Thinking of cutting the cable (again)

[sleepngbear]

It’s that time of year … again … and I’m thinking about ditching cable … again. I tried Apple TV a few years ago and absolutely hated that tiny little remote. I couldn’t pick it up off my end table without touching something I didn’t want to, it was bad enough that I didn’t even leave it hooked up for a half hour before I packed it up and returned it in a huff. The system might have been all that, but that stupid half a credit card junk remote made it a nonstarter.

That was then.

Now I see they’re on their second gen Siri remote, which looks like it actually serves a purpose besides annoying the crap out of me. What I’m hoping is that Apple finally smartened up and made a remote that can be used singly without needing a collection of remotes just to turn on and watch my TV.

I can’t stand my cable provider (Cox), but I still can’t get my head around the whole streaming app thing. I’ve got Netflix and Amazon Prime, Peacock (useless pile of **** that I have through my equally useless cable provider), none of which I ever use, and I’ve seen the basic Apple TV app, and they all just make my head spin trying to find something to watch. So being the crotchety old school old fart that I am, I’m probably going to stick with some flavor of live streaming app like Hulu Live. That’s pretty much the bulk of my viewing, unless I get a hankering for some old movie or show I haven’t seen in awhile, which is pretty rare.

Whatever I replace my garbage box with now, I want it to be just as simple to use - turn on my tv, pop up a guide, pick something and watch it. With just one remote. And I’d like to be able to quickly flip between my last two or three channels, because I HATE $&#@*%! COMMERCIALS.

So the big question is, can Apple TV and the new Siri remote satisfy my viewing needs? Curious to hear experiences, especially from any more recent cable-cutters.

 

[kataran]

I can feel your frustration

I also gave up on Cox Cable for viewing but I do get my WiFi from them and it’s very reliable during stormy weather.

I have a first Gen  TV Moth balled but didn’t really like it. My current set-up is a Modified Firestick which has all I need and free Netflix from T-Mobile

 

[Annie_M]

I subscribe to Apple TV+, but I don't have the actual Apple TV Media Player. Instead, I have a couple of Roku boxes. So, I watch Apple TV+ shows on my iPad or via my Roku box. I subscribe to Hulu, Prime, and Netflix. I also occasionally subscribe to Sling Blue. When I add up the cost of all these subscriptions, it's expensive, but not quite as much as cable. This works for me.

 

[Tartarus]

I’ve cut the cord years ago and use my TV for streaming everything.
I’ve subscribed to TV+, Prime, Disney+ and Netflix. I have stuff on my computer which I stream with Plex.

 

[ksassy]

I have the latest Apple TV 4K with the new Siri remote and I dig it. I subscribe to Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, and other freebies (Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Crackle and IMDb). We watch a lot of tv as a family so we covered all of our favs and it’s still cheaper than cable.

 

[sleepngbear]

Well, taking all y’all’s feedback, I just ordered a Apple TV 4K from Amazon, which conveniently dropped by $20 since the last time I looked at it 3 days ago. Will be here sometime tomorrow, which is fine, because I wouldn’t feel like messing with it tonight anyway. Plan on getting Hulu Live for my live tv fix, and we’ve already got Netflix and Amazon Prime for whatever else. I’m just gonna disconnect that godforsaken cable box and force myself to change my viewing habits. A remote that I can actually wrap my hand around will be a big improvement from the last time I tried it. And no premium movie channels - I’ve got all of them right now, and I watch maybe two movies a month, because it’s all just garbage.

I told my wife this is my birthday present to myself (bday coming up in about 3 weeks!), and she said no, my birthday present will be calling up Cox and finally telling them to go pound sand. This is gonna be great.

Thanks all for your help!

 

[sleepngbear]

It’s here, it’s all hooked up and configured, and it’s … going to take some getting used to.

I’ll probably cancel cable over the next few days and force myself to give this a fair shake this time. It took a little bit of fiddling to get the Siri remote to control the sound bar, and a little menu-diving on my TV to get it to allow the Siri remote to turn it on (it turned off ok right away, but wouldn’t turn back on). I’ve got that all set now. I just have to adjust myself to not being able to bop around from channel to channel quite as easily, which is about the only thing that cable has spoiled me with. And then drag myself kicking and screaming away from live tv and get into this streaming thing like most of the rest of the modern world.

 

[Lee_Bo]

We got rid of Spectrum tv and phone years ago and only have them for internet now.

I have Apple One family that I share with my wife which includes Apple TV+, T-Mobile is paying for Netflix, my wife’s Prime account gets us Prime movies and we have YouTube TV. Our monthly bill went from $375 to $110. We also have an Apple TV in 5 rooms.

 

[sleepngbear]

The cord is officially cut!

Cable service: canceled.
Land line: canceled.
Gigablast internet upgrade: denied.
My 150 mb plan has been working just fine so far - using up oodles more data than I was, but no performance issues in the two full days of streaming to the tv and my wife on her iPad.

I’m free. Almost.

 

[EdwinG]

The cord is officially cut!

Cable service: canceled.
Land line: canceled.
Gigablast internet upgrade: denied.
My 150 mb plan has been working just fine so far - using up oodles more data than I was, but no performance issues in the two full days of streaming to the tv and my wife on her iPad.

