Cord Cutters

[bpalone]

Saw a blurb scroll by on the bottom of the screen, watching America This Morning, on ABC.

"Shares of media companies hurt by cord cutter fears.", May not be an exact quote, but pretty close.

Either a larger part of the U.S. populace is getting wiser, or ... more of us are broke.

 

[fred555]

Broke and I personally got tired of the idiotic programming.

 

[KE4EST]

Yeah they keep raising rates for BS programming.

 

[FaT Air]

Maybe if they went back to their original programming niche. (abandoning the BS scripted 'reality' shows) There'd be less 'dumbing down' and more 'reality' learning and - - (stopping this train of thought - you know where it could go) Maybe then they'd encounter less 'cutters'.
In the past, I've been a Directv and Dishnet (A long time ago) and then 'cable' customer.
It's amazing how much they are all spending, not only on me but I'n sure many others, on trying to lure me back with PO Box 'stuffage'. It all gets filed the circular file.

Using price/hours watched of 'cable programming' (does not include local networks available OTA)
I figured it was over 5 bucks an hour for those cable only programs that I did watch. Not worth it IMB.
Second thought: I also wonder: why? Cord cutting purely because of economics or because of the lack of quality programming? Or a combination ??

 

[fred555]

For me it was a combination of both. I did a financial analysis like you and for the money paid and the amount of programming I was, or mainly wasn't watching, there was a tipping point of quality vs price.

As the quality dipped, the prices rose, and I found less too watch. I added FTA and OTA to my lineup and within a month pay TV was gone.

A lot of people think that the only way to get TV is to pay for it.

 

[migold]

I 'cut' also for economic reasons, many years ago. Cost per hour viewed got so high on the few cable channels, that we decided to 'pay ourselves' to not watch and find other viewing. With digital OTA, we have so many more channels than I had in the 60's, that it seems like an abundance...

 

[fred555]

For me, saving $1800 per year on pay tv buys a lot of receivers dishes and coax!

 

[EarDemon]

I don’t do FTA, but seeing this topic under the last post column and I clicked on it. I want to offer a different perspective, one which most people don’t understand. I’m about as anti-cord cutter as they come. I subscribe to video service from both cable and satellite. I have a few different reasons for doing so

1 – Back up in the event one goes down.

2 – Unique channels.

A) DirecTV with NFL Sunday Ticket, more HD on NHL Center Ice and MLB Extra Innings, Audience, Axs
B) Time Warner with NFL RedZone, the local Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, RFD TV HD, Epix

3 – I’m a TV and technology geek and love playing around with different systems, switching between the two, comparing the two.


I have no interest in over the air TV. The main networks just show a bunch of lame sitcoms and formulaic procedurals that lack any imagination. My DVR list has just as many shows set to record on it that air on Showtime alone as the shows I catch on all of the OTA TV channel combined. That number is 11. I only continue to follow series on OTA TV that I have for years or to hate watch. My main channels include Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, FX, A&E, TNT, Fox News and Fox Sports 1 for DVR recording. Add in ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, Food and occasionally American Hero’s Channel for anytime viewing or watching specific events. Can I get these channels OTA? Can I get them FTA? I’m not going to watch content because it’s free, I’m going to watch it because it’s good and I enjoy it. And I’m not about to quit watching things I enjoy because it costs money.

Don’t even get me started on digital subchannels. One of the ‘best’ things about OTA TV was it’s super-duper picture quality, but everyone wants these standard definition subchannels which show nothing but content from eons ago leaching off the bandwidth of a real channel. I can’t believe my cable company is wasting bandwidth on 8 subchannels. I chuckle when people say 'I put up an antenna and get 70 channels for FREE'. Negate the subchannels that are religious, shopping and not in a language you speak. Don't count duplicate affiliates from neighboring markets that show the same content 95% of the time and how many channels are you actually getting for FREE? Do you really want to watch the programming they are, or are you just settling because you don't want to pay for satellite/cable?

