I use Xfinity from Comcast for my cable TV, internet and land line (the monthly cost would actually go up if I gave up the package I've had for about 12 years and discontinued the land line, so its cheaper to keep it than get rid of it). The cost runs about $220 a month, in part because I have several cable boxes/DVR as well as several premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime and some others. But I well remember when cable first started and the big attraction was commercial free TV. Of course that's a long gone benefit, and now cable channels have as much or more advertising than the old networks of ABC, NBC and CBS. But what really frosts me now is that when trying to make use of the On Demand feature, where I can go back and watch shows that I missed when broadcast or even previous season's shows, more and more I am finding that while the original broadcast was free, watching old episodes is not. I missed the first two seasons of Fargo but have become a big fan this year with Season 3. I thought it would be worthwhile using On Demand to watch Seasons 1 and 2, until I found that each of the 10 episodes of each of these seasons is $3 to watch. That's $60 to watch two seasons of one show that had I watched it originally would have cost nothing extra. I have to seriously look into some alternatives to Xfinity. Between this cost of $220 a month, and my cell phone cost of about the same amount, I'm spending over $5,000 a year for services that didn't even exist a few years ago but I've become addicted to.
Getting fed up with cable TV
- Thread starter vito
- Start date
Hey Vito ...... we've got xFinity here in central IL too.
I also splurge a little and have 3 TVs set up in our large house. I have no premium channels but do have HD service and an upgraded package that gives me things like Velocity, Outdoor Channel, Sportsmans Channel, NFL Network, etc. I pay about $112 a month.
I've talked to family members in town plus friends and co-workers about what they use. ALL of them have switched back and forth to Dish Network and other vendors but all have returned to xFinity.
I also splurge a little and have 3 TVs set up in our large house. I have no premium channels but do have HD service and an upgraded package that gives me things like Velocity, Outdoor Channel, Sportsmans Channel, NFL Network, etc. I pay about $112 a month.
I've talked to family members in town plus friends and co-workers about what they use. ALL of them have switched back and forth to Dish Network and other vendors but all have returned to xFinity.
pete44ru
Hunter
.
Addiction is a terrible thing.......... :mrgreen:
.
Addiction is a terrible thing.......... :mrgreen:
.
Don Lovel
Hunter
we don't have tv out here in our home, we have internet, so we can watch some movies and old tv shows on youtube
I don't watch any of the major news networks ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or even Fox these days since they are feeding us sour mash dregs for news
I get headines from Reddit, financials from Reuters and check out some BBC reports, I kind of listen in one ear out the other and try to glean something worthwhile out of Infowars. And being old school biker sort of a guy, I don't believe anything I hear and only part of what I witness with my own two eyes
I pretty much quit watching professional sports and can usually find internet coverage like Race Buddy for my NASCAR fix
The election pretty much soured me on all things mainstream media, good riddance brainwarped TV, I hated the commercials anyway
Being a musician I can watch hours of great concerts or even have unlimited jam backing tracks for me to practice guitar with on youtube, run the audio through the PA, have Bocephus jam with me in my living room
I don't watch any of the major news networks ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or even Fox these days since they are feeding us sour mash dregs for news
I get headines from Reddit, financials from Reuters and check out some BBC reports, I kind of listen in one ear out the other and try to glean something worthwhile out of Infowars. And being old school biker sort of a guy, I don't believe anything I hear and only part of what I witness with my own two eyes
I pretty much quit watching professional sports and can usually find internet coverage like Race Buddy for my NASCAR fix
The election pretty much soured me on all things mainstream media, good riddance brainwarped TV, I hated the commercials anyway
Being a musician I can watch hours of great concerts or even have unlimited jam backing tracks for me to practice guitar with on youtube, run the audio through the PA, have Bocephus jam with me in my living room
We have Comcast cable also and have cut back to the cable service to one TV only along with the Internet and land line service. The other TV's get off the air digital channels.
Our bill now 140 with all taxes and fees.
Yes for what hours we spend watching it is way to expensive!
Our bill now 140 with all taxes and fees.
