Cutting the Cable Cord

lokie · « **on:** 5 Dec 2013, 09:29 pm »

HuluPlus- $9/mos
Netflix- $9.00/mos
Aereo- $12/mos
Huluplus $9.00/mos
Total Streaming monthly costs- $30/mos

Versus

Basic Cable with a few TV's and Tivo- $100/mos

I just hooked up a Mac Mini to the TV and discontinued the Cable service.

Any opinions... good or bad?

WireNut · « **Reply #1 on:** 5 Dec 2013, 09:42 pm »

Quote from: lokie on 5 Dec 2013, 09:29 pm

HuluPlus- $9/mos
Netflix- $9.00/mos
Aereo- $12/mos
Total Streaming monthly costs- $30/mos

Curious which of the first three you liked the best?

skunark · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 Dec 2013, 09:51 pm »

A lot of times you can get the local channels for $10-15 and also get a discount $10 discount on your broadband, which is what I've done with comcast and verizon/frontier. You shouldn't need the cable box either, but I do have a cable card. This isn't a standard option, something you have to ask for and might need to ask multiple agents until one says yes...

So with local channels, with netflix (via tv,blu-ray player or ATV/roku) and iTunes (ATV) or Amazon Instant Video (roku). The only thing you might miss are sports on ESPN, but that's a reason to go to a local sports bar.

BTW, I think HULU plus requires you to have cable, like EPSN video apps requires you to subscribe to the ESPN channels

WC · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 Dec 2013, 10:12 pm »

We cut the cord a couple of years ago.

We currently use Netflix and Amazon Prime for streaming and an over the air antenna. Not real sure I would see $12 a month benefit with Aereo. We find we don't watch much network TV anymore. May also be an issue with having young kids.

Hulu plus does not require you to have cable, but it does require you to pay monthly and watch some commercials.

With a Mac Mini you can watch whatever you find online on your TV.

johsti · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 Dec 2013, 10:43 pm »

I just canceled cable recently too. Hulu, Netflix and an OTA antenna satisfies our needs just fine. I use Eyetv on my mac mini as a DVR, but seldom use it since most prime time shows are broadcast on Hulu. My bill went from almost $200 per month for TV and internet to $50 per month for internet and Hulu/Netflix. I wish I did this sooner. The only thing I miss is the Paladia channel.

Phil A · « **Reply #5 on:** 5 Dec 2013, 11:30 pm »

I've never had cable or satellite and everyone of my friends who says they can't live without it bitch constantly about the costs. Where I am now, I got HD over the air from two major markets and where I'm moving to shortly I already have an antenna as well. I may add one of the services the OP had listed after I get settled in the new place since I'll have a few less stations than I have now. If one likes a particular cable show there's always the discs that come out later (and for over $1k/yr. in cable fees the discs are lots cheaper). I watch ESPN3 via the computer for free sometimes and if once in a while a particular game is on, I go to a bar and have dinner. Internet is $52 in the new place. You can buy NBA games over the web for $139 and similar packages for other sports. Unless you and your family are TV junkies, I don't see much value in cable. Between LDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays, I probably have about 700 titles or a bit more. I don't buy as many as I used to and that's why I may try one of the services. Between what I can watch from what I own, free stuff, etc., there's not tons of time between everything else I do to even want for cable as I'd have to cut back on some other thing I'm doing and at a big monetary cost.

rajacat · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:05 am »

I'm considering canceling my satellite TV service. The main problem is that it's difficult to find an alternative source, other than cable, for most sports programming such as the PAC 12 network and ESPN. Does anybody know how to get these off the internet?

Living near the US Canada border, I'd like to get a state of the art OTA antennae which would allow me access the nearby Canadian market. So between this and Hulu, netflicks, etc, I would have all the TV I'm interested in except a comprehensive sports menu. Unfortunately Aereo isn't available in my area. I don't mind paying modest fees but dishnetwork cynically requires you to buy a high priced package before it allow access to most sport programming.

PS....Some sort DVD recorder is an absolute necessity for me.

Phil A · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:09 am »

Here's one article I've seen - http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/espn-may-pull-its-finger-out-of-the-internet-tv-dam-incite-a-flood-of-change/

and how you can get ESPN on certain devices

Phil A · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:09 am »

http://espn.go.com/watchespn/apps

Phil A · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:11 am »

There's limited ways to get the PAC 12 http://pac-12.com/live

rajacat · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:34 am »

It'll sure be nice when you can a la cart tv via the internet. Phil, it appears that all those sports plugins require a cable/sat account. Hmm.... maybe I'd be better off tempering my sports addiction and watching less tv. It's like being addicted to sugar; a quick rush but the thrill is gone in no time. Movies are more like a full course meal.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:45 am »

There is a proliferation of Android set top boxes reflashed with Linux and apps for Devilsports, Channel1 etc that apparently mimic a lot of streaming sports and TV content. They run about $150 on Kijiji in all the areas near Toronto.

I have not pulled the trigger on one, but might this Xmas. I would trial it in my basement HT where there is currently no broadcast available (I use satellite for the other 2 tv's in the house, but just use a WDTV Live in the basement to play movies).

