Moving-Cut the Cord?

[IPadNParadise]

I will soon be moving so perfect time to try cutting the cord. I have been a Directv customer since 1997. Perfectly happy with it except for the monthly bill. i also have an ATV4k. I am checking all the available streaming services, I want local news and to make sure I don’t miss out on Yellowstone next season. any suggestions for best service?

 

[Beelzbub]

Best service is subject to your needs and wants. If locals are important to you, I would look at services that offer them, as not every streaming service offers locals or has all the locals, and then do a free trial to make sure it will work for you, as well as make notes of what you like and dislike and then I would make your decision based on that. In my area that is YouTube TV & Hulu Live.

Another thing to keep is mind is you will not get every channel you have now, or maybe you will depending what channels you watch. Like you, I was a long time DirecTV customer (20 years), and we cut the cord over a year ago. The first streaming service we went with offered pretty close to all the channels we had with DirecTV except all the locals (we originally went with DirecTV Now which is now AT&T Now I think). We ended up ditching that and went with YouTube TV as it offered all the locals (the main 4), unlimited DVR and 3 streams and it is pretty close to all the channels we had before except Hallmark (which my wife likes) and History (which I like). For us that was not the end of the world when considering how much money we save every month. However we gained a channel I never had before, the Smithsonian Channel, which I have really grown to like. My wife can still watch Hallmark by just downloading their app to the Apple TV and signing up for their service when she wants to watch their movies, which is around this time of the year, and then she shuts it off after the Holidays. And I learned that the few shows I liked on History, I can just buy their new season when it is released on Amazon Prime and watch it that way (Alone & Curse Of Oak Island). And We still come out ahead. I also purchased an entire year of programming with Curiosity Stream for $20 which has a lot of History channel like things minus the reality TV type stuff, lots and lots of documentary and educational stuff. I watched some things on there recently about submarines and the Cold War and was fascinated, well worth the $20 a year subscription.

Plus there are free apps like Pluto TV which offer a wide variety of free TV programming, like right now they have a channel that plays all of the old Adam's Family shows. We were watching that last night when carving pumpkins.

Cutting the the cord is different, but a good different. Your finding different ways to watch TV than what you are accustomed too. It took me a while, but I finally got my parents on board with it, they cut the cord and also went with YouTube TV back in May of this year and like it. I have my in-laws on board now too and they like it. A lot of my co-workers have also went this route and some of my friends, working with a friend right now to help them evaluate different options as they want to cut the cord as well.

 

[mallbritton]

To just add a little bit to @Beelzbub's excellent post, I'd suggest you take a look at https://www.suppose.tv/tv. If live TV is a priority for you, then you can use this tool to select which channels are important to you and choose the live TV streaming service that will best suit your desires.

You might want to consider also going with an OTA antenna and a DVR such as the Tablo. I have one a Tablo Dual tuner and have been very happy with it.

 

[d.steve]

Can't suggest what would be best for you but been very happy with YouTube TV since dumping DirecTV 1.5 years ago. Mostly for local channels, DVR in the cloud, and can watch just about anywhere on just about anything.

Any way, my main point was to find out early what internet options you have in the new place and what data caps, if any, there are. Moving to internet-based TV means significantly increased bandwidth, and bandwidth caps can make this extremely impractical.

 

[IPadNParadise]

Thanks for the very helpful comments. I am in a rural area moving to another rural area. Downsizing so even tho rural, will be moving to city limits. But internet is very important to me and I will watch out for data caps for sure. But rural location will prevent the ability to use OTA.

 

[jeepw5]

I will soon be moving so perfect time to try cutting the cord. I have been a Directv customer since 1997. Perfectly happy with it except for the monthly bill. i also have an ATV4k. I am checking all the available streaming services, I want local news and to make sure I don’t miss out on Yellowstone next season. any suggestions for best service?

ATV has a Paramount app that has Yellowstone

 

[Juicy Box]

I will soon be moving so perfect time to try cutting the cord.

Perfectly happy with it except for the monthly bill.

In addition to others' suggestions, I would recommend the following:

I would do research about what ISPs are in the area you will be moving to.

If you are lucky enough to have more than one ISP available, I would avoid signing up for contracts, take advantage of new customer promotions (the ones without contracts), and switch to the other ISP when the new customer promotion deals expire and the price goes up.

I have been doing this since 2011, and I have saved thousands of $$$$ over the years.

I also recommend going with an internet speed that is appropriate for your usage. Too often are people overpaying for internet speeds that they would hardly ever or never utilize.

