I'm Cutting The Cord

[kaos2900]

I've finally decided to cancel my Direct TV and go without Cable. I'm signed up for Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon prime so I'll actually be gaining things to watch. The only thing missing will be ESPN, but I'll adapt. Has anyone else canceled and have any other tips or advice for living without cable?

[gmillerdrake]

I've finally decided to cancel my Direct TV and go without Cable. I'm signed up for Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon prime so I'll actually be gaining things to watch. The only thing missing will be ESPN, but I'll adapt. Has anyone else canceled and have any other tips or advice for living without cable?

Not yet. Every time I talk myself into doing this I chicken out. I did just learn that I can watch Fox Sports (Cardinals and Blues) on Hulu....and that has been my hang up for some time. So, I may have turned the corner and may pull the trigger on this as well.

Curious though, what's the total monthly $$ for Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime combined?

[El Barto]

Ditched cable 10 years ago. Fantastic move. What you don't expect is that you'll wind up watching much better stuff because you program your own viewing. I can spend an hour on Youtube and be 10x more entertained that anything that TV cranks out. You'll also come to despise commercials. You dislike them now, but you're acclimated to them. In a few months you'll be at a friend's house and the commericals will absolutely infuriate you.

ESPN is problematic if you're interested in the chatter. The games can easily be watched elsewhere, but if you just want to see talking heads yammering about sports related stuff then your SOL.

[kaos2900]

Well, I already had Amazon Prime and I am doing the free trials of Hulu and Netflix. Netflix looks worth it though I'm not sure about Hulu yet. Anyone here really love Hulu?

[El Barto]

The only time I'm ever on Hulu is when I'm suddenly compelled to watch an old SNL bit, since they're immediate removed from YT.

[kaos2900]

The more I'm looking into Hulu, it doesn't seem worth it if you mind waiting.

[Phoenix87x]

Haven't had cable in over 8 years. No regrets

Online has everything I need and I don't mind waiting for things if they aren't on there yet.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Can't cut the cord. Need live sports, particular Ravens & Orioles games, and NFL RedZone, and I refuse to watch via illegal means.

[Another_Won]

I just saw an ad for ESPN where they said you can stream anything that is on ESPN through the app.  If that is actually how it works, it could go a long way toward my cord cutting.  Anyone tried it out yet?

[faizoff]

I went without cable for 3 years and loved it. I signed up for Netflix and Amazon Prime and love them both. Hulu is a problem for me because of their ad system, it's annoying that even after paying for a subscription you're still subjected to them. Plus the main reason I never signed up for Hulu was that many of the shows that we watched for older seasons weren't there or only had an episode or two.
I think a lot also depends on how you watch TV. My wife is a very traditional TV watcher where she'll flip endlessly across channels to see what's on and put up with ads and settle for any show or movie that happens to be playing. I am the exact opposite where I know exactly what I feel like watching.. so I go straight to the source either on Netflix or Amazon or if I have the bluray ripped , I play it off my computer and broadcast it to either a Roku or FireTV stick on the TV. My channel surfing is just browsing through the catalog.

For sports, while I do follow the NFL and some of the NBA I don't watch a lot of sports, everything that I do watch like the soccer world cup or NFL playoffs they almost always seem to be available online through ESPN, NBC, CBS or FOX. So if there's a game I really want to watch, chances are I'm watching it with all my friends either at their place or some restaurant.

I think sports is the big deal breaker for many people who want to cut the cord. ESPN does have some package for cord cutters now though I haven't checked out what exactly they offer.

[faizoff]

I just saw an ad for ESPN where they said you can stream anything that is on ESPN through the app.  If that is actually how it works, it could go a long way toward my cord cutting.  Anyone tried it out yet?

I'm guessing that you'll still need a cable service to watch online, it just means that all their content is available online as opposed to only some.

[splent]

I so want to do this. I rarely watch cable anymore. But- I need Internet, and its fastest from Comcast...
Although I may call AT&T sometime this week to see
How theirs is.

[ozzy554]

Hulu has a commercial free option now for a few dollars more a month. Its a bit too much for me to get it since I have cable but if we didn't I would totally go for it.

[El Barto]

I so want to do this. I rarely watch cable anymore. But- I need Internet, and its fastest from Comcast...

Just because you get internet from Comcast doesn't mean you need to have CATV. They want everybody to bundle so they don't know what they're paying, but you can get a single service from them. I still get my internet from TWC (which was Comcast in our area) and it's quite affordable. I think my last bill was $35 and that's for 50/5.

By the way, since we're having this discussion, everybody should call up their cable provider and tell them you want to cancel your TV service (even if you don't). They're so terrified of cable-cutters that they'll give you a great deal to stick around. I call and threaten to cancel or downgrade every year and they keep offering me better deals. Plus, every few months they change their services and you get grandfathered along. The only reason to pay the full price to those people is apathy.

[King Postwhore]

I do that EL Barto.  They want to raise my cable, phone and internet.  I have the full boat and every year I tell them, I've been with you (this many years.  21 this year with Comcast) and they buckle right away. 

