Jerk off mostly. That occupies a good portion of the evening right there.

3/2/2011 11:00:07 AM

I am really REALLY thinking about doing this. Who is the best internet provider that you guys are using?

I figure TWCs $33 a month deal is going to be the best bet, but I want some options.

We are moving this week and cable, internet, hd and dvr is going to run us around $110. Also, where did you guys get your antennas from?

5/9/2011 8:52:25 PM

I built my antenna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8jsDxNgHn4



We've got the RR Wideband split between 4 people, but regular TWC is fine. $10 for my Netflix and $8 a month for Hulu+ (I don't share).


For me, it costs about $48 a month. If I were paying for RR by myself, $118 per month.

5/9/2011 9:14:18 PM

I also built an antenna, the coat hanger variety. In Cary I get every HD signal around with rarely a problem. If the weather is funky sometimes the WUNC signal will get a little weird but that happens maybe once a month, if that often.

I pay $45 for Uverse 12/1.5 (which my employer pays for since I work from home) which includes ESPN3 access. $8 for Netflix streaming to my Apple TV 2. Then whatever I download or buy/rent through iTunes. Really don't miss paying $80 / month for a full cable package...

5/10/2011 8:28:41 AM

so after you build one of these you just hook it up to the back of your TV and thats it? You dont need any other kind of converter box, etc.?

5/10/2011 10:16:57 AM

Yeah having a coat hanger sticking out of the back of your TV really classes up your living room

5/10/2011 10:21:59 AM

Fuck Time Warner, they pissed me off for the last time three years ago. I now have a Terk HD antenna that hooks me up with network channels in HD. I have a PC monitor output splitter so I can either sit at my computer desk when on the computer or switch the feed over to my 40" flat screen. For all my sporting needs I watch a stream off of myp2pforum.eu, for movies I have netflix, for games I have gamefly, and for tv shows I download the bittorrent the next day. That's more than enough entertainment for me.

The hardest thing is finding a replacement for road runner, I started a thread on this a few years back. A 4G Clear modem for your desktop works well if you are inside the beltline, other than that the only success I've had has been with AT&T DSL which was fast and flawless.

5/10/2011 10:55:13 AM

netflix ($10) + comcast internet (espn3) ($30) + online streams for soccer + $25 HD anntenna = all i need

5/10/2011 11:21:03 AM

Quote :

"so after you build one of these you just hook it up to the back of your TV and thats it? You dont need any other kind of converter box, etc.?"

5/10/2011 12:00:55 PM

I cut the cord a couple of times for quite a while.

It's called being fucking poor and realizing this is a huge fucking unnecessary luxury.

5/10/2011 9:09:16 PM

^^ correct. the antenna i made (linked on the first page) has a transformer connected to a coaxial cable that plugs straight into back of the tv.

[Edited on May 10, 2011 at 11:09 PM. Reason : it's a freaking miracle. coat hangers to tv channels.]

5/10/2011 11:00:33 PM

Ok, I'm going to give this a go starting tomorrow. I just signed up for Hulu+ and I'm going to call and cancel my TWC cable package today before I leave work.

I have an AppleTV1 & XBOX360 in our playroom and an AppleTV2 in my bedroom. The plan is to set them up tonight to get Hulu running. I'll pull the OTA local channels with an antenna. The true test will be my wife and all of her reality shows she watches. I would have done this years ago but she is throwing a wrench into things with these shows.

Anyone recently made the switch and have any input or pointers?

7/26/2011 1:05:30 PM

Once my price lock runs out I think I'm going to. I figured between nba league pass, pack pass, espn3, and one or two other avenues I should be able to handle the majority of sports I want to catch.

7/26/2011 1:33:21 PM

I completely dropped cable a couple months ago. Got a WDTV Live Plus for downstairs. I did get a Netflix subscription but I don't know if it's worth it. I rarely use it but my roommate does pretty often so I keep it.

I have SickBeard setup with SABnzbd using my Astraweb newsgroup account to automatically download the shows we watch. The Astraweb account is $11/month and good for downloading anything, not just TV shows. You can add another $12 one time fee for a NZBmatrix account that makes searching for shit a lot easier and reduces the delay between airing and downloading.

Shows are generally downloaded within an hour of them airing, in HD, with commercials already cut out of them. Any show that comes up on TheTVDB can be set to be automatically downloaded (which is pretty much everything).

I have an HD antenna setup downstairs but I don't think we've used it even once since dropping cable. We don't watch any sports so I don't know what you would do about that, but for general TV, this setup is awesome.

7/26/2011 1:48:44 PM

I'd think not being able to watch sports would be an issue for most

7/26/2011 1:55:17 PM

^ Yeah the real problem is college sports. I love just having random college football and basketball games on in the background all day on saturday, Without ESPN this is a lot harder and while specific schools have packages for web, Theres not as good packages for leagues or conferences as much as the pros.

7/26/2011 2:13:03 PM

I called Mediacom about a week ago to disconnect my cable and upgrade my internet.

Motherfuckers want to charge me more than they charge new customers for internet, so fuck 'em. I told them to disconnect everything. I'll just use my iPhone as a mobile WiFi hotspot. I'll be eligible for new customer pricing in 90 days, although I will likely be spending a lot of this summer out of town, so it possibly could be the fall before I have everything hooked back up.

On cellular data, it isn't really practical to stream TV. No matter, I don't think I'll miss TV much at all.

[Edited on April 1, 2014 at 11:54 PM. Reason : ]

4/1/2014 11:51:40 PM

Quote :

"I called Mediacom"

Who?

