# I cut the cord OMG I cut the cord



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

So moving into a house has gotten me into gear to try this. Our triple play thingie bill with uverse has now reached 300 bucks. Yep, that is right, 300 american dollars. It just kept going up. Promos ended and all that. That is for internet, TV and phone. So I started just internet with Spectrum at the house. Uverse gave us a whopping 24 download in the apartment, we get up to 400 with spectrum. Then I signed up for youtubeTV for $40 to get locals and a bunch of other stuff. When we get closer to moving I'll get Ooma and move our home phone over to that for $5.5 a month of taxes. 

If I feel still frisky I'll add PhiloTV to get the history channel and hallmark and other stuff youtubeTV doesn't have for another $16. 

This will bring down the cost quite a bit. As far as premium channels go like HBO and starz, I will get them as I need them. One at a time via prime video. I already have that and netflix and hulu. I will cancel one of those, probably hulu. 

After that no more worrying about the home phone number and being locked into a deal with a cable company. We didn't have much of a choice where we lived, still live for now. Not much choice at the new house either really, its ATT or Spectrum. I am waiting for google fiber to come closer. 

We been testing YoutubeTV out at the house and here still at the apartment. We aren't moved yet. Its working really flawless and even tennis looks good. Tennis is always my test with streaming. Wee ball going really fast and all that. 

They did have to bury a orange cable in my new backyard. Looks a bit like garbage right now but its been raining. 

I did this cold turkey after thinking about it for a while. But I couldn't really do much while still in this apartment dead spot. 

Oh, unlimited DVR recordings with YoutubeTV. And no more paying an extra fee for a 2nd box from the cable company. We just put Roku's on the TV's.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

I am in the serious investigation phase for a similar cord cutting; have been reading up on Youtube TV & will have to investigate Ooma


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I did a lot of comparing of the channels. Hulu live, direct TV now, SlingTV, youtubeTV and Vue playstation. There is a reddit forum for the youtubeTV and they convinced me. I also find more of the channels we watch there. I like Smithsonian for example and we get all the locals. YoutubeTV is not available in all cities though so you'll have to check. 

And for a little more one can always add all the foodnetwork, history channel, hallmark stuff with PhiloTV. 

Its just going to depend on what channels are needed and compare them. YoutubeTV also has a unlimited DVR to record. Anything, it keeps for 9 month. Cloud DVR of course. We tested it for 7 days on trial and it looks really good. Just like my current cable. Although I guess Uverse isn't really cable, its kind of streaming already from the box to the TV. 
Good thing is they are all easy to cancel and start again so one can try one after the other. 

Only thing to keep an eye on is the internet. Spectrum does not have any limits, but ATT does if one doesn't get the triple play. I think its 1TB. Which is a lot, but when you stream basically everything, it adds up quick.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

I checked with my son (who is a geek & programmer). We currently have the full package from Xfinity/Comcast. If we went with internet only, then we would get 1Tb. I told him what my general TV usage has been (and I have a Tivo as well, so Youtube's cloud recording/storage is very attractive), and he didn't think the 1Tb limit would be any problem.

I'm curious about the Ooma that you mentioned, and I've been trying to get more info. Is it a device that you connect to your internet modem?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Yes, you hook it up via the router.



It has 911 too unlike some of those services. If you don't want the premium plan, you only pay the local taxes each month. For me it will be around $5.50 in Texas. Depends on where you are. THey have a website where they explain things and you can check if your number is transferable.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Atunah said:


> So moving into a house has gotten me into gear to try this. Our triple play thingie bill with uverse has now reached 300 bucks. Yep, that is right, 300 american dollars. It just kept going up. Promos ended and all that. That is for internet, TV and phone. So I started just internet with Spectrum at the house. Uverse gave us a whopping 24 download in the apartment, we get up to 400 with spectrum. Then I signed up for youtubeTV for $40 to get locals and a bunch of other stuff. When we get closer to moving I'll get Ooma and move our home phone over to that for $5.5 a month of taxes.
> 
> If I feel still frisky I'll add PhiloTV to get the history channel and hallmark and other stuff youtubeTV doesn't have for another $16.
> 
> ...


