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Dish or Cable
Vanity

Posted on 12/27/2015 9:13:40 AM PST by Maine Mariner

We are just at the edge of DSL service. The internet service is at times very slow and video streaming can be a real pain. There are no plans for upgrading to higher speeds for several years. We are considering either Time Warner cable for internet service only. It looks like the fee is about $35.00 per month for the standard package or about $65.00 a month for an even faster service. We don't intend to purchase any TV packages just internet.

Any suggestions from fellow FREEPERS will be appreciated. We would prefer not to use Dish but would consider it.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
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To: Maine Mariner

If what you want is reliable bandwidth, cable, hands down.


21 posted on 12/27/2015 9:42:57 AM PST by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit.)
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To: Maine Mariner

Something to remember about advertised speeds: they are only good for the network you are on. Once your connection access a server outside of your provider’s network, speed wise you are limited to whatever speed those networks are putting out at that particular time.

For example, you may be on an advertised 60meg network, and get 35megs within your area, but going outside could slow you to 2megs or less if those networks are having problems at that time.


22 posted on 12/27/2015 9:43:00 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: Maine Mariner

Afte years of cussin and fightin HughesNet we found a relatively nearby WISP (Wireless Internet Service) and although had to put up a tower and repeater (luckily we are in the woods) the internet service is much better and no weather outages or HughesNet fake FAP slowdown punishments.


23 posted on 12/27/2015 9:43:53 AM PST by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
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To: biff

Look for that to change.

I used to be able to screw the coaxial into the wall and connect to the TV. Cox cable screwed that up. A couple of months ago, they started converting all channels to digital -- encryped. Thus, every TV or instrument (DVR, etc.) now requires a mini-box. Older DVRs won't work it the mini-boxes. Currently, only the 'local' broadcast network channels are still coming in unencrypted, but I think that changes in mid-January. The first mini-box is free for the first year and $2/month thereafter.


24 posted on 12/27/2015 9:44:52 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Maine Mariner

AT&T sucks.
Dish sucks.
Time Warner sucks.
Google suck.

Take your pick. Each will have you muttering to yourself before long.


25 posted on 12/27/2015 9:49:35 AM PST by MIchaelTArchangel
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To: Maine Mariner

Instead of streaming you can DOWNLOAD content.
That’s what I do.

There are several SAFE, LEGITIMATE sites that have public domain content for free- and there’s a LOT of good PD film and TV out there.

If you’re comfortable with the internet you can DOWNLOAD ANYTHING from the ‘iffy’ link sites.
But you have to be careful.


26 posted on 12/27/2015 9:50:01 AM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: Maine Mariner
Once you engage with Dish in any manner, you will subject yourself to junk mail for the rest of your life and there is absolutely no way to stop it. They camouflage it to not look like it's come from Dish Network to trick you into opening it. Husband and I abhor-detest Dish Network.
27 posted on 12/27/2015 9:51:55 AM PST by MamaDearest
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To: Maine Mariner

Time Warner Cable is acceptable for Cable and internet service and is generally reliable. If given a choice I would drop TWC for Verizon FIOS in a heartbeat. If you’ve never known the difference then it doesn’t matter. Once you’ve used FIOS for any lenght of time you see the clear advantage of fiber-optic over RF based cable.


28 posted on 12/27/2015 9:52:26 AM PST by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
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To: TomGuy
I have Cox. I still have Cox for the cheapest computer hookup. But cable TV? Around here, they completed the switch to requiring those boxes, even for local stations, about two months ago. I did not want the complexity of more equipment and financial responsibility for it. I dropped cable TV completely and now only watch what I get by antenna.

Some of those stations showing old movies and TV shows that are on antenna TV are enjoyable. I like the money I'm saving more than I liked any of the small number of shows I no longer watch.

