Need advice on cutting cable cost.

[ThatRaceCardGuy]

My last bill from Att was $215...sick of paying that much to watch only a few shows. I dont want to cut the cord from cable entirely. I would like to keep basic cable and internet, but still be able to watch the shows I like on HBO and showtime. I`m already a netflix subscriber, any other suggestions ? Can you buy season passes for most of the shows on HBO and Showtime?



Thanks!

[WilliamTheIrish]

Im about 8 weeks into the no cable/sat life.

We have cut the cost of monthly TV to 70$. I'm kind of into binge watching some shows on Netflix and Hulu. I listen to music much more. And read much, much more. I listened to music a lot before cutting, but now I wake up with Spotify or Slacker or Google music and just listen all day.

Most days I don't even power up the tv until after dinner with the wife.

I do occasionally miss live sports but I've found that if I miss it, well, whatevs. I don't really care. I get the Chiefs on the antenna in hd and KSU on the radio.

Some live sports I catch on kodi but I don't go out of my way to find live sports.

It's just been a change of habit and now I'm settled into it pretty well.

[ragedogg69]

So BBC is pulling their shows off of Netflix and the rumor is they will start their own streaming service. Just like Viacom is doing with their CW shows. Lame.

Also, Hulu might be getting rid of next day streaming. They are ****ing up streaming for TV. No one is going to pay for 9 different streaming platforms. Everyone is going to go back to pirating. Why cant they follow the music model and each streaming service has pretty much the same catalog?

[007]

Originally Posted by ragedogg69

So BBC is pulling their shows off of Netflix and the rumor is they will start their own streaming service. Just like Viacom is doing with their CW shows. Lame.

Also, Hulu might be getting rid of next day streaming. They are ****ing up streaming for TV. No one is going to pay for 9 different streaming platforms. Everyone is going to go back to pirating. Why cant they follow the music model and each streaming service has pretty much the same catalog?

You knew they would find a way to counter the cord cutters. its stupid how they keep fighting it when the music industry found their balance. TV should just follow it. But they won't.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by ragedogg69

So BBC is pulling their shows off of Netflix and the rumor is they will start their own streaming service. Just like Viacom is doing with their CW shows. Lame.

Only BBC show I watched on Netflix was Top Gear and thats no longer BBC or Netflix, so meh for me.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by ragedogg69

So BBC is pulling their shows off of Netflix and the rumor is they will start their own streaming service. Just like Viacom is doing with their CW shows. Lame.

Also, Hulu might be getting rid of next day streaming. They are ****ing up streaming for TV. No one is going to pay for 9 different streaming platforms. Everyone is going to go back to pirating. Why cant they follow the music model and each streaming service has pretty much the same catalog?

It's a little tricker than music because there's no alternative revenue stream for TV shows. With music, most artists aren't making much on Spotify and the like, but they're still able to make decent money on live shows.

With TV (and movies), there's no live show equivalent where the money can come from. Not to mention that the production costs of TV and movies are dramatically higher than those for a band making an album.

Still, I do hope that the Hulu thing doesn't happen (and BBC to a lesser extent). Those would definitely seem like steps backward.

[007]

I just want all of them to offer bandwidth control like Netflix does. Don't want to watch in HD you don't have to.

[ragedogg69]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It's a little tricker than music because there's no alternative revenue stream for TV shows. With music, most artists aren't making much on Spotify and the like, but they're still able to make decent money on live shows.

With TV (and movies), there's no live show equivalent where the money can come from. Not to mention that the production costs of TV and movies are dramatically higher than those for a band making an album.

Still, I do hope that the Hulu thing doesn't happen (and BBC to a lesser extent). Those would definitely seem like steps backward.

My main problem is the exclusive contracts. Why cant the series for Friends be on Hulu, Netflix and Prime? Why have Netflix spend $500,000 per episode for it, when all 3 services would have paid a total amount more than that? Then I could choose which service I want. Just like I can choose a music service. Rarely does a music service have some exclusive content that will sway consumers. Why is TV built around that?