Yes for what hours we spend watching it is way to expensive!
ifithitu
Single-Sixer
Here in my home town DirecTV,is the worse ,a cloud can make the TV lose it satellite. Rain do the same thing.
wunbe
Buckeye
In the same XFINITY boat. We use the MY DVR a lot for discretionary watching of BBC historical series, historical book presentation programs on weekends; and the odd special shows like Fargo, Game of Thrones etc. We watch very little "live". I've even dropped way back on Fox News lately as they drift left -- and lie --ward. The outdoor channels are way too yokel for me -- the music is irritating, the comraderie (sp?) phony and juvenile; and commercialism is shameless.
OOOPS! What I just said largely applies to me.
My Bride also watches some of the most awful trash generated by the morons in TVLAND. Shreaking women groups; court programs; phoney contest programs -- cooking, clothes designing, etc.; and freak shows -- lesbian dwarf documentaries, etc.
Recently we checked out Verizon and may switch for the short term, bait and switch, savings but their 'bundling' of packages too sucks and the changeover is a hassle.
wunbe
OOOPS! What I just said largely applies to me.
My Bride also watches some of the most awful trash generated by the morons in TVLAND. Shreaking women groups; court programs; phoney contest programs -- cooking, clothes designing, etc.; and freak shows -- lesbian dwarf documentaries, etc.
Recently we checked out Verizon and may switch for the short term, bait and switch, savings but their 'bundling' of packages too sucks and the changeover is a hassle.
wunbe
clintsfolly
Single-Sixer
After the last price increases we cut the cable back to just internet service and got a fire stick! The first weeks it was a inconvenience and now just a minor blip. The worst thing I miss is the morning news.
Pat-inCO
Hawkeye
I pay about $100/month (total)for: Home phone, cell phone, internet, and TV.vito said:
If they can not find a way to "bundle" it for me and lower the cost, I'll find
another way to get the "service". . . . SOON.
You need a different provider. We have AT&T with the everything package and it is far less than what you pay. And the thing about the phone making it cheaper....that just isn't true.
If you call them and threaten to drop everything, they will come back with a much cheaper price.
We have on demand and aside from some movie rentals, old tv shows are ALL included.
Do you have a DVR included with this price? You should. We do and can record almost 200 hours s of HD shows. Then watch when you want.
We had Comcast when we lived in Palatine. Since moving I now realize how bad Comcast was and wouldn't use them again.
If you call them and threaten to drop everything, they will come back with a much cheaper price.
We have on demand and aside from some movie rentals, old tv shows are ALL included.
Do you have a DVR included with this price? You should. We do and can record almost 200 hours s of HD shows. Then watch when you want.
We had Comcast when we lived in Palatine. Since moving I now realize how bad Comcast was and wouldn't use them again.
I was going to say check into Netflix or Hulu for your on demand type viewing.
Captain America
Hunter
I have the xfinity triple play and happily hand over my money to them, lightning fast internet speeds, free wifi almost everywhere I go, and complete access to all programming on my phone. Rumor has it that xfinity is going to be throwing their hat into the cellphone ring, if so I'm sure it'll be pretty inexpensive to add it to my current service.
Don Lovel
Hunter
FYI Netflix had shows like Chelsea Handler's special last fall that was a total pro Hillary dump on conservative American values and pushes their LGBT agenda down your throat.Dan in MI said:
375supermag
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2013
- Messages
- 557
Hi...
I have DirecTV for one reason...NFL Direct.
We watch a lot of NFL football. Our Sunday afternoons revolve around football. Since I live in Pennsylvania and my favorite team is the Oakland Raiders, NFL Direct is the only way I can watch the majority of their games at home.
Am I always happy with the programming that DirecTV provides? Of course not, I simply don't watch the channels and shows I object to.
Am I always happy with the pricing plans that DirecTV offers? Of course not, but it is the only way I can access NFL Direct, so I pay for what I want.
I have DirecTV for one reason...NFL Direct.
