"Cord Cutting" re Cable TV Growing

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
I'm not giving them the click without a summary.

Also, why post this without any commentary?
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
86
The problem is the best TV is not available until either long after it has aired or never. At least, not legally. Breaking Bad took how long? Game of Thrones? And, then you take into account people who are transplants and have to pay premium to watch out of network sports games.

Cutting the cord is and all, but you miss out on a lot for what amounts to not a significant amount of money. And extra $50-70 a month? For what I get out of it, I am happy.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,103
596
126
I haven't had a cord in years. Don't miss the bills at all. Occasionally miss the sports though.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
I'm not giving them the click without a summary.

Also, why post this without any commentary?

I respect the differential intelligence of others, assuming they can read and are normally moved to....until the respect becomes eroded.

Really, Dave? A mouseclick is too much for you? Like actual cardio?? Please, do not do us any favors.

The title IS the SUMMATION.
 

marmasatt

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
6,576
22
81
I haven't had a cord in years. Don't miss the bills at all. Occasionally miss the sports though.

Just did this beginning April 1st. Coming from FIOS it's been a bit tough. I have to tell you these cable companies are all crooks. I feel totally liberated with me and my $140 bucks back. But man do I miss ESPN and sports....
 

Uppsala9496

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 2001
5,272
19
81
Did it a few months ago. Had to buy the NHL Gamecenter subscription and then use vpn to log in out of country to then close the vpn to get faster local speeds.
Biggest complaint is the time lag (roughly 55 seconds to 1 minute delayed) and the choppiness in playback.
Use the credentials for my summer house to stream whatever Comcast allows (which is a very limited selection).
$120+ a month is just a waste of money.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
Just did this beginning April 1st. Coming from FIOS it's been a bit tough. I have to tell you these cable companies are all crooks. I feel totally liberated with me and my $140 bucks back. But man do I miss ESPN and sports....


Tell me, other than sports, were you watching shows on cable you now can't watch?

I feel bad you can't see the sports U want.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
I'm not giving them the click without a summary.

Also, why post this without any commentary?

It's a safe site, if that's what is worrying you. I visit it often, no pop ups even.
Some interesting stats at the link
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
The problem is the best TV is not available until either long after it has aired or never. At least, not legally. Breaking Bad took how long? Game of Thrones? And, then you take into account people who are transplants and have to pay premium to watch out of network sports games.

Cutting the cord is and all, but you miss out on a lot for what amounts to not a significant amount of money. And extra $50-70 a month? For what I get out of it, I am happy.

As of now, I am in same place you are in this. And, my cable TV is bundled with my broadband and digital phone (need it for work) via RCN.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
Just did this beginning April 1st. Coming from FIOS it's been a bit tough. I have to tell you these cable companies are all crooks. I feel totally liberated with me and my $140 bucks back. But man do I miss ESPN and sports....

$140??? What do you do for internet? Tether 4G?

We pay about $110 for FIOS and that includes 50/30 internet. So even if we cut tv and phone, it's still over $50. Would rather be able to watch random tv shows that are not network channels (cooking, bravo, hgtv, nhl network, etc.) I torrent network stuff anyway because I like to watch them at my leisure.

The way cable companies can stay in the game is to keep their internet prices high so that the triple or double play is not significantly higher and people will pay the small additional to keep it. Once upon a time not more than 5 years ago, Cablevision internet was only $30/mo. and now you can't get it for cheaper than $50.
 
Last edited:

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,810
126
The problem is the best TV is not available until either long after it has aired or never. At least, not legally. Breaking Bad took how long? Game of Thrones? And, then you take into account people who are transplants and have to pay premium to watch out of network sports games.

Cutting the cord is and all, but you miss out on a lot for what amounts to not a significant amount of money. And extra $50-70 a month? For what I get out of it, I am happy.

Yes. You don't save much money by not having cable or satellite tv. My savings each month is only ~$40 a month. I pay $65 a month for internet. :(. To really save the money, you have to go all the way and cut the cord for the internet as well. That's something very few people are willing to do. People with no home internet are the true cord cutters.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
According to how the site figures it, 6.5 percent of people have "cut the cord".
I think this spells trouble for people who are still on cable tv as the cable companies will want to raise rates on those who still have cable tv.

