How Much Do You Pay For Cable/Internet?

[aristobrat]

We have the Contour service where the DVR can be controlled by a receiver in any room. I do pay rental fees on the main DVR, the receiver and the remotes. I'd have to find something very specialized to be able to replace that equipment.

Cox customer here, too. TiVo solved that problem for us.

We have a 6-tuner TiVo Bolt DVR in the living room. The four other TVs in the house each have a TiVo mini attached. The minis use the Bolt to stream recorded show (or to watch Live TV).

For us, TiVo's value proposition is simple -- it knocks $60/month off our Cox bill because we're not renting a 6-tuner Contour + 4 HD receivers.

TiVo is insanely expensive (IMO) up-front, though... our setup above cost about $1,700. We used Best Buy's 0% financing to not take that as one big hit.

But .... after two-and-a-half years of saving $60/month on our Cox bill ..the TiVo setup has literally paid for itself. Now the $60/month savings on the Cox bill is truly a savings.

We're pretty addicted to TiVo's SkipMode feature. They have humans mark the commercial breaks for most prime-time stuff on the major networks. When a commercial starts to play, you press a button and TiVo jumps you over (not fast-forwards you through) the commercials. Not having this feature will be huge barrier for us ever dropping cable.

 

[Juicy Box]

The thing is that I go back to a Cox store every so often (once the bill goes higher) and ask them if they can lower my bill.

I used to try to negotiate lower bills. Years ago, I just didn't want to deal with the issues of switching service, like setting up appointments for installs, having people in my home, dealing with returning STBs, and stuff like that.

After FiOS was available in my area, Comcast became a lot easier to negotiate with. It wouldn't always go my way, but most times it would.

Verizon was a totally different story. They would never, ever, give me a decent deal when my rates would start to go up. I would threaten to cancel, then I would set up a new account with Comcast, cancel my service with Verizon, only to have them call me a few days later to give me the deal I wanted. The call would be from "The Elite Retention Team", and they were willing to work with me to keep me as a customer.

I informed them that I was no longer a customer, because I canceled my service and did a Comcast self-install. I told them that they should have talked to me when I was threatening to cancel and not days later.

Anyways, I don't even bother negotiating anymore, because most of the inconveniences of switching don't effect me anymore. I own my equipment, setting up new service with Comcast is super easy, and can be done in minutes without even talking to a rep on the phone.

FiOS is suppose to be just as easy with their self-install, but I always seem to have issues, but they usually have the better deal than Comcast.

A buddy of mine also said that in addition to switching away for 30 days, one can also simply switch to another member of the household on the bill and it will reset promotional pricing. I'm about to do this with and put the account/bill in my wife's name.

I have done this, and I think I mentioned in my tips. It doesn't always work when talking to people on the phone, but it does when you set up your service online. Well, at least in my experience.

 

[eyoungren]

I used to try to negotiate lower bills. Years ago, I just didn't want to deal with the issues of switching service, like setting up appointments for installs, having people in my home, dealing with returning STBs, and stuff like that.

After FiOS was available in my area, Comcast became a lot easier to negotiate with. It wouldn't always go my way, but most times it would.

Verizon was a totally different story. They would never, ever, give me a decent deal when my rates would start to go up. I would threaten to cancel, then I would set up a new account with Comcast, cancel my service with Verizon, only to have them call me a few days later to give me the deal I wanted. The call would be from "The Elite Retention Team", and they were willing to work with me to keep me as a customer.

I informed them that I was no longer a customer, because I canceled my service and did a Comcast self-install. I told them that they should have talked to me when I was threatening to cancel and not days later.

Anyways, I don't even bother negotiating anymore, because most of the inconveniences of switching don't effect me anymore. I own my equipment, setting up new service with Comcast is super easy, and can be done in minutes without even talking to a rep on the phone.

FiOS is suppose to be just as easy with their self-install, but I always seem to have issues, but they usually have the better deal than Comcast.

Yeah, if I ever run into those issues I'd give up too and try something else.

I find a certain irony in the fact that my wife and I moved out of the sleepy little town of 3000 people I grew up in only to discover once we left that FIOS reached the place. Yet FIOS is not available in Phoenix.

OTOH, a lot of stuff started happening after we moved out of that town.

Anyway, if FIOS was an option I'd take it.

 

[Tech198]

$85 here for NBN and that is without Netflix... so its probably around $95 a month all up.

'Down under' people are always more expensive than you better U.S versions. We like to compare everything to the U.S, even our crappy NBN roll-out which is not even comparable.

