams in any sport, you have to pay for it. And many times even if all you care about is local teams.

The bottom line is that if you're a serious sports fan you're paying.

 

[bUU]

If you call 'work' a 15 minute phone call that saved me $40 a month over 2 years, sure. I don't.

I do call it work because not everyone has the kind of experience you described. Many people relay getting the run around, aggravation, and inability to get the kind of discount that your comment implied is just waiting for their asking.

And they're going to get away with it as long as the FCC keeps looking the other way, knowing full well that Comcast has a lot of folks by the nuts for wired HSI access.

They're going to get away with it, regardless, because the FCC cannot impose democratic control of the means of service delivery as long as the American population doesn't support it. The FCC isn't "looking the other way". They just know that the little regulation they've attempted recently was iffy on political grounds, and looks now like it might be at least partially repealed.

 

[molly312]

In my opinion - the cable and satellite companies are running "shell games". We have recently gone through the drill and found that they all overcharge you unless you buy a bundle from them. We need something beyond OTA but are disgusted about the "packaging" of these companies. Lots of "hidden charges" that are really bogus are contained in these offers.

 

[easysurfer]

In my opinion - the cable and satellite companies are running "shell games". We have recently gone through the drill and found that they all overcharge you unless you buy a bundle from them. We need something beyond OTA but are disgusted about the "packaging" of these companies. Lots of "hidden charges" that are really bogus are contained in these offers.

I just got my daily (at least seems that way) letter from Comcast Xfinity to lock in a package rate. None of that for me. OTA and basic internet is fine in my book.

 

[Chuckanut]

That's my main beef. Paying a fortune for cable AND having way too many ads.

I dropped Hulu+ for that reason. Commercials on top of a monthly fee? Sorry. If they have to charge that much and add on commercials, then somebody is overpaid.

 

[Katsmeow]

I would love to be a cord cutter, but can't find a way to make it work without giving up a lot of stuff.

I have 1 cable company available to me. We got an OTA TV antenna and the reception was terrible. We might get slight better with an attic antenna, but I still wouldn't get the shows I really want. I know I can subscribe to various channels through things like Sling TV, but you can't record shows.

Things I keep going round and round on:

1. We have Comcast triple play. When the 1 year teaser was up, it went up $55 a month! We can bring it down $15 or $20 a month, but it requires a 2 year commitment. We may end up doing that.

2. OK. We could go get Dish TV and TV would be a little less. But we would still have internet through Comcast and the cost of internet would now by $80 a month (plus buying or renting modem). And, we might not be able to get the best speed. So, it doesn't really save any money.

3. OK. Cut the cord and get something like Sling TV and get a Roku and just stream stuff. That is a lot cheaper. Well, wait our internet still goes up. And, if Comcast starts enforcing streaming limits we are hosed. Sigh. And, I like to DVR shows and watch them while I'm on the treadmill or exercise bike. Can't do that with Sling TV. For streaming Netflix, that is fine. But I like putting some HGTV shows on DVR and watching them while exercising. I have to give that up if I go this route.

4. Hmm...Cut the cord and get an OTA TV. I don't have to stream quite as much so maybe I don't have to worry about Comcast. I have a to pay extra to get an attic antenna since we don't get good service here otherwise. And, there are all sorts of shows I can't get doing this. Sigh.

We've been trying to decide on this for a few months now. I hate paying $240 a month for the triple play (especially since I don't use the phone part at all). And I watch only a few of the channels, but I have to get the triple play to get the Cloud DVR. And, I like the Cloud DVR. I like being able to watch TV on my computer. Every other option makes me give up stuff that I don't want to give up (like being able to DVR shows I want to DVR).

 

[GTFan]

The FCC isn't "looking the other way". They just know that the little regulation they've attempted recently was iffy on political grounds, and looks now like it might be at least partially repealed.

Completely wrong on anti-trust grounds alone, but we'll just have to let that go or risk Porky.

 

[bUU]

The FCC regulates interstate and international communications. Anti-trust wouldn't be within their purview, but rather would be the purview of the FTC or DoJ.

