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Have you given up cable/sat?

BvillePoker

BvillePoker

Heisman Candidate
Dec 29, 2004
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My wife and I are seriously discussing stopping our cable TV service. We pay about $80/mo for the service, $5/mo. each for 3 HD receivers, and $10/mo for a DVR. That is $105/mo. (Between that and the wife and I quitting smoking we would get about a $6K/year raise) We are using netflix, Hulu+, Amazon Prime, and Google Play streaming services. We do not hardly watch live TV any more and are barely using the DVR anymore. The ONLY time I am watching live TV is when I watch Sports Center or live sporting events. ESPN still requires a cable provider log in to stream it and a lot of the NCAA sports are not streamed. Maybe I can watch the NFL games on the NFL website? If it wasn't for the sports I would go ahead and turn the cable off, but I love sports and cannot do without watching them. Anybody done this? What are your thoughts?
 
BvillePoker said:
My wife and I are seriously discussing stopping our cable TV service. We pay about $80/mo for the service, $5/mo. each for 3 HD receivers, and $10/mo for a DVR. That is $105/mo. (Between that and the wife and I quitting smoking we would get about a $6K/year raise) We are using netflix, Hulu+, Amazon Prime, and Google Play streaming services. We do not hardly watch live TV any more and are barely using the DVR anymore. The ONLY time I am watching live TV is when I watch Sports Center or live sporting events. ESPN still requires a cable provider log in to stream it and a lot of the NCAA sports are not streamed. Maybe I can watch the NFL games on the NFL website? If it wasn't for the sports I would go ahead and turn the cable off, but I love sports and cannot do without watching them. Anybody done this? What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yup, haven't had satellite/cable for 2+ years or so. You can now get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN & Classic (oh and the fookin SEC network, shoot me now) through sling TV (internet streaming). You also get a lot of other channels like history, HGTV, AMC, etc. If you want HBO you can get that too. The base package is $20 if you get the sports package it is $25 a month. We have hulu, Netflix, and sling. Total monthly TV cost is about $40/month. If you have Verizon you can watch NFL Redzone/NFL TV on your phone or other device with a data package. Finally, get an antenna for over the air TV to catch all the local games and local programming you can't get on the internet.
 
Got MetroNet fiber up here in Lafayette, IN. Love it. 200 down/25 up. 120+ HD channels. Phone service (never plugged in, it was a bundle) only like 100 bucks.
 
We haven't had cable in 5 years or so.

Don't miss it.
 
Too much of a sports fan to ever cut the cord.

I understand the sentiment Bville, but it is practically heresy to make such a statement on an OSU board just six days away from the first game of the OSU season --- in which the game is televised on ESPNU.
 
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I'd like to explore it. Folks I know who've done Sling have reported mixed/disappointing results. I've got to have NBC Sports fro EPL coverage (every game!) and other live sports would be the main reason otherwise. Other than live sports, 90+% of my television viewing is on: AMC, Amazon, PBS, FX, or Netflix, and morning local weather.
 
I don't miss any games viewable in my area. Cable isn't necessary.
 
Adverpoke said:
I don't miss any games viewable in my area. Cable isn't necessary.
Click to expand...

I caught every OSU game last season. But I don't have over the air capability now. So I probably will. It's made me consider going back to the dark side.
 
I was paying $220 for cable to 2 tvs, internet, 2 dvrs. Had the HBO/Showtime package.

I watch between 3 and 6 channels, and that is stretching. Only had the premium package for GOT.

Dropped everything but the internet. $50. Now subscribe to Netflix, $8, and when I've got time (and now that college football is starting ) I'll get base level Sling $15. ESPN, CNN, HGTV, several other channels. When GOT is back on I'll add the HBO (single channel) for an additional $15. I can drop or re-up Sling whenever I want. For most of this summer I only had Netflix.
 
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cableok said:
Too much of a sports fan to ever cut the cord.

