cutting the cord... cable, that is

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wcwbf

Member
who has done it? and how did you do it? i am soooo done with cable (comcast/xfinity). have basic cable service (no premium channels), internet & phone and it's inching up rapidly on $200/month! everything seems heading toward "streaming"... i have no idea how that works and frankly don't want to. i want someone to listen to what i want/need and do it for me. comcast i showing zero interest in helping. there are no instructions for any of this.

someone joked that i need a teenager, but they couldn't explain it to me. i don't think teens/kids would understand that i don't want/need EVERYTHING... like netflix... why?

if there aren't people who do this for people... there should be!

any suggestions? understand i know NOTHING about thi stuff... NOTHING techie... just enough about computers to be "dangerous".
 

Neither did I and I am alone.
I don't know anyone around here, so I put a notice on a bulletin board at the Post Office asking for someone who knows about electronics to install stuff for me. An electronics expert came over and told me what to purchase at Walmart. I had to up the power to my internet with a different company and that's ALL I pay for! I pay for NOTHING on the TV! "Streaming". It's WONDERFUL!
I was so fed up with Direct TV (and Dish) that I actually went outside, sat in my vehicle and SCREAMED!
Thank Heaven there was an alternative ! You will need a "smart" TV!
Just do it! You will be so happy you did!
 
I cut the cord years ago and went with Sling. It was easy. Just Googled Sling, followed their directions. Since I'm clueless as well, I called and talked with a real person who walked me through it.

Sling was okay, and I got everything I wanted for about $50/month, but a "frozen" screen happened way too often. I don't know if that's still a problem or not.

If you have a smart TV, you're ahead of the game. If not, you'll need to buy a Roku thingie. You can get those from Best Buy and probably from Target or Walmart or any big box store. Roku device has easy to understand instructions for hooking it up. I mean, I'm technologically challenged, so if I could follow the instuctions, you certainly can.

When DD/DSIL decided they were paying way too much for DirectTV, they went with Hulu and I'm on their Hulu account (we're under the same roof but I have my own apartment behind the garage). I don't know what it costs. They also have Netflix and Discovery+. I like all of them. I especially like the search feature on Hulu so that I can watch programs that have already aired but that I missed.

Google streaming services and check them all out for price and available channels. When you decide on one that suits your needs, go to the website. If you're as IT illiterate as I am, call and talk to a person who will walk you through the set up.

Or...if you can borrow a 7-year-old from someone... :D
 

I picked up cable for a while when I moved here. I then realized I was not watching it enough to justify the cost. My building is already set for antenna service. Plus I have Prime, Netflix and Hulu.
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
I cut the cord years ago and went with Sling. It was easy. Just Googled Sling, followed their directions. Since I'm clueless as well, I called and talked with a real person who walked me through it.

Sling was okay, and I got everything I wanted for about $50/month, but a "frozen" screen happened way too often. I don't know if that's still a problem or not.

If you have a smart TV, you're ahead of the game. If not, you'll need to buy a Roku thingie. You can get those from Best Buy and probably from Target or Walmart or any big box store. Roku device has easy to understand instructions for hooking it up. I mean, I'm technologically challenged, so if I could follow the instuctions, you certainly can.

When DD/DSIL decided they were paying way too much for DirectTV, they went with Hulu and I'm on their Hulu account (we're under the same roof but I have my own apartment behind the garage). I don't know what it costs. They also have Netflix and Discovery+. I like all of them. I especially like the search feature on Hulu so that I can watch programs that have already aired but that I missed.

Google streaming services and check them all out for price and available channels. When you decide on one that suits your needs, go to the website. If you're as IT illiterate as I am, call and talk to a person who will walk you through the set up.

Or...if you can borrow a 7-year-old from someone... :D
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problem with 7.. 17... even 27 yo... i don't think they GET that you don't have to have everything. thinking a trip to Best Buy might be a good place to start.
 
My grandaughter bought me the firestick from amazon (I think Walmart has them also) came and install it in my TV, set up an account with Sling and showed me how to use it in about one hour....this was for my birthday....one of the best birthday gifts I've had in a long time....later I added Netflix.
 
I cancelled cable years ago, when Netflix was streamed on tv. The reason is that we had over 180 channels and there was never anything on that we wanted to watch.

I was already pissed because when cable first started, I worked for a cable company. The idea was that there would be no commercials, and for awhile there weren't. I am not going to pay big bucks to watch commercials. Period. We were paying over $100/mo for cable, which I thought (and still do) was outrageous.

Now we have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus usually (except this year) we subscribe to MLB-TV.
 
I had been with Directv for about 12 years but cancelled a few months ago when the price had crept up to $250 even after taking a lower priced package and no premium channels. On top of that I was paying $150 for cable internet. Add on to that subscription costs for streaming services. I decided to go with a local cable bundle of tv, internet and phone and got all of that for $160/month for a year which I felt was manageable and certainly saved me a lot of money. I'm sure the price will go up at the end of a year but if it's not too much more I'll stay with them since I have been satisfied with the service.
 
Gaer said:
Neither did I and I am alone.
I don't know anyone around here, so I put a notice on a bulletin board at the Post Office asking for someone who knows about electronics to install stuff for me. An electronics expert came over and told me what to purchase at Walmart. I had to up the power to my internet with a different company and that's ALL I pay for! I pay for NOTHING on the TV! "Streaming". It's WONDERFUL!
I was so fed up with Direct TV (and Dish) that I actually went outside, sat in my vehicle and SCREAMED!
Thank Heaven there was an alternative ! You will need a "smart" TV!
Just do it! You will be so happy you did!
Click to expand...

