Posted on 04/20/2010 4:52:54 PM PDT by CanadianPete
Make no mistake: The big cable, satellite, and telco carriers are still sitting pretty with more than 100 million TV subscribers. Nevertheless, a new report claims that more and more viewers are "cutting the cord" in favor of watching their favorite shows via over-the-air antennas (remember those?), Netflix, or the Web.
[snip]
To wit: Nearly 800,000 households in the U.S. have "cut the cord," dumping their cable, satellite, or telco TV providers (such as AT&T U-verse or Verizon FiOS) and turning instead to Web-based videos (like Hulu), downloadable shows (iTunes), by-mail subscription services (Netflix), or even good ol' over-the-air antennas for their favorite shows, according to the report.
[snip]
Personally, I find the temptation to cut the cord pretty enticing, especially whenever I get a load of my monthly $130 cable bill (which includes unlimited broadband and HD but no premium channels). Why am I paying so much for all the hundreds of channels that I rarely ever watch, anyway? Wouldn't it be easier — not to mention a lot cheaper — just to ditch my DVR and watch my favorite shows on iTunes and Hulu, catch up on the news via CNN.com, and be done with it?
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I found this article interesting. What really piqued my interest was that after 2 or 3 days it generated over 9,000 comments. If you go to the website you can read them. This makes me think that this is a more significant trend than many would think it to be.
I've never paid for a TV service. I've always been an "antenna person". Up here in Toronto I get about 20 digital channels over-the-air. Add in DSL and there really isn't any justification to pay for cable/satellite. So, I just thought you might find the commentary from that article interesting.
We did it in 1997. The most obvious change is I have been a bass player now for 12 years.
You get 500 channels, of which 200 are active and 200 are in foreign languages.
You net 100 channels.
It’s bs.
I cut the cord in 2001; haven’t missed it at all...
I have never had cable either. It’s antenna or, more lately, youtube and hulu for us. And DVDs.
They keep putting out leftist crap and anti-family semi-porn and that number will grow much bigger.
We just have basic. My kids laugh at us all the time. I’d be happy if we discarded the whole mess, but hubby is on a mission to DVR every TCM movie playing. We’re at 1500 recorded DVDs, I’m not kidding.
I’ve had the same cable company for almost 7 years - and have never been a day late on a payment. Tonight they call and say there’s been a “mistake” in my billing and I need to pay an additional $9 for my high-def DVR. This on top of the monthly DVR fee - which I’ve paid every month. The woman did say it was totally the fault of her company - after a few minutes. I’m almost ready to jump... one nudge and I’m otta there...
Dumped cable TV in ~1998. Still a good thing to avoid.
The $60 to 100 cable or Sat TV bill divides up the money for each network. CNN has probably 6 or more channels with sports, Turner, and others. Ditto Viacom/CBS, Disney/ABC and the others.
The point is even if you are not watching CNN - you are still giving them $3 a month or CBS/Viacom or Disney/ABC or NBC/MSNBC.
These people are holding us in serfdom. TV enpowers the Democrats and they are stealing your money, rights, freedom and liberty. I cancelled over 6 months ago and will NEVER go back. Time to decide folks. Serfdom or ball games.
We don’t have cable (live in the country) and haven’t had satellite since 2000. I don’t miss it. My husband says I can’t watch TV without seeing a liberal slant. He’s right. It’s just not worth the time.
Just did the same last month. Was a direct TV subscriber for 15 years. The MSM is destroying our country and I’m not going to contribute one more cent to their “progressive agenda” media outlets.
Obama arrived...my cable DIED ! ! !
I rather enjoy my cable, and all it has to offer. Many educational shows etc.... not to mention a huge football and baseball fan. I also use netflix for my movie viewing pleasure and my daughter loves watching a show now and again on the computer. I have 4 T.V.’s in the house one 52” HD for the common room, one 42” plasma for my bedroom, one 25” in another bedroom and a 19” in one bedroom. Only the two larger screen t.v’s are fit for cable. So if I am doing something in the common room and I move back and forth from my bedroom and I can both TV’s on the same channel for that ever so crystal clear picture and not miss a second of my broadcast of choice. I sometimes have the TV’s on two different channels so I can catch two show’s at once. I work 13 hour days including Saturdays and because of my need for distraction from the grind I find the fantasy of sports and movies well worth the money I pay for cable. Not to mention the video’s on CMT. I don’t think there is one top female artist in country music that doesn’t deliver the goods asthetically and that is another distraction in and of itself. :)
That’s an extra box of ammo a month if you dump your cable.
I fired the cable company at least twenty years ago.
I am joining the 800k as of May 1st.
Just got my new Tivo Premiere, have had Tivo’s only since 1999. Love them! I’ll never give up my Fios TV!
My attitude is that it’s not worth payng a monthly fee for the mundane stuff like the main networks and such. I have an antenna in the attic with a preamp and i’m getting about 20 stations, some from 90 miles away consistently. Although a couple are somewhat problematical. Also there is the odd outage due to weather and such. For specialty stuff there’s the internet. It takes a bit of digging but stuff can be found.
I hope that this will make people want to try experimenting and maybe see if they can explore ways that they can free themselves from the cable/satellite bill.
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