Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[bUU]

I've heard they are getting big into it, haven't heard much in the way of details. I've only heard it is supposed to rival Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Or at least rival what Netflix and Amazon Prime will dwindle down to.

 

[explanade]

https://www.cnet.com/news/directtv-...-deal-despite-game-of-thrones-att-price-hike/

 

[pb4uski]

Looking harder would have no impact on finding unpublished offers.

LMGTFY

[mod edit]

 

[bUU]

[mod edit]

The only link to Spectrum's website is a lineup, not a price.
[mod edit]

 

[pb4uski]

Not at all. statsman had indicated an interest in an a la carte service and I suggested that he look at Spectrum Choice. bUU wasn't even part of that conversation.

.... As soon as someone comes up with an ala carte service for any channel we might want, sign us up.

If Spectrum is your ISP, you might take a look at Spectrum Choice... going from memory you get your locals plus you pick up tp 10 other channels from a fairly comprehensive list for $25/month.... but no DVR.

bUU was the ONLY person who couldn't find out what Spectrum Choice was.... she posted that it didn't exist.

No "Spectrum Choice" option... "TV Select + Internet" is $89.98/mo plus taxes and fees.

Here are all the currently-available, new service (only) offers: <snip>

MBSC posted info directing her to better information:

The Spectrum website is designed to upsell to Select TV. Spectrum Choice and Spectrum Stream are unpublished plans.

Choice and Stream plan comparison: https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-stream/

Spectrum Choice channels: https://www.spectrumchoicechannels.com/

Later this month, Spectrum will launch a third option called TV Essentials for $14.99 with no local channels and no sports channels. It is to compete with the Philo $16 and $20 plans. https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/spectrum-is-launching-a-14-99-a-month-live-tv-streaming-service/

Cobra9777 found those links helpful. No one else had any trouble finding info ... just bUU.

It was obvious that bUU hadn't looked too hard when a simple google seach of Spectrum Choice provides further information on the offering... like this https://www.techhive.com/article/3341321/spectrum-tv-choice-for-cord-cutters-review.html [mod edit]

 

[Golden sunsets]

Please let's try to keep this string open. I am in serious search mode for what vehicle we will use in two short weeks when we return to the US. I find this string to be very helpful and have been googling all of the great suggestions to see what will best fit our needs.

 

[stephenson]

Ha! So, after Cox increased our rates under a 12 mos plan and we balked - at around $130/mo, I see the ad on this site and hit the URL.

Cox now offering same thing we said no on at $130 for $90 ...almost like they have a business death wish ... so, short term monthly net is $40 for the TV channels ... hmmm ... been living on OTA now for about a month - works well and don't miss the cable channels. What is incredible - it has only been a MONTH since they told us they didn't want us as a customer!

Here is the fine print ... a return to fees to disconnect?

Bronze Duo
×
2 Year Term Service Agreement
Your service agreement will be for 24 months. You may cancel within 30 days of start of agreement to avoid an early termination fee (ETF) by calling Cox Customer Care at the number located on your bill. After that, you will be charged up to $240 if you cancel the agreement or TV, Internet or Basic Phone is disconnected. You can change other services, features and equipment without affecting your agreement. The full text of the service agreement is on cox.com under Policies. Please read it carefully. Contact Cox Customer Care by phone if you have any questions or to make any changes to your account.

Bronze Duo - Internet Preferred 100 Discount
*Note: Most promotional prices cannot be combined with promotional prices for other services. The regular rate for this service may apply if another promotional service is added to your cart. Offer expires 04/01/2019 and is available to new residential customers in Cox service areas. Offer is only available for new subscriptions to Cox Contour TV and Internet Preferred 100 service. Bundle rate increases $20/month for months 13-24. Equipment fees extra. After promotion period, regular rates apply. Prices exclude installation/activation fees, equipment charges, inside wiring fees, additional outlets, taxes, surcharges (including video Broadcast Surcharge ($4.00/mo.) and Regional Sports Surcharge ($2.60-$6.00/mo., depending on Cox market))and other fees. Not all services and features available everywhere. A credit check and/or deposit may be required. Offer not combinable with other product offers. Online orders only. Other restrictions may apply.