ISPs are pushing Gigabit internet on customers, usually pushing their expensive equipment to rent with it.

Why pay for Gigabit if 100Mbps would be more than adequate?

As for data caps, if you are unlucky enough to have an ISP that has them, check your data usage with your old ISP. If you tend to go way over what ever the data cap is with the new ISP, many ISPs with data caps have a flat rate to remove the data cap.

For example, Comcast has some locations that have a data cap enforced. It is a cap of 1TB, and each traditional 50GB is $10, or $50 additional to remove the data cap.

If your new ISP has a similar deal, knowing your average data usage really matters. If you are under 1TB a month, you have nothing to worry about. If you go a little over, you can just pay the $10 per 50GB. If you often go way over the cap, it might be worth paying the extra fee for unlimited.

I am checking all the available streaming services, I want local news and to make sure I don’t miss out on Yellowstone next season. any suggestions for best service?

Some ISPs, such as Verizon FiOS include free clearqam channels, such as local channels with their internet only plans. You just hook up the coax to your TV and use the built in tuner to search for available channels. In my area, this includes many free channels including my local ones.

Sling TV's Blue plan would have everything you requested, local channels and the Paramount channel, and is one of the cheapest Live TV streaming services out there.

 

[Soondae]

Sling TV's Blue plan would have everything you requested, local channels and the Paramount channel, and is one of the cheapest Live TV streaming services out there.
[/QUOTE]
Actually Sling Blue will only give you local FOX and NBC, no CBS or ABC. I subscribe to Sling Blue and since I also am rural OTA is not available for me. So I added my ISP TV App (Spectrum) which is an additional $20 monthly and that gives me all the local programming. I still save with this combination over if I bundled cable but it is close.

 

[SRLMJ23]

Excellent posts by everyone!

I have been with AT&T TV NOW (formerly DirecTV NOW) since the day it came out, and unlike a lot of people, I love it. I am grandfathered on the old "Go Big" package which has more than enough channels for me, and all the channels I watch, and I get free HBO for as long as I am with them. So the free HBO saves me $15 right there, and I only pay $25/month for the service...really cannot beat that! According to AT&T TV's customer service chat, which I have a copy of in case they ever try to screw me, the reason I get free HBO is because I am an AT&T Wireless Customer and get a 25% discount with them because I get a "New York Government Employee" discount because I work at two out the three local hospitals. I am also currently getting free Showtime for a year, so that saves me another $15/month. So $30 saved right up front, plus the 25% discount...I cannot find anything that beats it. Also, the picture on my Samsung OLED TV comes in WAY better than cable ever did, since cable boxes around here at least, are STILL stuck on 720p - which just puzzles me?!?! The sound through my Sony entertainment system is also WAY better than it was when I had cable. I run all of this through my ATV4K in my living room, and my ATVHD in my bedroom.

Though to be fair, when I tried to trial of YouTube TV and Sling, the picture was also excellent on those, along with the sound, but I would have to give the best picture to YouTube TV (even over AT&T TV) since apparently they offer 1080p 60fps on *most* of their channels last I knew. Sports looks amazing in 1080p 60fps! Also, YouTube TV's DVR is better, just because it is unlimited. I get 20 hours with AT&T, and while I do not DVR that much, I can see people who DVR a lot of sports or movies running out rather quickly! I think with AT&T TV, you get two streams with your package, and if you want a third stream you have to pay $5 I believe. That is another thing I get for free for being an AT&T Wireless Customer, a third stream. Now, being a single male who lives alone, the most I ever use is two streams. I might have one going in my living room, and then one going in my bedroom, depending on what I am doing. Or sometimes I have a stream going in my living room and then one on my Mac or iPad in the kitchen when I am cooking. I guess it is nice to know I have the third stream available if I need it...which is very rare.

The issue is that in my area, AT&T TV does not yet have ANY of our local channels. So, I did a chat with AT&T TV customer service, and complained that it has been years and we have zero local channels when the two big cities I am in-between (Syracuse, NY & Albany, NY) have them all. My city, Utica, NY is right on the NYS Thru-Way and only about 40 miles from Syracuse, and about 80-90 miles from Albany. Anyway, I told them I have been extremely patient waiting for them to get local channels, and they tell me that they are working on the contracts now to get the local channels up and running in my area. I am not stupid, I know they are just saying that, as I do not think a customer service rep. would know what contracts are being worked out. Anyway, they ended up crediting my account $7 each month for the cost of CBS All-Access, which does have my local CBS channel, but I do not actually use it.

