The pain of TV's and Cable

[Rambozo96]

What’s crazy is I wondered how long it take for the streaming services to get as bad as cable/dish was. Seems like there’s less stuff to watch on Netflix ever since I started watching it almost 15 years ago. But I suppose all these companies had the great idea to make their own streaming services to cut out the middle man so now you end up with a boatload of subscriptions. I try and alternate so it doesn’t absolutely murder me every month.

 

[Wilmywood]

What’s crazy is I wondered how long it take for the streaming services to get as bad as cable/dish was. Seems like there’s less stuff to watch on Netflix ever since I started watching it almost 15 years ago. But I suppose all these companies had the great idea to make their own streaming services to cut out the middle man so now you end up with a boatload of subscriptions. I try and alternate so it doesn’t absolutely murder me every month.

I tend to rotate them as well, the only ones I have full time are Hulu Live, Peacock and Amazon (because I have Prime for saving on shipping anyway). If I want to see something on one of the others I'll sign up for a month and binge that show or series, then cancel.

 

[chazmo]

Stop piling (sp?) on!

I don't want the smart phone, as I spend enough time on the computer as is. Doing so would make me the same as the people I complain about.

My wife knows the smart phone like the back of her hand. Diane is 5 years younger than me, but if she goes before me, I'm screwed big time.

Tom

Hey, Tom, if you ever need a new flip phone to replace your old one, just give me a holler. I've got a pretty large graveyard of nice phones that might be worth looking at.

 

[silverfox103]

Hey, Tom, if you ever need a new flip phone to replace your old one, just give me a holler. I've got a pretty large graveyard of nice phones that might be worth looking at.

Thank you Chaz

My phone is a little over a year old. The previous one worked fine. But got squeezed out, because it now it wouldn't work with there system as it was obsolete; planned obsolescence. Might have been moving to 5G? I knew it was coming as I got notification probably 8 months in advance. Thank you Verizon.

Just a guess but your graveyard with the phones, might be time for them to go there final resting place.

Tom

 

[davismanLV]

If I want to see something on one of the others I'll sign up for a month and binge that show or series, then cancel.

This ^^ right here!! On Amazon Prime I can do a trial of some, like say Paramount +, for $5.99 a month for two months, and then cancel before it jumps up to $11.99 a month. I did it in August and September and binged all my Star Trek stuff; Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Now I'm gonna have to wait a year or so to have enough episodes to binge again.

Also, if you have Prime, there's an amazing comedy/drama show called The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel that is really quite good! Set in the 50's in New York. Worth a look/see.

 

[chazmo]

This ^^ right here!! On Amazon Prime I can do a trial of some, like say Paramount +, for $5.99 a month for two months, and then cancel before it jumps up to $11.99 a month. I did it in August and September and binged all my Star Trek stuff; Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Now I'm gonna have to wait a year or so to have enough episodes to binge again.

Also, if you have Prime, there's an amazing comedy/drama show called The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel that is really quite good! Set in the 50's in New York. Worth a look/see.

Finding the right "channels" to watch is not a whole lot different than things used to be with picking cable plans from your cable company... BUT, and here's the thing... You don't have to get on the phone with them to cancel/subscribe to the different "channels." I.e., it's à la carte, but doesn't require talking to those horrible cable company(s). It's super easy to do on your TV or even easier on your computer. I'm constantly picking and choosing based on what I want to see.

Plus, it's much cheaper than what the damn cable companies charge you for.

As a bit of a rant... in 25 years, I'm not sure I *ever* had a painless communication with Charter (now Spectrum), and now streaming is so much easier. Plus, if you want that super hi-definition, you gotta' go streaming.

Of course, then there's dealing with old people like my mother who can't learn anything new. I can't do anything to help her get to an easier life without the stupid cable universal remote and cable TV itself. It's impossible. Oh well.

 

[Roland]

Luckily I don't like sports. I can get most everything else I want by antenna and streaming.

 

[Roland]

Of course, then there's dealing with old people like my mother who can't learn anything new. I can't do anything to help her get to an easier life without the stupid cable universal remote and cable TV itself. It's impossible. Oh well.

Tell me about it. I'm old enough, but my wife was the VP of an e-learning software company, which saved us from going prehistoric on technology a long time ago. But I have friends my age who are totally lost, including my in-laws, who are really old and got left behind with email. We are over there several times a week getting their TV back to where they can watch it after they take it somewhere and can't find their way home. And there is no way they can stream, we tried that and gave up.