I understand the sentiment Bville, but it is practically heresy to make such a statement on an OSU board just six days away from the first game of the OSU season --- in which the game is televised on ESPNU.
Click to expand...
This is exactly right. I have 5 TVs in my media room. If I want a different game on each TV. To do that I have to have cable/sat, in my case Directv. If it wasn't for sports though, I wouldn't have cable.
 
squeak said:
This is exactly right. I have 5 TVs in my media room. If I want a different game on each TV. To do that I have to have cable/sat, in my case Directv. If it wasn't for sports though, I wouldn't have cable.
Click to expand...
Yup, I certainly understand cutting the cord due to rising prices. But very tough to do for a casual sports fan and extremely tough for an avid sports fan. For example, since Pokes play Thursday -- my TV on Saturday will have games from ESPNU (Arkansas game), BTN, ESPN Goalline, Pac-12 (Oregon's new QB playing his former team), CBS Sports(Tulsa game) and others. And now that the ESPN GamePlan package is not PPV, but free with my sports package -- that is another 10-12 games per Saturday I can watch.
 
It's only a matter of time before Sling, Amazon Prime, Netflix and/or another established or start-up comes out with a Sports Channels set-up. With Sling, you get two ESPN channels (but not 3 or U) which means NO OSU game Thur Night! Even if all the ESPN channels were offered, to watch some of OSU's games, you will need access to Fox Sports (SW) or National in addition to ESPN.

For many people I know, this is the deal breaker. At this point, I'm ready to chuck it, only keep my high speed internet, use a combo of Amazon Prime (Fire TV Stick with KODI installed), Sling TV and Netflix and my digital TV antennae (which btw, in OKC picks up about 42 Channels). With those options, I can pretty much watch what I do now. For OSU games, I'll just go camp out at the local sports pub type place. It's still cheaper (on the avg) than paying the ridiculous amount Cox wants.
 
For games not offered; get out of the house. It's good for you.
 
They have a $5 Sports package that has EspnU and EspnNews along with, currently, 7 other sports channels.
 
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Since we are trying to be accurate, base Sling is now $20 on my tv. Not the $15 I listed above.

One of the biggest sellers to me is their payment style. They don't invoice, you pay up front. It gives you the flexibility to start and stop anytime you want (I've got zero use for Sling between end of GOT and beginning of college football. So I cancel for those months. I have no use for HBO between end of GOT and the start of their next season, so I cancel that package.

Also, you can download the app on your phone or tablet and sign in from anywhere. I'll be in a Prescriptive Analytics class next Thursday, but you can be sure that in the background on my Surface, our game will be streaming via the Sling app. Muted of course.
 
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HD antenna has 35 channels in North edmond. works great.

Cbrad if you have to leave the house for a game you're probably spending a months worth of cable.
 
squeak said:
Cbrad if you have to leave the house for a game you're probably spending a months worth of cable.
Click to expand...

This is not close to accurate.

And on the other side of the equation is the additional value/benefit in a trip out.

Let's just leave it this way, which I think is the intent of the post: with Sling and it's various packages, Netflix, etc, I come out far ahead versus continuing to subscribe to Cable.

TWC:
Inflexibility that comes with subscription services, having to call people, go pick up or drop off boxes, yawn.
Math:
  • $220 x 12 = $2640
Alternative:
Increased flexibility. I either pay for a month, or I don't.
Math:
  • TWC Internet. 12x50 = $600
  • Netflix. $8 x 12 = $96
  • Sling Base. 8 months (5 for football season, 3 for GOT). 8 x $20 = $160
  • HBO package. 3 x $15 = $45
  • Sports package (ESPNU, ESPNnews). 5 x $5 = $25
Comparison:
TWC $2640 with little flexibility.
Alternative $926 with great flexibility.

Difference of significantly more convenience and $1,714.

Even if your statement had merit (that getting out for a game is roughly the equivalent of a month of cable), I come out far, far ahead....and on my own terms.
 
Fair points but the convenience I have knowing I can get any game I want on any of my tvs is big. Plus, being able to control every TV with an app is important. Everything is seemless. Nothing between apps.

For my purposes, nothing beats direct tv. As much as I hate to say it, they have me by the balls. It's worth the extra $150 or more a month.
 
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Lol. Agreed, I'm all in favor of preference.

And to clarify, I'll see any home game I want in person. If there's an away game on a Fox station, I'll be walking to Henry's, Scruffy Duffy's, or some alumni get together. But I like that.
 
Anyone have an Amazon Fire with Kodi installed? I might be willing to cut the cable cord if I thought Kodi would give me what I was looking for.
 
Someone get this worked out so I can cut directv out. I'm paying:

Directv-200
Cox Internet, phone and 1 TV= 78
Amazon prime =?
Netflix=8

Kids are gone and I watch sports, showtime, some HBO, USA (suits), wife needs Bravo.

