roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
The problem is, even if you cut the cord you still have to have overpriced internet service to run your streaming services.
It's Time To Cut The Cord
- Thread starter Andy M.
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
If the cable companies are smart, they'll jack up the internet cost and drop the cable costs.
skilletlicker
Head Chef
An excellent point. Around here, it is a choice between Comcast and AT&T, two companies tied on my most distrusted list. But AT&T has won my little ISP account due to inertia and their recent self-imposed limits of larcenous tendencies caused by thinly veiled threats from the current kleptocratic administration.
A regulatory solution to this mess is long overdue.
OP
OP
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Here we get to choose between Xfinity and Fios. Low initial rate then annual increases. If you don't cut the cord, all you can really do is switch back and forth between the two to get the introductory rates.
roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
Actually, they are smart. Even with their bundled services, their internet portion of the bundle is usually the most expensive.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Kleenex, one of the reasons why people are cutting the cord, besides the cost, is that the cable companies insist on offering their own bundles instead of letting people choose. Many people resent having to pay for hundreds of channels they never watch and sometimes can't get channels they want to watch.
We all know how easy it would be to change their subscription and billing practices to give customers what they want - but I guess it must be more profitable this way. In the long term, though, creating angry customers isn't a good business model.
We all know how easy it would be to change their subscription and billing practices to give customers what they want - but I guess it must be more profitable this way. In the long term, though, creating angry customers isn't a good business model.
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skilletlicker
Head Chef
Tangental to the original topic; after cutting the cord you may be faced with more viewing options than you can possibly watch and keeping track of it is a new kind of challenge.
I've found a free account with Reelgood.com very helpful. Keeps track of movies, TV Shows, and all the individual episodes that I've watched, want to watch, and where they're available.
I've found a free account with Reelgood.com very helpful. Keeps track of movies, TV Shows, and all the individual episodes that I've watched, want to watch, and where they're available.
roadfix
Chef Extraordinaire
BTW, our 30+ year old rooftop Radio Shack antenna does a good job of bringing in most local channels to our smart tv. I don’t really care for these “digital” antennas as much as I don’t care for organic food.
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rodentraiser
Head Chef
I don't know if this will help any and you may not want to do this, but I get my movies and TV shows from Icefilms.
https://www.icefilms.info/
You will need to download a script (on the front page there), the DivX player, and if you have Firefox as a browser, you will need to download Grease Monkey (one of their apps).
What this is is file sharing. Someone uploads movies and TV shows on say, File UpLoad, Icefilms lists the shows, and you would either watch them or download them to your computer. For instance, the Breaking Bad movie, El Camino, is already listed on Icefilms and I've already downloaded it and watched it.
The guys at Icefilms are very careful to make sure there are no viruses that will be downloaded with the shows. I've been downloading movies and TV shows there for the last 11 years and I've never gotten a virus from them.
Now, some of the shows aren't put on until the next day, but they come with no commercials. And the whole shebang is free - no money needs to be paid to them. I'm sure they would like a nice donation, but no one has ever bugged me about that. There is one popup ad that comes up when you first click on the main page, but that's the only one.
Make sure you have an ad blocker, though. Once you go to File UpLoad, that site has a million popups that an ad blocker will pretty much take care of. If anyone has any questions, please PM me (I'll be online for another 10 days or so).
Is it legal and will someone come after you? I don't know, but after 11 years, I'm not very worried. It's a decision you need to make, though.
https://www.icefilms.info/
You will need to download a script (on the front page there), the DivX player, and if you have Firefox as a browser, you will need to download Grease Monkey (one of their apps).
What this is is file sharing. Someone uploads movies and TV shows on say, File UpLoad, Icefilms lists the shows, and you would either watch them or download them to your computer. For instance, the Breaking Bad movie, El Camino, is already listed on Icefilms and I've already downloaded it and watched it.
The guys at Icefilms are very careful to make sure there are no viruses that will be downloaded with the shows. I've been downloading movies and TV shows there for the last 11 years and I've never gotten a virus from them.
