OT: Cord Cutting Revisited...

[DirtyRU]

OK, so I'm much closer to considering this than I was a couple of years ago when the big thread started. I'm in South Jersey in a development without an option for FIOS, so for internet, I'm pretty much limited to Comcast/Xfinity. I'll be calling them today for their internet-only pricing. Re: TV, we are in a family plan with Verizon with unlimited data so we qualify for their bundle of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for free, so that's pretty awesome.

But that brings me to my question: I know a lot if cord cutters have gone either the Youtube TV or the Hulu route. In my case, because of the Verizon Wireless deal, it makes sense to go Hulu. That said, for those of you who are also Hulu subscribers, are you satisfied? Any buffer issues? DVR good with Hulu? And are you pretty much good to go to get most/all Rutgers games? I'm a football and a men's basketball fan so those are the two I'd want to maintain if I kill my Xfinity bundle.

TIA!

 

[njech]

I dislike DVR with Hulu as I have cheaped out so far and still pay for ads. You can't skip the ads even when watching a recording. Pretty frustrating if you're used to the cable providers. The nice part though is you do not need to record too much since everything else can be streamed on demand. Sucks when recording a game though.

Make sure you do a full accounting of all your stations. Do you need HBO, Starz, Showtime, Paramount, etc because your favorite shows are on those channels?

I'm going to start looking at YouTube and FUBO to replace Hulu. I do Hulu through the Amazon Fire Stick and it requires a reboot of the stick quite a bit as well. I have GB FIOS service so it's not my Internet speeds.

 

[KevH]

OK, so I'm much closer to considering this than I was a couple of years ago when the big thread started. I'm in South Jersey in a development without an option for FIOS, so for internet, I'm pretty much limited to Comcast/Xfinity. I'll be calling them today for their internet-only pricing. Re: TV, we are in a family plan with Verizon with unlimited data so we qualify for their bundle of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for free, so that's pretty awesome.

But that brings me to my question: I know a lot if cord cutters have gone either the Youtube TV or the Hulu route. In my case, because of the Verizon Wireless deal, it makes sense to go Hulu. That said, for those of you who are also Hulu subscribers, are you satisfied? Any buffer issues? DVR good with Hulu? And are you pretty much good to go to get most/all Rutgers games? I'm a football and a men's basketball fan so those are the two I'd want to maintain if I kill my Xfinity bundle.

TIA!

I'm in the last week of my Hulu Live TV subscription, having added YouTube TV a couple of weeks ago. I wish I'd made the move sooner.

Hulu's DVR is trash, the buffering and overall performance has gotten worse over time, and they increased their prices by $20/mo within a year's time.

I will keep the Hulu on demand service at $5.99/mo because of some shows my wife likes, but YouTube TV shines in all the areas where Hulu is weak. I actually bought a new fire stick, thinking that was the reason for the frequent reboots and latency issues, but before I even set up the new one, I decided to try YouTubeTV on the old one. YouTubeTV performs much better . My Internet speed is 350Mbps, so I knew that wasn't the problem.

 

[fsg2]

Is that package for Hulu + Live TV or just Hulu streaming...sounds like it might be the latter.

Have been using Hulu for about a year after previously relying on extinct PlayStation Vue. Liked Vue better overall, but Hulu is okay, too. Interface is meh but gets the job done. As stated, commercials, which are also on on-demand /streaming content as well as live TV, are annoying. Especially when you find yourself waiting through a full break before being able to FF or Rewind to the part of the game or show you left off on.

If you really have a good package deal, and Disney/ESPN+ are valuable, it's good for CFB season. Has nearly everything I've wanted (all BTN/ESPN/Fox Sports etc) and ESPN+ has some FCS games, if that's of interest. Also had ACCN last week, though not the overflow Xtra needed for game start. PAC12 is only thing missing, think Fubo has that if it matters.

