Cutting cable and researching streaming options, which ones do you use? - UPDATE

[jerseygirl07067]

We are looking into getting our cable bill down further. Right now we pay around $148 for basic cable, a landline, and internet. We are looking into different streaming options, and currently already have a Smart TV, we just don't take much advantage of it since we still have cable. We already pay for Amazon Prime and Netflix, so I want to know the most economical way to go from here. DH watches way more TV than I do and wants to make sure we still get AMC, ESPN 1, ESPN 2, Lifetime, FX, TBS, USA, TNT, HGTV. I don't watch much but when I do, it's usually TLC, HGTV, CNN, and I do like to watch MSNBC and FOX news too (I like to hear all sides), and just regular local channels like NBC, ABC, etc.

I've been looking at Sling TV, Hulu, DirectTV Now, and a few others, and am just starting research. This is all new to me, it's a bit scary cutting the cable cord but so many people I know have done it, I'm just trying to figure it all out and keep it as low cost as possible.

Obviously I still need good internet to do this, and do want to keep my landline since I have a fax machine and kids who sometimes get their phones taken away, :) so it's peace of mind for me to know they still have a landline if they need to reach me.

I need to catch up with the 21st century...I feel like I am always behind the curve! So what is the cheapest way to do all of this?

[meggie t]

Bumping as I'm still trying to do this! I pay the same as you and haven't found a way to get just internet and phone for a good price.

[Mikey0709]

Following. I have the same as you, but even after serious negotiation (threatening to cancel multiple times).... i'm still paying probably $40 MORE than you for the same services. I guess it's location-specific how they have us stuck into the triple-play deal. I found pricing alone for internet only in my area was outrageous..... so my last research ended in me just keeping what I had.

Curious to see what others do, and the final costs of all the extras.

[LBW]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the sports channels might be your biggest problem. I don't know if you'll be able to save much if you still need internet + a land line + all of those channels. Can you use a TV antenna in your area? That might help with some of the basic channels. There are websites that let you check your location to see which channels you are likely to get with an antenna.

My evil cable company (Comcast) charges more for internet alone than for internet + basic cable. It's so frustrating. I'm paying about $100/month, and there's no way for me to bring that cost down. (We've tried calling them and asking for discounts, etc.) They have a monopoly in our area, so we don't have another provider to switch to. We don't watch sports on TV. For shows/movies we use Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and sometimes we subscribe to shows via Apple. That's plenty for us, so I really wish we could get rid of cable & not pay for it. One thing to keep in mind is that your viewing habits will probably change once you get rid of cable, so you may not really *need* all of the networks that you think you need.

For phone, we use cell phones only, and it's been fine. I work from home and do not have a fax machine. When I need to "fax" something I either scan or take a photo on my phone.

[georgiegirl]

ESPN is the biggest problem. I don't think anyone offers that as an add on. With the number of channels you watch, cable is probably your best bet. DH watches the ESPNs and that's the only reason we have cable.


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[AnnieW625]

We pay about the same as the OP and have Netflix, Amazon, and a free 3 month trial of HBO. Also managing different devices seems like a pain.

I much prefer holding a regular phone handset vs. cell phone at home so I do use my home phone quite a bit. I know plenty of people who use a cell phone only though, and DH wanted to do that but he refused to change the cell phone numbers to a local area number and wanted to keep the phone numbers we have had for 15 yrs., which are NorCal numbers so I said we were keeping the home phone. We don't have a fax machine.

In an ideal world I would be more than happy to pay $20-$30 a month for reduced cable for the following channels:
All local channels
NHL Network
Cartoon Network
HGTV
HBO
Food Network
Fox Sports
ESPN
Comedy Central
AMC
A&E



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[specialp]

Look into playstation Vue. We have had the it for over a year and I know our option, which is a lower tier, includes the sports channels you listed (we watch a lot of sports), but not sure of the others. Direct TV was slightly cheaper than cable over a 3 year period if you factored in their intro rate, but not enough for us to go with them. Sling tv was a nightmare because we couldn't watch from the same "family" of networks on two different TVs unless we upgraded which would've put it on par with cable.