Now, some of the shows aren't put on until the next day, but they come with no commercials. And the whole shebang is free - no money needs to be paid to them. I'm sure they would like a nice donation, but no one has ever bugged me about that. There is one popup ad that comes up when you first click on the main page, but that's the only one.
Make sure you have an ad blocker, though. Once you go to File UpLoad, that site has a million popups that an ad blocker will pretty much take care of. If anyone has any questions, please PM me (I'll be online for another 10 days or so).
Is it legal and will someone come after you? I don't know, but after 11 years, I'm not very worried. It's a decision you need to make, though.
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Well the Cable Companies did about the only thing they could do which was create the online streaming skinny bundles. That was supposed to satisfy the customers though.
The one big problem though..
Hulu Live TV did a 5 buck a month price increase in January 2019.
Youtube TV did a 5 buck a month price increase in April 2019.
Sling TV did a 5 buck a month price increase in 2018. Sport package price increase in 2019.
The Direct TV Now product did a 15 bucks price increase this month and a 10 buck one in March 2019.
Sony Playstaion Vue did a 5 buck price increase in July.
The Direct TV one though is shedding subscribers this year.
I do not think we will ever get to pick and choose one cable channel at a time.
We have a Google Chromecast Ultra (one that does 4K) dongle on our TV. Our 55" TV is "smart" but its apps suck and hard to use.
It was only $40 I think for the Chromecast dongle. Its chief advantage is that you can use your smart phone, laptop, tablet as an awesome remote to cast stuff like Netlfix, Hulu, YouTube, Pandora, etc. to the TV. Way way better than a regular crummy remote.
Good for you for dropping cable. With cable, you're a victim of whatever they choose to air, but with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc there's plenty of content to keep you happy for years and years.
It was only $40 I think for the Chromecast dongle. Its chief advantage is that you can use your smart phone, laptop, tablet as an awesome remote to cast stuff like Netlfix, Hulu, YouTube, Pandora, etc. to the TV. Way way better than a regular crummy remote.
Good for you for dropping cable. With cable, you're a victim of whatever they choose to air, but with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc there's plenty of content to keep you happy for years and years.
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skilletlicker
Head Chef
Yeah these people who somehow think they're entitled to get every film and TV show for free and instantly think it's a victimless crime.
Nope. That is shrinkage like what stores have to account for (thefts, people buying stuff and using it and returning it) which gets passed onto the rest of us in higher prices. Same is true with media theft. The rest of us have to pay more for our subscriptions to make up for it.
Heck, we have Netflix and I only have time to watch like 1/5th of the stuff I put in my queue. I don't need (or want to) steal content.
Also, the vast majority of people who work in media creation earn middle class wages (gaffers, electricians, craft service, set design, makeup, wardrobe, camera operator, assistant camera operator, sound, etc.). Less $$$$ in the system means less content with lower budgets and lower wages.
Nope. That is shrinkage like what stores have to account for (thefts, people buying stuff and using it and returning it) which gets passed onto the rest of us in higher prices. Same is true with media theft. The rest of us have to pay more for our subscriptions to make up for it.
Heck, we have Netflix and I only have time to watch like 1/5th of the stuff I put in my queue. I don't need (or want to) steal content.
Also, the vast majority of people who work in media creation earn middle class wages (gaffers, electricians, craft service, set design, makeup, wardrobe, camera operator, assistant camera operator, sound, etc.). Less $$$$ in the system means less content with lower budgets and lower wages.
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rodentraiser
Head Chef
My take on it is that TV was "free" right up until the cable companies came along, the same as when you listened to the radio. Yes, I know we paid with listening to ads then, but the ad thing has gotten truly out of control just as the cable costs have. We aren't asked to watch just a few ads anymore. We're being force to sit through 20 to 21 minutes of obnoxious advertisements for every hour of TV we watch. Call it a hunch, but I think they're now taking advantage of us.
I feel that services like Icefilms are simply the result of people, like myself, who have had enough. There are no fees involved on Icefilms because people who feel the same are willing to volunteer their time and effort to do what they do without pay. I am more than willing to watch ads and yes, even pay for some content. I am not willing to pay through the nose and watch those prices rise year after year for even more ads and the terrible service the cable companies give us. There are always people who will go for free just because it's free. I went for free because I was fed up with the price gouging, the endless ads, and the bad service.
