MUScoop
MUScoop => The Superbar => Topic started by: TAMU, Knower of Ball on August 23, 2017, 08:26:03 PM
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The Mrs. and I are moving out of employer provided housing, which means that for the first time, we will have to pay for our own cable and internet. After talking it over, the only thing either of us need cable for is live sports. In our area, cable is going to run us about $50 bucks a month with all the various fees. Seems a little steep, especially given that the sports we care about are only in season from September to April (I would watch the Brewers but alas we don't get them down here in Texas).
I've been looking at the options and it seems like Sling TV is going to be the best option for us. Has anyone else used it? Good or bad? Any issues? Anyone have any better services that they use?
Thanks in advance!
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The Mrs. and I are moving out of employer provided housing, which means that for the first time, we will have to pay for our own cable and internet. After talking it over, the only thing either of us need cable for is live sports. In our area, cable is going to run us about $50 bucks a month with all the various fees. Seems a little steep, especially given that the sports we care about are only in season from September to April (I would watch the Brewers but alas we don't get them down here in Texas).
I've been looking at the options and it seems like Sling TV is going to be the best option for us. Has anyone else used it? Good or bad? Any issues? Anyone have any better services that they use?
Thanks in advance!
Any chance you have Tmobile cell service? For the past three years they give their customers free MLB.TV that I watch the Brewers on thru my Amazon Fire TV, and on my cell phone when I'm traveling (I live in Boston, so no blackouts).
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Any chance you have Tmobile cell service? For the past three years they give their customers free MLB.TV that I watch the Brewers on thru my Amazon Fire TV, and on my cell phone when I'm traveling (I live in Boston, so no blackouts).
Nope, Verizon for me
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Nope, Verizon for me
Save a bunch of money and switch to Tmobile 8-)
Never used Sling, but used Playstation Vue for a bit, and found it to be user friendly, and lots of options and packages.
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Did you check PSVue? There's a thread on Scoop about it .. I've had it the past 18 months or so .. like it for various reasons.
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Did you check PSVue? There's a thread on Scoop about it .. I've had it the past 18 months or so .. like it for various reasons.
Was raised as an Xbox kid
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Was raised as an Xbox kid
You don't need a Playstation to use PSVue, I ran it thru an app on my Fire TV, worked great.
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TAMU, we are just now looking at options ourselves. Do you know if YouTube TV (from Google) is an option where you are? They aren't everywhere, but where they are a presence, it's only $35/month. Their channels include FS1 and FS2, as well as ESPN. And it includes a DVR in the cloud with unlimited storage.
I'm not sure we're gonna go there, but it's a viable option here and I'm checking all my others.
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Thought this would be an article about pushing kids outta the nest. Speaking as a scorned millennial - don't drop cable without warning your offspring that rely on it for FS1!
But seriously, I've seen people have pretty decent success with Vue. From my experience, the interface kinda sucks, but it gets the job done at a fraction of the price, assuming you don't need the other 80 channels that BIG CABLE provides.
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I'm looking at the prices for Vue, it seems like the cheapest package is $40 a month. I can get all the channels I need for $25 on Sling. Is there an advantage to Vue over Sling?
I'm trying a free trial of sling, so far I'm impressed. Good quality picture and no lag time.
I'll look into Youtube TV. Hadn't heard of that one yet.
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I'm looking at the prices for Vue, it seems like the cheapest package is $40 a month. I can get all the channels I need for $25 on Sling. Is there an advantage to Vue over Sling?
I'm trying a free trial of sling, so far I'm impressed. Good quality picture and no lag time.
I'll look into Youtube TV. Hadn't heard of that one yet.
With me, the choice was driven by the availability of sports channels. That is the only reason I went with DirectTV over Vue. A little more pricey when you add these channels, but at $70, it isn't too bad.
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(I would watch the Brewers but alas we don't get them down here in Texas).
Mlb.tv is spectacular.
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Mlb.tv is spectacular.
This.
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I'll bet a box of donuts that all of these streaming services will settle around a $40 price point within 18 months. By 2020, it'll be $50. :-\
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I'm looking at the prices for Vue, it seems like the cheapest package is $40 a month. I can get all the channels I need for $25 on Sling. Is there an advantage to Vue over Sling?
