Poll on "utilities"

[GTFan]

Always call to cancel/downgrade service when your cable agreement is up, I've been getting new customer rates for Comcast double play for over 10 years now by getting sent to retention. YMMV, this is area dependent with Comcast and I assume the other big cableCos. Just renewed again for another 2 years and got the same rate I had 2 years ago. Of course they keep jacking the BS broadcast and RSN fees...

 

[Cobra9777]

...My DW still thinks it is all to COMPLICATED

+1 When we returned home one spring I tried SlingTV as a possible substitute to Dish... DW would have nothing of it... even changing the source of the feed to the tv/monitor is difficult in her mind.

It might be a possibility now that we have Fire TV cube and can change sources as easy as just saying "Alexa, change to HDMI2".

We have the Fire TV Cube and can also change inputs with Alexa. But in reality, we almost never do. There's no need, except on the extremely rare occasion that we watch a blu-ray disc or if we want to cast something to the Chromecast. Otherwise it stays on Fire TV and we just use the one simple remote. We use PS Vue, Netflix, Prime, PBS, and YouTube. That's ~99% of our TV viewing and it all works flawlessly on the Fire TV platform.

DW loves the simplicity of the Fire TV and the one simple remote, as well as voice control with Alexa. She also likes the consistency of having the exact same setup and remote in the bedroom and upstairs. Where DW got confused previously was with our mix of traditional cable, streaming, OTA, DVRs, and a half dozen remotes to control it all, including an AVR for surround sound. Changing inputs and changing remotes is where DW lost it. Going all-in with streaming on a single platform has drastically simplified all that.

PS Vue is our "skinny" substitute for traditional live TV and cable. It's a very simple app that runs with very tight integration on the Fire TV platform. The guide is right on the home screen as well as a row that shows what's currently on all our favorite channels. You don't even have to launch the app to see what's on.

 

[scrabbler1]

Always call to cancel/downgrade service when your cable agreement is up, I've been getting new customer rates for Comcast double play for over 10 years now by getting sent to retention. YMMV, this is area dependent with Comcast and I assume the other big cableCos. Just renewed again for another 2 years and got the same rate I had 2 years ago. Of course they keep jacking the BS broadcast and RSN fees...

I was able to get the partial elimination of promotional discounts mostly offset by some new, albeit temporary discounts by talking to the retention department. My friend, the snake-bit one I have written about often in this forum, has been able to obtain and retain huge discounts on his similar Triple-Play package thanks to another friend of his who somehow manages to get them from their retention department. I wish I could be there to hear part of that conversation! He has a second cable box and remote as well as an optional movie package I don't have, yet he pays less than I do overall.

I'll be going directly to the retention department the next time I call them, presumably when I see some of my remaining discounts either reduced or about to be eliminated.

Now if I could get rid of that annoying (and rising Sports Programming Surcharge they stick on my bill even though I don't watch any of those quasi-premium yet mandatory sports channels imposed on the Basic package.....

 

[happy2bretired]

I’m waiting to see what Apple does in March before I decide whether to drop cable or not.

 

[athena53]

Now if I could get rid of that annoying (and rising Sports Programming Surcharge they stick on my bill even though I don't watch any of those quasi-premium yet mandatory sports channels imposed on the Basic package.....

And that was what finally led me to cut the cord completely (now Google Fiber +Netflix only). When we moved here our rate was "guaranteed" for two years. Until they upped that surcharge, which I'm sure was not included in their definition of "rate". Yes, I know the fee they negotiated with major league sports probably went up but THEY chose to pass it on.

I haven't looked back.

 

[jim584672]

I was able to get the partial elimination of promotional discounts mostly offset by some new, albeit temporary discounts by talking to the retention department. My friend, the snake-bit one I have written about often in this forum, has been able to obtain and retain huge discounts on his similar Triple-Play package thanks to another friend of his who somehow manages to get them from their retention department. I wish I could be there to hear part of that conversation! He has a second cable box and remote as well as an optional movie package I don't have, yet he pays less than I do overall.

I'll be going directly to the retention department the next time I call them, presumably when I see some of my remaining discounts either reduced or about to be eliminated.

Now if I could get rid of that annoying (and rising Sports Programming Surcharge they stick on my bill even though I don't watch any of those quasi-premium yet mandatory sports channels imposed on the Basic package.....

I found that you have to schedule a cancellation of service in order for them to offer you a better deal. I cancelled Altice and went to FIOS, boom, offers right and left. Then cancel FIOS and repeat. Its a game.

Eventually I left both and went to Internet only low income 4G and Youtube TV and OTA antenna. Combined with the library for movies I am not missing much.

Also if you cancel do it on the last day of the billing cycle. They try to say we don't prorate the cycle. Verizon FIOS I cancelled on the last day of the cycle and they tried to bill an additional month. After tooth pulling and 4 months they finally fixed it. So with them do it a few days before the last day of the cycle.

 

[Shabby]

What's a landline? LOL