Cable, dishes, streaming, etc.

[Jenny]

We're looking at our cable/internet because they crossed my heretofore unspecified price line now that some discounts have expired. Last month's bill was $150, up from just under $100. We spent last weekend buying and returning various antennas, to see if that was an option, which it seems to be, as long as we have an outdoor one. But it doesn't appear that would have to be the huge metal variety - unless we can't keep the snow off the smaller one, I suppose.

So, I'm curious - what do other people have for tv and Internet, and what does it cost? We'll probably keep the cable internet, rather than switch back to DSL, which would be $55 a month without any other cable services. Roku with Netflix and Hulu plus would add another $20(?). Or do we go with a satellite company, which so far seems unsatisfying when I look at their channel lineups? Why sooooo many shopping and religion channels?

If anyone in Michigan is reading this, it's important for DH to have Red Wings access. He says he'll live, but when I think about all the hockey he watched last year, I think he's kidding himself! I'm pretty sure they air on Fox sports, and that seems just about impossible to get except on cable. If it's the regular Fox station, though, that comes in great with the antenna.

So, am I just being an incredible cheapskate? What do you have, and what's good/bad about it? I basically know nothing about Roku, Netflix, etc, as I've never used them.

 

[sibhusky]

We spend way too much on it, between DSL, DISH, Netflix, Verizon cell service... Since my husband works at home, we have two phone numbers that are landlines. Will definitely toss one once he retires. Cable won't come here, so we're stuck with satellite. And the satellite reception is not reliable enough to ditch DSL. DSL not fast enough to use streaming services, so need to have Netflix discs. I guess we save on water service and sewer service..

 

[RachelV]

I have a computer hooked up to my TV and pay for internet + Netflix. I haven't had cable since 2008 or so and it's the best $60+/mo I ever stopped spending.

BUT what I really wanted to say was if there's a sports bar or something near you, spending $6 on a beer and watching a game with people is a lot of fun. I would much much rather pay a local place for food/drinks than pay Comcast to watch sports.

Also, does hockey have anything like MLB.tv? MLB.tv is wonderful.

Edit: The NHL does have Gamecenter, but like MLB.tv you can't watch in-market games live.

 

[Jenny]

Going to the bar for every game would cost more than cable! But I know what you mean - I don't really care about hockey, but watching the US/Canada game in the Olympics, in a bar, with the crowd was just so much fun! I wish our friends were sports people . . .

I'm pretty sure we're going to try the antenna/Roku route before we do anything else. It if works, then great. And if not, well, we can reassess.

I'm telling you, this has made me feel old and ignorant - like technology has passed me by and I'm trying to catch up. Perhaps after this we can get rid of the land line! And then maybe a smart phone . . . (Not really, though . . .)

 

[abc]

I don't even know what sports channel I have! I'm just not a TV sports fan. The reason is I grow up watching sports WITH PEOPLE. Watching them alone at home just doesn't do it for me!

So, perhaps you should have your hubby try the watching in the bar route. He may enjoy watching fewer games but enjoy each more, for the same amount of mone?

 

[pinto]

Good lord, if I had to go to a bar to watch sports on tv .... this is a funny conversation to me. What a nonstarter. But probably 90% of my tv viewing consists of sports, so I haven't yet considered dropping cable.

But it I were considering it, first I would try to negotiate with the cable company. I know often when you threaten to cancel something, suddenly discounts get thrown your way again. I canceled my satellite radio, and I received months of emails with better and better deals if I renewed.

 

[Jenny]

Good lord, if I had to go to a bar to watch sports on tv .... this is a funny conversation to me. What a nonstarter. But probably 90% of my tv viewing consists of sports, so I haven't yet considered dropping cable.

But it I were considering it, first I would try to negotiate with the cable company. I know often when you threaten to cancel something, suddenly discounts get thrown your way again. I canceled my satellite radio, and I received months of emails with better and better deals if I renewed.

I did call them already and got $30 off and we can get another $20 if we drop the DVR. So I could live with that, and it sounds like DH wouldn't have an issue, despite the fact that he records a lot of stuff. But I think what he records he can also watch online a day or so later, so it's not a deal breaker for him.

I just get these ideas in my head sometimes and need to get a reality check . . .

 

[vickie]

Glad you posted this, Jenny. I look at my $95/month cell phone bill and my $85/month internet bill and wonder if it's worth it. I haven't had a TV for a couple of years - due to moving around and figuring I'd buy one when I settled someplace. My iPhone contract ends in December so now is a good time for me to relook at what I have and want.