We watch a lot of NFL football. Our Sunday afternoons revolve around football. Since I live in Pennsylvania and my favorite team is the Oakland Raiders, NFL Direct is the only way I can watch the majority of their games at home.
Am I always happy with the programming that DirecTV provides? Of course not, I simply don't watch the channels and shows I object to.
Am I always happy with the pricing plans that DirecTV offers? Of course not, but it is the only way I can access NFL Direct, so I pay for what I want.
Paul B
Hunter
Guess it's been about four years now that I told Comcast to stick their equipment where the sun don't shine literally, figuratively and any other way you can think of. They pulled our most watched programming and told us we'd have to go to a more expensive package to keep it. I threatened to drop them and they said go ahead. Two hours later I was at their office with their equipment in hand and told them I'm gone. The argued and told where they could put their equipment. They countered about a week later saying I did not return some piece of thier gear. Told they they got everything back and if they wanted to mess with me they could speak with my attorney from now on. Haven't heard a word from them since in the last four years.
We watch no TV, and only watch movies which we buy cheap at swap meets and yard sales. Am massing quite a collection and none of my money went to the Hollyweird freaks. At one swap meet regular DVDs are $2.00 and Blu-rays $5.00. If I get a bad one they exchange for another, no questions asked. I've found some really off the wall movies you don't see through normal channels that have been quite good. Win win situation for the wife and me.
Paul B.
We watch no TV, and only watch movies which we buy cheap at swap meets and yard sales. Am massing quite a collection and none of my money went to the Hollyweird freaks. At one swap meet regular DVDs are $2.00 and Blu-rays $5.00. If I get a bad one they exchange for another, no questions asked. I've found some really off the wall movies you don't see through normal channels that have been quite good. Win win situation for the wife and me.
Paul B.
Very interesting. That brings back memories of when we dropped Comcast because we were moving . I also had trouble returning equipment. I don't remember all the exact details, but I remember it left me with a terrible feeling towards the company. Phone calls back and forth with them telling me I owed more money. Very similar to what Paul just posted.
Like I said previously, we have AT&T U-verse service. Every year I have to call and ask for a discount, or the price of my service almost doubles. It's annoying, but they keep my rate the same. This is every May. Last month, I asked about the "bundled" phone package. They said it's cheaper, but then in talking with a couple different people, one guy finally checked and sure enough, it wasn't cheaper.
It's a hassle, but my wife wants certain tv channels and things like HBO and Showtime etc.
Like I said previously, we have AT&T U-verse service. Every year I have to call and ask for a discount, or the price of my service almost doubles. It's annoying, but they keep my rate the same. This is every May. Last month, I asked about the "bundled" phone package. They said it's cheaper, but then in talking with a couple different people, one guy finally checked and sure enough, it wasn't cheaper.
It's a hassle, but my wife wants certain tv channels and things like HBO and Showtime etc.
Pat-inCO
Hawkeye
That's what the local (Centurylink) is doing, and I told them what they couldKevin said:
do with their "service". I strongly dislike the sitting on hold for near an hour,
every year to listen to them try to sell me more "services", and then have
the "new" agreement cost more for a month or two before going back to
what I had before. Like I said, they now get ZERO dollars from me.
P.S. When ever I require new equipment to handle their "upgrades" I buy
it outright. Any of the "pay as you go" plans will end up costing more for
the equipment than just paying for it out front. Additionally, they can not
charge you for equipment you didn't(?) return. You own it, so there is
nothing to return.
ronto
Hunter
I use an indoor amplified antenna and receive 11 channels in a very rural area. If you live in a more urban area you probably can receive a lot more channels for free. I have never paid a dime to watch TV and I never will. 
That would be me. I have a box setting on the living room floor waiting for me to box Dish components up and send them back. Got tired of them continually raising my rates and having to call in and get them lowered.chuck said:
I am going to have to see about local channels, I removed my tower a number of years ago. Wish I would have it now.RonT said:I use an indoor amplified antenna and receive 11 channels in a very rural area. If you live in a more urban area you probably can receive a lot more channels for free. I have never paid a dime to watch TV and I never will.
