Have you "cut the cord" on EXPENSIVE cable TV? Why or why not? A PBS guide

[ProgressiveEconomist]

Since the rise of free or cheap internet video over broadband, and conversion of broadcast TV to digital in 2009, the main technical reason for choosing EXPENSIVE cable TV in and around cities has diminished greatly: Picture quality for broadcast TV and internet video is comparable to cable.

(1) How many DUers have cut the Cable TV cord? What was the final straw for you?

(2) How do you now get access to political shows, movies, and popular cable TV series?

(3) Why do you think networks, who own many underused digital TV channels, do not put more advertising-funded content on the air?

Here's a link to a very useful guide I just googled and had to share:

From http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/your-guide-to-cutting-the-cord-to-cable-tv-updated-2012-edition052.html

"Your Guide to Cutting the Cord to Cable TV (Updated 2012 Edition)
Mark Glaser, February 21, 2012

Tagged: aereo, amazon, appletv, boxee, cable tv, cancelcable.com, google tv, hulu, internet-ready tv, itunes, netflix, roku, satellite

... who's doing it, why and how.

For background, we're updating our special guide to cutting the cord we first published in January 2010. That post has been viewed more than 58,000 times, ...

Background
Anyone who gets cable TV or satellite in the U.S. has noticed a pronounced trend over the years: Their monthly bill keeps going up. ... According to research from Centris (PDF), the average digital cable bill was nearly $75 in 2009, and the average monthly satellite TV bill was $69.

... there remains a lack of competition among cable and satellite providers, and the costs of programming keep going up. The most recent programming dustup caught NBA sensation Jeremy Lin in the cross-fire. Time Warner Cable stopped carrying the MSG Network in New York, so millions of Knicks fans couldn't watch Lin play on cable TV. While the dispute festered, people were stuck with Time Warner Cable, because in parts of New York getting satellite service is difficult because of the tall buildings, Bloomberg reported. It took the governor of New York and the NBA commissioner to step in and finally force Time Warner and MSG to make a deal. ..."

[bluerum]

1. Years ago...

[Connie_Corleone]

2. I'm about ready to.

My cable bill is ridiculous. But I'll keep the Internet service with them.

[pinto]

3. Thanks. I'm looking at moving off cable. Bookmarked.

[panAmerican]

42. me too!

[chalky]

86. me three!

[Skip Intro]

4. Yes. Roku Streaming and Broadcast TV only now.

Subscribe to Netflix for $8 and some change with tax. That's my total tv bill. Unless you count internet, which I would have with or without streaming tv. That charge is around $30. So less than $40 month gives me internet, tons of streaming content via Roku on tv, as well as broadcast tv, which is free. At one point I was paying nearly $100mo just for Dish Network. Took some adjustment, but I'm fine with the current set up now.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

8. Is there a delay in watching MSNBC shows such as Rachel Maddow? How long

do you have to wait? Is there a single URL that shows all currently available segments of Rachel's show?

[Skip Intro]

12. I don't watch any cable news shows anymore.

I haven't seen Maddow or any MSNBC shows in about three years. I check a few websites at the start of the day, and again in the evening, and that is enough politics for me. It is actually kind of freeing. I do believe you can stream segments of shows from CNN, MSNBC, FOX etc, but not live streaming as far as I know.

I did find a live stream of CNN on a Roku private channel called Mummy Box, and watched that a bit during the election.

[Change has come]

19. The Maddow program is usually available at 8pm PST.

Here is the link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#49910988

[Honeycombe8]

95. It's not the show in entirety. MSNBC offers only clips of its shows. You can only get whole shows

by subscribing to cable or satellite.

[underthematrix]

154. Not so. You can watch the entire show same day

3 hours after it airs on EAST COAST

[barbtries]

45. i watch rachel in the morning

while getting ready for work. it's always there but i don't actually know when it got there.

[Honeycombe8]

97. On yur tv or computer? nt

[barbtries]

138. sorry, on my computer

no tv.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#__utma=14933801.1031985393.1351766583.1353496870.1353577260.48&__utmb=14933801.3.10.1353577260&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1351766583.1.1.utmcsr=tv.msnbc.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/shows/the-last-word/&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc|cover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=149608886

that's a big link! go to msnbc.com and click on "maddow" on the top right where all the shows are listed and it takes you to the most recent online program.

[Ruby the Liberal]

84. Here is the MSNBC live stream link

Its real time, maybe 0.5 to 1 second behind my cable feed. The TV in my bedroom is about 4 seconds behind the one in the living room. No idea why.

http://blog.livenewschat.tv/politics/

I have this bookmarked on my phone.

[Honeycombe8]

99. Stupid question: How do you get that on your tv? It's a computer link. nt

[Le Taz Hot]

125. Try this:

http://www.tvpc.com/ChannelList.php

Several choices for MSNBC and it's live. One warning, there will be some ad at the very beginning asking you to download something in order to watch. DON'T DO IT. Just hang on 20-30 seconds and the ad will disappear and the program will be viewable.

[underthematrix]

153. If you have cable,

you watch Maddow at 6pm/PT. However, you can watch at 9pm/PT same day. That's what I do.

[KatyaR]

89. Question--do you have to have a separate antenna for broadcast TV?

I'd like to get a Roku. I have an old analog set that works just fine, but I wasn't sure about the antenna. I have a home theatre system hooked up to it as well.

[Skip Intro]

109. Get an antenna and a digital to analog converter box.

If you live near the stations, and indoor antenna should work fine. Farther away and you may need an outdoor antenna. I live about thirty miles from my local stations, and use an indoor antenna.

Those converter boxes are probably all over craigslist, as people switch from analog to hdtvs. I guess after Christmas they may be easy to find. New they are like $40-$50.

I love the Roku!

[KatyaR]

148. I use an antenna now.

I'm lucky, the farthest station from my house is only 12 miles away. I get all the available channels with just an indoor antenna, and it works pretty well. I usually only have problems when it storms, which can be a problem in Tornado Alley, but even then it's not too bad.

If you have both antenna and Roku hooked up, do you need something to be able to attach them both to the TV at the same time? Is that what the converter box is for?

Thanks for your help. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Skip Intro]

160. Hey.

The converter is for converting the digital signal you pick up with the antenna to analog so your analog tv can use it. If you are already using an antenna to view channels over the air, then you must have already taken care of the digital to analog issue.

The Roku plugs up to your tv just like a VCR or DVD player. You switch your tv to whichever input you have the Roku hooked up to and that's it.

