Worst Quarter Ever For Cable/Satellite TV Providers
ANDREW MALCOLM
Contrary to suggestions of a slow-down, the number of Americans severing their ties to cable and satellite TV soared to the largest number ever during the third quarter this year.
For the first time satellite and cable TV providers lost more than a million subscribers from July through September this year. To be exact, they lost 1.1 million customers. Which is a lot of of monthly fees gone poof!
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/11/20/worst-quarter-for-cable-cutting/
In related news.
Comcast Is Once Again Raising Fees on Cable TV (Some Plans Will Now Cost $254.95+ a Month)
by Luke Bouma
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/comcast-is-once-again-raising-fees-on-cable-tv-some-plans-will-now-cost-254-95-a-month/
I've been a cord cutter for over 5 years and have never regretted my decision.
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 06:28:23 AM
I've been a cord cutter for over 5 years and have never regretted my decision.
Me too... Bought a crappy win7 machine used for about 50 bucks- An Acer small tower with onboard HDMI and a Bluetooth DVD...Bought a wireless KB/Glidepad for another 30, and a wireless ac USB nic for what, maybe 15...
Plugged all that together, hooked it to the TV... Killed the CableTV the very next day.
That same TV/pooter are now in the bedroom, and I added pretty much the same in the Guest bedroom, and now there's a monster TV out in the living room, with a ground-pounding media server tied to it...All bought and paid for by the same 100 bucks a month I've been saving by not having cable.
I will never look back.
I use a laptop to stream to the LR TV, but I also use a ROKU to stream Netflix,HULU and Amazon Prime. I also take advantage of the free channels on the ROKU. However, you still need a fairly fast internet connection to stream.
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 06:28:23 AM
Worst Quarter Ever For Cable/Satellite TV Providers
ANDREW MALCOLM
Contrary to suggestions of a slow-down, the number of Americans severing their ties to cable and satellite TV soared to the largest number ever during the third quarter this year.
For the first time satellite and cable TV providers lost more than a million subscribers from July through September this year. To be exact, they lost 1.1 million customers. Which is a lot of of monthly fees gone poof!
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/11/20/worst-quarter-for-cable-cutting/
In related news.
Comcast Is Once Again Raising Fees on Cable TV (Some Plans Will Now Cost $254.95+ a Month)
by Luke Bouma
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/comcast-is-once-again-raising-fees-on-cable-tv-some-plans-will-now-cost-254-95-a-month/
I've been a cord cutter for over 5 years and have never regretted my decision.
So in truth, they aren't cutting the cable, but the TV portion of cable?
Same here. I haven't watched cable in a long time. Any shows I watch are on an app through Amazon.
Quote from: Solar on November 21, 2018, 07:23:41 AM
So in truth, they aren't cutting the cable, but the TV portion of cable?
Yes. Why pay for over 200 channels of shit on cable when you can watch your favorite programs for a fraction of the cost?
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 07:43:58 AM
Yes. Why pay for over 200 channels of shit on cable when you can watch your favorite programs for a fraction of the cost?
I wouldn't know, we don't have cable in my area, never will. I thought once you signed up for cable, that TV was part of it and you paid extra for everything else.
If that's not the case, what is basic cable then?
Quote from: Solar on November 21, 2018, 07:51:12 AM
I wouldn't know, we don't have cable in my area, never will. I thought once you signed up for cable, that TV was part of it and you paid extra for everything else.
If that's not the case, what is basic cable then?
Basic cable, for COMCAST
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/difference-between-limited-basic-and-expanded-basic-cable
Cutting the cord is not limited to cable companies, i.e. COMCAST, SPECTRUM, but also satellite providers such as DIRECT TV and DISH network.
As mentioned above, you can stream just about anything with a PC connected to your TV. I've done that in the past, and still do for certain programs. Using a media streaming device just makes it easier.
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 07:19:56 AM
I use a laptop to stream to the LR TV, but I also use a ROKU to stream Netflix,HULU and Amazon Prime. I also take advantage of the free channels on the ROKU. However, you still need a fairly fast internet connection to stream.
Yeah...I did the laptop thing for a while... casting to the SMART TV... But it's a waste of time.
Desktop is the only way to go... Hook that up and disable SMART, because you won't want it anymore.
