Re: Anxious/Nervous about dumping cable

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@rockygems123 @SilleeMee + other Coloradoans

I was hoping you'd remember to get your standard milk and bread. Stay in and stay safe and warm.

We're just mostly expecting wind 65-70mph near the foothills, a little less at my house.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

gardenman · ‎03-09-2010

Pretty much everyone will be dumping cable TV because the cable TV companies are dumping cable TV. Frontier stopped providing cable TV a few years back and others are joining them in dropping it. The cost to run a cable TV system has become prohibitive. New cable boxes are expensive and prone to failure. Maintaining the equipment required is expensive. Constantly negotiating new contracts with program providers, cities, etc., is expensive. It's nearly impossible for traditional cable companies to compete with streaming services.

Spectrum is switching from traditional cable to streaming. Mid-Rivers Communications ended cable TV services last December. Wilkes Communications and RiverStreet Networks are dropping cable TV. Sparklight Cable/Cable One is dropping cable. WOW! is dropping cable.

Cable TV is going extinct. You might as well hop onto a streaming service now as you won't have a choice in a bit. Even the big guys like Comcast are talking about quitting cable TV and going into streaming.

A big part of the issue is the franchise contracts cable companies are required to negotiate with each city/community. A lot of the franchise contracts specify which channels must be carried. They might require that live coverage of certain local events be available. They must provide a local studio for local programming. They may require that cameras and microphones be provided. Negotiating franchise deals with every community you serve gets a bit insane and expensive.

The profit just disappears after a while in cable TV. You have to keep raising your rates to make any money and then you lose customers because you raised the rates. Equipment breaks down or gets stolen. It's just not a profitable business these days.

Streaming services avoid most of those issues as the customer provides the equipment. There are no franchise fees to negotiate or haggle over. There's no need for local studios or local productions. It's a much simpler arrangement than the older cable TV model.

We could see cable TV revert to the old mom-and-pop model that it started with and each community having a small cable TV system run by locals. The mega-cable companies are all getting out of the business though.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

Satellite services might stand a chance in remote places where no other options are available, not even cell service.

Still Raining · ‎03-30-2014

@monicakm wrote:
@JudyL

Yes ma'am, I'm nervous. I'm so nervous I decided not to switch! We've been with DirecTV since 1999. We don't have fiber optics out here so I would be hesitant about our TVs and phones using the internet at the same time. However my football TV is a smart TV and there hasn't been one glitch on any device. You're also probably nervous about learning and getting used to a new format. Google owns YouTube. Devices made by the same company usually work better together. If you're going to use a YouTube services I think it might be better to stick with a Google Chromecast rather than Amazon fire stick. In your research, did you come across anything that addresses this?

I am so far up a hill out in the sticks that they are still not assigning an address, just mile posts for a private road 😩

But, have you looked for rural satellite? I had to take out a few trees for my dish and my old over the air antenna tower, but it all works fine.

katie1859 · ‎06-25-2022

Don't be anxious. Cable is expensive and toxic.

I cut the cable 5 years ago. I bought ROKU units and have enjoyed relatively free viewing. If I have a specific show or series, occasionally will subscribe for one month and it's never been more than 5.00 that month.

PBS or a Netflix documentary.

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@Kachina624 wrote:
@rockygems123 @SilleeMee + other Coloradoans
I was hoping you'd remember to get your standard milk and bread. Stay in and stay safe and warm.

We're just mostly expecting wind 65-70mph near the foothills, a little less at my house.

@Kachina624

Good your wind is less than in the foothills. You had recent moisture, right? I know not like this but something.

Went to King Soopers (Kroger) and it was packed, also Trader Joe's and empty. Clearly people wanted their standard milk and bread .

We got about 1 foot so far, storm will intensify soon so time to get out and shovel the first layer.

How about you @SilleeMee?

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

@rockygems123

I don't want to derail this thread. Maybe we should start a 'Storm' thread. But anyway I'm doing fine. Lots of heavy wet snow.

JudyL · ‎07-11-2010

@monicakm wrote:
@JudyL

Yes ma'am, I'm nervous. I'm so nervous I decided not to switch! We've been with DirecTV since 1999. We don't have fiber optics out here so I would be hesitant about our TVs and phones using the internet at the same time. However my football TV is a smart TV and there hasn't been one glitch on any device. You're also probably nervous about learning and getting used to a new format. Google owns YouTube. Devices made by the same company usually work better together. If you're going to use a YouTube services I think it might be better to stick with a Google Chromecast rather than Amazon fire stick. In your research, did you come across anything that addresses this?

@monicakm - re your question using Chromecast and the answer is no, I didn't.

JudyL · ‎07-11-2010

Everyone - I did it! Signed up for YouTube TV, got it set up on my Amazon Fire Stick and am now watching Chicago PD on ION! You were right - it was easy! I even went on the YT TV website and customized my channels! Did this after watching a video on YT on how to do that. Have 4 days left on my free trial. Will call Comcast tomorrow and cancel cable and phone and keep the internet..

I can't thank you all enough for your understanding, responses, support, etc. Not sure I would have done it without all your encouragement. Thank you!

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@SilleeMee wrote:
@rockygems123
I don't want to derail this thread. Maybe we should start a 'Storm' thread. But anyway I'm doing fine. Lots of heavy wet snow.

@SilleeMee

Great idea, just added a post re: the storm.

Glad you're doing fine. Not excited about more snow coming later as we have lots of trees down already with the overnight snow.