Contour TV
Available only in Cox wired, serviceable, residential areas. Advertised rate includes monthly recurring service fees but excludes equipment charges. A Cox digital receiver or a Cox-provided CableCARD™ together with a certified compatible CableCARD retail device required. See CableCARD FAQs on www.cox.com for details. A one-time activation charge may apply. Additional jacks, inside wiring, reconnection, activation, taxes, franchise fees, and surcharges (including a video Broadcast Surcharge of up to $10.00 and Regional Sports Surcharge (up to $5.50, depending on Cox market)) are additional. Regular rates apply after promotional period, if any. Availability of On Demand? programming is based on the channels included in digital cable subscription package. Number of digital outlets per household may be limited. All programming and rates are subject to change and may not be available in all areas. Service may require credit approval. Cox Contour TV subscription required for HBO®, Cinemax®, SHOWTIME® and STARZ®. Additional charges apply for premium services, TV Paks, extra TVs connected to Cox Contour TV service, PPV events, sports packages and On Demand titles. Not all services and features available everywhere. A credit check and/or deposit may be required. Additional fees and other restrictions may apply. Netflix streaming subscription and Cox High Speed Internet required to access Netflix through Contour. Netflix usage counts toward Cox data plans and is subject to the Netflix Terms of Use at www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse

 

[MichaelB]

New feature from PSVue

Here’s something I hadn’t see before, from PSVue - the ability to see 4 channels on the screen. Sports fans may love this. From The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/18/18271560/playstation-vue-multi-view-apple-tv-now-available

Sony is bringing PlayStation Vue’s multi-view feature, which lets users view several channels at once, to the Apple TV today. Until now, multi-view has only worked on the company’s own PlayStation 4 console, so it’s nice to see other devices getting one of Vue’s unique perks. The PS4 can stream three channels simultaneously, but the Apple TV app will now be able to display four live channels at the same time.

 

[AnneG]

I was hoping to go to the Spectrum Choice model when they raised our rates since we had abandoned the cable box in favor of the app a long time ago. It wasn't perfect, but it gave us the locals and a few other shows we liked.

When my bill went up 78% I tried calling them. I was told my ONLY option was TV+Intenet for $130 a month with 125 channels (120 of which I don't watch). They also tried to sell me on their new mobile service and I couldn't seem to convince them that I had zero interest in using them as my mobile provider. Based on their proclivity to raise rates willy nilly, I don't trust them one bit. When I finally got angry enough to just tell them to give me straight internet, I had a series of botched calls trying to get that straightened out.

Now I pay $65 a month for high speed internet, get 28 local channels with a Mohu leaf antenna and I signed up for a free trial of Philo which gives us all of the channels we watched on cable. Philo will be $16 a month if we decide to sign up for it. So I went from $130 a month to $81. The bonus is that the OTA channels have a much nicer picture than the cable streaming ones.

 

[AnneG]

I also meant to mention that for those of you who have ROKU's - there is a smart phone remote app. It has a keyboard and a microphone making it easier to search, but my favorite part is that it as a feature that lets you listen through your headphones.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I also meant to mention that for those of you who have ROKU's - there is a smart phone remote app. It has a keyboard and a microphone making it easier to search, but my favorite part is that it as a feature that lets you listen through your headphones.

Oh, I find the app invaluable when searching. I hate going letter-by-letter by going up-down-left-right, so I almost always use the app's keyboard to type something out!

 

[WestUniversity]

Oh, I find the app invaluable when searching. I hate finding letter by going up-down-left-right, so I almost always use the app's keyboard to type something out!

Additionally, I never have a problem connecting to the Roku device using my phone.

Currently I have one of my Roku enhanced remotes that is having intermittent problems staying connected to one of my TVs. I believe I may have to downgrade TO the Roku Streaming Stick FROM the Streaming Stick +. I’ve tried everything else to troubleshoot and correct the problem, so that’s my next move.

 

[AnneG]

Additionally, I never have a problem connecting to the Roku device using my phone.