I decided just to roll with Hulu for this FB season since I already have it with some kind of Disney+ package that works out well. If I were shopping new, without any deals, I'd probably be looking hard at Fubo or YouTube. Likely Fubo to get PAC12 network, not sure YT has that. Commercials are probably inevitable in the long run, but I'd like few to none of them while I can.

Don't use DVR, so no comment.

 

[DirtyRU]

Is that package for Hulu + Live TV or just Hulu streaming...sounds like it might be the latter.

Have been using Hulu for about a year after previously relying on extinct PlayStation Vue. Liked Vue better overall, but Hulu is okay, too. Interface is meh but gets the job done. As stated, commercials, which are also on on-demand /streaming content as well as live TV, are annoying. Especially when you find yourself waiting through a full break before being able to FF or Rewind to the part of the game or show you left off on.

If you really have a good package deal, and Disney/ESPN+ are valuable, it's good for CFB season. Has nearly everything I've wanted (all BTN/ESPN/Fox Sports etc) and ESPN+ has some FCS games, if that's of interest. Also had ACCN last week, though not the overflow Xtra needed for game start. PAC12 is only thing missing, think Fubo has that if it matters.

I decided just to roll with Hulu for this FB season since I already have it with some kind of Disney+ package that works out well. If I were shopping new, without any deals, I'd probably be looking hard at Fubo or YouTube. Likely Fubo to get PAC12 network, not sure YT has that. Commercials are probably inevitable in the long run, but I'd like few to none of them while I can.

Don't use DVR, so no comment.

I have to double check, but great point, it's prob. NOT Hulu Live TV. Darn.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

I can’t imagine paying for cableever again

my phone pays for my Hulu and Netflix and internet pays for hbo max. Amazon prime comes with a fair amount of “free with” content and that is frankly way more than I can watch.

This model only works if you don’t need live sports, which I do not. When I think back to what I used to pay for cable, it is nauseating. 🤢

 

[ScarletKid2008]

I had YouTube TV a couple years ago. I thought it was a great product. But they kept moving the price higher. I started at something like $35 or $40/mo and it moved up close to $60/ month. When I moved, I had to get internet anyways and the FIOS TV & Internet package was nearly the same price as the FIOS Internet + Streaming YouTube so I just went with the FIOS package

 

[Scarlet Blind]

YouTubeTV is the way to go, have had it a year and a half, was $49.99, $64.99 when they added Viacom channels, unlimited DVR. The only channels you are missing is A&E, AXS, History, Vice, and a few others you can get on Philo for $25, my price is locked in at $20 a month and you get a few duplicate channels between the 2, but not a big deal.

 

[mikebal9]

I had YouTube TV a couple years ago. I thought it was a great product. But they kept moving the price higher. I started at something like $35 or $40/mo and it moved up close to $60/ month. When I moved, I had to get internet anyways and the FIOS TV & Internet package was nearly the same price as the FIOS Internet + Streaming YouTube so I just went with the FIOS package

It's now $65 a month, but still much cheaper than what I was paying for DirecTV. I now get YouTubeTV for $65 and Fios internet for $30. And I don't miss cable one bit.
Now, if I were a Yankees fan, I'd have to figure out a way to get YES network, but that's not an issue for me. As an out-of-market football fan who used to have the Sunday Ticket, I had to find a creative solution, which I did. (PM me for details.)

 

[krup]

I have been looking into Hulu and YouTube tv for a late Sept switch from Direct TV, and the other thing I noticed besides what is mentioned above is that YouTube has the Turner networks (TBS, TNT, etc) and Hulu doesn’t and that is important if you are an NBA or (in my case) NHL fan.

 

[fsg2]

Hulu Live TV has TNT and TBS.

 

[Knight Shift]

YouTubeTV is the way to go, have had it a year and a half, was $49.99, $64.99 when they added Viacom channels, unlimited DVR. The only channels you are missing is A&E, AXS, History, Vice, and a few others you can get on Philo for $25, my price is locked in at $20 a month and you get a few duplicate channels between the 2, but not a big deal.