Of course, the Roku will need to also be connected to the internet. You can do this by either running an ethernet cable from your modem or router to the Roku (only the $99 model has the ehternet port), or, if you have a wifi modem or router, you can connect the Roku that way - all Rokus can connect with wifi.

http://shop.roku.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Honeycombe8]

96. How fast is your internet? I pay $35/mo. but it's not really fast enuf for streaming.

I'm at 3 MB speed. I've read you need minimum of 6 MB speed to stream.

[Skip Intro]

110. I have 6 MB DSL from ATT.

I got in on some deal where that was only $19,99 for the first year. I called them and threatened to cut service after it went up and they gave me another promo for the same price, this time for six months. I'll probably jump to cable (Time Warner 10 mb is only $35mo in my area) when ATT finally decides I should pay more than I do now.

I'm pretty sure Netflix says 3mb is the minimum, though.

[Honeycombe8]

117. Thanks! I thought you had to subscribe to Time Warner to get the internet....

it's only a bundle type deal. But I'll check on that.

AT&T...I'd checked on that a while back, and it was pretty confusing. They had restrictions and such. And I don't trust their pricing. I had AT&T cable years ago...shady billing practices.

[Live and Learn]

135. No, I know many that have Dish for cable and Time Warner for Internet. nt

[Honeycombe8]

98. How do you get broadcast tv? Broadcast tv is now digital. Outside digital antenna? ???nt

[Skip Intro]

112. Check post 109. nt

[Johonny]

5. last year did it.

[msongs]

6. no TV but I do miss the 4 PBS stations I used to get using rabbit ears....

no TV now, just internet news. Cable TV choices in hawaii suck big time

[Kaleva]

7. I went to Netflix for $7.99 a month earlier this year.

It provides me with all the movies and tv shows I care to watch. As far as news go, I read the articles on the internet and come here.

I get my internet access from my land line phone company and am charged $44 a month for both the phone and internet.

[Honeycombe8]

100. So your phone is digital, right? It's voice over internet protocol, and not an

actual land line (altho you use a regular phone).....right?

That's usu. the deal in the internet-phone bundles. A friend of mine got that bundle and didn't realize it's VOIP and not a land line. No big deal, except it won't work in a power outage, of course. And her calls occasionally drop (she keeps saying it's her phone, but that's a quirk with VOIP).

[Kaleva]

102. I have two seperate lines coming into the house. One for the phone and the other for internet.

My phone still works when the power has gone out (as long as I switch my cordless phone for a corded phone).

[Honeycombe8]

118. Hmmm. Interesting. I can only get AT&T for landline. I checked into their bundle for phone

and internet - it's $56 here for internet that is 3 mbps speed (which is the speed I have now). So it's less than I pay now, w/o bundling (I pay $75 now for both).

Thanks.

[Kaleva]

142. I should add that I get a discount on my phone for being low income.

That combined with a $15 reduction in my monthly internet bill for the first 6 months after signing a one year contract for internet with the phone company dropped my bill down to $44 a month. After 6 months, the bill will go up to $59 which is still cheaper then the $87 a month I was paying before for both phone and internet.

[zonkers]

114. instantwatcher.com is a pretty great site.

[Kaleva]

143. I'll have to check that out.

[Tikki]

9. I am desperate to do so..Thanks for the link...

Tikki

[woo me with science]

10. Savings won't last long. Cable/internet corps are already on it,

with help from the government:

Usage-based Internet Charges Get Backing from FCC Chairman (CMCSA, NFLX, TWC, CVC, T, VZ, VOD)
http://247wallst.com/2012/05/23/usage-based-internet-charges-get-backing-from-fcc-chairman-cmcsa-nflx-twc-cvc-t-vz-vod/

....
Genachowski appears to believe that usage-based plans will level the playing field between the cable operators and the wireless carriers. Time Warner Cable experimented with a usage-based plan in 2009, but decided not to adopt the plan because customers hated it. Customers will still hate the plans, but without FCC backing customers no longer have any heavyweight help....

[loudsue]

54. We need to vote out the FCC. They need to be on the chopping block as far as getting rid of those

asshats.

We need Obama to clean house and appoint members of the FCC that will help clean up the gouging of the public. The airwaves ARE public....and that doesn't mean corporations are people.

[woo me with science]

76. Wouldn't it be nice if we could count on that...

in any of the areas in which we have a corporate/government alliance problem.

[onenote]

123. the FCC isn't an elected body and the President can't "clean house"

The FCC is an "independent" agency whose five Commissioners are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They serve for staggered five year terms and cannot be removed by the President. If a Commissioner resigns before the end of his/her term, the replacement doesn't start a new five year term, but rather serves until the end of the previous commissioner's term (and can be reappointed/confirmed for a new five year term thereafter).

So good luck with your "cleaning house" idea. To say nothing of the fact that the Chairman is President Obama's old roommate and the two other Democratic Commissioners are (i) the daughter of Rep. James Clyburn, influential member of the House from S.C. and (ii) the former senior advisor to Sen Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Sen. Commerce committee (and she was just sworn in as a member of the Commission six months ago). The Chairman probably will resign within a few months (if not weeks) of the President being sworn in for a second term, but don't expect to see appreciably different policies from his replacement.

[MarianJack]

11. It's 3+ years now, and...

...even my 12 year old son doesn't really miss it.

We do Netflix streaming and get news from the web. We used to also have HULU Plus, but we weren't really crazy about that service so we dropped it.

PEACE!

[Common Sense Party]

13. I haven't had cable since 2000 or so. I don't miss it.

Any hotel stay confirms my choice. There's nothing worth watching, much less worth paying $50+ per month.

[ginnyinWI]

129. same here!

I go into a hotel room and don't even want to turn on the cable channels. So useless.

[Marrah_G]

14. Yes- we now just have high speed internet

We watch tv on Netflix and Hulu.

[Honeycombe8]

101. How fast is your high speed? I've read mine is not fast enuf for reliable streaming.

I have 3 MB dsl. for $35/mo. I do not bundle, and don't want to.

[Marrah_G]

161. 50- Xfinity performance

I think it's around 80 a month for phone and internet.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. No tv for almost 3 years now.

We use Netflix dvd, cannot stream Netflix on Linux, which is fine by me.
A lot of free stuff is available online, and current stuff like Daily Show we can watch online the day after it airs.
Do not miss tv and cable bill at all.
Sports is not an issue in our house, nor is tv news and much tv programming.
Current events are all over the web for reading, some video clips, etc.
2 adults, no kids, thus no pressure to continue tv.