However, what I do is since I live in a condo building (and am in a unique situation) and the ONLY internet we can get is Spectrum because the building was only wired for cable (and I think they had a deal with Time Warner that carried over with Spectrum to be the only carrier allowed in the building), and they are the only traditional cable provider around here. I use them for internet (obviously) and I also pay them $20/month (technically $13/month because AT&T TV credits my account for $7 for the cost of CBS All-Access) for their TV Choice Package, which includes ALL my local channels, and then 15 channels that I get to pick, plus you get to pick either HBO or Showtime. At the time I did not have Showtime on my AT&T TV account, so I picked Showtime. I would say it is actually better on Spectrum though because you get all the Showtime channels, whereas on AT&T TV, I only get Showtime East. I use the Spectrum services through their Spectrum TV App on ATV's, WAY better picture and sound than a cable box! However, I will watch movies directly in the HBO GO & Showtime Anytime apps because they appear to have slightly better picture and sound in my opinion.

So my breakdown is like this:

AT&T TV NOW=$25.00
Spectrum Internet-400/20=$90.00
Spectrum TV Choice=$13.00

Total=$128.00/month

Some people may look at that and say wow, that is expensive, but when I had everything through Spectrum, my bill was $213-220.00/month or sometimes more because the damn bill changed EVERY month almost, and I changed nothing. That is why Spectrum got in trouble in New York State, among other shady practices.

I will gladly take that $85-92/month savings! Also, if you think about it, the $30/month I save for getting free HBO and Showtime, I am saving $115-122/month!

I guess my point is, maybe you will find a service that has every cable channel you would like, but not your locals channels. There are workarounds, and it appears with AT&T TV shedding so many customers right now, that they will hook you up so you stay with them. I know the prices have gone up on AT&T TV, and I am not even going to pretend like I know which channels are in which packages now, hell, I do not even know the package names anymore.

Also, I RARELY experience these outages that a lot of other people seem to have. Maybe it is because I do not live in a super huge city or something. I have always had a great experience with their customer service chat, however, I always have the chat emailed to me in case they try to pull a fast one on me, I have the proof of what they said and offered! So far I have never had to use a chat transcript because they have always stuck to their word, but it is nice to know I have the proof - if needed.

I am going to guess that some of you are going to accuse me of being an AT&T TV fanboy, and while I do like the service, I was looking at switching to YouTube TV or Sling (I think) not too long ago because they offer my local channels, however, I just feel like I cannot leave AT&T TV when I am grandfathered on the best plan they ever offered and only pay $25/month, and get free HBO (for life) and Showtime for a year, which does not really matter because I get Showtime with the Spectrum TV Choice package.

Now, once college football season is over, because that is basically the only reason I get it, so I can watch my as of right now #3 Ohio State Buckeyes on ABC or Fox and other good games on CBS (SEC games like the Auburn-LSU game this past Saturday), I have a choice to make. Keep the Spectrum TV Choice w/ Showtime or drop it and just get CBS All-Access to watch my local CBS channel for local news and more importantly college basketball and eventually the NCAA Tournament come March Madness. ABC and Fox do not cover basketball, well...Fox has B1G 10 games on sometimes, but nothing like the big ranked matchups (Duke vs. UNC - GO Tar Heels!!!) that ESPN, and CBS cover, plus the conference championship tournaments. Once the tournament gets here CBS's sister channels like TBS, Freeform (I think?), and TNT etc. cover the tournament as well.

As "vertical smile" said above though, do I really need 400/20 internet? Most likely not. I do have a lot of devices all using the internet at once, but the reason I keep the 400/20 is 1. To drop down to 100/10 it costs $75-80/month, so to me that makes no sense, so I just pay the extra $10-15/month to get 300 extra megs download and 10 megs upload, and 2. Spectrum over provisioned my modem, so using the MAS Ookla Speedtest app, I just got 486.33/23.83, which is basically my average. I figure why let that go?

The OP mentioned something about "Yellowstone." My package on AT&T TV has the Paramount Channel, which I just looked now and I can get Season 1 & 2 On Demand through AT&T TV.

I just checked on AT&T TV's website, you would have to get the "MAX" package which is $70/month to get the Paramount TV channel, but does include HBO and Cinemax. They have four other packages that range from $93/month to $135/month. To me that is a ripoff! I am glad I am grandfathered in or I would definitely be switching to a different service.

Anyway, I am sorry for making this post SUPER long, but people do have options to mix different services and STILL save money vs. those damn cable bundles. You just have to do your research, and sometimes get a little lucky like I did with customer service, haha.

Good luck with your search, I hope everything works out for you!

