Cutting the cord...

[Hi Ho]

I never thought I'd be saying this but I'm cutting the cord. I am cancelling my Dish Network service. I bought an Apple TV 4 a couple weeks ago and that really made me realize how much I don't need to pay $90/month for TV channels that I barely watch. The biggest hurdle for me was how to watch NFL. I believe I have solved that by mounting a rooftop antenna which in my area doesn't get me more than a couple of the big networks but I get Fox which is where all my Seahawks games are. I have a tuner on the way that will hook up to my Xbox One or my PC depending on which works better. The other trick I found is that if you are a Verizon Wireless customer you get exclusive live broadcasts of all nationally broadcast NFL games and I can Airplay it right onto my TV. I setup a Plex server to serve up content that I already have on my hard drive and subscribed to Showtime Anytime. With Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes I think I can get just about everything I would want to watch and save money even if I have to pay individually for certain shows. Has anyone else cut the cord recently? Have any tips?

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

We did the same thing a few years ago with DirecTV. We got a TIVO DVR that accepts an antenna, and it also streams Amazon, Hulu, Netfilx, etc. We’re not sports fans so that wasn’t an issue for us. Also you’ll find with the antenna that most local stations have “side channels” with programming you can’t get from Dish or DirecTV. We’re paying maybe $30-40 a month for all the subscriptions, where we paying something like $120 for DirecTV for (as you noted) a bunch of channels we never watched.

The only tip I have is that if you have any saved programs on your Dish DVR that you haven’t watched, you should unplug ALL connections before you cancel the service. This means the antenna cable, phone and internet. I don’t know about Dish, but DirecTV can blow out your DVR and erase everything on it if there are connections in place.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Hi Ho]

I have to send the Hopper back anyway so I don't really care about what's on there. I have already watched it all anyway. I already disconnected the dish and ran the coax line up to the antenna.

 

[Diesel57]

THANKS...just added another shelf to my library of knowledge and information, the light just keeps getting brighter & brighter, you don't need a seeing I dog in here...LOL

 

[everettT]

I'm looking to do the same. I've got my directv bill down to $79 a month, but with taxes it's $129. I have a terrestrial antenna and tivo so locals are not an issue. Just have to figure out my staple channels and which service can do it. I've had the nfl package for 9 years, and I ended up out watching at a restaurant or bar.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Nvidia Shield-TV box with SlingTV plus is what I would suggest
https://shield.nvidia.com/blog/best-apps-to-stream-tv
With Kodi it supports playback of ALL HD audio codecs etc... and it has the most powerful hardware of the bunch. It's also only one which supports 4k HDR (HDR10)

2nd option : Amazon FireTV with PS VUE or Sling TV

Apple's ATV4 is too limited and I won't recommend it for most cort cutters, except if you're stuck to itunes walled garden.

 

[Hi Ho]

Well I couldn't watch the Seahawks play today because the first game was broadcast on CBS which is a station I cannot pickup with my antenna. Thankfully most of the rest of the season is on Fox or NBC both of which I can get.

So far it's been two weeks without my dish hooked up and I'm not really missing it. I still haven't called and canceled because I have to pay an early termination fee. Even paying that fee, I will be saving money after 5 months when I take into account the purchase of the Apple TV, antenna, and tuner for the Xbox One.

 

[Cos]

PlayStation Vue - On Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Playstation, etc is all you need + Internet. Its about $49.00/mo, you can add the NFL Package for it during the season, have your major network channels (WGN) excluded. You also have built in DVR as well.

Was going that route until my provider dropped their prices, but I am sure I will end up there eventually.

 

[Alexandre]

Hi there, welcome to modern television!

Joking/trolling aside, I ditched the cable tv subscription a long time ago and I haven't looked back. To me, paying for shows on Netflix (subscription) or iTunes is worth it even if purely for the absence of advertisement!

In my current setup, I have an appleTV (3rd gen, I don't play games and it's been fine so far), I have an HBO Now subscription and a Netflix streaming+Blu-ray subscription as well (yes, I also have a Blu-ray player and a Mac mini HTPC with all my DVDs ripped while the discs themselves take on the dirt in the basement). I got the BD subscription mostly because I got tired of iTunes' US movie rental restrictions (the fact that you only have 24 hours to watch a movie is incompatible with my less than 2 year old kid who seldom gives us 2 full hours to sit down – French rentals allow 48 hours!). The other advantage of the disc rentals is that things come out fairly quickly, especially compared to Netflix streaming.

