Canceling our cable TV

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
I've always said I could live without the TV, but my girl seemed to have gotten used to it from having it during college in the dorms. I liked watching animal planet and some history channel stuff...but otherwise most of it was just garbage with the occasional good movie. She didn't want to cancel it when the prices went up initially.

Well, since she pays the whole bill for cable + internet and phone. (I pick up gas and electric) I think its finally sinking into her how much of a waste of money it is. Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo. She suggested last night that we cancel it, and I'm all for it. I'll just grab some rabbit ears to watch the news.

The way I see it, TV is trash. And anything I want to watch I can usually download. Adelphia rate hikes show no sign of stopping. I'd get DSL and a dish if I could in my apartment, but neither are available.
 

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,148
4,683
136
Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo.

Are you allowed to cancel all cable but still keep cable internet? Just curious.
 

Bassyhead

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2001
4,545
0
0
some people think we're freaks or something because we dont have cable or satellite. truth is, I hardly watch as much TV as when i was younger. We've been living here for 11 years with the rabbit ears and 5 channels and I havent complained.
 

Ogg

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2003
4,829
1
0
I :heart: my digital cable.

Dont want to imagine living without it :eek:
$60/month
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,031
1,346
136
Originally posted by: allisolm
Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo.

Are you allowed to cancel all cable but still keep cable internet? Just curious.

Apparently, yes. I have Adelphia and no cable channels. Since they hiked up the price last summer, I cancelled everything except internet access. Now they keep sending me flyers offering useless channels that I never watch. The one channel I actually occassionally watch (Comedy Central) they don't even have it in their lineup in my area!
 

TheShiz

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,846
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0
i agree! cable is mostly garbage. i have comcast and they offer limited cable, which is basically the stuff you can get through the air(but you don't have to worry about reception like with the ears), plus weather channel, cspan, nasa, and a few other stations. since i mostly watch PBS (great documentaries from time to time, and no commercials.) it works for me. it costs 8 dollars a month.

I hardly ever watch tv anymore, and it is funny what people expect you to know about, like I never know anything about some stupid new commercials, or all the crappy shows my coworkers watch.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,081
12,590
136
Originally posted by: allisolm
Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo.

Are you allowed to cancel all cable but still keep cable internet? Just curious.
I do at least.

Rogers High Speed Cable Internet and no cable tv. $45 CDN/month
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
Originally posted by: allisolm
Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo.

Are you allowed to cancel all cable but still keep cable internet? Just curious.

Yes. Cable internet is advertised as 39.99/mo. I was informed there is some bullsh|t line charge that ups it to ~50/mo when on its own.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
LOL. That reminds me. My friend was telling me the other day that since his roommate is moving out of the apartment and the electric bill was in the roommates name he needed to call and switch the bill to his name. So he calls up and they say they need a deposit and then they tell him there will be a 25$ 'transfer fee'.

My friend says "Thats bullsh|t."
Lady, "Excuse me?"
Friend "You heard me."
Lady "Well...its a state law, you have to pay it."

LOL. I'm surprised that lady was so taken aback at my friend calling a spade a spade. That is bullsh|t. I didn't have to pay any fee when I signed up myself. I would have just told her to cancel my power and called back an hour later to open a new account.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,855
355
136
If rabbit ears antenna worked for us (I have yet to try powered rabbit ears) then I would cancel cable TV all together.

Thankfully we'd still have DSL.
 

Ness

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2002
5,407
2
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
LOL. That reminds me. My friend was telling me the other day that since his roommate is moving out of the apartment and the electric bill was in the roommates name he needed to call and switch the bill to his name. So he calls up and they say they need a deposit and then they tell him there will be a 25$ 'transfer fee'.

My friend says "Thats bullsh|t."
Lady, "Ecsuse me?"
Friend "You heard me."
Lady "Well...its a state law, you have to pay it."

LOL. I'm surprised that lady was so taken aback at my friend calling a spade a spade. That is bullsh|t. I didn't have to pay any fee when I signed up myself. I would have just told her to cancel my power and called back an hour later to open a new account.

It's a state requirement that they have a fee for changing who the owner of the account is? I don't believe that for one second. You should tell her to send you information on this law and the transfer fee, as any company that has a policy like that or has a law like that over them is usually required to give you a written explanation if you request it.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
Originally posted by: Ness
Originally posted by: PingSpike
LOL. That reminds me. My friend was telling me the other day that since his roommate is moving out of the apartment and the electric bill was in the roommates name he needed to call and switch the bill to his name. So he calls up and they say they need a deposit and then they tell him there will be a 25$ 'transfer fee'.

My friend says "Thats bullsh|t."
Lady, "Ecsuse me?"
Friend "You heard me."
Lady "Well...its a state law, you have to pay it."

LOL. I'm surprised that lady was so taken aback at my friend calling a spade a spade. That is bullsh|t. I didn't have to pay any fee when I signed up myself. I would have just told her to cancel my power and called back an hour later to open a new account.

It's a state requirement that they have a fee for changing who the owner of the account is? I don't believe that for one second. You should tell her to send you information on this law and the transfer fee, as any company that has a policy like that or has a law like that over them is usually required to give you a written explanation if you request it.