Or else raise rates on internet service. And that raises the question of what will happen if they start raising internet rates to make up for lost tv revenue. Many people know that cable companies have monopolies but are only starting to understand that the internet portion of their bill is unregulated and people may start asking why a company with a government provided monopoly has no regulation.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,256
13,014
126
www.anyf.ca
When I moved into my house it took like 2 years before I got a TV. I had lot of debts to pay from renovations so I told myself I want to pay those off first before I get a TV. Then I got a TV/htpc setup and used it only really for movies. Only a year later did I decide to get cable. I was barely watching it so it was just not worth the 60-70/mo so I cancelled.

Now I have FTTH through the phone company and it includes TV so I have "cable" again and do watch it, but if it was a significant savings to not have it, I would probably not have it, but the bundle is a pretty good deal. I pay about 150/mo or so for 50/30 internet, full blown TV package and home phone, so that's a pretty good deal. The internet alone is worth that.

Though interestingly most shows I download anyway. Unless I know the show is about to premiere and I want to see it, chances are I'll be behind on the series by the time I want to watch it so I just download it all. Interestingly, I watched the Breaking Bad Finale on TV, all the other ones I had downloaded.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
$140??? What do you do for internet? Tether 4G?


Good question. Truth is, I no longer know what I pay for the cable element in my bundle.....but RCN are not crooks. They bend over backwards, recently even went to court, tho, they lost..... to keep their prices as low as possible.
 
Last edited:

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,256
13,014
126
www.anyf.ca
What's dangerous is that they recently got rid of net neutrality, so guess what the cable/internet companies are going to start doing, they will make the internet work like TV.

With the base package, you get Google and a couple news sites, then you pay a premium for other stuff. Things like Netflix will be very high priced, because they don't want one of their products (the internet) to compete with their other product (cable).
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
To really save the money, you have to go all the way and cut the cord for the internet as well. That's something very few people are willing to do. People with no home internet are the true cord cutters.

I agree, I am no way willing to do that. Maybe, some day, but not now.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
Did it a few months ago. Had to buy the NHL Gamecenter subscription and then use vpn to log in out of country to then close the vpn to get faster local speeds.
Biggest complaint is the time lag (roughly 55 seconds to 1 minute delayed) and the choppiness in playback.
Use the credentials for my summer house to stream whatever Comcast allows (which is a very limited selection).
$120+ a month is just a waste of money.

You might want to consider hockeystreams instead. It's $100 a year and you can freeze the account between seasons so that the 365 allotted days can run across 2 seasons. The streams are pretty good and they even have non-NHL games.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
What's dangerous is that they recently got rid of net neutrality

I made thread about that here, also put up like a thousand links for petition signing. Net neutrality is still being debated and good, pro active humans are doing all they can to restore and preserve it.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,256
13,014
126
www.anyf.ca
That IS a GOOD DEAL!!!!!!! Does it include DVR?

Yeah whole home DVR. I can get more receivers and watch/record from any TV. It's actually a pretty nice setup. I only have one TV though.

We're actually very lucky to have this service, being up north we tend to get left out when it comes to stuff like this, so this was quite the surprise when I found out about it.
 

Virgorising

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2013
4,470
0
0
Yeah whole home DVR. I can get more receivers and watch/record from any TV. It's actually a pretty nice setup. I only have one TV though. We're actually very lucky to have this service, being up north we tend to get left out when it comes to stuff like this, so this was quite the surprise when I found out about it.

Wow. K....that just went from a good deal to an AWESOME DEAL.:D
 

Imp

Lifer
Feb 8, 2000
18,828
184
106
Yes. You don't save much money by not having cable or satellite tv. My savings each month is only ~$40 a month. I pay $65 a month for internet. :(. To really save the money, you have to go all the way and cut the cord for the internet as well. That's something very few people are willing to do. People with no home internet are the true cord cutters.

My cable TV + DVR rental is about $90 a month, internet is about $50, so $140/month.

But think about all the other stuff you blow money on. A night out on the low end is $15 for a single sit down dinner, $15 for a 2-3 hour movie, at least $25 for a 2-3 hour concert, $12 here for a 6 pack of beer that'll last a night or two, etc.

And of the people I know who don't have cable, they have nice phat $50+/month smartphone data plans.

There was an article a while back that said that cable is one of the most cost effective forms of entertainment available. I agree.