The Viacom channels are not that great. The 4 or so MTV/VH1 channels are not really watchable, except for MTV Classics.

One thing about YouTubeTV is we get more sports channels than with FIOS cable. With YTTV, we get CBSSN and MLB. IIRC, we had to pay another $30/month or more for a package to get one or both of those channels.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Just to clarify Hulu isn't the same as Hulu Live TV. The one included with Verizon Wireless unlimited is Hulu (along with Disney+ and ESPN+) not Hulu Live TV. Hulu is more archived stuff, old shows, their own original shows, on demand stuff and movies etc...

Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, SlingTV and the traditional cable providers are similar for comparison shopping. The savings for me came from not having to pay for the rentals of cable boxes and fees/taxes.

 

[krup]

Hulu Live TV has TNT and TBS.

I typed that wrong. I meant Fubo, not Hulu. Reviews I read and feedback from people I talked to made me eliminate Hulu early

 

[RUsingsing]

I’ve had YTTV for a couple years despite the price increases. A solid lineup of channels, most importantly (for me at least) BTN and SNY.

But I have Optimum for internet service and unfortunately the whole price tag (if I include YTTV) comes to just a little less than what I was paying for cable in the first place, sports package included. Is there any way to get high speed internet without a cable connection??

 

[rutgersguy1]

I’ve had YTTV for a couple years despite the price increases. A solid lineup of channels, most importantly (for me at least) BTN and SNY.

But I have Optimum for internet service and unfortunately the whole price tag (if I include YTTV) comes to just a little less than what I was paying for cable in the first place, sports package included. Is there any way to get high speed internet without a cable connection??

Wireless companies are starting to introduce wireless high speed 5G into the home. Not sure they're as fast as cable/fiber broadband but would be fast enough for most things if signal is good. I think location matters though too. They're building out their networks but I still think quality of service depends on line of sight and how close you are to their towers. As it matures I think it can be a good competitor but I don't know about now.

 

[RUevolution36]

So...have you all calculated what your total spend on the separate services is compared to just paying for cable?

I do need live sports, so I feel like, total spend, I would end up around the same, with the extra headache of remembering which service I need to log into to watch what i want to watch.

I pay for Amazon Prime for various purposes, Netflix is included with my cable package, HBO Max comes with my cell service, my family uses a shared Disney+ account, so i'm not sure cutting the TV portion of my cable bill makes a big difference if I have to pay $60/mo for YT TV.

 

[Knight Shift]

Wireless companies are starting to introduce wireless high speed 5G into the home. Not sure they're as fast as cable/fiber broadband but would be fast enough for most things if signal is good. I think location matters though too. They're building out their networks but I still think quality of service depends on line of sight and how close you are to their towers. As it matures I think it can be a good competitor but I don't know about now.

Not sure if you can get away with this, but we always see a great signal strength from our neighbor's WiFi. Wonder if with a range extender (NEST, etc) and friendly relations with a neighbor the cost could be split.

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

Wondering for anyone who has Comcast/Xfinity internet ... Anyone use the Xfinity streaming service as their main TV go-to?

 

[ru66]

Get an android superbox

 

[fsg2]

Not sure what you mean by logging in, but it's just apps - click and go. Not very difficult to keep track.

Ways to save are to not have every streaming service all at once since you don't actually need that much unless you watch TV all day. Also, cancel Live TV package after FB season ..Unless you need it for something else.

 

[KevH]

Is that package for Hulu + Live TV or just Hulu streaming...

$5.99 is just the base/streaming option. Hulu + Live TV is $65/mo. With the DVR function (250 hours of storage), I was paying $75/mo. For about the same amount, YTTV gives me unlimited DVR, the ability to rewind, fast forward through commercials (recorded and buffered content), much better performance, the ability to stream on more devices simultaneously AND Showtime.