Where do you live?

4/4/2014 4:33:44 PM

This still relevant for anyone? Moving into a new place in a few weeks and thinking about cutting the cord. Raleigh area, suggestions for the best-of-the-worst ISPs?

9/25/2014 10:08:39 AM

This is what I did when I moved from my apartment where cable was paid for:

1) Got the standard (15M) internet with timewarner ($35/mo, have my own modem). In the meantime just netflix/Hulu'ing it up.
2) Waited for football season to start, called TWC and politely told them that I'm satisfied with my service and would like to add cable because i want to watch football. Explicitly asked for ESPNU and NFL network
3) Was told the best they could offer was the preferred package for $50/mo + cable box fee. Told them that I could get better on DirectTV ($30/mo for ESPN/NFL network)
4) Waited a few days, and then started receiving a phone calls from TWC customer service, telling me that for a limited time, they'd offer discount pricing (maybe like 10-20%) but including HBO/SHO/Cinemax for free for a year. Told them it wasn't good enough and that I really only cared about football.
5) Waited about another 3-4 days when I got a "promotional offer in my area" for 30M internet and Preferred HD TV w/ Sports for $80.

I'll just wait until college FB season is over, then cancel the TV and go back to 15M internet.

tl;dr is to call them showing interest, but play hard to get. Probably just like when you have to call them after 1 year because they've raised your rates and you threaten to leave them and they're like "lol ok"

[Edited on September 26, 2014 at 12:05 PM. Reason : ]

9/26/2014 12:03:04 PM

Went through with the cord cutting, and haven't really felt any impact on my life at all other than college football watching. Miss having that up on a TV during the day on Saturdays. Any suggestions on this one for a workaround or other services anyone uses?

10/22/2014 11:46:54 AM

i have not had cable since 2006 when i lived at the college inn and it was part of the rent

10/22/2014 2:04:18 PM

I feel like there's a thread on this in Tech Talk

10/22/2014 2:58:13 PM

^^^ antenna + someone's watchespn password will get you pretty much everything. chromecast is convenient for less official streaming.

[Edited on October 22, 2014 at 5:05 PM. Reason : a]

10/22/2014 5:04:59 PM

If the game isn't on WatchESPN or local TV, you can always watch it on first row sports and airplay it up to the TV. The quality isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing. I cut the cord two years ago and it's been great.

10/23/2014 6:26:14 AM

Fuck yes.

Quote :

"Sling TV L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), today announced that it will launch Sling TV, a live, over-the-top television service, to customers nationwide in the first quarter of 2015. Sling TV will deliver live sports, lifestyle, family, news and information channels, Video-On-Demand entertainment and the best of online video to broadband-connected devices at home and on-the-go. Priced at $20 per month, the service will require no commitment, contract, credit check or hardware installation. Supported Internet-connected devices for Sling TV are expected to include Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google’s Nexus Player, select LG Smart TVs, Roku players, Roku TV models, select Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Mac and PC. Sling TV expects to announce its availability on additional streaming devices and smart TVs in the coming months. “Sling TV provides a viable alternative for live television to the millennial audience,” said Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and CEO. “This service gives millions of consumers a new consideration for pay-TV; Sling TV fills a void for an underserved audience.” “Consumers can now watch their favorite shows on their favorite devices that they already use to watch video. Live television, including ESPN, for $20 per month with no commitment or contract, is a game changer,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV. “The arrival of Sling TV lets consumers, who’ve embraced services like Netflix and Hulu, take more control of their video entertainment experience.” What to watch on Sling TV At launch, Sling TV is offering a core programming package with live and Video-On-Demand shows, sports, movies and online video, as well as two optional add-on packs. Priced at $20 per month, “The Best of Live TV” core package includes 12 Nielsen-rated sports, lifestyle, family and news networks: ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ABC Family and CNN. This package additionally features an array of Video-On-Demand entertainment and the best of online video with unique content from Maker Studios, the global leader in online short-form video. Consumers can tailor their experience with add-on packs for access to additional programming, at $5 per month. Sling TV will offer a “Kids Extra” add-on with Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, Baby TV and Duck TV, and a “News & Info Extra” add-on with HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY and Bloomberg TV. A “Sports Extra” package is coming soon. Sling TV expects to expand its core package, Video-On-Demand content, online video and add-on packs throughout 2015."

http://about.dish.com/press-release/products-and-services/sling-tv-launch-live-over-top-service-20-month-watch-tvs-tablets

http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/dishs-sling-tv-caters-to-cord-cutters-with-espn-cnn-adult-swim-and-more/

1/5/2015 5:33:03 PM

^that's pretty much all i need to finally cut the cord.

1/5/2015 5:36:36 PM

We dropped cable TV a little over 2 years ago and it's been great. The only thing I've really missed so far is the NCAA tournament, which I've watched using the basic channel lineup that comes over the coax to everyone. It's a horrible feed; I really don't remember SD being this bad. Hopefully they roll this out before March.

1/5/2015 5:48:56 PM

so how long before ISPs like TWC & Comcast intentionally slow down users who cut the cable for a service like this? I know this already happens on some level with netflix & hulu

1/5/2015 10:41:34 PM

I had been a cord cutter for 5 years until a month or so ago. Really missed some of the live sports and got a great deal on cable. I'm considering dropping cable for the slingtv.

^^ ncaa.com has had free streaming of all the tournament games on their website for several years now.

1/6/2015 8:34:11 AM