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 Post subject: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:33 pm 
Phoenix
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So - Comcast has raised my rates to an untenable number, not thrilled at the idea of satellite, and so I'm ready to make the leap to streaming only. So - questions for you guys that are a bit more savvy about this than I...

* Is it better to just stream to PC and run a LAN to my (non-internet ready) TV or should I get a device that streams? I am not a console gamer, so no 360 or Wii in the house, and I'd rather not shell out a ton of money (but would do some, just not hundreds if that makes sense).

* I'm assuming that the "Jack Rabbit" that is in the infomercials and in Walmart is just junk, but could be wrong! (not the sex toy - get yer minds out of the gutter!)

* There are a number of shows that I like or will want to check out when they start in April that I can't seem to find... mostly 'non-traditional' network shows, like BBC America (Doctor Who, want to check out Orphan Black); The Walking Dead (without paying iTunes for it unless I have to).

Thanks for the advice!

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:48 pm 
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I stream to my Tivo box, but I have heard good things about Roku. http://www.roku.com/

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:12 pm 
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there are several blueray players out there that do streaming as well. if you can hook a pc or laptop up to your TV that would work just fine but that isn't easy sometimes depending on where everything is.

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:12 pm 
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I have not 1 but 2 Roku boxes at my house. They stream HuluPlus, HBOgo, Amazon Instant Video and Netflix.

Of course each of those requires its own subscription but it's still cheaper than a year of cable. Netflix is great for the kids (lots of cartoons, multiple seasons of Dora/Phineas and Ferb) I use Amazon to purchase Dr Who and what not.

I don't use hulu, but I have HBO and use the GO app.

Bottom line is this --- in an urban area you can get HD networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS) over the air with about $100 worth of equipment. In more rural areas the signal strength may or may not be good enough for this to work.

If you're a person that wants to watch BBC and AMC and be up to date on TV shows - you're shite out of luck getting it for free without a dish or cable. Amazon and iTunes will require you to pay and unless you know some usenet group that will let you download illegally posted digital captures of these shows, it's gonna cost you money.

That said, if you are really interested in -- lets say -- 5 shows and those shows cost you $30 to buy the current season each (plus you then have some over the air channels and, maybe netflix) you're talking about $150 to itunes for those 5 shows, $120 a year for netflix, $100 total HD quipment.

Thats less than $30 a month for your TV entertainment, surely a dramatic savings over comcast, right?

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:12 pm 
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I've got an Xbox360 that is now mostly used for streaming Netflix and Hulu (I am probably going to drop Hulu). I also have a NetGear NeoTV Max box that also streams Netflix and Hulu.

The Xbox360 has a much nicer interface, especially since we can use voice commands and hand gestures via Kinect. The NeoTV Max works well, and the cool thing is that I can control it via my Android phone (I believe there is iPhone control as well). Another neat trick with the NeoTV is that if I am viewing a YouTube video on my Android phone, I can send it over the the NeoTV box to play on my TV. I think the Roku has this remote control app as well.


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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:17 pm 
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Phones are advancing also. I can just plug my Samsung Galaxy Note II into the TV and stream netflix or youtube that way. I haven't tried hulu.

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh YEA!
PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:13 am 
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Thanks guys - that got me going in exactly the direction I wanted...

Programming: I already have Amazon Prime, my roommate has Netflix, I was planning on adding Hulu Plus - And since I will NOT be doing any illegal downloading (with a ;) to y'all in the entertainment industry... I wouldn't do that to ya!), it looks like I'll be paying 1.99/episode for Walking Dead and will need to wait to see what BBC is going to do for Orphan Black (8-12 eps at $2 each isn't bad)...

Viewing: So it seems like getting all of it to the TV is the only remaining issue. Looked at my existing (aka 4 yr old) BluRay player, TiVo, Roku, and getting a 360. Looks like the best option for me right now is to go with a Roku - and it'll be easy enough to move it from room to room if needed (or until the roomie gets one of her own, LOL)...

The Savings Per Month:
* Minus $110 --- My cable bill will drop a ton going to just internet. (yeah - I know!!! It rolled off a promo that they wouldn't renew for the mid-level package with 2 HD DVR's...)
* Plus $10 --- Adding Hulu Plus
* Plus $16 --- Estimating per episode purchases $8-$16 per month
Saves ~$84 per month!!! True it's also minus the annual Amazon Prime (which I'd do anyway for the faster free shipping and to stream to my Kindle Fire) but still normalized over a year that's less than $7 a month; and the 1 time purchase of the Roku normalizes out to $9 per month.

Not bad at all, and I still get to see NCIS, Bones, Scandal, and FINALLY get to watch Downton Abbey!

The Roku (and a couple new HDMI cables I got from Amazon) should be here early next week, so if I have any set-up questions, you know I'll be back :lol:

Thanks again :) You guys rock!

