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Who here has Cut the Cord?

Had it for about a year in the mid-90s because it came free with the house I was renting a room from. Found that all I was doing once I got off work/done with school was sit on my as and watch tv. Decided that wasn't for me, so I haven't had it since. I use one of those 'as seen on tv' antennas and can get between 45-50 channels on a good day. Whatever tv series/movies I want to watch I wait until my local library has them available. I don't mind waiting six months/a year for the DVD. Besides with my work schedule I'm gone 10-12 hours a day and I don't have the time to watch much anymore.
 
A few days ago a local station had a small fire that knocked them off the air for a couple of hours (no one was hurt).

Reading social media during the "blackout", I have concluded that some people are too stupid to understand that they can get local television absolutely free over the air.

Comments read like this: "When will (insert provider) settle the contract with the network so I can see you guys again?" and "My cable went out so I can't watch you anyway." and "I can't get you guys on my satellite."

All these were people in a 50 mile radius of the TV station.

I know I could tell these idiots that once upon a time there was no cable or satellite or streaming, but I know for a fact that they wouldn't believe me.

Get off my lawn. :lol:
 
Re: DISH

Between the regular rate increases (y'know, like the ones they accuse DirectTV and Comcrap of doing?) and the month+ blocking of WGN, I just cancelled these a$$holes.

Not planning to get any of the other 2 anytime soon, they are no better. I have Hulu and Amazon Prime, so even when the one or two shows I watch regularly come back next year, I can watch them online or via my blu-ray player's wireless setup.
 
In the UK and the only reason many people have what you would call Cable is Sports. Freeview offers enough channels for the whole family thing + Netflix, Amazon etc adds to that. If Cable providers Sky/Virgin over here didn't force you to have packages to go with Sports then it wouldn't be so annoying.
 
In the UK, you can have NowTV (owned by SKY but uses streaming instead of satellite) with just the Sports package. NowTV is also a broadband and phone provider and is less expensive than BT.
 
A few days ago a local station had a small fire that knocked them off the air for a couple of hours (no one was hurt).

Reading social media during the "blackout", I have concluded that some people are too stupid to understand that they can get local television absolutely free over the air.

Comments read like this: "When will (insert provider) settle the contract with the network so I can see you guys again?" and "My cable went out so I can't watch you anyway." and "I can't get you guys on my satellite."

All these were people in a 50 mile radius of the TV station.

I know I could tell these idiots that once upon a time there was no cable or satellite or streaming, but I know for a fact that they wouldn't believe me.

Get off my lawn. :lol:

Now you need a digital converter box to get over the air broadcasts and when the change was made nobody really bought them that didn't have antennae only before.
 
Now you need a digital converter box to get over the air broadcasts and when the change was made nobody really bought them that didn't have antennae only before.
All my tvs are flat screen, digital tuner built in. I get at least 20 local channels with just an antenna.
 
I too am surprised that so few people seem to realize that they can get local channels with an antenna for free. My sister and brother-in-law continue to complain about not getting to watch shows on local channels since they cut cable, even though I have explained to them several times that they can watch these shows for free if they just plug in an antenna. I also don't agree that many didn't pay attention when digital converter boxes became required. Even though I and most people I knew had cable at the time, family, co-workers, friends, etc. were all grabbing those coupons for the free/discounted boxes and buying them at Target or Walmart.

I cut the cord about a year and a half ago. I have my antenna but still wanted a DVR so I bought a Tivo Roamio OTA. Best entertainment investment I've ever made! Except maybe for my Chromecast - most of what I can't get over the air, I can watch online and stream to my TV. I also subscribe to Netflix and CBS All Access (mostly for one particular show).

The only thing missing for me is a couple of cable shows that you can't get any other way besides authenticating with a cable/satellite provider. And of course, there's no more channel surfing, but 95% of the stuff that was on at any given time when I had cable was crap anyway. After you would weed out the channels selling stuff, showing sports, news, or in another language, you weren't left with a whole lot that was actually worth watching. For those select few shows that were good (e.g. American Horror Story), they typically end up on Netflix anyway.

Do you get good HD signals with the digital converter yet?

The HD signals I get over the air, on my TVs that have a digital tuner built in, are better than the HD channels looked when I had cable.
 
Cut it 3 years ago. Only have Broadcast TV and Netflix. Not happy with CBS's plan for the new series being on CBSAllAccess. So Depending on the ST : Discovery pilot, I may have to add them.
 
I had Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime. Just added Sling to try it out. All Access in January.
Before Sling I was paying maybe $30 a month for all that content.
 
For those who use Hulu, what is the benefit you most enjoy from it? I am considering signing up, but since I have an antenna and DVR I don't really need next-day viewing of the basic channel shows. Does it have a lot of cable shows I wouldn't be able to get elsewhere?

I guess I have the same question for Amazon Prime. What do you mostly use it for?
 
Unfortunately here in the U.S. cable companies have gotten wise, staked out regional monopolies and are now gouging people for Internet access. So they still get ya, but at least you aren't paying for content you don't want.
 
I know I could tell these idiots that once upon a time there was no cable or satellite or streaming, but I know for a fact that they wouldn't believe me.

I can remember when we had ON TV. One channel. A big wood grain box with a single knob to activate it. And a white antenna. Movies during the day, porn at night. :lol:
 
Unfortunately here in the U.S. cable companies have gotten wise, staked out regional monopolies and are now gouging people for Internet access. So they still get ya, but at least you aren't paying for content you don't want.

True. I remember when internet was really expensive, and then it was dirt cheap, and now it's really expensive again. I was shocked last time I moved and had to choose a new provider. Actually, that's partially why I cut cable, with internet being so high I couldn't afford to have cable as well.
 
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