ETA: I know it has the news channels you listed, too. I do not watch the others on your list to know.

[jerseygirl07067]

So we are finally doing it!!! Apparently we were locked into a special rate with our cable/tv/internet bundle which just expired, and despite my attempts to negotiate the price, they wouldn't budge. So $192, bye bye!!! We had been paying $148, which then went up to $154 a week after I posted this, and now the $192.

We are purchasing an antenna for the local stations, upgrading our internet to ATT fiber, and will be trying out Sling TV. DH had to have certain channels, and while I am not happy to have to pay for it, it still shaves off a considerable amount from our cable bill. Some of the ones we thought we wanted initially, we realized weren't really necessary. We get a free Roku stick with them too. We already have Amazon Prime and Netflix, but TMobile now has free Netflix and we are eligible on our plan for it.

So we shall see how this goes. I can't believe it has taken me so long. When I looked back at old threads on cutting cable, some have been doing this since 2008 or prior. I need to keep up more with technology apparently....

[liz]

S. We already have Amazon Prime and Netflix, but TMobile now has free Netflix and we are eligible on our plan for it. ..

ooh, please tell me more about this! I have Tmobile and Netflix.....

[urquie]

ooh, please tell me more about this! I have Tmobile and Netflix.....

https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-36253

[mom2binsd]

I looked at different options, for me, I have to have the NHL channel and other NBS sports channels, I do not want to have to find a stream of a hockey game to watch and we keep the hockey channel on a lot during the day for recaps etc (it's like our CNN).

I am looking at switching to Comcast as I can get phone (I need a landline so the kids have one (no phone for the little guy yet and grandparents refuse to get a cell/I call my family in Canada on a landline), 75mbps speecd internet and 220 channels for 124.99.

Our neighborhood now has fiber and I can get phone/internet and tv but no hockey channel for 152.00

We have netflix as well and use a chromecast.

Currently am paying Direct tv 90 a month! And Frontier for phone and internet 50, so I need to switch.

I looked at Sling, but it wasn't clear if you can get all the local channels? Can you watch on more than one tv?

I really miss the old days when you just turned the tv on!!!

[jerseygirl07067]

I looked at different options, for me, I have to have the NHL channel and other NBS sports channels, I do not want to have to find a stream of a hockey game to watch and we keep the hockey channel on a lot during the day for recaps etc (it's like our CNN).

I am looking at switching to Comcast as I can get phone (I need a landline so the kids have one (no phone for the little guy yet and grandparents refuse to get a cell/I call my family in Canada on a landline), 75mbps speecd internet and 220 channels for 124.99.

Our neighborhood now has fiber and I can get phone/internet and tv but no hockey channel for 152.00

We have netflix as well and use a chromecast.

Currently am paying Direct tv 90 a month! And Frontier for phone and internet 50, so I need to switch.

I looked at Sling, but it wasn't clear if you can get all the local channels? Can you watch on more than one tv?

I really miss the old days when you just turned the tv on!!!


With Sling, there are not a lot of local channels, but we are getting an antenna which will be wired to 3 tvs. My neighbor has one, got it at Best Buy for 79.99 and actually has it wired to 6 tvs. With all of that, she still gets a strong signal, and gets a ton of local channels I never even knew existed. She also gets the CW which is good since my kids watch some of their favorite shows on it. You can stream to more than one TV with Blue, you are allowed up to 3. With Orange, just to one. We are doing both, since that's the only way DH can get his sports channels. It's still cheaper than cable and I didn't want DirecTV which does have great pricing. We had it before and didn't like it.

The beauty is, if we hate Sling TV, there are other options out there too. And we are not locked in.

[jerseygirl07067]

ooh, please tell me more about this! I have Tmobile and Netflix.....

If you have a TMobile One plan, you are eligible! I just called them and they sent me a link. It was super easy. You log in, it transfers you over to the Netflix site, and then you log in there, and follow the instructions. Essentially Tmobile becomes the payer of your Netflix and you no longer get charged. Super easy. We have the middle tier Netflix. If you have the more expensive one, you have to pay the difference I believe.