 

[Knight Shift]

For those who are fans of Spanish language game shows and music, just announced by YouTubeTV:

We’re welcoming Univision, UniMás, and Galavisión to the YouTube TV family

 

[bethlehemfan]

Have YouTubetv. Ditched directtv about 2 years ago. It’s been great and can use in both houses, on the porch, daughter can use it at her place etc.

 

[KevH]

I’ve had YTTV for a couple years despite the price increases. A solid lineup of channels, most importantly (for me at least) BTN and SNY.

But I have Optimum for internet service and unfortunately the whole price tag (if I include YTTV) comes to just a little less than what I was paying for cable in the first place, sports package included. Is there any way to get high speed internet without a cable connection??

Seems criminal that we don't have more high speed Internet choices... especially in the New York metro area. FiOS stopped expanding before they got to my neighborhood. I'm stuck with Optimum. Don't get me wrong. Their service has been good for me, but they need true competition to drive the prices down.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

OK, so I'm much closer to considering this than I was a couple of years ago when the big thread started. I'm in South Jersey in a development without an option for FIOS, so for internet, I'm pretty much limited to Comcast/Xfinity. I'll be calling them today for their internet-only pricing. Re: TV, we are in a family plan with Verizon with unlimited data so we qualify for their bundle of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for free, so that's pretty awesome.

But that brings me to my question: I know a lot if cord cutters have gone either the Youtube TV or the Hulu route. In my case, because of the Verizon Wireless deal, it makes sense to go Hulu. That said, for those of you who are also Hulu subscribers, are you satisfied? Any buffer issues? DVR good with Hulu? And are you pretty much good to go to get most/all Rutgers games? I'm a football and a men's basketball fan so those are the two I'd want to maintain if I kill my Xfinity bundle.

TIA!

you might want to price out the lowest tier stuff from xfinity. I do not know what internet speeds you'd need for a job or something.. but it is possible to stream with as low as 25MB down. 1 stream.. maybe 2... 4K streams might require something more.. for multiple simultaneous.

But you could end up with basic cable with local channels and a few more and suitable internet for under $80 a month.

What's the difference between Limited Basic and Expanded Basic cable?

Learn more about the differences between Comcast's Limited Basic and Expanded Basic packages.

www.xfinity.com

Then you can add any streaming services you want... many people finesse the streaming stuff, even cable channels through their apps, by sharing within a family. I won't go into how that would work but it is similar to sharing a login to a streaming service.

 

[rutgersguy1]

So...have you all calculated what your total spend on the separate services is compared to just paying for cable?

I do need live sports, so I feel like, total spend, I would end up around the same, with the extra headache of remembering which service I need to log into to watch what i want to watch.

I pay for Amazon Prime for various purposes, Netflix is included with my cable package, HBO Max comes with my cell service, my family uses a shared Disney+ account, so i'm not sure cutting the TV portion of my cable bill makes a big difference if I have to pay $60/mo for YT TV.

Had FIOS triple play and 3 boxes. I upgraded the internet speed from 100mpbs to a gig and ported the home phone to a second cell line that wasn’t being used. I ended up saving about 70 bucks a month. If I chose a lower internet speed (300 or 500) the savings would’ve been more.

I don’t encourage switching. I only encourage investigation to see if you can save some money while meeting your needs. Do the calculation and see. I trialed YouTube tv for about 1.5 months to make sure it suited our needs and would run into any issues that might come up. When I was satisfied it met our needs and any issues were tolerable/negligible, I made all the changes.

 

[WhoRU?]

I've tried most of the streaming services mentioned. Hulu and YoutubeTV are the two that have the channels that I use most often. I like YouTubeTV's interface better. However, Hulu's DVR with commercials is horrible and was what drove me back to YouTube. I tried paying the Hulu premium for no commercials and it didn't work. I sometimes record games and watch them 45 minutes after they start so that I can fast forward through commercials -- can't do it with Hulu. Also, I'd get bored with the commercials on the DVR, switch to another channel during the commercial and when I went back to the show it made me watch the commercials again.