I'm trying a free trial of sling, so far I'm impressed. Good quality picture and no lag time.
I'll look into Youtube TV. Hadn't heard of that one yet.
If you're looking for sports, you might want to double-check that pricing. We've also been looking into Sling but apparently there are 2 different packages for ~$25/month. One of them has the ESPNs and the other has Fox Sports. To get them both, it's $40/month.
It's also possible that I'm wrong and I need to double-check that pricing ;)
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If you're looking for sports, you might want to double-check that pricing. We've also been looking into Sling but apparently there are 2 different packages for ~$25/month. One of them has the ESPNs and the other has Fox Sports. To get them both, it's $40/month.
It's also possible that I'm wrong and I need to double-check that pricing ;)
No, you're correct. I don't watch ESPN and the few times there is a game I want to see I am more than fine with going to a bar.
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No, you're correct. I don't watch ESPN and the few times there is a game I want to see I am more than fine with going to a bar.
I used to think that way to. But found I would blow more money at the bar then the streaming service cost.
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I used to think that way to. But found I would blow more money at the bar then the streaming service cost.
That happened to me, too, many years ago. So I forked over the $$ for cable.
Nowadays, though, I like the shared experience of watching games with my peeps - it's worth the money to me. Unfortunately, while we have a fairly active MU club here in Charlotte, that's all it is. We have a few events that are decently attended, but as far as meeting up to watch just any game - even a good game like Butler or something - it ain't happening.
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I went with Vue over Sling based upon DVR. Once DirecTV Now has their DVR up and running I will be switching to that as I have work mandated AT&T cell service and if you have that you get a $25 mo. credit. Also, having AT&T fiber is solid. I really wish YouTubeTV would move beyond casting and into native aps. Just not a fan of that at all.
For Vue though, it's fantastic for my needs. Wish it had CBS Sports Channel though. It's a main reason for even looking at DirecTV Now.
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I've had sling for about 6 months. Like it. Pay $40 for the orange and blue package. Other than cable news channels, I'm not missing anything from when we had dish. (I would argue that we aren't missing much with no cable news channels either)
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I've had sling for about 6 months. Like it. Pay $40 for the orange and blue package. Other than cable news channels, I'm not missing anything from when we had dish. (I would argue that we aren't missing much with no cable news channels either)
Especially when you can just go to their websites and watch the live stream.
Which - by the way - an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for anyone cutting the cord: hook up a PC to at least one TV, preferably your main TV (or at least have the correct HDMI cable for your laptop on moment's notice). Inevitably, there will come a time where something important needs to be streamed that won't be available on Roku, ATV, PS, etc. and you're going to be glad you had a backup plan.
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Pro Tip .. Before you hook up your PC .. try using Chrome and hitting the "cast" button, see if your Roku (etc) can wirelessly show the PC's screen.
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The only reason I have cable now is MU basketball. I have been strongly wanting to cut the cord after Spectrum cable took over TWC.
One service available through Roku is College Sports Live, and they list us as one of the teams that they provide coverage for:
http://www.collegesportslive.com/start/?
I think they charge 20 a month, but wonder if they really provide 100% coverage. Does anyone have experience with this streamimg service?
PS Vue looks good except for the lack of the CBS Sports channel, which FS1 tranfers some of our games to. Hulu has this channel, and I think would give comparable coverage to cable.
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The only reason I have cable now is MU basketball. I have been strongly wanting to cut the cord after Spectrum cable took over TWC.
One service available through Roku is College Sports Live, and they list us as one of the teams that they provide coverage for:
http://www.collegesportslive.com/start/?
I think they charge 20 a month, but wonder if they really provide 100% coverage. Does anyone have experience with this streamimg service?
PS Vue looks good except for the lack of the CBS Sports channel, which FS1 tranfers some of our games to. Hulu has this channel, and I think would give comparable coverage to cable.
DirecTV Now has all the sports channels MU is on.
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So, TAMU, what did you decide?
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So, TAMU, what did you decide?
