The Official "I dont have dish or cable" anymore thread - Page 3

Is 37" watching TV? No wonder it looks the same.


Throw in a few other shows you lose and check again.


Why do you resent someone paying for what they enjoy watching? Surely, it's better than being stuck with whatever is available for free.

Perfect example. Watch the occasional good event surrounded by useless programming or the reverse with several channels. Oh and I paid $432 a year which included a HD DVR.

Curious,,,, I have seen several postings where you are quoting at least $100.00 a month for paid TV services,,,, are you refuring to cable or sat ?

In wanting to make a move from Cox cable I have been pricing Dish and DTV, they both have some decent packages for under $50.00 a month,,,, what is costing over $100.00 a month that you keep refuring too ???

Cheers
Davyo

Please stop with the stupid $100 a month line, it's getting old. Not everyone pays that, right now I've got a deal to get ALL non-premium channels + 20mb internet from Comcast for $80 a month, for two years. Before this deal I was paying $45 a month for just the channels.

Sadder than spending money on a computer and internet access to spend time on a television forum discussing the television programming that you don't watch?

I shut off the cable about a year and a half ago. Haven't looked back since. I'm not saying I obtain everything legit, but I calculated that I could purchase all of the shows I watch on iTunes and still pay less than I did with cable.

Plus, many shows stream for free on their respective network's website.

I "cut the cord" four months ago. I had DirecTV with the HD Extra Pack and HDDVR and was paying around $95 a month.

I had already purchased an AppleTV2 prior to cutting the cord and then I got a good deal on a TiVo Premier ($69 w/ $9.99/mo service).

So, I have been watching NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, CW, PBS in HD and the sub-channels in SD via OTA broadcast recorded on my TiVo. Most of the shows I was really into were on the major nets so I was paying for them for no reason. My wife misses the FoodNetwork, but we have discovered many, many GREAT cooking shows on PBS. Also found that NOVA and Nature on PBS are equal to or better than much of the programming on NatGeo, History, Discovery, etc. In addition, I have watched a LOT of HD video podcasts either recorded to my TiVo or streaming on the AppleTV. Of course we have a Netflix subscription ($12/mo) that we use a lot via the AppleTV (much better interface than on the TiVo). A lot of History Channel programming is available, plus we've been catching up on cable shows that we missed out on before because of the overwhelming nature of 1000 channels (Psych has been my favorite new/old find).

I also have the ability to connect my MacBookPro to my TV to watch things like GrandSlam tennis that is on ESPN3. Hoping it will show up on AppleTV soon.

My DirecTV subscription is actually "suspended" right now and I'm pretty sure that in two months when they get ready to re-activate it I'm going to call them and cancel for good.

All this rhetoric about what someone is paying is irrelevant as is the bashing for lifestyle choices. The main gist of this thread is the value of programming and alternatives. Considering the current economic state of this country, it's a valid discussion regarding alternatives.

The amount one pays is dictated by what content is desired as well as the competitive environment in their locale. Someone mentioned a great deal with Comcast, but unfortunately, that deal isn't available in every area that Comcast serves. The lower prices offered by all of the providers are dependent on contracts and will skyrocket when the deal is over. They also are only for stripped down programming and SD.

Personally, I don't care what anyone else wants to do with their time and how much they want to spend on entertainment. I've never had a problem finding things to do that don't involve the entertainment industry, so spending a lot of money supporting their greed is not my choice. These forums exist mainly to assist people in satisfying their needs whatever they may be, not to disdain those in disagreement.

Cable hooked people into contracts, then encouraged extras with promotional deals. By the time the contract expires, somebody in the household was hooked. It helped that most people think of the cost as the quoted deal, not the actual price.

But an odd thing happens when you back off from pay TV. There was no benefit to going back to analog, and no reason to pay $150+/year for something I get free. Dropping cable was relatively easy, with no middle ground. And now that I have cheap phone and internet, the incremental cost of TV is huge. My neighbors have $99 triple bundle, it costs them over $120. In that sense, I 'save' $72/mo.

When they kill free TV, the internet will probably get raised to the same price people currently pay for internet+TV. Nobody caters to those wanting basic services. Why pay for unlimited phone and blazing internet if I don't have to have it. If I had a fast internet connection, I'd use it, they know that and pretty soon they will charge accordingly.

You're welcome to make an appointment at my house at your convenience!

I get free premium cable with boxes and dvr and hsd. I work for them.

Not that I'm promoting or favoring SD over HD, but as far as Extra Innings in SD for $200 a year vs. MLB.tv streamed in HD for $100 a year, don't forget to factor in the yearly price of the level of internet service you'd need to stream MLB.tv, which far, far exceeds that extra $100 a year more.

This is so true. Most would be happy with dial-up plans if they didn't stream.

The problem in using OTA as an argument is that its content interests me less and less. There is only one scripted series that I consider can't miss and that is House. I'm not saying there aren't others that I enjoy, but all the remaining "can't miss" are on cable, namely AMC, FX, TNT, HBO and SHO.