I don't know if I could go back to cable. There's no equipment to rent, I can put the TV anywhere I want, the price doesn't need to be negotiated every year, and I watch all kinds of things on my phone when I'm away from home.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Not sure what you mean by logging in, but it's just apps - click and go. Not very difficult to keep track.

Ways to save are to not have every streaming service all at once since you don't actually need that much unless you watch TV all day. Also, cancel Live TV package after FB season ..Unless you need it for something else.

That’s a beauty of a lot of these streaming options…very easy to cancel or restart. I hate things that try to keep you in their grips and not let go. I don’t even bother to trial those kind of things out.

 

[RU848789]

So...have you all calculated what your total spend on the separate services is compared to just paying for cable?

I do need live sports, so I feel like, total spend, I would end up around the same, with the extra headache of remembering which service I need to log into to watch what i want to watch.

I pay for Amazon Prime for various purposes, Netflix is included with my cable package, HBO Max comes with my cell service, my family uses a shared Disney+ account, so i'm not sure cutting the TV portion of my cable bill makes a big difference if I have to pay $60/mo for YT TV.

Call me lazy, but I just don't feel like trying to figure it all out, even though I'm sure we could save some $$. We have Optimum and are reasonably happy with the TV, internet, and phone (yes we still have a land line we use), which costs about $270/month. We get every movie channel offered (the various HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc. channels), just about every sports network, and all of the standard cable channels that I'd hate to have to find again and probably lose some. I also like to flip around all of the channels and would hate to have to actively "select" content from various services - the wife has Amazon, Netflix, and Acorn, too and I find them annoying to use.

 

[rutgersguy1]

Not sure if you can get away with this, but we always see a great signal strength from our neighbor's WiFi. Wonder if with a range extender (NEST, etc) and friendly relations with a neighbor the cost could be split.

Don’t know. Some of these mesh systems say good for 6000 sq ft house but that’s in theory imo. Depends on # of walls, type of walls etc…so couldn’t tell you how successful an attempt like that could be.

 

[DirtyRU]

Ok so just to revisit this, here's where I'm at since I got off the phone with Xfinity a little while ago. First off I went ahead and activated my free bundle package with Verizon Wireless (that I didn't even know I had until a poster made me aware if its existence during the ACCN fiasco) and it includes "free" (nothing's free, ha) Disney+, Hulu (not Live) and ESPN+. My standalone Disney+ that I had been paying for for like 8 bucks/month auto-paused so that was cool. Here's the shitty news. So I def. "DO" need fast internet at home. I work FT from home now since COVID and that's not changing. Same goes for my wife, she is FT from home. Both computer-based positions, both logging into corporate VPNS, etc. And my son is virtual homeschooling this year with live Zoom classes. Only my daughter is brick & mortar (student) and we all spend a good amount of time daily on our devices, streaming, etc.

So right now we're paying for a bundle package of Hi-Speed internet (800+ MBPS), one landline and live cable TV via Xfinity on all of our devices and TVs. We have 3 cable boxes, a $10 modem rental fee, taxes, surcharges, bla bla bla. Bottom line is it comes to about $210/month. The kick in the nuts is if we were to drop down to ONLY hi-speed internet with Xfinity, for 400+ MBPS (so a 50% reduction) it is $115.88/month. And we would lose our standard Netflix subscription that we have thru Xfinity, so I'd want to get that back, and that is $13.99/month as a standalone fee. If I were to then add Youtube TV at $64.99/month for my live channels, I'm looking at the cord-cutting move ultimately saving me only about $15/month PLUS I'd be losing about 400+ MBPS of speed. The loss in speed is not a huge deal, as 400 is still AMPLE speed for us to be honest. That said, me thinks this ain't worth it. For some, 100% yes, worth it. For me, being in South Jersey in basically an Xfinity-only region/neighborhood, I think Xfinity's got me in a stranglehold as their internet-only prices are just too high to make it worth it for me. Could I call back and see if they have sub-200 MBPS plans? Sure. But I'm not sure if I wanna suddenly dip that low in internet speeds, plus they prob. make it so it's not that much savings. I know from speaking to the rep that the jump from 400 back to 800 for internet-only was only like $5 more/month. They are def. structuring things to make you NOT cord cut if they are your only internet option. Sigh.

