# Cable TV Alternatives



## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I'm been fed up with Time Warner Cable TV for a while. My bills at the end of the year were the tipping point and I am now without cable TV although I still have their internet as it was my only option.

My newest TV picks up over the air signal pretty well with an antenna from Costco. I have tried a few from Radio Shack and Costco before finding a flat panel antenna that does the job. I bought a new Sony Blueray player and I now have internet TV on the old box with Crackle Hula Netflix etc. As I am cheap and if I can I can get something for free instead of paying for it I'll give it a go.

Now I saw the ads for Rabbit TV. Anybody try it out?

What about Satellite Direct?

What about Direct PC TV?

What about Dishnet PC?

I'd loved to find a one pay that would get me fishing shows and sports networks and the basic networks of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX for the old box.Anybody know if the four above mentioned can be hooked up through the blueray to get Smart TV? 

The 3000 channels intrigues me as does the onetime $35-50 ...


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

I can't speak to the rest of them, but from what I've read, I would run away from the Rabbit TV. Sounds like it gives you links to existing websites.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

Check out btvguide.com and Letmewatchthis.com my son uses them and I believe they are both free. Only thing is you can't watch say NCIS at 8pm you have to watch it later.


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## E_Lin (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm probably going to drop TWC as well. I am tired of paying so much and seeing all these ads to entice new customers, while getting hosed as a long time one. I don't trust Cincy Bell, so I am considering keeping Road Runner and just going with Hulu Plus for TV. Still looking into it. Saw Rabbit TV, but something about it seems off. Not sure about it.


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## Dizzy (Oct 1, 2012)

Check out what Roku has for programs. A friend has a Roku and an antenna. With those two options he gets everything he wants to watch. 

http://www.roku.com/


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## E_Lin (Jun 30, 2011)

Dizzy said:


> Check out what Roku has for programs. A friend has a Roku and an antenna. With those two options he gets everything he wants to watch.
> 
> http://www.roku.com/


That looks promising.
I'll give it some time, though. Just like any other.


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## F1504X4 (Mar 23, 2008)

Roku is a great option. It has been out for probably 3-4 years. It is unreal how many channels you can get. It usually has a great selection of hunting and fishing as well as home improvement type shows. There use to be one called triggertalk tv. 


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

The antenna I use is a Winegard Flatwave FL5000C. About $20 from Costco I think. Highly recommended as I am probably 30 miles from the TV towers. Beats the heck out of the Radio Shack amplified antenna.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

We have Roku and there's nothing like it.Absolutely luv it


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

You use Roku instead of cable TV?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Daveo76 said:


> We have Roku and there's nothing like it.Absolutely luv it


So with Roku do you still need to have a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, etc.to use those? I looked at their website and it looks like the box is a one time cost of $49, nothing from there on. After that initial cost what are ongoing costs for you?


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> So with Roku do you still need to have a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, etc.to use those? I looked at their website and it looks like the box is a one time cost of $49, nothing from there on. After that initial cost what are ongoing costs for you?


 Just the cost of the dsl internet, which I would have anyway. I have netfix and Huluplus but there are other "Pay" channels but I don't have the need for any. I already had Netflix and Hulu on the desktop but decided to drop the cable anyway. I get the local news streamed to the desktop. A lot of TV stations stream it anyway. So the price of my landline, DSL , Netflix and Hulu, $90. Amazon Prime is $79 per year but I don't have it. Nice to be able to sit down and watch how ever many episodes of a show you want to. I am extremely satisfied. Almost too many shows to choose from.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

What is the monthly cost of just the Hulu?

So for streaming live/current news from various sources what are the best options? 

I am getting a lot of guys asking me about this and I am not very up-to-date on it. I am also looking to make some of these moves myself in the near future so I am curious for myself as well.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I just tried HULU plus over the past week. I'm not impressed. Hardly any shows I want to watch and like one episode per show anyhow. Maybe I'm not smart enough to figure it out I don't know. I am also tired of paying these prices for cable. Also I just got a media gateway from Buckeye Cable in Erie county and the damn thing freezes up just like a dish would do. Not happy with it at all!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> What is the monthly cost of just the Hulu?
> 
> So for streaming live/current news from various sources what are the best options?
> 
> I am getting a lot of guys asking me about this and I am not very up-to-date on it. I am also looking to make some of these moves myself in the near future so I am curious for myself as well.