Another thing I found out, T Mobile is also offering the Family Allowances feature for free. You can limit content on your kids' phones, monitor their call and text time, and even shut the service down after a certain time. Pretty cool. Other carriers charge for that!

DH calls TMobile the gift that keeps on giving! And of course T Mobile Tuesdays!

[AnnieW625]

I looked at different options, for me, I have to have the NHL channel and other NBS sports channels, I do not want to have to find a stream of a hockey game to watch and we keep the hockey channel on a lot during the day for recaps etc (it's like our CNN).

I am looking at switching to Comcast as I can get phone (I need a landline so the kids have one (no phone for the little guy yet and grandparents refuse to get a cell/I call my family in Canada on a landline), 75mbps speecd internet and 220 channels for 124.99.

Our neighborhood now has fiber and I can get phone/internet and tv but no hockey channel for 152.00

We have netflix as well and use a chromecast.

Currently am paying Direct tv 90 a month! And Frontier for phone and internet 50, so I need to switch.

I looked at Sling, but it wasn't clear if you can get all the local channels? Can you watch on more than one tv?

I really miss the old days when you just turned the tv on!!!

Frontier's current new customer promo in my area for all three bundled is $89 a month. NHL Network is part of the HD extreme package which is maybe $5 more a month. I am out of the promo period, but I am only paying $150 for all services including taxes. I just got upgraded to 75mbps for internet at no extra charge.

I am still a believer that cutting the cord could end up being just as expensive as keeping cable.

ETA: we have one tv and one dvr.


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[specialp]

Can you watch on more than one tv?



Sort of. Not unless you buy one of the higher tiered options which for us was the same cost as the cable we were trying to cut. We could watch two TVs, but those TVs could not be turned to the same "family" of channels which for us was sports. So we couldn't turn 2 TVs to watch the same game or even to watch different games at the same time if, for example, one was on ESPN and the other ESPN2 because those channels were grouped into a family. I could watch ESPN on one and a movie or news channel on the other because those weren't the same family. (This info is from a year or so ago.)

[mom2binsd]

That's what I got from my research, it's a pain for how we watch TV.

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[SnuggleBuggles]

That's what I got from my research, it's a pain for how we watch TV.

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We pay a small fortune for our Verizon Fios so we can get sports. :)


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[meggie t]

Every time my contract with Verizon Fios is due, I investigate getting rid of cable. We aren't big tv watchers, don't watch sports, barely watch movies, don't have DVRs, etc. Just want a landline, fast internet, and basic tv. We pay $150, including taxes, for 2 HD boxes, 1 standard box, landline, basic cable, and internet. I haven't been able to get what we want for less, so I keep renewing...

[mom2binsd]

As much as I want to avoid switching to Comcast (although a few friends have it have no issues at all), for what I can get for 124.99 a month it's a good deal for me to switch (75mpbs of internet, unlimited phone and TV with 220 channels which includes a dvr, will be able to use on my two tv's without any extra steps). I also have an unpaid version of the Kodi addons to watch movies and HBO that is installed on my phone so I can cast that to my TV.

Sports are my one big luxury and enjoyed by all three of us so it's where I spend a little more money.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We had Comcast for a day. The picture quality was terrible and they weren't surprised. Easy to cancel.


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[Philly Mom]

As much as I want to avoid switching to Comcast (although a few friends have it have no issues at all), for what I can get for 124.99 a month it's a good deal for me to switch (75mpbs of internet, unlimited phone and TV with 220 channels which includes a dvr, will be able to use on my two tv's without any extra steps). I also have an unpaid version of the Kodi addons to watch movies and HBO that is installed on my phone so I can cast that to my TV.

Sports are my one big luxury and enjoyed by all three of us so it's where I spend a little more money.

We just moved to Comcast. My DH and I are surprisingly happy and think our picture quality is better than FIOS. We were pleasantly surprised.