Netflix, Hulu and the rest do nothing for me. I like being current on all of my shows. Many of these shows aren’t available online as soon as they air. What I record tonight, I watch tomorrow. TV is my main form of entertainment. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t gamble, I don’t eat out often. I watch a lot of TV and take road trip. A good portion of my salary goes to Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and goes into my gas tank, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I enjoy it and will never chance,

Many people falsely proclaim, ‘I’m a cord cutter, and I watch whatever I watch, whenever I want to watch it without the big old meanie cable companies telling me what to do’. Yeah, not really. Unless you are torrenting your content or using other peoples credentials for HBO Go or the like, then you are at the mercy of waiting for Netflix to get the next season of your favorite show. Just so you can ‘binge watch’ (another concept I don’t understand) an entire season.

None of this cord cutting, FTA or OTA stuff makes a lick of sense to me.

 

[fred555]

I don’t do FTA, but seeing this topic under the last post column and I clicked on it. I want to offer a different perspective, one which most people don’t understand. I’m about as anti-cord cutter as they come. I subscribe to video service from both cable and satellite. I have a few different reasons for doing so

1 – Back up in the event one goes down.

2 – Unique channels.

A) DirecTV with NFL Sunday Ticket, more HD on NHL Center Ice and MLB Extra Innings, Audience, Axs
B) Time Warner with NFL RedZone, the local Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, RFD TV HD, Epix

3 – I’m a TV and technology geek and love playing around with different systems, switching between the two, comparing the two.


I have no interest in over the air TV. The main networks just show a bunch of lame sitcoms and formulaic procedurals that lack any imagination. My DVR list has just as many shows set to record on it that air on Showtime alone as the shows I catch on all of the OTA TV channel combined. That number is 11. I only continue to follow series on OTA TV that I have for years or to hate watch. My main channels include Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, FX, A&E, TNT, Fox News and Fox Sports 1 for DVR recording. Add in ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, Food and occasionally American Hero’s Channel for anytime viewing or watching specific events. Can I get these channels OTA? Can I get them FTA? I’m not going to watch content because it’s free, I’m going to watch it because it’s good and I enjoy it. And I’m not about to quit watching things I enjoy because it costs money.

Don’t even get me started on digital subchannels. One of the ‘best’ things about OTA TV was it’s super-duper picture quality, but everyone wants these standard definition subchannels which show nothing but content from eons ago leaching off the bandwidth of a real channel. I can’t believe my cable company is wasting bandwidth on 8 subchannels. I chuckle when people say 'I put up an antenna and get 70 channels for FREE'. Negate the subchannels that are religious, shopping and not in a language you speak. Don't count duplicate affiliates from neighboring markets that show the same content 95% of the time and how many channels are you actually getting for FREE? Do you really want to watch the programming they are, or are you just settling because you don't want to pay for satellite/cable?

Netflix, Hulu and the rest do nothing for me. I like being current on all of my shows. Many of these shows aren’t available online as soon as they air. What I record tonight, I watch tomorrow. TV is my main form of entertainment. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t gamble, I don’t eat out often. I watch a lot of TV and take road trip. A good portion of my salary goes to Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and goes into my gas tank, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I enjoy it and will never chance,

Many people falsely proclaim, ‘I’m a cord cutter, and I watch whatever I watch, whenever I want to watch it without the big old meanie cable companies telling me what to do’. Yeah, not really. Unless you are torrenting your content or using other peoples credentials for HBO Go or the like, then you are at the mercy of waiting for Netflix to get the next season of your favorite show. Just so you can ‘binge watch’ (another concept I don’t understand) an entire season.

None of this cord cutting, FTA or OTA stuff makes a lick of sense to me.

You must be rich?

2 – Unique channels.

Can't get any more unique with a selection of FTA satellite channels from around the world.

3 – I’m a TV and technology geek and love playing around with different systems, switching between the two, comparing the two.