If you get a computer monitor the size of the tv, which is about the same price, the experience will be much better.
 
WheatenLover said:
I cancelled cable years ago, when Netflix was streamed on tv. The reason is that we had over 180 channels and there was never anything on that we wanted to watch.

I was already pissed because when cable first started, I worked for a cable company. The idea was that there would be no commercials, and for awhile there weren't. I am not going to pay big bucks to watch commercials. Period. We were paying over $100/mo for cable, which I thought (and still do) was outrageous.

Now we have Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus usually (except this year) we subscribe to MLB-TV.
Click to expand...

I did pretty much the same thing. My cable bill was outrageous, and still nothing fit to watch, so I got a Roku device and stream what I want.
 
I pay twenty bucks for internet and less than seven dollars a month for Prime. Bought a fire stick from Amazon and that is how I watch movies, television shows and YouTube on my television. I can buy or rent movies on Prime too. There are other subscriptions available through Prime and I think Netflix is one of them. Many are free.
 
Living out in the country cable is the only way I can get GOOD internet. I've tried Dish & Direct TV but every time a cloud came over to the S/W my TV & internet went out for 2 to 4 hrs. So when they ran Comcast, (Xfinity) past my house I jumped on the deal to get it. My Internet speed is 1.2 Gig download
 
We get basic cable with our broadband "package," which comes to over $100 a month. Comcast doesn't like to offer broadband without basic cable, but basic cable isn't in HD, so for network TV, we use OTA with an indoor antenna. We had the choice of HBO or Showtime and opted for Showtime, and they have a pretty good selection of movies. At the time, there was a series we were watching on Showtime, which is why we chose that over HBO. We also have Netflix and Amazon Prime. There are too many damn streaming options!
 
katlupe said:
I pay twenty bucks for internet and less than seven dollars a month for Prime. Bought a fire stick from Amazon and that is how I watch movies, television shows and YouTube on my television. I can buy or rent movies on Prime too. There are other subscriptions available through Prime and I think Netflix is one of them. Many are free.
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Seems I have been cutting my dependence on Big Business cable for years, my question and sure it's something I missed, 'How do you get prime for less than $7?' I pay the $119 annually that works out to $9.92 a month. Is it a senior discount or what? Just asking.

I pay $45 monthly for my DSL ($5 more for faster baud rate, no buffering), I have 26 'free' streaming services available (most I never use). I never rent a movie or DVD, so my monthly total is less than $55. It's been 15 years since cutting, it's an on going challenge to stay ahead of their 'creative' accounting.
 
I have Philo...$20 monthly. It has all the programs I like to watch. Hallmark, HGTV, OWN, crime shows, cooking shows. everything I was getting w/Directv but for less $. I get Netflix thru my nephew's account, Roku...and many others.
Love my antenna too.

My internet is $10, through a low income program.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
I’m content with free AirTV.

All it took was an inexpensive antenna, change the input setting on the television and a television channel scan to pickup the available channels.
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I have two of these indoor antennas in my apartment, and I get all the free channels that I need .... Easy to set up.
iu
 
ManjaroKDE said:
Seems I have been cutting my dependence on Big Business cable for years, my question and sure it's something I missed, 'How do you get prime for less than $7?' I pay the $119 annually that works out to $9.92 a month. Is it a senior discount or what? Just asking.

I pay $45 monthly for my DSL ($5 more for faster baud rate, no buffering), I have 26 'free' streaming services available (most I never use). I never rent a movie or DVD, so my monthly total is less than $55. It's been 15 years since cutting, it's an on going challenge to stay ahead of their 'creative' accounting.
Click to expand...
I am eligible for EBT and that card is registered with Amazon.

Our building gets a discount with Spectrum for internet and television.
 
We have never had cable... Our son hooked us up with satellite tv for a few years.... seemed we still watched mostly over the air.
Internet was through the phone line and sucked... ditched it about 8 years ago and everything now is cell phone, use as a hot spot and over the air tv...
 
Did I write this post? I too have the "bundle" and pay $201.00. With basic expanded service, nothing premium.

My cable box wasn't working right so I took it in to the Xfinity store. He seemed surprised I had such an old box. Got a new one. It's about 1/4 the size. He also said my modem was out dated. I stated "It's working, I'm fine."

I was almost in tears just installing that simple cable box. Then I had no reception. So I called the 888 number and some automated voice said it was sending the set up signal to my box. The TV was on and yay, service!

If this simple thing caused me such stress, I don't know how to do anything else. My TV was purchased in 2009, so it's probably not up to date either. Perhaps if I ever find a place to buy and move I'll look into something else. Cable sucks!
 
Have not had cable for over 2+ decades. OTA with flat omnidirectional antenna against upstairs window, RG6 cable to downstairs tv, so receive 100+ channels free here in SFBA though only a few channels are of interest. As adult never much a TV person. No streaming service either.
 
I have Netflix & Prime as my premium channels ($9 +$10), I use Peacock, VUDU, IMDB_TV & TUBI mostly as free streaming channels. I've found most of the movies for are available on at least one of them. The premium has more current TV series. Movie bible watchlist .

All 6 have somewhere north of 16,000 movies - many duplicates so choosing one can be daunting, I can watch anyone of them except Netflix on my Linux based laptop, all of them on either my android tablet or ROKU TV (Netflix doesn't play nice with Linux).

This will be my last post concerning this dead horse.

I am through with this thread!
 

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