Cutting The Cord - Cable TV That Is

[+ MasssageGuy]

Also make sure that you're not renting the internet modem from your cable company because they're probably charging you $10+/month for that. You can buy one for ~$100 (+/- depending on the model) and you'll break even after less than a year. Congrats on saving so much money!

 

Yep, I did that when I cut the Cable VOIP. Saved $10 per month as you said and purchased Modem from Costco for $80. It works great. The only thing you need to make sure of is that the modem you purchase is on the Cable Company's "approved" list.

 

Then you need to call them and give them MAC Address and Serial Number of Modem and you are good to go....

[MrMiniver]

The editorial page is slightly right of center only if you think the center is over on the right (which is a Miniverian thing to do). As for straight-down-the-middle reporting in Rupertville: Hahahahahaha!

 

Just stick to your pre-conceived notions. They give us Donald Trump. You've obviously never read the WSJ.

[MrMiniver]

Whereas the WSJ cultural coverage is written while gazing through a lorgnette.

 

You obviously don't read it so why do you care? The Saturday cultural section is far better than anything else that appears in print on a weekly basis. But you're too filled with your hate of anything that doesn't agree with you to see past your pinched nose.

[LADoug1]

The Cable Mohel arrived today!

 

My Cable bill will go from $175 per month down to $85 per month. Turned in my remaining two boxes and only have Internet. I use VOIP for home phone. Dropped the cable VOIP several months ago to get rid of their modem.

 

I just noticed that Amazon is now pairing a Digital Antenna with the FireTV and offering a discount when purchased together.

 

I continue to experiment with Kodi and adding the AddOns to access the Torrents that are out there.

 

To be continued!

Did the Mohel dab wine on your lips while he was disconnecting the cable?

[LADoug1]

Don't bother paying the 11 a month for no commercials...not worth the money. Just do the 7.99 a month to access the full library & suck up the commercials.

Thanks for the tip!!!

[+ MasssageGuy]

Did the Mohel dab wine on your lips while he was disconnecting the cable?

 

I wonder what a Cable foreskin looks like???

 

There were tons of folks at the Comcast store. An hour wait.

 

Hey, we could have had a bris to celebrate!!! The store should offer spreads featuring Jewish breakfast foods like bagels, lox, etc.

[Kenny]

You obviously don't read it so why do you care? The Saturday cultural section is far better than anything else that appears in print on a weekly basis. But you're too filled with your hate of anything that doesn't agree with you to see past your pinched nose.

I don't read it? True. I just look at it. Reading it is too painful.

[Kenny]

Just stick to your pre-conceived notions. They give us Donald Trump. You've obviously never read the WSJ.

Actually, I read it critically, rather than getting on my knees and swallowing the conservative dribble.

 

Take Laura Meckler’s infamous recent article on socialist Bernie Sanders. It was provocatively titled “Price Tag of Bernie Sanders’s Proposals: $18 Trillion.” She based her story on research by economist Gerald Friedman, at UMass. And she omitted his study's very different conclusions. Professor Friedman saw the piece, was rebuffed by the paper in his efforts to get a correction and responded in the Huffington Post with “An Open Letter to the Wall Street Journal on Its Bernie Sanders Hit Piece," demolishing her story. Grab your lorgnette and look it up.

 

Isn't straight-down-middle journalism a wonderful thing? Especially at Rupert's WSJ.

[Kenny]

Today, Paul Krugman blasted the Wall Street Journal as "a paper that sometimes pretends to be a cut above Erick Erickson," the loon who runs Red State. Seems about right.

 

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/bully-for-neurotoxins/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

[+ not2rowdy]

Thanks all - This thread was a catalyst to take some action.

 

My cable provider comes up for renewal in a couple of months.

 

I’ve had a TV in my bedroom for quite some time that was only hooked up to a DVD/VHS player. Didn’t use it very much. It’s a flat screen but not a “smart” TV. Only 1 HDMI input.

 

So I bought an antenna. Kind of following MassageGuy’s initial footsteps. Got the:

 

“AmazonBasics” (50mi amplified - $40) antenna and mounted it high on my vaulted ceiling wall facing the main batch of transmission towers that are about 25mi away. The antenna is “looking” through a tile roof. I get the primary networks channels in nice digital HD (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, PBS). I also get a decent smattering of other channels. Overall quite satisfied for the investment. I’ll just play with for awhile.