You cant get more knee deep in technology than building a satellite system from scratch, scanning the Clarke Belt satellites, etc...

Do you really want to watch the programming they are, or are you just settling because you don't want to pay for satellite/cable?

The programming now on pay TV is very idiotic a lot of us find. We cancel because the programming sucks. On FTA you get all kinds of programming and lots of it is intellectually stimulating.
Usually people into FTA don't even know or care about Honey Boo Boo or the Kardassians.

I set up FTA and OTA along side pay tv. Within a month I was over the waste of money and stupidity of what pay TV had become. TV from all over the world and TV from this country from its heyday.
Route 66, Naked City, Combat!, 12 Oclock High, all have great cinematography and great actors that have gone on to greatness. Shows that are underlined with great philisophical questions, or about the struggle of man. You must be thinking its all like Gilligan's Island or Beverly Hillbillies.

The main networks just show a bunch of lame sitcoms and formulaic procedurals that lack any imagination.

I agree 100%, I personally have not watched Network TV in many years.

Others can also chime in on the availability of feeds. If there is a disaster or something, we get the news on scene before any paying customer. And we get it unedited.
Its fun watching a famous newscaster picking their nose or cussing at a set person once in a while.

Some of the ladies on the Today show get a little bitchy during commercial then put on their fakery
when the commercial is over. Teaches you something about the nature of people that you dont realize or the masses dont normally get to see.

 

[EarDemon]

You must be rich?

Why do I have to be rich?

I am not, but even if I was, why would that be a bad thing?

You cant get more knee deep in technology than building a satellite system from scratch.

If there was content that I was interested in, and that justified the price and time involved, I would entertain the idea.

 

[. Raine]

For me, it had nothing to do with money, it was quality. Our cable had horrendous picture quality and the shows were mostly junk, the few channels we did watch were constantly rerun.

Money wasn't what made us move away from paid services, but we did save money doing it! We had internet, phone and TV through our cable company, which started out at $121 a month. It went up over time and when we canceled it was $155 a month.

Switched to Ooma phone, that costs us $3.84 a month. Our internet costs us $35 a month. We have Netflix, at $7.99 a month. FTA and OTA is free. Big difference there!

We have FTA dishes set up, a OTA antenna, if the cable company offered their TV services to us for free, we wouldn't take it.

We had done like Fred555 did, we left the cable and all on for two months alongside of the FTA, Netflix and OTA. In those two months, the cable TV wasn't used, which surprised me, actually. Good Bye cable.

 

[fred555]

if the cable company offered their TV services to us for free, we wouldn't take it.

This exactly.

 

[EarDemon]

Can't get any more unique with a selection of FTA satellite channels from around the world.

I meant unique channels people actually want to watch. Not some foreign channel that’s as entertaining as watching paint dry.

The programming now on pay TV is very idiotic a lot of us find. We cancel because the programming sucks. On FTA you get all kinds of programming and lots of it is intellectually stimulating.

Usually people into FTA don't even know or care about Honey Boo Boo or the Kardassians.

That's fine but, I don’t want intellectual stimulating, I don’t want educational, I don’t want boring, I don’t want high class. I want interesting fictional story lines, with blood, guts, some hot naked chicks, and I want to hear people talk like I do and swear a lot not use $10 words I need to Google. I want to laugh at farts, inappropriate remarks and other so called ‘potty humor’ and laugh at characters making fun or and belittling each other for enjoyment. I enjoy the fake conflict on Pawn stars, it keeps the show interesting. I liked Honey Boo Boo because was a refreshing change of pace from the arrogance people display these days.

I set up FTA and OTA along side pay tv. Within a month I was over the waste of money and stupidity of what pay TV had become. TV from all over the world and TV from this country from its heyday.

