Cutting the Cable Guide

[Huntn]

Did you try Suppose.tv ? Make sue you put in your location in the upper left corner. Plug in the channels you listed and it will generate a side by side comparison and cost of various streaming services.

Thanks, I’ll give that a look!

 

[maflynn]

Death by a thousand cuts.

People have complained mightily that they wanted a A la carte choice for TV. I have hundreds of channels on Comcast but only watch maybe 10, to 20.

Now we have Disney+, Netflix, CBS/Paramount, NBC, Discovery+ HBO Max, Prime Video. Sling, Hulu and much more.

Some of them are relatively inexpsnsive, but they add up, and you can easily pay more per month then if you were just to stick with Cable. The issue that I'm seeing is that new content is going exclusive with the streaming service. CBS/PAramount has their Star Trek franchise, but Discovery + seems to be pushing the envelope in that regard.

My family and I mostly watch channels from the Discovery series of networks, and we're a bit dismayed that many of the newer content is not on cable. We already have Disney+, netflix and Prime Video - we're not about to spend more money on any other channel.

I think we'll be getting to a point soon where there will be diminishing returns. People will not be watching on cable, but also picking and choosing which services to pay for.

Cutting the cord is now a reality, but I suspect that we'll not be saving much money like we used too

 

[Juicy Box]

think we'll be getting to a point soon where there will be diminishing returns.

Cutting the cord is now a reality, but I suspect that we'll not be saving much money like we used too

I know a lot of people have similar thoughts about cord-cutting as you do, but I feel very differently about the situation.

Personally, I think that people now have access to the most amount of content for the lowest cost than ever before (for the amount of content).


When comparing streaming options to traditional cable, people tend to forget many of the advantages of streaming over traditional cable. Here are a few:

1. You do not need to sign up for every streaming service.
- It is just silly if one expects to save by cord cutting, and then sign up for a bunch of streaming services.

2. In most cases there are no contracts with streaming services.
- You can cancel and sign back up at any time.
- Sign up and catch up on your favorite shows on a particular service, then cancel a few months/years. Rinse and repeat.
- Most streaming services can be subscribed from and cancelled without calling anyone, and done in seconds via an app or internet.

3. No equipment to rent!
- For a medium size family, the traditional cable equipment rental charges alone could easily pay for many streaming services.

4. Many options for how to play your content with with streaming.
- No need to use old, expenive STB, with slow, outdated UI.
- All the smart TVs, streaming boxes, phones, computers, iPads, etc. can often be used for streaming.

5. View content where you want inside and outside your home.
- Traditional cable requires a coax connection to connect to a STB to your TV, limited where you could place a TV.
- Viewing traditional cable content outside of your home is limited.
- With streaming, there are plenty of options to view content anywhere you want.
- Take an ATV4K with you when you travel and still have access to all your streaming content.


There are many more advantages, but the above is many things that people tend to forget when it comes to comparing streaming to traditional cable.

 

[maflynn]

Traditional cable requires a coax connection.

One thing people forget is that you need an internet connection for streaming.

For me when I attempted this, I still needed to get broadband from Comcast (there were no other alternatives). The cost of internet was a significant piece and with just a handful of streaming services, I was paying more then a packaged deal from comcast. This was years ago, and the landscape has changed quite a bit. More streaming options, and in some sense, less flexibility.

Want star trek, you need to stream CBS, want Star wars, well you'll need Disney+ Previously there were more rounded solutions where you could get much of your content from one or two providers, now its more specialized

 

[yaxomoxay]

One thing people forget is that you need an internet connection for streaming.

Yeah but it’s used for many other things

 

[daimos]

You can subscribe to 1 or 2 per month. People have already done that with the last season of Game of Thrones. They cancelled after the last episode. While subscribed, binge on all the good shows. The only downside is that if you read social media, spoilers are there.

 

[jeyf]

the US was an early leader in developing 1950's based infrastructure. Having this old stuff built to last a 40+ year life, the country is reluctant to just toss it in the re cycle.

 

[Juicy Box]

One thing people forget is that you need an internet connection for streaming.

I don't think people forget this, as there are constant reminders about it.

For the past 10 years, there have been many, many claims of skyrocketing prices from ISPs due to increasing cord-cutting and streaming.

AFAIK, there hasn't been any dramatic increase in people's ISP bills, and at least for me, I haven't paid more than $40 a month for internet since maybe 2010.

I am lucky and have access to more than one ISP which helps keep my internet cost down, but even for people that are at the mercy of an oligopoly cable company, I haven't heard about any dramatic increases in ISP bills.

