What Satellite & Cable Companies are doing as a Result of Cord Cutting

[aczlan]

I would classify a smart phone as a need. You have to keep up with the times to run a successful business. Sure if you’re retired you might not need a phone, but good luck keeping up with everything that needs done without one. A flip phone would be a step better than nothing but a smart phone offers a lot more communication than just calling. You might not NEED indoor plumbing either but things are a lot better with it.

I would not be without one and I am more efficient with one, but I know several businessmen who choose to only have a flip phone and they do well in their enterprises...

Aaron Z

 

[paulfun9]

I bet youæ±*e either retired or nearing retirement age and have worked the same job for decades.

Retired but I still own and oversee a few separate business endeavors. As for working the same job for decades it was construction all around the country and still didn稚 have a need for a cell phone. It痴 not a need it痴 a want and with better planning from the start you could most likely drop it like a hot potato also.

 

[MossRoad]

The only things you "need" are food, water, and shelter.

But holy cow.... it's pretty simplistic to say no one needs a smart phone.

 

[ultrarunner]

It was an issue at work me not having one... I did carry a company pager for years for emergencies and it never failed to work anywhere.

I tried a phone but when I found I had no coverage where I live... in the shadow of a hill... it decided I could save a lot by dropping it.

Had the last pager at work... when they dropped the service I was OK... the boss said they needed my cell since I wouldn't have a pager... when I said I don't own a cell... I was told to get one... I asked what the allowance is for a cell and was told there isn't one... as everyone has a cell these days... sure but what good is a cell if it doesn't work where I spend half my time each week?

So company provided one with a thousand forever minutes for $100... that 1000 minutes would last about a year... but now about 90 days as I can be anywhere in the hospital and get 10 calls or texts which is 1 minute daily...

 

[goeduck]

What do Satellite & Cable Companies have to do with cutting a cord of wood?

 

[paulfun9]

What some seem to be saying here is... I cut the cord or gave up tv altogether and if you dont do likewise is because you are weak and needy. Same goes for those who do not own a smartphone.

Not what I am saying at all.
I am saying that if more people would view it differently the costs would have never got so out of hand.

But people sure seem to be upset that I have no need for a smart phone!

 

[paulfun9]

I learned being on the country with acreage is one thing... not have cell, HD satellite, TV or Internet SEVERELY impacts the property value and pool of those with the means and desire.

At the time my home was built in 1978 it was $75 to hook up... cable was going through the neighborhood signing everyone up for a flat fee.

Previous owner booted them off the property and I understand...

Fast forward 25 years and it has severely limited my options.

That $75 hook up was now 15k mostly due to county regs... all new had to be underground and it took a full on boring crew several days to make it happen... amazing how they did it and really a great job...

My choice was pay in full at the time or pay $290 monthly under contract.

I too could car less about TV... but having a good phone line with cable and business Internet has been well worth it.

My last two tenants... a consulting physician and more recently a structural engineer required Internet or it was a no-go.

It would have been free to let them run thier line threw here. Maybe if that company would have not had such poor buisness practices in the past I might have let them run it threw and save the people on the other side lots of money as they had to pay to get it run around. But as far as property value goes I doubt it has affected ours much if at all. If it did I still wouldn稚 care as I plan to be here till the end and those in line when I pass can easily take care of themselves.
You add to my point about a want or need for 15,000 I simply don稚 need it. If I were to offer a place to rent here I would be happy to tell someone they won稚 be happy here and they should move into town or seek out a place with those things they want or have to have for work because as long as I am alive they won稚 be able to get them here.

Simplistic as someone called me Yes, sometimes. Happy and content Yes, Always!

 

[ultrarunner]

I get it... never lived in a home with cable and I still have rabbit ears on the old Zenith 25" console... and rotary dial phone...

Managing residential rentals since 1982 has been eye opening as to how the other half live... there was a time when a 1000 square feet rental house would have 4 phone lines... and the phone company had to use line splitters to get more lines in to the old 1920 neighborhoods...

Fast forward and NOT A SINGLE ONE of these rental homes in 2019 have a landline... not a one yet in the 1980's the phone company ran out of Landlines.

Also seems never ending merry go round of providers... I manage single family and apts and an individual address with have several satellite dishes, comcast, u-verse and tenants are always switching service providers...

My landline number is the same since 1982... I have tenants with a dozen new phone numbers in 5 years... not exaggerating...

Well... at least I no longer have to go on the roof to install TV antennas!

Those with the most entertainment packages and sports channels are almost exclusively Section 8 families...

 

[goeduck]

I can get a decent number of TV stations free over the air according to this site:

Over-the-Air Digital TV Antenna Coverage Map

And it looks like there are a number of different outdoor antennas available these days. Does anyone have experience in choosing an outdoor antenna and what would be the recommendation?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/search...=outdoor tv antennas for long range reception

 

[AllDodge]

Your link just shows the USA map. Tell us where the towers are in reference to you and about how far away

If your in a metro area you can use an old style rabbit ears, or just a simple indoor one. The market is pushing the digital antennas but the old style analog ones work just fine without issue. If you don't have one, then agree, find one that specifies the range you need. If your within 20 miles, don't get a 70 mile one.

Look at where the transmission towers are. If they are close enough and in different directions, get a omni (non-directional) antenna. This will allow signals to be picked up in different directions. If they are further, then you may need to get a directional one and a rotor