Cable vs. streaming options

[sk8pics]

So, just wondering what folks here do for their TV viewing options. I have a phone/internet/cable package right now with Comcast xfinity, and i like it well enough. It’s convenient and I have a package price that is good until next summer. But I need a new cell phone soon (my phone is sometimes forgetting it’s actually a phone), and there is a mobile plan from Comcast now, too, which seems on the surface like a good deal. My cell phone is currently with ATT and they have a deal for streaming DirectTV, which sounds good, but is likely not as good as it sounds (price goes up in months 13 - 24). And then there’s Verizon Fios, which claims to be available in my area, but I have not seen them actually install the cables. And then there’s all those streaming options —youtube TV, Hulu, CBS all access, and others, I’m sure.

I am still pondering, but just wondering what folks here do, and what your reasoning was.

 

[Kruss]

I cut the cable a few years ago. I had been with AT&T cable. My cell service is through Verizon, so it wasn't part of my cable account. However, the price of cable had gotten so high that I sought alternatives. Did a lot of research and tried out SlingTV for a month to see how it worked. I was impressed, so I ditched AT&T, got Comcast solely for internet service, and went with SlingTV.

The thing about streaming is that you need to purchase internet service that is strong enough to handle the streaming in your household. It's only me and my sister living here, so I didn't need to worry about that many streams going at the same time. However, my sister works from home 3 days a week, so we needed to make sure that internet connections were very strong which is why I went with Comcast for internet service.

The other thing about streaming - you have to be careful with how many streaming companies you sign up for. It's easy for the fees to pile up to more than what cable costs, depending on what you want. For me, I wanted live TV as well as subscriptions for movies and TV shows. I had already been subscribed to Prime for a few years, so I didn't necessarily counting that as an additional fee from what I had been paying before. But since I cut the cord, I added Netflix ($12.99 per month), and then Britbox and AcornTV (combined another $11.99 per month). I also added a membership to my local PBS ($6 per month). The fees can add up, especially since my Comcast went up to $63 per month after the first year. I don't know if it will go up again this year.

After I tried out SlingTV, I wanted more channel options, so I tried out Hulu Live and DirecTV, both of which had horrible buffering issues. I then switched to PlaystationVue ($44.99), which I've had now for well over a year. It's been great. With this subscription, I have many channels including a lot of sports that I don't need unless it's Olympic season - and then there are lots of options for all the Olympic events that I want to watch. The channels that I miss the most are my local WGN, my local PBS (if I want to watch it live instead of streaming past episodes), and the Weather Channel. Other than that, I have all I need, especially since PSVue recently added one of my favorite channels, the Smithsonian Channel.


So, I'm at about $139 per month where I used to pay $185 per month. (I don't include Prime in that since I had it for a few years before mainly for the free shipping, although now I use it for the streaming video as well.) I won't be subscribing to PBS again, so that will drop about $6 per month.

Overall, I still feel as though I'm getting a good deal. The problem with streaming is that now EVERYONE is starting streaming channels - Disney, etc - so I have to be careful what I add and what I can do without. I think that overall, people may end up ultimately paying more for streaming than cable if they are interested in all that these separate streaming services offer.

One more thing - because I don't have a cable subscription, if I want to watch anything on demand from stations like the major networks, the Weather Channel, etc., I cannot do that anymore. If I try, they always indicate that it's free as long as I sign in with my cable subscription. Because I have no cable subscription, I can't sign in, and thus I can no longer watch on-demand shows from these networks.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I would love to do streaming, but my internet service is not up to the task. We are getting a new internet option in my area so I will look into it again when it is available.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I have two specialty streaming packages and no cable: the NBC Gold skating package and Criterion, which assumed Filmstruck. After the switch, they assured us that we'd be able to watch using a web browser, but even after the test period, I still get blocked and can only watch on my phone. So I probably won't renew my yearly package. I also have Prime, but I'd have Prime even if video didn't come with it, so, like Kruss, I don't include it.

My roommate, who owns the house, has a lifetime CenturyLink internet package that costs him about $65/mo with taxes and fees, and I've never had a problem streaming, but that might be because he'll only watch movies in a movie theater.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I did some searching around Criterion Channel, and someone in reddit gave the advice for Mac users to try Safari, and that's working for me. So as long as it keeps working, I'll keep the subscription.

 

[smurfy]

I cut the cord over 2 years ago.
I have 2 tvs - a roku on one tv and an amazon firebox on the other.
For the basics - I have PlaystationVue for most of the cable channels I like (HGTV, Bravo, MSNBC, TNT, TBS, BBC America, ESPN etc) - costs is $45/month for the basic level
Then in Oct through March- I go up to the next step to Olympic Channel, NBC Sports..... for $5extra/month
PSVue has a DVR - and I also did free trials of DirectTV and Sling - but preferred PSV
The only downside with the streaming DVRs - can't FF through commercials.