If I can watch live golf and hockey, and we can sort out the shows my wife watches, I would gladly toss the satellite monthly and goose the internet to allow for more streaming etc.

Phil A · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 12:54 am »

It is like an addiction. I hear people tell him how to I live without it (and also make fun of me since I have so many TVs) and in the next breath complain it costs way too much. Between movies,music discs and music files, I probably have give or take 3,000 things to watch or listen to. I still have a few things I have not watched or listened to. When I watch TV, it is usually the news, a game, a news magazine or MeTV or RetroTV that has old shows. I'll be retiring for the 2nd and last time in less than 3 months. After a move, unpacking, getting a couple of things for the house and audio systems and catching up on things, I'll probably have more time and therefore may be interested in something besides over the air probably about a year from now (unless I take up something like Golf but I played once and hit more houses than greens

).

lokie · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 03:01 am »

Sports was the only reason I hung on to Cable. I'm hoping I can get most of my sports fix through Aereo since I'm in the Atlanta market.

Not sure how many TV's streaming full tilt will cause a gum up? I have maxed AT&T internet service at 6.0mbps so... we'll see.

BTW- The idea of paying $9.99/month per cablebox/TV seems absolutely absurd to me now.

I forgot about Amazon Prime. I will have to give that one a trial period as well.I've heard good things.

You gots to think that with these mega cos getting in the streaming game that lotsa mo sports are going to follow.

Quote

Curious which of the first three you liked the best?

They are very different and serve different purposes but I guess they overlap somewhat. Give me the Holidays to spend some time with them and I'll render a better opinion.

viggen · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 03:32 am »

I've cut the tv cord for maybe 10 or so years now?

What I pay for are:

Netflix $8 (and I hardly use it)
Amazon Prime free? (and I never use it)
Ballstream $6 (all NBA teams all year long, no blackouts)
Cox $64 (internet price keeps getting jacked up)

Phil A · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 01:32 pm »

Yes, the cable co raises rates. Media cos (including magazines) charge their best customers the most and offer deals for new subscribers. Been that way for years. You can call them up and ask if there deals for internet. I've done it twice. Once they took $10 off and the second time they gave me a pkg for $50 of internet and basic TV (which I looked at once but never used) and that expires at the end of this month and since I'm moving I'll probably only have one more month of their high rate until the end of January. The cable business in its current form is probably going to die over time. That's why Crumbcast (Comcast) bought NBC. Electric cos have done trials doing internet over electrical lines too. In the new place the internet is $52 plus tax and I more or less look at it as that's the rate and it might be up a bit over time and if I want additional services such as indicated in the prior post, it is not an expensive ad on. I helped my neighbor in the new area set up his new 60 inch TV (receiver and Blu-Ray player too) with his cable box and I flipped to the channels and did not want to tell him that compared to the cheap antenna I had the low voltage contractor put in the garage attic (and I had it run to 8 different places and put in a $40-50 distribution amp and labeled the outputs after it was done) his picture was not very good. I've found that happens sometimes depending on where one sits on the cable food chain.

fredgarvin · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 04:47 pm »

We bought a Roku for $50. It has loads of free channels and private channels. Palladia, netflix etc.
We then downloaded http://www.playon.tv/ for $49, lifetime. It has all the channels you find on cable, sattelite etc. With it's app playmark, we stream video and movies from the net to the Roku. Youtube, etc. any video basically.

Our cost? 7.99 a month.

Phil A · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 05:50 pm »

Quote from: fredgarvin on 6 Dec 2013, 04:47 pm

We bought a Roku for $50. It has loads of free channels and private channels. Palladia, netflix etc.
We then downloaded http://www.playon.tv/ for $49, lifetime. It has all the channels you find on cable, sattelite etc. With it's app playmark, we stream video and movies from the net to the Roku. Youtube, etc. any video basically.

Our cost? 7.99 a month.

Cool - does that cover multiple (Roku) boxes for the Playon fees? Really good info. The thing I think that gets people most annoyed with pay TV providers is they have this intro deal for a year a two and then you end up at 1.75 times the intro deal price in several months after it is up and you have to constantly go back to them to get the deal they offer all the time for new subscribers. Once the network is in place, it is a cash cow for them. Even the IRS acknowledges that cable cos. can give their own employees free or low cost service without recognizing it as taxable income. There's a rule called 'no additional cost service' which pertains to things like cable or phone which have a network in place.

rajacat · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 06:01 pm »

Quote from: fredgarvin on 6 Dec 2013, 04:47 pm

We bought a Roku for $50. It has loads of free channels and private channels. Palladia, netflix etc.
We then downloaded http://www.playon.tv/ for $49, lifetime. It has all the channels you find on cable, sattelite etc. With it's app playmark, we stream video and movies from the net to the Roku. Youtube, etc. any video basically.

Our cost? 7.99 a month.

That's what I'm looking for.

Combine that with an over-the-air HD antenna and library DVD's, you'll have most of the bases covered.

viggen · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Dec 2013, 06:41 pm »

How does this playon.tv work? It has a lifetime subscription payment plan. So, if I go with that, does that mean I get lifetime netflix for $60? What's the catch?