topic Re: What's the point of cutting cable then? in TV and Movies

What's the point of cutting cable then?

PilatesLover — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:27:18 GMT

I've finally had it with cable price increases and decided it's time to cut cable.

BUT - if I strip cable and keep wifi only, then add a streaming package that offers local channels, the price of wifi plus streaming equals what I'm already paying for cable. And that's at an introductory rate, both will go up higher in three months.

I thought cutting cable was such a huge cost savings?

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

SilleeMee — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:32:11 GMT

That's why I stayed with Directv satellite. I just call them once yearly when they raise my rates so that way they give me a better price. It's more like I threaten to leave them and usually that works to get them to give me a lower rate.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:54:25 GMT

That's why I stay with Spectrum.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

QVCkitty1 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:00:51 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
That's why I stay with Spectrum.

@deepwaterdotter @Same.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

KathyM23 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:02:58 GMT

@SilleeMee I do the same thing at Direct TV. Call every year, end up with Retention Department and pay the same as I have been paying. Just got my bill and it included a $42 credit to adjust my bill. I'm not going to streaming, don't watch TV except rarely. I do watch the QVC shows when it is a vendor that I buy like Graver, Mizrahi, Belle, D&C and VPH. Otherwise I just Reently on Air.

I am a reader and spend my TV time reading instead. I used to like many programs on TV but nothing much that is on interests me now.

DH watchs sports, PBS, RFD and nature shows and news. That is it for TV at our house.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

Buffalogal47 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:24:23 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
@deepwaterdotter wrote:
That's why I stay with Spectrum.
@deepwaterdotter @Same.

Me too.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

chrystaltree — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:46:50 GMT

And that is why many of us keep cable. There's no $$ benefit in dropping it.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

OKPrincess — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:48:18 GMT

DH and I go in to Cox each year and tell them the same thing -- we're retired and on a fixed income. This is true.

It works every time.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

LindaLatte — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:10:59 GMT

When I cut the cable (but kept the internet), I purchased a fairly inexpensive ($30 or so) antenna that I could place on the wall/window. That way, I get the local stations without needing to stream them. I am able to get quite a few channels, including QVC and HSN using the antenna.

But, I also signed up for Sling Blue. That costs $35 a month, and I am able to watch channels like HGTV, etc. I already had Netflix and Amazon Prime, so that didn't increase my bill. There is another Sling -- Orange that includes sports. You can have both, but I didn't want to spend the $$.

Anyway, even with paying $35 a month, the price is less than what I was paying for cable.

I already had Roku, but if you do not have that or a similar device, you would need to purchase one to use Sling. There are quite a few free streaming services on Roku, and I am also able to stream some things from the library using that method.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

ValuSkr — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:10:28 GMT

I think you're right - streaming packages have become almost as expensive as cable. It didn't used to be that way. Part of the phenomenon is that, as streaming became more popular, cable companies started charging more for internet and less for cable TV.

Today, to really save, you have to cut cable AND streaming packages (or find an inexpensive streamer). Then get an antenna - if reception is okay in your area.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

kaydee50 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:54:21 GMT

That's why I'm staying with Astound/RCN. Plus the hassle of having different streaming services to get what I get in one place with cable.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

deeva — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:01:55 GMT

We're going to ditch Directv after 18 years. Tired of having to call them and jump thru hoops to get a decent discount. We've only kept them this long because of the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Plus, there are no newly released movies on Directv unless the movie was a box office dud.

But as others have mentioned, streaming services are pricing themselves out of the market.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

geezerette — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:13:01 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
That's why I'm staying with Astound/RCN. Plus the hassle of having different streaming services to get what I get in one place with cable.

@kaydee50

I've heard that people are already complaining about that.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

SeaMaiden — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:28:38 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
That's why I stayed with Directv satellite. I just call them once yearly when they raise my rates so that way they give me a better price. It's more like I threaten to leave them and usually that works to get them to give me a lower rate.

@SilleeMee I bet you DREAD that call every year. I dropped Sirium XM for just that reason...I got tired of making that yearly phone call to get a better price....it is a game!😡

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

SilleeMee — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:31:06 GMT

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@SilleeMee wrote:
That's why I stayed with Directv satellite. I just call them once yearly when they raise my rates so that way they give me a better price. It's more like I threaten to leave them and usually that works to get them to give me a lower rate.

@SilleeMee I bet you DREAD that call every year. I dropped Sirium XM for just that reason...I got tired of making that yearly phone call to get a better price....it is a game!😡

@SeaMaiden

It is a game! You got that right. Like a broken record every stinkin' year.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

Mz iMac — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:17:33 GMT

@PilatesLover I have Verizon FIOS. I cut cable TV & jumped on YouTube TV which FIOS offers, kept my internet which was free as well as my landline phone. All I pay now is $64.00/month for basic which included more channels than what FIOS cable was offering.

I DO NOT pay for "streaming apps." I'll only do "pay" streaming apps when they go on trial.

FWIW: You can keep your internet. Wifi is FREE in most parts of the country. WiFi is also slower than the internet that you get through the ethernet. Do you live in a place where they charge for WiFi?

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

sunshine 919 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:23:55 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
That's why I stay with Spectrum.

I wanted to cancel cable but realized there are different shows on different streaming services, by the time you figure what shows are on what services it can add up. I am still with Spectrum

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

Sooner — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:32:02 GMT

We can't deal with sorting through streaming offers and options. Not going to unless we absolutely positively have to.

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

sunshine 919 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:40:20 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
We can't deal with sorting through streaming offers and options. Not going to unless we absolutely positively have to.

Good point

Re: What's the point of cutting cable then?

Meowingkitty — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:47:11 GMT

I dropped cable 3 years ago. DirectTV was going to raise my rates $65 a month and no negotiation. That would have taken me to around $265 a month for horribly slow internet and cable with over 65 channels of informercials, a ton of music channels, childrens or religion programming none of which I watched or need. By going to Hulu live at $70 and Cox internet and dropping my land line I'm paying less for more. I also watch Pluto and Roku for free. My internet is more reliable and much faster and I have more programming than I could ever watch.