[Neutrino_603]

16. We dumped the dish four years ago.

We now have only our monthly wireless internet service provided by a radio antennae mounted way up in an Ash tree, connected to the house via a cable. We have a Roku connected to our television to stream Netflix, etc. What more could you need?

[Earth_First]

17. Sure did...

I spend the difference on high speed internet and Netflix. If I cannot find it on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon, it's surely online.

PBS is three nights a week in our household.

If you are not, I strongly suggest membering with pBS during your nextlocal fundraising drive...

Thanks for the thread!

[Berlum]

18. I never attached the cable

and have done just fine, thank you very much.

Starve the beast - cut the cable.
Save money - cut the cable.
Rejoin the human race - cut the cable.
Stop supporting right-wing corporate republican propaganda. Cut the cable.
Restore your mental and emotional balance. Cut the cable.

[IDemo]

20. Haven't had cable or dish for several years

We're looking at a new HDTV and I'm considering one of these for content beyond the antenna.

[green for victory]

21. great streaming link

had to cut the satellite and haven't been happier.

http://tvpc.com/ChannelList.php
live news shows and so much more

Just a few searches found streaming links to almost everything I used to watch for $80/mo. Plus I've discovered some fantastic foreign programs I can't miss, for example:

http://www.hulu.com/spy
funniest half hour on tv!

(free hulu has so much stuff there's no real reason to pay for hulu plus, browse the networks-you won't believe what's available)

here's a site with streaming tv series *and* movies!

http://www.tubeplus.me/

daily torrents:

http://www.limetorrents.com/browse-torrents/TV-shows/

Amazing Race is posted before the west coast edition airs!

[liberal N proud]

32. Interesting - one question

Do you have a PC dedicated and connected to your TV?

If I could get HD programing streaming, I would go in a minute. Looks like so much more variety than Cable or Satellite. The other problem is multiple TV's in the house.

[green for victory]

105. yup

laptop has s-vid out but i usually just use a 24" monitor connected via dual display

the 6' only for movies or specal programs

newer laptops have hdmi out

[liberal N proud]

144. I would need a new PC for this

The video on my laptop is not sufficient for quality streaming.

I have used my work laptop to stream football from a Did II school. Again the video is sufficient, not HD quality.

Thanks.

[snappyturtle]

60. Here are a couple links I love:

http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/

and http://www.newsandjava.com/WatchTv.nj?page=MSNBC I just linked to MSNBC; many networks available.

[wilsonbooks]

71. Another one you will like

http://radiolazlo.com/RadioMando/CURRENT.html

[snappyturtle]

78. Thanks!

[Honeycombe8]

107. Wow, those are great links. Thanks! nt

[jsmirman]

22. About four years ago

when I have time I'll note how I watch everything.

[Xithras]

23. Three issues...HD, cross-device accessibility, and HBO.

I don't actually have cable, but I do have Dish Network, and sat services usually get lumped into these discussions

First, for those of us who have HD sets and feeds, the quality of most online streams is nowhere near the quality of real HD. I do have a Hulu Plus subscription, and my wife frequently watches many of her shows via that service. She's a fan of shows like Grimm, and I have directly compared the picture quality of that show via Hulu Plus vs. the quality of the same episode DVR'd via Dish Network in HD. In spite of what the cheerleaders might claim, there IS a big difference in picture quality. Online video is far more highly compressed, and the video quality shows it.

A second huge annoyance is the fact that many of the streaming providers lock their feeds down to particular devices. Why can I watch some Hulu shows on my computer, but not via my TV through the XBox? I don't WANT to watch TV on my computer, and I don't want a computer in my living room. Sure, I have the Hulu plus app on my XBox, but it only gives me SOME of their library. Netflix (before I cancelled them) was the same way. And why can I view some content on my laptop, while the site is completely blocked on my tablet? The copyright BS is frustrating, and it making the user experience less than ideal.

My Dish DVR has a remote access app that will let me watch anything anywhere. No complaints.

Finally, there's HBO. Gotta have my Game of Thrones. You can't access ANY of HBO's content online unless you have a subscription to them via a regular provider. I know that I could illegally download a copy, but finding a good rip, downloading it, transcoding it into something my XBox will read, and them placing it on my WMC server to stream to my TV takes too much effort....watching TV is supposed to be entertaining, not work.

The technology is getting better and better, and we may be there in another 5 years, but it's just not ready yet IMHO.

[gravity]

29. You can hook a laptop to the TV

Newer TV's and laptops have HDMI connections which make it very easy.

I do agree that the user experience isn't as good as cable or satellite, but it makes things much easier.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

37. Or, for $300 and up, get an Internet TV with a keyboard remote ans well as

ethernet and other input connections. Going to your TV to type something on a laptop keyboard could become tiresome every time you want to change the channel.

[Xithras]

53. Needing a keyboard to watch TV seems like a bit of a headache.

I've replaced my laptop with two tablets, so my only real "computer" at this point is an entire floor and 40 feet away from my living room. I actually did have an HTPC in my living room years ago, but scrapped it because it was a maintenance headache, always needing the dust cleaned from the fans, or the fans replaced, etc. When the HDD finally crashed in it and took out about 250Gb of DVD's I'd ripped from my Netflix disc subscription, I just axed it entirely. It wasn't worth the headache.

Nowdays I keep my ripped movies on my computer upstairs. Media Center lets me stream those same movies from my upstairs computer to my TV via the XBox 360 without any additional hardware. In fact, other than the loss of Flash based viewing (which locks out a lot of web broadcast options), this setup pretty much does everything the old HTPC did.

I really don't want to put another computer in my entertainment center just so I can get access to Flash. In a few more years, everyone will be using HTML5 to stream, and I'll be able to do it just fine using a plain old console system.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

35. "You can't access ANY of HBO's content online unless you have a subscription to them via a regular

provider." Does the same go for Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax?

Those are vital concerns for many.

The PBS link in the OP says, "Most cable quitters find they can get about 95 percent of the TV content they used to watch on cable ..." But if you are a hard-core fan of Homeland, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom, Boss, etc. the money tradeoff may not be worth it.

[Xithras]

56. Yep, pretty much.

HBO makes its money from cable subscriptions. It isn't interested in giving its content away. Remember, the networks can deal with companies like Hulu because Hulu's model still injects ads into the stream, so it still generates revenue. HBO is ad-free, and is entirely dependent on subscription revenue for their survival. Same goes for Showtime and Cinemax.

There was some talk a couple of years ago about HBO implenting an online subscription model of their own...you'd pay $10 a month and get access to all of their content. The cable companies sqwawked about it, and HBO backed off the idea. It may happen eventually, but HBO is in no rush to tangle with the cable companies that provide them with nearly all of their revenue.

