Cord Cutters:

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

there is a new trend being talked about widely call cord cutting. These are young folk who either elect to never sign up for cable or satellite or cancel service.

Instead, all of their content is from streaming providers like Vudu.

My family joined these ranks in 2012, ditching our satellite svc-provider. My son got a new TV for his thirteenth birthday last weekend. I ran a cat-5 cable into his room from the DSL modem/router we have and he was up and running in the space of minutes. No need to pay for another set-top box. His TV came with all the web-apps built in with remote access.

I was wondering if other folks out here are using Vudu as a part of a cord cutting lifestyle like we are. For me, there is just so much content available from streaming that it seems pointless to pay $100.00+ per month for even more. I can live w/o live sporting events to save $100.00+ per month.

[MoWeb]

Re: Cord Cutters:

there is a new trend being talked about widely call cord cutting. These are young folk who either elect to never sign up for cable or satellite or cancel service.

Instead, all of their content is from streaming providers like Vudu.

My family joined these ranks in 2012, ditching our satellite svc-provider. My son got a new TV for his thirteenth birthday last weekend. I ran a cat-5 cable into his room from the DSL modem/router we have and he was up and running in the space of minutes. No need to pay for another set-top box. His TV came with all the web-apps built in with remote access.

I was wondering if other folks out here are using Vudu as a part of a cord cutting lifestyle like we are. For me, there is just so much content available from streaming that it seems pointless to pay $100.00+ per month for even more. I can live w/o live sporting events to save $100.00+ per month.

I "cut the cord" before cord cutting became popular or the thing to do. In 2006 D!%$ Network kept increasing our monthly bill and I told them it's getting too expensive for what they have. They suggested I go to the lower tier and they would give it to me for 6 months at a discount. I told them your lower tier sucks and it's definitely not worth paying for. I cancelled, put an antenna on the roof, and haven't looked back. Then along comes Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, now I will never have cable or satellite again. At first I missed my sports but now I completely over that. Vudu is just icing on the cake.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Cord Cutters:

I "cut the cord" before cord cutting became popular or the thing to do. In 2006 D!%$ Network kept increasing our monthly bill and I told them it's getting too expensive for what they have. They suggested I go to the lower tier and they would give it to me for 6 months at a discount. I told them your lower tier sucks and it's definitely not worth paying for. I cancelled, put an antenna on the roof, and haven't looked back. Then along comes Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, now I will never have cable or satellite again. At first I missed my sports but now I completely over that. Vudu is just icing on the cake.

Right, an HD antenna will pipe in almost all sporting events of consequence anyway. Ten dollars one time fee. WAYYYYYYY cheaper then $100.00+ per month for perpetuity.

I am not really that smart. I knew I could not of been the only one to have figured this out.

[Squatting Hen]

Re: Cord Cutters:

As soon as my cable company catches on to the ridiculous deal I have with them, I will be without cable. I have a bundled service of cable, internet and home phone, but we don't even have a phone plugged in. We pay, total with taxes $108 a month for 35 mbps up and down, the top HD package with Showtime, NFL RedZone, TMC and so on with a HD DVR and a home phone. We have been at this price for almost three years, but every month when I get the bill I am worried that my credits will be gone and it will be double the normal amount.

I have basically been using Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and Vudu as my primary entertainment choices for almost two years now even though we have cable. Mainly on cable we watch Disney Jr.

So I am ready...

[jeremymc7]

Re: Cord Cutters:

I never really did it. But I did run the numbers for myself.

In my case it was actually just as expensive if not somewhat cheaper to "cut the cord" and buy the programming I wanted on Vudu than to pay a large flat fee each more even if I wasn't watching anything or if it was re-run season. And I could still keep all (or much) of my programming on MY terms.

Side benefit was that I owned the programming.

Never switched as: Vudu didn't have quite enough of the programing I watched. Some of what they did carry had holes in it or was unpredictable when it would be added after first airing. Owning was nice side benefit but not a big deal as there are few TV programs I watch more than once. Things like sports and such are none issue as I either don't watch or could be had off air to fill the gaps.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Cord Cutters:

As soon as my cable company catches on to the ridiculous deal I have with them, I will be without cable. I have a bundled service of cable, internet and home phone, but we don't even have a phone plugged in. We pay, total with taxes $108 a month for 35 mbps up and down, the top HD package with Showtime, NFL RedZone, TMC and so on with a HD DVR and a home phone. We have been at this price for almost three years, but every month when I get the bill I am worried that my credits will be gone and it will be double the normal amount.

I have basically been using Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and Vudu as my primary entertainment choices for almost two years now even though we have cable. Mainly on cable we watch Disney Jr.

So I am ready...

with no clunky equipment from an MSO, the streaming providers like Vudu provide the whole home DVR feature. I love it.

For what the MSO providers do with heavy lifting hardware, streaming providers do effortlessly and at a fraction of the cost.

[LuzRinggold]

Re: Cord Cutters:

I bought a digital antenna a few weeks ago for one of my TVs that isn't hooked up to satellite. This TV is in my office and is the TV I watch the most. I use both the antenna and my Roku device on it (plus a Blu-ray player) is hooked up.