 

[FNG]

I find my HD signal from the antenna is better than the cable signal.

 

[chazmo]

Tell me about it. I'm old enough, but my wife was the VP of an e-learning software company, which saved us from going prehistoric on technology a long time ago. But I have friends my age who are totally lost, including my in-laws, who are really old and got left behind with email. We are over there several times a week getting their TV back to where they can watch it after they take it somewhere and can't find their way home. And there is no way they can stream, we tried that and gave up.

Yeah, Roland, I figure many on LTG will understand that comment. It's sad, but there really is no way for me to make this easier for my mom.

 

[chazmo]

I have cut buttons off the universal remote, and I've gotten it to the point where she can't (easily) get the TV/cable-box in a state where she can't watch. But it's unbelievable that I had to resort to that. She has two universals in her house (for the two TVs she watches) and I've butchered up those remotes something fierce. I'll have to take a picture sometime.

 

[Opsimath]

I have cut buttons off the universal remote, and I've gotten it to the point where she can't (easily) get the TV/cable-box in a state where she can't watch. But it's unbelievable that I had to resort to that. She has two universals in her house (for the two TVs she watches) and I've butchered up those remotes something fierce. I'll have to take a picture sometime.

Would like to see. I'm the remote fixer in our house but haven't had to cut off any buttons.

 

[Bill Ashton]

...just get a good outdoor antenna and aim it towards Boston...or Manchester.

Since Clinton sold all the frequencies off, and we were all required to change to digital-TV, viturally
all terrestrial TV signals are UHF. Manchester Channel 9 may be an exception. But digital allowed for a ton of
in-between "splinter" channels, ie Channel 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc. While over the air TV does not have as many as cable or
other services, there are way, way more than before.

Check it out! I have never, ever paid for cable TV...here, it came out in the late 60's as we had so many hills
blocking the terrestial signals. Then they became HBO, ESPN and all...

 

[silverfox103]

I have never, ever paid for cable TV...here, it came out in the late 60's as we had so many hills
blocking the terrestial signals.

I bow to you on bended knee.

 

[GAD]

I find my HD signal from the antenna is better than the cable signal.

This is almost always the case because cable compresses the hell out of the signal in order to fit other stuff. Over The Air (OTA) HDTV is magnificent compared to just about anything else short of BluRay provided you’re within range of the broadcast.

Most people don’t care about quality or at the least aren’t aware of what they’re missing. For most people so long as there isn‘t visible blocking or buffering they’re fine with whatever.

The same is true of most people with music: They’re happy to listen to compressed Spotify streams through cheap terrible earbuds and have no idea how music straight from CD or clean vinyl through a good system with nice headphones can sound.

 

[GGJaguar]

provided you’re within range of the broadcast.

And that's key. I'm not in range of anything. Heck, I'm lucky I have cellular service (most of the time).

 

[GAD]

And that's key. I'm not in range of anything. Heck, I'm lucky I have cellular service (most of the time).

You just need a tower.

 

[adorshki]

I was a prisoner of our cable company (Comcast). I was paying $160/month for Internet and TV. FInally got fiber to the curb here and pay only $60/month for T1 bandwidth. It felt so good to call Comcast and cancel. They have no competition here, and are dirtbags.

They have competition here but they're still dirtbags. Just bigger dirtbags than the other guys.

 

[GGJaguar]

You just need a tower.

Can you 3D print one?

 

[Midnight Toker]

Got rid of cable many years ago. Living between Wash DC and Baltimore, a $25 amplified digital antenae pulls in close to 30 channels. I still have internet from Comcast, but that's it. I also have Amazon Prime...and when I do the math, what I save in annual shipping alone, even just for the Xmas holidays, tends to pay for the rest of the Prime TV/music service all by itself!! On top of that I occasionally subscribe to an app or 2 via Amazon (like HBO/Max, or Disney+, etc) but only for a month or so then I'll unsubscribe. If a series I really want to see comes out and is playing on a subscription app, getting released one episode at a time over the course of months. I'll wait until all episodes are available, then pay the whopping $5.99 for one month, binge it, then unsubscribe. Seems the only way to fly that is even reasonably affordable.