Currently I have one of my Roku enhanced remotes that is having intermittent problems staying connected to one of my TVs. I believe I may have to downgrade TO the Roku Streaming Stick FROM the Streaming Stick +. I’ve tried everything else to troubleshoot and correct the problem, so that’s my next move.

We bought the Roku Premiere streaming stick the year it came out. We've had so many problems with the remote that we put our old Roku 3 on that TV. It’s a shame since the stick is now on a 720p TV and the Roku 3 is attached to a 4K.

 

[WestUniversity]

We bought the Roku Premiere streaming stick the year it came out. We've had so many problems with the remote that we put our old Roku 3 on that TV. It’s a shame since the stick is now on a 720p TV and the Roku 3 is attached to a 4K.

It’s really weird because it works perfectly on my other TV, but not on this particular one. The main reason I bought the + was to somewhat future proof myself. This one has been a PITB however...

 

[SmallCityDave]

We "cut the cord" about a month ago we had the Dish top 200 (or whatever it was) and I've been trying out different providers we bought the Hulu $1 per month plan I've been pleasantly surprised it may be good enough but I wanted to see what else is available, I bought Playon lifetime membership for $30 it's a great addition to Hulu. A couple weeks ago we tried Philo for $16/20 I'm very impressed it's better than Hulu but obviously more expensive.

I also tried Prime Video it's been a let down it's worth what I'm paying for it I will not renew after the free trial period, I signed up for Sling blue @ $20 for 3 months with dvr it's good because I like to watch racing or at least I did but I'm not sure I'll keep it when the price goes up to $30 per month.

If I had to make a decision today I'd go with Philo for $16 and Hulu for $6 per month, I plan to try Youtube, Hulu Live, Netflix & Directv but I'm in no rush.

 

[AnneG]

We "cut the cord" about a month ago we had the Dish top 200 (or whatever it was) and I've been trying out different providers we bought the Hulu $1 per month plan I've been pleasantly surprised it may be good enough but I wanted to see what else is available, I bought Playon lifetime membership for $30 it's a great addition to Hulu. A couple weeks ago we tried Philo for $16/20 I'm very impressed it's better than Hulu but obviously more expensive.

I also tried Prime Video it's been a let down it's worth what I'm paying for it I will not renew after the free trial period, I signed up for Sling blue @ $20 for 3 months with dvr it's good because I like to watch racing or at least I did but I'm not sure I'll keep it when the price goes up to $30 per month.

If I had to make a decision today I'd go with Philo for $16 and Hulu for $6 per month, I plan to try Youtube, Hulu Live, Netflix & Directv but I'm in no rush.

If you can afford it in your budget, I highly recommend the Hulu plus without commercials for an extra $4 a month. Totally worth it to me!

 

[SmallCityDave]

If you can afford it in your budget, I highly recommend the Hulu plus without commercials for an extra $4 a month. Totally worth it to me!

It looks like the difference is $6. Is it basically the $6 plan but without the commercials? if so I get the same effect with Playon as long as I plan ahead.

 

[AnneG]

It looks like the difference is $6. Is it basically the $6 plan but without the commercials? if so I get the same effect with Playon as long as I plan ahead.

I thought the regular plan was $7.99 and the commercial free was $11.99 - maybe you have an intro rate or something? I suppose the Playon would be the same thing at a lower overall cost. Nevermind.

 

[RonBoyd]

if so I get the same effect with Playon as long as I plan ahead.

You can schedule your recording with Playon.

Creating & Managing Subscriptions and Scheduling
PlayOn allows you to subscribe to your favorite shows – this means that PlayOn will automatically record new episodes as soon as they become available.

Creating Subscriptions
To create a subscription, simply browse to one of your favorites shows. Once you have browsed to where the actual episodes are listed (Full Episodes, for example), the Subscribe button will appear in the top section above the video listings (next to the Record All button). Click on the Subscribe button to create a subscription for that show. Give the subscription a name or use the default name and that’s it!

Managing Subscriptions
Any subscriptions you’ve added will be listed under the Subscriptions section in the dash.

