Cutting the cord

[amgraham]

Originally Posted by paimon.soror

So far Sling has been interesting. I watched a few basketball games last night on TNT, but mostly we have been sitting and watching some TBS. I honestly have been "pretending" that i dont have cable (my wife, not so much yet lol), and so far so good. Every once in a while a channel will 'hang'... so i basically have to open the guide and re-open the channel i was watching.

An earlier point on cost was a good one.... it gets very interesting if you start factoring in buying an hd antenna, maybe adding a hulu subscription, plus streaming (we already have netflix so it isn't 'added expense'). I'm sure if it only comes down to 30 bucks, the curiosity will be "is it worth the hassle".... My guess is no.

Yeah, it's certainly not cutting my $170-ish internet/cable bill in half, or anything like that. Would be nice but, no. Would still end up at $130-ish, for both, combined. But... like I said... I have TVs in the guest room and exercise room and could put one out in the garage, and have them "connected" for cheap, with availability to the full "content". Right now, the guest room and exercise room are on Roku's, with what you can get for "free". I don't have a TV in the garage but if I could watch racing out there while I'm working without paying $10/month for a box rental from Comcast, I probably would stick one up on the wall. So... What I was getting at was... $30-$40 a month savings "as is" but... I can "add" three TVs without the $30/month price increase from Comcast for rental boxes.

[paimon.soror]

ok one thing i have noticed with Sling so far (not sure about others), but holy crap does it play the same freaking commercials at every break. I'm guessing that is because the local cable provider isn't injecting their required commercials into the break. Mother of god im watching Spike and i just saw like 6 or 7 commercials, 2 were for the CMT award and 2 were for love and hip hop returning.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by vtown

get an indoor antenna for the local Networks. Looks like you are in a metro area, should be able to get NBC/CBS/ABC/Fox...plus like 20 spanish channels lol

Spanish channels in Boston? Or Irish tv? Lol

[chumley]

Originally Posted by amgraham

Going through the same thing and commented in the other cord-cutting thread. PS Vue seemed to be the best "cable replacement" for our needs. I'm in the same "evaluation" phase. In fact, we were still unsure after the 5-day free trial so I paid for a month to use side-by-side with cable so we could be sure about whatever decision we end up making.

As I mentioned in that thread, the savings isn't huge, $30, maybe $40/month. But... the savings could increase because I could add cheap "sticks" or boxes to additional TVs without incurring the $10/month fee from Comcast.

Also, as I indicated in the other thread, the Amazon Fire box does a better job streaming Plex than the app built-in to at least one of the Smart TVs. I have noticed that the frame rate over Vue seems to momentarily drop every now and again. The picture doesn't completely freeze and buffer but... the frame-rate just seems to drop for a few seconds then it returns to normal. Not a huge deal and over the next month, we'll see how much of a problem it is.

Lastly, in the same boat as some of you... Getting my wife to like/use it. The kids, no problem. They pick that stuff up quickly. Because of the way you find, surf, use the guide, etc. is different than Xfinity X1... she's not "adapting" so well.

We'll see... For us... it's not just the money. After paying more for "unbundled" internet, it's only $30 or $40 savings but... that's pizza on movie night or something, right? It's also the "single-source", one box, simplicity and the addition of some features, like being able to use Alexa, better Plex performance and a few other things.

Exactly my thoughts. For those of us who live in areas where companies have a broadband monopoly, we're screwed. Comcast is my only choice > DSL and as a standalone product it's $79 for 55mb (supposedly getting to 100mb soon). Vue recently upped the cost to $59 so it's $139 and I have to provide all the hardware. The $79 is with my modem and either an Apple TV, Firestick, Roku, etc. on each TV. No local channels are available and Vue has a crazy combination of what can be viewed on demand or "saved" for the major networks. There have been times you can get more recent episodes free on the network's website that aren't on Vue. I setup a Plex server on a Linux box, put an antennae on the roof, and added a cable card for local channels. Works great, I can record, save and even watch but as you mentioned, the family hates the complexity of figuring out what's network and what's not and for the most part refuses to use it unless I am home.

Everyone of the streaming providers suck in one way or another. Youtube is missing half the channels the family watches, DTV Now has no DVR, or you have to opt in to the biggest packages to get the 5-6 must have channels for the family.

There really isn't alot of savings to be had yet that don't involve compromises on quality, convenience or the channels you want to watch. Plus, I with "deals" I can probably replicate or exceed my setup with a Xfinity X1 bundle for about the same price for 2 years commitment. I just hate Comcast so much I refuse to pay them anymore than I have to.

