Quitting Cable

€uroMeinke · 06-03-2011, 08:36 PM

So, we just hit the end of our bundled contract with Verizon that provides phone, TV, and internet and the monthly price jumped $20. So taking a look at how we actually watch TV I'm wondering if netflix streaming and Hulu plus might provide all the video entertainment we need at a fraction of the price.

Anyone here dump their cable yet?

Stan4dSteph · 06-03-2011, 09:07 PM

How much are those per month? You won't be able to watch the Tour with them, but I suppose you could sign up for whatever online streaming is on offer for it.

RStar · 06-03-2011, 10:55 PM

I dumped cable for a dish, so I don't think that will help much. I had a bundle with Time Warner, and still have the phone and internet with them, but I'm thinking of cutting the land line since we each have a cell phone. And I like Direct TV service much better than Time Warner.

Have you thought about a digital aireal for the local channels?

Moonliner · 06-04-2011, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

So, we just hit the end of our bundled contract with Verizon that provides phone, TV, and internet and the monthly price jumped $20. So taking a look at how we actually watch TV I'm wondering if netflix streaming and Hulu plus might provide all the video entertainment we need at a fraction of the price.

Anyone here dump their cable yet?

No. I'm not ready to take that plunge just yet.

Have you checked how many TV stations you can pick up with a good old fashion roof antenna?

Betty · 06-04-2011, 06:25 AM

here's what it says about our house: There are no stations predicted to serve this location

How do you feel about torrents and EZTV?

innerSpaceman · 06-04-2011, 08:50 AM

My cable's been out for months and I haven't even noticed. True Blood starts up again in a couple of weeks, so I may try to get it fixed. But generally, I'm fine getting my minimal TV fix from Hulu or other internet sources - and mostly, just renting the DVDs or streaming the episodes from Netflix. In fact, I'd rather wait to be an entire season late and get to watch it all-at-once on DVD. I'm not good at keeping up with episodic TV week-to-week. I certainly don't watch enough to merit even using Tivo.

Basically, I don't watch a lot of TV, and I like it that way. For the few shows that are recommended to me by tons of people, I prefer them in big doses, even if late, rather than the typical drip most TV addicts live with.

BarTopDancer · 06-04-2011, 09:33 AM

I just call Cox and ask them if there are any promotions. Last one lowered my bill $20 a month for 6 months.

Ghoulish Delight · 06-04-2011, 11:26 AM

We came very close to dumping cable ourselves. What eventually stopped us was sports. Literally everything else that we watch regularly was available in some form or another by other means, some paid some free all of which would total less than we were paying for cable. But the major sports leagues continue to be expert at protecting their broadcasters' right to exclusivity. So even if I WANTED to pay for another means of seeing live Dodger games, I could not.

You give up a certain level of immediacy and timeliness by dropping cable, but in the age of DVRs that's not much of a sacrifice anymore.

So as long as the numbers add up and there aren't specific live broadcasts that you can't get live elsewhere that you really can't do without, there's very little reason to not drop cable.

Cynthia · 06-04-2011, 11:51 AM

Our TV needs are quite taken care of via the aerial we have oh, half a dozen PBS stations (we do live in Southern California but was enough in NM too)

Netflix streaming takes care of "I want a movie now" plus we get one DVD from them at a time, the turn-around is about three days tops, and then of course there is streaming for everything else

Cable is a joke, you pay allot for the few things you want and then watch crap because it is there - dump it!

Alex · 06-04-2011, 12:00 PM

For me, it is probably all or nothing. We lived without TV at all for about 4 years when we first moved to the Bay Area (only one channel came in by antenna, and poorly) and we were fine. Then we moved and decided to switch to cable internet from DSL and the TV initially came with it and by the time we had to pay for it, we wanted to keep it.

While about 70% of my TV watching could be replaced by a home theater setup with Hulu and the network web sites (Netflix doesn't actually take the place of anything I would otherwise watch on cable) frankly there is something to be said about not having to maintain a more complex home network situation, not having to go seek out everything I want to watch, and having the flexibility of wandering off to watching things I'd otherwise never learn about or just flip through.

If money were tight, it would be the first thing to go, but it isn't so I've kept it even though it really isn't worth the cost.