Although it is across the living room, and there are times I can't read things on it... Tried the mag for that, but really it is just easier to get into it with RDP or VNC and run it from a laptop or a tablet for those occasions... But really, the wireless KB is all I need, most of the time.
I have a ROKU here someplace, in the bedroom, I think... But I never use it. I pay part of a family acct for netflix - Around 60 bucks a year... Pretty much that or youtube, or floating around the web, wherever it's free. That's the beauty of a desktop and a browser.
:smile:
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 08:03:10 AM
Basic cable, for COMCAST
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/difference-between-limited-basic-and-expanded-basic-cable
Cutting the cord is not limited to cable companies, i.e. COMCAST, SPECTRUM, but also satellite providers such as DIRECT TV and DISH network.
As mentioned above, you can stream just about anything with a PC connected to your TV. I've done that in the past, and still do for certain programs. Using a media streaming device just makes it easier.
So in truth, you really didn't cut the cable? You still get TV regardless. I assume what you're really doing is saying know to an expanded TV package?
As to satellite, if you want internet/data, you pay extra, or you buy a new receiver dedicated to Internet.
Satellite doesn't come with Internet, you will always pay extra. I have both, Dish for TV and Hughesnet for Internet, two completely different satellite dish'.
Quote from: Solar on November 21, 2018, 07:23:41 AM
So in truth, they aren't cutting the cable, but the TV portion of cable?
Yeah... but you are also cutting out the decoder hardware they are leasing you at 20 bucks per tv.
Had 4 tvs... Then the decoders came out... 80 bucks for decoders for 45 bucks worth of cable. That was the last straw. That is where I unplugged.
Quote from: roamer_1 on November 21, 2018, 08:14:52 AM
Yeah... but you are also cutting out the decoder hardware they are leasing you at 20 bucks per tv.
Had 4 tvs... Then the decoders came out... 80 bucks for decoders for 45 bucks worth of cable. That was the last straw. That is where I unplugged.
Interesting. With Dish, I had to buy one for each TV upfront, no monthly, no lease, I own the decoder.
Quote from: Solar on November 21, 2018, 08:17:38 AM
Interesting. With Dish, I had to buy one for each TV upfront, no monthly, no lease, I own the decoder.
Same up here... But I am a pooter tech, and I need bitchin broadband for the business... which happens to run out of my house... :cool:
So I have cable internet pushin 80 down, and 20 up... And a VOIP phone for around 100 bucks a month... which was 220/mo with CableTV...
Quote from: roamer_1 on November 21, 2018, 08:14:52 AM
Yeah... but you are also cutting out the decoder hardware they are leasing you at 20 bucks per tv.
Had 4 tvs... Then the decoders came out... 80 bucks for decoders for 45 bucks worth of cable. That was the last straw. That is where I unplugged.
Good point!
Spectrum fees, Comcast also has these fees.
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/spectrum-adds-64-89-in-fees-taxes-to-one-customers-bundle/
Basically, it sounds like one's locale determines what kind of service is best for anyone. Isn't that the way it should be, choices. Personally, we have cable and internet combined for about $118 a month. It is still a locally owned company with local customer service and service people. To me that local presence has value and the customer service is great with human beings answering the phone. Mrs. Sup is into ROKU and Netflix as she likes movies, etc;.
We had Direct TV when we had our cabin further up in the mountains. I did not like it compared to our cable.
Quote from: tac on November 21, 2018, 08:24:36 AM
Good point!
Spectrum fees, Comcast also has these fees.
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/spectrum-adds-64-89-in-fees-taxes-to-one-customers-bundle/
Yep. I am on Spectrum. I don't wanna knock em too bad... I LOVE the broadband service - Very reliable, and never throttled... And they are friendly to me - I get some perks because I am in the business (20 up, true fixed IP block)... But the CableTV thing... the only way that comes back in here is if I can't help it, and it is bloody well free, because I will never ever use it.
Had a twitchy thumb for about a couple weeks... Didn't know what to do without a clicker and a bounce channel... But the bounce channel was for commercials... And I don't see commercials anymore... Every now and then I run into em... Hulu or Crackle...and they offend me enough that I go elsewhere... So I already know there is nothing on CableTV that would make me put up with that again, niot to mention PAY for the privilege.