Posted on 01/13/2017 3:13:52 PM PST by Weeble
I've seen several posts here about cable cutting and thought I'd chime in and rant. I have been considering cutting the cable and am salivating over switching to Sling or PlayStation Vue. I already have Kodi. Content isn't the problem, internet is the problem (though my Dish bill has skyrocket over the years). My DSL from CenturyLink has increased 75% over the past few years. I have the fastest speed they offer in my area, a blistering 5 mbps, though I am paying for their 12 mbps service, which isn't available because they haven't laid the fiber optic in my area. They offered me a 2nd DSL line for at a discount for 12 months, then regular price thereafter. So, they want me to pay double for 5 mbps, but at least I could have 2 devices buffering at once. We get lots of buffering delays on Kodi and Netflix and sometime our internet is slower than dial up. My only other option is Comcast (Xfinity - they changed their name because their reputation is so bad) which would be double what CenturyLink charges now, but I'd get 25 mbps. But, I really don't want to be at Comcast's mercy because my past experience with them is that they will raise rates significantly on a regular basis. Not that CenturyLink is much better. Let's run 21st century tech through a 1950s copper phone network. You would think that in order to justify the territorial monopoly they have been granted, they would at least have to provide a decent network before extorting their customers. That's what happens when you have government dealing favors to corporations in the People's Republic of Minnesota. I have heard that the satellite internet options are even worse. Hard to justify cable cutting when your internet options are so sucky. Maybe I can join the Hollywood elites and move to Canada. I hear their internet is pretty good.
I moved to the boonies over a decade ago. I get my TV over the air...and I don’t miss cable at all. With digital signal, and an amplified antenna, I get around 20 stations...none of which are cable news.
I’d cut the cord and do a trial run with over the air tv.
Lived with OTA for years and used the money I saved to buy DVDs TV and series.
Worked until I moved back to the city, no OTA, go figure.
I don’t understand one word of this. I have the networks (I never watch) and 700 other stations I don’t watch except for an hour of Fox and 12 hours of the Food Network. Oh, and lots of Turner Classics.
So I would go with a high-speed cable provider (not DSL).
And skip Sling. I subscribe to Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu. That's it. I have a Roku 3, which I can get tons of free channels. I get my regular TV stations through an antennae. My bill is less than $20/month, not counting the Prime which is paid up front annually.
Both Comcast and Century charge nearly 100/mo for phone and Internet. They have a monopoly which AT&T and Charter will not enter in my area. My bill went from $55/mo in Oct to now $91/mo. I use Sling TV for sports (Football of course). Is there no way to get Internet and home phone without these thieves rates? I’m pondering an FTC suit to expose their collusion!
I just found out that you can get TCM on Youtube, which is a station I want.
Comcast Business operates completely separate from Xfinity and their support is 1000% better. It is like night and day. The 50 mbit is a guraranteed minimum (CIR) and their tech support is top notch. I run a server in my basement with a static IP addr and it's great.
Fios is not an option here - so the above are my 2 choices.
With DSL I wss getting 1.3 down on a good day. Comcast 30 down almost always.
From your description, 2 DSL lines buffering vs. one cable line with almost no buffering, assuming almost the same price, is a no-brainer.
I did have to add an extender to get wifi in one end of the house and I have one laptop on 5 ghz band and the other laptop, tablets, phones, etc. on the 2.4 band, but pretty much trouble free.
The router and extenders are mine, not Comcast provided.
>>I have the networks (I never watch) and 700 other stations I don’t watch except for an hour of Fox and 12 hours of the Food Network. Oh, and lots of Turner Classics.<<
Are you married to Dave? I think you’re my wife!
I find that hard to believe, unless buildings block the signal.
A valid option is just stop watching so much video, of whatever kind.
I did that over 20 years ago, and it was the best decision I ever made. I always have more to do than I have time to do it.
It is amazing how much of life I was wasting as a TV zombie.
Look into the screen, Mark. It won’t hurt you....
Here’s my setup, LOVE IT
1. Local network over the air TV - Silicondust HD Homerun receiver, HDTV Antenna hung on wall in a spare room, plugged into the cable TV wiring which distributes the signal around the house for spare TV’s. Windows Media center laptop in living room gives me a free guide and DVR feature.
2. Cable TV channels - PSVUE on several Roku’s and Amazon Fire stick
3. Kodi installed on Fire Stick to watch free movies and starve Hollywood of revenue
“Comcast Business operates completely separate from Xfinity and their support is 1000% better. It is like night and day. The 50 mbit is a guraranteed minimum (CIR) and their tech support is top notch. I run a server in my basement with a static IP addr and it’s great.”
Same here. No comparison.
You must be one of those extinct book readers I hear about.
Cable actually offers more for similar cost.
My Internet is mid-level at $70/month. But, I have around 50 Mbps and 1 Tb of download/upload per month. Satellite and phone company cannot come close to that.
I think my local cable requires at least basic TV in order to get Internet. I add the next tier for most of the ‘better’ cable offerings: TNT, USA, A&E, etc., and large number of sports — Fox and ESPN.
My area does not even have 4G mobile, but the 3G is comparable to what I am paying for cable and the download/upload is about 10 Gb — insufficient for serious streaming.
I use both Netflix and Amazon Prime and seldom have any buffering, unless the cable company is working on the system. Streams begin almost instantaneously.
Questions:
What is the cost differential, and how does Comcast Business operate with multiple TV cable boxes?
Thanks in advance.
In a rural area, my Internet is CenturyLink. Still a good deal even at 5 MBS.
I could go 60 MBS with Spectrum Cable for slightly more but don’t think its worth it.
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