I then rotate through subscriptions - one at a time and binge.
I get STARZ for one month to watch Outlander - so maybe once every 12-18 moths., Just finished with HBOGO in May - had for a couple of months and binged all of Game of Thrones.
And since I subscribe/cancel - they give me offers as they want me back. And I do the free trials
2 years ago I got CBS all access - free trial and watched The Good Fight Season 1. Then about a year later, the gave me a free month -so I watched Season 2. Then about 1 month ago - they offered me another free month and watched Season 3. I have never paid them any $.
I get netflix for a month or 2 about every 8-12 months.
I have also subscribed for short terms to HULU, Showtime and did a free trial of amazon prime.
I know it probably harder to plan the rotation if there are multiple people in a household - but it works for me.
I went from paying $110 for cable to $45 for PSVue and then an additional $8-15 month for something else - but not every month.

If you are on facebook - I highly recommend joining the group 'Cord Cutting Tech Support'. I have posted a few questions and have gotten prompt and great answers. Items discussed can very basic to very complicated/tech. People discuss what devices, what streaming services, how to set stuff up etc.

Another piece of advice - run parallel before cutting the cord. I did that and the change felt seamless.

 

[clairecloutier]

Has anyone tried replacing cable (well, partially) with YouTube TV?? We are considering getting that and ending our DirecTV service.

We already subscribe to Netflix, PBS, and at times to Hulu and HBO (depending on what they are showing). But I still want to have something available by which we can watch the network/cable NBC sports channels. YouTube TV has them, and other network channels, but we haven't actually tried it yet.

 

[AxelAnnie]

YouTube does not have all of them, and is often geoblocked. Also, the quality of the download is good a lot of the time, and unwatchable part of the time. I have ComCast, and a smart TV. I get all the network chanels, and can watch Netflix (which is part of the whatever) abut I can fine anything on Youtube on the Apps, and can also browse through the web. Big fun.

 

[once_upon]

I've been disappointed with youtube. So i think its a crap shoot with youtube.

Despite having the ISU channel on youtube, I can't view any skating videos. If I can't watch JGP series, I'm canceling ASAP.

 

[sk8pics]

I have to get around to calling Comcast to see what the price would be for just phone and internet, because I'm not sure my other options would be much cheaper than the total I'm paying now for phone, TV, and internet. DirectTV through AT&T goes up quite a bit in price after the first year. But Verizon Fios probably is a bit cheaper.

I did just subscribe to CBS All access, to watch Star Trek Discovery, and now I am also hooked on the Good Fight. I may keep it for a month and then cancel, and then reactivate it to watch Picard next year. We'll see.

I think if there were not so many trees around my house I might get a digital antenna for the local networks.

 

[sk8pics]

Bumping this up to see if anyone has any new opinions on this. I am thinking of doing Hulu, not the live version, and then streaming various other services as needed, like Paramount+ for the various Star Trek series. I am thinking after nationals I’ll run a test and do a free month of Hulu through my Samsung TV and a month of Paramount+. I hardly ever watch live TV any more, but I’m hesitant to eliminate it, though I suppose if I wanted to watch something live I could do a temporary upgrade.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I switched from cable to YouTubeTV four months ago and have been very pleased with it. It’s $65 per month (they always offer specials for a few months for new subscribers) and includes recording capability where your shows are saved for up to 9 months. I have the lowest AT&T internet package which was a special of $35 per month for the first year and $55 going forward. I’ll only be paying $120 for TV and internet when I was paying $180 for cable and internet.

 

[my little pony]

I was going to cut it because I only watch TCM but once I got rid of the land line, my cable bill for just internet plus the $69/mo Hulu were more expensive than my cable with tv by a few dollars so I didnt bother. but I admit I am not really on top of all these packages so I am prob paying too much.

 

[sk8pics]

I was going to cut it because I only watch TCM but once I got rid of the land line, my cable bill for just internet plus the $69/mo Hulu were more expensive than my cable with tv by a few dollars so I didnt bother. but I admit I am not really on top of all these packages so I am prob paying too much.

Yeah, I think the Hulu Live package is not a bargain at all. I would be paying about the same as if I kept cable.

 

[AJ Skatefan]

We have Hulu, Netflix, PBS and Prime. During the Olympics we got Hulu Live and canceled it afterwards. During WNBA playoffs we got Sling then canceled it. Centurylink is our internet provider. It all works well for us.

 

[sk8pics]

Well, I tested out Hulu, made sure what I wanted from CBS is on Paramount+, and of course I know Peacock worked. Yesterday I called Comcast to cancel the cable TV portion of my service and it took a grand total of 10 minutes. The service rep was kind, polite, and helpful, and never tried to talk me into anything. She did mention their mobile phones, which I declined for now, but she didn’t push. And then she told me I can get their Flex box for free, and still get the same Peacock.

This morning I saw they had indeed cancelled the TV. I packed up my DVR with its power cord and remote control and went to a nearby Xfinity store. Took about 5 minutes and that guy was also great. He scanned the serial number on the DVR so he knew right away who I was, and went and got me the Flex box. With Hulu and Paramount+, and Peacock, my total bill will be about $110, compared with $165. I’m happy for now. I still have Apple TV+ for another week and I’ll turn it off an on to see different things. I may get HBOMax from time to time. And I already donate to PBS but need to up it a little to get their channel as well.

