Cable alternatives

Dick MacKenzie

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
My son & Daughter in law use an Amazon fire stick. Works over the internet. Major networks are there via subscription, some are free others are paid . We have an Apple TV device that works the same way that we take in the camper when we use it. No local channels so no local news but national news stations are available.
 

IMBVSUR?

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
It's not the local news that I disagree with,it's the national ones that are so biased that it's pitiful.

If your speaking about CNN and Fox, I agree. For awhile there I was watch BBC and even Al Jazeera. I know, I know. However sometimes if you want world news instead of non friggin stop political BS by both sides, you have to go somewhere.
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
I hate to admit it, but up until recently we have been paying $306 per month for high speed Internet, cable TV (with no less than 4 recorders on separate TVs, each costing $24) and yep, a land line.

Just two months ago we ditched the land line and cable TV, keeping the Internet connection with that same provider as before. We went to Roku and streaming TV, using YouTube TV. We ran both setups for a month before dropping the cable TV and land line. Just wanted to be sure streaming was for us. My bill now is half of what it was, and boy, did they try to have us keep all those previous services! I don't miss that landline, all it seemed to get was political calls and unwanted offers from heathcare solutions, etal. I did use it to find my cell phone a few times, but for $50 a month I found a better solution (an app).

Cheers! TomK
 

BSL409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
I'm probably one of the more tech related guys here. (maybe) I find that having no cable is great. I go outside and create a life worth watching from first person perspective. Best part is no commercials! Besides the internet has more content then tv will ever have.
Same here NO pay for TV here only rabbit ears :)
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I'd get rid of everything and just keep the internet but the signal to my cell phone is crap so I have to keep the phone too.

Mark
I switched to GOOGLE-FI for a cell phone provider because 99% of the places I go have Wifi including my house. This system prioritizes using Wifi over using cell service so I only need to use cell service when I'm on the road but calls can wait until I stop driving. It costs about $65 a month for 2 phones. The quality is good and it uses the same cell towers everyone else has already. Just about everyone I know has switched to this type of service because it gives good service and costs less. When we switched, I was able to keep my current phone by just changing the SIM card out.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I'll have to look into this and compare costs of what I have now against this type of service.

Mark
If you get the service be sure to tell them I sent you because I get a credit for it. I'll give you my info. I'll have the wife print out a bill so I can post it on here.
 

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
We just got high speed internet through Century Link, the phone provider around here for $55. It's no faster than my phone tethered to my PC, but we can stream through the TV. We bought Amazon prime and can watch all those movies associated with that plus our Netflix subscription. We are proceeding from here. Our land line is through our Verizon cell phone for $35 per month until we $hitcan that.
 

IMBVSUR?

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I need to look into things again, however my issue last time was that by the time we kept the internet connection, and then subscribed to several or more streaming, or other TV providers, we were basically paying almost the same, just multiple headaches instead of one. :dunno:doh:doh:doh:doh:doh:doh
 

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
On all these streaming providers when they say watch live tv is that like tv as I watch it now on my cable for say like the nightly news or is there more of a delay to it?

Mark
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
On all these streaming providers when they say watch live tv is that like tv as I watch it now on my cable for say like the nightly news or is there more of a delay to it?

Mark
That is a loaded question. Keep in mind that not all streaming services (or cable for that matter) are the same. You really have to do your home work because not all providers will allow you to watch the nightly news of your choice. In most cases the news channels you like probably have an online live stream but it is probably only available if you sign up with them. Do some looking around and study at least 3 services before you decide. Live is live but you may not be able to get the live you want.
 

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
According to the top 10 lists I see Amazon products seem to do pretty well and the one steaming device called Skystream that I was looking at for around $150 I don't ever see this one included in the top 10 tests curious to know why.

Mark
 

IMBVSUR?

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Well, I am in it now. Looks like I am going to have to make a decision, or maybe they have made it for me. The quick story started Thursday 12/5. About 9 in the morning we noticed our internet and cable tv was out. Called them and asked if there was an outage. Yes the lady says. Whole West Coast, Washington, Oregon, and California for Wave Broadband. Then she says but just TV, your internet is fine, I can see your modem and router everything should be fine. I think she is wrong about the internet, however I figure with a large outage, ours will all come up with everyone else's. Wrong, there was no outage, and my internet was not working, and they were not able to check it because my cable had been removed and locked out. I have been with this company for 25 years, never missed payments or late payments. I call the next day and a rep gives me grieft for 20 minutes and refuses to get me a supervisor. I have called every day since telling them I was disconnected and I want to know why? No one will tell me why. They just keep giving me excuses. They have so far refused to give me corporate information. They say it will be on late tonight. I told them it is not good enough. So the other day I purchased an HDTV antenna for my wife till I figure this out. We still cannot understand why we were disconnected, lied to by multiple service reps, and several supervisors, and why they have not come out immediately to resolve this issue. What a crock. So looks like I will be telling them to get FFFFFKKKKDDD, like they really care. 25 years of loyal service and perfect payments. I guess they appreciate their customers.
 

oleblu72

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Sounds like its leaded baseball bat time that's what I asked Progressive ins one time they thought it was ok to try to steal $433 off of me for my truck ins. I had already called several times trying to get my money back and I could never get past the first person that answered the phone. I told the girl look I'm not a violent person but you're starting to pizz me off what do I have to do to get your attention come down to Columbus with a leaded ball bat because I know where your big shiny expensive building is. She told me she was sorry but she couldn't help me because this was over her pay grade it took over a year to get my money back and they even turned me into the credit bureau because I refused to pay them additional $10 for what they said I owed them and I think that that black mark might still be on my credit report.

As far as my cable provider goes I was going to cancel my cable so I called Spectrum to do that and t find out how much phone and internet will be and she asked me why I was doing this so I simply told her I can't afford it anymore and she said do I want her to look for a cheaper rate and I say no because I go through this every year and then they knock $10 off I said that's not cutting it and I'm tired of doing it. So she went looking and came back to the phone in a couple of minutes and asked if $173 would work so I said well its still high but I guess I can try it for awhile, that's a $37 decrease I'm happy for awhile.:D

Mark
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
Sounds like its leaded baseball bat time that's what I asked Progressive ins one time they thought it was ok to try to steal $433 off of me for my truck ins. I had already called several times trying to get my money back and I could never get past the first person that answered the phone. I told the girl look I'm not a violent person but you're starting to pizz me off what do I have to do to get your attention come down to Columbus with a leaded ball bat because I know where your big shiny expensive building is. She told me she was sorry but she couldn't help me because this was over her pay grade it took over a year to get my money back and they even turned me into the credit bureau because I refused to pay them additional $10 for what they said I owed them and I think that that black mark might still be on my credit report.

As far as my cable provider goes I was going to cancel my cable so I called Spectrum to do that and t find out how much phone and internet will be and she asked me why I was doing this so I simply told her I can't afford it anymore and she said do I want her to look for a cheaper rate and I say no because I go through this every year and then they knock $10 off I said that's not cutting it and I'm tired of doing it. So she went looking and came back to the phone in a couple of minutes and asked if $173 would work so I said well its still high but I guess I can try it for awhile, that's a $37 decrease I'm happy for awhile.:D

Mark

Someone's bill is going up $37 by tomorrow. :teehee
 
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