I'll stay where I'm at LP and you can come visit if ya want.
I'm willing to bet we both have pantries. Just like our grandparents did.
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Are any of you cord cutters?
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I'll stay where I'm at LP and you can come visit if ya want.
I'm willing to bet we both have pantries. Just like our grandparents did.
We keep waffling back and forth between cutting the cord and not. I'm totally fine with cutting the cord completely as long as we have reliable internet access, Netflix and digital antenna for local stations. My hubby's requirement is being able to watch college football when it's not on a network station. In the past we've had DIRECTV, slingtv, Netflix & Hulu and I've recently been tempted by Amazon Prime (more for the free shipping than the streaming music & video). We still have our DIRECTV dish but the only way they could tempt me to come back would be offering a'la carte selection of channels. I'm not paying more than $100/month just to have hundreds of channels that I DON'T want to watch . . . let me pay for what's I'm actually interested in watching.
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My TV won't let me watch PBS shows. I think I need Hulu for that and I'm not crazy about them.
Netflix is a good compromise but I wish they were really extensive with the DVDs. I also wish certain movies were available on DVD like "Twilight of the Cockroaches" or "Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night" or even that Raggedy Ann and Andy movie.
Cable's only good for the internet I pay for. But whenever you can/want to cut the cord, best of luck to you.
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We cut the cord years ago and I didn't mind at all. Then I worked from home for a few years and had to get the whole package again. Recently we cut it again and I enjoyed the free satellite we aimed outside for a while, we got really into the free stations like ion and pbs, but then I got hooked on Homeland (thanks Netflix) so I bundled my cell service and got Directv and internet at home again for a pretty reasonable rate. I can live without it but I do enjoy having it again.
We have no tv here. Literally, it was in the cellar until I gave it to a lady from church. We barely watched it and when the wee bairn came there was no room for it.
We occasionally watch films, on a laptop. If I'm working from home then I will put it on the larger monitor, but that is not often.
If you don't watch what you pay for, are the things that you would lose worth the money to you? Even if you couldn't watch your favorite show, is that worth the money to you? If so, there is your answer. If not, snip snip snip.
I know people that are so in to so many shows that they have to save them and then have no time to watch them all! But they must watch them all, somehow, because it is so vital to know what happens. I honestly think that they would have major trauma issues if some shows were cancelled mid series!
We have Internet, though - when we move anywhere, I HAVE to have Internet there ready for the first day. It would be like not having a water supply!
We occasionally watch films, on a laptop. If I'm working from home then I will put it on the larger monitor, but that is not often.
If you don't watch what you pay for, are the things that you would lose worth the money to you? Even if you couldn't watch your favorite show, is that worth the money to you? If so, there is your answer. If not, snip snip snip.
I know people that are so in to so many shows that they have to save them and then have no time to watch them all! But they must watch them all, somehow, because it is so vital to know what happens. I honestly think that they would have major trauma issues if some shows were cancelled mid series!
We have Internet, though - when we move anywhere, I HAVE to have Internet there ready for the first day. It would be like not having a water supply!
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Is what it's doing for you worth what it's doing to you.
Thanks TEG for clearing the entire thing up once again for me.
I need to ask myself that question fairly often.
Thanks TEG for clearing the entire thing up once again for me.
I need to ask myself that question fairly often.
makemineirish
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Maybe I misinterpreted your question. A number of the replies are regarding people who have chosen to eliminate or limit television. While this is admirable, it is not necessarily my objective in "cutting the cord".
I work from home and have the television on as background entertainment while I grind away on a laptop. My concern in eliminating cable was not restricting my television, by rather, ensuring that I would not miss out on anything more than commercials. I can absolutely live without television and once gave it up for a couple of years...the same way I eliminated sugar in another period of self-deprivation. I am a bit more hedonistic these days (eating pie as I type
).
At the moment, I can get any show that I want to watch for less than what I would pay for a cable subscription. I suck it up and pay for seasons of "The Walking Dead" and "Top Chef" (don't judge me) despite the fact that both are available for streaming the following year. Otherwise, everything else can be easily viewed through my subscriptions to HBO (Game of Thrones, Jon Oliver, Bill Maher), Showtime (Homeland, Shameless), CBS (Good Wife, Secretary of State), and Hulu (all things Shonda Rhimes, etc).
I tried Chromecast, but found that most networks limited the number of episodes that I could watch for free before hitting me up for a pass code through my paid subscription service. Furthermore, I hates the awkwardness of having to switch between tabs or unlock my phone to pause or rewind. I only appreciate catching a game when I get the full stadium experience of greasy food, sticky floors, and the combined BO of thousands. Therefore, I am not well-versed in the availability or cost of sporting events.
It is important to note that Time Warner is currently in discussions to purchase 25% of Hulu, which could affect the service provided and availability of new content significantly. At present, Hulu is my chief and most cost-effective source for recently aired episodes.
I am curious to see the specifics of the deal should it go through. My hope would be that the investment simply insulated Time Warner from the economic fallout of cord cutters like myself, resulting in increased content on Hulu. The more cynical assumption is that a contingency of the large-share purchase would be to delay new content (much like Netflix now) to slow the hemorrhage of cable subscribers. You could still watch the same shows...just a year after they air.
