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nfotiu
join:2009-01-25

2 recommendations

nfotiu

Member

The numbers are rigged a bit

I think most people who have called their cable company to cancel tv, have been talked into a internet+basic tv (locals only) package that is usually cheaper than the internet only package they are currently on. People have been taking these options whether they plan to watch those channels or not (often not even paying for a cable box to even receive those channels). If this continues to be the practice, the video subscriber numbers will never go down.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

That is very likely the case.
I'd have to say most would take it.

Anything that gets the total bill lower is what consumers are looking for right now

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One to nfotiu

MVM

to nfotiu
I was going to ask how the numbers look when pricing is taken into account. Comcast is still offering internet+TV deals for the first 2 years that are cheaper than internet alone. I would consider myself a cord cutter, in that I don't use their TV service, but I do HAVE their TV service, only because my internet line is cheaper with it than without it. And that was just the advertised deal, not a special they gave me after calling in.
turnerbrewer
join:2011-11-22

turnerbrewer to nfotiu

Member

to nfotiu
I took the bait. I called Comcast to cancel my $99 Double Play Tv/Internet Package (50/10).
I only wanted standalone 50/10 Internet which would have been $75 a month.
I was offered a Basic TV + Free HBO and Internet (50/10) package for $39.
On top of that I receive a monthly credit of $2.50 for owning a TIVO.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207 to nfotiu

Premium Member

to nfotiu
Yep, you can add me to that profile. It was either pay $74.99 for Comcast internet or $59.99 for the same internet service with Digital Economy TV and HBO for a 12 month promo. I did throw in an HD box, so this adds an additional $9.95 fee. After the $1.50 broadcast fee is included, my total was still lower than internet service alone.

$74.99 vs $71.44 before taxes.
existenz
join:2014-02-12

existenz to nfotiu

Member

to nfotiu
Is likely the case that most are going for lowest available package. The cableco's will try to squeeze the most they can out of a last century model until they are forced to wake up and adapt to what more and more people really want - on demand streaming video.

Kuro
@75.151.50.x

Kuro to nfotiu

Anon

to nfotiu
I know that's what I'm doing. The cable box is still in a cardboard box at the bottom of my closet for almost 2 years.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to jmn1207

Premium Member

to jmn1207
said by jmn1207:

Yep, you can add me to that profile. It was either pay $74.99 for Comcast internet or $59.99 for the same internet service with Digital Economy TV and HBO for a 12 month promo. I did throw in an HD box, so this adds an additional $9.95 fee. After the $1.50 broadcast fee is included, my total was still lower than internet service alone.

$74.99 vs $71.44 before taxes.

You got upsold.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72 to jmn1207

Member

to jmn1207
Verizon is in that camp. The difference between just internet and 2-play with 150 channels (not just broadcast) was $5 including the CC rental.

The TRICK is to just get a cable card and not get soaked by their antiquated and overprice tuner equipment.

That is cheaper than ever today. Tivo or open source (no enc channels tho), or WMC. WMC is really cheap w/ Xbox360 going for less than $100, and a HDHR (3 tuners) can be had regularly for less than $90. MSFT recent move to allow video apps under xbox "silver" and not require a gold subscription now doesn't require you to get a Roku, etc. The only "issue" for me is Plex which I solved w/ Roku for the time being.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

said by elefante72:

The TRICK is to just get a cable card and not get soaked by their antiquated and overprice tuner equipment.

I'm not even paying for a cable box. The HD Technology fee and Broadcast TV fee would be included on top of any cable card rental in my situation. HD Technology and Broadcast TV fees are simply additional costs that Comcast can keep from their advertised rates. It should not be allowed, in my opinion, and seems dishonest. But dishonesty is right in Comcast's (and their entire industry's) wheelhouse.

The only thing preventing me from using Tivo products is the initial cost of the channel guide subscriptions and lack of confidence that they will continue to work in the near future. I did use a really great Moxi HD DVR when I had FiOS, though, that does not work with Comcast and this product is not fully supported anymore.

Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC

Corehhi to buzz_4_20

Member

to buzz_4_20
said by buzz_4_20:

That is very likely the case.
I'd have to say most would take it.

Anything that gets the total bill lower is what consumers are looking for right now

I ended up getting lifeline basic (local channels) because it was cheaper to get that then to upgrade my internet speed alone. At the time it was bundled package of two services, get a free internet speed upgrade. Funny thing is the local channels and some others aren't scrambled and are in HD. Just let your TV search for them and up they come.

dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI

dnoyeB to Camelot One

Member

to Camelot One
I have Comcast and it was NOT cheaper to keep the TV for the internet discount. It used to be a $15 internet discount if you had the minimum TV package and that package cost $15. When I asked this time, the minimum package price exceeded the discount it would have provided to my internet bill.

So I'm internet only with Comcast now. Besides, if I had used their minimum package I couldn't use my DVR because they scramble all of their channels here. I would have had to pay $2-5/month for some device to unscramble it for me.
smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home

smcallah to nfotiu

Member

to nfotiu
Of course they wouldn't pay for a cable box to receive those channels, that's what the package is about. Basic is cable without a box. That's why it is cheap, because they were giving you the channels anyway since you need a cable signal to get Internet in the first place.

Probitas
@206.248.154.x

Probitas to nfotiu

Anon

to nfotiu
This is how FOX NEWS is able to claim everyone subscribes to their channel. Because you're forced to get it with basic cable. I figure eventually those people would just pull their cable entirely if those fees went up. And they always do.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One to smcallah

MVM

to smcallah
Comcast (at least around here) has gone to all encrypted channels, so even basic cable now requires a box. On the up side, they are required to provide the first box free, and since a cable card counts as a box, it is free. If you use the hdhomerun, you only need 1 card, so no extra fees.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

That must be how it works here, too. Since it is just me, and I can't be in 2 rooms at the same time, my option was to run a long HDMI cable from one room to the where the HD cable box is located and use a switch to select the TV where I am going to be watching.

With a single cable box being free, you can't really save any money by using a cable card. I don't even want to think about the frustrations of attempting to get a cable card paired if something went wrong during the auto-activation.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

I didn't have too much trouble getting the cable card activated. I don't have any other boxes, just the one card in an HDHomeRun. But I've only used it enough to test that it works, and to watch the superbowl. The HTPC handles all of the TV/movies.

thedragonmas
Premium Member
join:2007-12-28
Albany, GA
Netgear R6300 v2
ARRIS SB6180

thedragonmas to smcallah

Premium Member

to smcallah
said by smcallah:

Of course they wouldn't pay for a cable box to receive those channels, that's what the package is about. Basic is cable without a box. That's why it is cheap, because they were giving you the channels anyway since you need a cable signal to get Internet in the first place.

depends on you provider, mediacom went full encrypted here in albany a few months ago, a box is now required for every tv connection. and that includes basic. its $2/ea for an "adapter" that has no other functionaity other than descrambling the channels. welcome back to the 80's!

oh and theyl still charge you a down grade fee (even though theres no need for a truck roll to trap the lines now)

so, if i was to cut the cord, or just switch my tv to sat, id need to pay mediacom an extra $15/mo on internet alone (to me its a b.s. because we can fee.) and since basic tv is $30/mo for 4 OTA channels and the rest religious and home shopping bullcrap. then an extra $2/per tv.. id save about $19/mo by dropping basic and payin the extra $15 "because we can" fee.