Did you make the leap to YouTubetv? How do you like it? We are thinking of making the same jump since cable is getting so out of hand with prices. How is the dvr part working for you? I definitely want a dvr since that's how we end up watching most of our shows.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I am very very happy with YoutubeTV and I also have Philo. And Ooma. Haven't had an issue with either of them. I get the premiums like starz, acorn, britbox, etc as I need them. I had Starz to watch outlander and cancelled it for now. I do that all under my amazon account as its so very easy to come and go for a month. Don't have to call anyone. 

I was also a very heavy DVR user, but our DVR was pretty small in hard drive size so I always ran out of space and it was old so would act up. The Uverse DVR that is. There is unlimited DVR with YoutubeTV. Its a wee bit different to get used to overall, but now that I got the hang of it, I just hit the "plus" button to record series anytime something looks interested. Unlimited. And they keep the recordings for at least 9 months. If that show or episode is broadcast again on any of the channels, that 9 months get reset to another 9 month. If that makes sense. There are also on demand shows that are just there. It is fast, no skipping and no lag when changing channels. So basically this DVR is way better than before. 

I am now using the $150 a month I save from before and put it to the principal each month on mortgage.  

Its kind of really freeing. If I want to cancel something, its just a button press. Before I had to call and call and you know the drill with cable. And as some know, I don't do well with phones and having to talk to CS and try to get stuff done.  Besides the internet fixed cost, everything else is easy to switch. I tried Youtube TV for I think 7 days, liked it and stayed. But I could have cancelled, then tried hulu live, or vue or directtv now. Some rotate through them all year round. Just depends on what you watch.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

I have smart TVs in family and bed rooms. Get all the major networks using indoor wall antenna. I stream lot of stuff. I am more happy with my arrangement than my son who uses cable and dish..... It costs me nothing other than internet access that I need anyway.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

A lot of folks use just antennas for the locals. That all depends on of course what you can pull in. I am not allowed to put antennas on our roof. And we also would not be able to get all of them clear where we are. I also need a few other things to watch so a service that gives all the locals and most of the other basic channels we mostly watched is perfect for me. Still way cheaper than the gazillion channels via cable I used to have. 

Now what will be interesting is how the internet companies are going to deal with all the cord cutters. Many already have data caps, which I expect to go lower or tiered and the prices are going up on that. I am with Spectrum and the deal they made with the goverment to let the merger go through (TWC/charter) means they cannot apply any data caps until I think its 2022 or 2023. But, we are in a 2 year promo deal which when done goes up $25. Have to reavaluate at that point. 

Amazon makes the Recast, a device to use with a firetv that is connected to antennas and then acts like a nice DVR and guide. For those that have antennas and can actually get a good amount of channels that way.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

My TV set up is pretty good.  I'm in Chicago 'burbs.  My TV is connected to a good rooftop antenna (top of 5-story condo building) so have good reception of networks and local channels.  I have TiVo.  Whenever I've gotten a new box, I pay for lifetime service.  My current TiVo box is seven years old and working fine (knock on wood) so not adding in any cost for that.  I currently pay AT&T $50 per month for internet.  I'd have that even if I wasn't streaming.  Now . . . I pay $75 per month for various streaming apps.  Both Netflix and Amazon Prime give you a lot of choices for TV viewing.  (Not including Prime in total because Prime gets you so much more than just TV.). In the $75 I'm also paying for five other streaming apps which I don't watch a whole lot.  Any I could eliminate?  Hmmmmm.  Some I pay for annually so don't see a monthly charge.  Paying for streaming is like a la carte cable.  I've never had cable or satellite.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I cut the cord a few years ago and have never regretted it. I recently moved to a new little bungalow and could not get any antenna channels at all. So I am full on streaming! NBC has live streaming in my area so I get local news and the Today show so I am happy. 

My go to channels are Netflix (though I have considered dropping it just because I have not been watching it that much but decided to give it another month, also I think my price might go up if I do that then come back later, which I will when the Crown comes back ), Hulu (which I just added back when they dropped their price to 5.99), Amazon Prime, Youtube (so much good free stuff on there, old movies, Judge Judy, funny videos on thrifting and other personal interests) and I use a free channel called Pluto which has a variety of older programing from old stand up to crime doc shows like Forensic Files. For some reason I like to fall asleep to these type of shows.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Ah yes Pluto. I like to run the Norway train ride in backround.  . I also like putting it on Sky News. I can't watch any US based news anymore. That and the Tageschau stream. I get BBC world news on youtubetv, but its a lot of loop playing, same segment over and over and over. Good for catching up though. 