[Turn CO Blue]

81. I heard you can subscribe to HBOgo.com (like netflix) for like $35 month

if so that is way cheaper than cable, and have access to all their content on demand.

Someone told me this the other day, so I don't know much about it. However, I just looked at their HBOGO site and couldn't find the monthly price anywhere obvious.

[Xithras]

82. No, that's incorrect. You must have cable or sat to use it.

There's been a long running campaign to get them to offer it this way, but as I said elsewhere, they've made it clear that they won't be doing so any time soon. The cable companies are still HBO's bread and butter, making up virtually all of their income, and the companies have made it clear that they will retaliate harshly against HBO if they try it. The premium content channels like HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime are one of the few reasons that people have to subscribe to cable nowadays, and the cable companies know they'll be screwed if people can get that content without them.

Plus, there's the fact that HBO is part of the Time Warner megacorp. They aren't going to piss off their corporate masters.

I have HBO-GO. When you activate your device, you have to provide your account information for your cable company account, and they verify it before allowing the device to view anything. I once had my Dish Network account put on hold for a month while my wife and I were overseas, and my HBO-GO account was automatically deactivated within 5 minutes of hanging up the phone. It's something they police very closely.

[Honeycombe8]

121. I checked into that, too. The main reason HBO doesn't offer it....

I read, is that it's one thing for a limited numbr of people to access it online, but another for tons of people to simultaneously watch HBO online. It's a massive undertaking to try to make a site and videos accessible by that many people simultaneously.

[wilsonbooks]

69. They are also available.

[green for victory]

111. http://www.dailytvtorrents.org/

has a bunch of hbo progs

for example
http://www.dailytvtorrents.org/show/boardwalk-empire/

[pstokely]

119. hope you have good proxy server

nt

[sweetroxie]

113. You can get most of these

here: http://watchseries.eu/

[Egalitarian Thug]

163. LOL! That's what they want you to believe. Bill Maher is the only thing that I know of on HBO that I

Last edited Fri Nov 23, 2012, 03:37 AM - Edit history (1)

think is worth watching. I haven't missed a show in years and I sure as hell don't subscribe to HBO as I don't even have a television. Everything can be had anytime you want it.

Now, for the "but you're stealing" crowd, I would gladly pay a reasonable price to see this one show, but the corporations are dead set against this reasonable scheme form being implemented. They insist that I pay Cox an exorbitant fee (about $70 p/mo) to access 160 channels of shit and then HBO insists that I pay another $20 every month to access even more shit that I don't want, just to see the one program I do like. Well, fuck them.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

40. Why use an Xbox rather than a Roku box? See the PBS link in the OP--

says that Roku boxes cost under $100 and, with Black Friday sales imminent, maybe much much less.

[jeff47]

47. Because they already own an XBox and don't own a Roku. (nt)

[ProgressiveEconomist]

49. Hardware costs are small in comparison to monthly content costs

If you're paying $10-20 a month and still not getting the content you want, and a one-time $40 piece of hardware fixes the situation, why not buy it?

[Xithras]

62. There's little point to a Roku if you own an XBox 360. They do the same thing.

The XB360 was designed as an entertainment console first, and a gaming system second. You can watch Netflix, Prime, Vudu, Hulu+, and a bunch of other media services via the XB360, though you're still limited by the vendors of those platforms. Hulu has a HUGE number of shows that are marked "Web Only". You can watch them on your computer, but not via a tablet or an XB360...or a Roku.

I like to watch "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" when I can. I can never catch it when it's on, but my DVR records it for me anyway. If I didn't have that DVR, I'd be forced to watch it on a computer, because Hulu won't let you stream it to anything other than a computer, even if you're a paying customer.

[Panasonic]

24. Cable TV? What Cable TV?

I have DirecTV.

'Net is run by cable though. I'm going back to Centurylink/Qwest as soon as they get their asses and upgrade my area with VDSL. I don't have it, but my dad 4 blocks away does though. Different zip codes though.

[gravity]

25. I've tried but went back

I was satisfied with most content, but sports was a big problem. Without cable the only sport you can watch reliably is the NFL.

You can find pirated streaming games, but the quality is poor and they always seem to fail right before a big play.

[ThoughtCriminal]

26. Year and a half ago

Just can't afford the absurd prices in my area. Really $60/month for basic? No thanks.

[Ed Suspicious]

27. Roku, blu-ray, and antenna gets me all I want except perhaps espn and nfl network.

I am not scarred living without them.

[underoath]

28. I have cable, internet and telephone through a local cable company who has been in the area for

about 20 years.. The best cable company around.

For about $100 I get all 3 services with 3 meg internet.


I wouldn't think of canceling this, too good of a deal.



Edit: to say that they are running Fiber to the home which it some of the latest technology. Just amazing.

[Cobalt Violet]

30. 10 years or so.

It was such a bad value for my money. I hate sports, home shopping, and country music so there is no point to having paid tv since at the time it seemed every channel was about one of those 3 things.

I don't have the money to spend on paid tv. I stream everything I want to watch.

[2naSalit]

90. Where I live

if you want to watch TeeVee, there are four choices. and I'm out in the sticks...

Cable where you only get about 6 channels and no directory channel to see what's on. Folks who have that must just randomly flip through the channels and see what's on at any given time.

Satellite where there are about 200 channels of BS or sports and about five of something to watch once in a while outside of your favorite news.

No TeeVee

The Internet. It's what I have and for the few things that even interest me, all news programming, I can watch it when I want and it's all for the one low price of having this access to communication en masse as well.

Haven't had a TeeVee in my home since 1980, don't miss it one bit. If there's something I want to watch that I may not get on the web, I go to a bar or a friend's house who can receive what I want to watch... and it's unbelievably rare for me do that. And I listen to the radio a lot.

[leftlibdem420]

31. 2010

Never got cable when I moved out. My TV is for games and for streaming content from my laptop

[liberalmuse]

33. Yes.

And it feels good. My cable/LAN line bill was over $150 a month. Now I just have Comcast Xfinity Internet and it's only $37/month. I'm not a big TV watcher, but I like to stream MSNBC once in awhile. I got Roku as a housewarming gift last time I moved, and also have Netflix. I don't miss cable TV at all.

[GoCubsGo]

34. Yes, literally.

I accidentally cut through the cable, which was shallowly buried, and runs through the area where I was planting a day lily bed. It didn't matter, because when I moved into this house in late 2000, I got satellite. I have since cut off the satellite, as the trees in my yard grew up and blocked the reception. I don't miss it, especially now that broadcast went digital. Three times the PBS, so almost always something to watch.