ESPN3.com is NOT in SD. That's kind of the point.

Not everyone needs a 65" TV to feel satisfied. I find it funny before HDTV most people had SD 4:3 TV that were 27" or less. That equates to a 32" HDTV. But now 37" which is equal to a 32" old 4:3 SDTV is "small" when that used to be considered huge.

Some guys need a $60K sports car to be happy. Most guys can be happy with a car that cost 1/3 that.



What in the hell does that even mean? What does that even have to do with MLB Extra Innings vs MLB.tv? Post that again in english and maybe I can respond.

I'm not resenting anyone. Why are you resenting that I can be happy watching TV on a 37" TV? Pot meet kettle.

Not really since I'm at the level of service I would have regardless. I have the 18 Meg tier. The only lower tier is 12 Meg tier. It's $10 a month difference. Now I'm not paying for the 18 Meg tier just to stream since 12 Meg is certainly more than capable of handling that. But for argument's sake say I was. So that's $10 a month for 12 months is $120. So ok $200 for Extra Innnings via cable and it's only in SD and 4:3 aspect. Or $220 for MLB.TV via streaming which is in HD. I think just the HD( not to mention widescreen aspect ) is worth $20 a year.

It would help if you got your facts straight, because this is just not true. I get deals over and over again with Comcast for ALL channels, in HD, without contracts, and haven't paid full price for more than a couple of months in years.

Some people are just better than others at playing one provider off against another, I suppose.

This, so many Dodger games, all the Kings games, NHL Playoffs for the most part and 1 round of MLB playoffs.

Though i have thought what my life would be like without it...............

Not everyone needs a 37" TV either. I guess people with smaller sets would find you sad.


I guess those with less than 20k cars would find them sad.


Try reading it and it might not be so sad.




I didn't sadly resent others.

I have no problem playing one provider against another, I do that all the time with Qwest & Comcast (haven't paid over $30 for hi-speed internet ever), but you aren't getting the point. In some locales where Comcast has no real competition they do not offer the same deals in places that may have access to Uverse or FIOS or even other cable providers. Lately they've been easier to deal with because satellite has made inroads, but they still don't offer the same initial deals in every area.

You said deals can only be had for 'stripped down programming and SD', which is factually untrue no matter what area you're in. That's all.

Not untrue. All of their advertised promotion prices are for SD NOT HD and they charge extra for the HD programming and equipment. Dish has started to include HD, but Comcast never has.

When I talked to them they stated the moment you had a DVR (HD one) you receive the HD channels... no additional charge for HD per se. They offered me their basic package (Digital Starter), HD channels and HD DVR for $36 a month... for one year. After that I would be free to continue at whatever deal I struck or walk away.

I know this has been mentioned before, but in response to more recent posts, Dish and Direct have both been offering "free HD for life" for awhile now (albeit with a commitment and auto-pay). And they do regularly advertise promotional deals for this (check their sites, and it's right there in plain view).

Dish also offers "HD for life" (not quite the same as "Free HD for Life"), where you don't need the commitment or auto-pay, but you have to pay a $99, "lifetime fee" up front (along with the $99 activation fee, for $198 total).

Also, Dish has those very inexpensive, all-HD, "America" packages, like I mentioned earlier - and you don't need any commitment for those (and with no commitment, they apparently do not charge you for the equipment or installation, as someone suggested earlier - there is nothing in the fine print anywhere that says new customers pay for it on the "Dish builder" site, and when you configure everything, it's not listed there, although every other charge is. But you do get charged the $99 activation fee).

You can get the AT120 Plus, with ESPN I & II in HD and your local RSN-HD, with one (HD/SD) DVR and no commitment, for $60.00/mo. Or, Dish America, with the ESPN-HD's and no RSN, (w/1 DVR and no commitment) for only $41.00/mo. And these are the regular prices, not introductory deal prices, which you can't get without a commitment, anyway.

If you're going to add more tuners or DVR's, or higher package tiers, or premium packages or channels, then yeah, it's going to start adding up, just like with any of them (I don't know what all the others are charging these days, but it's 7 bucks for an extra HD tuner with Dish).

It was getting old and I got tired of paying the amount to Cox. That is what they were charging me for one HD DVR and no premium channels. My sister and brother in law has DirecTV and they have the HD DVR and no premium channels and they are paying $100 a month for it too. It sounds like the deals you are talking about are for new customers and only for a limited amount of time. Or you keep threatening to cancel and Comcast gives you a deal like that to keep from losing you as a customer.

I was a loyal Cox customer for 18 years and I was getting nickel and dimed to death when I decided to cancel. The last six months I had cable I spent more time looking through the guide or channel flipping than I did watching something.

I wish I would have found this out a lot earlier than when I did. I would have saved a lot of money and my DVD collection would be much bigger. I don't need a DVR when I have the DVDs of the shows I want to watch.

What programming tiers? And how many tuners?

Duh. If you're not willing to play their game, don't come whining here about how it costs too much.

Most people feel that you shouldn't have to "play their game" all the time to not be taken to the cleaners.