 

[misshathaway]

Yesterday one of the competing carriers in my area, RCN, rang the doorbell and left a flyer for a teaser, just internet, no-contract, 1 year at $45. I called to get the full cost and it looks like $60 all-in as opposed to the $93 I'm paying now, then $70 the next year.

When I called the # on the flyer I got a very talkative guy who was the driver who put the flyer on the door. He said that they do this for people who research the service options and put in their address on the site (ostensibly to see if there is coverage in your area). Now I'm going to go to the other competitor's (Xfinity) site, make sure to put in my address, and see if THEY put a flyer on my door.

 

[Lsbcal]

....

We've been trying to decide on this for a few months now. I hate paying $240 a month for the triple play (especially since I don't use the phone part at all). And I watch only a few of the channels, but I have to get the triple play to get the Cloud DVR. And, I like the Cloud DVR. I like being able to watch TV on my computer. Every other option makes me give up stuff that I don't want to give up (like being able to DVR shows I want to DVR).

I have similar thoughts on enjoying some of the features and not being easily able to replace them with a lower cost alternative

$240 sounds very high. We have TV + internet for $125 from Comcast. This includes the X1 box with DVR and cloud playback and HD. Maybe you could try the this: call up and say you want to get the bill down. Ask to drop the phone and check that you are getting a package of channels that does not inclue everything. When you call up select the menu option that indicates you want to stop service. Try to get a retention specialist. When I call, I tell them that DW wants to cut out things since she hates sports (not too far off the mark in our case) and so how can I get the price down to keep her and me happy.

 

[easysurfer]

I have similar thoughts on enjoying some of the features and not being easily able to replace them with a lower cost alternative

$240 sounds very high. We have TV + internet for $125 from Comcast. This includes the X1 box with DVR and cloud playback and HD. Maybe you could try the this: call up and say you want to get the bill down. Ask to drop the phone and check that you are getting a package of channels that does not inclue everything. When you call up select the menu option that indicates you want to stop service. Try to get a retention specialist. When I call, I tell them that DW wants to cut out things since she hates sports (not too far off the mark in our case) and so how can I get the price down to keep her and me happy.

Smart strategy. When you say "DW wants to cut out things..." that's like negotiating for a car and talking to the manager .

 

[Katsmeow]

I have similar thoughts on enjoying some of the features and not being easily able to replace them with a lower cost alternative

$240 sounds very high. We have TV + internet for $125 from Comcast. This includes the X1 box with DVR and cloud playback and HD. Maybe you could try the this: call up and say you want to get the bill down. Ask to drop the phone and check that you are getting a package of channels that does not inclue everything. When you call up select the menu option that indicates you want to stop service. Try to get a retention specialist. When I call, I tell them that DW wants to cut out things since she hates sports (not too far off the mark in our case) and so how can I get the price down to keep her and me happy.

I'm going to have DH call again, he already did it once. The best he could get was $15 to $20 off if we signed on for 2 years. Dropping the phone doesn't help as are getting a "discount" for having it and it would all be more without it. At the time he called they wouldn't let us have the cloud DVR without having the triple play. I want to keep our internet speed, go to a lower tier of TV channels and still have cloud DVR. He was told that this couldn't be done, but I want him to call again. He did say we would cancel and they didn't really care.

 

[bUU]

How many times have you gone through this with Comcast? FWIR, after the third or fourth time without upgrading your service, that's the response many people get.

 

[enginerd]

My cord cutting setup:
1. OTA antenna for local networks. Got a big one up in the attic. (One time cost about $100)
2. Amazon Firestick for each TV (4 total) (One time cost $20 to $30 each)
3. HD Homerun box connected from antenna to wireless router. Broadcasts the OTA over WiFi to my Firesticks and any other tablets and phones. (One time cost $120)
4. Sling TV (Monthly $20)
5. Netflix (Monthly $10)
6. Amazon Prime (don't consider this a monthly cost, because we would have amazon prime without the streaming services)
7. Kodi loaded onto the Firesticks for streaming any movie, tv show, or sports event (although most in SD) (free)
8. Internet (monthly $65)

Upfront costs $320. Monthly costs $95. My combined cable/internet before was $170.