My husband likes the old really bad b movie stuff. Old scifi and such. I go back to reading. 

I had to subscribe to CBC all access to finish watching Hawaii 5.0. It used to be on Netflix, then cbs yanked it to put on their own pay stream. It is horrific. The absolute worse streaming I have encountered so far. CBS all access that is. Audio out of sync, huge amount of commercials, glitchy. I am trying to finish watching in the month I am paying so I don't have to do any more than that. They do have the very first season of Bold and the Beautiful.  . It has meaning to me as that was one show my mom and I watched together many times on lunch in Germany. It was and probably still is a very popular soap in Europe. We watched it from the first episode back then, just a few months time shifted of course as everything was. 

But that was the goal for me. Only having 1 or 2 of those extra channels at a time, instead of all of them and not watching. I do have Netflix still as they have brought in a lot of international stuff I like. I might drop Hulu, not sure. I do have the more expensive plan because all the commercials drive me nuts, I might go down though with the price increase now. 
But with YoutubeTV, netflix, amazon prime, hulu and the rotating other channels, I am still paying way less than before. Oh, I do pay for TennisTV also, its a must have for me and I would pay that no matter what TV provider I use. Best service for watching ATP tennis. I have to watch the grand slams on ESPN unfortunately.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

As I have explored cutting the cord, at one point I was trying to determine what internet speed I might want/need.
Right now I have Xfinity Triple Play service with a pretty fast internet speed.
When I tried to look at just getting Xfinity's fastest connection, because I was already a customer it was pretty hard to get a true estimate of the cost, but it seemed like they would stick it to me just to get the fast speed.

So then I was wondering what speed I would really need to allow 2 people to stream movies and several other devices to connect for other reasons.

Could you say what speeds you have and how happy (or not) with that speed?
I think we only have Xfinity & Century Link as options in Abq. But if I didn't need Xfinity's top speed, that might make all this work for my family.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I think one could easily stream 2 streams with 50 down. I have 400, but really over wifi one doesn't get that. Only reason I got that was because we went from ATT to Spectrum and so we got a 2 year lock on a discount. I probably should have gone with the 200, still way enough. Now in 2 years we'll have to call them and ask to 'downgrade so it doesn't go up in price so much. They really only had 200 as the lowest available here. 

Unless you stream a lot of stuff in 4K at the same time, you don't really need the gigabyte stuff. Unless of course you get some offer or its the same price. 

just as a compare we had 24 down with ATT uverse before we cut the cord and already streamed a lot. At times 2 TV's and we have a ton crap of stuff hooked on the network. The issues we had wasn't so much the speed but congestion, due to many apartments on the same uverse box. Even the 24 down when it worked had no issues with streaming, even 4K. 

Over on the cordcutter reddit some folks basically cancel and then sign up again with say the husbands or wife's name to be a "new" customer again to get the deals. Or see what else is available. I went and put my address into all the websites as if I was a new customer. As in whats available for that address. I only had 2 options here, ATT and Spectrum. 

You might have to call them though, I think it was easier for us to just cancel the whole thing once we had it set up with another. they did try the, let me see if its available at your new address. We cut then off saying, there is already  internet, we just need to cancel.   

I say 100 would be plenty. Or even 50-75 if you get a good deal. What speed do you have now?


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

CegAbq said:


> Could you say what speeds you have and how happy (or not) with that speed?
> I think we only have Xfinity & Century Link as options in Abq. But if I didn't need Xfinity's top speed, that might make all this work for my family.


I'm in the Chicago 'burbs. Only two choices for internet here -- Comcast / Xfinity and AT&T. I have AT&T U-verse. With that you have choice of three speeds. I have 17 Mbps, middle of speed choices. Only me here. Primary "juice" users are my computer which is always on and TV. TiVo needs internet. I don't stream a lot, but when I do I have no problems with it. Knock on wood. So 17 Mbps works for me. Currently paying $50 per month for it.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I have 25 Mpbs with a company called Northland, this is uber fast compared to At&T which was suppose to be 12 (honestly high enough unless you're a gamer) but with their constant "flexing" it was often less than 4 Mbps! My company gives me actually 2 lines so my Roku is on one and the rest of my devices are on the other but honestly it would not be a problem with one line.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Many many thanks for your input on speed. This will really let me go back to Xfinity & reassess what I need (& don't need).
My thought on what I needed for speed was making the cost for their fastest internet-only service still approaching what I've been paying.
I may be able to cut the cord yet.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

As I said I have 17 Mbps.  Besides computer and TiVo / TV using juice, I also have an Echo, two Echo Shows, an Echo Tap, Fire tablet, iPad, iPhone, Kindles.  I think that is everything.    