Each subscription will list the folder recordings are saved to, the folder (channel) the show is recorded from, the number of episodes that have been recorded, and the date of the last recording.

Subscriptions can be removed at any time by clicking on the X. Unsubscribing will not result in recordings being deleted…it will only stop future recordings.

You can click on the green or red dot the left of your subscription to check the validity of that subscription. If the dot is red, there is something wrong with the subscription. Clicking on the red dot will give you instructions on how to fix it. If the dot is green – there is no action to take, but clicking it will make PlayOn check to see if there are any new recordings.

Record All
Another option to support binge watching is to hit the Record All button that appears once you have browsed to where the actual episodes are listed (Full Episodes, for example). This will add all of the episodes that appear in the listing into your recording queue. You can drag and drop them to rearrange the order in which they appear.

Scheduling
Our scheduling feature allows you to set a specific time of day for your recordings to occur. So, for example, you can tell PlayOn to make recordings at a time of day when your PC is otherwise not in use. Scheduling is also useful for those with data caps -- use this feature to record during off-peak hours when unlimited (free) data is available.

Configuring scheduling is super easy. Simply click on the moon symbol at the top of the recording queue. Check the box for 'Use Off-Peak...' and then set your preferred time for recordings to occur. Just click the Save button to save your changes. If you'd like to take it a step further and schedule a specific time and day of the week, you can do so by clicking on the Advanced Settings link. In the Advanced Settings window, just untick specific hours for each day for which you don't want recordings to be made. Boxes that are left green will define what days and times it's okay for recordings to be made.

Unless, of course, I misunderstood your point.

 

[SmallCityDave]

I thought the regular plan was $7.99 and the commercial free was $11.99 - maybe you have an intro rate or something? I suppose the Playon would be the same thing at a lower overall cost. Nevermind.

Hulu: $5.99 per month


https://www.hulu.com/press/hulu-update/new-hulu-pricing-options/

 

[stephenson]

SmallCity,

I think the basis for Prime’s relative value is the connection to free shipping from Amazon ... if you don’t order “life supplies” from Amazon, Prime only gets you Mrs Maisel, Bosch, The Expanse ...plus about 10 other really great “shows.”

OK - enough gushing - I gladly pay the toll for Prime &#55357;&#56898;

My primary access points:

Prime
Netflix
Hulu ($0.99 special from last fall - not sure the $40/mo version is worth it)
PBS (“free” since we support PBS regardless so cost not a factor)
Most of major news networks (ABC, CBS, Reuters, et ) have some sort of app that runs on AppleTV ...

 

[steelyman]

Hulu: $5.99 per month

That’s correct for the basic service (with commercials).

I’m one of the minority who actually don’t mind commercials. It’s how/when I grew up, I guess.

I’ve had Hulu for a long time but am considering replacing it with Britbox.

 

[ls99]

I dumped cable TV nearly two years ago. Still have not missed it.
At times in the breakfeast place, I see the TV. I am positive, I will never have cable or even watch OTA TV.

 

[steelyman]

Here’s a couple of things new to me that some might find interesting.

If you are a Hulu subscriber on the fence about your subscription or maybe have a period of time you don’t plan on using it, you can put it on “pause” for up to 12 weeks through their website. Maybe many streaming providers offer this feature too, I don’t know.

Britbox has an annual subscription discount that saves over the current $6.99/mo. They say that’s equivalent to two free months.

I’ve paused my current Hulu, effective 4/15/19. Before then, I’ll try a week trial of Britbox and make a decision going forward. Until, of course, I change my mind - ha!

 

[easysurfer]

Here is my cutting the cord set up as of today:

Internet (Comcast): $49.95/month

Phone - Home (Ooma Premier ): $17.05/month

Phone - Mobile (Consumer Cellular): $24.65/month

TV (Magnavox OTA DVR w/DVD, HD Frequency OTA antenna): $0/month (one time hardware purchase)

Streaming (Amazon Prime, one time Fire TV purchase) - $9.92/month

Total comes out to a smidge above $100 at $101.57/month