Time Warner Phone Call (Page 3): I steer clear of packages and cable and just pay my BBC 'license' fee of £150.00, (£50.00 black and white - they still offer a B&W option even though...

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I steer clear of packages and cable and just pay my BBC 'license' fee of £150.00, (£50.00 black and white - they still offer a B&W option even though the programmes are all colour).
I like most of the BBC programming and some of the national radio. Landline and mobile separate.
Free to over 75's - but I've a way to go to take advantage.

They used to have a series called 'Grumpy Old Men' (and a shorter lived 'Grumpy old Women'). Whilst I sympathise with most of your complaints, Jerry, if they resurrect the programme I'll nominate you as the North American correspondent. I think you'd make a valuable asset.

agillot

try costco , they sell att / direct tv .so , tv , computers , house phone , $ 134 , for 2 years .was paying 240 with cox !!! for similar plan .

Boomer Jim Loc: Newcastle Okla

Check out YouTube TV. It is not for everybody, but it has all the sports channals. You pay $150 for the equipment and $40 a month plus tax.

ggttc Loc: TN

Just have Roku...Netflix, Hulu and Amazon prime run about $30 a month...plus Roku has tons of free channels, even one devoted to photography....

Hedge neighbor

We have not dropped cable yet but are getting close. More and more we are finding that YouTube has all the variety of programming that we want.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

Elsiss wrote:

Jerry, just yesterday, the merger was rejected by New York State and Spectrum is being booted out of the state. It was all over the news.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/nyregion/new-york-spectrum-charter-cable-broadband.html

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Graveman wrote:

No more than I watched TV I couldn't justify paying for more than 5 or 6 channels so I just dropped it. That was about 30 years ago and I haven't missed it at all.

Years ago, a guy I worked with didn't buy a color TV because he got only two channels. So he preferred to watch them in B&W?

jgunkler

For phones please check out Ooma. After purchasing the reasonably priced box you pay only the monthly federal taxes (still less than $5/mo. for us now.) And the box is portable. Take it with you when you travel, connect it to the internet, and have your "home phone" number wherever you are!

suntouched wrote:

I am considering dropping TV as well. It is bundle... (show quote)

DJ Mills Loc: Idaho

Michael1079 wrote:

Went thru the same woes. Decided thst we didn't watch enough tv to warrant nearly 200 dollars a month. Dropped it all and just have internet now. Don't miss it at all...
Good luck!

Ditto.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

I spent half an hour on the phone with Spectrum ye... (show quote)

For the most part, all the cable companies, and Verizon FIOS, Direct TV NOW, Hulu, and all the others pretty much have you over a barrel. If you want to watch TV, you are going to pay for it. I'm not to far from you Jerry, and down here Optimum is the only cable service in my Town. You can also get Verizon FIOS, and with the 3 service bundle price for new customers it would cut my current bill, but once they add all of the taxes, surcharges, special equipment fees, I'm not really sure what the actual savings would be a month. Then I would have to go through the hassle of changing my email address to Verizon and notifying who knows how many people, doctors, insurance companies, forums, yada-yada-yada of my new email address, and that would be a real hassle.

I don't watch that much broadcast TV on local channels. I looked at the HD Antenna, but I live outside range of the NYC zone, and it would only pickup one (1) channel, so that is not an option. I checked out DirectTV Now, Hulu, and a couple of the other services out there that advertise cut the cord, its cheaper than cable. Well not really... as I said, I don't watch much broadcast local TV. I would need to get BOTH DirectTV Now and HULU to get all of the channels that I watch... and I am talking about channels like Smithsonian Channel, History Channel, Discovery, etc, and it would cost $80 a month for both of those services, plus taxes and fees they would charge.

Then, if I cut TV service from my Optimum service, the cost for internet would go up $5 a month, and phone would go up $20 a month because then I would not get the discount for all three services. Add up the new cost for internet and phone, and the cost for the other TV services, once you add taxes and whatever fees they charge, it will be just about the same.

Like I said, these companies got you, and they know it. I have checked out the options in my area, as my bill keeps going up and up. The next increase will put it over $200 a month. I already cut my cell service by about 2/3's, and was hoping to cut the other ones as well, but it doesn't look like that is possible unless I drop something. And to top it all off, when I called Optimum and inquired if there was any discount they would give to long time customers (32 years), the rep said no, that if I wanted to reduce my bill I would have to drop some service's that I currently get. When I complained that they give new subscribers all three service's for $79.99 a year for two years, why don't they do anything for those customers that have been with them over 30 years, the rep again said that if I wanted to reduce my monthly bill I would have to subscribe to a lesser plan.