Route 66, Naked City, Combat!, 12 Oclock High, all have great cinematography and great actors that have gone on to greatness. Shows that are underlined with great philisophical questions, or about the struggle of man. You must be thinking its all like Gilligan's Island or Beverly Hillbillies.

Never heard of any of those shows. I was born in ’82 and have a hard problem watching and relating to shows that were made or take place prior to my existence on this earth. The last thing I want to do is waste my time with question about struggles and philosophy or whatever, especially while doing something fun like watching TV.

Others can also chime in on the availability of feeds. If there is a disaster or something, we get the news on scene before any paying customer. And we get it unedited.

Its fun watching a famous newscaster picking their nose or cussing at a set person once in a while.

The only news I really care about seeing as it happens is sports news. And most of the time Twitter feeds and the internet as a whole is better when it comes to breaking sports news. Sports is why I live.

Some of the ladies on the Today show get a little bitchy during commercial then put on their fakery

when the commercial is over. Teaches you something about the nature of people that you dont realize or the masses dont normally get to see.

Without looking it up, I really don’t know what the Today Show is, what it’s all about or what channel it’s on. I believe it’s some morning show. I actually have a job that I have to go to and can’t say what the people who are on the show are like when they think the cameras are no longer rolling are like have any meaningful effect on my life.

 

[bobvick]

One reason for what is perceived as cord cutting is actually a lot of "cord nevers" younger people have practically grew up being able to watch video nearly any where any time, they don't see the need for conventional "television" service or some, probably conventional television as we know it in general. They use YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc...

 

[fred555]

One reason for what is perceived as cord cutting is actually a lot of "cord nevers" younger people have practically grew up being able to watch video nearly any where any time, they don't see the need for conventional "television" service or some, probably conventional television as we know it in general. They use YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc...

Yes, must be a generational thing.

 

[barleyguy]

EarDemon,

It's obvious you have a different perspective than a lot of us who have cut the cord. It honestly might not be for you.

I am about 10 years older than you, but have never had pay TV except for a few years when I worked in it and got it almost free. I've never heard of most of the shows on pay TV right now. And if I want to watch them, they will eventually be streamed on the Internet. When they are, I can watch them without commercials and without waiting a week for the next episode.

On FTA I get old Doctor Who, Avengers, Miami Vice, Quantum Leap, Knight Rider, and so many others. There are quite a few good shows on OTA as well. If you're looking for shows with story and intensity and great characters, that stuff is available without paying for TV. You just have to get over the "newer is better" mentality.

One thing I really like about my choice is that there are no commercials AT ALL. I run all of my recordings through ComSkip to remove the commercials before I even start watching, and the streamed content I watch doesn't have commercials either.

But if you want lots of sports, or want to talk about new shows with your friends that also have Pay TV, then maybe cutting the cord isn't for you.

 

[fred555]

I want to laugh at farts

Funny, reminds me of a clip from a documentary made in 2006:

 

[bobvick]

I have a 8' C-Band dish, and I have Dish Network too. I enjoy them both. I pay around $175 per month for Dish, but a lot of that is equipment fees because I like to record ALOT and have four Hoppers. Televison is basically my entertainment expense for the month, so while that might sound high to some, I don't really spend anything else on "entertainment." I use my C-Band dish for MeTV, Decades, Laff, Buzzr, Escape, CTV, and RetroTV. I also like to see what other interesting things I can find. And I just like play with and try out the new receivers that come out and see how I like them, if I don't like them, I'll either add to the receiver museum or sell them. Right now I'm trying out the Geosatpro HDVR3500.

 

[fred555]

I don't really spend anything else on "entertainment."

TV is my entertainment as far as the monthly expenses go also. With what movies cost and all the crazy theater shooters, $175 is a bargain for monthly entertainment. Keeps a man out of the bars too.
Dinner "out" is grilling on the front porch too.

 

[bobvick]

True, these days in addition to the aggregation of talking, you have to go to the movies packing heat. Safer to stay home you can pause and go pee that way.