Every time I've checked the speed, it always has been right around 17 Mbps.  AT&T U-verse also offers something like 6 Mbps which would be too slow and 54-ish which I have no need for or want to pay for.  Wonder why the extreme difference between 17 and 54?


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Hi Atumah!!!
I  am ready to jump ship w cable companies after nearly 40 years...and just go wi-fi n stream. What does having youtube TV, Philio, and Ooma run (appx.)costwise for all 3 per month??


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Ooma depends on where you are. You only pay taxes. Ionly have the basic plan. Here are all the costs.
https://www.ooma.com/legal/rates/
You do have to buy a ooma device to get started and its $40 to transfer your number if you need to. I buy pay as you go so put like $10 in the account so I can call my mother in Germany. Cheaper per minute than att was for me.

per month:
$6.47 ooma
$16 or $20 Philo (They have 2 tiers. I got a prepaid 6 month on sale during christmas.)
43.30 ($40plus tax) youtubetv

So with the top tier philo total would be $69.77

I used to pay around $300 for the 3. So adding the internet I have right now is another $66 for spectrum on a 2 year locked in price. So from $300 to $135.77.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Atunah said:


> Ooma depends on where you are. You only pay taxes. Ionly have the basic plan. Here are all the costs.
> https://www.ooma.com/legal/rates/
> You do have to buy a ooma device to get started and its $40 to transfer your number if you need to. I buy pay as you go so put like $10 in the account so I can call my mother in Germany. Cheaper per minute than att was for me.
> 
> ...


No streaming TV, movie streaming apps / platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> No streaming TV, movie streaming apps / platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.?


Yes, I have some of those too. But this question was about the 3 things. Like what you substitute the cable triple play package with after cord cutting. Phone, internet, cabletv. I still have the same other streaming than before so its easier just to lay out the difference in cost in the cable package. I have Amazon, although I had it before they had videos for shipping and I have currently Netflix and Hulu also. I am thinking of dropping either Hulu or going down to the ad supported plan. Netflix is also going up in price and I have to look into of you can pause it for a couple of months and then resubscribe. That would help too with the cost.

I add extra channels via amazon as I need them like Britbox, Acorn, MHz, Starz, etc. one at a time usually when something is on to watch. Like I had Starz for Outlander and then I cancelled it again. Amazon makes it so easy.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Atunah said:


> Yes, I have some of those too. But this question was about the 3 things. Like what you substitute the cable triple play package with after cord cutting. Phone, internet, cabletv.


Aren't the various streaming channels the substitute for cabletv? Otherwise what is cabletv if you're cutting the cord? I don't have phone via VOIP. My internet is AT&T U-verse.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

No. Those streaming services to me are substitute what cableTV calls on demand. The live streaming services are what is a substitute for cable so you can watch many of the same channels as before live. Anything else is on demand. 

YoutubeTV, which I have, gives me many of the same channels I used to have with Uverse. 

Sure, some folks don't care anymore watching anything live and just get the on demand stuff like netflix, amazon. 

I still like my shows and stuff to come on and I still get to "record" them as I always did. Just in the cloud now and for less money. I guess I am old school.  . I do want local channels and for me getting one of these live services is the only way to get them. And I get the same type guide and I get to record whatever I want, how much I want. No limit. 

I think you said you never had cable? I replaced my "cable" which was uverse TV with youtubeTV. I had their triple thingie, phone, tv and internet with uverse. 

Just depends on what you watch. I also need ESPN to watch grand slam tennis and although they have an app I can use, you must have a participating provider you get TV from, to sign into that app. Its just easier and convenient to get a service with most of the basic channels and have it all in one place. Then add to that with some of the other streaming.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I get local channels (live) which include the three networks via rooftop antenna. That costs nothing. But where money comes in is that I have TiVo to then record anything from antenna TV. Need a TiVo box and TiVo service for schedule, etc. Can pay for that monthly or pay for lifetime service when you get a (new) box. That's what I do. *I love TiVo!*

So, yes, streaming services are on demand. Although very recently I wanted to watch / stream the movie "Molly's Game". First time I came across this -- Hulu wast streaming it, but NOT on demand. There was a start time for the movie. I don't like that. (Couldn't record it.) Amazon has it for streaming, but it's not Prime -- buy it, not available to rent. Wanted to see it so I bought. There can be programs on HBO that I want to see. They're aired on HBO cable at a set time. I can watch / stream a day or two later on HBONOW.

