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DADoES

DADoES

Well-known member
Platinum Member
Joined
May 21, 2001
Messages
15,801
Location
TX, U.S. of A.
Paying $40/month for cable TV and rarely turning the thing on is pointless. My picture quality deteriorated after they "improved" the system to carry cable Internet. That's $480 per year that could be spent better elsewhere, but I'm wondering if I'll regret not having it. Cable used to be cheaper than satellite but now they're pretty much the same. Anybody gone/going without TV service and missing it?
 
cut to basic............

When cable internet became available I switched to cable from Dish network. Dish networks internet was going to be $75 bucks. Cable was only $40. I just got the very basic tv cable package, about 12 channels. I do not miss all the channels. But I am usually in front of my computer more than the tv now. Only a very few shows I watch. I did enjoy Dish when I had it. I did not enjoy being in the middle of a show and a strong thunderstorm come up and I lost reception.
 
Life Without TV . . . .

Glenn,

I lived without cable for 3 1/2 years, and life was GREAT. Then for some reason I decided to get it again, and I'm not sure it's worth what I pay for it. Between my cable (extended basic because I LOVE BBC America) and my T-1 quality Internet service, I pay about $103/month. I'm sure if I were to get rid of it again I wouldn't miss it after about a month or so, but I have a feeling there would be this "void" for a few weeks. LOL.

Bryan
 
Bring on the Bunnies!

Glenn,

I've been using bunny ears for almost 2 years now and haven't been happier! My cable subscription is for the sole basis of the Cable modem - and at 35 bucks a month, I'm not complaining. Although I'm 'missing' those cable shows - I rarely watch TV anyways. Usually for a little bit of the local evening news, Law & Order, and Jay Leno. Otherwise, its Laser Discs and CED's for me! Movies are usually a much better form of entertainment, IMHO. LOL

Ben
 
There're no "local" TV stations, and we're about 60 miles from Houston and 50 from Victoria (one station there), so this is the fringes of acceptable performance from an antenna ... not to mention the sources are in opposite directions. I could pick-up HD broadcasts from the Houston affiliates, but I'd have to get a tuner and antenna and a signal booster. I don't have cable Internet, dial-up suits me fine and it's free being as I work for the provider. I'm just not sure about not having TV for news if an "event" of some ilk happens. I already have hundreds of hours of DVDs that need watching, so it's not like there's a complete lack of viewing material.
 
I bet I'm the only nutbag that; A- Has a small TV with built-in VCR; B- keeps it in the closet next to the vacuum; C- only pulls it out when guests stay over and whine that there's no TV; and D- has every VHS episode of "I Love Lucy", "Three Stooges", "Are You Being Served", and "Keeping Up Appearances". Who needs to spend good money for cable?
Bobby in Boston
 
I moved in this house in 94 and have never had cable, only rabbit ears. I only get one channel but its clearer than my neighbors cable. If I need to I can go to moms but I spend most of my time here. I have DSL but I really dont think its worth the money.
 
Glenn,

I wondered if you were possibly affected by your geographic location. I understand the concern for news. What I've found works for me is if it's that important of an issue, I'll pull up an article on the Net, or wait for the Nightly News. Otherwise, I live a sheltered life from the media.

Acceptable performance? Heck - If I can hear what they are saying, and can tell they have clothes on, it is good enough for me!

Bobby - I'm sure you're not the only one! ;)

Ben
 
I cancelled my cable service about two years ago and haven't missed it enough to reinstate it.

At the time the monthly bill for "basic/standard" cable - that is, analog with the usual channels like history, discovery, a&e, and the various news channels, but not any premiums like HBO - ran $55/month. Recently I got an offer to put that all back in - analog cable - for $30/month. I would consider it but it looks like they want a 12 month commitment.

To replace the cable I used two rooftop antennae. One pointing to San Jose, where the local NBC affiliate used to broadcast from, and the other at SF, where the rest of the channels mainly congregate. I get great broadcast reception here, and since the local NBC affiliate moved its transmitter to SF, it's even better.

What finally got me was that most of my viewing is major broadcast network anyway. I did enjoy History Channel and Comedy Channel, but the commercials were just as frequent if not even moreso, and more annoying, than on broadcast TV. I just can't see paying $55/month for the same commercials I can get for free, lol.

To my mind, cable TV is a big scam. It was promoted as a way for people to get commercial free-TV. It hasn't lived up to that promise. There are ton of garbage channels on any cable (or satellite, for that matter) package. Stuff I don't like and don't want in my living room (like Fox News). Why should I pay for crap? If they had ala carte, where I could select may four or five cable channels, for a small fraction of the normal service charge, that would be different. But I don't see the greedy and inept cable/satellite business getting there any time soon.
 
Oh no...

Keep those nippers away from my cable, I must have it! We have digital cable, DVR service/box, cable internet, phone, everything tied to the black cable hanging from the pole in the back yard. I'm no TV junkie and seem to get a lot accomplished despite the constant drone of the television, but couldn't live without CNN, HBO & Encore movie tier, NickGas & other kid's networks, History, HGTV, etc.
 
It all started when.......

Last year I dropped my cell phone in a snowstorm, and didnt realize it until the next day so I suspended service. A week went by and couldnt find it and I realized "I dont miss it" so I cancelled it. That pompted me to analyze other things. I started with the cable bill and found out from the woman on the phone that my plan was "grand fathered"....now normally that is a good thing, but not in this case...I was paying $17/month more for my service than I should have been due to the time I signed up for service! Needless to say I cancelled all the pay channels and went to basic service and havent missed it at all. Then I went on to the phone bill....should we start another thread? hehe
 
its INSULTING to PAY to have advertising channeled into ones home. in case yall dont know, ADVERTISING is the primary reason for the existance of television. the broadcasting industry makes its money off of advertising. i have 78 channels, and i only watch about two or three times a week. i get my news off the net. most television is garbage, only good for when one is lazy and there is NOTHING else to do but LAY THERE!
 
Yay Anderson!

Said: Only good for when one is lazy and there is NOTHING else to do but LAY THERE!

S - - and dr - - - can both be FABULOUS with the right pusher. (Just kiddin- I'm pure on both accounts).

oh Hunny, enjoy life, never just lie there! LOL ROFL
 
I also get most of my news from the internet. Local news is best supplied by the daily newspaper, which generally costs about $30/year. Each year I find they jack up the newspaper rates, but if I inquire by phone they usually tell me something like, "Well, if you only got the paper tues-sun then instead of $60/yr it's only $30/yr. I did that, and guess what, they still deliver it on Mondays anyway...

As far as losing the analog TV broadcast signal, all that is supposed to be replaced by broadcast digital signal. Plus each station seems to have multiple digital channels, especially the local PBS station, which has about four digital channels total. Once I get an HD tuner, I'm going to add that to the "mix" on my in-home TV broadcast network.

re: cell phones. I agree. I have had them in the past, supplied gratis by employer. They can be convenient but outside needing one for a highway emergency I don't miss them. I prefer not to have an electronic leash.

Occasionally I'll spend some of the savings generated by not paying for cable TV and buy a DVD of a movie. On my list is the Wallace and Grommit movie, when it comes out, as well as Brokeback Mountain, when it comes out (or did it "come out" already? hehehe).
 

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