Cable went up. Again.

[covetsthesun]

Cable co raised the rates again. We have the tv/phone/internet package for $150/mo including taxes.

Since it's not going to get cheaper, we are looking for good ways to cut the cord.

1. We do want to keep a "landline" since it's easier (for us) than cell phones for business conversations. What other VoIP options are available?

2. We have 2nd tier tv... but still have 500 channels of "stuff" we don't need or want. DO like the onscreen guide and use of a DVR to record shows.

3. And internet... we don't have the fastest..but it's adequate. We're not aware of any other options for the net.

So, how do we cut the cord...and reduce our costs below $150/mo and have good quality service?

Pardon the ignorance... we really haven't kept up with all the new gadgets and stuff out there.

Thanks
cts

[2012Coleman]

I have Comcast. Was paying @152.00 a month for internet at 25 MBS and TV. ATT has the fiber optic cable in my neighborhood, so was considering going with them. My landline with ATT is 62 bucks a month.

Called Comcast and told the rep I was considering leaving, and what could they do? Got the triple play with phone, TV and internet at 75 MBS fro $52.00 a month.

Dropped the ATT landline saving that fee. Had to sign a 2 yr contract, but that didn't bother me. My TV lineup is also only basic plus with HD channels. I don't care to have a DVR either.

I stream movies via netflix and amazon, or go to Red Box.

[winnietrey]

covetsthesun wrote:
Cable co raised the rates again. We have the tv/phone/internet package for $150/mo including taxes.

Since it's not going to get cheaper, we are looking for good ways to cut the cord.

1. We do want to keep a "landline" since it's easier (for us) than cell phones for business conversations. What other VoIP options are available?

2. We have 2nd tier tv... but still have 500 channels of "stuff" we don't need or want. DO like the onscreen guide and use of a DVR to record shows.

3. And internet... we don't have the fastest..but it's adequate. We're not aware of any other options for the net.

So, how do we cut the cord...and reduce our costs below $150/mo and have good quality service?

Pardon the ignorance... we really haven't kept up with all the new gadgets and stuff out there.

Thanks
cts

Here is we do. Call Comcast ask for their customer loyalty department.
The will have a "special" for one or two years. Always quite a bit cheaper than the going price. When that one is about to run out, in the year or two, depending on what contract you get. Call and repeat.
Been doing it that way for the last 10-12 years

[RLS7201]

Verizon Home Phone Connect $20.00 a month.. Unlimited voice. Take it with you. Operates off of 12 volts.

Richard

[S_Dupree]

I haven't cut the cord yet but getting closer by the day - w / Roku / Netfix / Sling tv and over the air antenna /
Netflix 10.00 monthly / Sling Tv - package i have is 30.00 monthly / Amazon Prime - if you are a member / + There are a ton of ROKU free channels - I've been a direct tv customer for many years but getting ready to say bye bye .

[1775]

The first thing to do if considering cutting the cord with your cable company is finding highspeed internet service not through the cable provider. Often if you opt to discontinue television and phone (if you have cable phone) from a cable company is the price of the internet alone goes up and you find that you are paying almost the same thing as you did before. Highspeed internet is essential if you want to go with an independent VOIP phone - and if you want to download Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. to your TV (each with their own subscription fee). Of course, you can go to the phone company and have them install a phone, forget internet, and put an antenna on your house. Broadcast TV varies by location on how many channels and how good the reception is - and if you have more than one TV in the house, the digital signal drops from set to set over the house.

[Terryallan]

We have a contract with our cable. That it will stay the same for at least 2 years. That is phone, internet, and TV. I like having local news, and weather. But most of the channels we watch are cable, and most all the national news we watch is on cable.
I see no way to get rid of cable or satellite and keep all we watch. Satellite is out because of the fact that it goes out every time it gets cloudy. So cable it will have to be.

[covetsthesun]

Terryallan wrote:
Me. I like cable, and will keep it. Why? I like watching TV when it rains. And the internet over cable is fast.

I like cable too. But... it just keeps going higher all the time! At some point enough is enough. So we're looking at ways to cut costs.

cts

[Terryallan]

Me. I like cable, and will keep it. Why? I like watching TV when it rains. And the internet over cable is fast.

[fj12ryder]

willi4nd wrote:
Our cable bill mysteriously went up $15/mo, after years of rising prices I called DirectTv and even with the "special" pricing it would have been more expensive.

Would go to air TV but we never watch shows on any major network.

That really sounds familiar. 🙂 We don't watch any network. We don't care for sports. Peggy likes the stuff on Lifetime, which I don't care for, so we have to have access to Lifetime. Give me a few car channels, not Nascar thankyouveddymuch, and maybe Discovery and I'd call it good.

My son has either Dish or Direct and his bill is much more than ours so that's not much of an option, plus you still have to have a cable/DSL connection for the internet.

I do tend to chuckle at the people who say they've "cut the cord". I always wonder where they get their internet access. Enough people start to use the internet strictly for their television viewing I'm sure the prices will start to reflect that. Comcast is working hard on trying to get pricing to reflect the usage.

[burlmart]

luvvin' this thread! i am going nuts trying to come up w/ a works-for-us response to cox's audacity and greed.

it occurs to me that all those millenials that never had cable TV, along w/ all who are cutting it off, may be one reason cable costs are skyrocketing.

[willi4nd]

Our cable bill mysteriously went up $15/mo, after years of rising prices I called DirectTv and even with the "special" pricing it would have been more expensive.

Would go to air TV but we never watch shows on any major network.

[crcr]

We have Ooma phone VOIP. Once you buy the equipment (a little over $100 as I recall, bought it at Costco), there is no monthly, except you have to pay about $3-4 per month in taxes, depending on where you live (I believe Ooma has a chart on their site that shows the taxes depending on your location). We're very happy with it.

We "cut the cord" 7 or 8 years ago, and over that time have saved thousands of $$. There are many alternatives. We have Amazon Prime -- originally got it because we shop so much on Amazon, but we found we enjoy the videos available. Roku is one that is very good.

[DutchmenSport]

We finally dropped DISH-TV and are using just over-the-air antenna. At home we get 45 or more channels. Granted, some are repeats (CBS in particular). Have not missed satellite or cable television (we had cable in years past).

If everyone started dropping because of raising prices (which won't happen), it might cause them to lower prices (or go out of business). Probably not.... They'd just keep raising prices on the few die-hards that refused to cancel!

[Big_Katuna]

We are moving to a different house in a few weeks. I am thinking about a two year $50/mo DISH contract. ESPN and SEC channel are required in our house.

We currently have Directv, Brighthouse RR which are $140 total.

And two ATT iPhones so way more that $150/mo