 

[JBGoode]

Excellent posts by everyone!

I have been with AT&T TV NOW (formerly DirecTV NOW) since the day it came out, and unlike a lot of people, I love it. I am grandfathered on the old "Go Big" package which has more than enough channels for me, and all the channels I watch, and I get free HBO for as long as I am with them. So the free HBO saves me $15 right there, and I only pay $25/month for the service...really cannot beat that! According to AT&T TV's customer service chat, which I have a copy of in case they ever try to screw me, the reason I get free HBO is because I am an AT&T Wireless Customer and get a 25% discount with them because I get a "New York Government Employee" discount because I work at two out the three local hospitals. I am also currently getting free Showtime for a year, so that saves me another $15/month. So $30 saved right up front, plus the 25% discount...I cannot find anything that beats it. Also, the picture on my Samsung OLED TV comes in WAY better than cable ever did, since cable boxes around here at least, are STILL stuck on 720p - which just puzzles me?!?! The sound through my Sony entertainment system is also WAY better than it was when I had cable. I run all of this through my ATV4K in my living room, and my ATVHD in my bedroom.

Though to be fair, when I tried to trial of YouTube TV and Sling, the picture was also excellent on those, along with the sound, but I would have to give the best picture to YouTube TV (even over AT&T TV) since apparently they offer 1080p 60fps on *most* of their channels last I knew. Sports looks amazing in 1080p 60fps! Also, YouTube TV's DVR is better, just because it is unlimited. I get 20 hours with AT&T, and while I do not DVR that much, I can see people who DVR a lot of sports or movies running out rather quickly! I think with AT&T TV, you get two streams with your package, and if you want a third stream you have to pay $5 I believe. That is another thing I get for free for being an AT&T Wireless Customer, a third stream. Now, being a single male who lives alone, the most I ever use is two streams. I might have one going in my living room, and then one going in my bedroom, depending on what I am doing. Or sometimes I have a stream going in my living room and then one on my Mac or iPad in the kitchen when I am cooking. I guess it is nice to know I have the third stream available if I need it...which is very rare.

The issue is that in my area, AT&T TV does not yet have ANY of our local channels. So, I did a chat with AT&T TV customer service, and complained that it has been years and we have zero local channels when the two big cities I am in-between (Syracuse, NY & Albany, NY) have them all. My city, Utica, NY is right on the NYS Thru-Way and only about 40 miles from Syracuse, and about 80-90 miles from Albany. Anyway, I told them I have been extremely patient waiting for them to get local channels, and they tell me that they are working on the contracts now to get the local channels up and running in my area. I am not stupid, I know they are just saying that, as I do not think a customer service rep. would know what contracts are being worked out. Anyway, they ended up crediting my account $7 each month for the cost of CBS All-Access, which does have my local CBS channel, but I do not actually use it.

However, what I do is since I live in a condo building (and am in a unique situation) and the ONLY internet we can get is Spectrum because the building was only wired for cable (and I think they had a deal with Time Warner that carried over with Spectrum to be the only carrier allowed in the building), and they are the only traditional cable provider around here. I use them for internet (obviously) and I also pay them $20/month (technically $13/month because AT&T TV credits my account for $7 for the cost of CBS All-Access) for their TV Choice Package, which includes ALL my local channels, and then 15 channels that I get to pick, plus you get to pick either HBO or Showtime. At the time I did not have Showtime on my AT&T TV account, so I picked Showtime. I would say it is actually better on Spectrum though because you get all the Showtime channels, whereas on AT&T TV, I only get Showtime East. I use the Spectrum services through their Spectrum TV App on ATV's, WAY better picture and sound than a cable box! However, I will watch movies directly in the HBO GO & Showtime Anytime apps because they appear to have slightly better picture and sound in my opinion.

So my breakdown is like this:

AT&T TV NOW=$25.00
Spectrum Internet-400/20=$90.00
Spectrum TV Choice=$13.00

Total=$128.00/month

Some people may look at that and say wow, that is expensive, but when I had everything through Spectrum, my bill was $213-220.00/month or sometimes more because the damn bill changed EVERY month almost, and I changed nothing. That is why Spectrum got in trouble in New York State, among other shady practices.

I will gladly take that $85-92/month savings! Also, if you think about it, the $30/month I save for getting free HBO and Showtime, I am saving $115-122/month!

I guess my point is, maybe you will find a service that has every cable channel you would like, but not your locals channels. There are workarounds, and it appears with AT&T TV shedding so many customers right now, that they will hook you up so you stay with them. I know the prices have gone up on AT&T TV, and I am not even going to pretend like I know which channels are in which packages now, hell, I do not even know the package names anymore.