[underEJ]

I am a few weeks into cord cutting, and I love it so far, but if networks are going to go exclusive, I will just pick my favorite two or three and forget the rest. I have done a few free trials just to see what they have to offer, and as of yet there isn't one I'd pay a monthly fee to stream. I just don't like the shows that much. I may have passively watched some shows when I had the full directv package that I won't care to keep watching a la cart.

For instance, CBS wants 5.99 a month for it's shows, and even then, you still have to watch commercials. Nothing they broadcast is worth the watching the commercials, much less a fee on top of it. Not a chance in hell I'd pay for that.

When I want something passive to watch right now, I am enjoying the shit out of that old series from the 70s, Emergency. It's on netflix, and if it went away, they'd have something else I'm sure I could find. I really think networks are over valuing their content.

The sum total of "must have" content for me is quite small. I am someone who is absolutely willing to pay for what I watch, but I cut the cord because I never watched but 8 or 9 of 300 channels. I can wait and buy a season at a time if that is what it takes, but I won't pay for a bunch of crap ever again.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Guru

I just want all of them to offer bandwidth control like Netflix does. Don't want to watch in HD you don't have to.

Jesus Christ, do you live in the boonies and have 1 MBPS internet speed?!

[007]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Jesus Christ, do you live in the boonies and have 1 MBPS internet speed?!

Its not the speed I'm referring to. Its bandwidth. I don't want to stream every last thing in HD. I watch netflix on the lowest setting and am perfectly fine with the quality. I want that with everyone. 300mb per hour is a hell of a lot better than 2gb per hour.

amazon offers bandwidth control on their streaming service now but nowhere near as good as netflix. Amazon is still over a gb per hour even on the lowest setting and that setting only applies to pc and mobile. If you have Fire TV or watch through xbox or ps4 you get HD whether you want it or not.

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by Guru

Its not the speed I'm referring to. Its bandwidth. I don't want to stream every last thing in HD. I watch netflix on the lowest setting and am perfectly fine with the quality. I want that with everyone. 300mb per hour is a hell of a lot better than 2gb per hour.

amazon offers bandwidth control on their streaming service now but nowhere near as good as netflix. Amazon is still over a gb per hour even on the lowest setting and that setting only applies to pc and mobile. If you have Fire TV or watch through xbox or ps4 you get HD whether you want it or not.

I think the answer is "**** data caps". Gimme 4k UHD on everything.

[007]

Originally Posted by unlurking

I think the answer is "**** data caps". Gimme 4k UHD on everything.

defeats the purpose of cable cutting then. You just replace your overpriced cable bill with an overpriced Internet bill.

[ragedogg69]

Originally Posted by Guru

defeats the purpose of cable cutting then. You just replace your overpriced cable bill with an overpriced Internet bill.

that is very very regional. I cut my 160 DirecTV bill (200 when you NFL Ticket was billing) for Cox's $80 gigabit Fiber. That is well worth the savings. It helps that I can use my parents login for TV anywhere stuff.

[007]

Originally Posted by ragedogg69

that is very very regional. I cut my 160 DirecTV bill (200 when you NFL Ticket was billing) for Cox's $80 gigabit Fiber. That is well worth the savings. It helps that I can use my parents login for TV anywhere stuff.

I dropped cable and my $40 per month cable bill for NETWORK channels to go all antenna. Then I had to upgrade my internet to a $70 per month 700gb bandwidth limit. I'll have to go to $100 per month or more if I want unlimited bandwidth. thats with Cox.

On ATT, at least the last time I checked, they are still in the dark ages with a 250gb bandwidth limit regardless what you pay.

Outside Netflix I won't even consider these pay services until they offer netflix style settings. I'm tired of being forced to watch HD just because my network speed can handle it.

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by Guru

defeats the purpose of cable cutting then. You just replace your overpriced cable bill with an overpriced Internet bill.

That's why I said get rid of data caps. I have unlimited usage. Which is what everybody should have. Data caps are just a bullshit excuse to overcharge customers.