Although the initial setup was more complicated and required installing Kodi on the firesticks, the end result is simpler watching day to day. Everything runs thru the firesticks. Also, no more cords, everything is wireless. My TV's can be placed anywhere within WiFi range. I could do without the Sling and Netflix, they are mostly for the DW and kids as they find it easier to locate and find shows. For me, almost everything streams thru Kodi.

 

[modhatter]

I would love to be a cord cutter, but can't find a way to make it work without giving up a lot of stuff.

I have 1 cable company available to me. We got an OTA TV antenna and the reception was terrible. We might get slight better with an attic antenna, but I still wouldn't get the shows I really want. I know I can subscribe to various channels through things like Sling TV, but you can't record shows.

Things I keep going round and round on:

1. We have Comcast triple play. When the 1 year teaser was up, it went up $55 a month! We can bring it down $15 or $20 a month, but it requires a 2 year commitment. We may end up doing that.

2. OK. We could go get Dish TV and TV would be a little less. But we would still have internet through Comcast and the cost of internet would now by $80 a month (plus buying or renting modem). And, we might not be able to get the best speed. So, it doesn't really save any money.

3. OK. Cut the cord and get something like Sling TV and get a Roku and just stream stuff. That is a lot cheaper. Well, wait our internet still goes up. And, if Comcast starts enforcing streaming limits we are hosed. Sigh. And, I like to DVR shows and watch them while I'm on the treadmill or exercise bike. Can't do that with Sling TV. For streaming Netflix, that is fine. But I like putting some HGTV shows on DVR and watching them while exercising. I have to give that up if I go this route.

4. Hmm...Cut the cord and get an OTA TV. I don't have to stream quite as much so maybe I don't have to worry about Comcast. I have a to pay extra to get an attic antenna since we don't get good service here otherwise. And, there are all sorts of shows I can't get doing this. Sigh.

We've been trying to decide on this for a few months now. I hate paying $240 a month for the triple play (especially since I don't use the phone part at all). And I watch only a few of the channels, but I have to get the triple play to get the Cloud DVR. And, I like the Cloud DVR. I like being able to watch TV on my computer. Every other option makes me give up stuff that I don't want to give up (like being able to DVR shows I want to DVR).

I understand about the DVR. I feel the same way. Could not live without being able to record and watch whenever I was ready (also skip through commercials) Now I can't say that you will have everything that you want, but you can probably have 70% of what you want. This is what I did.

First you can buy a DVR today for about $300 for recording over the air.
As an example this one (there are others as well) http://www.amazon.com/Channel-Maste...cs&ie=UTF8&qid=1449958464&sr=1-7&keywords=dvr

What I did, as when I did it, they didn't have a suitable DVR to purchase.
So I purchased a 3 mo old Dell refurb computer (an i15) with a 1 tb hard drive, then added another 2 tb hard drive and added a Home Run device for tv video capturing. It came with Windows 7, which is what you want for the recording capability built into Media Center (they eliminated that feature with Windows 8) You can also use a laptop, provided it has a HDMI port on it.

My investment was more than buying a Channel Master, but not by much. I paid $399 for the computer, about $75 for the second hard drive, and about $100 for the dual channel Home Run. So about $575 with tax. I then spent $50 on a UHF / Vhs roof antenna, and paid my handyman to install it on my roof which took all of 30 minutes. Disconnected my cables from my Dish outside and connected them to the antenna. And walla, fantastic TV signal in every room.

You may already have an extra computer or laptop that you can use, and just buy a Home Run dual tuner to plug into it and maybe an additional hard drive if you want, and for $175, you have got your DVR.

Now admittedly, there are not a great deal of shows that I enjoy on the network stations, but there are enough where recording them, eventually gives me a lot to watch. PBS is my favorite of course. I periodically have to go into my recordings and start deleting, as I have too many.

Combining this with Netflix, and Amazon Prime, along with shows I can get online like HGTV that you mentioned, gives me an abundance of shows to watch. Long and short of it, after a six month period of adjustment, and learning different sources of shows available online, I would never go back.

Just food for thought for those of you considering.