[hunter]

36. No cable, no dish.

No regular television habit at all.

A seven and a half inch square of wire receives PBS, NBC, ABC, and CBS, which is how we watched the debates and a little bit of the Olympics. That's the only broadcast television we've watched these last few months.

When we do turn on the television we mostly watch DVDs found in thrift stores or the Redbox.

Our unlimited DSL internet (which started out as an plain old telephone service "alarm line" connection, back in the days...) isn't quite fast enough for Netflix or amazon. The best we get without buffering or dropouts is 360p youtube videos.

I like it this way a lot. I'm oblivious to any "Black Friday" fuss or the latest right wing talking points of Fox News. Those are off in another world, as far away from me as Paris or London or Tokyo.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

41. "DSL internet ... is not quite fast enough for Netflix" Thanks for that CRUCIAL

bit of info.

[hunter]

67. I think it depends on the wiring.

It can be fast enough if you've got modern wiring and are close enough to the phone company's digital switching equipment.

We could probably get faster service but our arrangement is unusual since it predates the phone company's own dsl service by a few years.

[Xithras]

70. Yep, this is very wiring dependent.

I used to be able to stream Netflix on a 3Mbit DSL connection, but it was a very clean connection and I was less than 800 feet from the repeater. I had friends further out who couldn't hope to do it.

My current 18Mbit UVerse service (which is just V-DSL) can run it just fine.

[Honeycombe8]

126. You should know that dsl comes in different speeds.

That poster was saying HIS speed of dsl isn't fast enough. You could probably get a fast enough speed dsl. I could, but I get only 3 mbps, which I don't think is quite fast enuf to be reliable for streaming. It works for videos fine on my pc, but for a whole movie would probably take forevre to download & wouldn't stream fast enough.

I tried to watch Real time Overtime on HBO Go, which they offer for free. It worked, but would stop intermittently buffering. Strange, but that was on my wireless laptop. It did better on my much slower 9 yr old desktop, wired pc.

[barbtries]

139. it must depend on location

i have wireless now, but i had DSL and watched netflix all the time.

[brokechris]

38. bookmarking n/t

[Big Blue Marble]

39. I only spend 13 dollars on very basic cable.

That only includes local channels,PBS, The weather channel and a few others. It is a great deal.
Everything else we watch is from the internet or Netflix. It is a relief to no longer have the "news" channels
or pay for 100 channels we never watched.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

43. Why not just spend $10 on a digital TV antenna and cut the cord?

After you've tried digital broadcast TV and are satisfied with your reception and channel choices, of course.

See http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx for a list of digital channels available (in principle) at your location.

If you have a pre-2009 TV, you may need to buy a newer one or get a digital-to-analog converter box. See the PBS link in the OP, the source of the link in this post.

[barbtries]

44. when my son and i moved to NC

from CA in 2007, we left the TV in CA. i've never had cable since. i did buy a TV so he could watch the super bowl, but he took it to college with him so there's no TV in the house.

i'll never go back. i pay less than $10/mo for netflix, and watch lots of tv online, mostly news and the daily show, bill moyers, etc.

[backtoblue]

46. no tv for about 10 years now

couldn't afford it back then and now i just refuse to pay for something that i don't feel is necessary.

[Doctor_J]

48. I am rural and like sports

options are few

[Atypical Liberal]

50. I did it years ago.

Probably 4-5 years ago.

I just could not justify the expense, mainly. It's like $65 a month for internet and basic cable. My mother pays around $120 a month for internet+cable+HBO.

I just don't see that much value in it. First of all I hardly ever have time to sit down and watch TV, but when I do it has to be on my schedule, not someone else's. So I DVD it or Netflix it on demand.

But there are just too many damned commercials. I'd sit there flipping channels endlessly until I found something interesting, and then 2 minutes later it's commercial time again, so I'm flipping through channels again and find something interesting, and then I'm flipping between interesting channels trying to dodge commercials. It's just not worth it. I'd rather get the DVD and watch it when I feel like it with no commercials.

Now we pay about $30 a month for cable internet and about $16 for Netflix.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

51. Thanks for the link... nt

[sellitman]

52. We renegotiate our cable bill every year.

We play one company against the other.

[RebelOne]

55. I have Comcast cable, Internet and my phone bundled.

I would love to cut out my cable and phone, but I must have the Internet. I don't want to have to sit in front of my computer to watch TV shows. But I am thinking of getting MagicJack to replace my phone land line.

[Speck Tater]

57. I cut the cord 3 or 4 years ago

when I realized that I had over a hundred channels and nothing worth watching.

Now I watch what I want, when I want via Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, etc.

[go west young man]

58. Went Netflix in 2008 and have never looked back.

No commercials, tons of kids cartoons, 3 movies in the mail (so now we have movie night), no crappy cheap programming, we still get top tier shows form HBO just a little later than everyone else. Cable has never been able to give people exact selection of channels, everything is tiered. With Netflix we just choose what we like. It suits us as we are a learning household, not a TV entertainment household. Cost $21 plus already paid for PS3 and internet bill of $42. We save roughly 70 a month over what we used to pay. Multiply times 4 years and thats $3400 saved so far.

[bunnies]

59. I gave up cable over a year ago now.

Just too much damned money for a bunch of crap we never watch. I have several sites I use to watch any channel I want live streaming for free and several sites I use to watch shows whenever I want, also free.

[william cail]

65. Gotten my non Tvio DVR

Just gotten my ePvision DVR set top box. It have the similar features as the CISCO HD DVR. Dual Tuners support standard analog cable and Over the Air. The second tuner can get in the clear digital cable channels. With the local Time Warner Cable I can still get the local channels in HD with the standard analog plus the digital sub channels. Once I scan for the cable channels I will downgrade the cable to 32.99 plus tax.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

61. In 2001. About the time I joined DU

Used to have another name here (Triana) but been here since shit-for-brains George was proclaimed King in 2001. After that, got my cable TeeVee cut off and joined DU.

Just got done watching the Dust Bowl docu by Ken Burns on PBS online: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/ - recommended by fellow DUers.

Who needs cable TV? Not me.

[harun]

63. Cut it last year.

Don't even own a TV now.

[AsahinaKimi]

64. Given a choice between expensive Cable Tv and Inexpensive Internet Access....

one which is passive ..in watching only and one that is active...and participatory, I chose the internet a long, long time ago. The internet can provide a better alternative than cable TV and hey.. if I want to watch a football game.. or some recently released movies, there are places on the net to do so.

