Cable cutters, rejoice

Another streaming service is going the commercials route.


We're closing in on the rate where people will get cable to save money. Streaming is worse considering that you're paying more for the same "channels" and getting more ads.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
We're closing in on the rate where people will get cable to save money. Streaming is worse considering that you're paying more for the same "channels" and getting more ads.
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Yeah, the cable companies are jacking up their rates for internet service, and then "discounting" their add-on TV package. So cable customers are basically paying the same price they always have, but the streaming folks who only need internet are getting screwed now.

When I had cable, I was paying roughly $180/month for internet+TV.

When I went streaming, I was paying $45/mo for internet and roughly $100 for YTTV plus all my other subscriptions.

Well now my internet provider is charging me $79/mo, so now I'm right back to where I was before I cut the cord.
 
2 Sweet said:
Yeah, the cable companies are jacking up their rates for internet service, and then "discounting" their add-on TV package. So cable customers are basically paying the same price they always have, but the streaming folks who only need internet are getting screwed now.

When I had cable, I was paying roughly $180/month for internet+TV.

When I went streaming, I was paying $45/mo for internet and roughly $100 for YTTV plus all my other subscriptions.

Well now my internet provider is charging me $79/mo, so now I'm right back to where I was before I cut the cord.
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Between this and the greed of the streaming services.

The reason cable is so expensive is because these companies charge the cable companies so much to distribute their channels. There's a reason many of them are pushing content to cable only and other content to streaming only. They want the best of both worlds.

Now they've found out they can charge more money by going direct-to-consumer, then figured out they can get all that ad revenue as well.

The next phase will be to eliminate ad-free tiers altogether. Right now, most have a basic plan which is HD + ads, a premium plan which is HD + no ads, and an ultimate plan which is 4K + no ads. Now, they're trending toward moving ads to their mid-tier plans and eliminating their basic plans.

The content purging trend sucks as well. Especially since they get tax breaks to literally delete movies and shows from existence. It's basically the government paying people to destroy artwork.
 
This thread shows me just how fast time goes by. Heck, I remember when all this began, and PlayStation Vue was the big player and it only cost $29.99. My, how things The have changed since then!
 
2 Sweet said:
Yeah, the cable companies are jacking up their rates for internet service, and then "discounting" their add-on TV package. So cable customers are basically paying the same price they always have, but the streaming folks who only need internet are getting screwed now.

When I had cable, I was paying roughly $180/month for internet+TV.

When I went streaming, I was paying $45/mo for internet and roughly $100 for YTTV plus all my other subscriptions.

Well now my internet provider is charging me $79/mo, so now I'm right back to where I was before I cut the cord.
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The real people getting screwed are those who aren’t even interested in streaming, but need Internet for their daily life. Puts more pressure on companies to supply at-home Internet for their employees if their job requires any sort of work from home or Internet use of any kind.
 
Brentford said:
The real people getting screwed are those who aren’t even interested in streaming, but need Internet for their daily life. Puts more pressure on companies to supply at-home Internet for their employees if their job requires any sort of work from home or Internet use of any kind.
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When I was commuting to work, my monthly fuel costs were more than my home Internet. I didn't expect them to pay my gas.
 
I'm struggling to think of the price of any form of entertainment that hasn't continued to climb in my lifetime.

I couldn't even tell you how much we pay a month for our streaming options. It varies from month to month depending on what we want to watch. They are so easy to start up and cancel when you wish so I don't find it to be that big a deal. We've got a couple shows we're watching on Apple TV that recently came out. We'll cancel the service at the end of the month when we're done. We do the same with Paramont +, Peacock, Hulu, etc.... We don't normally have more than two services a month active so the price really isn't all that much.

As far as commercials go..... What a great time to get up and grab a beer, let the dog out or hit the bathroom. Again, not much of an inconvenience IMO.