I'd like to pocket some cash instead of paying for a bunch of channels I don't watch.
 
I cut out HBO/Showtime years ago (because I got so pissed off at Bill Maher). It was easy bc if you don't have it you don't know what your missing. The problem with sports is that if you don't have it you know exactly what you're missing.
 
I haven't watched much showtime until I started Ray Donovan. That's one of my favorites on now.

HBO - true detective is why I pay for it.
 
I don't really know anything about either of those.
 
Ostatedchi,

I don't have amazon fire with Kodi, but I have installed Kodi Isengard (newest version) on my computer and have had mixed results. One thing I have not be able to do is to check it for live sporting events.

The problem with Kodi, as I see it, is that each of the "channels" is typically only as good as the person(s) who created it and maintain it. With that said, many of the common cable channels (Esquire, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, and many more) have developed their own links for Kodi and are operating "official" Kodi channels for their programming.

Some of the movie/tv channel offerings have thousands upon thousands of choices and most of them have decent offerings. But sometimes, you will have issues with download speeds, connection availability, etc. Honestly, KODI appears to me to be something that's just past infancy stage into todder stage but is on a trajectory to grow nicely in content and usability.

I know you have a bit of computer background, but for the average person out there, it would likely simplify your life significantly to buy the Fire TV plug in from Ebay, which has the popular/best channels from Kodi already installed. Even those who are technically competent may not want to spend the amount of time necessary to chase down every link and Kodi download to get it to an optimal performance level.
 
I'm okay with paying a few one time bucks for the convenienceof having it all preloaded. I just was wondering if it was a robust enough user experience to facilitate the cutting of the cable/sat chord.
 
Ostatedchi,

Why don't you try downloading it to your tablet or computer (running wifi) and see how it works for you. Whatever you get from the Fire Stick should be pretty darned close in terms of performance as it likewise runs solely from a WiFi connection.

There's some reviews from users out there you may want to peruse.
 
I live in Germany, so decent english cable isn't an option. I was using an Apple TV with Hulu, Netflix, ESPN, HBO Go, etc. High speed internet is cheap here 125Mb for 30 Euro a month so not much buffering. I just started using Kodi and seems to be pretty good. Great for movies and TV series. FTV is pretty good for live TV. I'm still researching the best add ons for live sports, but the guys I work with watch live games using Kodi(unfortunately at 3am most of the time). I just loaded it on my laptop and use Airplay to watch it on the TV. Pretty simple to install and plenty of youtube videos to get you started. I don't see myself going back to cable/SAT even if I have the option when I move back.
 
squeak said:
Fair points but the convenience I have knowing I can get any game I want on any of my tvs is big. Plus, being able to control every TV with an app is important. Everything is seemless. Nothing between apps.

For my purposes, nothing beats direct tv. As much as I hate to say it, they have me by the balls. It's worth the extra $150 or more a month.
Click to expand...
Same here. To have to set up a half a dozen different connections or processes and then train the wife and kids how to use it, ... not gonna happen ....
 
I pay just $220 to Verizon Fios a month for a bundle here in DFW.

- Ultimate HD package
- 75 MBPS internet.
- Multi-Room DVR Package (3 Rooms)

I get everything under the sun except the newdy channels. 159 HD channels including 4 Starz, 2 Encores, 6 Showtimes, 13 HBOs, and 10 Cinemax channels. I've got this locked up for a year if I don't cancel and honestly, I don't really watch any non-sports TV other than 3-4 weekly shows that I DVR but sports has me trapped. Neighbors come over, grill out, watch the game because as @squeak said, going out to watch a game is EASILY 1/4 of my monthly cable just for ONE game and that's IF the wife and kids don't come. Plus, the convenience, ONE bill to pay.

Here's the thing, I hate going to the movie theater and can just wait for it to come out on my movie channels so I save dough there and I started doing my own yard so now I don't feel guilty at all for $220 a month on cable. A few weeks ago afer making the wife cut back on some things, she told me I had to either cut the cable or start doing our lawn myself, I went and bought a weedeater that afternoon.
 
Last edited:
nathajw said:
. A few weeks ago afer making the wife cut back on some things, she told me I had to either cut the cable or start doing our lawn myself, I went and bought a weedeater that afternoon.
Click to expand...
I would have told her to do the lawn herself or look for a new place to live.
 
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