ot: one more time - streaming TV service

[ftf]

Originally Posted by kppolich

Here is what I see happening all the time.

You start by cutting the cable cord. Great!

Then you subscribe to 3 or 4 streaming services plus pay for Internet service and most likely bump up your Internet provider to handle the increased traffic.

Are you still saving money?

I know I'm saving money by not having cable. I only pay 700 a year for everything, though internet is cheap here, only 40 a month and it's fast. I'd be paying twice as much for a pretty standard cable package that I wouldn't watch.

[eddief]

they continue to add more sh*t i don't want and charge more for it. i liked it in the beginning cuz it was just enuf at a price that allowed me to mostly get rid of Comcast. may be going back.

[ColonelJLloyd]

This also irked me. But going back to cable? Out of the question for me.

[josephr]

account sharing is key to reducing your streaming budget....i use my mom's cable tv account to access ESPN during football season, share my netflx account with her and my GF, my GF has a Hulu account that she shares with me...that and amazon prime, have more TV than i can watch. Occasionally I do have to rent a movie...otherwise, just watch something else.

[kppolich]

https://www.limetorrents.info/home/

[reuben]

I won't be much help. I don't have Comcast/Verizon/DirectTV or anything like that.

I have a Roku box, but use it mostly for local channels with a Mohu antenna. But Roku does have a lot of free stuff, and you can subscribe to Netflix, Disney, ESPN, and whatnot. I've streamed a couple of documentaries with no problem.

I don't think my TV has been on since the Super Bowl.

[saab2000]

I’m not really OK with this increase either. It may go away as I rarely use the service anyway.

[Seramount]

after being a Time-Warner (now Spectrum) customer for 30 years, finally decided I'd had enough of their overpriced, commercial-laden, crappy content.

after being on hold for FIFTY-SEVEN minutes, was finally able to speak to a human who, to my great frustration, was unfamiliar with the words 'discontinue service'...

the young lady was relentless in her efforts to UPGRADE my contract, not cancel it...when she asked me to explain why I was unsatisfied, things got a little heated and had to ask to speak to a supervisor to get my request granted.

once the cable was cut, still had to box up the DVR and remote and return them.

signed up for commercial-free Hulu, cheap and adequate content. being weaned off the 24/7 news cycle has been great. will miss some sports, but most of the stuff I'm interested in is on hold anyways...

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Seramount

... being weaned off the 24/7 news cycle has been great. will miss some sports, but most of the stuff I'm interested in is on hold anyways...

I'm ready to dump cable, but I do watch a lot of news and would miss it. You can't get anything like that with streaming services in your experience? Thx.

[Seramount]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I'm ready to dump cable, but I do watch a lot of news and would miss it. You can't get anything like that with streaming services in your experience? Thx.

Hulu offers a 'version' of ABC News....has multiple stories you can select to view.

if you're a serious 'breaking news' junkie, it's probably not going to satisfy ya...

[DeBike]

I bought and moved into my home in 2016. I lived in a small, upstairs apartment in a private home, separate entrance, for almost 3 years. That rent included all utilities. It started with DSL for tv and landline, and then the owner switched to cable.

When I moved into my home, I decided I did not want to pay the amount of the monthly payment for cable or satellite. I have been without tv reception since, but I did start paying for cable internet about 2.5 years ago. That price has crept up, and my service slows considerably by the last 10 days of the month or so. I am seriously considering doing away with the internet and going back to connecting at the library, Starbucks, etc. Library is 5 miles and Starbucks is just over 2 miles away. I do some banking on-line and shopping, but mostly just bike related sites. I have a tablet, so even at the library I do not have to use their machines.

The tv I absolutely do not miss. I have gone back to reading a lot and the internet. I would miss having the internet at home, but it was not a big deal before when I did not have it. I would adjust. I have fallen into spending way too much time on sites such as the Paceline and competition sites.

I also fall into the trap of buying things I really do not need, but convince myself, " It's a really good price, get it." Then comes the buyers regret and the bill. Maybe better for me to just get rid of the easy temptation and access.

[eddief]

offers all my local stations and all the cable news outlets. local sports too. they just keep adding sh*t and raising the price. and i get why they want to make more money but not sure why they keep adding stuff nobody wants. i think most if not all who have this service wanted a reasonably priced skinny bundle and now we are getting fat and screwed.

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I'm ready to dump cable, but I do watch a lot of news and would miss it. You can't get anything like that with streaming services in your experience? Thx.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by eddief

i think most if not all who have this service wanted a reasonably priced skinny bundle and now we are getting fat and screwed.

This is exactly correct. I'd be happy with a dozen channels or fewer, especially if I could hand pick them.

They have also seemed to program the service so that when I open a channel I'm immediately bombarded with several minutes of commercials. I almost never open a channel and have the named program streaming.

There's a pretty good chance I will ditch my YouTube TV. I was ready for the $50/month bill but I'm not really ready for more.

Speaking of which, can anyone recommend a home digital antenna? Maybe it's worthy of its own OT thread.....

[bthornt]

I have ATT internet 1000, 90 bucks a month (not universally available, you have to live in an area where ATT has decided to install it), plus sling blue plus orange plus sports package (90 bucks a month), plus an antenna that was a one time expenditure of 20 dollars to get local channels. My previous cable bill was about 250 a month (including internet connection), now I'm down to 180 so I feel pretty good about it. I am pleased with how well the antenna picks up my local news, pbs, and so on. If you have a Samsung smart TV, there's also a lot of free channels provided there as well.

Another great way to save is moving your cell service to cricket. I pay 30 bucks a month for my cell service, including taxes and fees. A cheap LG smartphone was included.

Now that I'm retired, I'm trying to get my spending under control. I figure making these few changes have saved me about 110 a month with no noticeable lack of service.

[veloduffer]

Late last year I tried to cut the cable and was prepared to go to YouTube TV. When I called Altice/Cablevision and informed them that I was canceling, they countered with about $100 off my bill (triple bundle - internet, cable, phone), which reduced my monthly from $240 to $140. This is in consideration that I've been a customer since 1997.

When I pushed to see if I only kept the internet and phone, what my bill would be. Well, then all the package discounts go away and the internet is $100 and phone is $35; so for $5 more I get the original bundle. They did sweeten the deal with free Showtime and Starz for the year.

I'm glad that I'm saving $100/mo but kind of ticked me off that it wasn't offered voluntarily (but not surprising).