 

I’m not ready to cut the cable yet to my primary TV. But I’m looking at that idea with a much more critical eye. Maybe a faster internet (25mb?) with a box (Apple, Roku, ??). Ideally the internet router could wirelessly stream to a “box(s)” that could be attached to 2-3 TV’s.

[gallahadesquire]

My town has its own Electric Company, which is about 50% cheaper than the surrounding venues.

 

When they looked for a cable company, they said "What the Hell! We already have the infrastructure," and promptly opted to run Cable.

 

I have to pay for basic (non-HD) service (02-99) and extended service (200-299, still non-hd). Then I pay for basic HD, and on top of that, Extended HD.

Throw in 10 Mbps Internet, and telephone, and I'm up to $160/mo. My housemate gets such luxuries as HBO, Showtime, or the like.

 

I have Amazon prime, which is great.

 

No intention to go off Cable. Addictions? Madame secretary (sunday night, CBS); Most of SYFY; modern family; and the like.

 

However, NBC is dropping our affiliate [channel 7, WHDH in bosont] this year, so we'll see. It would be nasty to lose what few sports (baseball, which is on NECN; and football, which can be anywhere [GO PATS!]) I do watch.

[JamahlBrandon]

Thanks all - This thread was a catalyst to take some action.

 

I’m not ready to cut the cable yet to my primary TV. But I’m looking at that idea with a much more critical eye. Maybe a faster internet (25mb?) with a box (Apple, Roku, ??). Ideally the internet router could wirelessly stream to a “box(s)” that could be attached to 2-3 TV’s.

 

That's great news!

 

I have been using a smart blu-Ray player....but annoyingly it is only 2-3 years old and was considered "outdated" last year and now I can't access YouTube (liked watching breakfast club radio) But I do have a Roku also. That's a option too.

 

As far as cable goes, I get my dose when I stay in hotels. With so many hotel nights racked up, i can binge watch cable for a week, and then return to Hulu. I cut the cord years ago, and Comcast still won't let go. I've also decided to go ahead and cut my internet cords and switched to mobile hotspot, though it's only temporary.

[+ MasssageGuy]

Thanks all - This thread was a catalyst to take some action.

 

My cable provider comes up for renewal in a couple of months.

 

I’ve had a TV in my bedroom for quite some time that was only hooked up to a DVD/VHS player. Didn’t use it very much. It’s a flat screen but not a “smart” TV. Only 1 HDMI input.

 

So I bought an antenna. Kind of following MassageGuy’s initial footsteps. Got the:

 

“AmazonBasics” (50mi amplified - $40) antenna and mounted it high on my vaulted ceiling wall facing the main batch of transmission towers that are about 25mi away. The antenna is “looking” through a tile roof. I get the primary networks channels in nice digital HD (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, PBS). I also get a decent smattering of other channels. Overall quite satisfied for the investment. I’ll just play with for awhile.

 

I’m not ready to cut the cable yet to my primary TV. But I’m looking at that idea with a much more critical eye. Maybe a faster internet (25mb?) with a box (Apple, Roku, ??). Ideally the internet router could wirelessly stream to a “box(s)” that could be attached to 2-3 TV’s.

 

I also approached cutting the cord to Cable TV with some trepidation. However, it has been WELL WORTH IT!

 

Two years ago I had High Speed Internet, Cable TV Phone Service, HBO, Cinemax, and all the other "premium channels" plus the DVR from Cable company. Monthly bill was around $250. It is now $85 per month. I can use the savings for "sessions" with some of the "therapists" from this site!

 

I would recommend a high speed Internet package that provides 50MBPS in speed. You can get a good cable modem from Costco. Just make sure it is on your Cable TV providers approved list. Setting up is simple.

 

As far as content to stream to all your TVs, I would recommend an Amazon Fire TV Stick. It is relatively cheap. The KEY is to get KODI side-loaded onto the stick. You can essentially watch any TV show in the world or any movie for free.

 

If you are not wanting to try to load KODI yourself (which is a bit of a technical challenge), get on Craigslist and you can buy one that has been loaded for about $70.

 

Here is a Youtube that provides overview on KODI.

 

 

Hope this helps you in making your decision(s).

[+ not2rowdy]

Thanks MassageGuy, I'll check out Amazon Fire TV Stick and KODI. Whatever I end up doing I would be be interested in something that supports news and business channels.

 

Hmmm.... I do have a PlayStation 3 and a 3yo Apple TV box that I haven't turned on in about 2 years (PS3 > I'm not a gamer - got it for the BlueRay capability). So I will get motivated and start experimenting with them. Probably take all day just to do software updates. I'm not real tech savvy - just enough to be dangerous.