Also, I RARELY experience these outages that a lot of other people seem to have. Maybe it is because I do not live in a super huge city or something. I have always had a great experience with their customer service chat, however, I always have the chat emailed to me in case they try to pull a fast one on me, I have the proof of what they said and offered! So far I have never had to use a chat transcript because they have always stuck to their word, but it is nice to know I have the proof - if needed.

I am going to guess that some of you are going to accuse me of being an AT&T TV fanboy, and while I do like the service, I was looking at switching to YouTube TV or Sling (I think) not too long ago because they offer my local channels, however, I just feel like I cannot leave AT&T TV when I am grandfathered on the best plan they ever offered and only pay $25/month, and get free HBO (for life) and Showtime for a year, which does not really matter because I get Showtime with the Spectrum TV Choice package.

Now, once college football season is over, because that is basically the only reason I get it, so I can watch my as of right now #3 Ohio State Buckeyes on ABC or Fox and other good games on CBS (SEC games like the Auburn-LSU game this past Saturday), I have a choice to make. Keep the Spectrum TV Choice w/ Showtime or drop it and just get CBS All-Access to watch my local CBS channel for local news and more importantly college basketball and eventually the NCAA Tournament come March Madness. ABC and Fox do not cover basketball, well...Fox has B1G 10 games on sometimes, but nothing like the big ranked matchups (Duke vs. UNC - GO Tar Heels!!!) that ESPN, and CBS cover, plus the conference championship tournaments. Once the tournament gets here CBS's sister channels like TBS, Freeform (I think?), and TNT etc. cover the tournament as well.

As "vertical smile" said above though, do I really need 400/20 internet? Most likely not. I do have a lot of devices all using the internet at once, but the reason I keep the 400/20 is 1. To drop down to 100/10 it costs $75-80/month, so to me that makes no sense, so I just pay the extra $10-15/month to get 300 extra megs download and 10 megs upload, and 2. Spectrum over provisioned my modem, so using the MAS Ookla Speedtest app, I just got 486.33/23.83, which is basically my average. I figure why let that go?

The OP mentioned something about "Yellowstone." My package on AT&T TV has the Paramount Channel, which I just looked now and I can get Season 1 & 2 On Demand through AT&T TV.

I just checked on AT&T TV's website, you would have to get the "MAX" package which is $70/month to get the Paramount TV channel, but does include HBO and Cinemax. They have four other packages that range from $93/month to $135/month. To me that is a ripoff! I am glad I am grandfathered in or I would definitely be switching to a different service.

Anyway, I am sorry for making this post SUPER long, but people do have options to mix different services and STILL save money vs. those damn cable bundles. You just have to do your research, and sometimes get a little lucky like I did with customer service, haha.

Good luck with your search, I hope everything works out for you!

Just wanted to say hi, neighbor---I live in Rome. I see you guys got a little flooding last night!

P.S. Spectrum is raising their rates again this month per the little note on my last statement. (although it may not have an effect on your package)

 

[SRLMJ23]

Just wanted to say hi, neighbor---I live in Rome. I see you guys got a little flooding last night!

P.S. Spectrum is raising their rates again this month per the little note on my last statement. (although it may not have an effect on your package)

Hey, how are you doing? How did Rome fare yesterday into early today?

Are you ready for some 30mph sustained winds, and 60mph wind gusts later today? According to Dark Sky, now until about 3:00-4:00PM will be the worst.

Back on topic. I just talked to Spectrum earlier this week and the TV Choice package I have will remain $20.00 for the foreseeable future. Obviously, at some point they will probably raise it, but hopefully that will be when I do not really need it anymore!

I was also told my internet will be staying the same price, so I am happy about that.

I have to say, I am somewhat surprised to find someone that lives literally 10-15 minutes away, if you hop on route 49!

I was in another thread about how cold it is getting, and there is someone in there that lives somewhat close by, in the Catskills somewhere.

Check it out: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/uh-it’s-cold.2097791/page-31?post=27934207#post-27934207

Post #752 and then I responded at post #755.

You should get in on that thread, haha.

Anyway, nice meeting someone who actually knows the area. I originally grew up in Holland Patent, which is even closer to Rome.

Keep in touch!!!

 

[JBGoode]

Hey, how are you doing? How did Rome fare yesterday into early today?

Are you ready for some 30mph sustained winds, and 60mph wind gusts later today? According to Dark Sky, now until about 3:00-4:00PM will be the worst.