Like everything else in life our internet price has continued to climb but it's also much faster and far more reliable. I'm going to be purchasing one of Musk's Starlink kits soon simply for it's mobility. I've borrowed one to try it out and it works great as long as you've got a clear view of the sky. Mainly to the north. It's more than what I'm currently paying a month but being able to travel anywhere with it is a plus. We're rv'ers during the summer season. It's service can be started/stopped at will.
 
Brentford said:
They don’t decide where you live, so I wouldn’t expect them to pay for your gas either.
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They often don't decide you're going to work from home either. During COVID, yes. Before and since, working from home is mostly an employee option, and one some companies want to eliminate.

At most, they should only pay for 40 hours a week, maybe 30% of an employee's bill. Or a separate metered connection locked down to the company-issued computer.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
As far as commercials go..... What a great time to get up and grab a beer, let the dog out or hit the bathroom. Again, not much of an inconvenience IMO.
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I don't mind limited ad breaks.

The problem with cable was that it was over $180/month and, for every hour of programming, there was 18-22 minutes of commercials. They were actually doing all sorts of cute things with reruns of older shows where they'd speed playback up to be able to fit in an additional 30-60 seconds of commercials, and then they would start cutting several minutes of content per episode out to fit in more ad breaks.

And, honestly, once most of these services are $20/month and ad supported at that price, I expect things like Pluto TV to begin carving out a larger share of the streaming audience. If you're going to sit through 20 minutes of commercials an hour, it's fine if it's not $20/month.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
They often don't decide you're going to work from home either. During COVID, yes. Before and since, working from home is mostly an employee option, and one some companies want to eliminate.

At most, they should only pay for 40 hours a week, maybe 30% of an employee's bill. Or a separate metered connection locked down to the company-issued computer.
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Yeah, my sister works for an accounting firm, and she said they’d pay for her Internet during Covid, but not anymore. The only time they are required to work from home is when the office is closed unexpectedly for remodel or repairs. Like you said, it’s more of a benefit and not so much a requirement.
 
Brentford said:
Yeah, my sister works for an accounting firm, and she said they’d pay for her Internet during Covid, but not anymore. The only time they are required to work from home is when the office is closed unexpectedly for remodel or repairs. Like you said, it’s more of a benefit and not so much a requirement.
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I get why people would feel like their internet should be partially compensated. Before the "biggest tax cuts and reform in American history," W-2 employees could take deductions where they had to spend their own money on work-related expenses. Now, employees are completely on the hook for it.

If I got to work from home more, I'd see it as a benefit. If my current job told me I could work from home for 10 days a month, the amount of money I would save would be equal or greater than the money I'd be spending in gas. And it's not just gas. I put close to 30,000 miles on my car each year just commuting to and from work. That's a set of tires ($700) every 2-3 years and six oil changes every year. Forget the money, being able to wake up an hour and a half later, not having to deal with an anger-inducing commute twice a day, and not having to spend anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours (depending on traffic) in a car would alone be worth it.
 
Pretty comprehensive look at some of the competing streaming services.

YouTube TV vs DIRECTV STREAM vs Hulu vs Fubo vs Sling TV vs Philo What is The Best Option For Cord Cutters?​


cordcuttersnews.com

YouTube TV vs DIRECTV STREAM vs Hulu vs Fubo vs Sling TV vs Philo What is The Best Option For Cord Cutters? - Updated April 2024 | Cord Cutters News

It is March 2024, and the world of cord-cutting has changed a lot over the last year. In the last month, multiple changes have happened, including Hulu adding new channels, DIRECTV making changes it its lineup, and other big changes in the world of live TV streaming. Today, we are going to break...
cordcuttersnews.com cordcuttersnews.com
 
I have a DVD collection - no ads. The number of ads on the free streaming channels is far less than the ads on cable. (I've been watching older movies lately).
 
Sling is pretty much the only streaming service that hasn’t really increased their prices in recent memory. I hope that Peacock increase doesn’t mean no more 99 cent per month or $19.99 for one year promo deals that they usually have, especially for Black Friday.
 
