trying to ditch satellite/cable

[eagl]

Unplug the cable and when she complains it doesn't work, suggest that you two go out and do something fun instead of sitting around inside.

We eliminated paying for cable but still get local basic cable since we get cable internet.  So all the unscrambled channels still come through, maybe 30-40 analog and digital channels.  Everything else we get from the internet, amazon prime, pbs kids, etc.  That cut our cable/internet/phone bill from $180/month to $80/month, and we haven't missed a thing.

And we get out of the house or do other things instead of sitting in front of the tv.  That's more valuable than the $100/month we're saving.

[edog1977]

Who do you use?

Suddenlink. The other ISPs are Frontier, Verizon, and CAS. I'm in the same boat as Nefarious, my wife and kids won't let me ditch cable.

[SysError]

Suddenlink. The other ISPs are Frontier, Verizon, and CAS. I'm in the same boat as Nefarious, my wife and kids won't let me ditch cable.

What show(s) do they watch that you cannot get over streaming?  Like I said in my long winded reply to Nefarious, (boy I just looked at that reply and can I go on and on and on.  HTC could make more money off me by letting me play for free but charging per word on this BBS!), the only things that I believe are hard to get right now sport packages, MSNBC and HBO.  And HBO should be OK in the next year. 

[eagl]

Suddenlink. The other ISPs are Frontier, Verizon, and CAS. I'm in the same boat as Nefarious, my wife and kids won't let me ditch cable.

My kids don't have a vote 

[Hap]

Haven't had a TV for better than a decade.  Girlfriend did pick up a virus on her laptop though.  That's been the only hitch.  We use Project Free TV (we watch our shows a day after they air), Amazon Prime, PBS, Ffilms.org, & Viooz.

We pay $55 a month. 

Oh, when sports are on it's First Row Sports or VIP Box.

[Meatwad]

There are "hidden" channels for the roku also. do a search for them on google, you may find some you like

[68Raptor]

We did the "cut the cable" thing a few months ago. We already had AppleTv, Netflix and an Amazon Prime account. My daughters used Netflix and the Amazon Prime while in college so we just kept it. They only thing we have added is Hulu Plus.

Cable bill went from $185 to $90. The Netflix and Amazon Prime stayed the same of course. Adding in Hulu Plus was an extra $9 per month. So I'm up a net of about $85 a month and with the added bonus of a higher Internet speed 50m DL vs 30 DL that we had with all the other cable crap.

Hulu Plus fills in all the missing garbage shows that Amazon and Netflix don't cover. They release new shows usually a day or two after they air on TV. I/we don't really watch much TV during the week so the delay in the shows being available doesn't effect me/us.

Edit: Forgot to add.. we also buy some movies via the AppleTv when it's something we want to watch new release wise. Otherwise we use http://www.canistream.it/ to find anything particular.

[fbEagle]

A lot of people stay away from the "stick" devices.  I'm not sure I heard anyone like them over the regular devices vendors sell.  (Google though only comes as a stick, but you really control it through say a phone.  Just strange.)  Great portability but with things like tablets who needs that?

We have google's chromecast. Its a great option to turn your old tv into a smart tv. Definitely easier than hauling the PS3 or computer around and hooking up all the wires. Plug it in once and forget about it until you want to watch something. Just about anything you can watch or listen to on a tablet or smartphone can be "projected" onto the big tv. And for 35 bucks you cant really go wrong.

[SysError]

We have google's chromecast. Its a great option to turn your old tv into a smart tv. Definitely easier than hauling the PS3 or computer around and hooking up all the wires. Plug it in once and forget about it until you want to watch something. Just about anything you can watch or listen to on a tablet or smartphone can be "projected" onto the big tv. And for 35 bucks you cant really go wrong.

I was told that they are really slow.  What do you think?  (or could it be that the controlling device he was using was "slow", or maybe the link?  Not sure.  I Would be interested in any thoughts that you had on the subject.)

[SysError]

Just great, as if I needed another reason to have NOT purchased a Samsung Smart TV. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188

"Samsung is warning customers to avoid discussing personal information in front of their smart television set."

"[It is like]...George Orwell's description of the telescreens in his novel 1984 that listen to what people say in their homes"

[Nefarious]

Just great, as if I needed another reason to have NOT purchased a Samsung Smart TV. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188

"Samsung is warning customers to avoid discussing personal information in front of their smart television set."

"[It is like]...George Orwell's description of the telescreens in his novel 1984 that listen to what people say in their homes"

It's what they wanted all along.

[helbent]

I totally understand cutting these "subscriptions".  I have cut everything (including trash service) and rely on free digital TV.

Besides electric and water service, I maintain only two monthly subscriptions, internet and Hitech Creations 

My trash service was costing me 40/month.  Being a long haul driver, I do not generate much refuse along with the fact that I may not be available to put the can out and return it once emptied on their required/specific day.  I asked if they would cut me a break and only empty it once/month or twice/month to no avail.  It was all or nothing to them, I chose the latter.  After 1 year of going without, taking my beer cans (the majority of my trash hehe) to local recycle and making trips to the local landfill with the remainder, I spent a total of 5 dollars on trash.  Gas back and forth was about 20.  So.....$25 vs $480.  Yes it was less convienient, but screw em, I look out for number one.

[68ZooM]

The problem with TV services whether it's cable or satellite it needs to be done in a ala carte style, I'm just like everyone else I pay for a bunch of channels I don't even watch nor want to watch. The cable and satellite service providers are already capable of turning off and on channels from there end...  you should be able to order the channels that you want to watch, make the channels in like blocks of 5 $10 a block or so, but of course the cable and satellite service providers would'nt want to do this since they have such a monopoly on the biggest racket there is.

[xbrit]

Just great, as if I needed another reason to have NOT purchased a Samsung Smart TV. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188

"Samsung is warning customers to avoid discussing personal information in front of their smart television set."

"[It is like]...George Orwell's description of the telescreens in his novel 1984 that listen to what people say in their homes"

It's only if you have voice control activated and not all Samsung SMART tv's can be voice activated, pass the tinfoil hat.

[fbEagle]

I was told that they are really slow.  What do you think?  (or could it be that the controlling device he was using was "slow", or maybe the link?  Not sure.  I Would be interested in any thoughts that you had on the subject.)

I don't have any problem with mine, short of our god awful internet service. (1.5mbps) 
Anyway, it doesn't seem to be any slower than if I were to watch something on my phone or computer to begin with. That being said, I have a 42" Vizio smart T.V. and I am very happy with it. Again its just as fast as the computer and the UI is fairly simple and reasonably smooth to navigate through. It has all the major apps, netflix, hulu, amazon, youtube, pandora, and quite a few more like news and weather.