As for news..I get it right here.. on DU. Thanks DU!

[ErikJ]

66. Why Your Phone, Cable & Internet Bills Cost So Much

The U.S. has fallen behind much of the Western world when it comes to phone, cable and Internet service. Americans actually pay much more for inferior service compared to their global counterparts.
In his new book, The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use 'Plain English' to Rob You Blind, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Cay Johnston highlights these astounding facts:

Americans pay four times as much as the French for an Internet triple-play package—phone, cable TV and Internet—at an average of $160 per month versus $38 per month.

The French get global free calling and worldwide live television. Their Internet is also 10 times faster at downloading information and 20 times faster uploading it.

America has gone from #1 in Internet speed (when we invented it) to 29th in the world and falling.

Bulgaria is among the countries with faster Internet service.

Americans pay 38 times as much as the Japanese for Internet data.

Since the mid-1970's when Ma Bell was cited as holding a monopoly over phone service, Americans have been told more competition would lower their phone bill. But the promise of lower prices has actually led to higher prices, says Johnston.

....................................clip

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/why-phone-cable-internet-bills-cost-much-130914030.html

[alp227]

155. Thanks for posting this! Thom Hartmann often cites this fact.

Didn't name Johnston though.

[h2ebits]

68. Thanks for this info.

I have never had cable, dish, or any of the subscriber stuff and refused to have it when my kids were growing up. I've always had an antenna and been quite happy with what was available.

The switch to digital has made viewing much more difficult because the quality of the signals changes and "moves" all the time and without an antenna on the roof to pick up the stations, I am in a constant battle with the antenna to locate the signal and KEEP it. I have to say though, that I have started watching some TV shows on my computer and am quite happy with it.

The more competition the Internet provides to the cable and dish networks; the happier I will be.

[ananda]

72. This coming summer.

My plan is to go internet only, but the only providers are ATT and T-W.
Sucky I know.

Right now I pay a total of $58 a month for turbo internet and basic
cable (just a few channels, mostly local), and $8.35 for Netflix
streaming, so that's $66. It's too much tv though, I can't keep up
with it.

So when the contract runs out next summer, I'm going to go internet
only and stream tv shows through the Roku box. The problem is that
T-W's prices are high and that appears to be my only choice other than
ATT DSL. I might go with that, though, if the price is good.

My iPhone plan is $26.38 a month and works fine. My goal is to keep
all my electronics and entertainment down to $100 or less. Considering that
I used to pay around $160, that would be pretty good I think.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

[notgoinback]

73. Cable T.V. - scam of the century

Some younger "lefties" ( bless each and every one of you ) weren't born yet when a collusion
of "vulture capitalists" formulated their plan to rip off American television viewers. These con artists
knew nobody would pay a fee to watch programs ABC, NBC CBS and PBS all provided for free. So,
they rubbed their greedy hands together and decided what kind of bait they needed to get the public
hooked on their product: Promise the marks COMMERCIAL-FREE BROADCASTING! No more annoying
interruptions in the middle of a good movie! No more obnoxious sales pitches for toilet paper and dog
food! Thousands of trusting souls signed up for cable television and although most of the channels
were duller than dirt, we marveled at the amazingly low cost of enjoying the few shows we liked for
only $9.95 per month!
Now of course, cable and direct T.V. stations feature dozens of eardrum-blasting commercials for every
five minutes of actual programming and the cost we pay for enduring this maddening onslaught gets
more and more exorbitant. Do I resent big corporations for making too much money? No. What makes
me want to tear up my unopened cable bill and toss it a toilet is the fact that I am being relentlessly
and steadily robbed. A multi-million dollar business enterprise, conceived in dishonesty and already
blessed with an huge profit margin, has left me and other customers no choice but to keep rewarding
a company for cheating us.

[Loge23]

158. Thanks for that history lesson!

Yes, that is the way I remember it as well.
Growing up in NYC, there was plenty of free broadcasting available. Cable, when it first appeared, was touted for its commercial-free feature. Now, they virtually own the airwaves with little or no credible competition - save for the various internet options mentioned above. There should be dozens of cable TV options, internet providers, and satellite offerings.

[backscatter712]

74. The only reason I have basic cable TV at all is because it came free with the internet.

For the past couple years, I didn't bother with TV at all, just needed fast Internet.

When I see how much it costs to get premium channels, I say "FUCK THAT!"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

75. We cut the cord in 2010

Now we utilize Netflix, Hulu, Blockbuster (rental). So far, it's worked out pretty well and we have more to watch than we know what to do with, frankly. The only show from cable tv that I ever miss is Star Wars: Clone Wars. Other than that, we're fine.

[MynameisBlarney]

77. It's been about 2 years

since I cut the cord.
The commercials drove me absolutely insane. And the glut of IQ draining reality shows.
I get my news fix from the internets.

As for your last question...
I think it's because the old farts in charge don't fully understand the technology yet.
And money, it's probably got something to do with money.

[Turn CO Blue]

79. Yes. Now have Roku streaming in the family room and

we also have a converter cable (portable) for my laptop to any other TV in the house so we can watch Netflix or whatever I like that streams live on the Internet. The Roku has tons of channels and movies.

We save $192 per month (after factoring in the Netflix bill of $8) over our old bill where we had the second highest digital package and no movie channels. We still kept our highspeed internet connection, but dropped cable TV programming.

We changed over about 2 months ago and broke even on our initial investment the Roku and the purchase of second converter cable after only three weeks. We will save $1100 this year, and THAT AIN'T CHUMP CHANGE.

Between this setup and the Red Box for $1 movie rentals, we haven't missed it one iota.

Cable TV is going the way of the DoDo bird.

Here is the article that got me started: 35 ways to watch television without paying for cable or satellite
[http://www.mytwodollars.com/2008/06/23/35-ways-to-watch-television-without-paying-for-cable-or-satellite/]

Anyway, election night was the first big test, but there are lots of online resources, and I found an article on Wired.com that pointed me to tons of links for streaming election coverage:
[http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/11/the-cord-cutters-guide-to-streaming-election-coverage/]

[DireStrike]

80. No: Phone + Internet + TV = Phone + Internet (-TV) -nt

[Egalitarian Thug]

83. Over 10 years ago. I was sitting in my living room flipping for over

two hours and the mail came with a bill for $80, and I realized that I was paying for all that was available and that still there was nothing worth watching on. I went to just the broadcast stations and found that, not only was there still nothing on, but that the commercials were actually offensive in their assumption that I was a complete idiot that had no idea of reality.