TV today!  My father was "techie" for his time. He was an audiophile and a camera bug. If he could be alive for all this today. He died in '73 of smoking.


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## Laran Mithras (Nov 22, 2016)

In my case, I cut the cord completely. Canceled cable TV back in 2007 and haven't looked back since. I just really didn't like the garbage on TV anyway. That's over $1000/yr in savings for 12 years.

A couple of months ago, I got fed up with my landline charges getting ridiculous. We made one call for less than a minute and were charged *almost $10* in fees, surcharges, assessments, usage fees, service charges, and taxes (good gawd) - not to mention the 35 cents to make the call. $65 to have the phone sit there? We rarely make any calls and I have a cell phone. SNIP. It's sort of fun now to pick up the phone and hear deadness. Another $65/month saved. Didn't need it anyway. There's $900 per year.

I guess we're just not TV... junkies? Addicts? Fans? Adherents? Worshipers? We hate it. Personal preference, of course, and YMMV and no offense intended and all that. I used to watch TV every hour I was home and not asleep. Stopping and cutting cable changed my life for the better. I will never go back to TV.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Laran Mithras said:


> I guess we're just not TV... I used to watch TV every hour I was home and not asleep. Stopping and cutting cable changed my life for the better. I will never go back to TV.


As a child, I was a huge TV addict; along the way, I moved to many different locations that didn't get good network reception & at that point I wasn't going to pay. Then I had children and was firmly committed to the belief that the junk on TV was not what I wanted them to be watching nor wanted them to develop reliance. Then they grew up & moved out & on to college.

I also discovered some shows that I really liked to watch. THEN! Outlander was coming to STARZ! (That of course was 2014).
I got a premiere cable package & a TIVO & have discovered more shows along the way that I really enjoy.

But my cable bill has gotten so out of hand, I am willing to cut way back on instant & replay gratification.
Just still working out the plan.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

I've never had cable other than the one year I lived in a college dorm where it was provided for free. We were really poor when I was a kid so it was out of the question, and having gone without it my whole life I just never felt it was worth the expense. The first tv I remember us having was black and white with rabbit ears, and keep in mind this was the 1990s. Then we got a house that had one of those antennas on a pole. To get certain channels to come in, one person would go out and turn it while another yelled through the window if the reception was getting better or not. 

My boyfriend set up a pretty nice antenna in the attic of the house we live in now. It's connected to the cable outlets so one antenna for all the tvs and no wires strung all though the house. OTA is so much better with digital now. HD quality, no snow, and all the channels have multiple channels on them so if you get a handful of stations it adds up to 20 or more channels.

I didn't think anyone had a landline anymore besides certain businesses that get a lot of calls. My grandparents have even gone mobile only. The landline we had when I was a kid only got local service, so we had to buy calling cards for long distance. I remember for awhile we split a line with the neighbor so when someone called you had to ask who it was for and if it was for the neighbor hang up and let them call again...or if you were feeling generous go over and tell them.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> ...
> I didn't think anyone had a landline anymore besides ...


Well ... being an attorney ... I happen to know that if anyone is on "house arrest" or probation/parole, they have to have a "true" landline ... no cell phone will cut it ...


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> I've never had cable other than the one year I lived in a college dorm where it was provided for free. We were really poor when I was a kid so it was out of the question, and having gone without it my whole life I just never felt it was worth the expense. The first tv I remember us having was black and white with rabbit ears, and keep in mind this was the 1990s. Then we got a house that had one of those antennas on a pole. To get certain channels to come in, one person would go out and turn it while another yelled through the window if the reception was getting better or not.
> 
> My boyfriend set up a pretty nice antenna in the attic of the house we live in now. It's connected to the cable outlets so one antenna for all the tvs and no wires strung all though the house. OTA is so much better with digital now. HD quality, no snow, and all the channels have multiple channels on them so if you get a handful of stations it adds up to 20 or more channels.
> 
> I didn't think anyone had a landline anymore besides certain businesses that get a lot of calls. My grandparents have even gone mobile only. The landline we had when I was a kid only got local service, so we had to buy calling cards for long distance. I remember for awhile we split a line with the neighbor so when someone called you had to ask who it was for and if it was for the neighbor hang up and let them call again...or if you were feeling generous go over and tell them.