With more ISP options coming like 5G at home services, maybe the unfortunate people who have been stuck with only Comcast or some other crappy ISP will no longer have to worry about spikes in their bills if they want to cancel their traditional cable service.

Want star trek, you need to stream CBS, want Star wars, well you'll need Disney+

Yeah, but unless you want it everyday of the year, you do not need to be signed up with those services all the time.

If you do want it 24/7/365, then I suggest just buying it, as it would probably be cheaper than perpetually subscribing to the required streaming service.

 

[Juicy Box]

You can subscribe to 1 or 2 per month. People have already done that with the last season of Game of Thrones. They cancelled after the last episode.

This is exactly what I did.

While subscribed, binge on all the good shows.

Yup, I signed up for HBO for the GoT season, and caught up on the other shows that I liked, but not enough to sign up to HBO.

Cancelled as soon as GoT season was over, and did the same thing for the last few seasons of it.

Why pay for a service all year when you only watch a few months on content.

The only downside is that if you read social media, spoilers are there.

This is a problem, but in general and not just for signing up for services a few months a year.

There is of course a greater chance of a spoilers if you wait too long.

I remember that the red wedding was spoiled for me, which was annoying.

 

[Huntn]

Update HBO info in post 1:
HBO- It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max, no cable provider required. If I understand it correctly, standard HBO requires a cable provider.

How To Get HBO | HBO & Max Subscription Options | HBO Official Site

Get HBO your way, including Max! Learn how to stream all of HBO and enjoy the biggest shows, movies, specials, and documentaries, plus lots of kids’ titles.

www.hbo.com

 

[yaxomoxay]

Update HBO info in post 1:
HBO- It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.

How To Get HBO | HBO & Max Subscription Options | HBO Official Site

Get HBO your way, including Max! Learn how to stream all of HBO and enjoy the biggest shows, movies, specials, and documentaries, plus lots of kids’ titles.

www.hbo.com

HBO Max doesn’t require a cable provider. I actually like Max quite a bit.

 

[Huntn]

HBO Max doesn’t require a cable provider. I actually like Max quite a bit.

Yes, it’s just regular HBO that requires that. I’ll clarify my original post.

 

[Richard8655]

The main problem I have with cable TV is the low-end, mostly inane entertainment peppered every 5 minutes with advertising. There are some exceptions such as Smithsonian Channel and National Geographic, but I can go back to OTA and it's free. There I find PBS has good informative programs and documentaries.

 

[Huntn]

How are you watching the Olympics?
I am currently watching it on SlingTV, NBC Sports Network.

 

[Macky-Mac]

How are you watching the Olympics?
I am currently watching it on SlingTV, NBC Sports Network.

I find that my cable provider has NBC's coverage on 6 different channels. That certainly gets a lot of lesser known sports some air time.

I'm in the process of dropping cable and expect that sports will be the biggest issue.

 

[Huntn]

I find that my cable provider has NBC's coverage on 6 different channels. That certainly gets a lot of lesser known sports some air time.

I'm in the process of dropping cable and expect that sports will be the biggest issue.

Peacock channel, and NBC Sports on channel streaming hubs. Football can be tricky, one of the reasons I ended up keeping basic cable to get NBC. CBS, Fox, ABC related sports for my wife. I could care less about sports at this point in my life. Oh the second reason to maintain basic cable was to get a discount on other services like internet and security system monitoring.

 

[drdudj]

my drug of choice is tv. I don't drink but a couple of beers a week, and I don't do drugs. (maybe that's my problem..lol). but I am addicted to a good tv..current one is 55" Samsung Q80. I think it all started with the first black and white tv that was given to me after we got married. it was an old tube type, if you knew that the program you wanted to watch started at 2 o'clock, you would have to turn the tv on about 30 minutes ahead of time so the tubes could warm up. another problem was that after about an hour and a half the tubes got too hot and the picture would start a horizontal flip that the only way to control it was to turn it off and let it cool down. ahhh, the good old days.

as soon as Comcast became available it was like an immediate high, top tier package, with triple play (cable, internet, landline). x1 box with capability to dvr 6 programs at once. sports programs every where, tons of apps, and I'm in hog heaven. don't care about the cost when comes to my drug of choice.

 

[Richard8655]

Staying with AT&T TV Now (Go Big package) for now. But they keep raising prices regularly.

 

[Doth]

After about a million and one U-verse set top boxes crashing and burning, and each replacement being from circa 1988, I decided to try AT&T TV. Ten day free trail. I don’t want their box, so I am using AppleTV With their Premier Package.

First impression is this is far fewer channels and I am not a fan of the alphabetical organization.
The App On the AppleTV is extremely poorly designed.
The Apple remotes (both previous black and current silver) are darn near unusable.
I do like that favorites are saved across all devices

What am I missing?