I then sold the TV. I have a good computer a nice display and a fast (for America) connection. i watch some films and occasionally check out series that other people say worth watching. I usually find that we must have very different ideas of what is worth spending hours of your life on.

[CBHagman]

85. The cost of cable doubled in the time I had it.

I had the normal package -- no Showtime or HBO, just the news channels, TCM, and the usual. I was really fond of TCM and also Classic Arts Showcase, which ran on one of the local college stations.

A few years back, though, I gave it up, and for a few months I didn't even have TV.

Now I watch mostly PBS, though when I hit the gym, I can see the cable channels, such as MSNBC.

PBS,though, fills most of my needs.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

87. Have been planning to since July, but the SO wanted to watch the Olympics. Then we were watching

some HBO series, True Blood maybe, and thought we'd wait until that ended. Then we ended up hooked on Boardwalk Empire and Treme again. Plan to get rid of it as soon as they end.

The main reason--we watch too damn much tv! Also, we don't like paying for all the channels we don't watch, especially FoxNoise.

[salin]

88. About five years ago, cut the cord.

My service was terrible. It was both cable and internet. Worked so many hours that only watched a handful of hours of tv a week.

When my cell carrier offered wifi service (I used more internet than cable), I decided to take the plunge. Am in a mid-market city so can still get network, PBS, and a handful of other stations. At first mostly watched old dvd shows. Now don't do that, when limited to what one can view, one can do. My internet service has been stable for years (since I switched). I worried about the digital switchover. Got the converters - no problem.

In that time I have saved *alot* of money and frustration. And what do I miss? Being able to participate at work in discussions about tv shows like... cupcake wars (or other silly reality tv).

[llmart]

91. I gave up cable a year ago......

found an antenna at Salvation Army for $7 and I get about 8 stations. Mostly I just watch the three PBS stations. I will never pay for cable again.

To the person upthread who spoke to the youngsters on DU who don't remember when cable first started, I can verify that what he/she said is absolutely true and I have thought about that quite a bit - how we were bamboozled into thinking we would never have to see or hear another commercial if we had cable. So I asked myself, why am I paying to see commercials?

[Snarkoleptic]

92. There is a lot of programming content from movies to TV shows (foreign and domestic).

Available online here-
www.1channel.ch
The video is streamed to your pc and no special software is required.

[green for victory]

106. usually you can save the show from the cache too

build a library for when the power goes out!

[dog_lovin_dem]

93. A year or so before

the large satellite receivers became obsolete. Our receiver screwed up and we never had it repaired and chose not to invest in DISH, Direct tv, etc. We watch local channels and PBS. We go to our son's house if there is something on we can't see here at home, have netflix, and internet, though we're still on dial up.

[Honeycombe8]

94. No. Can't get political talk shows timely anywhere else, that I have found.

I've checked the networks (clips only, not whole shows), hulu, and a couple of other tv sites.

No Big Ed or Maddow or Hardball or Morning Joe shows in entirety and timely. Have to subscribe to get that.

[green for victory]

103. here

http://tvpc.com/ChannelList.php

usually works for cnn/msnbc/fox
if one feed goes down there are others, usually at least one is online
(disable script blockers if installed)

at least it has worked for us for > 3 months

[WinkyDink]

115. HOLY-MOLY!!THANK YOU! I started watching "Columbo" on the UK ITV2, but switched to ABC just to see

if it truly works.

By golly, there's "Nightline" same as it is on my TV!!

[Honeycombe8]

132. Thanks! The internets has come a long way since I last checked on that.

Or I did a really poor job of searching. Thanks!

[ginnyinWI]

131. what I find is that I save a lot of time not watching those shows, but I

get the best highlights of them here at DU anyway. So I'm not missing anything really interesting.

I used to watch MSNBC at least an hour every evening. It has freed up a lot of time.

[intheflow]

104. I haven't had cable since 2001.

Absolutely don't miss the 700 channels with nothing on. Don't miss the cost at all. I get all of my news content online - DU is an invaluable resource there! I also work at a library so get movies and tv shows through there. I don't care if I'm a year late watching the latest tv show. If it's good it'll stand the wait; if it sucks, I return it and never had to pay a penny for it.

[behindenemylins]

108. The wife decided...

...for us to cut cable last year. Tell you what, it's been great. An extra $100 in our pockets per month not to watch bullshit ads that probably amount to more than what's on regular network.

Now it's just Netflix and SMS (Mama), both totaling less than $20 per month. NF has tons of material from muckrakers on the Republicans and we get to listen to SMS on our Sansas at work every day.

Plus, Netflix has lots of great kids stuff that isn't the corporate-politically-correct bullshit for our little guy. Note, when I say politically-correct, I mean the company-made shit meant to destroy our little ones' intuition skills and replace it with being a doormat and addicted to endless consumerism.

[pstokely]

116. You only need cable for sports of if you can't get OTA reception

The reason why it keeps raising

[kiva]

120. I did.

Too much $$$. Now it's Roku plus Netflix and Amazon Prime, with occasionally a Hulu program.

[Le Taz Hot]

122. Been without cable for over a year now.

Largely for economic reasons. I don't miss it not even a little. I look back and think, $80.00 a month for infomercials, 90% of the channels I NEVER watch and what's left is non-stop Kardashians, really stupid reality TV and once in a blue moon, a decent TV series (Sons of Anarchy) or movie.

My $7.99/mo. Netflix with Roku and PC are just fine.

[Zoeisright]

124. No, because the only high speed internet I can get in my tiny town is through cable.

And I make my living on the internet.

[ginnyinWI]

127. Not only as good as cable, broadcast is better than cable.

Cable and satellite companies compress their HD signals. Broadcast gives you the real thing. If you have an HD tv, this is the best way to get a great picture.

We do have a Tivo and time shift our TV watching. I get some stuff on You Tube, which also appears via Tivo's connection on my TV screen, and Netflix streaming. We always have something to watch.

We did this a few years ago now, and have saved at least $55 a month since then. It's probably way higher by now!

There is nothing I miss about cable. Not a thing.

[Live and Learn]

128. I would love to cut it off.

I find the expense ridiculous for the programming and find that in general that even for the tiny bit of television I do watch it is on the free channels. But other family members do watch quite a bit of cable so I am stuck with it (and the bill) for now at least.

