Cable/Satellite TV

[Stelth]

We left Cox cable because we thought it was too expensive. Then we went with Direct TV. The picture was much better than Cox, and we were happy. However, the salesman wasn't completely forthcoming on the details. I knew I had an introductory deal, and the price would go up after it expired. I definitely don't remember him saying it would go up to $160/month!

So I'm looking for alternatives. I don't care about sports, so I don't need all the sports channels. I'd like the usual lineup, including things like A$E, Military Channel, and so on, maybe one premium channel like Showtime. That would cost about $120/month from Direct TV.

 

[Nick R]

Your only other option would be dish network, but they do the same thing. You might be better off going back to cable, as I don't know about cox, but unlike directv/dish they usually don't have contracts.

 

[gman2304]

I switched from TWC to Directv about 3 years ago and love the directv. I have it on 2 TV's along with 2 DVR's and pay $105 a month. It will rarely go off during a bad rain,thunder storm but clears itself up after a few minutes. A searching for signal message comes up on the screen and clears up after a couple minutes. I do have to clean snow off the dish when we get any rare snow here in central NC. Thats why I had them mount mine on a short pole in my wifes flower garden. LOL! I have most of the channels but none of the HBO, showtime, starz etc.

 

[Kuato]

Cox and DirecTV both have a bad rap, for good reasons.

We have Dish, they've always been courteous and straightforward about rates and services.

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

This is why I dumped them all several years ago. I now just have a Roku box and a subscription to Netflix streaming for $8/month.

If you needed some kind of network TV fix, you could also subscribe to Hulu Plus. It's still a fraction the price of cable/satellite.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Digital TV from the phone company, maybe?

 

[Donald]

If you go with an alternative besides a cable company or satellite, (streaming) then you need high speed internet from someone. I have DSL and its not fast enough for some of the streaming, but was for Netflix.

 

[Merkava_4]

I have no need for cable TV. You guys are my entertainment.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: HardbodyLoyalist
This is why I dumped them all several years ago. I now just have a Roku box and a subscription to Netflix streaming for $8/month.

If you needed some kind of network TV fix, you could also subscribe to Hulu Plus. It's still a fraction the price of cable/satellite.


I like THAT idea even better!!

 

[Cutehumor]

I dumped comcast two months ago, I got sick of their price increases. I put a clearstream antenna 50 mile radius in the attic. I'm getting 30 over the air channels, got a roku3 streaming box, and netflix for 8 bucks/month. if that is not plenty to watch, rent $1 movies from redbox or rent free tv shows/movies from your local library. there is way too much free entertainment out there.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Stelth
$160/month!


Originally Posted By: Stelth
That would cost about $120/month from Direct TV


$160 a month? $120/month? Is television really worth that much? Do people really pay that much for television?

Even at your $120/month figure, that's $1,440 a year just to watch television. One thousand, four hundred forty dollars each year. At the $160/month amount, it's almost $2,000 a year. Two thousand dollars each year.

I can think of dozens of things I'd rather do than sit around watching television, especially at that price. Toss up an antenna so you can see the local news, and leave the rest of the programming to those who have nothing better to do than park in front of the idiot box and pretend to be entertained. Sit outside on the deck with your significant other watching the stars. Go walking for a couple hours each evening after work with your significant other. Learn to dance and go dancing a couple times a week. Do some volunteer work, or get a part time job and make a couple thousand a year rather than spend it.

I didn't realize that prices had skyrocketed that much. I thought prices were around $30 or $40 a month. Sheesh-$120 a month? That amount leaves me flabbergasted.

 

[DragRace]

We had Dish,wasn't bad. Then we switched to Direct TV and we hate them. When our contract is up,in another year,we're sticking with cable,if it's affordable,as we dont watch much TV anymore. We rent movies for the most part,just not much worth watching on TV anymore,that and we spent more time @ the gym anyways.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Stelth
$160/month!


Originally Posted By: Stelth
That would cost about $120/month from Direct TV


$160 a month? $120/month? Is television really worth that much? Do people really pay that much for television?

Even at your $120/month figure, that's $1,440 a year just to watch television. One thousand, four hundred forty dollars each year. At the $160/month amount, it's almost $2,000 a year. Two thousand dollars each year.

I can think of dozens of things I'd rather do than sit around watching television, especially at that price. Toss up an antenna so you can see the local news, and leave the rest of the programming to those who have nothing better to do than park in front of the idiot box and pretend to be entertained. Sit outside on the deck with your significant other watching the stars. Go walking for a couple hours each evening after work with your significant other. Learn to dance and go dancing a couple times a week. Do some volunteer work, or get a part time job and make a couple thousand a year rather than spend it.

I didn't realize that prices had skyrocketed that much. I thought prices were around $30 or $40 a month. Sheesh-$120 a month? That amount leaves me flabbergasted.


Oh there are people that pay well more than that too. A few DVR boxes, premiums can put people in the $200 range for just cable, not even including internet service or phone.

