Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

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ndistops
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by ndistops »

I feel the same way about DirecTV (minus, for the most part, the devil stuff). It's too expensive, but I really don't mind paying good money for a good product, and DTV has been an extremely good product for me the last 4 years. I don't foresee dumping it anytime soon.

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Maclowery
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by Maclowery »

I would love to cut the cord, as it were, but my local cable company gets me 60mbps/sec internet, and throwing in TV is only 40 more a month. Then again, I also pay another 15 a month for the expanded channels which give me MLB, NBA, and FS1 channels, so more Cardinals (and Bulls) games. It also keeps the roommate happy while she enjoys Dance Moms and Real Housewives of Wherever. I don't sit at home often to watch random TV, but it's still nice to channel surf once a week or so. Don't see myself Cutting the Cord any time soon, even with my Netflix, Amazon prime, pirated movies, and this beauty of a PC to keep me occupied.

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JoeMcKim
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by JoeMcKim »

Instead of getting a Roku you should just get a Sony Blu Ray player that will allow you to watch anything on your TV that you could with a Roku player but you'll have a better option to play your DVDs if you still own those things.

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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by MrSaigon »

This is a really great read I stumbled upon fairly randomly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Comcast
the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey found that Comcast had the worst customer satisfaction rating of any company or government agency in the country, including the Internal Revenue Service.
Doesn't even mention the number of menus you have to navigate before you reach a human, which I believe is somewhere betweetn 30 and 40.

Worst company ever. Ever.

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MrCrowesGarden
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by MrCrowesGarden »

ndistops wrote:I feel the same way about DirecTV (minus, for the most part, the devil stuff). It's too expensive, but I really don't mind paying good money for a good product, and DTV has been an extremely good product for me the last 4 years. I don't foresee dumping it anytime soon.
I just dropped DirecTV, despite being extremely satisfied with it. Just moved and had a chance to sign up for Google Fiber internet and TV, and it's going to save me about $80/month compared with what I was paying for DirecTV/AT&T. The internet is much, much better than what I had, and the TV is surprisingly good, although I'm still learning the interface.

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go birds
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by go birds »

MrCrowesGarden wrote:
ndistops wrote:I feel the same way about DirecTV (minus, for the most part, the devil stuff). It's too expensive, but I really don't mind paying good money for a good product, and DTV has been an extremely good product for me the last 4 years. I don't foresee dumping it anytime soon.
I just dropped DirecTV, despite being extremely satisfied with it. Just moved and had a chance to sign up for Google Fiber internet and TV, and it's going to save me about $80/month compared with what I was paying for DirecTV/AT&T. The internet is much, much better than what I had, and the TV is surprisingly good, although I'm still learning the interface.
they are currently building the network for google fiber here...what kind of channels do you get for that $80/month?

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MrCrowesGarden
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by MrCrowesGarden »

go birds wrote:
MrCrowesGarden wrote:
ndistops wrote:I feel the same way about DirecTV (minus, for the most part, the devil stuff). It's too expensive, but I really don't mind paying good money for a good product, and DTV has been an extremely good product for me the last 4 years. I don't foresee dumping it anytime soon.
I just dropped DirecTV, despite being extremely satisfied with it. Just moved and had a chance to sign up for Google Fiber internet and TV, and it's going to save me about $80/month compared with what I was paying for DirecTV/AT&T. The internet is much, much better than what I had, and the TV is surprisingly good, although I'm still learning the interface.
they are currently building the network for google fiber here...what kind of channels do you get for that $80/month?
I pay $130 a month for gigabit Internet and TV. I think the internet only is $70. There is no tv only option. Still much better than the $210 I was paying before ($160 to Directv and $50 at AT&T).

Channel wise, I get about the same number/quality channels as I did with Direct. No Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, etc. available right now. You can add HBO, Cinemax, etc. for I think $10 apiece.

The only thing that may get you is that usually Google wants you to pay to help build the "fiberhood". I moved in to a neighborhood that already had it established, so I got lucky there. Otherwise, I think they ask for a $300 fee, but you can either pay it upfront or $25 a month for a year. You can wait too, but then you're at the mercy of whenever they do signups again.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

Probably belongs in the comcast is the devil thread or whatever it is, but I have comcast. Their 25 or 30 mbps internet is something like $40/month. That comes with very basic cable (basically a bunch of infomercial channels plus the stuff available OTA) and HBO. It was a 1 year 'promotional' deal we got last year when we moved. NBD. But, listen to this [expletive].

About a month before the promotion expired, I get a call from a comcast rep. Basically, he says, the rates are going up after the promotion ends to $80/month, but I can sign up for a new package and get the same thing for $60/month. I said....that's stupid. I am not paying a penny more and I wanted to disconnect my service if rates increased.. He said he couldn't do anything then, but my rates would rise automatically. So, I said to disconnect me and he said he couldn't. Ugh.

So, I hung up and called back to a different person a day later or so. I told him I wanted the same package I had or I was leaving. They said fine and gave me the package I had.

Now, clearly this is a scam. They make a person call and tell you that rates are going to be $80 unless you sign up for the $60/month rate and don't authorize that person to do anything but give you the $60/month deal and they force them to lie to you. They can't transfer you, disconnect you, or let you keep your rates and they'll say it simply won't happen when the truth is if you call the 800 number available online, it will happen.

Either you, the customer, sign up for a new deal for more $$ or you basically get nothing. Then, if you don't call back, your rates are doubled. To maneuver this maze, you have to essentially ignore the first person, and call someone else, who will then renew your current deal. Freaking [expletive].

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Swirls
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by Swirls »

Last Fall when we moved to South Carolina, we ditched Time Warner because it was stupid expensive for internet, cable, and DVR. Not even ultra mega 9,000 channel cable service... Just the mid-tier package with HD and a DVR. Something like $140/month in New York.

We switched to U-Verse, which at the time was offering a deal for $50/month for 20 Mbit internet and local channels, along with a free year subscription of Amazon Prime. For the most part, it's been fine, although it sucks having to bootleg TV shows again like back in college. If we want to watch a sports game we basically have to go to a bar since the odds are it won't be on NBC/CBS/ABC/FOX.

A few days ago I accepted a job offer for a huge promotion to relocate to Minneapolis - I start there the first week of November. Mrs. Swirls asked if we could get real TV again once we are relocated. Much like 33 mentioned a page or two back, it is a stupid expense that is worth it for the convenience.

So within the next month or two I will be reattaching the cable/satellite cord. Not sure which one we'll go with yet, though.

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Maclowery
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Re: Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

Post by Maclowery »

Congratulations! (on the job not more channels on the boob tube). I am looking for other options on my ever increasing cable bill. They bumped up my speed to 100mbps, which is awesome, though.

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