Brentford said:
Sling is pretty much the only streaming service that hasn’t really increased their prices in recent memory. I hope that Peacock increase doesn’t mean no more 99 cent per month or $19.99 for one year promo deals that they usually have, especially for Black Friday.
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Peacock is still a bargain at this price.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Peacock is still a bargain at this price.
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Depending on your wants, I’d say so. I’m very picky and can never find movies or TV shows to watch. I’m basically a sports guy who’s very selective when it comes to shows and movies. My main reason for using Peacock has always been for the WWE premium events.
 
Brentford said:
Depending on your wants, I’d say so. I’m very picky and can never find movies or TV shows to watch. I’m basically a sports guy who’s very selective when it comes to shows and movies. My main reason for using Peacock has always been for the WWE premium events.
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For me, Peacock has IMSA. While I don’t watch as much as I want to, it’s worth the money for that alone.
 
So all those, Peacock through TNT are all teaming up to create one subscription? Yeah, that’s basically a cable package right there.
 
Brentford said:
So all those, Peacock through TNT are all teaming up to create one subscription? Yeah, that’s basically a cable package right there.
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I wouldn't be surprised if regulatory agencies or the courts blocked the ESPN/TNT/Fox bundle. Fubo's lawsuit is VERY legitimate.
 
The local broadband provider here in Brunswick County NC, is a co-op. They toss in two free Fire sticks, and have an app that looks almost exactly like what you'd see with their old cable / set-top box system.* Same networks and local stations, in the same order, same guide grid, etc. On the guide, networks are assigned the same channel numbers, although you can't do anything with them since there are no numbers on the remote.

$150 a month less than what I was paying Spectrum for broadband and TV back in Columbia SC.

* They're phasing out the boxes. New customers have only the streaming option, and old customers are having their boxes gradually replaced.
 
There's always something with these streaming services. I'm talking about the services that are similar to cable packages. The ones that offer locals as well as traditional cables channels. For the past few months or so I've been using Fubo, Hulu Live and much longer YouTube TV services. I'm in need of a service that can travel with me throughout the US & Canada that would allow for my hometown locals, my regional sports network and HGTV for my wife. Simple enough but no package that I've found offers those three things under one roof.

I was drawn to YouTube TV because of Sunday Ticket. You don't have to have YouTube TV for Sunday Ticket but it gives you that at a reduced price. They have a standalone package for Sunday Ticket that I'd still subscribe to if I could find another service that would fit our needs. YouTube TV works in the US but not in Canada. YouTube TV offers locals but only in the market in which your viewing. So, I only get my locals when I'm in my area. They do not offer my regional sports network. They do offer HGTV. So, not a perfect fit.

Fubo..... Works great in both the US and Canada. Again though, local channels are for the area that you are in. When in Canada, you get the locals from Philadelphia for some reason. They do offer my regional sports network but the recently dropped HGTV. Again, not a perfect fit.

Hulu Live..... Works in both the US and Canada. It broadcast my locals regardless of where I'm located. Again though, no regional sports network. HGTV is included though but once again, not a perfect fit.

If someone could come up with an
à la carte service, that would be perfect. I only have a few channels that I want and couldn't care less about the rest. My perfect package consists of only a handful of channels. The only thing I've found that gives me what I want are IPTV services.

As far as independent streaming services go..... We normally only subscribe to Netflix and the like when we're interested in something they have to watch. Keep it for a month and then choose another for a month. Much cheaper that way. There's no commitment. Why subscribe to all of them at once? Can't watch all of them at the same time. You get a lot more for your $'s that way.
 
BobbyFord said:
Man that sounds like a lot of juggling.
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I was basically outlining the pluses/minuses of those three services. Just showing that there's something that lacks from all three. It's tough to get what you want in any of them.

