Looks like more and more Americans are cutting the cord. Four hundred thousand since the start of the year. We did it two and a half years ago and have not missed it. Les Jones is a cord cutter too, and is still getting basic channels because he’s a cable internet customer. I have a FiOS for Business circuit which powers the blog and my home office, but no TV service. When I cut the cord, I didn’t think it was worth 100 bucks a month. Now I don’t think it’s worth 50.
9 thoughts on “Starve the Beast”
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I would if I could get Fox News broadcast feed any other way. Anyone know an alternative way to get FN??? They stream some bits but not the main programs.
I admit that I am a little irritated we can’t watch the Olympics streaming events because we cut the cord. But, I agree that it’s not worth it over the long term.
I should add that it’s the first time I’ve ever been frustrated by the lack of cable.
I’m pretty sure we’re going to cut the cord when our “year of discounts” is up come Christmas.
Now if we could just get more people to cut the cord with the IRS.
I cut the cord something like fifteen years ago. (Middle of Babylon 5’s fifth season whenever that was…) Haven’t really missed it.
I cut the cord about a year ago. I occasionally miss it- I’d like to watch more of the olympics, and occasional other sporting events, but it’s not worth $1000/yr.
The thing is I’d be willing to pay plenty for those events if we’d unbundle them. The current TV model is a relic of analog television networks, and it’s no longer relevant or necessary in the modern era of streaming video. Instead, the media corporations have become cartels that maintain tight control over their product, trying to squeeze every last dime out of a fading business model instead of giving in to market demand.
The MPAA and RIAA like to blame piracy for their ills. I doubt the cable networks are far behind. In truth, they aren’t offering the convenience and the service the modern consumer demands, so many turn to alternative sources to get what they want. The RIAA begrudgingly gave in to online music downloads. With more people looking for ways to trim their budgets and realizing that pay TV just isn’t worth it, maybe finally the cable companies will start to get with the program.
I have been Internet-only for perhaps ten years, even “basic” package is too much money for me.
But I watch television shows. Not much of the “premium” (HBO, CineMax, SHO, etc), true, but a number of “over-the-air” entertainment shows are available a few hours after broadcast. Including some non-US shows such as “Vera,” a non-BBC show acout an Inspector in the police, and “the Listener” about a partial-telepath (!) working with Vancouver police, and 13 years worth of a show rhat recently ended “Blue Heelers” about rural/suburban police in Australia.
I suppose if Usenet dies I will have to get some more limited substitute. I have heard some (Roku??) are fairly cheap per month.
I’ve tried to deal with the asswipes at directv about trading the stuff I don’t watch for a deal on the 20 or so channels I watch. They put channels like Discovery & History channels in the top tier group so it’s $80.00 a month for the stuff I watch I offered to trade them all the sports, religion, shopping, foreign language, baby, cnn & the rest of this ilk for the stuff I want. They tell me Oh! so sorry but we don’t offer anything ala cart. What about Playboy & the other porno channels I ask. I can buy those singly & by the hour if I want. Somehow they don’t have an answer for that. They don’t make those decisions.
Call and say you want to end your directv service. You’ll be bounced to some specialist who’s job is to keep you from cutting the cord. They’ll offer you all sorts of deals. You may be able to negotiate with this person.
I had to run the gauntlet of special offers to be permitted to end my service. You might stand a chance of getting what you want with this gambit, but they might call your bluff, too.