Author Topic: Do You Watch Shows on TV or Online? Should I drop Cable? (Read 3921 times)

blackngold29 · « **on:** April 15, 2011, 09:00:06 PM »

Has anyone done this? I was looking at some of the numbers, we pay $660 a year for cable. I could get the MLB and NHL online deals and watch every game for $200 and still have a lot left over, considering tv shows are $2 on iTunes or free for most networks on Hulu or ABC.com, etc.

The difficult thing would be convincing my mom, she says she would rather watch stuff on the TV, which I get but it wouldn't bother me as much. Stuff isn't on demand instantly (due to download time). And I guess there are fewer home decorating shows online than there are on TV.

Anyway, any other pros or cons I'm missing?

ricky · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2011, 09:01:53 PM »

netflix ftw.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2011, 09:02:49 PM »

I live by my DVR, so cable. The only time I watch online if I missed recording or couldn't watch a show.

Volk9 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 15, 2011, 09:36:34 PM »

I dont usually watch too much TV, but I do watch a few shows on there. I dont usually watch something online unless im not home to watch it on TV.

I mostly watch movies though

emindead · « **Reply #4 on:** April 15, 2011, 10:39:40 PM »

Cable is great solely for Sports and news.

yeshaberto · « **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2011, 10:43:33 PM »

what little tv I watch is on netflix...the few times I am at hotels with TV, I am amazed at how many channels have so little that is worth watching

El Barto · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:10:24 AM »

Ditching broadcast/cable is quite liberating. It's amazing just how shitty television is when you start watching only what you want. I canceled my cable about 3 years ago and I've been much happier. As it turns out, I have a much better idea of what I like watching than those assholes in LA/NYC.

Every September for the last few years, I get cable again for the NFL, and I'm amazed at just how much I despise it. Commercials are fucking stupid. Upcoming TV shows are fucking stupid. Talking heads are fucking stupid. And even American football commentators are fucking stupid. This year I'll rely strictly on streaming NFL games from Europe. It's much less annoying. Their broadcasts either have insightful commentary during the commercial breaks, or they have infrequent commercials with occasional T&A. Gotta love it.

I've honestly gotten to the point where I wouldn't have cable if they payed me for it. Thanks to the quite generous rebates those scumbags at AT&T throw out for new subscribers, I usually make a small profit for my 4 months of patronage. I don't even want their money any more. I just want to not see their crap. I can't fathom people actually paying them for what they show.

Adami · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:11:38 AM »

I watch DVD's and Netflix. I haven't had cable in over a year and I don't miss it at all.

Hulu is also great.

blackngold29 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:15:28 AM »

The NFL is making me hesitate too. I wonder how much longer they can really hold out though. They were the first with their own cable channel and now the last to offer their games online. And I haven't heard one bad review about the MLB or NHL packages.

Also if I could get ESPN3 somehow, that would be a great leap forward in filling up the absence sports leaves. I stopped watching news channels a while ago, it's all online and so is CSPAN (which is actually way ahead of most channels as far as online stuff goes).

Sigz · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:19:34 AM »

I watch what I want online, TV overall sucks.

El Barto · « **Reply #10 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:20:38 AM »

If you don't care about HD, you can watch the NFL online. And don't forget that a pair of rabbit ears will probably get you most broadcast games, and quite possibly in HD. If you're not up for either of those options, do what I did. Cancel your cable for now, and sign up every September for 4 months. It's a good way to discover just how much you like or don't like TV.

HarlequinForest · « **Reply #11 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:21:50 AM »

IMO, when you're flipping through 70+ channels and can't find anything you like, it's time to cancel. We actually had our service terminated, but they somehow neglected to physically turn off our cable, so we've been getting basic cable free for several months.

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #12 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:54:38 AM »

We just got a new cable package about a week ago, and I think I've watched maybe 10 minutes of TV in that time. The internet is far more entertaining.

Pyroph · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:16:38 PM »

The only thing I ever really watch is CNN, and usually I don't have a lot of time for that/can look up news online. So when I have my own place, no I don't think I'll have cable.

lordxizor · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:20:30 PM »

We dropped our cable a couple months ago, hooked up an old computer to our TV and pretty much use Hulu for everything. Works great. The only downfall is the lack of live sports, but we don't live in the home market for our favorite teams anyway, so we're only missing a few games a year that we could have watch anyway.

Adami · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:26:14 PM »

I don't watch sports, so I don't know how true this is, but my apple TV has a few sports options. No clue what they do though.

Plasmastrike · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2011, 12:56:09 PM »

Quote from: emindead on April 15, 2011, 10:39:40 PM

Cable is great solely for Sports and news.

Exactly how I feel. The Internet is slowly replacing more and more for me.

Progmetty · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2011, 01:39:33 PM »

Online, TV is for soccer.

LeeHarveyKennedy · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2011, 03:19:30 PM »

I work for a cable company. Thus, I get an HD DVR and every channel, for free. With that said, I have almost completely stopped using it since I got an Xbox and a Blu-Ray player and a Netflix account.

If it was just you, I'd say give it up. But since you mentioned your mom, I don't know how well she'd adapt, so...

Tick · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2011, 03:45:09 PM »

I detest watching shows or movies on my computer. I would not ditch cable for that option.

Adami · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2011, 04:13:20 PM »

Quote from: tick on April 16, 2011, 03:45:09 PM

I detest watching shows or movies on my computer. I would not ditch cable for that option.

