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.
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. :)
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.
No more Fox News.
I’d get rid of it if it wasn’t for my wife liking Fox News and my son watch Discovery or a few other stations. I virtually never watch TV. I’ve tried Hula but I’m not into that either.
And most importantly Internet allows you to meaningfully communicate with other people, learn and discuss news as they happen, and of course just to post things like this one :-) With a TV you are just consuming. With the Internet there are hundreds of news sources, discussion sites, hobby sites, history sites, DIY sites - everything is out there, and is instantly available (and searchable.) And if I want an action movie I just need to turn on my PS3, run Far Cry 2, and not only I have a movie, I'm also starring in it :-)
Some good Techno-FReeper please educate an old man on what’s available in antennas now, what to look for. We live in the hills NW of San Antonio, TX (45 mi), were at first with antenna (25 yrs ago), very limited reception then. Went to cable, then satellite but don’t like the trash either. A few good channels (hist, military) but not worth the $$.
Any new ideas to point me to concerning some new antennas Y’ALL??!
Has anyone tried TVU Player? IIRC, it operates as an internet “re-broadcast” system, using the P2P architecture employed by the BitTorrent sharing sites. Just wondering if anyone has found it worthwhile; I’ve been meaning to tinker with it but haven’t yet had chance to wring it out.
I quit using my television in 1998 and gave it away the next year. I was working over 40 hours a week and on the computer when I got home, so had no time to watch or desire, really.
I use tvpc, fancast, hulu, justin, and others to watch TV shows. tvpc.com carries loads of real time channels although not all of them are available in the USofA. I listen to WMAL radio out of Baltimore online most days and into evenings.