 

[RUAldo]

I have been looking into Hulu and YouTube tv for a late Sept switch from Direct TV, and the other thing I noticed besides what is mentioned above is that YouTube has the Turner networks (TBS, TNT, etc) and Hulu doesn’t and that is important if you are an NBA or (in my case) NHL fan.

Have you looked at the new DTV Stream service?

 

[Plum Street]

Ok so just to revisit this, here's where I'm at since I got off the phone with Xfinity a little while ago. First off I went ahead and activated my free bundle package with Verizon Wireless (that I didn't even know I had until a poster made me aware if its existence during the ACCN fiasco) and it includes "free" (nothing's free, ha) Disney+, Hulu (not Live) and ESPN+. My standalone Disney+ that I had been paying for for like 8 bucks/month auto-paused so that was cool. Here's the shitty news. So I def. "DO" need fast internet at home. I work FT from home now since COVID and that's not changing. Same goes for my wife, she is FT from home. Both computer-based positions, both logging into corporate VPNS, etc. And my son is virtual homeschooling this year with live Zoom classes. Only my daughter is brick & mortar (student) and we all spend a good amount of time daily on our devices, streaming, etc.

So right now we're paying for a bundle package of Hi-Speed internet (800+ MBPS), one landline and live cable TV via Xfinity on all of our devices and TVs. We have 3 cable boxes, a $10 modem rental fee, taxes, surcharges, bla bla bla. Bottom line is it comes to about $210/month. The kick in the nuts is if we were to drop down to ONLY hi-speed internet with Xfinity, for 400+ MBPS (so a 50% reduction) it is $115.88/month. And we would lose our standard Netflix subscription that we have thru Xfinity, so I'd want to get that back, and that is $13.99/month as a standalone fee. If I were to then add Youtube TV at $64.99/month for my live channels, I'm looking at the cord-cutting move ultimately saving me only about $15/month PLUS I'd be losing about 400+ MBPS of speed. The loss in speed is not a huge deal, as 400 is still AMPLE speed for us to be honest. That said, me thinks this ain't worth it. For some, 100% yes, worth it. For me, being in South Jersey in basically an Xfinity-only region/neighborhood, I think Xfinity's got me in a stranglehold as their internet-only prices are just too high to make it worth it for me. Could I call back and see if they have sub-200 MBPS plans? Sure. But I'm not sure if I wanna suddenly dip that low in internet speeds, plus they prob. make it so it's not that much savings. I know from speaking to the rep that the jump from 400 back to 800 for internet-only was only like $5 more/month. They are def. structuring things to make you NOT cord cut if they are your only internet option. Sigh.

Yes , they know this . I pay about the same for the triple play, with all the channels . I only have 1 box the x1 and stream through the xfinity app on the other tv’s. No need to rent more boxes .

 

[fsg2]

Ok so just to revisit this, here's where I'm at since I got off the phone with Xfinity a little while ago. First off I went ahead and activated my free bundle package with Verizon Wireless (that I didn't even know I had until a poster made me aware if its existence during the ACCN fiasco) and it includes "free" (nothing's free, ha) Disney+, Hulu (not Live) and ESPN+. My standalone Disney+ that I had been paying for for like 8 bucks/month auto-paused so that was cool. Here's the shitty news. So I def. "DO" need fast internet at home. I work FT from home now since COVID and that's not changing. Same goes for my wife, she is FT from home. Both computer-based positions, both logging into corporate VPNS, etc. And my son is virtual homeschooling this year with live Zoom classes. Only my daughter is brick & mortar (student) and we all spend a good amount of time daily on our devices, streaming, etc.