I’m free. Almost.

Congrats!

I personally cut the cord in 2018, after having a cable subscription for a grand total of 3 years.

For my linear TV needs, I use the over-the-air signal with an HDHomeRun DUAL and the Channels app; the good old rabbit ears of Digital Television . This gets me CBC, Global, Noovo (sometimes), Ici Radio-Canada Télé, Télé-Québec, and Mountain Lake PBS, PBS Kids, NHK World, which are my local channels.

 

[bakron1]

I am also thinking of cutting the cable cord again. I now live in Florida and currently have Cox cable and internet package, but I am also on a fixed income and since my twin brother passed in May, I have been thinking about going back to streaming again.

I used Apple TV for a few years back in Michigan, but this time I am thinking I might go the Amazon fire stick route since I already have a Amazon Prime account.

My main concern are these data caps that the cable companies are placing on internet usage? I am on Cox cable and I think my current plan is 1.25TB plan and was wondering if that will be sufficient along with my normal computer internet usage?

Right now I strictly use the internet for my computer and my home business, I also thought about looking into a business level internet only plan and hoping they would give me a larger cap and increased speed while saving me some money.

I currently pay $158 a month for the internet, phone and cable package. I don’t use the phone and I am never even close to the monthly data cap, but I know that will change if I switched to streaming. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[sleepngbear]

I am also thinking of cutting the cable cord again. I now live in Florida and currently have Cox cable and internet package, but I am also on a fixed income and since my twin brother passed in May, I have been thinking about going back to streaming again.

I used Apple TV for a few years back in Michigan, but this time I am thinking I might go the Amazon fire stick route since I already have a Amazon Prime account.

My main concern are these data caps that the cable companies are placing on internet usage? I am on Cox cable and I think my current plan is 1.25TB plan and was wondering if that will be sufficient along with my normal computer internet usage?

Right now I strictly use the internet for my computer and my home business, I also thought about looking into a business level internet only plan and hoping they would give me a larger cap and increased speed while saving me some money.

I currently pay $158 a month for the internet, phone and cable package. I don’t use the phone and I am never even close to the monthly data cap, but I know that will change if I switched to streaming. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Check with Cox support on the applicability of that data cap in your state. My plan also supposedly has a 1.25 TB cap, but RI doesn’t allow them to charge for overages, so we effectively have all unlimited plans.

That being said, my usage seems to have mostly settled down after my first week cable-less to around 20-30 GB per day. That’s just my wife and I, both streaming separately. That’s well under the approximate 40 GB per day that would max out 1.25 TB in any month.

 

[Up_And_Away]

An Antenna (if close enough), PlutoTV, Tubi, Free YouTube. Add in Netflix and AppleTV.

Add a 6$ Per month ChannelsDVR sub (need an old server w at least a TB drive) and you have most of these services channels in one menu and you can DVR anything live.

A huge amount of content for under 30$ per month.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I pay $154 a month for Comcast/Xfinity, and it's worth it to me. That includes internet, where I get 360Mbps. I really like the voice remote. It would cost me over $100 a month for YouTube TV, including internet. Not many streaming services offer all the sports channels I require. However, this could all change down the road.

 

[anon(50597)]

I’m still on Spectrum for everything. It seems as if you have to have 15 different services to replace 1. That’s 15 times the chance for problems. I’m happy with Spectrum so I don’t see a reason to change.

 

[nikkisharif]

I cut the cord years ago & couldn’t be happier. I use my mom’s directv stream log in on the random occasion that I need live tv. Apple TV+ is included in AppleOne then I have Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, & Starz. Much cheaper than car, especially since the costs are split with my kids. Everyone has streaming devices at home, so this works out. I have FiOS for internet.

 

[jstnwlkr]

Contemplating cutting the cord from Comcast cable TV but keeping them for internet or exploring Verizon for internet.

Not sure if apple TV units would be the way to go, I think I would need 3 of them to support our house. Family room, living room and bedroom. Is that how the rest of you manage things ?

 

[jstnwlkr]

I have the latest Apple TV 4K with the new Siri remote and I dig it. I subscribe to Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, and other freebies (Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Crackle and IMDb). We watch a lot of tv as a family so we covered all of our favs and it’s still cheaper than cable.

If you don't mind me asking, ballpark what's the cost of all of those add one because that's what my household uses, but we'd sub in hulu plus for live TV.

 

[ksassy]

If you don't mind me asking, ballpark what's the cost of all of those add one because that's what my household uses, but we'd sub in hulu plus for live TV.

Sure we pay $55/mo for Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+. While Apple TV+, Disney+, and Prime Video are included in my subscriptions to Apple One Premier, Verizon Plan, and Amazon Prime. The others are free (Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Crackle, and IMDb). Hope this helps you.

 

[anon(50597)]

The cord is officially cut!

Cable service: canceled.
Land line: canceled.
Gigablast internet upgrade: denied.
My 150 mb plan has been working just fine so far - using up oodles more data than I was, but no performance issues in the two full days of streaming to the tv and my wife on her iPad.

I’m free. Almost.

So how’s it going after a month or so?