Like most of you, I remember when cable first came out it was supposed to be ad-free because we paid money to watch it. I also remember when Hulu used to be free and they had a small but nice collection of shows to watch. Watching Icefilms is my message to the cable companies to bring their prices down and their quality of service up. I voted with my pocketbook and would have done so even if Icefilms wasn't available.
And before anyone wants to criticize me for not watching the ads that pay for TV, how many people here employ an ad and pop up blocker while you browse the internet?
I feel that services like Icefilms are simply the result of people, like myself, who have had enough. There are no fees involved on Icefilms because people who feel the same are willing to volunteer their time and effort to do what they do without pay. I am more than willing to watch ads and yes, even pay for some content. I am not willing to pay through the nose and watch those prices rise year after year for even more ads and the terrible service the cable companies give us. There are always people who will go for free just because it's free. I went for free because I was fed up with the price gouging, the endless ads, and the bad service.
Like most of you, I remember when cable first came out it was supposed to be ad-free because we paid money to watch it. I also remember when Hulu used to be free and they had a small but nice collection of shows to watch. Watching Icefilms is my message to the cable companies to bring their prices down and their quality of service up. I voted with my pocketbook and would have done so even if Icefilms wasn't available.
And before anyone wants to criticize me for not watching the ads that pay for TV, how many people here employ an ad and pop up blocker while you browse the internet?
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OP
OP
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Right now, with full cable, I DVR most shows we like and then we watch them at our convenience. I FF though the commercials and can get about 4.5 hours of TV shows into a 3 hour period.
skilletlicker
Head Chef
Multi-national corporations don't need or want me speaking for them. But I'll let Gillian Welch and David Rawlings counter your
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy6VMDXB2SQ
Lyrics: "Everything is Free" by Gillian Welch
Rodentraiser, I presume there is a video recorder on your phone. So if you want to watch a movie for free, go make it yourself.
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Cable TV shows are not something everyone is entitled to, you know. It's not a human or civil right. It's a product. It costs money to produce and distribute and the companies need to make money in order to stay in business and continue to produce content. Besides, stealing is wrong.
A company is under no obligation to provide its services for free or at a set price in perpetuity. And getting their content through theft doesn't send a message to the company at all. To do that, you need to contact them directly.
rodentraiser
Head Chef
No, there is not a video recorder on my phone. My phone does nothing but make and receive calls.
You know, I don't give a rat's pattootie what you guys think of me. Do you or do you not use adblockers on your computers? You are aware that webpages pay for themselves with the ads you see on them, right? If you two are lecturing me on "stealing" but are using adblockers so you don't have to see ads on webpages, then that makes you hypocrites.
At least Andy is being honest. Are you two really going to tell me you never taped a TV show and then watched it and fast forwarded through the commercials, too? And don't tell me you pay for cable. I know a lot of people who taped their shows long before they paid for cable and I'll bet you guys did too. But I guess it's OK when you guys do it.
I'm outta here. I don't need to put up with this crap in my life right now.
Sorry, Andy, I was just trying to help.
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OP
OP
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
No one, regardless of how they access their entertainment, is obligated to watch ads during TV shows. It's not illegal, immoral or bad manners to leave the room during commercials to pee, get a snack, walk the dog or whatever.
The cable company I pay to provide me with contracted services provides me with the means to record shows and skip past commercials. As a matter fact Comcast/Xfinity has implemented a feature called Smart Resume. This is a feature that automatically stops your FF through commercials right at the restart of the show.
On the other hand, when you watch a show On Demand, FF is not supported but the ads you are shown are much shorter.
The cable company I pay to provide me with contracted services provides me with the means to record shows and skip past commercials. As a matter fact Comcast/Xfinity has implemented a feature called Smart Resume. This is a feature that automatically stops your FF through commercials right at the restart of the show.
On the other hand, when you watch a show On Demand, FF is not supported but the ads you are shown are much shorter.