We just like to think it is.

 

[kill.spooky]

Porto, Portugal 28.90€ per month with 120mb, 180 channels a cellphone plan, a dvr box a regular tv box and home phone

 

[oldhifi]

Direct TV, Uverse internet, around $160.. thats all I can get where I live, no cable..

 

[Juicy Box]

Direct TV, Uverse internet & phone, around $200.. thats all I can get where I live, no cable..

I'm just curious, are you able to get Internet only plans at your location? Also, what is the speed of the internet that you have.

 

[shinji]

Direct TV, Uverse internet & phone, around $200.. thats all I can get where I live, no cable..

You should check out DirecTV Now, might save you a lot. Works well on Fire TV.

 

[lparsons21]

I'm on a 1st year promo rate with Mediacom cable. Prior to getting that I had internet only 100/10 service @$80/month.

Now I have all the channels they offer, including the movie premiums with the internet @$160 with all the taxes and fees included. I have Tivo with annual service @$99/year, so total billing about $168. That will increase $20 in 2nd and 3rd year.

To compare to Dish network, even on a new customer promo, the cost would be nearly $160/month for TV alone at the package level I would want. I have looked at streaming services, but because of the channels I would want there is no place to go for one-stop shopping and the cost would be nearly the same for the TV service and would still have to pay $80+ for internet.

 

[Zipski]

I pay 5$\month

 

[oldhifi]

I'm just curious, are you able to get Internet only plans at your location? Also, what is the speed of the internet that you have.

Uverse speed is 30 MPS
[doublepost=1518702066][/doublepost]

You should check out DirecTV Now, might save you a lot. Works well on Fire TV.

Thanks but Uverse may go out for days, then there is no TV, phone, internet..

 

[jav6454]

USA
Internet - SuddenLink 100MBps $60/mo. (no real ISP competition)
Dish Network - $20/Mo.

Yet that is not bad assuming you get those consistently.

 

[aristobrat]

I'm on year 3 (of 3) of a promo rate w/ Cox that I really like. $154/mo for gigabit internet, 220 TV channels (inc. HBO/Showtime/Cinemax/Starz), local phone,6-tuner DVR, taxes and fees.

The family has been playing w/ DirecTV Now as the promo rate above ends soon, and current rates are nowhere near as good.

Not being able to skip/FF through commercials on DirecTV Now (when watching some streams) is going to be a dealbreaker. My family watches a good amount of TV, and having to sit through commercials won't be worth saving $30/month with a streaming solution like DirecTV now vs a TV package from a local provider (cable/fiber).

 

[willmtaylor]

Yet that is not bad assuming you get those consistently.

It's 100 down but only 5 up. It is consistent though, so that's good. However, it does have a data cap. To increase the cap, you must increase your speed, and, of course, bill.

 

[jav6454]

It's 100 down but only 5 up. It is consistent though, so that's good. However, it does have a data cap. To increase the cap, you must increase your speed, and, of course, bill.

How much is the data cap? 1TB seems pretty standard practice (I assume it's 1TB)

 

[willmtaylor]

How much is the data cap? 1TB seems pretty standard practice (I assume it's 1TB)

Try 250GB. :-/

 

[jav6454]

Try 250GB. :-/

Then yes, for $60 that means being held at gun point.

 

[bopajuice]

Cox. 69.99 a month. 150 down, 10 up. Just ran a speed test. 162.9 down, and 10.5 up. Varies from day to day.
[doublepost=1518752415][/doublepost]

Try 250GB. :-/

250 is ridiculous. Can't imagine how this could continue. With 4k being promoted, and Apple and everyone else offering 4k streaming content, you will reach a 250 cap in a matter of days.

Even my 1TB cap is ridiculous, especially for people like me who are off the grid, and rely on streaming content and services like Netflix, Hulu, etc.

 

[jav6454]

To think many companies (even Cox) are now charging for either 50GB buckets for $10 or pay more monthly for true unlimited.

I could live with 1TB per $20...

 

[Septembersrain]

I think that even if you feel you are paying too much, many of the people (In the US at least) rarely have more than 2 options.

My bill is steadily increasing. With net neutrality going by the way of the Dodo bird, it's unlikely I'll do any better with the competitor nor with my current (Spectrum).

 

[Jeffrey87NL]

I pay €31 (~$39) for my 100/30 FttC (VDSL2) service from T-Mobile in The Netherlands.
I actually get these speeds, as I am about 500 ft from the street cabinet.