Also - I'm surprised no one else mentioned the ultimate kiss of death for cable cutters. We don't even watch all that much and we hit 700gb in data a couple months ago. Comcast and most others have quietly implemented data caps over the past couple of years and ours is 1tb. If we watched alot we could easily go over that.

[paimon.soror]

Yea the more I am reading and researching, it really is becoming a pipe dream for now. You can in most cases haggle a promo price with the cable provider to rival the cost of a streaming setup (or close enough that convenience greatly surpasses the cost) We may be a year or so out before a-la-carte tv truly becomes a good option.

[Clark_Kent]

Thanks for starting this thread. I plan to follow it closely to learn more about your experience. As much as I'd like to explore cutting the cord, it's "too early" for my needs. I simply want to turn on the television and press 2-0-6 on the remote for ESPN. Not interested in buffering, freezing or launching various apps to access channels. Further, I have found that since the satellite and cable providers are seeing their subscription base erode by the day it's easier than ever to lean on them for large discounts. How much are you paying all-in (internet + various streaming services) once the free trials expire?

[paimon.soror]

So buffering is really non-existant. Actually "changing channels" is as fast as changing a digital channel on my Cox cable box (takes a second or two).

Assuming that today i decided to go with Sling, the cost would be:

1 time cost of a roku / chromecast if you dont have one (60 for roku [preferred over chromecast], 30 for chromecast)
1 time cost for HD Antenna ($30 - 60 depending on type/quality/range)
Internet + Streaming = $120 - $130 (80 for internet, and 40 for a streaming that has all the channels we need)

Now thats going in with the understanding that none of my local channels would get DVR'd ... so then throw in the cost of a 'subscription free DVR' and you could also see a 1 time cost of $100.

So, upfront costs to get yourself situated are certainly not great
And then you are left with roughly $130 a month ... so I would personally see a savings of roughly $50 bucks

So now quantify (loss of convenience + cost of wife frustration), and suddenly your savings become moot.

I still plan on testing this out because im still interested in the different providers and what they have to offer.... I have nothing to lose with the free trials.... but after a few days of pretending to be a 'streaming only' customer, it seems like a pipe dream.

Now.... if i was single, it would probably make a lot of sense since i could live with a streaming package that didn't have a ton of channels to satisfy the wife.... but if you have a family, forget about it in my opinion

[Naoto]

i cancelled my cable earlier this week after putting it off for too long. i was paying $205 for tv and internet but rarely watched tv. i tried both a roku and apple tv; decided to return the roku. being able to airplay is definitely worth it if you have other apple products. i also bought a clearstream eclipse amplified antenna and put it in a window. my tv shows 100% signal for most channels and i live in a downtown area. i do have a netflix account and an account from my parent's fios so i can log in to channels like espn, fx, tnt, mtv, etc.

[mbanks21]

We just did this too. Paying $205 a month for Spectrum tv/internet/phone. Cable picture constantly freezes and pixelates even in clear weather. Audio and video often unsynch (sp?) so we tried Sling and PSVue. We decided on PSVue because it has the most channels that we watch. $55/month with all the options we want. We were using a Roku Express but the Firestick is 100x better (faster, better menus, and comes with Alexa for basic commands). We're still using Spectrum for internet and phone (not sure why wife needs home phone) but we're looking at alternatives since we hate Spectrum that much.

[paimon.soror]

Originally Posted by mbanks21

We just did this too. Paying $205 a month for Spectrum tv/internet/phone. Cable picture constantly freezes and pixelates even in clear weather. Audio and video often unsynch (sp?) so we tried Sling and PSVue. We decided on PSVue because it has the most channels that we watch. $55/month with all the options we want. We were using a Roku Express but the Firestick is 100x better (faster, better menus, and comes with Alexa for basic commands). We're still using Spectrum for internet and phone (not sure why wife needs home phone) but we're looking at alternatives since we hate Spectrum that much.

Regarding the phone, one thing that I convinced my boss to do is to drop his phone and just leverage google voice. And if you grab one of these :

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port.../dp/B00BUV7C9A

And then get a set of cordless + extender bases, you will be all set

[BayMoWe335]

I think the “cutting the cord” phrase is a scam phrase coined by streaming companies who will ultimately screw you worse than TV providers. The whole industry is built on teaser rates that are actually a very stripped down version of what you’re paying for today.