Hulu is actually free but you can get HuluPlus, a little more content $7.99. I've noticed a banner ad on here for free Netfix for 30 days. I just have my local TV stations bookmarked and go to them on the desktop for the live local news.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

From what I understand my new blueray acts a a Roku box since it is wireless internet plus you can play DVDs. Or if you get a new"smart" TV it will be internet capable. Some of the icons with the Sony are free , some you have to pay additional.


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## icefisherman4life (Aug 5, 2007)

if you can get att uverse i would high suggest it. i know some folks who have that roku and love it. ive had dish twc and direct uverse blows them all out of the water.


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## gryan1966 (Feb 11, 2005)

If you have an Xbox 360 you can sign up for the family package 1yr for 100 and you get Hulu Plus and Netflix with it. So for 8 bucks per month avg you get both Hulu and Netflix. We are getting ready to get rid of cable just havnt pulled the plug yet. How do you get the Discovery/NatGeo stuff?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

When I mentioned news streams I guess I should have been more specific. Someone was asking me about CNN. When I try to access their live news online it asks me for an existing provider account. Is that a limitation with all of these options?


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Don't forget to ask how much you are going to pay for your stand alone I termed service. Most of the time it's not as bad a deal as you think it is considering the alternatives.. Any Internet option you'll need a good deal of bandwidth especially if you plan on multiple streams. Good luck, lets us know what you decide on.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

bkr43050 said:


> When I mentioned news streams I guess I should have been more specific. Someone was asking me about CNN. When I try to access their live news online it asks me for an existing provider account. Is that a limitation with all of these options?


CNN doesn't want you to get their service for nothing. They want to make sure you are paying for it via your cable subscription. Most networks do the same thing.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

icefisherman4life said:


> if you can get att uverse i would high suggest it. i know some folks who have that roku and love it. ive had dish twc and direct uverse blows them all out of the water.


I've heard plenty of bad about AT&T as well and you'll be locked into a contract with them for the best deal.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> When I mentioned news streams I guess I should have been more specific. Someone was asking me about CNN. When I try to access their live news online it asks me for an existing provider account. Is that a limitation with all of these options?


CNN does have a private channel on roku. I had to use a download manager to get it online. I've had the roku for 3 months and I'm sure there are people that know more about it than I do. Bottom line is that I am very happy with it.


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## Crest17cx (Jan 29, 2013)

gryan1966 said:


> If you have an Xbox 360 you can sign up for the family package 1yr for 100 and you get Hulu Plus and Netflix with it. So for 8 bucks per month avg you get both Hulu and Netflix. We are getting ready to get rid of cable just havnt pulled the plug yet. How do you get the Discovery/NatGeo stuff?


Are you sure you get Netflix and Hulu included with Xbox 360 family pack? I've had a family pack for the past two years and never got these included. I also just searched Xbox site and cannot find these included. Would love to know where you got this information as I am paying for family pack in addition to seperate Hulu and Netflix subscriptions.


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## wildy115 (Jun 28, 2012)

I dropped time warner also because of the expensive monthly payments and advertisements. I still have internet and use netflix on ps3.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

We just dropped satellite / cable and went with netflix streaming and an over-the-air antennae. We pick up 14 stations to watch, and most in HD. For newer movies we use Redbox and drop like $1.38 per movie. Now, my total cost for TV entertainment is at most $45 per month (that is a lot of movies from RedBox) including internet, which I have to have for work anyway. Factor that out, and my TV is only $20 per month. 6Gbs DSL is plenty fast enough to stream on 2 TVs while I surf or work. We watch local news but read world news online, as well as reading the Dispatch online for free (delete cookies every 10 articles...hint hint).

$45 is a lot less than the $130 I was bound to with Dish, and we don't miss the channels we never watched at all.


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## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

So you don't have to have at least Warner Cable's basic channels to keep your Road Runner internet service?


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## Berliner (Feb 23, 2011)

Ruminator said:


> So you don't have to have at least Warner Cable's basic channels to keep your Road Runner internet service?


No, they install a trap on your line and it blocks out all the channels but your internet. I've been on Netflix and Xbox live since the new year and I'm happy with it. If you really need to see a show there's always The Pirate Bay. lol


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## TimTaylor75 (Apr 7, 2009)

Roku seems decent, but no ESPN channels (from what I can tell) is a deal breaker.