If you mean juggling as far as those extras go, Netflix, max, apple, etc. It's far cheaper to press pause on a website than it is to bitch about and and subscribe to every one of them. There's no commitment to any of these streaming services. You can start our stop any of them with a click on your mouse.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
There's always something with these streaming services. I'm talking about the services that are similar to cable packages. The ones that offer locals as well as traditional cables channels. For the past few months or so I've been using Fubo, Hulu Live and much longer YouTube TV services. I'm in need of a service that can travel with me throughout the US & Canada that would allow for my hometown locals, my regional sports network and HGTV for my wife. Simple enough but no package that I've found offers those three things under one roof.
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I don't think the local TV stations thing anywhere would fly with the networks because of sports. What would be stopping me from declaring Jacksonville, Florida as my home so I can watch the Jags games each week?

The RSNs are quickly going to offering standalone services. Sinclair already does for Bally Sports, and the Baltimore Orioles are getting ready to launch one for MASN Sports.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I don't think the local TV stations thing anywhere would fly with the networks because of sports. What would be stopping me from declaring Jacksonville, Florida as my home so I can watch the Jags games each week?

The RSNs are quickly going to offering standalone services. Sinclair already does for Bally Sports, and the Baltimore Orioles are getting ready to launch one for MASN Sports.
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Your home stream had to be streamed from every so often. It differs between services. I can't say I live in Jacksonville, FL without streaming from that location. In my case, I have to stream from my Pittsburgh market location through YouTube TV within a three month period. If I don't, my steam away from my home market ceases to work. Similar to Netflix if you're familiar with their requirements.

The rain are offering standalone service but you can't stream your local market when you're not within your local market. I could purchase Sportsnet Pittsburgh but I can't watch the Penguins or Pirates anywhere away from the Pittsburgh Market location. Sportsnet Pittsburgh just launched as a standalone. I was going to purchase it until I found out I couldn't use it on the road. Fubo does offer Pittsburgh Sportsnet. I use a friend's service. I can watch the channel anywhere in the US and Canada through that link. Like YouTube TV, Netflux, many others..... I have to stream from the Pittsburgh market within 'x' period of time for it to remain active. I think that's the standard practice these ddays. Your Jacksonville idea won't work.
 
variety.com

Max Hikes Price for Ad-Free Plans Effective Immediately

Warner Bros. Discovery has increased the price for its ad-free versions of streamer Max.
variety.com variety.com

I hate WB Discovery so much.

Max has good content but not being able to watch in 4K anymore (I've got it through AT&T) is why I never log in to this app anymore. Just put it back to where it was.
 
BobbyFord said:
Cable is still the best option for me.
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This is my experience from one who had to switch to streaming because my local small rural cable shut down. Even though it is a little more to have cable, stay with it. Streaming is a cluster puck and for about 9 bucks a month cheaper, there is no way it is worth it.
 
Over the years, using three cable companies and trying three streaming services, I was happiest with hardware and user interface software from Dish Network, even with the occasional signal loss in a major thunderstorm.
 
I would absolutely prefer a cable company compared to streaming. However, I’m content with the $40 base package offered by Sling. It has the channels I need. Unfortunately, cable doesn’t typically offer packages comparable to what I use for as cheap as what I pay. If I was paying for Hulu Live or YouTube TV, I be more serious about looking into Cox.
 
Brentford said:
I would absolutely prefer a cable company compared to streaming. However, I’m content with the $40 base package offered by Sling. It has the channels I need. Unfortunately, cable doesn’t typically offer packages comparable to what I use for as cheap as what I pay. If I was paying for Hulu Live or YouTube TV, I be more serious about looking into Cox.
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If my Medicare plan didn't give me money to pay for internet I'd probably go back to Spectrum TV/Internet package. They just make it such a hassle. They screw their regular subscribers by raising the rates every year but can't seem to figure out, cancel for 30 days, NEW CUSTOMER! I've never really tried to negotiate with them. Just cancelled and did without for a month. Right now have Spectrum 500 down Internetz (could get 100 down for 30 bucks but I ain't paying for it, should get the Gig deal) and basic Sling. Prime & YouTube Premium plus Flo Racing.
 
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