That is totally me re TV. I'm guessing I'm way older than you though. I remember the beginning of TV. I have NEVER had cable or satellite. Rooftop antenna on the house I grew up in, few apartments I lived in, and on the condo building I currently live in. Been in here for 34 years this summer. Always had good OTA TV. More channel choices now with digital.

Phone. I have true land line. It's my phone of choice. Went cordless not too many years ago. I am NOT attached to my cell phone the way the rest of the world is. I have an iPhone 6 Plus. I use the camera.


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## Laran Mithras (Nov 22, 2016)

Sandpiper said:


> That is totally me re TV. I'm guessing I'm way older than you though. I remember the beginning of TV. I have NEVER had cable or satellite. Rooftop antenna on the house I grew up in, few apartments I lived in, and on the condo building I currently live in. Been in here for 34 years this summer. Always had good OTA TV. More channel choices now with digital.
> 
> Phone. I have true land line. It's my phone of choice. Went cordless not too many years ago. I am NOT attached to my cell phone the way the rest of the world is. I have an iPhone 6 Plus. I use the camera.


I remember using tinfoil on the rabbit ears to get a better picture. I also remember watching the moon landings.

Up until a couple years ago, I still used a rotary phone. You know how aggravating it is to get a recording, "Please press 1 to continue." Switched to push button but finally just ditched it. Too expensive and I have a free iphone from the family business upchain that I am heir to, so it costs me nothing. I use the camera, too, and almost nothing else on it.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

I am one of you who never had cable. The only time I had was free cable at Yale faculty housing during postdoc years. I use indoor antenna where I can get over 30 channels and use streaming for some of the networks on both smart TVs.
I do have cell phone but rarely use it. So my main monthly expense is internet connection. I hope there is some way to do without internet but can't think any. Would love to know if there is any....


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

For fun we tried out one of those indoor antennas again, now that I am living on the other side of town so to speak. Its even worse lol. And its a really good indoor antenna too. I just can't get nothing. Only ones coming in now  are the spanish channels. I can't even get NBC or CBS anymore. Or any other locals. I am in a large city, within the city limits. 7th largest city in the country and I still can't get anything. I looked up on that TVfool site where they give you some idea what you get with what antenna and just to get locals I'd have to put like a 10 foot monster on the roof. Which I am not allowed to do here and wouldn't want to do do anyway.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Don't know what I would do if I didn't have the rooftop antenna on this 5-story condo building.  Basic TV to me has always been the three networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, big Chicago station WGN, Chicago PBS station WTTW, and one other local WFLD.  With digital there now are network substations and a few other minor stations.  Then stream as many apps / platforms as you want to pay for.

Everyone with cable / satellite has on-TV screen TV programming.  I have it with TiVo.  Without it on-screen what do you do?  Do TV schedules in print even exist any longer?  I always subscribed to TV Guide until I got TiVo.  Look at TV schedules on web sites?  Someone in another condo unit on this floor has TV Key Antenna.  It has on-screen programming.  Don't know that reception with it is too good.  I think she needs to keep "refreshing" her TV screen.  Tried to tell her she could get better reception just hooking up to rooftop antenna.  She doesn't "get it" (understand) it.  

My father died in '73.  He was kind of "techie" for his time.  He was an audiophile and a camera bug.  If he could be alive for all this now . . . ?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Yeah, things sure have changed. Some are going full circle I guess. 

I grew up with a antenna on the roof. We had 2 channels and a half as I call them. 2 main channels and one public station. I grew up in Germany. Later when I was a teenager, around then, They put a satellite on the roof. Its not like in the US though, you just buy the dish and pick up a bunch of stuff. I remember catching a few shows in english back then to try to learn it. First few places in the US I lived had some stuff included in the rent. Basic cable, some had some electricity included, that kind of stuff.