 

My current internet connection is for Prism TV (CenturyLink) + internet. I seem to get about 10mb on the internet when the TV is running. A bit faster if it's off. Their advertising says 10mb internet when combined with PrismTV. If I was to drop the PrismTV portion and only go for internet I could get 25mb according to their website.

 

I was pretty happy playing around with my new bedroom TV capability last evening with just the Over the Air channels. I get about 40 channels of which maybe 20 are of interest. That's probably enough for the bedroom. There's the major network channels plus a couple of movie channels, several "oldies" channels and others. I'm not a huge fan of bedroom TV since studies say if you establish a bedroom atmosphere only for sleep (no TV) you will likely have less sleep issues. But I will experiment.

[+ Axiom2001]

This is another of a very worthwhile and salient thread here. Currently, I am having to pay almost upwards to some $200 friggin’ dollars for my Comcast service which is completely absurd; others and I are making this corporation/business very, very rich indeed from its blatant exploitation, and to add injury to this situation is I only view selective channels and have yet to learn how to record as well as get other features. Has anyone gone to Dish or Direct TV?

 

I live in a townhouse, and most of my neighbors have Direct TV. I’ve only sought information from one of my neighbors, but at the time she did not seem too enthusiastic in providing me the necessary inquiries which I sought.

[+ not2rowdy]

I used both Dish and DirectTV at various times in the past. It used to be that Dish was better if you were into movies. DirectTV was better for sports. In general I was reasonably satisfied with both. Both were reliable and only lost signal in really severe storms. Talking with a live rep was often a struggle - particularly DirectTV. Customer service with both managed, at some point, to irritate me enough to cause me to leave them.

 

Currently I have CenturyLink Prism. Not available in many markets. Customer service has been fairly easy to contact and responsive when a problem has come up. Overall satisfied. But we are going to have a serious chat in a couple of months when my renewal comes up. Like all of them they seem to focus on giving their best deals to new customers - and taking current ones for granted. Don't allow auto-renewal!

[+ MasssageGuy]

This is another of a very worthwhile and salient thread here. Currently, I am having to pay almost upwards to some $200 friggin’ dollars for my Comcast service which is completely absurd; others and I are making this corporation/business very, very rich indeed from its blatant exploitation, and to add injury to this situation is I only view selective channels and have yet to learn how to record as well as get other features. Has anyone gone to Dish or Direct TV?

 

I live in a townhouse, and most of my neighbors have Direct TV. I’ve only sought information from one of my neighbors, but at the time she did not seem too enthusiastic in providing me the necessary inquiries which I sought.

 

Totally agree that Comcast is ripping folks off. What really upset me was when I returned two cable boxes for rooms that I no longer use. When I asked about the "promotion" they had to lower rates, they said I was not "eligible" for the promotional rate because I was "down grading" my service. I would need to WAIT 9 months before I could take advantage of the promotion.

 

That was the "tipping point" for me. I dropped all their service other than high speed (Blast) Internet.

 

If you add up what you are paying for Cable TV (500 channels of which you watch maybe 5), VOIP Phone, Equipment Rentals, and Internet at $250 per month, that is $3,000 per YEAR!

[+ MasssageGuy]

Quick update on HD Antennas....

 

Our local Sam's Club has HD Antennas for sale next to the HD TVs.

 

That tells you something. HD Antennas are going mass market and this also signifies that Cord Cutting is now main stream.

 

Two HD Antennas for $60...

 

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/leaf-metro-bundle-hd-antenna/prod13400079.ip

[+ not2rowdy]

Update to previous posts:

 

Well, I did it - all the way. I completely cut the TV cable after a week of back and forth with my package provider.

 

I’m keeping my internet service. Turns out that was probably a good thing to say since the agent kindly “removed the cancellation fee for canceling my TV service since I was retaining internet service”. I didn’t change my internet speed which is currently about 12Mbps down and 1Mbps up. We’ll see if they try to screw with me there now that I dropped their TV service. Sounds like their infrastructure maxes out at around 20Mbps in my location if I want to upgrade. So I’ll check other providers when I have time.

 

So I have my thin little $40 HD antenna tacked to the wall above my TV and getting about 20 usable channels.

 

I now have incentive to dust off and learn more about the AppleTV and Sony PS3 that just have been collecting dust on the shelf. Maybe a Tivo so I can record? Maybe that KODI thingy mentioned by [uSER=10623]@MassageGuy[/uSER]? No rush for now though.

