Are you Ditching Your Cable Company?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I did watch all of Deadwood, all of the GOT, the on demand thing is pretty cool. Internet is fast the home phone has unlimited long distance. I'm getting a lot for 150 bucks. Can stream my ass off with all the apps on my new 4K TV.

Not bad. And when GOT is over, you can drop HBO and the price goes down to $135/mo x 2 years. Not bad. Then after that, you can change because no way you want to pay $200/mo.

 

[Phase 2]

Not bad. And when GOT is over, you can drop HBO and the price goes down to $135/mo x 2 years. Not bad. Then after that, you can change because no way you want to pay $200/mo.

You have a point, nothing's for free.

 

[highfigh]

I was able to get upgraded internet and the stream-only option for a very desirable price, and this includes the local channels. The catch is that you need a smart TV, an XBOX, Roku, or some other device to run the Spectrum App. I already had XBOX, so I was all set. The app is also available on the Play Store, so we can also stream cable on any Android device.

How do you like the lack of numbered buttons?

 

[slipperybidness]

How do you like the lack of numbered buttons?

I don't even consider it. The interface is good, there are not hundreds of channels.

I could get a "normal remote" for the XBOX, but you can also control it via a phone app.

Dunno, I have just moved along from cable so long ago, I don't even think about things like that any longer.

 

[Montucky]

Not bad. And when GOT is over, you can drop HBO and the price goes down to $135/mo x 2 years. Not bad. Then after that, you can change because no way you want to pay $200/mo.

That is pretty sweet. HBO in particular makes it pretty easy to "pause" your subscription. Wife and I are planning on resuming HBO after GOT gets underway again (or wraps up the season more likely).

Funny thing about HBO was we initially signed up for GOT, but then realized the absurd amount of great content that HBO's had over the years, so it's tough not to get sucked into dozens of other good shows. Signed up for GOT, stuck around to re-watch Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage. Tough to stop actually, but we did to save a buck. We've become pretty selective about what services we use at any given time (only so much time in a day, right?), but HBO was well worth the premium in our opinion. Netflix is become increasingly less so, but perhaps that's just me.

 

[highfigh]

I don't even consider it. The interface is good, there are not hundreds of channels.

I could get a "normal remote" for the XBOX, but you can also control it via a phone app.

Dunno, I have just moved along from cable so long ago, I don't even think about things like that any longer.

I used the Spectrum app for Roku for a while, but it was buggy- booted slowly, hung up, restarted and nothing else on the network had problems, so I discontinued it. Other people told me it did the same for them, too. I don't remember- does it allow setting Favorites? If so, scrolling through those would be less painful than having to scroll through ALL channels.

 

[Montucky]

I used the Spectrum app for Roku for a while, but it was buggy- booted slowly, hung up, restarted and nothing else on the network had problems, so I discontinued it.

Huh. Sounds just like their cable boxes!

 

[slipperybidness]

I used the Spectrum app for Roku for a while, but it was buggy- booted slowly, hung up, restarted and nothing else on the network had problems, so I discontinued it. Other people told me it did the same for them, too. I don't remember- does it allow setting Favorites? If so, scrolling through those would be less painful than having to scroll through ALL channels.

Nothing like that for me on XBOX nor on Android devices. I do have the upgraded internet. Now that I think about it, I have not actually benchmarked my internet speeds yet. And, I'm running via WiFi too.

Every now and then, it will lock up or just shut down the app, but it isn't often enough that it is a real problem or anything.

However, back when I tried a Roku, that device was buggy and laggy on everything I tried, didn't even use Spectrum App on it. It was many years ago, don't even remember which model it was. I sent the crappy device back after a couple of days of frustration.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

That is pretty sweet. HBO in particular makes it pretty easy to "pause" your subscription. Wife and I are planning on resuming HBO after GOT gets underway again (or wraps up the season more likely).

Funny thing about HBO was we initially signed up for GOT, but then realized the absurd amount of great content that HBO's had over the years, so it's tough not to get sucked into dozens of other good shows. Signed up for GOT, stuck around to re-watch Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage. Tough to stop actually, but we did to save a buck. We've become pretty selective about what services we use at any given time (only so much time in a day, right?), but HBO was well worth the premium in our opinion. Netflix is become increasingly less so, but perhaps that's just me.

My 2 favorite networks are HBO and Starz.

HBO: Watchmen (upcoming 2019), Game of Thrones, Westworld, My Brilliant Friend, Little Big Lies, True Detective, Carnivale, Six Feet Under, The Pacific, Band of Brothers, The Young Pope, Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of, True Blood, The Leftovers, The Sopranos, Rome, The Wire, Deadwood, Sharp Objects.