One thing though, I very rarely watch sports, usually just the soccer World Cup every four years but that streamed to the Apple TV so that worked out fine.

Cheers!
Alex.

 

[Cos]

The problem with most US markets is that unless you get promo pricing, internet providers (usually the cable companies) make the cost of high speed internet very high, that even when you add packages like Playstation Vue, the cost savings is minimal. I.E in my market 75Mb/s internet is 79 (non promo pricing) so I would have to change my IP every year to keep the cost down low.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

The problem with most US markets is that unless you get promo pricing, internet providers (usually the cable companies) make the cost of high speed internet very high, that even when you add packages like Playstation Vue, the cost savings is minimal. I.E in my market 75Mb/s internet is 79 (non promo pricing) so I would have to change my ISP every year to keep the cost down low.

1st: You don't have to have 75mbs internet - you like to have it just like I like to have 100mbps internet
As for promo pricing, you don't have to switch ISPs every year - merely threaten to do so is sufficient.
Lets say I have a "triple play" combo from my cable company: basic broadcast TV (no cablebox), 100mbs internet and phone service. Everything I pick up the phone to call cable company. I ask for Disconnects Department (don't bother with regular Customer service). Last time (this august) I even went straight to point - extend the promo for one more year or I will have to disconnect services.

If drop internet to 50/60 mbps down and cancel other services (surprisingly I still do use on rare occasion both) I could save $10-15 month, but it's not worth it for me at price of internet speed drop.

BUT, technically for Netflix 4k streaming you only should need 25mbps down...

p.s: With my 3play promo I pay about $99/month - I think it's ok deal for 100mbs internet, basic tv and phone (which I use for faxing on rare occasion)

 

[Irvrobinson]

We cut out cable TV a while back, and I didn't miss it much. I still get internet only in my Bay Area home. In our primary home we switched back to Comcast 150Mbps internet, voice, and TV, and pretty much most premium channels they offer for $150/mo. In that location we need a land line for working at home (if you can call VOIP a land line), and my wife likes sports and certain TV shows, which are weak without TV. Of course, to get a price like that you have to talk to Comcast's "retention" department, which has access to unique deals you can't see online, and their regular phone reps can't see. Comcast is a weird company.

 

[j_garcia]

I currently went BACK to having cable after about 6 years lol. Just basic SD to get my bill lower and they promised higher internet speed. I can test for the speed and get it, but I can't really tell the difference between the 247 down I am getting vs 150 that I was getting before, but my bill is lower.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

but I can't really tell the difference between the 247 down I am getting vs 150 that I was getting before, but my bill is lower.

Not long ago then I just got the 101 "Ultra" internet it was crazy fast. Now even Crapcast offers 250mbps.
Rumor has it 300 and 500 packages are coming soon to my isp.
https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r30819044-OOL-Rumor-Optimum-Ultra-300-500-coming-within-6-to-8-months

John, do you have a proper gig router?

 

[j_garcia]

I have an AC66U now and it is the oldest thing in the chain. May move to na AC3200 or AC87U. Don't think I need tri-band with the 3200, but it has some other nice features and is only around $20 more.

Comcast already offers 500GB here, but it is a "special" package and it costs about 2X the highest package price. I noticed it on their site when looking for the price that I only got by calling them.

 

[Cos]

1st: You don't have to have 75mbs internet - you like to have it just like I like to have 100mbps internet
As for promo pricing, you don't have to switch ISPs every year - merely threaten to do so is sufficient.
Lets say I have a "triple play" combo from my cable company: basic broadcast TV (no cablebox), 100mbs internet and phone service. Everything I pick up the phone to call cable company. I ask for Disconnects Department (don't bother with regular Customer service). Last time (this august) I even went straight to point - extend the promo for one more year or I will have to disconnect services.

If drop internet to 50/60 mbps down and cancel other services (surprisingly I still do use on rare occasion both) I could save $10-15 month, but it's not worth it for me at price of internet speed drop.