Back on topic. I just talked to Spectrum earlier this week and the TV Choice package I have will remain $20.00 for the foreseeable future. Obviously, at some point they will probably raise it, but hopefully that will be when I do not really need it anymore!

I was also told my internet will be staying the same price, so I am happy about that.

I have to say, I am somewhat surprised to find someone that lives literally 10-15 minutes away, if you hop on route 49!

I was in another thread about how cold it is getting, and there is someone in there that lives somewhat close by, in the Catskills somewhere.

Check it out: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/uh-it’s-cold.2097791/page-31?post=27934207#post-27934207

Post #752 and then I responded at post #755.

You should get in on that thread, haha.

Anyway, nice meeting someone who actually knows the area. I originally grew up in Holland Patent, which is even closer to Rome.

Keep in touch!!!

Doing great! We got a lot of rain yesterday/last night but don't believe there's been any flooding in the area--at least not that I've heard-- but yes, it's windy as hell out!

I actually just moved back to Rome from the Utica area last year so we were even closer at one point!

Just looked at my last Spectrum bill and it says my internet is going up by $4 and TV by $1. What do you get for the TV Choice package? I have only the streaming app as well, but am paying 29.99 for all local channels plus a bunch of other channels (mostly stuff you can pick up w/a good antenna) as well as 10 cable channels of my choosing (which I can change up if desired). I'm ok with the price but if I can save 17 bucks....

Nice 'talking' to you and I'll check out that other thread!

 

[maflynn]

Here's the thing I had to deal with. To cut the cord, you need an internet provider for my locale that's Comcast. The price of internet only service was not that much cheaper than a bundled solution. That is, getting internet + one or two streaming services was more expensive than sticking with Comcast for both internet and tv.

The problem seems to be worse now, because back when I tried it, there were only a handful of streaming services. Do I really need Disney +, Apple TV+, CBS all access, NBC's soon to be released streaming, the food network's streaming, Hulu, etc etc?

 

[SRLMJ23]

Doing great! We got a lot of rain yesterday/last night but don't believe there's been any flooding in the area--at least not that I've heard-- but yes, it's windy as hell out!

I actually just moved back to Rome from the Utica area last year so we were even closer at one point!

Just looked at my last Spectrum bill and it says my internet is going up by $4 and TV by $1. What do you get for the TV Choice package? I have only the streaming app as well, but am paying 29.99 for all local channels plus a bunch of other channels (mostly stuff you can pick up w/a good antenna) as well as 10 cable channels of my choosing (which I can change up if desired). I'm ok with the price but if I can save 10 bucks....

Nice 'talking' to you and I'll check out that other thread!

Glad to hear flooding has not effected you! Crazy that we really did live that much closer!

With the TV Choice Package you get all your local channels (obviously) and then you get to pick 15 channels of your choosing. Also, you get to choose either HBO or Showtime.

I know for a fact that you qualify for this plan, because it was part of Spectrums settlement with New York State, so Spectrum did not get kicked out of the state. You could just call up and say "hey, a buddy told me about this plan for NYS residents, and I am interested." They will most likely transfer you to a special department that handles just these cases. Check it out!

PS: I see a lot of the school are closed around our area. Now...I am not sure about you, but when I was younger, they were not cancelling school because it was going to be windy out! Now, if these schools do not have power, that is a completely different issue. I see even my Alma Mater, Holland Patent Central School District is closed.

 

[JBGoode]

Glad to hear flooding has not effected you! Crazy that we really did live that much closer!

With the TV Choice Package you get all your local channels (obviously) and then you get to pick 15 channels of your choosing. Also, you get to choose either HBO or Showtime.

I know for a fact that you qualify for this plan, because it was part of Spectrums settlement with New York State, so Spectrum did not get kicked out of the state. You could just call up and say "hey, a buddy told me about this plan for NYS residents, and I am interested." They will most likely transfer you to a special department that handles just these cases. Check it out!

Thanks! This wasn't even mentioned to me when I dumped my cable with the box in June....that's Spectrum for ya!

 

[SRLMJ23]

Thanks! This wasn't even mentioned to me when I dumped my cable with the box in June....that's Spectrum for ya!

Of course they didn't! It was part of the settlement with NYS, they hid it on the last page (I think) of your March 2019 bill and were hoping that most people would not even see the offer. If you pull up your March 2019 bill on the Spectrum website in .PDF, you will see it in there.

Just reference that and you are set. It is your right, under the settlement to get that offer/package.