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:38 am 
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right on Tien! I've been toying with this for a few years now and just never was willing to pull the plug and go for it. Hopefully this works out great for you and I'll get the balls to try it as well. :)

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:47 am 
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being that I work for a cable tv provider her in Arizona there are a few option but you have to be careful if you decide to go to all tv online, I say this is all providers have data caps some enforce it others not so much and right now I know Comcast is one that is enforcing it in some areas so its only a matter of time that all areas will have this but the way it work with Comcast right now is lets say the cap they have for your level of internet is 250gigs a month and that is upload and download combined is if you exceed it they can either suspend or throttle your connection or like here in Tucson its $10 for every 50gigs over.

also take in consideration that a lot of networks like fox, amc and other have put pressure on hulu and Netflix to were new episode cant be showed till 30 days later after the new episode aired.

so what are some other option that you can do beside just internet

1: call their retention department and let them no you cant afford the service anymore, most times they will discount your service or see if they have a tv package that some providers refer to as tv economy which is like 50 channels for like $25 where you get the local channels and various cable channels and they remove expensive channels like espn and use this in combination of internet tv

2: another option is still use internet tv but get a digital tv antenna so as to pick up local broadcast channels OTA in HD for free and use the internet for the other stuff you don't pick up


I also saw that you said you have 2 dvr's and with some of shows you watch I would ditch the dvr's and use regular hd boxes save about $20 a month and watch the shows for free on video ondemand which they offer you and is free for regular channels and you can watch new shows that aired the following night

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:29 pm 
Phoenix
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Some great points Matrix - thanks!
MATRIX wrote:
being that I work for a cable tv provider her in Arizona there are a few option but you have to be careful if you decide to go to all tv online, I say this is all providers have data caps some enforce it others not so much and right now I know Comcast is one that is enforcing it in some areas so its only a matter of time that all areas will have this but the way it work with Comcast right now is lets say the cap they have for your level of internet is 250gigs a month and that is upload and download combined is if you exceed it they can either suspend or throttle your connection or like here in Tucson its $10 for every 50gigs over.

Good news is that apparently there is a “soft cap” of 250 gig… this is my highest month ever and I’m at 48g. LOL that’s with both me and my roommate using wireless, and some streaming (1 episode per day).
MATRIX wrote:
so what are some other option that you can do beside just internet

1: call their retention department and let them no you cant afford the service anymore, most times they will discount your service or see if they have a tv package that some providers refer to as tv economy which is like 50 channels for like $25 where you get the local channels and various cable channels and they remove expensive channels like espn and use this in combination of internet tv

2: another option is still use internet tv but get a digital tv antenna so as to pick up local broadcast channels OTA in HD for free and use the internet for the other stuff you don't pick up

I also saw that you said you have 2 dvr's and with some of shows you watch I would ditch the dvr's and use regular hd boxes and watch the shows for free on video ondemand which they offer you and is free for regular channels and you can watch new shows that aired the following night

I originally called retention and the first thing they did was try to offer me Triple Play, my total bill with mid-level Double Play/equipment/taxes is $187 - Triple Play with no equipment or taxes was $160 - so clearly they had no concept what "$187 a month is too much" means. They ended up offering me $99 per month plus equipment and taxes - so $165 a month, ummm no. Their basic package is only $17 less here, and an HD receiver vs. DVR is $4 less per - so I'd get down to $140 a month. Before the promo rolled off, I was paying $120 total. No way am I going to drop channels and service and pay more...

So – based on your feedback decided to try them again… This guy figured out that something changed and now BBC America is in the Basic package and he’ll throw in 1 HD DVR for a 2 year commitment – so now down to $140 per month or if I go with HD Receivers (paying for both), $140 per month.

I think what I’m going to do is give streaming a try for the next 6 months or so, just until prepping for fall premiers. By then I should know if I want to continue and Comcast might be eager to get me back.

And my raise that got canceled might be un-canceled… :rolllaugh:

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:35 pm 
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not sure on the ethics here (wouldn't bother me, might bother some) but you could find someone with HBO in their home and pay them, i don't know, $8 a month for their HBOGO login credentials. millions of people ith HBO don't even use HBO go and at $8 month you're splitting the cost of HBO with them. just a thought.

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:45 pm 
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You could build your own DVR as well, to record shows coming in off of an OTA tuner. It doesn't require a very powerful rig at all. You just need a so-so processor, a $75-$100 video card, a mobo with 3 PCI-E ports, 4 Gigs of ram, a decent sized hard-drive, and a TV capture card (most of them come with the software you need to set it up as a DVR).

You could probably set the whole thing up for $300 max, and then you could tie it into your home network and stream the video from the dvr comp to any other device on your network fairly easily. Doing it this way lets the comp be your home entertainment hub and you can set up hulu, netflix, amazon, hbo go, showtime gotime, starz stars, or whatever.

Note: Some of those services were made up.


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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 6:18 am 
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Little update. Been cable tv free a couple weeks now and haven't missed it. Until this week. It is a lot harder to get up to date news this way.

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:11 am 
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reddit.com best news source for FACTS without infotainment

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:16 am 
Phoenix
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Thanks! I've been in and out of there but not spent a lot of time... I'll get in there and dig!

I've been watching the Boston 911 facebook feed and found a page that streams their scanner traffic... though that seems to ahve gotten kind of quiet later last night, apparently they took everything to a private channel... ;)

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 Post subject: Re: Leaving Cable TV... Oh CRAP
PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:40 am 
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AnxietyClown wrote:
reddit.com best news source for FACTS without infotainment


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