Tell me about Cutting the Cord

[RPM 26,326]

I finally have internet fast enough to support watching in HD without buffering and I'm bailing from DirecTv after 20 years. I've signed up for the YoutubeTV trial, but is there a better option? Learn me.

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

I’ve had YouTube TV for almost two years now and love it.

The only thing I can’t get is Bally Sports (the old Fox Sports Regionals) so I can’t watch Cardinals games. I think AT&T/DirecTV is the only thing that carries Bally Sports now.

So that part sucks, but paying literally half of what I was paying stupid cable companies makes it all worthwhile. Plus their customer interface is awesome…. It’s easy to see what you’re paying for and easily toggle services on and off from month to month.

Plus you can easily pull up everything on your devices.

In terms of other options, I think most people these days go with either YouTube TV or Hulu Live… I think they are considered the best two options.

I can’t speak to Hulu, but again I love YouTube TV.

[F250 28,791]

I've cycled through Hulu, YouTube TV and Sling off and on for years. One of the great things about streaming is the ability to just cancel and switch to a new provider. I think Sling is the only one that carries LHN out of the three.

 

 

[WBT 20,636]

It's for poors

[4th&Five 41,567]

YouTube is the best service I’ve had. I still wish they’d rework the DVR though. 

[Billy Pilgrim 1,980]

I’ve had YouTube TV for last 2-3 years. I really do like it. May have to break down and finally switch to DirectTV stream once basketball season rolls around so I can watch Mavs again. Not having Ballys has been a huge pain but just doesn’t seem like they’re making progress towards getting it resolved. I got an ad on IG that said they had unlimited cloud DVR like YTTV now which makes the switch a little more palatable.

[The Ace of Aces 5,192]

So I have DirectTV and last Saturday called to cancel in lieu of YouTube Tv. My bill was around $120 for 2 TVs/DVRs. 

I canceled and after they sent to me some VIP member for last chance saving. I was not going to renew but they gave me enough credits my bill is now $51 total (tax included) for Choice Xtra, Sunday Ticket Max, 2 DVRs, for 12 months no contract. 
 

There is no better deal that than. I agreed.  

[Victor Lazlo 1,777]

Astros baseball on ATT Sportsnet is the deciding factor for me in the Houston metro area .

FuboTV is the only streaming service that carries the Astros.

I ditched Xfinity cable, just went with their internet, bought a modem and Google Nest Wifi, subscribed to FuboTV.  Have saved at least 40% since the switch.

Drawbacks- Fubo doesn’t have CNN, PBS, or the Turner channels. No big deal for me until March Madness.

So, for March Madness last year, I used my son’s login for YouTubeTV, and when he wants to watch the Astros, he uses my Fubo login.

 

[Hermanator 7,120]

7 hours ago, RPM said:

 is there a better option? Learn me.

Depends on your perspective. 

Are you white hat only? Then YouTube TV is fine. 

Are you willing to go black hat? If so there's a world of damn near everything imaginable available for little money per month. 

[RPM 26,326]

13 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

Are you willing to go black hat?

I didn't want to expose Surly to any copyright issues, but I'm way ahead of you.

[HouTex 1,887]

There’s a cord cutter’s thread in the help forum that covers everything pretty well.  

[Texzilla58 4,740]

I have had Directv since 94, having been a top dealer for them thru the years. I’m so sick of ATT and the size of my bill and then fucking with it on either my internet, my phone, or my tv. Last month they had added $40 of insurance to my phone. Got pissed again because they can’t sync up credits to billing for months at a time.

Cancelled directv so retention got me down to $60 (ttl choice, 4 rooms) from the $120 it had risen back up to. Then she raised my internet by $30 because it wasnt bundled. (1gb down $50). That’s a good deal but I was pissed. So I suspended service for 9 months and will add yttv or Hulu in a week and try them out.

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

By far the best thing about getting away from the cable/satellite companies is getting away from the fucking bullshit dance of your bill slowly creeping up, call in and threaten to cancel, get bill reduced for 6 months or whatever, and then repeat six months from now.

That shit was so fucking tiresome and ridiculous.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,817]

By far the best thing about getting away from the cable/satellite companies is getting away from the fucking bullshit dance of your bill slowly creeping up, call in and threaten to cancel, get bill reduced for 6 months or whatever, and then repeat six months from now.
That shit was so fucking tiresome and ridiculous.