But boy once I found all those other channels out there.  . Going from the full blast uverse triple to what we have now is a huge savings, but really still a lot of channels. Problem is that its getting very fragmented now. Lots of networks starting to do their own pay stream. CBS peeved me off big time. I was binge watching the remake of Hawaii five 0. Just liked the vibe humor and its easy watching. I started on Netflix. THey really do have one of the nicest play platform. Not maybe searching for stuff, but when you play its perfect. Then I made it to like season 7 I think and CBS yanked the show off to put on their own pay service. So I subscribed just so I could finish that show. It was the worse streaming experience I have ever had. I just cancelled as I got caught up. Now I will record new episode via the youtubetv cloud DVR which is unlimited. I just hit record on anything I might be interested in. CBS all access had so many commercials I about pulled my hair out. They make you pay to watch with more commercials than normal and you can't forward through them. And the forward and rewind didn't work as well as netflix either. Just horrible. I'll never get that again. 

I am just afraid that more and more channels are going to do that. If I could put an antenna up, I'd do it. Not an option. Plus like I said, I can't get much where I am at. I don't really know of anyone that gets a good reception here so who knows where the towers are. 

I would also miss being able to record and time shift. So even though I don't have cable, I can still do all that via the cloud. I have a guide and all that. 

Curious how this is all going to shape up in the next 5 years. I remember getting DVD"s from netflix and then they had that disk we stuffed into our Wii play box to stream in the early days. You had to watch how much you were streaming then I remember.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

CBS All Access is available without commercials for $99 per year.

Disney is pulling all their TV programs and movies from Netflix and Amazon Prime when their airing contracts run out.  Disney will have their own streaming channel starting later this year.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Disney is something I have pretty much zero interest in. I don't have kids, I don't watch animated stuff and I am not into comic book stuff coming to screen. Since I never read comic books other than Asterix and Obelix and I don't think anyone is making movies out of them.  
Probably a great deal for families though. 

After the fiasco of 2 months of CBS and their mess, I wouldn't pay 99 a year. That's a lot of money for just one network. 
Its what I always loved about Netflix and Hulu, you could find stuff from all different networks. Now they are getting their own and starting to pull stuff off those services. 

I gladly pay for something like TennisTV. Its the only sport I really watch and they have every single tournament outside of the grand slams and women. Unfortunately to watch the grand slams I have to have a service that offers me ESPN and the signin to their app. Otherwise they would only show like 3 matches I don't want to watch while stuff is happening on other courts. Now even ESPN makes me pay even more at $4.99 for the espn+ so I can see those courts. It used to be just signing in to the app and you could watch it all, now they moved them to the extra pay channel  . So for every grandslam they cover I now have to pay for a month of that in addition. 

Then I have to figure out something for french open as its now on tennis channel and same applies there. They will only show the americans playing and often just talk and talk and talk afterwards while matches are going on. So I have to buy into their extra streaming too. 

I just put hulu back on ad supported plan as its got lowered to $5.99 and the regular went up. So that is half what I paid before. After we finish a couple of shows we are watching I am going to put it on pause. I will do the same with Netflix. I think you can pause all of them. So I figured I'll make a list or spreadsheet, write down the months I have this or that so there is no overlap. Since we always pay for a full month. That way I can maybe cut the cost of all of them in half if I only pay for 6 months out of the year for each.


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## fos (Aug 16, 2009)

I cut my cable on April 1, 2019. I had Uverse at the time. They went from $125 to $200. Too much. I rarely watch TV. They would not come down and wanted an extreme amount for cable only. I shopped and ended up with Cox - Internet Only for $70. I already have Amazon Prime. After searching my options, I went with Hulu for $5.99 per month. I found a way to stream the network news channels. I don't miss TV at all. I have always spent most of my time in books, writing, or computer programming anyway. I doubt that I will ever go back.

Jeff


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## barryem (Oct 19, 2010)

I haven't had TV most of my life.  I was born before TV and I used to listen to old time radio shows.  I still do.  I'm a kind of casual collector of the shows I enjoy and I have thousands of them.

I first saw TV in about 1949 or 1950, I'm not sure of the exact year.  We lived in Texas and we went to Connecticut to visit and my grandmother had a TV.  I'm not sure I remember even hearing of TV before that.  I do remember being fascinated by the Quiz Kids.

We got TV at home when I was about 14 in 1954, I think.  I moved out when I was 16 and didn't have a TV or miss it.  I had books.

When I retired to Arkansas 15 years ago I got a TV.  I hated it and gave it to my neighbor about 3 months later, disconnecting my cable service.  There were so many commercials!  How could anyone stand it!