So right now we're paying for a bundle package of Hi-Speed internet (800+ MBPS), one landline and live cable TV via Xfinity on all of our devices and TVs. We have 3 cable boxes, a $10 modem rental fee, taxes, surcharges, bla bla bla. Bottom line is it comes to about $210/month. The kick in the nuts is if we were to drop down to ONLY hi-speed internet with Xfinity, for 400+ MBPS (so a 50% reduction) it is $115.88/month. And we would lose our standard Netflix subscription that we have thru Xfinity, so I'd want to get that back, and that is $13.99/month as a standalone fee. If I were to then add Youtube TV at $64.99/month for my live channels, I'm looking at the cord-cutting move ultimately saving me only about $15/month PLUS I'd be losing about 400+ MBPS of speed. The loss in speed is not a huge deal, as 400 is still AMPLE speed for us to be honest. That said, me thinks this ain't worth it. For some, 100% yes, worth it. For me, being in South Jersey in basically an Xfinity-only region/neighborhood, I think Xfinity's got me in a stranglehold as their internet-only prices are just too high to make it worth it for me. Could I call back and see if they have sub-200 MBPS plans? Sure. But I'm not sure if I wanna suddenly dip that low in internet speeds, plus they prob. make it so it's not that much savings. I know from speaking to the rep that the jump from 400 back to 800 for internet-only was only like $5 more/month. They are def. structuring things to make you NOT cord cut if they are your only internet option. Sigh.

Good breakdown. Only other thing I'd think about...do you need TV and/or Netflix year-round?

I often cancel my TV streaming package between Feb and Aug. Maybe it's changed, but cable didnt allow you to cancel and restart that way. Cutting that monthly out for six or seven months is a nice chunk of change.

Also, I found that having four or five streaming services + a TV package was just totally too much. I had Hulu with TV, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime and dropped Netflix and Disney. I can't keep up with all that, anyway, especially during MLB and FB season. And I can always cancel one and re-add another.

There's also some good free content out there if you look. It's easy to overspend so that you have access to all content all the time, which is extraneous for average viewers ...more than you can keep up with.

 

[DirtyRU]

Good breakdown. Only other thing I'd think about...do you need TV and/or Netflix year-round?

I often cancel my TV streaming package between Feb and Aug. Maybe it's changed, but cable didnt allow you to cancel and restart that way. Cutting that monthly out for six or seven months is a nice chunk of change.

Also, I found that having four or five streaming services + a TV package was just totally too much. I had Hulu with TV, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime and dropped Netflix and Disney. I can't keep up with all that, anyway, especially during MLB and FB season. And I can always cancel one and re-add another.

There's also some good free content out there if you look. It's easy to overspend so that you have access to all content all the time, which is extraneous for average viewers ...more than you can keep up with.

Great points, several actually. Something to think about for sure. Thx!

 

[saltpepperketchup]

It's now $65 a month, but still much cheaper than what I was paying for DirecTV. I now get YouTubeTV for $65 and Fios internet for $30. And I don't miss cable one bit.
Now, if I were a Yankees fan, I'd have to figure out a way to get YES network, but that's not an issue for me. As an out-of-market football fan who used to have the Sunday Ticket, I had to find a creative solution, which I did. (PM me for details.)

DirectTV Stream (formerly ATT) is the only streaming service that offers YES network.

Anyone paying anything over $200 for internet/phone/tv (excluding Netflix, Prime, Disney + etc..) is getting robbed every month.