Still on my free trail of sling. But I think I'm going to keep it. It has everything I need fur the lowest price. YouTube TV isn't available in my area yet
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I did a lot of research on this before cutting the cord. Comparing prices, channel availability, DVR capacity, User interface, device compatability etc. I ended up going with Hulu Live. Worst part about it is the UI but for $45 you get DVR, a lot of channels including ESPN and FS1 plus you get the added benefit of the full hulu library on demand which includes their original content
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Still on my free trail of sling. But I think I'm going to keep it. It has everything I need fur the lowest price. YouTube TV isn't available in my area yet
The more I'm hearing about YouTube TV, the less interested I am in it. My wife does not want to have to use her phone as a remote, they have little customer service, and they apparently have quite a few glitches.
Not sure what I'm gonna do, but I'm gonna do it by Friday!
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The more I'm hearing about YouTube TV, the less interested I am in it. My wife does not want to have to use her phone as a remote, they have little customer service, and they apparently have quite a few glitches.
Not sure what I'm gonna do, but I'm gonna do it by Friday!
I'd love to hear more. On its face (channel list and $), it seems like a great option. Anyone have experience?
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One thing with Sling that drove me back to cable last year was the delay between the digital and cable feeds. Obvi it will depend on internet speeds, but even even using 100mb/s, there was a 7-15 second delay. Nothing huge, but if you like to Tweet and watch, makes for lots of spoilers, particularly in end game situations. When I read the OMG Miggy Tweets after his granny and the at bat was only 1 pitch in on my screen, I caved.
I know cable companies got wise to this, but try calling and asking if they can drop the price to a point you'd be comfortable (35-40). I did that and got a 12 month promo rate for 20 bucks more than I was paying for internet alone. I live in rural Ohio, though, so that may be a factor.
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PSVue has a 10-20 second delay as well.
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I'm officially a free agent. DirecTV wouldn't make me a good enough offer to keep me, so I canceled. I currently have no service but I'm not home this week so I don't care. Once I return in a few days, I have to come up with a plan.
I'm thinking about trying the YouTube TV 1-month trial. If I don't like it after a few days, I'll have to start thinking about Plan B. Unless others have a better suggestion based on their experience ...
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I'm officially a free agent. DirecTV wouldn't make me a good enough offer to keep me, so I canceled. I currently have no service but I'm not home this week so I don't care. Once I return in a few days, I have to come up with a plan.
I'm thinking about trying the YouTube TV 1-month trial. If I don't like it after a few days, I'll have to start thinking about Plan B. Unless others have a better suggestion based on their experience ...
DirecTV came through with a great offer, but not until after I had cancelled their service. By that point, I already had Time-Warner installed. I looked at cord cutting, but my TWC/Spectrum internet/tv/phone combo (phone line isn't even hooked up) was a couple hundred bucks a year cheaper than cutting the cord would have been. The real downside I found to cord cutting was that everyone jacks their internet prices if you go internet only. By the time I would have PS Vue and premiums (at least HBO & Showtime) I was looking at a more expensive total package than if I just went with Spectrum all the way.
I hope in time it comes down to a more viable price point, but for me, it just isn't there yet.
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DirecTV came through with a great offer, but not until after I had cancelled their service. By that point, I already had Time-Warner installed. I looked at cord cutting, but my TWC/Spectrum internet/tv/phone combo (phone line isn't even hooked up) was a couple hundred bucks a year cheaper than cutting the cord would have been. The real downside I found to cord cutting was that everyone jacks their internet prices if you go internet only. By the time I would have PS Vue and premiums (at least HBO & Showtime) I was looking at a more expensive total package than if I just went with Spectrum all the way.
I hope in time it comes down to a more viable price point, but for me, it just isn't there yet.
Since we moved to Charlotte, we have used Windstream for Internet. It's a relatively small carrier and, in fact, one that has been in financial trouble. It is a "legacy" company that derived all of its income from landlines until only a few years ago. It has tried to branch out into broadband (somewhat successfully), cable (unsuccessfully) and cellphones (unsuccessfully). I have been mostly satisfied with them as an Internet provider and they actually are relatively inexpensive.