The irony, to me, is that any of the large cable providers could have saved themselves a massive amount of money and negated the need to infiltrate streaming services if they had simply invested half as much effort into customer retention as they do in customer acquisition.
I work from home and have the television on as background entertainment while I grind away on a laptop. My concern in eliminating cable was not restricting my television, by rather, ensuring that I would not miss out on anything more than commercials. I can absolutely live without television and once gave it up for a couple of years...the same way I eliminated sugar in another period of self-deprivation. I am a bit more hedonistic these days (eating pie as I type
At the moment, I can get any show that I want to watch for less than what I would pay for a cable subscription. I suck it up and pay for seasons of "The Walking Dead" and "Top Chef" (don't judge me) despite the fact that both are available for streaming the following year. Otherwise, everything else can be easily viewed through my subscriptions to HBO (Game of Thrones, Jon Oliver, Bill Maher), Showtime (Homeland, Shameless), CBS (Good Wife, Secretary of State), and Hulu (all things Shonda Rhimes, etc).
I tried Chromecast, but found that most networks limited the number of episodes that I could watch for free before hitting me up for a pass code through my paid subscription service. Furthermore, I hates the awkwardness of having to switch between tabs or unlock my phone to pause or rewind. I only appreciate catching a game when I get the full stadium experience of greasy food, sticky floors, and the combined BO of thousands. Therefore, I am not well-versed in the availability or cost of sporting events.
It is important to note that Time Warner is currently in discussions to purchase 25% of Hulu, which could affect the service provided and availability of new content significantly. At present, Hulu is my chief and most cost-effective source for recently aired episodes.
I am curious to see the specifics of the deal should it go through. My hope would be that the investment simply insulated Time Warner from the economic fallout of cord cutters like myself, resulting in increased content on Hulu. The more cynical assumption is that a contingency of the large-share purchase would be to delay new content (much like Netflix now) to slow the hemorrhage of cable subscribers. You could still watch the same shows...just a year after they air.
The irony, to me, is that any of the large cable providers could have saved themselves a massive amount of money and negated the need to infiltrate streaming services if they had simply invested half as much effort into customer retention as they do in customer acquisition.
gigisiguenza
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I haven't had cable in over ten years. I refuse to pay the prices they charge. I use an OTA antenna to get my local area channels, and I have a roku that I use for Netflix and hulu. Even with the cost of my internet, I'm paying a ton less than I did when I had cable. I don't miss it.
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navigator9
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Wow, with all of the options out there, I'm surprised that ANYone has cable any more! The bottom line for me, is that there are some programs that I love to watch, so the idea of going without altogether seems harsh, although.....T.E.G., you reminded me of a time back in my college days when my roommate and I had a crappy old TV, and when it died, we had no money to get it fixed (back in the old days, we actually repaired things, instead of throwing them out and getting a new one, a strange concept for these days, but back then, it was just what you did) OK, I digress......so we thought we would just die without a TV!!! That lasted about three days, and then we started listening to more music, reading, and inviting friends over. When we finally had enough money to get the TV fixed, we decided not to. We just didn't miss it that much. So I know that if push came to shove, I could do without any TV at all, but until then, I'm spoiled and there are some shows that are just soooo good that I choose not to go without. But what I don't like is that I pay for many more stations than I ever watch. So I am enjoying exploring the options.
I did sign up for a free trial of Hulu, and was surprised at what I discovered. I saw many of the shows that I watch on the Discovery channel and the History channel listed there, and thought, well that's good, I'll still be able to watch those. But when I went to watch one, the link took me to the Discovery channel website where I was asked to input my cable company info. I thought that was rather misleading, since many people want to use Hulu as an alternative to cable. I thought that listing it on the Hulu website, when it could actually only be viewed on the specific channel website, and then, only with a cable subscription, was kind of deceptive. So I emailed them with this concern. This is the reply I received. "Due to the licensing agreements with some of our content partners, some shows are only available through a participating TV provider. If you are a subscriber to an authenticating TV provider you can connect your account to Hulu for access to episodes from select shows the day after they air on TV." So I will not be signing up for Hulu, but I'm confident that I'll be able to find an answer that allows me to watch the programs I can't live without, but still save a whole lot of money. And thanks to all of you for the great ideas!
I did sign up for a free trial of Hulu, and was surprised at what I discovered. I saw many of the shows that I watch on the Discovery channel and the History channel listed there, and thought, well that's good, I'll still be able to watch those. But when I went to watch one, the link took me to the Discovery channel website where I was asked to input my cable company info. I thought that was rather misleading, since many people want to use Hulu as an alternative to cable. I thought that listing it on the Hulu website, when it could actually only be viewed on the specific channel website, and then, only with a cable subscription, was kind of deceptive. So I emailed them with this concern. This is the reply I received. "Due to the licensing agreements with some of our content partners, some shows are only available through a participating TV provider. If you are a subscriber to an authenticating TV provider you can connect your account to Hulu for access to episodes from select shows the day after they air on TV." So I will not be signing up for Hulu, but I'm confident that I'll be able to find an answer that allows me to watch the programs I can't live without, but still save a whole lot of money. And thanks to all of you for the great ideas!