06-03-2011, 08:36 PM	#1
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	Quitting Cable So, we just hit the end of our bundled contract with Verizon that provides phone, TV, and internet and the monthly price jumped $20. So taking a look at how we actually watch TV I'm wondering if netflix streaming and Hulu plus might provide all the video entertainment we need at a fraction of the price. Anyone here dump their cable yet? __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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06-03-2011, 09:07 PM	#2
Stan4dSteph Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,156	How much are those per month? You won't be able to watch the Tour with them, but I suppose you could sign up for whatever online streaming is on offer for it.
	Submit to Quotes

06-03-2011, 10:55 PM	#3
RStar Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Me & Manyard hangin out! Posts: 5,433	I dumped cable for a dish, so I don't think that will help much. I had a bundle with Time Warner, and still have the phone and internet with them, but I'm thinking of cutting the land line since we each have a cell phone. And I like Direct TV service much better than Time Warner. Have you thought about a digital aireal for the local channels? __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup! www.StarTownGifts.com
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06-04-2011, 06:25 AM	#5
Betty Kicking up my heels! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Silver State Posts: 3,783	here's what it says about our house: There are no stations predicted to serve this location How do you feel about torrents and EZTV? __________________ Nee Stell Thue
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06-04-2011, 08:50 AM	#6
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	My cable's been out for months and I haven't even noticed. True Blood starts up again in a couple of weeks, so I may try to get it fixed. But generally, I'm fine getting my minimal TV fix from Hulu or other internet sources - and mostly, just renting the DVDs or streaming the episodes from Netflix. In fact, I'd rather wait to be an entire season late and get to watch it all-at-once on DVD. I'm not good at keeping up with episodic TV week-to-week. I certainly don't watch enough to merit even using Tivo. Basically, I don't watch a lot of TV, and I like it that way. For the few shows that are recommended to me by tons of people, I prefer them in big doses, even if late, rather than the typical drip most TV addicts live with.
	Submit to Quotes

06-04-2011, 09:33 AM	#7
BarTopDancer Prepping... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here, there, everywhere Posts: 11,405	I just call Cox and ask them if there are any promotions. Last one lowered my bill $20 a month for 6 months. __________________ Spork is the new MacGyver Postcards From My Edge
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06-04-2011, 11:26 AM	#8
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	We came very close to dumping cable ourselves. What eventually stopped us was sports. Literally everything else that we watch regularly was available in some form or another by other means, some paid some free all of which would total less than we were paying for cable. But the major sports leagues continue to be expert at protecting their broadcasters' right to exclusivity. So even if I WANTED to pay for another means of seeing live Dodger games, I could not. You give up a certain level of immediacy and timeliness by dropping cable, but in the age of DVRs that's not much of a sacrifice anymore. So as long as the numbers add up and there aren't specific live broadcasts that you can't get live elsewhere that you really can't do without, there's very little reason to not drop cable. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
	Submit to Quotes

06-04-2011, 11:51 AM	#9
Cynthia Thank you, that is all Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: just north of the magic Posts: 187	Our TV needs are quite taken care of via the aerial we have oh, half a dozen PBS stations (we do live in Southern California but was enough in NM too) Netflix streaming takes care of "I want a movie now" plus we get one DVD from them at a time, the turn-around is about three days tops, and then of course there is streaming for everything else Cable is a joke, you pay allot for the few things you want and then watch crap because it is there - dump it!
	Submit to Quotes

06-04-2011, 12:00 PM	#10
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	For me, it is probably all or nothing. We lived without TV at all for about 4 years when we first moved to the Bay Area (only one channel came in by antenna, and poorly) and we were fine. Then we moved and decided to switch to cable internet from DSL and the TV initially came with it and by the time we had to pay for it, we wanted to keep it. While about 70% of my TV watching could be replaced by a home theater setup with Hulu and the network web sites (Netflix doesn't actually take the place of anything I would otherwise watch on cable) frankly there is something to be said about not having to maintain a more complex home network situation, not having to go seek out everything I want to watch, and having the flexibility of wandering off to watching things I'd otherwise never learn about or just flip through. If money were tight, it would be the first thing to go, but it isn't so I've kept it even though it really isn't worth the cost.
	Submit to Quotes