I actually priced out how much canceling them and DirecTV, and comparing how much it would be to use Spectrum cable (the former Time Warner here) for everything. I was surprised to see it would not be materially different, which is why I haven't rushed to Spectrum.
I remain open-minded, and hey brew ... maybe DirecTV will come back at me with a spectacular offer now that they miss me so much!!
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Since we moved to Charlotte, we have used Windstream for Internet. It's a relatively small carrier and, in fact, one that has been in financial trouble. It is a "legacy" company that derived all of its income from landlines until only a few years ago. It has tried to branch out into broadband (somewhat successfully), cable (unsuccessfully) and cellphones (unsuccessfully). I have been mostly satisfied with them as an Internet provider and they actually are relatively inexpensive.
I actually priced out how much canceling them and DirecTV, and comparing how much it would be to use Spectrum cable (the former Time Warner here) for everything. I was surprised to see it would not be materially different, which is why I haven't rushed to Spectrum.
I remain open-minded, and hey brew ... maybe DirecTV will come back at me with a spectacular offer now that they miss me so much!!
Keep us informed on how things go. I got DirectTV a couple months ago and am very pleased with the cost. Went from $225.00 for Cable, internet, phone, and HBO to $126.00 for cable, internet and HBO with directv.
Actually when I called Spectrum about getting rid of the phone to lower costs and keep Spectrum, they told me it would go UP $10 a month if I dropped the phone.
Now they are calling all the time about the deals they have - the same thing I called them asking about. I told them I was tired of paying $35 a month for two boxes and the modem and was told too bad. Now they call me offering them for free with the package. One thing I know is that I will never go back to cable.
I was willing to go up 2 package levels for an extra $20 to get all the sports channels on directv or the monthly cost would be even cheaper.
But in 21 months when the deal is up, I will be probably be looking to move again so its nice to keep up with what others here are using.
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I remain open-minded, and hey brew ... maybe DirecTV will come back at me with a spectacular offer now that they miss me so much!!
It annoyed me because I called them in the past and they could never knock off more than $20-30 on a $200+ bill. Suddenly they could cut my bill by over $100/month now that I've already changed? Pound sand, you had your chance.
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It annoyed me because I called them in the past and they could never knock off more than $20-30 on a $200+ bill. Suddenly they could cut my bill by over $100/month now that I've already changed? Pound sand, you had your chance.
I absolutely understand. But I am a bottom-line guy. Be cheaper, with decent quality, and I'll use you. I learned long ago not to "cut off my nose to spite my face," as my mom used to say.
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I absolutely understand. But I am a bottom-line guy. Be cheaper, with decent quality, and I'll use you. I learned long ago not to "cut off my nose to spite my face," as my mom used to say.
Spectrum has a policy in place not to raise rates. If I went back to DirecTV (after already sitting through one installation process) I would've had to block time again and my rates would've been jacked back up after my promotional period ended.
If Spectrum's policy changes, I'll probably shop around again, but from a customer service perspective, not having to have the same push and pull over rates every other month is worth a few extra bucks (and the cost difference was pretty negligible).
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"Spectrum has a policy in place not to raise rates." WOW!!!!!
I think there's a hidden asterisk there. "... until they want to raise rates."
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"Spectrum has a policy in place not to raise rates." WOW!!!!!
I think there's a hidden asterisk there. "... until they want to raise rates."
I know that policies can change, but it's there now. If they go the DirecTV route and more than double my rates after two years, I'll be gone. My bill went from $248 per month with DirecTV to $130 with Spectrum. And that DirecTV bill was with a discount for being an AT&T subscriber and a "promotional rate" they gave me a year ago.
If it goes up, I'll go through the process again of looking at all the options, including cutting the cord, but as of right now, it would cost me more to cut the cord than to go with Spectrum.
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As long as the ISPs are in the content delivery business cutting the cord will never be cheaper than going through a cable provider (assuming you want new/live content) and that doesn't even factor in the integration cost of multiple streaming interfaces/log-ins/finding content....
It's a corollary to the golden rule(he who has the gold makes the rules): They who control the pipes control your cost.