Starz: The Rook (upcoming), Ascendant (upcoming), The Spanish Princess (upcoming), Outlander, Counterpart, American Gods, Power, Black Sails, Da Vinci's Demons, The White Princess, The White Queen, Camelot, Spartacus, Magic City, The Missing.

 

[Cos]

I am not close enough to get local channels, so I am stuck with ComCRAP. LOL, I will say they have been more open to lowering my price. I signed up for a 1 year package when I moved to my new house $124.00 Premier 220+ channel and stars taxes included. When I had to renew for year to, was going to go to Metronet 1GB fiber and Sling or YouTube subscription, unless they kept my price the same. They never have in the past, but this time they did. I can live with 200Mb/s internet, its fast enough

I am sure I will switch one day, I have Hulu/Netflix as well.

 

[VonMagnum]

I ditched cable last summer. I save $123 a month (still get Internet and phone from the cable company). I found I almost never watched live TV. I can't stand commercials anymore and they are getting longer and longer. Even with a DVR it sucks compared to none at all and I went through 3 cable boxes (due to DVR hard drive failure) in 5 years and had enough.

I tried DirecTV Now for 3 months to get a free Apple TV 4K, but found I rarely watched that either so I canceled. I now just buy the few shows I want from iTunes or BD/DVD box sets and rip/encode and have NO commercials; I also have Netflix UHD and Prime). It's amazing how much you can buy/own for $123 a freaking month!!!

 

[Phase 2]

I ditched cable last summer. I save $123 a month (still get Internet and phone from the cable company). I found I almost never watched live TV. I can't stand commercials anymore and they are getting longer and longer. Even with a DVR it sucks compared to none at all and I went through 3 cable boxes (due to DVR hard drive failure) in 5 years and had enough.

I tried DirecTV Now for 3 months to get a free Apple TV 4K, but found I rarely watched that either so I canceled. I now just buy the few shows I want from iTunes or BD/DVD box sets and rip/encode and have NO commercials; I also have Netflix UHD and Prime). It's amazing how much you can buy/own for $123 a freaking month!!!

On any given day, just on one channel you can expect about 60 lawyer commercials, not to mention insurance and medical commercials. So paying 1400 or more for in the years end with nothing to show for your money. Makes sense to cut the cord. 5 years or more of paying well over 7K! Yeah cut the cord!

 

[VonMagnum]

Yes, even home theater upgrades eventually pay for themselves at $1400 a year savings.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

It's amazing how much you can buy/own for $123 a freaking month!!!

You could buy 1 lightsaber after 2 months.

 

[VonMagnum]

Another one? I just ordered the "Outatime" license plate from Back To The Future. I might look for a Harry Potter wand next.... Still places I could decorate in the room. I really want to go 2.35:1 115" tensioned electric next with a 4K/3D projector with memory zoom to simulate a Panamax lens. That might be my next project. My god, the picture would be HUGE, pretty good even from the 3rd row 20' away at that size for 2.35:1 material.

I do have one of these now, though....

 

[Phase 2]

I just wait for GOT to come out on Blu Ray. They took so long, should be out by December.

 

[snakeeyes]

I ditched cable last summer. I save $123 a month (still get Internet and phone from the cable company). I found I almost never watched live TV. I can't stand commercials anymore and they are getting longer and longer. Even with a DVR it sucks compared to none at all and I went through 3 cable boxes (due to DVR hard drive failure) in 5 years and had enough.

I tried DirecTV Now for 3 months to get a free Apple TV 4K, but found I rarely watched that either so I canceled. I now just buy the few shows I want from iTunes or BD/DVD box sets and rip/encode and have NO commercials; I also have Netflix UHD and Prime). It's amazing how much you can buy/own for $123 a freaking month!!!

I also took that deal. I cancelled the direct tv now app also. It’s cool to have the Apple 4K TV though. Maybe the Roku is better? Not sure.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just wait for GOT to come out on Blu Ray. They took so long, should be out by December.

Yeah, by December you’ll probably get GOT BluRay as a gift.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I might look for a Harry Potter wand next....

Both my daughters have a Harry Potter wand from Universal Studio for $50 each.

Yeah, a bigger screen is great.

 

[VonMagnum]

I just found a TRON recognizer neon sign that looks like the one Flynn has in his little arcade apartment (although not sitting on top of the transformer). Then there's the prophesy ball and Bellatrix's dagger.... Too much junk you can buy. I just put some remote controlled hidden accent lighting in behind the chair (sits flat on the floor facing up LED 'dish') in the corner with the movie posters behind it. Now all the posters light up in the back of the room. I can put the TRON Neon sign on the fireplace hearth... Maybe the Christmas Story leg lamp in the back corner instead of the ship's wheel lamp I have now...