Cool Beans! Since I wrote the above post, I did get an Apple TV, and I gotta say I love it. It makes accessing some sites much better, and Hulu has gotten rid of the stupid "this content only available on mobile" restrictions. I still have the Mac hooked up too, but it's used less frequently now. I also got a nice powered antenna for the OTA stuff, and there's a lot in the area. Still haven't missed Cable at all for the last 7 years.
Cable has never been an option for me. The road I live on isn't anywhere near cable access. I have Dish satellite TV and am happy with the quality and service (except during heavy rain). I envy you guys streaming live over the net. The only way I can get relatively fast internet service is via satellite (Exede) and my allowance is 10g per month. Anything over that limit drops quickly toward the dialup realm. I do have free unlimited data between midnight and 5AM so that's when I download videos or do large software updates. I have an old Mac Mini hooked up to my 50" plasma that I watch some movies on (again, after midnight) using Amazon Prime. Even with my satellite, compared to some of y'all, I feel like I'm using carrier pigeons (12/3 on a very good day). But, I can only type with two fingers so I guess it can keep up with me without too much trouble for most things. Still would not trade my quiet country road for the city though.
Verizon FiOS just completed a new upgrade and for a current customers they now match upload and download speeds for free. I now have 150/ 150 for free a.k.a. "same price".
I wish I had FiOS. Around here I have a choice of AT&T, Time Warner and WOW. None offer more than a 50/5 internet connection.
I gave up cable/satellite a few years ago. Eighty-something a month for hundreds of channels I don't watch was pure nonsense, to me. I still have cable-internet, because I need it for business. I have an AppleTV unit on my home-theater system, and I rent movies, and buy seasons of the few TV shows that I watch on iTunes. I only pay for the shows I watch -- and no commercials! I added Hulu-Plus last month, but probably won't keep it. I'm not getting much out of it. CD
Good news! HBO joins the 21st Century! HBO is finally going to let you watch its shows without cable | The Verge
I'm two weeks into not having cable TV. I'm getting a lot more stuff that I did want to do but wasn't doing cause I was doing TV, done. Snacking less too. I didn't even feel like I missed F1 over the past weekend.
I have contemplated cutting the cord on a few occasions and I am about gnat’s butt from doing it. I am just getting tired of paying for a lot of fluff I don’t watch. I live in an area where TWC has cornered the market, only service I can change providers with is TV by way of satellite, the internet and phone still has to go through TWC. I am not a huge sports fan but I do like to watch football, both types and I can see all I want with something other than cable from what I have been reading. I just need to get the wife to agree. :fingerscrossed: As far as F1 goes... Sports Mobile | NBC Sports
Good luck with that. :lol::nonod::incazzato: My wife would go crazy without the food network and the cooking channel. Long shows on those networks equal my quality time in the garage with my MINI. (Cleaning or Driving)
LOL... the wife has three that she is hooked on, needless to say the idea of dropping cable was not meet with enthusiasm I was hoping for. :incazzato::mad5::incazzato:
I'm now resigned to the fact that I've just got to get better at gaming the system and bouncing back and forth between cable and satellite every 2 years. Loving our transition from TWC to DirectTV right now. Saves a ton of money in year one. In year two... not so much.
Before you totally give up on your cable company, call the toll-free number and ask for the customer retention department. I explained that I was really tired of cable rates going up - and, that as a loyal, longtime customer, I was especially irritated about all the special offers being made to new customers that were much lower than I was paying. By the time we were done, the very nice (really) customer service representative had cut my bill by a third - and switched me to the company's top-tier Internet service, which more than doubled the speed. She also was able to give me just BBC America as a standalone channel, instead of having to pay for an entire (and otherwise worthless) 20-channel package just to get it. Finally, I bought my own cable modem (top-rated Motorola Surfboard, on sale for $60), so I wouldn't have to pay the cable company's modem rental fee every month. My total savings will be around $850 per year, and I believe one reason I got the deal was because I was so nice about it. These cable folks are used to getting yelled at all day long, so I think they instantly put up a wall if you just start screaming at them. (This works: "Please notice that I'm not yelling at you - the cost has gotten beyond what I can afford, and I'm just really frustrated. I've been a good customer for XX years, and I want to see if we can work something out so I don't have to shut down the service.") As much as I hate being that nice, sometimes it pays off. :wink:
I have spoken to the retention department in the past. In a very polite and appreciative manner I might add. They cut the bill quite a bit. For me it's not the 30 bucks a month I'm now saving. It's getting my butt off the couch and doing things. That is my main reason for cutting the cable.
My main reason was because it's an obsolete model of business. And money savings, but really even with cable, I was using streaming services or DVDs more than watching whatever was on. Appointment based television is soooooo last century (except sporting events). I figure it's the 21st Century, and while I can't get a jet pack, or a flying car, or live on the Moon (which by now should be hurtling through space with the inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha) I darn well am going to enjoy what I can of it. Which pretty much amounts to nifty phones and on-demand streaming of HD TV.
It's been about 3 months now without cable. I've done a few Netflix and Amazon binge watch events. Don't miss the talking heads I used to sit there an watch. Someone actually sent me something from my Amazon wishlist, an over the air antenna. A scan after hook up found 32 channels. Visually checking found about 10 in English. The picture quality on the major network channels in incredible. Doesn't hurt that I live within about 3 miles of all the transmitters. All in all I'm happy with the decision to cut the cable.
Nathan, what antenna did you get from your wish list, need for a future conversion, if I drop Comcast Cable. I get 50 mg. download, so I might stay with their Blast Internet. Thanks, Don