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Fantastic News!...For those of us with Playstation Vue, CBS Sports Network was added as part of the Core package and better (everything except slim).
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Fantastic News!...For those of us with Playstation Vue, CBS Sports Network was added as part of the Core package and better (everything except slim).
Correction .. "Slim" isn't the package name .. it's "Access" .. Access is $40, Core is $45.
I suppose you could upgrade for 3 months, Dec-Feb.
.. Also .. I can't recall if it's been discussed in this thread, but YouTube TV has added the Milwaukee market now. $35/month.
Interesting it comes with 6 accounts .. like they're begging people to share their credentials, split the costs. They have FS1/2, CBSSN. Not sure about the Fox regionals, though.
No HGTV, so wives everywhere will veto, though.
https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/?gaiachoice=true
edit: Not Mormon, don't have multiple wives as far as you know, these aren't the droids you're looking for.
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Correction .. "Slim" isn't the package name .. it's "Access" .. Access is $40, Core is $45.
I suppose you could upgrade for 3 months, Dec-Feb.
.. Also .. I can't recall if it's been discussed in this thread, but YouTube TV has added the Milwaukee market now. $35/month.
Interesting it comes with 6 accounts .. like they're begging people to share their credentials, split the costs. They have FS1/2, CBSSN. Not sure about the Fox regionals, though.
No HGTV, so my wives everywhere will veto, though.
https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/?gaiachoice=true
It shows that Fox RSNs are included
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Correction .. "Slim" isn't the package name .. it's "Access" .. Access is $40, Core is $45.
I suppose you could upgrade for 3 months, Dec-Feb.
.. Also .. I can't recall if it's been discussed in this thread, but YouTube TV has added the Milwaukee market now. $35/month.
Interesting it comes with 6 accounts .. like they're begging people to share their credentials, split the costs. They have FS1/2, CBSSN. Not sure about the Fox regionals, though.
No HGTV, so my wives everywhere will veto, though.
https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/?gaiachoice=true
How many do you have? I didn't know you were Mormon ;D
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Oops. Edited.
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What does Sling TV Broadcast at? 1080? 720?
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What do all you cord cutters do for Internet?
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What do all you cord cutters do for Internet?
I currently have Charter (Spectrum) for internet, but plan on switching to TDS asap since they just installed lines last month (Madison area). Basically, you're stuck with the local ISPs in your area... and typically, there is very little competition... so you're sort of stuck with what you get.
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What do all you cord cutters do for Internet?
AT&T Fiber
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What do all you cord cutters do for Internet?
Uverse, either the 12 or 20 MBps plan... not sure which. I think the max we've had going at once was four streams, two Apple TV's and two iPads; only problems we've ever had with speed is when the entire network is down or the source is bottlenecked.
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The Mrs. and I are moving out of employer provided housing, which means that for the first time, we will have to pay for our own cable and internet. After talking it over, the only thing either of us need cable for is live sports. In our area, cable is going to run us about $50 bucks a month with all the various fees.
I didn't read the others comments yet. You had me at $50 bucks and fees!!! ;D I pay $149 per month and would never give up my cable. Do what fits your needs.
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I currently have Charter (Spectrum) for internet, but plan on switching to TDS asap since they just installed lines last month (Madison area). Basically, you're stuck with the local ISPs in your area... and typically, there is very little competition... so you're sort of stuck with what you get.
Just so that you are ready......
I got rid of Spectrum about 6 months ago and never realized how many sites I would have to adjust my settings for after losing the email account I had used for 15 years - somewhere around 60-65.
You'll still receive email if if is email account through them. but obviously don't have access to their mail server to send.
If you use online email ...., nevermind :)
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Just so that you are ready......
I got rid of Spectrum about 6 months ago and never realized how many sites I would have to adjust my settings for after losing the email account I had used for 15 years - somewhere around 60-65.
You'll still receive email if if is email account through them. but obviously don't have access to their mail server to send.
If you use online email ...., nevermind :)
Luckily I use gmail! I hate it enough when my credit card expires every couple of years and I have to enter in the new card...
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Forgive me father, for I have sinned...
