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Help me cut the cord
| September 9th, 2018 at 5:41:57 PM permalink | |
| GwoAE Member since: Mar 24, 2018 Threads: 4 Posts: 31 | Just received an email that comcast is raising the prices of their boxes. Right now we pay $10 for 2 boxes and $10 for DVR service. When we originally got service it was $89 a month with tax for cable and internet. Bill this month was 124. With this increase it will be $151. I have had it. I am not going to pay that, but I still want all my shows. What does everyone use? I just signed up for Netflix. Looking at hulu. A while back I saw a service that seemed to have the most channels but now I can't find it. I also need convenience like watching shows on DVR. Hulu and Netflix has basically an on demand service so it works. Thoughts? |
| September 9th, 2018 at 5:50:39 PM permalink | |
| AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18211 |
Get a FireStick and learn how to or have someone add the channels like Kodi, Exodous, Mobdro, and Terrarium. You will have all you want to watch, though you sometimes have to wait a day or two for links to develop. The President is a fink. |
| September 9th, 2018 at 6:20:36 PM permalink | |
| Dalex64 Member since: Mar 8, 2014 Threads: 3 Posts: 3687 | Well, if you want "channels" more like traditional cable TV, check out SlingTV. They have a limited number of live channels, most with video on demand, and a number of add-ons so that you have a better chance of tailoring what you want for less money. You will still need internet, from Comcast or someone else. I don't know what Comcast's modem rentals are, but if you drop Comcast tv they will start charging you for the modem if they aren't already. "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan |
| September 9th, 2018 at 6:51:30 PM permalink | |
| JimRockford Member since: Sep 18, 2015 Threads: 2 Posts: 971 |
Do you need live sports? It's much simpler if you don't. The mind hungers for that on which it feeds. |
| September 9th, 2018 at 9:21:12 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
If you are not interested in sports and you can get your news from websites, try Hulu with no commercials for $12 a month. You don't need a DVR since you there are no commercials. The cost is low enough so that you can easily afford Netflix for $11 and HBO Now for $15 and Amazon Prime for $13. So for all 4 services you will be paying about $50 a month which will give you plenty to look at commercial free outside of sports. Through in another $10 for 5 days DVD rentals at vending machines. For someone who works your hours this is probably the best option. Add $10 for MoviePass three times per months. https://www.moviepass.com/ https://www.hulu.com/nocommercials ============================== Silicon dust sells a product called PRIME that lets you bypass the cable boxes. You can purchase a DVR service through them, but you still need to lease a CableCARD from COMCAST. https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/ This might not save you enough money. But if you are a sports junkie who likes regional sports sometimes the cable service is the most affordable option. COMCAST is charging many people $89 for just internet today, so shaving money on equipment is the only realistic option. ============================== DIRECT TV NOW is the best financial bargain if you already have AT&T cellular service. If you don't have AT&T cellular or you are not interested in switching than here is a face off the major services. https://www.tomsguide.com/us/youtube-tv-vs-cable-tv-replacements,news-24578.html Hulu with Live TV YouTube TV DirecTV NOW PlayStation Vue Sling TV (your really should compare with the $40 service and not the $25 service to be compatible with the other four). Pay attention to number of "Simultaneous Streams". Personal Opinions Hulu has the best Video on Demand to accompany live TV DirectTV Now has best prices with ATT cell discount but worst selection of sports YouTube TV has best entry level channel selection Sling TV is the easiest to go up and down levels depending on the time of year. It's also easiest one to put on hold and pay nothing for a period of weeks or months. A lot of people who are really interested in a sports season like football or March Madness get Sling TV. Sling TV $25 services (two options is a good way to save money ans still get some sports). Philo TV is a cheap service for $18 but the channels are pretty crappy (no sports)..https://try.philo.com/ AT&T WatchTV is the cheapest at $15 for 30+ channels, but restriction to only 1 simultaneous stream and no DVR and no channels owned by big time rival companies (like Disney/Fox and NBC/Universal) means you get what you pay for. Channels outside of the ones owned by AT&T are from four small media companies. You get WatchTV included with the $70 AT&T unlimited data cellular service and you get HBO Now included for $80. Channel --------- Corporation
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| September 10th, 2018 at 12:24:19 PM permalink | |
| GwoAE Member since: Mar 24, 2018 Threads: 4 Posts: 31 |
Over the last few years sports has been the reason why I haven't switched. Then I figured by the time I pay for a few services and internet I was only saving 20 bucks. Now the savings is starting to inch near 50 a month. |
| September 10th, 2018 at 12:28:02 PM permalink | |
| GwoAE Member since: Mar 24, 2018 Threads: 4 Posts: 31 | Paco thank you for that info. I will view it more closely on my laptop tonight. I told my wife the other day to start a list of the channels that she actually watches. How hard is it to just stream shows from the shows website? I think the food network does have their shows on there. Although I tried to do that with nickalodeon once but had to sign into my cable. If injustbkeep internet and remove tv I wonder if that would still work. |
| September 10th, 2018 at 3:29:58 PM permalink | |
| Dalex64 Member since: Mar 8, 2014 Threads: 3 Posts: 3687 | It seems most channels won't let you stream their content without a subscription from a partner cable network "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan |
| September 10th, 2018 at 3:43:05 PM permalink | |
| Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25011 | I'm cutting soon, I watch almost no TV now. Everything I need is on Utube, Nflix and Prime. The cable news channels are on Utube minutes after they air, with no commercials. I have to find a new internet provider. But I do like Comacst, they give me a terabyte of use every month for watching movies and shows on the net. Does anybody else do that? I was getting 350 megs, and came close to it sometimes, and then they upped it to a terabyte. If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |
| September 10th, 2018 at 4:12:00 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
The channels don't give away everything for free, just samples. What keeps the channel profitable is not the commercials, it is the 25 cents per subscriber they get from the cable company. The cable company is not going to pay for something that is available for free. I wouldn't drive yourself to drink picking one. You are not under contract. Usually if your prepay 2 or 3 months at once they will give you a player for your home (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV). So you are actually better off trying each service for a few months and collecting the free hardware, and taking advantage of the free weeks. At the end of 6-12 months once you've collected all the freebies, you just pick one. Hulu, youtube TV and Direct TV Now have a core group of channels they all have for $40 Bravo TCM TBS TNT USA Syfy truTV E! Disney JR Freeform Cartoon Disney History CNN HLN CNBC Fox News Fox Business ESPN ESPN 2 Fox Sports 1 After that they mix and match. Our basic cable has all of these channels
Then they have other channels which often are not on the basic tier of cable TV. For instance Youtube TV has BBC America, MLB Network, and NBA TV. Most analysts say that none of the companies are making a profit right now, especially with giving away free hardware. They are all just desperate to grab market share. So you might as well switch around and collect free stuff now, as it might not be there in three years. The price will probably go up and/or the channel selection will go down. For instance, look at the 31 channels that AT&T is giving away with unlimited cell phone plans. Once the Department of Justice stops suing them, they will probably buy one of the smaller companies to get their channels, and then they will only give away the 9 channels they own. I doubt people could sue since the channels are technically free with the service. Maybe they will offer something else in exchange using media properties that they already own (like HBO and Pandora). Channel --------- Corporation
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