 

[ucfgrad93]

Death by a thousand cuts.

People have complained mightily that they wanted a A la carte choice for TV. I have hundreds of channels on Comcast but only watch maybe 10, to 20.

Now we have Disney+, Netflix, CBS/Paramount, NBC, Discovery+ HBO Max, Prime Video. Sling, Hulu and much more.

Some of them are relatively inexpsnsive, but they add up, and you can easily pay more per month then if you were just to stick with Cable. The issue that I'm seeing is that new content is going exclusive with the streaming service. CBS/PAramount has their Star Trek franchise, but Discovery + seems to be pushing the envelope in that regard.

My family and I mostly watch channels from the Discovery series of networks, and we're a bit dismayed that many of the newer content is not on cable. We already have Disney+, netflix and Prime Video - we're not about to spend more money on any other channel.

I think we'll be getting to a point soon where there will be diminishing returns. People will not be watching on cable, but also picking and choosing which services to pay for.

Cutting the cord is now a reality, but I suspect that we'll not be saving much money like we used too

Agreed. I'm not going to sign up for a dozen different services, nor am I going to add and drop different services on a monthly basis. I have Amazon Prime and Disney + and will not be adding to that list.

 

[Doth]

Can anybody confirm that if I use ATT TV app on my AppleTV (without using an ATT Set Top Box) I will still be able to log in to 3rd party apps (such as Discovery, A&E, NBC Sports, etc) using my ATT TV Login?

Because I haven’t yet cancelled my U-verse service and my log in is the same, I am not 100% sure that I will still have access to the third party app when I cancel my U-verse.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Richard8655]

Can anybody confirm that if I use ATT TV app on my AppleTV (without using an ATT Set Top Box) I will still be able to log in to 3rd party apps (such as Discovery, A&E, NBC Sports, etc) using my ATT TV Login?

Because I haven’t yet cancelled my U-verse service and my log in is the same, I am not 100% sure that I will still have access to the third party app when I cancel my U-verse.

Thank you in advance.

Not sure if this applies, but I use the AT&T TV Now app (soon to be called DirectTV Stream) on Apple TV and can receive all channels in my package. My ISP is not through AT&T.

 

[Huntn]

You can subscribe to 1 or 2 per month. People have already done that with the last season of Game of Thrones. They cancelled after the last episode. While subscribed, binge on all the good shows. The only downside is that if you read social media, spoilers are there.

This is exactly what I did for Game of Thrones. I waited until 6 episodes aired, and then I subscribed for 1 month to watch the entire season in a 1 month period. I coined the term hit and run subscribing.
HBO Max, 1 month, so 5 could watch Suicide Squad (2021), cheaper than $30 to rent.
CBS All access- Star Trek Discovery.

 

[Huntn]

One thing people forget is that you need an internet connection for streaming.

For me when I attempted this, I still needed to get broadband from Comcast (there were no other alternatives). The cost of internet was a significant piece and with just a handful of streaming services, I was paying more then a packaged deal from comcast. This was years ago, and the landscape has changed quite a bit. More streaming options, and in some sense, less flexibility.

Want star trek, you need to stream CBS, want Star wars, well you'll need Disney+ Previously there were more rounded solutions where you could get much of your content from one or two providers, now its more specialized

I don't think people forget this, as there are constant reminders about it.

For the past 10 years, there have been many, many claims of skyrocketing prices from ISPs due to increasing cord-cutting and streaming.

AFAIK, there hasn't been any dramatic increase in people's ISP bills, and at least for me, I haven't paid more than $40 a month for internet since maybe 2010.

I am lucky and have access to more than one ISP which helps keep my internet cost down, but even for people that are at the mercy of an oligopoly cable company, I haven't heard about any dramatic increases in ISP bills.

With more ISP options coming like 5G at home services, maybe the unfortunate people who have been stuck with only Comcast or some other crappy ISP will no longer have to worry about spikes in their bills if they want to cancel their traditional cable service.


Yeah, but unless you want it everyday of the year, you do not need to be signed up with those services all the time.

If you do want it 24/7/365, then I suggest just buying it, as it would probably be cheaper than perpetually subscribing to the required streaming service.

What they might not think about are data limits on internet plans. 🤔

 

[Huntn]

Agreed. I'm not going to sign up for a dozen different services, nor am I going to add and drop different services on a monthly basis. I have Amazon Prime and Disney + and will not be adding to that list.

I would not have Disney+ other than to make the spouse happy. The good news is there is a library of Marvel movies readily available even though I have the import ones on disk.