 

[JBGoode]

Of course they didn't! It was part of the settlement with NYS, they hid it on the last page (I think) of your March 2019 bill and were hoping that most people would not even see the offer. If you pull up your March 2019 bill on the Spectrum website in .PDF, you will see it in there.

Just reference that and you are set. It is your right, under the settlement to get that offer/package.

Hmmm....my March bill does indeed have a special offer but it's different than yours. Mine is offering either 3 months of HBO or 6 months of Showtime per 'our agreement with the State of New York'. Perhaps the offer was dependent on the service I was receiving? At the time I was on their introductory 1 year internet/TV/phone for $99 bucks. I dropped it when the offer expired and just kept internet and streaming app which is costing me $105 month. Ehhh...not a big deal. I watch so little TV lately I'm thinking of dropping the streaming app. I already have Netflix/HBO/Amazon and I probably spend the most time watching free YouTube videos anyway.

 

[SRLMJ23]

Hmmm....my March bill does indeed have a special offer but it's different than yours. Mine is offering either 3 months of HBO or 6 months of Showtime per 'our agreement with the State of New York'. Perhaps the offer was dependent on the service I was receiving? At the time I was on their introductory 1 year internet/TV/phone for $99 bucks. I dropped it when the offer expired and just kept internet and streaming app which is costing me $105 month. Ehhh...not a big deal. I watch so little TV lately I'm thinking of dropping the streaming app. I already have Netflix/HBO/Amazon and I probably spend the most time watching free YouTube videos anyway.

Apparently that is what they want you to think, because when I called up and talked to the girl in that department, she explained to me that you pick HBO or Showtime, and then you pick your 15 other channels. It has nothing to do with the service you were receiving, this is an offer for all NYS residents because Spectrum was doing some shady things...charging people for services that they did not even have...not telling people straight up that if you changed from "Time Warner" pricing to "Spectrum" pricing, you would save quite a bit of money, however, YOU (the customer) had to literally call and tell them that you wanted the Spectrum pricing...that is shady to me. Then there was the issue I had, with the ever changing bill...every month almost my bill changed, sometimes a few bucks which was no issue, I just figured some new tax or fee, but sometimes it went up $10-15/month...I called them so many times, and they always fixed it because I literally never changed any services!

Call and see, it cannot hurt!

Here are some nice picture of Downtown Utica/East Utica and the Mohawk Valley looking Due-East, this morning at Sunrise. You can see the storm moving in on the right of the first picture. Taken on my 11 Pro Max!

Edit: Some of the pictures are not all facing due-East. Just wanted to clarify that.

Ultra Wide:

1x:

1x:
:

2x:

 

[AlliFlowers]

We were finally able to get YoutubeTV, and after a week dumped both ATT TV and DirecTV, which we've had for close to 20 years. The only thing missing is the CW, but that seems to be an issue in a lot of markets.

 

[JBGoode]

Apparently that is what they want you to think, because when I called up and talked to the girl in that department, she explained to me that you pick HBO or Showtime, and then you pick your 15 other channels. It has nothing to do with the service you were receiving, this is an offer for all NYS residents because Spectrum was doing some shady things...charging people for services that they did not even have...not telling people straight up that if you changed from "Time Warner" pricing to "Spectrum" pricing, you would save quite a bit of money, however, YOU (the customer) had to literally call and tell them that you wanted the Spectrum pricing...that is shady to me. Then there was the issue I had, with the ever changing bill...every month almost my bill changed, sometimes a few bucks which was no issue, I just figured some new tax or fee, but sometimes it went up $10-15/month...I called them so many times, and they always fixed it because I literally never changed any services!

Call and see, it cannot hurt!

Here are some nice picture of Downtown Utica/East Utica and the Mohawk Valley looking Due-East, this morning at Sunrise. You can see the storm moving in on the right of the first picture. Taken on my 11 Pro Max!

Edit: Some of the pictures are not all facing due-East. Just wanted to clarify that.

Ultra Wide:

View attachment 874212

1x:
View attachment 874213


1x:
:View attachment 874214



2x:
View attachment 874215

Thanks- yeah, I'll call them probably--I just hate dealing with Spectrum customer service!

Those are nice pics! I was just watching WKTV and they were talking about school closings, evacuations in Frankfort and Whitesboro. What a mess! I've been working from home for a long time and usually don't have to deal with that crap--one of the best perks for sure!
[automerge]1572615223[/automerge]

 

[SRLMJ23]

Thanks- yeah, I'll call them probably--I just hate dealing with Spectrum customer service!