I was surprised it turned out to be so easy! I guess they are not surprised any more when people cancel their cable, and just want to keep people happy with their internet service. Tomorrow I’ll set up my Flex.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I hand Hulu live. It’s comparable to what I’d pay for cable, but I like the portability I that it’s not tied to a particular cable provider. I’ve moved twice since I’ve been a Hulu live subscriber. The different towns I’ve lived in have had different cable providers, so I would have lost things on a traditional dvr that I want to keep compared to the Hulu cloud dvr.

Hulu live is more a direct competitor to cable rather than a cost-cutting thing.

I do have an antenna attached to my tv that picks up a ton of local OTA channels, including pbs.

 

[sk8pics]

I do have an antenna attached to my tv that picks up a ton of local OTA channels, including pbs.

I wish I could use a local antenna, but I get only one channel because of the trees around my house.

 

[sk8pics]

I set up my xfinity Flex box today and it was easy. Seems to work well, and will control the volume too, which my Roku does not do. I also like that I can speak to it and tell it what I want to see, like, ”Take me to This is Us on Hulu.” My Roku is several years old so it doesn’t have the voice capability.

As long as the Paramount+ app works properly on the Flex, I’ll probably use that and unplug the Roku and put it aside for the day the Flex breaks…

 

[aka_gerbil]

Is anyone else thinking of dropping Netflix as prices are going up again?

 

[MacMadame]

Is anyone else thinking of dropping Netflix as prices are going up again?

It depends on when Umbrella Academy is coming out.

 

[aka_gerbil]

It depends on when Umbrella Academy is coming out.

I’ve shrugged off their price increases for several years, but this one was the one that makes me question if I’m getting enough out of it. I mostly watch movies on Netflix, and it might be cheaper to rent what I want to see via Amazon Prime Video.

 

[Spikefan]

I still have enough stuff I watch on Netflix but I’m thinking of dropping a lot of streaming services during the skating season (October-March) then pick up for the other six months and just binge everything then.

 

[MacMadame]

I’ve shrugged off their price increases for several years, but this one was the one that makes me question if I’m getting enough out of it. I mostly watch movies on Netflix, and it might be cheaper to rent what I want to see via Amazon Prime Video.

I used to watch Netflix all the time but I rarely do now. But I really want to see a few of their original programming efforts. It's a conundrum.

 

[sk8pics]

Years and years ago I used to get videos from Netflix, but haven’t had any subscription with them in years. I’m using Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock premium (included with my internet) and Apple TV+. I’ll be dropping the Apple TV+ temporarily on Saturday, just as soon as I’ve finished Ted Lasso and before my credit card is charged for the next month. I’ve had Apple TV+ free for a whole year but I don’t need it all the time.

 

[MacMadame]

We have Apple TV+ too but we rarely watch it. Part of why we don't tend to watch everything we have is that it takes a lot of contortions to switch between some of them. Some we only get on Roku, others we get via the cable box, etc.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I had a free 3 month subscription to Apple TV, but only watched one thing the whole time.

 

[clairecloutier]

Resurrecting this thread because I have a cable/streaming question.

Is it possible to get Peacock Premium (and their skating coverage) if you DON'T have cable or DirecTV?? I am still confused on this point. We have PP, but it has always seemed to require you to identify as a DirecTV or cable subscriber to get it going.

I'm just wondering because we would like to drop DirecTV, but of course I still want to get skating coverage.

I guess another related question is whether you can get NBC Olympic streaming coverage without having cable/DirecTV.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Is it possible to get Peacock Premium (and their skating coverage) if you DON'T have cable or DirecTV?? I am still confused on this point. We have PP, but it has always seemed to require you to identify as a DirecTV or cable subscriber to get it going.

Yes. I don't have cable or DirecTV and I can sign up for Peacock. I will have to look at the login screen later. There is one that asks for other subscriber but you can also login with your chosen username and password.

 

[jiejie]

Resurrecting this thread because I have a cable/streaming question.

Is it possible to get Peacock Premium (and their skating coverage) if you DON'T have cable or DirecTV?? I am still confused on this point. We have PP, but it has always seemed to require you to identify as a DirecTV or cable subscriber to get it going.

I'm just wondering because we would like to drop DirecTV, but of course I still want to get skating coverage.

I guess another related question is whether you can get NBC Olympic streaming coverage without having cable/DirecTV.

Yes you can get Peacock without cable or satellite service. I cut the cable cord about 6 months ago. Have Rokus on my TV's, but any streaming device will do. Signed up for Peacock Premium (the $4.99/mo level) on my desktop computer with automatic monthly charge to credit card, got login and password. Once you have that, it's easy to go to your TV/viewing device of choice, get Peacock channel up, and enter the login/password when it asks. It should then remain accessible on that device as long as you pay the monthly service fee. I didn't even have to re-log in each time on that device.

I unsubscribed from Peacock after the skating season was over and they took away nearly all of the competition videos, and had no issues with the billing stopping automatically. Will join again when the skating season starts, depending on NBC/Peacock's coverage plans.