What about netflix? You can stream things to your TV and order DVD's.

El Barto · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2011, 04:33:32 PM »

Quote from: Adami on April 16, 2011, 04:13:20 PM

Quote from: tick on April 16, 2011, 03:45:09 PM
I detest watching shows or movies on my computer. I would not ditch cable for that option.

What about netflix? You can stream things to your TV and order DVD's.

Better yet, run a cable and set up your tv as second (or third) monitor.

Also, make sure your DVD player plays DIVX. The ability to put 3-5 movies or a whole season of a tv show on 1 DVD is wonderful.

tjanuranus · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2011, 05:04:36 PM »

I stream everything to my appleTv from my computer. Movies, music, tv shows, podcasts, etc.. Also i have netflix which is on the apple tv and the NBA and MLB package is available for pretty cheep on there as well. Plus if you rent stuff the itunes store is right there for rentals. No waiting to download either like the computer, it streams the rentals. Very nice. Plus it's only 99 bucks and it does all that!

Adami · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2011, 05:06:26 PM »

Quote from: El Barto on April 16, 2011, 04:33:32 PM

Quote from: Adami on April 16, 2011, 04:13:20 PM
Quote from: tick on April 16, 2011, 03:45:09 PM
I detest watching shows or movies on my computer. I would not ditch cable for that option.

What about netflix? You can stream things to your TV and order DVD's.
Better yet, run a cable and set up your tv as second (or third) monitor.

Well my main computer is a laptop. And I like to be on it at the same time I'm watching stuff, so the apple TV and netflix works much nicer for me. But for some people that's a great idea!

glaurung · « **Reply #24 on:** April 16, 2011, 05:58:18 PM »

Quote from: tjanuranus on April 16, 2011, 05:04:36 PM

I stream everything to my appleTv from my computer. Movies, music, tv shows, podcasts, etc.. Also i have netflix which is on the apple tv and the NBA and MLB package is available for pretty cheep on there as well. Plus if you rent stuff the itunes store is right there for rentals. No waiting to download either like the computer, it streams the rentals. Very nice. Plus it's only 99 bucks and it does all that!

But that's not all. It's completely silent!

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 16, 2011, 06:32:41 PM »

Netflix and all that. I was never one to watch that much TV anyway

blackngold29 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:26:23 PM »

[Removed by poster]

The King in Crimson · « **Reply #27 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:32:47 PM »

I predominantly use Netflix and Hulu now so, for all intents and purposes, I really don't need cable. There is enough stuff on both of those services to keep me entertained for all eternity, aside from porn of course.

ReaperKK · « **Reply #28 on:** April 17, 2011, 12:28:43 PM »

The only time I have the TV on is for adult swim while I"m getting ready for bed, just something to play in the background and maybe watch an episode or two of American Dad of Family Guy.

I get cable for free where I live so it's no big deal.

Tick · « **Reply #29 on:** April 17, 2011, 06:42:48 PM »

Quote from: Adami on April 16, 2011, 04:13:20 PM

Quote from: tick on April 16, 2011, 03:45:09 PM
I detest watching shows or movies on my computer. I would not ditch cable for that option.

What about netflix? You can stream things to your TV and order DVD's.

I have netflix and I love streaming video through my wii.
That almost sounds pornographic.

jasc15 · « **Reply #30 on:** April 18, 2011, 12:31:03 PM »

Since I moved into my own place, and since im a cheap bastard, I don't have cable. I told myself for months before I moved that I wouldn't get cable and I've stuck to it. Since there is already a cable wired into my apartment, I get all the broadcast channels including PBS in HD for free. It's like when I was a kid and our family didn't have cable. I'm prefectly fine with it, and I find that I read a lot more than I did before. And during football season I get to watch in HD every week. Screw the cable company (although i still buy their internet.)

AcidLameLTE · « **Reply #31 on:** April 18, 2011, 02:43:47 PM »

If there was actually a good equivalent to Netflix in the UK, I would never pay for satellite TV again.

But instead, we have LoveFilm.

YtseBitsySpider · « **Reply #32 on:** April 19, 2011, 06:10:42 AM »

Netflix will murder your internet usage/bandwidth quota, if you have one, or a cap on your monthly package.(as nearly every canadian does)

I shut my cable off every summer from May 1st--September 1st.

I listen to baseball on the radio, and catch up on shows I've downloaded.
Or DL anything new that has come out that the wife and I HAVE to see.

I've heard those "college kids" are setting up RS feeds at their usual "sites" and pulling down new episodes of the four or five shows they might follow. Pretty smart if you think about it.

Chino · « **Reply #33 on:** April 19, 2011, 06:31:23 AM »

Quote from: emindead on April 15, 2011, 10:39:40 PM

Cable is great solely for Sports and news.

as well as discovery channel, animal planet, history, and nat geo.

lordxizor · « **Reply #34 on:** April 19, 2011, 07:43:30 AM »

Quote from: Chino on April 19, 2011, 06:31:23 AM

Quote from: emindead on April 15, 2011, 10:39:40 PM
Cable is great solely for Sports and news.

as well as discovery channel, animal planet, history, and nat geo.

Yeah, there are certain channels that it will become very difficult to get content from if you do away with cable. If those channels are important to you, it may not be the best choice.

News: Welcome back, Mike Portnoy!

Author Topic: Do You Watch Shows on TV or Online? Should I drop Cable? (Read 3921 times)