[jerseygirl07067]

Well after all of that, and me pricing out all of what we needed from Best Buy to make this happen, we are not doing it after all. The price was already getting up there, 60 for high speed internet 100mbps download speed, and then 35 for sling tv. We realized last night that if we want the DVR, it's another 5, bringing our total up to $100. Then I have to buy an antenna for $80 and 3 Roku sticks ata $40 each though Sling gives you one for free. So I'll say $160 on equipment. I got a deal with att today for 24 months, Uverse U200 package with cable, internet, no landline, for $100. Because we won't be streaming, I went down to the 50Mbps speed which we have now and it's totally fine. I'm sold!! Still way cheaper!! We did not want Direct TV as DH didn't want that ugly dish on the house (I agree), but with their charges for sports channels and local stations, it was about the same anyway. Now we can watch 3 TVs, a receiver and DVR on each, and not have to worry if the person on Sling Orange is using the one stream allowed.

I am doing Ooma for my home phone, just bought the unit on Amazon for $77. Then after that it should be only $3.50 per month at most in taxes. ATT wanted $20 plus taxes each month for the same technology, not even a traditional phone line, but for VOIP. I figured if I'm going to do VOIP I will do it myself for much less.

All that research, hours and hours, and me saying we are cutting the cord once and for all, here we are. It's because DH could not give up ESPN and Fox Sports Network as well as some other crap channels that I don't care about. If it were up to me I'd have the antenna, netflix and prime and call it a day. But oh well. I told DH that he is going to owe me in the tens of thousands one day for what we spend for him to watch TV. Ugh....

[marymoo86]

We have DirecTV now. Got a Roku free during a promo. Already had a fire TV and fire stick. Picked up a mohu antenna for $30. Get a $25 credit per month as DH has ATT wireless bplan that qualifies. So spend $125 for internet and TV and have Ooma too. Cut our bill by $100 and as DH has to have the sports too.

[trales]

Every time I read a thread like this, it makes me realize how rural we actually are and how we have no choices. We have ZERO cell signal at the house, we have no fiberoptic lines within 10 miles, we only have 1 TV station in the state and have too many mountains to get over the air TV. I am totally stuck with comcast for phone/ internet/ tv. It is so expensive. Add netflix and prime and I play a small fortune, with no hope in site. I don't even know what half the things are you are talking about, b/c they are so out of reach.

Those of you with choices are really lucky.

[zukeypur]

When we moved 4 years ago, we decided to not even get cable. It was a hard adjustment at first, but we have all survived. Our bill is $83/mo for unlimited internet and a landline phone (DH has to have this for work, and I want to keep it for the 911 service which saved DD3's life). We pay for Netflix and Amazon prime. We also used DD1's college credentials to get NFL Sunday ticket for $75 so that I can watch Green Bay games in Texas. We have several antennas, one that works better than others. I am thinking of having a friend's husband wire all of the TV's to that one antenna, running it through the existing cable in the house. For now, the three TV's all have their own antenna. The flat "mohu leaf" type antenna works well if you are in a city with plenty of reception, but they don't work that well in the suburbs. We can't get FOX with either of them. This is the one that works the best. We are able to get all local channels with no problem.https://smile.amazon.com/GE-34140-Outdoor-UltraPro-Channels/dp/B01BY033S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507560015&sr=8-1&keywords=ultra+pro+stealth+hd+antenna
I noticed that we were able to pick up more channels in the newer TV with the same antenna. I'm not sure why this is, but a newer tv will work better. Our main TV went out this weekend, and the new one that we just bought picks up a few more channels than the 7 year old TV did. We have had issues in the past with some pixelating (mostly on FOX) during storms, but I haven't seen any at all so far with the new setup. We will never go back to cable. As for sports, if there is something we really want to watch, we will occasionally sign up for sling. The bad thing about that is that there are different sports channels on orange and blue, and I refuse to pay for both. However, you can switch between orange and blue mid month if there is something you want to watch on one and not the other. Yes, it's sometimes a PITA, but it's cheaper than cable. Since sling is no contract, we only sign up for it when there is something specific that we want to watch (our college football games are regularly on FOX Southwest). Both DH and I have signed up for Sling at different times, so we get offers for additional free weeks and Roku Sticks on a regular basis. We have a Roku stick in the camper and the playroom now, thanks to Sling. As for DVR, most things can be streamed somehow at a later point. NBC has a sling channel that plays almost everything after the fact (not Meet the Press, for some reason).