Why cord cutting is no different than getting sattelite and the breathless way people bought it

http://gizmodo.com/5830956/why-the-...ou-from-getting-screwed-by-your-cable-company

#latestagecapitalism

 

1. Cable is a natural monopoly and should be regulated like a utility. Moreover, they should be wires-only companies and not sell content.

2. I'm not really a 'cord cutter' because I've never really had cable. I grew up with broadcast only. There was an odd year or two in my young adulthood where someone in the apartment building wired everyone for free cable, though I never much used it. Now, I've got Netflix and internet and that's it. So I pay more than I used to, but I can't understand paying $80/month or whatever it is for cable channels.

 

You can, but on less TVs and for a limited amount of time before the price begins to creep up. Then you're back on the phone on hold and haggling for 30+ minutes every few months or so.

At the moment Rockets and Astros are mostly unavailable to me, definitely a loss. But you are VASTLY overstating the better picture quality and 4k angle. DirecTV's superiority in picture quality over Vue has been negligible to non existent in my experience. I wouldn't have made the move if that wasn't the case.

And as for live 4k sports, DirecTV only offers that on their Ultimate Package or higher. Online that package is currently going for $75/month with a 12 month commitment and before taxes/equipment fees. Furthermore, 4k content is sporadic and is FAR from being consistently available when it comes to the Rockets and Astros. To date, there has been ONE Rockets game broadcast in 4k and I'm not even sure if it was available to the local Houston market and not blacked-out.

Your claims are disingenuous and loosely based on the actual truth... Alternate facts

 

Yeah, Sling is still a bundle.

But a smaller, cheaper bundle with more options.

Good enough.

Much closer to the ideal.

Plus I can easily cancel anytime. I don't have to call a cable company, wait on hold 30 minutes, listen to their pitch about why I should stay, then go through the hassle of returning a box.

 

So to summarize this thread:

1. what believes cord cutting is no better than satellite TV.
2. what is a cord-cutter and did not choose satellive TV
3. what apparently has a legit reason for it, but everyone else is just stupid/misinformed/etc when they do it

 

To me the only real advantage of cable is root sports but I'm at work during the games... And when I did have cable I would record the games but I would end up not having the time to watch them anyway. So unless your someone that has the time to see every game live I don't see any reason for anyone to have cable still.

 

How do you watch the Rockets? Is it in your PS Vue package?

 

cord cutting but you need internet LOL?!?!

you just hooking up another cheaper cord but it won't be cheaper forever if they don't protect net neutrality which if you haven't noticed cable companies are really working hard to destroy it.

what I do is switch providers every 2 to 3 years and I save money long term. I can't fully "cut" due to root sports.

 

DirecTv Now is way cheaper for me than the comparable Cox, Dish, or DirecTv package and I can watch it on the go. It is also only $5 to add HBO or Cinemax, which is a flat out steal compared to the traditional system.

Yes, I purchase a bundle, but one that more accurately reflects my wants.

 

Uh guys you're doing it wrong. You steal your neighbors wifi and then use your friends/family's passwords to their cable/dtv/stream service, use kodi, or torrent. Since you're "borrowing" your neighbors wifi you don't even need to get a VPN. This is true cord cutting.

Haha, now that that's out of the way... I personally subscribe to cable and have a cablecard setup. No box rentals and tv/Internet/phone for $110 after taxes and... 300mbit Internet. What's great is I can record 6 shows at once and stream to everything inside/outside of the house. I also don't have to worry about storage since I own the computer. Obviously not quite as cheap as some options but 300mbit Internet alone runs ~$90 here after 1 year sign-up

 

Root sports is still cheaper than season tickets.

If it wasn't I could really cut the cord.

 

You're totally right what, and I certainly wish for finer control over my subscriptions than Sling or anything else can give me. But at the moment Sling is the cheapest available option to get ESPN, TNT, and NBATV, which is all I need, so it at least beats cable/satellite regardless of how much I'm needlessly paying for the Food Network and BBC America.

(As an Ohioan I was going to be stuck paying NBALP prices in addition to either cable or Sling to watch the Rockets so that's a wash.)

 

You know nothing John Snow.

Speak for yourself and your own experience. I save right at a 100 bucks by cutting the cord.

- no rental fees
- no contracts, I actually don't subscribe to any sort of packaged service once football season ended.
- I watched all of my NFL games this past season on the antenna and get a better picture then I had been getting on Verizon Fios
- As of now I have an Antenna (about 60 channels), HBO Now, NBA League Pass and Netflix.
- I also have Amazon content I can watch since I am an Amazon Prim member
- There are many apps such that have free programming such as PBS and History apps.

If you are hung up on ESPN that's on you. Pay your 20 dollars for sling and watch ESPN all day long if you want. If ESPN ever comes out with a stand alone streaming service then there is a good chance it will be 15 bucks month anyway just like HBO chargers.

 

PSVue is cheaper, more flexible and I don't have to spend hours on the phone haggling or complaining about service. The PSVue DVR service is freaking incredible, you never run out of space. I probably only watch 5 or 6 channels or so and they're all on the lowest tier PSVue plan. I don't get to watch the Rockets every night but otherwise it's fantastic!

 

No, I'm literally paying right at 100 bucks less a month then I was before.

- I have zero direcTV discounts
- I have no contract, direcTV Now does not do contracts, neither does Sling, PSView or the totally free Antenna
- I have internet service regardless of TV. I pay no more for my internet service now then before I got rid of cable.

You clearly don't have a clue as to how this works.