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We, since we have no cable, actually purchase the series we want to watch. May be pricey compared to the hulu netflix thing. So netflix, does that need home internet access hooked to the tv through wifi type of thing? That's probably the case, and why we dont have those services (no home net). We heard good things about series and bought them. GOT, walking dead, breaking bad, and now we're going to start the vikings waiting for the dvd release of season 5 (i believe) of GOT in march. We can go at our own pace, binge episodes on the weekend, take a break if busy, rewatch them etc. I prefer this so much to cable and being tied to a schedule. Also if kids are around, screening of television shows is so much easier with local programming only.
Cord cutting. It's a thing!
We've been off cable for about 4 years and no regrets. We do have high speed internet, which we would need for work (I'm in software) anyways. We pay about $20 total for Netflix and Hulu, and use a Roku box to serve up the channels. We also have an amazon prime suscription for the shipping options, but there are shows and movies there also.
I do miss local news, but really I can internet that. And we don't get any sports programming. This could easily be a deal breaker for people. I don't really mind, but when we hosted Thanksgiving with no Lions game available (Michigan family), it became apparent that there is real value in having sports channels available.
Mostly the TV is used by the kids and my wife. What is amazing is that with so few commercials watched, we do not get the constant begging for stuff (from my kids, either! ha!). When they return from the week at grandma's house in the summer, they are full of "I want this toy, or that toy". The advertising effect on children is really scary.
Hulu is great for all of your recent network programming, but they usually only have stuff for a few months. then it goes off, so if you don't watch your series, you have to wait till netflix starts carrying the old season or hope that hulu will stock it again. Right now, the netflix-hulu combo is a great deal.
We've been off cable for about 4 years and no regrets. We do have high speed internet, which we would need for work (I'm in software) anyways. We pay about $20 total for Netflix and Hulu, and use a Roku box to serve up the channels. We also have an amazon prime suscription for the shipping options, but there are shows and movies there also.
I do miss local news, but really I can internet that. And we don't get any sports programming. This could easily be a deal breaker for people. I don't really mind, but when we hosted Thanksgiving with no Lions game available (Michigan family), it became apparent that there is real value in having sports channels available.
Mostly the TV is used by the kids and my wife. What is amazing is that with so few commercials watched, we do not get the constant begging for stuff (from my kids, either! ha!). When they return from the week at grandma's house in the summer, they are full of "I want this toy, or that toy". The advertising effect on children is really scary.
Hulu is great for all of your recent network programming, but they usually only have stuff for a few months. then it goes off, so if you don't watch your series, you have to wait till netflix starts carrying the old season or hope that hulu will stock it again. Right now, the netflix-hulu combo is a great deal.
When I got married, I lost all my favorite channels, LOL. I went from "everything" DirecTV to nothing. Then we added basic cable (cheaper to get basic cable with phone and internet than just phone and internet with old phone company). Anyway, I plan to buy the DVDs of my favorite series when they come out. Life Below Zero, Alaska's Last Frontier, etc.
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You need internet for streaming Netflix only. I miss when they had it that you originally paid for renting their DVDs and streaming together. The DVD service was solid.
I don't have a TV, so no cable for me. I do watch shows on Netflix, but they are mostly very old BBC shows from the 1980's and 1990's. But I do have internet that I am fairly sure is part of the cable company. The interent we had before stopped working when our neighborhood became higher density then it was previously.
Kamahido
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These cable/dish companies really need to adapt to the changing marketplace or they will go the way of the dodo bird.
navigator9
Well-Known Member
Well, I hooked up my antenna today and much to my surprise, I get 15 channels. I figured I was out of luck for stations with old TV programs, but again to my surprise, I have several channels where I found, I Dream of Jeannie, Charlie's Angels, some old Western show, The Outer Limits, Murder She Wrote...so it doesn't look like I'll have to go without the oldies. I did discover after much moving of the antenna, rescanning for channels and general fussing around, that the antenna works better with my TV, if I remove the amplifier that came with it. I think I'm going to be very happy with this set up. In case any of you are interested, this is the antenna I'm using.
http://www.1byone.com/TV-Accessories/Paper-Thin-TV-Antenna/OUS00-0568
I got it on Amazon for $29.99.
http://www.1byone.com/TV-Accessories/Paper-Thin-TV-Antenna/OUS00-0568
I got it on Amazon for $29.99.
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I have a different style one. I just don't get the benefits thanks to my location and living in a brick building.
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I have never had cable. We didn't get it either when the local channels became difficult to get. Never missed it. We share a Netflix account with someone and occasionally use our Amazon Prime and that's been good enough for us. We are probably missing out on major pop culture experiences but my son will just have to be a dinosaur that way.
paillo
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My TV won't let me watch PBS shows. I think I need Hulu for that and I'm not crazy about them.
The only shows I've tried go get on Hulu have all been a bust. Maybe it's my rural area in Virginia, but I've paid for shows I couldn't watch -- endless buffering, can't get through more than about a minute without them quitting on me
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