 

[altagirl]

I don't even know what sports channel I have! I'm just not a TV sports fan. The reason is I grow up watching sports WITH PEOPLE. Watching them alone at home just doesn't do it for me!

So, perhaps you should have your hubby try the watching in the bar route. He may enjoy watching fewer games but enjoy each more, for the same amount of mone?

I'm with Pinto. Two main issues - one - you can almost never hear the audio on a game that you watch at a sports bar or party. If you are actually interested in watching it more than just following the score while socializing, bars are not good places to watch. Plus - that also means he needs to get me to go with him every time as a DD. Um, no thanks. We each watch different football games every week, so we'd either have to sit through both or go multiple times? And I love watching football, but I prefer to watch it where I have control of the remote, can fast forward through commercials and replay things I want to see again - as well as just switch to doing other things around the house if it's turning out to not be an interesting one.

Sports bars work for me as a social event, but to me that's quite different than watching a game I care about. It's like when our friends have a giant Superbowl party every year. We typically only go if neither of our favorite teams are playing, or the "serious" people are in a separate room without distractions. Which you might as well just do from home. And then there are no drinking and driving issues. I almost never drink while watching football at home, but being stuck in a bar for hours, I'd want to. I also agree that as much money as we pay for NFL Sunday Ticket (in HD no less) from DirecTV - we'd probably spend more if we watched 2-3 games a week in a bar.

I understand the social watching if you're not that into the game, though. But I think it's unimaginable for someone who's a devout football fan to go watch a game in a bar and realize they like the social aspect more than being home and being able to focus on the game, hear the audio, cook whatever you want, skip the commercials, etc.

 

[Jenny]

Not to mention that the sports event we watched this weekend were the the US gymnastics championships - not likely to be even on in the bar.

 

[altagirl]

The other key that I nearly forgot is that we almost never watch sports events live, unless it's the Sunday night game (and even then we let it record for 45 min or so before starting so you have some time to fast forward through halftime and whatnot). But for the most part, when they're going on, we're out DOING sports. When we get home, we watch what we recorded.

 

[mustski]

We don't have a landline, but we make up for that cost with three cell phones. We recently switched to ATT for our cable, internet, and DVR. We have an introductory rate of $85.00/month. I don't know what we'll do when our year is up. It's gotten ridiculous.

 

[abc]

The other key that I nearly forgot is that we almost never watch sports events live.

That's probably the biggest difference!

If I'm watching the "game", I want to watch it live.

If I already know the result, it's just not that exciting. (even if I don't know who wins, if it's already decided, the drama is lost).

But if I'm watching something for the technical side of it (how it's play), then it doesn't matter who wins. It's no longer a "sporting event" as far as I'm concern. It might have been watching a professional demo! It maybe the same game, but it's not the same "event".

 

[geargrrl]

always ask for the customer loyalty dept.

 

[geargrrl]

I'm sure I could spend less if I were willing to do homework about more of the alternate services. We recently bundled two land lines with the cable service and internet. We have really fast internet, and the full HD DVR package. They threw in a bunch of extra stuff because they screwed up the land lines so badly when we started the package. I'm not sure I could do without Project Runway on Lifetime and a few other things, which is why I have not pursued the potential streaming options.

 

[Christy]

I'm not sure I could do without Project Runway on Lifetime and a few other things

It would be easier for me to do this now that Michael Kors is gone. Oh how I miss his one liners!!

 

[Jenny]

I've been thinking about what I watch and so far there's nothing I can't live without, although I'll miss a couple of the shows on HGTV. Roku seems to have an HGTV channel, but it have no idea what it shows (current, incredibly old, ones I don't like, whatever) and I'm planning on spending some time looking at websites to see what they might show there.

DVR box goes back tomorrow.

 

[Jenny]

Looks like House Hunters International and Property Brothers are both on the internet. And I know TLC's site has Who Do You Think You Are so I'm pretty well taken care of that way.

Just gotta work on the sports thing.

 

[Gloria]

I got rid of cable this spring and subscribed to HULU and Netflix instead. It took a bit of adjustment for DH because he was a bigger TV watcher but he has been ok with it. He does watch football so I weaned the cable out in advance of the season, so we'll see how that worked soon. The other two in the family like the series shows on Netflix where I prefer the documentary types on HULU.

 

[geargrrl]

Does anyone have a PS3 ? We use ours to play DVDs and to access Netflix. I see a lot of other net based services on there. I did a hulu plus subscription to catch up on Downton Abbey, but I only kept it for a month or two until I had watched them all. The way you have to type things in on the controller is really lame, and the browser on the PS3 is worthless. Has anyone stuck with using this device to access all this stuff?