Well ps vue started out at like $25/Mo back in 2016 when I switched, now I’m at $69.99/mo with YouTube tv. the golden days of cord cutting are definitely gone, but not having to commit for X amount of years is nice I guess

[PilotsError 2,310]

1 hour ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Well ps vue started out at like $25/Mo back in 2016 when I switched, now I’m at $69.99/mo with YouTube tv. the golden days of cord cutting are definitely gone, but not having to commit for X amount of years is nice I guess

 

There's no streaming service I can't quit with one click, unlike cable companies.  Also, when their prices go up it's a national price increase.  It's not they promise you one price on monday and then sent you a completely different one like all the cable companies.  I've suspended my YouTube TV account four or five times depending on what's going on in my life.  Absolutely impossible before streaming.

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

2 hours ago, PilotsError said:

 

There's no streaming service I can't quit with one click, unlike cable companies.  Also, when their prices go up it's a national price increase.  It's not they promise you one price on monday and then sent you a completely different one like all the cable companies.  I've suspended my YouTube TV account four or five times depending on what's going on in my life.  Absolutely impossible before streaming.

This is what I’m getting at. Everything is so much more transparent and easy to understand; and as you said everything can be done with one click and it’s done… no more wasting 30+ minutes trying to reach a rep on the phone and then going through the bullshit dance of, “well we can give you $20 off for the next 6 months…”

Edited July 17, 2022 by oSuJeff97

[Celery Man 20,978]

I got to a point where I was really only using YTTV for news. Easy enough to just watch PBS News Hour or stream CBS for free if I wanted to feel like I knew what was going on. But I'm finna turn it back on with the 4k sports package for football season.

[4th&Five 41,567]

Loved it during fb last year. Instead of only having two cable boxes I had 4 chrome casts with each set to a different game. My own little sports bar. 

[Buzzrock 14,928]

Whole big ol thread

Cord Cutters Thread
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2053247&share_tid=457&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esurlyhorns%2Ecom%2Fboard%2Findex%2Ephp%3F%2Ftopic%2F457-Cord-Cutters-Thread&share_type=t&link_source=app

YTTV is awesome. Hang TVs anywhere you have a wifi signal and go nuts. Lack of Bally’s sucks (No Braves or Atlanta United for me). Still worth it.

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

I got to a point where I was really only using YTTV for news. Easy enough to just watch PBS News Hour or stream CBS for free if I wanted to feel like I knew what was going on. But I'm finna turn it back on with the 4k sports package for football season.

My use definitely is at a lull right now when baseball is the only thing that’s on, but it’s awesome in the fall/winter/spring when all of the sports are on.

If they would get off their ass and do a deal with Bally Sports it would be perfect.

[TexasGary 847]

I am somewhat please with DirecTV Stream.  The channel numbers are the same as DirecTV sat and I get Astros on AT&T, Rangers on Bally, and LHN.  Plus there is an app that I sideloaded to my Nvidia Shield that works way better than the box that they sell you for $120.  It comes with unlimited cloud DVR.  It is very expensive as I have the premium package but I can watch it anywhere I go.

Also, I recently put the old school antenna up in my attic.  I live in Plano and can pickup 110 channels.

[Murfdogg21 4,413]

We switched to stream with DirecTVnow/ATTnow/DirecTVstream 3 years ago. When we cut cable, we went from >$150/mo tv and internet bill to $60 Google fiber and $35 DirecTV Now. The streaming companies have all edged their pricing up so they are like $60-70/month for the basic package. I’m considering cutting this now since we don’t want much live tv. 
 

I nearly canceled live tv streaming a year ago in favor of Locast (free streaming of local over-air channels NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, CW, PBS, Telemundo). Locast got buttfucked by a court that they could provide for free to consumers over the internet what they could already get for free with bunny eats antennae. Maybe that was a prelude to local NBC/CBS/ABC/Fox affiliates offering live streaming, but I have not generally seen it. 
 

I’ll probably move to the Hulu Live + Disney + ESPN bundle and save about $5/mo until the next time they jack up prices. If I was smarter, I’d cancel live tv every year after the super bowl and pick it back up for the UT opener in September. 

[Nole-4-Life 804]

When you're texting with buddies during ball games make sure they  know you're a minute or two behind so they don't spoil anything for you.

 

Hope that helps.

[Scraps 13,567]

I finally did this about 2 weeks ago because I was tired of getting bent over by Comcast/Xfinity.  Went with YoutubeTV, which is great other than the local baseball, but it is easy enough to find bootlegs of that.  Havne't missed a game since I have switched.  

Other than that the only other channel I watched a lot of that isn't on there is A&E.  Big First 48 fan.  I think it is available with Peacock or something though.  

Kept Xfinity internet so they sent me the Flex box for free and you get Peacock for free if you don't already have it.  

[Js1 85,445]

Until all the services decide to cut down on password sharing, my cord cutting costs are so low with friends. 