Getting the antenna was almost like getting free cable! I can't believe how many digital channels we have available here!

We have not done away with Dish Network because we watch the Spanish channels and the kids watch Animal Planet and a couple of the children's channels. We simply are not to the point were we are ready to cut the cord yet, but when the right Roku channels come along we probably will.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Cord Cutters:

I bought a digital antenna a few weeks ago for one of my TVs that isn't hooked up to satellite. This TV is in my office and is the TV I watch the most. I use both the antenna and my Roku device on it (plus a Blu-ray player) is hooked up.

Getting the antenna was almost like getting free cable! I can't believe how many digital channels we have available here!

We have not done away with Dish Network because we watch the Spanish channels and the kids watch Animal Planet and a couple of the children's channels. We simply are not to the point were we are ready to cut the cord yet, but when the right Roku channels come along we probably will.

two new additions:

1. PBS Channel
2. Smithsonian Channel

I watch those several times per week. Add to this the Weather Underground to check my forecast.

[Squatting Hen]

Re: Cord Cutters:

two new additions:

1. PBS Channel
2. Smithsonian Channel

I watch those several times per week. Add to this the Weather Underground to check my forecast.

We also use our Roku daily. PBS Kids is great too, if you have little ones.

Like I said, when our bill goes up we plan on having internet only. Right now though, the price we pay is very cheap, and an internet only plan wouldn't save us all that much.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Cord Cutters:

Owning was nice side benefit but not a big deal as there are few TV programs I watch more than once.

Generally I agree with you. I do have some exceptions of series which have high replayability:

1. Game of Thrones
2. True Blood
3. Stargate SG-1
4. Star Trek - tNG
5. BBC Nature
6. Star Wars - The Clone Wars
7. Dexter

I would like to own all of these, but have yet to be able to collect the capital necessary. Maybe someday.

All are waiting patiently in my Wish-List for an opportunity for me to strike.

[nyunole]

Re: Cord Cutters:

I like sports too much to cut the cord. My fianc? likes FoodTV, Syfy, and a few others.

Premium movie channels, however, were long ago dumped. Mild pain when everyone is talking about the latest episode of Game of Thrones (or whatever), but I just pick up the Blu-rays (with UV copy) when available.

They are really gonna squeeze sports fans. Online feeds like the Olympics and ESPN3 only work if you subscribe to a participating cable/satellite provider.

[woodrowjr]

Re: Cord Cutters:

My wife and I have just decided to cut the cord. I will miss some of the sports mainly the Detroit Tigers game. I might have to resort to getting a proxy or using a slingbox (this device is awesome!).

It is not worth paying 80-100 dollars a month for how much we watch TV, when mostly we watch network television anyway. With Breaking Bad and Dexter ending it made it even easier.

Plus with the money we are saving it is easier to buy series such as The Walking Dead.

[echopulse]

Re: Cord Cutters:

Yes, I haven't been a cable subscriber in many years. I currently get expanded basic through my apartment, but I don't pay for it. I would cut it if I could, but since it's free, I use it, but only for Fox news, For shows, I use Netflix, Hulu, or torrents.

[Walter-S_North_Carolina]

Re: Cord Cutters:

My wife and I have just decided to cut the cord. I will miss some of the sports mainly the Detroit Tigers game. I might have to resort to getting a proxy or using a slingbox (this device is awesome!).

It is not worth paying 80-100 dollars a month for how much we watch TV, when mostly we watch network television anyway. With Breaking Bad and Dexter ending it made it even easier.

Plus with the money we are saving it is easier to buy series such as The Walking Dead.

The decision came about for us when we realized there was simply no way we were ever going to watch all the content available to us. Both my wife and I work. My eldest son is on a year round swim team. Our youngest son is in Boy Scouts. Plus, both boys are busy with school work.

We simply do not have enough free time to watch everything. The $100+ monthly bill disappearing did not even register as a loss in entertainment.

My youngest son has forgotten about commercials. He hasn't seen one in over a year except for when he goes to his friends' houses or to his grandparent's.

Instead, he has $100,000,000 - $400,000,000 full length major motion pictures, plus the smorgasbord SVoD providers offer all at his fingertips piped into the plasma flat screen on demand.

When I was growing up, I was entertained by acting school dropouts with sock puppets on PBS.

[Speedaddict81]

Re: Cord Cutters:

When I was growing up, I was entertained by acting school dropouts with sock puppets on PBS.

This explains a lot! Are you familiar with a 'Mr. Green Jeans'?

I, too, have basically cut the cable cord (aside from the fact that they are the only HSI provider in my area). I would love to see the full gamut of programs and channels available online without such a subscription, as both my wife and I enjoy content from SyFy, Science channel, TLC, and the like, which are increasingly hard to find legally online for free (Hulu Plus now requires a cable subscription for our favorite SyFy shows). We have both Netflix streaming and Hulu Plus, and even with a Blu-Ray Netflix subscription together the cost is nowhere near that of Cable.

I also appreciate that I am not lured into watching hours of generally pointless content...once, I watched the DIY network for 6 hours straight, just waiting for them to actually teach me how to do something myself. Turns out the station should be called, "watch how a professional helps someone else 'Do-it-themself' without actually walking you through the steps".