29 posted on 12/27/2015 9:55:54 AM PST by grania
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To: anoldafvet

Northfield Center, Ohio. Between Cleveland and Akron. Time Warner “bundle.” Three weeks ago it went out ten times in four days. And when it goes out the phone goes out too. I have to power down and reboot the modem, which takes a while. PITA!


30 posted on 12/27/2015 9:59:27 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: Maine Mariner

why not Verizon?


31 posted on 12/27/2015 9:59:57 AM PST by blueyon (The U. S. Constitution - read it and weep)
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To: TomGuy

Our provider has kept the “basic” offering for low income people and they went 100% digital earlier this year. Our TV’s have to have a digital tuner but if a customer has an old analog TV the cable company provides a converter free of charge. We do not receive any encrypted channels.

The other cable provider here in town does not have that option, all TV’s have to have a box. We get non-HD on every channel except 5 or 6 locals that are HD. Sudden Link gets all us old cranks that do not want 250 channels and a box with new controller to keep up with on every TV in the house.


32 posted on 12/27/2015 10:02:48 AM PST by biff
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To: Maine Mariner

If you are going with a dish be very sure you have no trees blocking the satellite direction or you will regret it.


33 posted on 12/27/2015 10:04:28 AM PST by McGruff (Merry Christmas)
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To: Maine Mariner

There is no cable around my area. Cell phones do not work. Century link is the telephone provider and a very slow oversubscribed DSL. I am thinking about going back to dial up as it is cheap and I will not have to pay century links DSL fees for something a little faster than dial up. The fiber optic century link had washed out in a flood so they will replace it someday. I suspect by then satellite will be the way to go.


34 posted on 12/27/2015 10:17:17 AM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: MIchaelTArchangel

Take your pick.

Century link sucks big time. 47K DSL.


35 posted on 12/27/2015 10:18:16 AM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: Maine Mariner

All else being equal, you’re gonna get WAY better Internet service from Cable than any satellite Internet service. In my opinion, satellite Internet service is useful only for those who live in the DEEP sticks and have no other option at all.

The problem with satellite Internet service is that geosynchronous satellites are stationed above the Earth at 22,000 miles, and it therefore takes about .5 seconds for a radio signal from Earth to reach the satellite, be repeated back down again to the requested web server, then back up again with a chunk of the requested information and then finally repeated back down to you, four trips equaling 88,000 miles, which as it turns out, at those distances, the speed of light is not really as blazingly fast as we have imagined, or at least not fast enough.

And while many such data-chunk requests can be in progress simultaneously like railroad cars strung out along a celestial railroad track to help compensate for that latency, every server and all of your clients have to be specially optimized for that to work well. Plus nothing can compensate for the latencies involved with starting and finishing many individual web pages, videos, file downloads and the like.

Additionally, your satellite dish has to have direct line of sight to the satellite and weather can affect the quality of the connection.

Go with cable and don’t think a second time about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access


36 posted on 12/27/2015 10:18:16 AM PST by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: Maine Mariner

Cable internet is better than Dish.


37 posted on 12/27/2015 10:26:56 AM PST by UnwashedPeasant (A slave is one who waits for someone to come and free him.)
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To: Maine Mariner

I used to sell cable in the early days. Here is my suggestion:

I used to tell my friends to but the promo, and write down what you watch. Then drop to that level. Most of the time this meant High speed internet. Some of them bought Netflix or Hulu.

For the next week, track what you stream, watch, or download. At the end of the week figure out what is best. Downloading on satellite internet sucks.


38 posted on 12/27/2015 10:28:57 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: Maine Mariner

My advice is to Ditch the Cable, the satellite and the TV set. It is easier to actually do stuff while listening to the radio and you can talk back to the Internet.


39 posted on 12/27/2015 10:56:51 AM PST by arthurus (Het is waar. Tutti i liberali sono feccia.)
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To: anoldafvet

Stoopid TRC just went down again for 20 minutes!. Don’t know if this will post! Phone still dead


40 posted on 12/27/2015 11:01:48 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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