DirecTV Stream (split 3 ways) - $27 per person (we've stuck with it because LHN for me, SEC Network for them + Astros baseball for all 3 of us)
Netflix (solo) - $16
Hulu/Disney/ESPN+, Paramount Plus, Peacock (split 3 ways) - $13 per person
AppleTV+ (solo) - $5

[52-80 19,195]

On 7/16/2022 at 11:50 PM, RPM said:

I finally have internet fast enough to support watching in HD without buffering and I'm bailing from DirecTv after 20 years. I've signed up for the YoutubeTV trial, but is there a better option? Learn me.

instead of spending $150 for television channels you don't watch over wired cable, you're gonna spend $150 on television channels you don't watch over streaming.

[52-80 19,195]

but real talk, theres often discounts through credit cards.  amex platinum has $240 off the hulu/disney/espn+ package for this year.

[RPM 26,326]

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

instead of spending $150 for television channels you don't watch over wired cable, you're gonna spend $150 on television channels you don't watch over streaming.

$150? Sheeit, that's half what I'm paying for satt.

[chainsaw 9,872]

On 7/16/2022 at 10:47 PM, The Ace of Aces said:

So I have DirectTV and last Saturday called to cancel in lieu of YouTube Tv. My bill was around $120 for 2 TVs/DVRs. 

I canceled and after they sent to me some VIP member for last chance saving. I was not going to renew but they gave me enough credits my bill is now $51 total (tax included) for Choice Xtra, Sunday Ticket Max, 2 DVRs, for 12 months no contract. 
 

There is no better deal that than. I agreed.  

I think everyone is very sensitive about subscriber loss after seeing what those reports did for Netflix's stock value. This is a very good time to renegotiate whatever you have.

[Texzilla58 4,740]

I think everyone is very sensitive about subscriber loss after seeing what those reports did for Netflix's stock value. This is a very good time to renegotiate whatever you have.

You are correct. ATT is trying to sell Directv and needs to prop up value. Sub trends are the first thing they look at.

[RPM 26,326]

It took me almost 2 hours to cancel my CenturyLink account. When they asked why I was leaving I said your connection is slow and your customer service sucks.

[Dutch 4,474]

In maybe-related news, The Mouse is hiking ESPN+ by $3/mo, from $7 to $10, or $99 for a yearly sub.  Interestingly, at least according to his article, they aren't raising the cost of The Bundle (still $14), for now.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/espn-getting-big-price-hike-162457761.html

Edited July 18, 2022 by Dutch

[utxmike05 1,828]

On 7/18/2022 at 8:08 AM, Scraps said:

I finally did this about 2 weeks ago because I was tired of getting bent over by Comcast/Xfinity.  Went with YoutubeTV, which is great other than the local baseball, but it is easy enough to find bootlegs of that.  Havne't missed a game since I have switched.  

Kept Xfinity internet so they sent me the Flex box for free and you get Peacock for free if you don't already have it.  

Same combo I have been rolling with for a year.  YoutubeTV +  Xfinity internets.  Very happy. Came from using ATT Now /Directv Stream in the past where the picture would freeze or get no picture and audio only...while using anapple TV.

It's hard to find a streaming packages with all the channels we want to watch and everyone likes different things. 

Best advice is pull the trigger on a streaming app that is best deal for you. And if there are a few channels you can't get, then find a friend/family with another streaming app and share logins to get those missing channels. I have a buddy's DirecTV Stream info on my appleTV and iphone just to watch LHN and ATTSportsnet (Stros) when I want.

[Neonmoon 38,129]

I have YTTV. It's great. 

Although, I never use it. I really only have it for football games and my wife's trash shows. I wish there a college football stream that carried every college football channel and nothing else. Then I would get rid of YTTV. 

[RPM 26,326]

Stupid question. When you sign up for YTTV is YT Premium included? Somehow I'm signed up for that now, too.

[BluTechsan 393]

Haven't cut the cord yet because I still need an internet provider. Currently my bill has crept back up to $156 for high speed plus the basic tv lineup. I've been quote $99 for high speed alone.

What have y'all discovered to be the best value for that service?

[UnivTex34 1,763]

3 minutes ago, BluTechsan said:

Haven't cut the cord yet because I still need an internet provider. Currently my bill has crept back up to $156 for high speed plus the basic tv lineup. I've been quote $99 for high speed alone.

What have y'all discovered to be the best value for that service?

I pay $70 flat for Gigabit. Price has not changed since I signed up over 5 years ago. Google Fiber.

[4th&Five 41,567]

5 hours ago, RPM said:

Stupid question. When you sign up for YTTV is YT Premium included? Somehow I'm signed up for that now, too.

It’s not

[RPM 26,326]

3 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

It’s not

I did some digging around and apparently I have 4 months free. I never signed up for it and the only way they would have billing info is from my YTTV sub... or my Google wallet... shit.  Already set the reminder to cancel 3 days before they bill.