I'm seriously thinking about getting rid of our cable tv

Much wisdom in the above post... Thanks Webdog!!!

 

We're dropping cable on January 6th at 10 am...I have it in my scheduler. We decided to it since our cable service is ridiculously expensive, we don't watch a 1/10 of the channels, there isn't anything we watch that we can't get online for free or over our netflix subscription, and once NCAA is over I'm pretty done with sports until next September anyways.

I will say that I waste too much time watching television, though my DVR has helped tremendously to compress that time during the evenings.

When we start up again, probably in the fall, we'll probably do the dish. More HD offerings. Should be good saving the bucks while we don't have it too.

There's just too many other options to get our content over the internet and other options. The only thing I'll miss is my hockey, but since our cable service dropped the hockey channel from HD to non-HD it has bolstered our decision.

Let me know if you need a list of internet options for content.

 

:laugh:

It's one thing for the programming to be bad, because you generally know which channels aren't going to have the kind of programming you want to see, or want your kids to see. But, even on "good" channels, you'll get commercials that are worse than the programming you're trying to avoid in the first place.

 

The frustrating thing about cable is that I have about 100 or so channels, yet about 80 of those channels are either pure filth, or at the very least of absolutly no use or interest to me whatsoever.

But I really want the few I like.

All the sports channels of course, the Weather channel, news channels, KET (The PBS TV in my state), Discovery channel, History channel, A and E, Animal Planet, the christian channels, etc.


:thumbs:

 

You can get all those choices with a dish, at least I do, and put parental control on the baddies. Also all the sports channels.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Same here, Jim. We've got Dish Network and parental control has been set on everything over a certain rating (don't remember what it is right now). Plus, you can block any channels you don't want to see.

 

Now there's a good point!

One thing I've noticed now that we haven't had cable for several years, is how the content has gotten worse on regular sitcoms. Once in a while we'll see TV at family's house, and we can't believe how much more "junk" is allowed to pass now, compared to a few years ago.

 

My wife and I have never had it... don't want to spend money on something with 150 channels and nothing on.

We have Netflix! No commercials, and we can watch it whenever we want!

 

Jim,

Some questions:

1) I've heard that you cant get the "local" channels on the dish. I live too far away to get the local channels with rabbit ears. Is it true you cant get the local channels?

2) I know some people who live way out in the sticks and they complain about the reception sometimes. Does the reception come and go?

3) What about recording things to DVD? I record a lot of things to DVD while I am at work. Can you do that with the dish?


:godisgood:

 

As someone who just came from dish, I can answer these:

1. Depends on the area. We had local stations on ours for free, but there may be a fee.

2. Reception is only bad if there are trees in the line of the dish's trajectory, heavy rain / cloud cover, or snow and ice on the dish, or problems with individual stations.

3. I believe you can request a DVR (I'm assuming this is what you mean), or buy your own. Shows can be recorded to a DVR.

 

This just struck me as funny since we also had satellite at one time.

"The reception is bad if there" is.....................weather! :laugh:

It's true!

 

The only time we've had problems receiving with the dish is during heavy rain.

 

I haven't had cable for years, but for the past couple of years I have been using Sky Angel (www.skyangel.com). I first used them on satellite and now I use their IPTV product. I'm pretty happy with them and you can't beat it for $24.99 a month. Mostly we use it for the kids programming, but I also enjoy being able to watch some of the old classics that are on some stations.

 

) I've heard that you cant get the "local" channels on the dish. I live too far away to get the local channels with rabbit ears. Is it true you cant get the local channels?

We get 4 local stations on our dish.

2) I know some people who live way out in the sticks and they complain about the reception sometimes. Does the reception come and go?

We ar out in the sticks,,100 acre estate, 1/4 mile off the roadway, through 18 acres of woods, 3 acres of woods behind us. If we want to see neighbours,,must climb on roof of house. Far enough out in sticks?

We get very good reception....except in severe wet snow storms when we must sweep the dish. Otherwise, no problems.

3) What about recording things to DVD? I record a lot of things to DVD while I am at work. Can you do that with the dish?

Wife tapes loads of things without any problem. Just means that I can't watch other stations when she is taping.

Cheers,

Jim

 

If you don't have a newer TV with a digital ATSC tuner, you must have one of three things after the digital switchover next month:

• Cable
• Satellite (DISH or Direct)
• A digital converter box

Otherwise, no more TV at all.

 

I agree

This is definitely a matter of personal conviction. In my mind it isn't necessarily the amount of tv, but what you are watching. If you believe you are tempted to watch inappropriate content, perhaps it would be best for you to eliminate it....definitely a personal issue.

 

All tellies have a switch that says off/on or change channels. Personally I love the Animal Planet,history station, and I can get all the Brit shows. Love some of the old shows and they are available as well such as Murder She Wrote.

Cheers,

Jim

PS. I have a few stations on ban and I can't change that cos I forget my password!:laugh:

 

With pay TV, it's a little more than that. Portions of your monthly fees go to the content providers. So whether or not you are actually watching programming you deem bad, you're giving your money to it.

 

Bologna. You are giving your money in exchange for programming. What they do with the money after it leaves your hand is between them and God. I get so tired of this mindframe "if you shop at.....you are paying for abortions", or "if you go to Disney, you are supporting homosexuality". Pure legalism.