Those are nice pics! I was just watching WKTV and they were talking about school closings, evacuations in Frankfort and Whitesboro. What a mess! I've been working from home for a long time and usually don't have to deal with that crap--one of the best perks for sure!
[automerge]1572615223[/automerge]

Yes, I saw WKTV when they were talking about the evacuations in Whitesboro, Frankfort, Ilion, and Herkimer...forget that!

Stupid thing to wonder about when I have tons of other things going on in my life, but I am wondering why Holland Patent is closed. There is no river or creek there to flood, my guess is either there is no power, or they are afraid they will get all the students there and when the wind gets worse, they will lose power and with the temps dropping that would not be good with no heat. Like I said, I grew up in Holland Patent and I can tell you during severe thunderstorms or extreme wind, the Village of Holland Patent loses power quite a bit, as I lived right on Park Avenue right in the Village across from "The Village Green" aka the park, haha. I never recall ANY of the schools losing power, especially the high school. Another reason might just be that they do not want students driving in such crap weather?

I am off today through Monday, first four-day "vacation" I have had in a LONG time, but of course someone had to call me way earlier just to ask two very simple questions, ahhhhh! I just have a feeling I am going to get called in at some point.

I WOULD LOVE TO WORK FROM HOME!

Back to the topic, so we do not hijack this thread:

Are you currently just with Spectrum, or do you have other services?

If you go up to post #9, which I wrote like a damn essay! I tell about how I have my services set-up, and it may possibly help you out, and/or give you some other ideas. It is long, but give it a read.

 

[JBGoode]

Yes, I saw WKTV when they were talking about the evacuations in Whitesboro, Frankfort, Ilion, and Herkimer...forget that!

Stupid thing to wonder about when I have tons of other things going on in my life, but I am wondering why Holland Patent is closed. There is no river or creek there to flood, my guess is either there is no power, or they are afraid they will get all the students there and when the wind gets worse, they will lose power and with the temps dropping that would not be good with no heat. Like I said, I grew up in Holland Patent and I can tell you during severe thunderstorms or extreme wind, the Village of Holland Patent loses power quite a bit, as I lived right on Park Avenue right in the Village across from "The Village Green" aka the park, haha. I never recall ANY of the schools losing power, especially the high school. Another reason might just be that they do not want students driving in such crap weather?

I am off today through Monday, first four-day "vacation" I have had in a LONG time, but of course someone had to call me way earlier just to ask two very simple questions, ahhhhh! I just have a feeling I am going to get called in at some point.

I WOULD LOVE TO WORK FROM HOME!

Back to the topic, so we do not hijack this thread:

Are you currently just with Spectrum, or do you have other services?

If you go up to post #9, which I wrote like a damn essay! I tell about how I have my services set-up, and it may possibly help you out, and/or give you some other ideas. It is long, but give it a read.

Other than Spectrum I have Netflix, Amazon, HBO Now (which I’ll probably drop)and I plan to get Disney. I’ve contemplated YouTube TV...my brother just got that and said it’s good.

I also like Pluto TV which is free with commercials. I can always find at least one interesting show or movie to watch....and they have a 24 hour channel of just old Mystery Science Theater 3000 if you like those. It reminds me of watching cable TV in the 90s early 2000s with the lineup of old shows and movies.

 

[SRLMJ23]

Other than Spectrum I have Netflix, Amazon, HBO Now (which I’ll probably drop)and I plan to get Disney. I’ve contemplated YouTube TV...my brother just got that and said it’s good.

I also like Pluto TV which is free with commercials. I can always find at least one interesting show or movie to watch....and they have a 24 hour channel of just old Mystery Science Theater 3000 if you like those. It reminds me of watching cable TV in the 90s early 2000s with the lineup of old shows and movies.

Would you ever consider AT&T TV NOW (aka DirecTV NOW) or that just out of the question? If you have AT&T as your wireless provider, it is worth it right there, as you will see in post #9 all the benefits I get towards AT&T TV NOW just for being an AT&T wireless customer.

My guess is, since you live in Central New York, you most likely have Verizon?

Anyway, I can probably help you get something setup if you give me a max budget and channels you MUST have. Why don't you send me a Private Message. We can discuss things there further, and discuss our hometown area more without fear of a moderator saying we are taking the thread off topic, haha!

 

[jeyf]

Mid summer I called the internet provider here and they lowered rates from $85 to 65. god bless them... maybe.

All that I can add is some local tv news channels, for free, stream content too. We watch the morning news some what consistently.

 

[Volusia]

Check out an antenna. There are several sites that will tell you what you can received via an antenna based on zip code. I get all local networks stations and hence, local news via antenna.