 

[Cutehumor]

my sister pays $200 for broadband internet/cable/digital voice with comcast. she and her husband have two smart phones for 180/month. 380 bucks per month for that. these companies trap people in the "monthly payment", you will be working the rest of your life trapped in the monthly payment system. it's the car payment system, how much per month can you afford

 

[KenO]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
my sister pays $200 for broadband internet/cable/digital voice with comcast. she and her husband have two smart phones for 180/month. 380 bucks per month for that. these companies trap people in the "monthly payment", you will be working the rest of your life trapped in the monthly payment system. it's the car payment system, how much per month can you afford



People that buy, especially cars, based on what the payment alone is are truly the dumb of the dumb.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I dumped comcast two months ago, I got sick of their price increases. I put a clearstream antenna 50 mile radius in the attic. I'm getting 30 over the air channels, got a roku3 streaming box, and netflix for 8 bucks/month. if that is not plenty to watch, rent $1 movies from redbox or rent free tv shows/movies from your local library. there is way too much free entertainment out there.

I think the picture quality of over the air TV is better than cable and it's free.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I dumped comcast two months ago, I got sick of their price increases. I put a clearstream antenna 50 mile radius in the attic. I'm getting 30 over the air channels, got a roku3 streaming box, and netflix for 8 bucks/month. if that is not plenty to watch, rent $1 movies from redbox or rent free tv shows/movies from your local library. there is way too much free entertainment out there.

I think the picture quality of over the air TV is better than cable and it's free.


+2 it'd be nice if cable just took OTA channels and shoved 'em through the pipe bit-for-bit. Their roots are in "Community Antenna TeleVision" which is where the "CATV" abbreviation comes from.

Instead they squash them more with compression. Dish/Direct are no better.

If you want to nerd it up you can get C-band satellite, appropriate gear, and a la carte programming choices. Quality will be what the cable head-end sees.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Stelth
$160/month!


Originally Posted By: Stelth
That would cost about $120/month from Direct TV


$160 a month? $120/month? Is television really worth that much? Do people really pay that much for television?

Even at your $120/month figure, that's $1,440 a year just to watch television. One thousand, four hundred forty dollars each year. At the $160/month amount, it's almost $2,000 a year. Two thousand dollars each year.

I can think of dozens of things I'd rather do than sit around watching television, especially at that price. Toss up an antenna so you can see the local news, and leave the rest of the programming to those who have nothing better to do than park in front of the idiot box and pretend to be entertained. Sit outside on the deck with your significant other watching the stars. Go walking for a couple hours each evening after work with your significant other. Learn to dance and go dancing a couple times a week. Do some volunteer work, or get a part time job and make a couple thousand a year rather than spend it.

I didn't realize that prices had skyrocketed that much. I thought prices were around $30 or $40 a month. Sheesh-$120 a month? That amount leaves me flabbergasted.


I agree totally. But apparently many get VERY upset if you dare question their spending habits. Even if they do leave you (me) flabbergasted.

I dont know when our TV was even turned on last - it has been months!

Originally Posted By: KenO
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
my sister pays $200 for broadband internet/cable/digital voice with comcast. she and her husband have two smart phones for 180/month. 380 bucks per month for that. these companies trap people in the "monthly payment", you will be working the rest of your life trapped in the monthly payment system. it's the car payment system, how much per month can you afford



People that buy, especially cars, based on what the payment alone is are truly the dumb of the dumb.


Better watch yourself - lots of folks waiting to be offended by such talk, even if its your opinion and youre entitled to it!

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I dumped comcast two months ago, I got sick of their price increases. I put a clearstream antenna 50 mile radius in the attic. I'm getting 30 over the air channels, got a roku3 streaming box, and netflix for 8 bucks/month. if that is not plenty to watch, rent $1 movies from redbox or rent free tv shows/movies from your local library. there is way too much free entertainment out there.

I think the picture quality of over the air TV is better than cable and it's free.


I've noticed that too. The quality isn't always that great on the Roku either (it likes to be low quality for the first minute or so).

We ditched satellite when we bought the house, and once we got over it, it's been great. We get 1.5 OTA channels (WMUR comes in when the leaves are off the trees) and as a result we haven't a clue what is in the theaters. Or what the current "hip" TV shows are. Don't see commercials for it, don't know what we're missing. Thought about putting up a tower (I am a ham radio operator after all) but not sure what I'd do with more channels that I don't want to watch--NHPTV has about 90% of what we want already; it's only the local news that we miss.

The less I watch the more content I am. I do enjoy a bit in the evening, once the brain has switched off; but these days, since it's such a trial to figure out what to watch, I'm almost to the point of not wanting to bother.

Only problem is, the wife really likes having it on, for the background noise. I find it hard not to watch when it's on. So, if I want to spend time with her, well, I'm stuck. Right now we're slowly making our way through Fraiser.

 

[Vikas]

The trouble is that if you don't get the TV+Phone to go along with the internet, the standalone price on the connectivity gets jacked up very high.

Then there are some family members who refused to let their ESPN go.

With those two factors, one ends up spending lot more money than necessary.