I am alone, so I do like to watch the shows that I enjoy, and also sports... it does help pass the time at night. Its all a game to the companies providing these services, because as others have said, why do you have to pay for 200 channels and maybe you might only watch 30 or 40 channels at most. Why can't you pay ala-cart get the channels you want and that's it? All these companies are in cahoots with one company carrying some channels, another company carry some different channels, and another one carrying other channels. I guess that's the price I have to pay to watch what I enjoy watching.

wideangle Loc: Wisconsin

If you can live with only local stations, you might find getting a booster antenna to pick up your local stations an easy way. Local are still free. It depends how far you are from a broadcast area.

PeterDragon Loc: Harlan, KY - Kona, HI - Phoenix, AZ

Jerry, I have only internet and Amazon prime and have everything I need. You can watch Thursday night football also starting the upcoming season. This is the best option that I've found.

Peterdragon

jerryc41 wrote:

I spent half an hour on the phone with Spectrum ye... (show quote)

Diocletian

jerryc41 wrote:

I spent half an hour on the phone with Spectrum ye... (show quote)

Just add netflix and/or Amazon Prime

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

They have competition it is wireless companies. With the speed they are getting now they are going to eliminate hard wire and if Cable companies don't do something soon they will be out of business.

Hot spot you phone to a smart tv and subscribe to sling or netflix, money saved on unlimited plans.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Vince68 wrote:

For the most part, all the cable companies, and Verizon FIOS, Direct TV NOW, Hulu, and all the others pretty much have you over a barrel. If you want to watch TV, you are going to pay for it. I'm not to far from you Jerry, and down here Optimum is the only cable service in my Town. You can also get Verizon FIOS, and with the 3 service bundle price for new customers it would cut my current bill, but once they add all of the taxes, surcharges, special equipment fees, I'm not really sure what the actual savings would be a month. Then I would have to go through the hassle of changing my email address to Verizon and notifying who knows how many people, doctors, insurance companies, forums, yada-yada-yada of my new email address, and that would be a real hassle.

I don't watch that much broadcast TV on local channels. I looked at the HD Antenna, but I live outside range of the NYC zone, and it would only pickup one (1) channel, so that is not an option. I checked out DirectTV Now, Hulu, and a couple of the other services out there that advertise cut the cord, its cheaper than cable. Well not really... as I said, I don't watch much broadcast local TV. I would need to get BOTH DirectTV Now and HULU to get all of the channels that I watch... and I am talking about channels like Smithsonian Channel, History Channel, Discovery, etc, and it would cost $80 a month for both of those services, plus taxes and fees they would charge.

Then, if I cut TV service from my Optimum service, the cost for internet would go up $5 a month, and phone would go up $20 a month because then I would not get the discount for all three services. Add up the new cost for internet and phone, and the cost for the other TV services, once you add taxes and whatever fees they charge, it will be just about the same.

Like I said, these companies got you, and they know it. I have checked out the options in my area, as my bill keeps going up and up. The next increase will put it over $200 a month. I already cut my cell service by about 2/3's, and was hoping to cut the other ones as well, but it doesn't look like that is possible unless I drop something. And to top it all off, when I called Optimum and inquired if there was any discount they would give to long time customers (32 years), the rep said no, that if I wanted to reduce my bill I would have to drop some service's that I currently get. When I complained that they give new subscribers all three service's for $79.99 a year for two years, why don't they do anything for those customers that have been with them over 30 years, the rep again said that if I wanted to reduce my monthly bill I would have to subscribe to a lesser plan.

I am alone, so I do like to watch the shows that I enjoy, and also sports... it does help pass the time at night. Its all a game to the companies providing these services, because as others have said, why do you have to pay for 200 channels and maybe you might only watch 30 or 40 channels at most. Why can't you pay ala-cart get the channels you want and that's it? All these companies are in cahoots with one company carrying some channels, another company carry some different channels, and another one carrying other channels. I guess that's the price I have to pay to watch what I enjoy watching.

For the most part, all the cable companies, and Ve... (show quote)

With Optimum, I'm guessing you're in Dutchess County.

I've considered eliminating our landline, but that's a big step. The cell phone would always have to be turned and operational. Mine hasn't been operational for several days, but my new one is arriving today - two days early.