 

What I thought I would miss most is cable news and business. About a month ago I remembered I had an old Sirius satellite radio sitting in the closet for which I bought a lifetime subscription. I put a new antenna on it and it works just fine.

 

I will survive!

[+ MasssageGuy]

Update to previous posts:

 

Well, I did it - all the way. I completely cut the TV cable after a week of back and forth with my package provider.

 

I’m keeping my internet service. Turns out that was probably a good thing to say since the agent kindly “removed the cancellation fee for canceling my TV service since I was retaining internet service”. I didn’t change my internet speed which is currently about 12Mbps down and 1Mbps up. We’ll see if they try to screw with me there now that I dropped their TV service. Sounds like their infrastructure maxes out at around 20Mbps in my location if I want to upgrade. So I’ll check other providers when I have time.

 

So I have my thin little $40 HD antenna tacked to the wall above my TV and getting about 20 usable channels.

 

I now have incentive to dust off and learn more about the AppleTV and Sony PS3 that just have been collecting dust on the shelf. Maybe a Tivo so I can record? Maybe that KODI thingy mentioned by [uSER=10623]@MassageGuy[/uSER]? No rush for now though.

 

What I thought I would miss most is cable news and business. About a month ago I remembered I had an old Sirius satellite radio sitting in the closet for which I bought a lifetime subscription. I put a new antenna on it and it works just fine.

 

I will survive!

Congratulations Not2Rowdy!

 

I originally had so much trepidation about cutting off Cable TV. Now after several months, I can honestly say I don't miss it at all! I don't even watch the local channels on my HD antenna.

 

I use Ooma for my VOIP and Amazon FireTV with Kodi that I "Side Load". Kodi has live TV feeds from CNN, MSNBC, etc. Also can watch Game of Thrones, etc. on Kodi.

 

There is a site that I use that provides instructions on how to "Side Load" Kodi on Fire TV. You can PM me for more information.

 

My ISP is Comcast and I pay for their Boost Internet which is very fast. About $80 per month.

 

Yes, N2R, you will survive and be HAPPIER and SAVE $$$$$.....

[bigvalboy]

I just can't do it...addiction comes in many forms.

[+ MasssageGuy]

I just can't do it...addiction comes in many forms.

Try it you will like it....

 

No TV = Bliss

 

BTW - I have Comcast Blast Internet. SLA is 75Mbps Down and 10Mbps Up...

[Guy Fawkes]

@deej hulu is my main tv feed; Since you have netflix. What am I missing?

 

I can definitely recommend Roku.

 

I've been on a really strange work schedule for the last couple of years so I'm in bed by the time prime time rolls around. The combination of Hulu and Netflix on one box pretty much obviates the need for a DVR. (And the same would apply to Apple TV or Amazon Fire stick.)

[+ José Soplanucas]

I cut cable 3 years ago and kept Internet. I added to my TV a HD antenna, Apple TV, and Roku. I pay for Hulu, Netflix, and HBO. After I added HBO I never missed cable.

[BSR]

Currently, a cable TV subscriber must select a whole package of channels, i.e., the broadcast networks plus dozens of cable channels like Discovery, USA, TNT, ESPN. These packages give the cable TV subscriber a couple hundred channels even though it seems almost everybody watches just a handful on a regular or even semi-regular basis. Each channel carried by your cable provider comes at a price. For some like ESPN, it's huge. I've heard as high as $20/month. That's right, some cable subscribers are paying $20 a month out of their total cable bill for a channel they might never watch. Other channels cost almost nothing, but collectively these dozens (hundreds?) of channels add up to a monster cable bill.

 

I keep hearing chatter about "debundling" cable channels. That means that a cable subscriber would get all the broadcast channels and then pick & choose other channels a la carte. So, for example, you could pay for basic (the broadcast channels) plus ESPN and Tennis Channel, and pay ~$45/mo instead of the $100+/month for the full bundle. The upside for the subscriber is obvious, but the downside for a lot of cable networks will be disastrous because a lot of them will lose almost all their current subscribers.

 

I don't know what exactly is preventing the debundling of cable packages. With so many subscribers cutting the cord, the pressure on cable providers to debundle mounts. The percentage of cord-cutters among millennials is particularly high. I cut the cord about 7 years ago, in part because of exorbitant cost, in part because I was watching too much damn TV. But if cable TV were debundled, I'd probably re-subscribe.