I pay:
Internet - $65
YoutubeTV - $65 (+$11 extra during NFL season so I can get Redzone channel)
Land Line - $0 (I found a way to port my land line number into a free Google Voice number)
I don't subscribe to HBO or Showtime etc... but If I did I'd still be well under $200.

 

[RUevolution36]

Ok so just to revisit this, here's where I'm at since I got off the phone with Xfinity a little while ago. First off I went ahead and activated my free bundle package with Verizon Wireless (that I didn't even know I had until a poster made me aware if its existence during the ACCN fiasco) and it includes "free" (nothing's free, ha) Disney+, Hulu (not Live) and ESPN+. My standalone Disney+ that I had been paying for for like 8 bucks/month auto-paused so that was cool. Here's the shitty news. So I def. "DO" need fast internet at home. I work FT from home now since COVID and that's not changing. Same goes for my wife, she is FT from home. Both computer-based positions, both logging into corporate VPNS, etc. And my son is virtual homeschooling this year with live Zoom classes. Only my daughter is brick & mortar (student) and we all spend a good amount of time daily on our devices, streaming, etc.

So right now we're paying for a bundle package of Hi-Speed internet (800+ MBPS), one landline and live cable TV via Xfinity on all of our devices and TVs. We have 3 cable boxes, a $10 modem rental fee, taxes, surcharges, bla bla bla. Bottom line is it comes to about $210/month. The kick in the nuts is if we were to drop down to ONLY hi-speed internet with Xfinity, for 400+ MBPS (so a 50% reduction) it is $115.88/month. And we would lose our standard Netflix subscription that we have thru Xfinity, so I'd want to get that back, and that is $13.99/month as a standalone fee. If I were to then add Youtube TV at $64.99/month for my live channels, I'm looking at the cord-cutting move ultimately saving me only about $15/month PLUS I'd be losing about 400+ MBPS of speed. The loss in speed is not a huge deal, as 400 is still AMPLE speed for us to be honest. That said, me thinks this ain't worth it. For some, 100% yes, worth it. For me, being in South Jersey in basically an Xfinity-only region/neighborhood, I think Xfinity's got me in a stranglehold as their internet-only prices are just too high to make it worth it for me. Could I call back and see if they have sub-200 MBPS plans? Sure. But I'm not sure if I wanna suddenly dip that low in internet speeds, plus they prob. make it so it's not that much savings. I know from speaking to the rep that the jump from 400 back to 800 for internet-only was only like $5 more/month. They are def. structuring things to make you NOT cord cut if they are your only internet option. Sigh.

this is what i was referring to...while sticking it to comcast would be nice...i don't know if it makes sense $$$ wise. have been considering it myself...but i would need to then pay for YTTV, netflix, discovery+, peacock, paramount+ and the disney/espn/hulu packages to cover all the things my wife and i watch.

 

[rutgersguy1]

DirectTV Stream (formerly ATT) is the only streaming service that offers YES network.

Anyone paying anything over $200 for internet/phone/tv (excluding Netflix, Prime, Disney + etc..) is getting robbed every month.

I pay:
Internet - $65
YoutubeTV - $65 (+$11 extra during NFL season so I can get Redzone channel)
Land Line - $0 (I found a way to port my land line number into a free Google Voice number)
I don't subscribe to HBO or Showtime etc... but If I did I'd still be well under $200.

That’s essentially my bill now except 75 for the gig internet instead of 65. I was over 200 before. The home phone porting got absorbed into my cell bill. The bills are still separate but some sort of joining of the Verizon wireless and FIOS internet accounts save a few bucks on both ends and then auto pay as well saved some money.

 

[fsg2]

this is what i was referring to...while sticking it to comcast would be nice...i don't know if it makes sense $$$ wise. have been considering it myself...but i would need to then pay for YTTV, netflix, discovery+, peacock, paramount+ and the disney/espn/hulu packages to cover all the things my wife and i watch.

It's like you're trying to overspend.