It has been 5 years since I have cut the cord. However, I recently got engaged and moved into a new house with the fiancee. She wants cable. Said it wasn't a deal-breaker to cut the cord, but she really liked her "shows" and the DVR functionality.
I gave in, father. What other choice did I have?
What is my penance?
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Forgive me father, for I have sinned...
It has been 5 years since I have cut the cord. However, I recently got engaged and moved into a new house with the fiancee. She wants cable. Said it wasn't a deal-breaker to cut the cord, but she really liked her "shows" and the DVR functionality.
I gave in, father. What other choice did I have?
What is my penance?
Congrats.
Most cable isn't tied to a contract anymore, so you can always change when you see something you like.
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What is my penance?
Your cable bill is penance enough.
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Your cable bill is penance enough.
To be fair, I got a great deal from DirecTV/att. Previously, my stand alone internet bill was $54. New bill is $105.
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To be fair, I got a great deal from DirecTV/att. Previously, my stand alone internet bill was $54. New bill is $105.
DTV is probably a 2 year contract. But $105 inc. internet isn't bad. That's the same deal I have. I previously paid $220 for Spectrum.
Plus, it looks like sports were important with the package you have.
In two years there may well be a standalone sports package - Disney will have a standalone with all ESPNs next year - so I may be able to finally go full streaming.
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Just so that you are ready......
I got rid of Spectrum about 6 months ago and never realized how many sites I would have to adjust my settings for after losing the email account I had used for 15 years - somewhere around 60-65.
You'll still receive email if if is email account through them. but obviously don't have access to their mail server to send.
If you use online email ...., nevermind :)
This is why most people use third party email to avoid that very situation.
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My cheapskate POV:
All MU 17-18 season games should be on either ESPN, CBSSN, FS1, FS2, or FSW. My 10 mbps Internet-only Spectrum costs $63m that comes with unlimited data. AT&T is in MIL but their data is limited and there is a mandatory contract. Spectrum's current deal is Voice/Internet/Cable for $29.99 ($90m) with free 100 mbps upgrade, free DVR, and a free modem. The total with everything after fees, taxes, and "sports package" is $123m.
I've tried Direct TV, PS Vue, and Sling. I used PS Vue all last yr, but they have increased pricing from ~ $30m to $50m. There was no CBSSN last yr so I went to the bar and spent over $100 in bar tabs defeating the "savings" purpose. Someone commented PSV has CBS SN now, but I don't see it. My streaming device is Apple TV (n/a last yr for PSV) and works better than clunky PS3. Unlimited DVR is great, but I couldn't adjust the game end recording, so either record the show after MU game or risk missing game-end. Overall, OK viewing experience but it was sometimes choppy (may be my poor Internet), but clunky interface compared to cable remote.
I don't believe Direct TV Now or Sling have all the MU games or unlimited DVR OR are any more cost effective, but someone please correct me.
For me, its worth $123m to have high picture quality games, no lag, and a speed upgrade compared to paying $63m plus a streaming package ($50m+) to GUARANTEE all beloved MU games can be watched and/or recorded. I'll cancel after the MU season since Spectrum has no contract.
Anyone here try YouTube yet? I'd love to hear their thoughts.
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DJ - Just FYI .. PSVue did increase their price, but not to $50 .. it's $40. And yes, it now has CBS Sports.
Can't disagree with the sentiment, though. My only internet option is through Spectrum for an ungodly $63 a month as well -- fortunately, I lucked out and have been a customer of Earthlink for 2 years at $40 a month (for 15/1 service.) They don't offer that plan any more, but I still have it.
So yeah, I'm paying $80 a month for internet+PSVue. Prior to (almost) cutting the cord, my bill had gone from $130 to $180, although they offered me $140 as I left. So .. I'm still saving $600+ a year, which isn't bad.
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No FSW or Cbssn on sling, correct?
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I went with the Firestick with Kodi. Subscribed to Gears TV for like $15 a month and a guide for $3. First months watched Connor vs Money, WWE (never paid for it) , NFL package,NBA, MLB. It has the Marquette games.
I get my internet/phone through Spectrum at $60 a month.