Cable Conundrum

[LivingAlmostLarge]

So we have internet for $65 a month with the only cable/internet company we have. Can you say monopoly? And we use so many GB of data averaging 200 GB we can't just use cell phones.

So right now we have amazon prime to watch and use an antenna to watch regular shows. But my kids are asking about disney jr and nick jr. They would love to watch shows. We allow 1-2 shows a day, usually one in morning and one in the afternoon before dinner. Otherwise the TV isn't on. DH and I barely have time to watch tv so we usually turn on TV maybe 1 show a night if that. DH does like to watch sports and with the antenna he's got trouble catching all channels. We have the best flat antenna out there for "cord cutters".

Anyway a friend suggested SlingTV for watching disney jr but it's $25/month. $20 for slingtv and $5 for kids package. But I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper for us to just get a regular cable box for $25/month then we'd have local channels and stuff like TBS, USA, Disney/Nick jr etc for the same price?

We wouldn't have to worry about streaming? The question right now isn't should we spend the $25/month, because I think we're coming around to indulging the kids a little. Cost less than buying the stupid shows on amazon. But what's the most cost efficient way?

My friends who are getting slingtv do it out of principal because it cost them the same as regular cable but they hate the cable company and won't give them a penny more than internet. Because I said $25/month is as much as adding cable and they said they had run the numbers and it's about the same honestly.

Thoughts? Experiences? Cutting our internet can't happen and we're stuck with only one company providing service.

[Nutria]

And we use so many GB of data averaging 200 GB we can't just use cell phones.

That conclusion doesn't doesn't follow from that premise.

Anyway a friend suggested SlingTV for watching disney jr but it's $25/month. $20 for slingtv and $5 for kids package. But I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper for us to just get a regular cable box for $25/month then we'd have local channels and stuff like TBS, USA, Disney/Nick jr etc for the same price?

How many commercials on Disney Jr? (We pay extra to not waste 30% of our time, and to shield our children from them.)

Also, you'd have to buy a streaming media player like Chromecast dongle ($35), Amazon Fire TV ($85) or Roku ($50+).

[FLA]

can you get PBS with the antenna and have the kids watch PBS kids? They have pretty good shows and no commercials. And then borrow DVDs of popular Disney and Nick shows from the library.

[dawnwes]

Can you find any of those shows online to stream?

We went without cable for 4 years. We did survive, but we didn't get the best signal via antenna, so we eventually added cable back. It is around $35/mo more than just internet and we decided to just put it back in the budget.

I hope you can find a solution.

[JoeP]

FWIW, we get everything we want from antenna and Netflix.

This is sometimes a difficult conversation, but think about life with TV cut way back. It is easy to consider "normal" to be hundreds of stations and sports and movies, and then reject ideas that dial those back even a little. We've not only accepted less TV variety, but have actually embraced it. So this year we are walking the dogs more, getting into gardening, and vowing to do more together as a family.

[rennigade]

So we have internet for $65 a month with the only cable/internet company we have. Can you say monopoly? And we use so many GB of data averaging 200 GB we can't just use cell phones.

$65/month is cheaper than setting up an entire infrastructure...renting existing cable lines that blanket an entire city, buying all the necessary hardware that supports the backbone, etc etc.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Can't get PBS. No we'd have to pay for a service to stream the computer to our tv. I can't recall but the friends with Sling pay for that as well. Going cable cutting isn't cheaper necessarily they said it's the principal that you aren't paying a cable company.

Nutria we use more internet than our cell phone plan. And on an unlimited plan it would cost more than we use. We already have a roku so we aren't buying it.

JoeP, how do you watch sports? Our reception is poor with the wave antenna, but we are without cable right now.

Dawnes we've been without cable since 2012. But the kids are getting older and they asked about disney jr since they get to see it at other people's houses. Before our antenna worked okay where we lived. Here it's terrible for some reason we can't get all the channels like Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC. We're pretty lucky to get 1 in 4. My DH has tried moving it around since we use to get it before but i guess where we live it doesn't work well.

rennigade $65 I guess is cheap for internet since we do use a lot.

[Nutria]

Nutria we use more internet than our cell phone plan. And on an unlimited plan it would cost more than we use.

Too far out in the boonies for cable internet?

[rennigade]

rennigade $65 I guess is cheap for internet since we do use a lot.

Yeah...im not trying to bust your chops. I try to view things a little different when it comes to that...especially when people think they're overpaying.

Take a snow crab for instance. They're not that cheap by the pound...but consider what it took to get that crab to the grocery store....dozens of people, millions of dollars in equipment and thousands of miles of transport. Hell someone may have even died getting that dumb crab for you. Im surprised a snow crab isnt about $300/lb.

In your case you're stuck since you do not have options. I get mad too at comcast for paying around $55/month for internet...although last month I did download almost 2tb of data. Thank god there arent restrictions in my area.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

We have cable we used to have FIOS which my DH prefers. I have to say our cable keeps going out as well. Ugh.

[JoeP]

JoeP, how do you watch sports? Our reception is poor with the wave antenna, but we are without cable right now.

We don't watch sports, it is just something we're not into.

As far as antenna, do you have the correct type? Go to tvfool.com and see the frequencies and directions. It also helps to put your antenna outdoors.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Got the recommended antenna but never been placed outside.

[JoeP]

Got the recommended antenna but never been placed outside.

Being outside, mounted high, and pointed in the correct direction are the basic requirements for reliable channel reception.

[tripods68]

Anyway a friend suggested SlingTV for watching disney jr but it's $25/month. $20 for slingtv and $5 for kids package. But I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper for us to just get a regular cable box for $25/month then we'd have local channels and stuff like TBS, USA, Disney/Nick jr etc for the same price?

With cable, don't you get charge with the cable box, HD channel, taxes that seems to go up every year? Slingtv has none of those cost associated (correct me if i'm wrong).

[Nutria]

With cable, don't you get charge with the cable box, HD channel, taxes that seems to go up every year? Slingtv has none of those cost associated (correct me if i'm wrong).

We've had basic cable (which even has HD channels now that analog transmission is over, but no ESPN) for years. The mini-box is free and if you call up (must do every 12 months) and say that you want to cancel TV service, they give you a discount that's the same size as basic cable service.

At least, that's what Cox does where I live.