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

[thekkfan]

Directv Now nows sucks on Roku. They have botched the app, not sure who their developers are, but they need training. Guide takes forever to load if it loads, no last channel recall.

I have switched to Hulu live because of it (and their last rate hike), as well as having direct access to channel specific apps (ie. Discovery, FoxNow, NG, etc). I waited for over a year for directv now to be listed as a 'provider' when trying to activate these additional apps. Hulu (and others) are listed without issue activating.

 

[hawkeye08]

I have always known about OTA but only now with the cable price increases and the available OTA channels does make more sense. What antenna do you have and how far out are you from the broadcast stations?

I think it is a radio shack, I have it in storage area above laundry room (inside house), we get about a dozen stations, but could get more if I was willing to put up better antenna (there are stations 3 directions from us, I am sort of aimed in one direction and pick up the stations also behind the antenna, the 3rd direction I can't get unless I change the antenna direction. We get ABC/CBS/NBC/PBS/ION and some others.. Some of the TV towers are 11miles, some about 15, some about 35. I am getting most of the channels from the 11 and 15 miles away.

Our newer Samsung TV also has a bunch of internet channels (hardly ever watch them), as well as the normal netflix, amazon, hulu, vudu and so on.. Daughter has Netflix (she lives with us), I have Amazon prime, use the free vudu, watched a few google movies.

 

[AllDodge]

Just a data point, this is ours.View attachment 594586

Looks like your new, so just wait until the promo period is gone

 

[TnAndy]

Looks like your new, so just wait until the promo period is gone

I think the 'welcome pak' is the lowest one they have, anyone can get it....it just leaves off a few channels we enjoy while putting a bunch on there we never watch. Plus he didn't have local channels, which makes both our bills 12 bucks/mo higher.

Honestly, IF I can get local OTA (I'm gonna have to go with outside, and way up in the air + rotor), I'll leave Dish. We can get enough with Netflix/etc for far less per month. I bought a pretty good Channel Master antenna, and played with it some on a 20' hunk of pipe off the deck, but come warmer weather, I'm building a 40-50' tower on the back end of the garage which will give me another 30-40' of elevation over the level I was testing the antenna few weeks back. Going to be kind of a major build, so I'm waiting on some warmer weather.

When we first signed up with Dish many years ago, they had 'a-la-carte' pricing, but they did away with it. I think in the long run, they're gonna have to go back to it because of competition. I wouldn't mind paying 12 bucks for local, and 5/mo for the 5-6 channels we really do watch. I resent being forced to pay for all the crap I don't watch.

 

[techman]

I have had dish for many years. 1 1/2 years ago they bumped me from $ 75 to over $ 100. I called and complained and after waiting and transfers I was able to get them to lower my bill back to mid $70s (new subscriber rate). In January that ran out ( forgot it was an 18 month deal) and I saw my charge for $ 138. I called and threatened to cancel, and after long debates and conversations with the "retention" department they agreed to lower it back to $85, with no commitment, but for only 6 mos. I mentioned streaming and they tried to argue that my internet cost should be considered in my comparisons. I said I would be paying for internet in any case and did not consider it part of my tv cost, but they still tried. I ended up going with Playstation Vue. Their top tier (w/o premiums) is $60/mo no contract, up to 5 simultaneous streams and full dvr capability. It has all of the channels we watch, except for one, History. So far it has been great, good HD quality and DVR works great even with simultaneous shows. Even has local channels, except PBS which we get OTA. I also looked at Philo for streaming. No locals but up to 57 channels for $ 20/mo.

I am waiting for cable or sat to offer true a-la-carte channel selection since we only watch about 10 or so channels. But to get those we needed the top tier to get them. Someone smart will eventually do it and not force feed you a bunch of stuff you don't watch.

Paul

 

[AllDodge]

Guess I could go to welcome pak and lose syfy, FX and HDMV for another $12 savings, but those are the few for us that actually make paying. Still a bunch of coin for a lot of junk

 

[ning]

Looks like your new, so just wait until the promo period is gone

We've have dish since 2005.

 

[ning]

I think the 'welcome pak' is the lowest one they have, anyone can get it....it just leaves off a few channels we enjoy while putting a bunch on there we never watch. Plus he didn't have local channels, which makes both our bills 12 bucks/mo higher.

Honestly, IF I can get local OTA (I'm gonna have to go with outside, and way up in the air + rotor), I'll leave Dish. We can get enough with Netflix/etc for far less per month. I bought a pretty good Channel Master antenna, and played with it some on a 20' hunk of pipe off the deck, but come warmer weather, I'm building a 40-50' tower on the back end of the garage which will give me another 30-40' of elevation over the level I was testing the antenna few weeks back. Going to be kind of a major build, so I'm waiting on some warmer weather.

When we first signed up with Dish many years ago, they had 'a-la-carte' pricing, but they did away with it. I think in the long run, they're gonna have to go back to it because of competition. I wouldn't mind paying 12 bucks for local, and 5/mo for the 5-6 channels we really do watch. I resent being forced to pay for all the crap I don't watch.

Welcome pack includes locals, and isn't available any more, it's grandfathered.

 

[AllDodge]

Welcome pack includes locals, and isn't available any more, it's grandfathered.

My bad with your first post, but appears your bad with this one
Was just on the Dish sight prior to my last post and Welcome, Smart and Flex
Welcome Pack | English Programming | MyDISH | DISH Customer Support

 

[TnAndy]

We've have dish since 2005.

Been with them since mid-90's