Community Chat

[febe1]

I notice with both cable and AT&T, you begin with one price and gradually this and that is added quietly over the year after year. I'm embarrassed to say how much I pay for Cable, Internet and phone!

I have a BFF who refuses. She has no cable, computer and just a landline! She's well off but refuses! I could never do without these things, unless I did not have the means. But it still makes me gasp!

[CAcableGirl2]

@decaf  My son has streaming services.  He has internet with wi-fi and pays for streaming services which include some local channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, etc), and then gets to pick some other channels (I think it's 8 more).  Then he purchases Netflix, Disney Plus, etc, a la carte through those vendors individually.

Not sure what his total bill is, but to add the streaming services only it runs about $25 a month, so he's paying for internet, wi-fi, streaming $25, and then whatever he pays for Netflix, and Disney.   He eliminates the equipment charges, and I think purchased his own router from Costco.

You can probably get rid of the video services and equipment box, but will have to have internet and wi-fi if you want to watch TV (and a smart TV or Apple TV).  

I have the regular (old-school) cable but one of my TV's is a smart TV so when they are visiting they can access Disney Plus for my grandkids and watch it on my smart TV through the internet, not through the cable box.   

[Nuttmeg]

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@decaf wrote:

We have Comcast for cable and wiFi, also Netflix and Hulu.  Comcast raises the price every January. 

Can anyone answer this please, if you get rid of cable, don't you need unlimited wi-fi to use only streaming services, if you watch TV a lot?  My TV is on most of the time, just for background noice. How does that work?

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@decaf

 Comcast gives customers a data cap per month of 1.2 TB of usage. This will be fine for 1-2 adults who do not watch 4K movies or interactively game.

Your largest cost streaming will be the internet. You will need local channels and you use a service like Hulu Live or Sling TV. You can always use a regular antenna for local service.

Comcast publishes a rate sheet each November in my market. I usually look over the price and shake my head.

Dslreports.com has a Xfinity TV and internet forum. You can get help cutting the cord here.

This forum will know about data caps. 

[qvcfreak]

I’m glad I did away with Directv 3 years ago. I was paying $187.

I cut the cord, I pay $14 for Hulu and $15 for Netflix. I also purchased a fire stick and Air Antenna and get 30 plus channels.

And I bought a Samsung 70 inch TV and it comes with lots of free movies, shows etc that they add/delete movies like any paid streaming except it’s free and comes with the TV.

I also watch a lot of Tubi, it’s a free streaming service.

[Linda0215]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

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@Linda0215 wrote:

My service with Spectrum has risen to $275/mth!  That's for cable, internet and the non existent phone which is located somewhere in my house.  The only reason we keep it is for the NY Rangers hockey games which you can't get in a lower priced package. The cable companies have it all figured out.   I will be cutting the cord however and telling Mr. RangerNut to get a satellite dish because I am done.  I also have subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Apple Music, Paramount + and I don't know what else.  Seriously, all of this is more than my a car payment!

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@Linda0215 if you upgrade your Disney+ to to the package that includes Hulu & ESPN+ he will get his Ranger games.

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@CelticCrafter @Thank you!  I'll need to fortify myself with a lot of caffeine for that phone call.  When I call the cable company, I feel like they're speaking in tongues.  Wish me luck.   

[LyndaGee]

Earlier this season, "SNL" did a sketch about how Spectrum keeps cutting channels and raising prices.  And,  when the customer called to cancel, the rep kept trying to sell him more stuff, then redirected his call to Domino's Pizza!

I'd like to call and try to get them to  lower the bill.  Truly ridiculous.  And to do this during a pandemic is crummy.

[decaf]

@Nuttmeg  Thank you for givng me this information.

[decaf]

@CAcableGirl2  I appreciate all that, thank you!