BUT, technically for Netflix 4k streaming you only should need 25mbps down...

p.s: With my 3play promo I pay about $99/month - I think it's ok deal for 100mbs internet, basic tv and phone (which I use for faxing on rare occasion)

• I pay with WoW $128 with 3 cable boxes (DVR 1) 75MB Internet HD and HBO. This last time took a lot of threatening to keep it down. I don't use my cable phone I use Ooma which costs me like 5 dollars a month more.
• If you want to watch 2 4k Streams, which has happened at my house thats around 50MB, so safer to have 75MB for me
• When you do 3play, the pricing is very agressive, because they want you to have all their services (I assume u have comcast?)
• Channels I Must have are AMC, Fox Sports 1, TNT

If you go just internet, the charge you more for internet then when it's in a bundle. I could get 49+49 (Cable 75MB, Playstation Vue) add HBO $15.00 and it comes out almost the same as my current cable bill. The only way around it for me is to forgo 4k Streaming content and lower the speed to actuall save a substantial amount of money.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I have an AC66U now and it is the oldest thing in the chain. May move to na AC3200 or AC87U. Don't think I need tri-band with the 3200, but it has some other nice features and is only around $20 more.

Comcast already offers 500GB here, but it is a "special" package and it costs about 2X the highest package price. I noticed it on their site when looking for the price that I only got by calling them.

Asus AC66U rocks! Same one I have. It could certainly do a gig over wired, but wireless speeds- it depends on bizillion things. I am considering Ubiquity for my next wifi project.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

• When you do 3play, the pricing is very aggressive, because they want you to have all their services (I assume u have comcast?)

No, Cablevision. but same idea. they will do anything to keep me as "tv" subscriber

 

[Jeffrey S. Albaugh]

The trend for the past few years is to get rid of Cable and do streaming, with streaming devices like Roku, Apple, Amazon Fire, etc. Lots of great apps with no contracts, like Netflix, Hulu+, etc. I thought I had convinced my wife to do this. I bought a Roku stick & a Roku 3. Having watched the WWE for decades with my son, we have the WWE package $10.00/ month. If you like wrestling and you don't want to pay it, everytime there is a PPV event it would cost you $55.00. But with the WWE Network, they are included! Plus, you get everything that was ever on WWE. Not bad. My granddaughter loves coming over here to watch her favorite shows, like Lego on the Roku.

Our Hi Speed internet thru Verizon FIOS, is 75/75 speed. We actually need this speed due to the number of devices that we have. We had lesser speeds, but programs froze & pixelated. Now it does not. Years ago I put up a serious HD Antenna on my roof. It's mounted on the roof and I put it up on a 25' telescoping pole above the roof. (see picture below). I do not recommend Sling TV, since it is owned by Dish Network (Years ago we had it; did not like it).

Triple plays are a big rippoff, as they give you a "special price" (which is temporary). They raise the prices again within a year or less. In case you haven't figured it out yet, but the Cable Companies are a rippoff. If you get rid of 1 or 2 parts of your triple play, they then raise the price dramatically for the parts you keep. They only care about $$$$$. Also, VOIP home phone service is a joke. If your router goes down, no internet or phones. You are much better to get Ooma phone service (Ooma.com). It's much better. Great cleat service and much less expensive. You only have to pay taxes and purchase the Ooma system (only $99.00). Its a winner. Cut the cable.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Triple plays are a big rippoff, as they give you a "special price" (which is temporary). They raise the prices again within a year or less. In case you haven't figured it out yet, but the Cable Companies are a rippoff. If you get rid of 1 or 2 parts of your triple play, they then raise the price dramatically for the parts you keep. They only care about $$$$$. Also, VOIP home phone service is a joke. If your router goes down, no internet or phones. You are much better to get Ooma phone service (Ooma.com). It's much better. Great cleat service and much less expensive. You only have to pay taxes and purchase the Ooma system (only $99.00). Its a winner. Cut the cable.

Every company only cares about revenue.

VOIP isn't a joke because of router reliability (we've never had one go down), but VOIP, any VOIP, has some occasional QoS problems I don't like. But it's more reliable than LTE for long conference calls. A true land line alone where we live is ~$70/month. Still, I'm tempted sometimes...

As for price going up after the intro period, only if you're complacent and don't renegotiate. Cable companies need to be managed like car dealers and real estate agents. Disgusting, but reality.