[Prog Snob]

I've thought about doing it. Anything I need I can get elsewhere. For my daughter, they have full episodes of the shows she watches on YouTube. So why am I still paying for it? I just need the Internet, so I would still use Verizon.

[kaos2900]

I still have internet through Cox.

Funny thing though, after I canceled I got a call from Direct TV a couple of hours later offering me a year at $56 per month (down from $102). I told them if they locked me in at that price for life I'd stay. They said no.

[splent]

This week I'm going to try. I may even today or tomorrow. Start a new year off right, huh

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, I like ESPN a little too much to cut right now.  Otherwise, I would do it in a heartbeat.

[Prog Snob]

Yeah, I like ESPN a little too much to cut right now.  Otherwise, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I was thinking the same thing about the MLB Network though I'm sure I could figure out a way to stream it...legally of course. 

[Progmetty]

Great move bud, I've done it 3 years ago and never looked back.

[dparrott]

Had to cut the cord because we couldn't afford it with high rent.  I got a roku which has a good NFL channel, netflix, sling which has ESPN 1 & 2 (flaky at times), and I watch live games on bosscast.net.  It's low quality but hey it's free!  Also there's an android app called showbox that has latest shows and movies.

[hefdaddy42]

Oh yeah, I forgot you can get get ESPN through Roku.

Hmmmm...

[kaos2900]

I've been browsing through Netflix and Hulu this afternoon. There are tons of things on Netflix that I want to watch and not so much on Hulu. I think I'm going to roll with Netflix and Amazon Prime. We only watch a few broadcast shows (Once Upon a Time and Gotham) and they will be on Netflix next year.

[hefdaddy42]

My brother shares his Netflix and Hulu with us, and we share our HBO Go with him.

I rarely use Hulu, but it has come in handy a few times.  Also, it has a shit-ton of BBC material on it, which I just haven't had time to watch.

It also has a shit-ton of anime on it, which my oldest daughter loves.

[TioJorge]

Go Hef-daughter!

I'm pretty damn close to doing the same. The only reason I have what I do now is for On Demand and the premium stuff like HBO. I thought HBO Go and their other online service, I forget the name...but I didn't think that either of them offered the full amount of shows that HBO actually has? I've heard nothing but bad things about them (especially in regards to their actual apps and spottiness of services being down, bad quality of video, etc.) but if that's changed, that might be the one thing that'll get me to cut the cord. The On Demand stuff is nice for movies that come out a little earlier, and the In Theaters Now category has given me a few good movies, but I could go without it.

[hefdaddy42]

We use HBO GO (the app for HBO cable subscribers) quite a bit.  Never had any problems with it.  And the selection is pretty fantastic, many more movies than currently airing on HBO, and almost all shows they've ever produced (there are a few shows I remember from the 80s like Not Necessarily the News and First & Ten that aren't on there, but most people probably wouldn't even notice that).

I can't speak for the newer stand-alone app HBO NOW, but I assume that it is similar.

The biggest problem I have heard with HBO GO was with people trying to watch episodes of Game of Thrones on it on its normal broadcast time.  Which you can do, but not with THAT many people trying to watch it that way at the same time - it crashed the system.  But I never understood why people would crash the system by trying to watch it on their phone/tablet/computer instead of TURNING ON THEIR FUCKING TV, since by having HBO GO, they already have an HBO subscription.

[adace]

Funny coincidence you started this thread today because I'd really like to cut the cord myself. I just found out that Dish Network (or as I like to call them Douche Network) is charging me a service fee for a techician visit when they explicitly said I wouldn't be charged that amount because I have the protection plan.

I'd cancel today and use the savings to get a faster internet plan and a streaming subscription but it's been tough trying to convince my family to make the switch.

[Progmetty]

I use Hulu for The Daily Show, occasional Seth Myers, weekly Family Guy and a really nice collection of baby stuff for my twins. My wife watches a bunch of BBC shows from there as well.
Rick & Morty's first season is on Hulu

[black_biff_stadler]

Rick and Morty is so good.

[Zook]

I watch more shit on YouTube than anything else. I'm picky when it comes to television, and with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, I still can't find anything to watch. My girlfriend makes great use of the services so it's not a total loss.

[El Barto]

While we're on the subject of Fuck Cable, a cable modem costs 20-40 bucks on eBay (newer, faster docsys 3 modems are the $40 options). TWC is now charging $11/mo to lease the damn things. Simple way to knock $10/mo off of your bill.

[mike099]

I would love to get rid of cable, but the wife says no!  I know, I am whipped.  Netflix is a deal.  I watch much more on Netflix than cable.  The problem is I binge and then fall into the 'show hole'.

[Gadough]

I'm willing to bet the endless Geico commercials are the sole cause of at least 50% of all recent cord-cutters.

[Progmetty]

I have Amazon Prime but I wish it would straight forward tell you which stuff is free and which isn't, when I first got it I went searching for stuff and getting excited about finding them only to find out it's gonna cost me. I can get the same stuff from the PS store!