 

[Winterfibre]

£42
90mb down
22mb up

 

[eyoungren]

Cox. 69.99 a month. 150 down, 10 up. Just ran a speed test. 162.9 down, and 10.5 up. Varies from day to day.

That's what I am paying with Cox. I just don't have the same speeds as you do.

We add an extra $100 though because of cable TV.

 

[bopajuice]

That's what I am paying with Cox. I just don't have the same speeds as you do.

We add an extra $100 though because of cable TV.

I was using Centurylink, paying $25 a month for 100mb speeds. Obviously I was happy with that price and would have paid it for years. The problem was I had to call every year to renegotiate the price after my 12 month contract expired. Was a real pain to have to spend over an hour to call, get a rep, negotiate the price, wait on hold for the price to be approved, etc. I offered to sign up for a long term plan so I did not have to do this every 12 months, but they claimed they did not have one. I was offering to give them money over a long period of time but they would rather we play games every 12 months.

After one negotiation they offered me added TV service at a really good price. I even had the rep email me the price and the terms. Come install day, they pulled a switch on me. What they were going to charge me was not even close to what the rep offered. I spent hours on the phone with them trying to tell me the rep made a "mistake". I had an email with proof. Did not make a difference.

Canceled my service and went to Cox. Worst part was I then received a bill from Centurylink for TV service I didn't even have! even though they now offer a service for life price, I would never go back. Worst customer service. They are all bad, but Centurylink was the worst for me.

I get my TV over the air and from DirecTV Now and other services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, Amazon, etc. Don't feel I'm missing much.
[doublepost=1518788116][/doublepost]

I'm on year 3 (of 3) of a promo rate w/ Cox that I really like. $154/mo for gigabit internet, 220 TV channels (inc. HBO/Showtime/Cinemax/Starz), local phone,6-tuner DVR, taxes and fees.

The family has been playing w/ DirecTV Now as the promo rate above ends soon, and current rates are nowhere near as good.

Not being able to skip/FF through commercials on DirecTV Now (when watching some streams) is going to be a dealbreaker. My family watches a good amount of TV, and having to sit through commercials won't be worth saving $30/month with a streaming solution like DirecTV now vs a TV package from a local provider (cable/fiber).

Unfortunately I agree. We have been with DirecTV Now for over a year, but the commercials are starting to get to me. They now offer on demand. I thought great I can go back and watch shows that already aired and skip the commercials.... Nope. They add commercials to the program. It is apparent they add them after the fact. You would be watching a program, and it is suddenly interrupted and it goes to commercials.

 

[eyoungren]

I was using Centurylink, paying $25 a month for 100mb speeds. Obviously I was happy with that price and would have paid it for years. The problem was I had to call every year to renegotiate the price after my 12 month contract expired. Was a real pain to have to spend over an hour to call, get a rep, negotiate the price, wait on hold for the price to be approved, etc. I offered to sign up for a long term plan so I did not have to do this every 12 months, but they claimed they did not have one. I was offering to give them money over a long period of time but they would rather we play games every 12 months.

After one negotiation they offered me added TV service at a really good price. I even had the rep email me the price and the terms. Come install day, they pulled a switch on me. What they were going to charge me was not even close to what the rep offered. I spent hours on the phone with them trying to tell me the rep made a "mistake". I had an email with proof. Did not make a difference.

Canceled my service and went to Cox. Worst part was I then received a bill from Centurylink for TV service I didn't even have! even though they now offer a service for life price, I would never go back. Worst customer service. They are all bad, but Centurylink was the worst for me.

I get my TV over the air and from DirecTV Now and other services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, Amazon, etc. Don't feel I'm missing much.

Yeah, I hear you on CenturyLink.

I've never had it, but I have worked for businesses that use it and heard nothing good from anyone else that's had it.

CenturyLink has the bad habit of interrupting service for hours on end. This is a real problem when you're on deadline (I work for a newspaper) and have to send your PDFs to the printer via FTP.

My boss made the mistake of assuming CenturyLink was staying on top of the internet services that they had provided him under Qwest and US West since 1998. When we lost our domain for a week and he had to make a mad scramble to get it back he finally was convinced to drop them.

Cox has had a few outages since then (at work) but it's rare, unlike CenturyLink which seemed to happen once a week or so.

Friends had reported nothing but issues and CenturyLink never fixes them. The speeds CenturyLink promises never materialize and customer support is a joke.

My boss supposedly had a dedicated rep, but he still had to go through automated hell to get a hold of someone whenever there was a problem..