I assumed such too. It sounds like something a cornered person would spit out just to get you off their back.
 

Garet Jax

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2000
6,369
0
71
Originally posted by: PingSpike
I've always said I could live without the TV, but my girl seemed to have gotten used to it from having it during college in the dorms. I liked watching animal planet and some history channel stuff...but otherwise most of it was just garbage with the occasional good movie. She didn't want to cancel it when the prices went up initially.

Well, since she pays the whole bill for cable + internet and phone. (I pick up gas and electric) I think its finally sinking into her how much of a waste of money it is. Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo. She suggested last night that we cancel it, and I'm all for it. I'll just grab some rabbit ears to watch the news.

The way I see it, TV is trash. And anything I want to watch I can usually download. Adelphia rate hikes show no sign of stopping. I'd get DSL and a dish if I could in my apartment, but neither are available.

PingSPike,

My wife and I did this some time ago. However, rather than just cancelling cable, look into something Comcast calls limited cable. It costs ~$10 a month, gets you the major channels (NBC, ABC, CBS) + a few others. The best thing though is that it eliminates the surcharge the cable company charges for just having internet.
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
When you can cel your cable TV and just keep the Internet (at least with Time Warner) all they do is stick an adaptor on your line at the box in yoru backyard (or wherever it is). The adaptor blocks the signal from the TV channel areas and just lets through the internet signal. But you can usually still get a few channels at the top end of the range...
 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Who has the best deal on basic cable + high-speed internet?

Definitely not Time Warner. Absolutely no package deals. Basic cable is 14 a month for bare minimum channels:
0 TV Guide Channel
2 WNCN (NBC)
3 WRAL (CBS)
4 Educational Programming
5 WRAY (IND)
6 WTVD (ABC)
7 Home Buyers Channel
8 Community Programming
9 WUNC (PBS)
10 WLFL (WB)
11 WUVC (Univision)
12 WRDC (UPN)
13 WRAZ (FOX)
14 News 14 Carolina
15 HSN
16 QVC
18 C-SPAN
19 BET
21 WGN
22 WRPX (PAX)
24 Triangle TV
98 TV Guide Channel


You have to spend 44 a month minimum for ESPN, History Channel, WTBS, TNT or any halfway decent channel
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
As other have said, turn off the EXTRA and pay channels but keep the BASIC setup. Only cost $7-19 (give or take) range and you still get the channels most people watch anyways, and the filter here in Raleigh they use if you have NO cable but do have internet slows the connection down. So having basic will cost very little and keep your internet speed up.
 

ggavinmoss

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2001
4,798
1
0
Let me get this straight, TV is crap and you don't want to pay for it but you still feel entitled to d/l TV shows?

-geoff
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
I use dish for $39.99/month. NO extra fees or crap on that. Cable is ass. Unfortunately I need it for internet but that costs only $40/month total also.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
Let me get this straight, TV is crap and you don't want to pay for it but you still feel entitled to d/l TV shows?

-geoff

Get over yourself. If I could buy one channel I would. But I have to buy 60, 55 of which I hate.
 

ggavinmoss

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2001
4,798
1
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
Let me get this straight, TV is crap and you don't want to pay for it but you still feel entitled to d/l TV shows?

-geoff

Get over yourself. If I could buy one channel I would. But I have to buy 60, 55 of which I hate.

Most people who rail against TV are just trying to sound smart.

-geoff
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,751
595
126
Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
Let me get this straight, TV is crap and you don't want to pay for it but you still feel entitled to d/l TV shows?

-geoff

Get over yourself. If I could buy one channel I would. But I have to buy 60, 55 of which I hate.

Most people who rail against TV are just trying to sound smart.

-geoff

Well, I guess you have it all figured out then. We're all morons. You can go back to watching WWF, safe with the knowledge that you vastly outclass everyone else who doesn't watch TV.
 

Fiveohhh

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2002
3,776
0
0
I easily get by with network tv, I'd like to have the history channel, but ohh well:p I don't wanna pay $50 plus $30 installation for 1 station.
 

Mandos

Banned
May 20, 2004
1,478
0
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
I've always said I could live without the TV, but my girl seemed to have gotten used to it from having it during college in the dorms. I liked watching animal planet and some history channel stuff...but otherwise most of it was just garbage with the occasional good movie. She didn't want to cancel it when the prices went up initially.

Well, since she pays the whole bill for cable + internet and phone. (I pick up gas and electric) I think its finally sinking into her how much of a waste of money it is. Its upwards of $100/mo for basic + HBO and cable internet. If we cancel all cable and just keep the internet it'll be like $50/mo. She suggested last night that we cancel it, and I'm all for it. I'll just grab some rabbit ears to watch the news.

The way I see it, TV is trash. And anything I want to watch I can usually download. Adelphia rate hikes show no sign of stopping. I'd get DSL and a dish if I could in my apartment, but neither are available.

Yep, I did the same, it is a huge waste. I hardly ever watched it anyway, and if I ever want it again I'll just pay that er... guy.. down the road to open my box and plug it up for a quick 20 spot.. ;)