Then I downloaded a video of an old Dragnet TV show from the 1950s, the black and white version.  What fun that was!  I looked for more and every now and then I found one.  And then came Netflix.  Now I have Amazon Prime as well.  I can watch all the TV I want and no commercials.

I tend to like old shows.  I haven't seen most of them before, except for an occasional episode at someone's house.  For that reason I like Youtube a lot.  Although a lot of the old shows are now coming to Amazon Prime.  I've begun watching "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".  I think I'm into the 6th episode.  It's a delight!

Cable?  Nah!  That stuff is for silly people who want to be told what to buy.  By the way I have Youtube Premium, which is the same thing as regular Youtube except no commercials.  It costs $10 a month.  A bargain.

I do remember that after that trip to Connecticut we came back to Texas, where TV still wasn't available, and school started and our teacher explained that in a year or two we would be getting TV stations and she warned us that it worked by displaying an image that wasn't really there and that it would make us go blind.  She claimed that was happening all over the country.  I raised my hand and explained about my experience that summer and that nobody was going blind and I was sent to the principal's office for contradicting her.  The principal wasn't happy. 

Barry


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Atunah said:


> Disney is something I have pretty much zero interest in. I don't have kids, I don't watch animated stuff and I am not into comic book stuff coming to screen. Since I never read comic books other than Asterix and Obelix and I don't think anyone is making movies out of them.
> Probably a great deal for families though.
> 
> I gladly pay for something like TennisTV. Its the only sport I really watch and they have every single tournament outside of the grand slams and women. Unfortunately to watch the grand slams I have to have a service that offers me ESPN and the signin to their app. Otherwise they would only show like 3 matches I don't want to watch while stuff is happening on other courts. Now even ESPN makes me pay even more at $4.99 for the espn+ so I can see those courts. It used to be just signing in to the app and you could watch it all, now they moved them to the extra pay channel . So for every grandslam they cover I now have to pay for a month of that in addition.
> ...


I can't say for sure, but I think there's more to Disney than children's TV programming and movies and animation. I'm not interested in those either. Other choices that I'm surprised are from Disney.

I have no interest in sports. _*ZERO*_. Not paying for that. Much of weekend OTA network TV is now devoted to sports. I go to the digital channels or stream.


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## Laran Mithras (Nov 22, 2016)

I've said on other platforms that this insane push to single channel subscription is going to fail hard.

Who has $10Trillion per month for all of these streaming subs? Ridiculous.

Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! Sub with us! 

Gawd... Next up, the Weather Channel is going subscription.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I can't even get weather channel anymore, youtubetv doesn't have it. Its mostly on cable packages. 

I guess they all saw the money to be made when segmenting their stuff into their own pay channel. Whats its going to do I think is folks just gonna stop watching certain stuff if its going to be on yet another separate pay app. Or just pick what they like best and buy the season on amazon. 

Or maybe I'll just read more. I do have that tbr to get through.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Atunah said:


> ...
> Whats its going to do I think is folks just gonna stop watching certain stuff if its going to be on yet another separate pay app. Or just pick what they like best and buy the season on amazon.
> ...


This is also what I think will happen.


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## Laran Mithras (Nov 22, 2016)

That's what I do - buy the season on Amazon. I wait for it to go on sale and buy it for a tenth the price of a sub. This spreading sub-model reminds me of the gold rush.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Just an update about my cord-cutting saga which began last May ...
Albuquerque NM has either Comcast/Xfinity or CenturyLink internet service 

I was on Xfinity & decided to switch to CenturyLink while dropping phone & tv service ... still not quite there yet, but making progress.

Activated Ooma phone service, which has worked mostly fine (a few hiccups along the way)

Found out that my home is at the VERY end of possible CenturyLink service, took several months to get techs to figure out how to get a connection going; not the fastest, so we are testing how that will work out without yet dropping Xfinity

Enrolled in YouTube TV, which works well for us for now.

Being an Outlander fan ... still have to decide what to do about STARZ. Trying to convince myself to tough it out through new season, wait until the end, then subscribe for just one month & binge like crazy, then buy the bluray with digital when it finally comes out (thus not buy the season through Amazon Prime) ... have to wait & see how long I can hold out

So, still in the process of determining whether CenturyLink's service at reduced speed will work for our household or we need to keep Xfinity's internet-only service ...

a couple more months should have us reaching the final decision !!!


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