By the time you actually get everything you want, you’ll want to kill yourself from hassle it took to get there and you’ll probably end up saving $2/month.

[Bups]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

By the time you actually get everything you want, you’ll want to kill yourself from hassle it took to get there and you’ll probably end up saving $2/month.

As much as I'd like to, a lot of people I know are still paying for $60-$100 for all the different streaming services (Roku, PSvue, HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Sling, etc), which with internet, is pretty much the same as cable (~$140 for mine).

I'd rather pay for my internet, then pay for individual channels that I like to watch, which is maybe 20 or so at best, and have my bill be around $80-$100 a month. It'll never happen, but I'd rather pay a smaller premium for a smaller selection of channels since they are the only channels I actually watch.

[0w40X1]

Just cut the bundle, and found out the phonewas only $10, but the taxes were $25.

This kind of nonsense tax and fees is in too much of our stuff!

I bought Roku Ultra for aprrox $83, and use 50mbps net for $35+ sales tax, and ordered Directv Now for $35 + sales tax (lots of deals my first month $11).

I have local anttenna in clear color for window from Amzon with 20ft cable that gets 10 local channels or which 5 are watchable content.

I save $100 a month, and can turn some off when I leave for 3 months.

[mbanks21]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

I think the “cutting the cord” phrase is a scam phrase coined by streaming companies who will ultimately screw you worse than TV providers. The whole industry is built on teaser rates that are actually a very stripped down version of what you’re paying for today.

By the time you actually get everything you want, you’ll want to kill yourself from hassle it took to get there and you’ll probably end up saving $2/month.

Pretty sure you're in the minority here. I was paying apprx $105 a month just for cable. Hundreds of channels I don't watch, horrible customer service, picture would constantly freeze, would have to reset the box almost daily. Plus my monthly rate increased every year. I bought a Firestick for $40 (one time purchase) and pay ~$55 a month for PSVue which has the 20 or so main channels I watch, plus I can play my Netflix and Amazon Prime through it and it has Alexa which is fun to play with. So I'm saving 50% and am much happier.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by mbanks21

Pretty sure you're in the minority here. I was paying apprx $105 a month just for cable. Hundreds of channels I don't watch, horrible customer service, picture would constantly freeze, would have to reset the box almost daily. Plus my monthly rate increased every year. I bought a Firestick for $40 (one time purchase) and pay ~$55 a month for PSVue which has the 20 or so main channels I watch, plus I can play my Netflix and Amazon Prime through it and it has Alexa which is fun to play with. So I'm saving 50% and am much happier.

I’m not in the minority just because your experience is different. It all depends on what you watch. I guarantee you,can’t get every channel I watch with your setup.

Sure I can save money, but I’ll give up some stuff too.

[mbanks21]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

I’m not in the minority just because your experience is different.
all depends on wha t

No it's not just my experience. It's the millions of people leaving cable for streaming options and saving plenty of money by doing it. Sling, dtvn, and psvue offer packages from around $40-50 so not sure where you see people paying $100+ to stream.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by mbanks21

No it's not just my experience. It's the millions of people leaving cable for streaming options and saving plenty of money by doing it. Sling, dtvn, and psvue offer packages from around $40-50 so not sure where you see people paying $100+ to stream.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t giving up something and the jury is still out on the people leaving being happy and staying with the stream option. A lot of promotions to leave.

Like OP, they are evaluating it. My guess is many will end up unhappy.

[mbanks21]

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[mbanks21]

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[mbanks21]

You must work for brighthouse. I've never heard anyone go back to cable after learning about streaming. Cable will be dead in a few years. Poor service, high prices, outdated technology

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by mbanks21

You must work for brighthouse. I've never heard anyone go back to cable after learning about streaming. Cable will be dead in a few years. Poor service, high prices, outdated technology

They aren’t just going to die. Companies typically adapt when markets are heading rather than just allowing streaming to take their business. I didn’t say people will go back to cable but people will be upset at the pricing, offering, and service when streaming catches on too.

I tried streaming and I had to give up about half of the sports I watch and the service was spotty HD.

I have amazon streaming and Netflix still.

[mbanks21]

Bottom line is people are leaving cable in droves. Where I live I have one option for cable and it sucks. If I stream I have a dozen options or more. Streaming services don't have to worry about boxes, cable lines, outages, etc that's why they can charge half the price. I'll gladly give up a few channels to save $6-700 a year