[pstokely]

130. Do they watch anyone that can't be found online (legally)?

You really only need cable for sports

[lunasun]

133. had cable /satellite for a year or two at most many many years ago

That was the only time and do not miss it
except for maybe a handful of times over the years
We have a mostly unwatched TV via attenna and converter
Kids get anything they want on internet/netflix but do not seem as addicted as some kids probably raised on cable TV and with their role models watching a lot
Life is too short for cable

[demwing]

134. Haven't had cable since 1989

the year I first learned about this new thing called Usenet.

[barbtries]

141. wow

it took me until the 90s to get into computing. 1996 i got my first computer and online. you're a pioneer!

[Smarmie Doofus]

136. K, R and Bookmarked. I fucking *hate* commercial tv.

Can't stand it even for a few minutes. If it were FREE ( which of course it used to be) I still wouldn't watch it.

Anyone or anyTHING that can show me the way out... I'll give it/him/her a hearing.

300 friggin channels and there's still nothing I want to see. "Vast wasteland" is a vast understatement.

Gotta keep the wifi and the landline though.

[Skittles]

137. Real Housewives, Honey Boo Boo, stuff like that

just fucking disgusting

[Raine]

140. I still have cable

but I get it free so I can't complain.

[aandegoons]

145. I think it has been 2 years now.

We just have the lowest possible package so we can have internet and Netflix.

[union_maid]

146. No, we still have it

And pay a fortune, it's true. My husband is disabled and home most of the time. It's something he really wants. He does not want to, and might no longer be able to, navigate the process of cord cutting. So, it's worth paying more to us, as long as we can. Once I retire, too, might be a different story.

[a kennedy]

147. and talk about the d*mn commercials.....UGH...

I DVR all my shows, except football, and d*mn, there are a ton of commercials......haven't actually checked but I'm sure in a 30 minute show, there has to be at least 10 minutes of commercials.

[lonestarnot]

149. Almost. Looking into alternatives. Bookmarking.

[ackr]

150. Found a free site to walk me through cutting the cable in my home

I cut the cable over a year ago with the help of a free site: www.CableCutterGuys.com
It walked me through the process of picking out an antenna, hooking up windows media center to create a free dvr. I wont say it was easy, but it was not hard either. I only wish I had done it a lot earlier. I can't believe how much money I used to pay to watch tv!

As someone above said, free over-the-air broadcast HD is much better that what you PAY for with the cable companies.

Take the steps and cut the cord, you won't be sorry.

Andy

[hrmjustin]

164. Welcome to DU!

[underthematrix]

151. I cut the cord in July 2012 because I was

appalled at the cost of my package - $130 a month with no premium channels. We watch everything on the Internet. We have HuluPlus so we can watch a couple of network shows but we will get rid of that if it exceeds $10 a month. I'm now working on lowering the cost of our two smartphones. We pay $160 a month for subpar Sprint service. I want to get the cost of both phones under $50 a month by Jan 2013.

[leveymg]

152. Bookmarked - Cable TV

[Jersey Devil]

156. Took the first step today - changing my email address to Gmail

That way no matter who I decide to use as a broadband provider I will never again have to bother notifying hoards of people (and banks, companies I pay bills to online, etc) of changes in my email address.

A few years ago I switched from Cablevision to Verizon Fios to save money with their "Triple Play". But once the year's promotion ended the cost skyrocketed and is now about $220 per month.

My wife's job is being outsourced and it is only a matter of time (maybe 6 months or so) before we will have a serious loss of income so it is time to plan ahead.

Thank you for the links provided in this string. From everything I have read I am thinking of: Magic Jack for phone, keeping Verizon Fios for internet only, some kind of device for the TVs (Rokku or similar as described in the link). I figure that by doing that I should be able to cut my monthly expenses down (after paying for Magic Jack and any device I decide on) to about $60 plus any subscription fees needed for Hulu, Netflix, etc. Am I wrong in thinking that I will save way over $100 per month.

The premium TV provided by FIOS is really not used. I watch some movies now and then (which I can get easily with any other of these services) plus a lot of MSNBC and Discovery and other basic cable type channels. Can I get those things through a service like Hulu or must I stream them from the net on computer and then play them through the TV?

[fishwax]

157. I still have cable -- no immediate plans to drop it

Though I might eventually. We lived without it for a long time (even before there was as much available online as there is now), so it isn't as though we couldn't. But I like cable and feel I get a lot out of it.

Sports is part of it. If I did drop cable it would have to be after the football season, since I like watching a lot of football games on ESPN and a few other channels that aren't easily available online. And with cable I get access to a lot more sports content online as well, including teams (and sports) I enjoy but often can't easily get in my local area.

I also like a lot of the ondemand movies and programming. I know it doesn't have as much available as Netflix streaming does, but my cable has a bunch of old/current shows and old/fairly current movies that I can watch for free. I think they started making those things available to compete with hulu, netflix, etc. (I had netflix years ago but dropped it because I've got access to a convenient, inexpensive, and outstanding independent DVD rental store.)

Those are a few of the reasons I still have cable. But the months to come might bring various changes (hardware upgrades, new location, etc.) that might change the equation.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

159. I get my Internet through Comcast, and I used to have full cable TV service

but then I noticed the quality of the cable stations deteriorating: A&E went from arts and foreign programming to true crime, Discovery and History added more "reality shows," Bravo went from foreign and independent films to celebrity poker and fashion, and even BBC America went through a phase where it was all Top Gear and Ramsey, and Lord help us, Star Trek: The Next Generation and the U.S. edition of Dancing with the Stars.

Coincidentally, my business went through a slow period, so I began cutting back on channels. Finally, I was down to local channels plus public access, and that's where I'll stay. For one thing, I like having dependable access to PBS (my neighborhood is right under a flight path, and I understand the digital transmissions are easily interrupted here) as well as MHz Worldview, which runs on one of the public access stations and features news broadcasts from around the world during the day and European dramas and mysteries in the evening.

Otherwise, I have a Roku, through which I get Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Acorn Premium. I also order DVDs of British and European programming from Amazon UK.

With all this, I have more content than I have time to watch, and it's all to my liking. Boo to the dumbed-down cable stations!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

162. Thank you all, especially those who supplied links and bits of technical info.

I thought that there were people on DU who had different pieces of the puzzle of cutting the cord on cable, and hoped that this thread might assemble some segments. But you have far exceeded my most optimistic wishes for this thread. I trust everyone has learned a few things they did not know before. I know I have. Thanks again for posting.

[Lizzie Poppet]

165. Haven't owned a TV in over a decade.

The few things I want to watch I can watch online. Mostly that's live sports (via streaming) or movies (via, um...other methods). the only regular TV show I follow is Grimm, and they post every episode the next day on their official site (w/ no commercials).