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## James F (Jul 2, 2005)

We have At&t Uverse and I use Roadrunner as My Internet provider.Haven't had any issues so far,it's been 4years now


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## RedJada (Jun 21, 2009)

Funny thing, if all the cable/satellite people would stop giving away $100-$250 gift cards for signing up. Your bill would probably be a lot less.


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## 2120Tom (Jul 2, 2008)

Couldn't agree more with E LIN when he mentioned about TWC and their low cost ads to endear new customers.....but those new customers get hooked by the low costs for a (short) time and then they'll get offered upper tier viewing packages with free premium channels ie, HBO, Showtime etc at another special cost and before ya know it you're addicted to Homeland or some other premium channel offering you just can't live without and the costs continue to go up,,,, so you call and complain and the salesperson makes "bundleing" look like the way out of the cable poor house and so you sign on for that.....and now you feel like you got over on 'em and getting what you're paying for. Yah right ! 
It's a never ending cycle and it appears that no matter who your supplier is,, it's a pay to play world for the viewings we want and they got us by the gonads.
Sure, you can play the game and drop this company for that companys' low offer and then drop that one when the cost goes up for some other one.... but I'm getting too old to re-learn new channel line-ups


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## gryan1966 (Feb 11, 2005)

Crest17cx said:


> Are you sure you get Netflix and Hulu included with Xbox 360 family pack? I've had a family pack for the past two years and never got these included. I also just searched Xbox site and cannot find these included. Would love to know where you got this information as I am paying for family pack in addition to seperate Hulu and Netflix subscriptions.


We got the Xbox 360 for Christmas last year and its in one of the pamphlets in the box. Also when going to options of what we can get on the Xbox it has both Hulu/Netflix listed under the family option. So it may be a special with the Christmas deal.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

So are any of these options good for offering sports channels? (ESPN, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, etc.)


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

www.rokuguide.com/channels/sports


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

bkr43050 said:


> So are any of these options good for offering sports channels? (ESPN, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, etc.)


Nope... Just movies and reruns.

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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Daveo76 said:


> www.rokuguide.com/channels/sports


If I saw that right even though they offer over 40 "Sports" channels they still don't have ESPN, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network? I read through that list and see 2-3 that are of interest for paying to get. I have to say that after looking at that list I am not eager to look in to signing up for their service.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Yeah, it's probably not what you want if sports is your main interest, but there are plenty of pay sites to have live sports on the computer at least. I have the roku for the streaming tv shows. Still beats the high price I was paying for cable. But that's just me. I'll never watch over 700 channels anyway. I'm just relating my experience. I'd rather be fishing anyway.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Daveo76 said:


> Yeah, it's probably not what you want if sports is your main interest, but there are plenty of pay sites to have live sports on the computer at least. I have the roku for the streaming tv shows. Still beats the high price I was paying for cable. But that's just me. I'll never watch over 700 channels anyway. I'm just relating my experience. I'd rather be fishing anyway.


Sorry, I was not meaning to sound as if I was knocking your choice of options. My reaction was totally based on it not satisfying my interests.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> Sorry, I was not meaning to sound as if I was knocking your choice of options. My reaction was totally based on it not satisfying my interests.


No need to apologize . Sucks that they don't have more sporting events. Just nice to have this option besides cable and this is a fairly new venue for entertainment. Maybe they will have more to offer in the future, they couldn't do anything but help themselves.


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## seahawk (Aug 1, 2008)

Get yourself a rooftop antenna and one of these and you'll have more shows than you can stand to watch for $0/month. 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-...Digital-Tuner-500GB/20710258?findingMethod=rr


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Berliner said:


> No, they install a trap on your line and it blocks out all the channels but your internet. I've been on Netflix and Xbox live since the new year and I'm happy with it. If you really need to see a show there's always The Pirate Bay. lol


Big brother is watching. I knew a girl in Columbus who settled out of court with Sony over what seemed to be a minor file sharing issue. I deal with this stuff every day. I was served my own papers once. That was enough for me 

What do you cord cutters do for live tv?


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

bkr43050 said:


> If I saw that right even though they offer over 40 "Sports" channels they still don't have ESPN, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network? I read through that list and see 2-3 that are of interest for paying to get. I have to say that after looking at that list I am not eager to look in to signing up for their service.


There no way any of them can afford the big boys on that model.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> There no way any of them can afford the big boys on that model.


I am not unwilling to pay for the "Big Boys" channels but not at the price they are asking just so that they can carry along dozens of other meaningless channels on their coattails. It sure would be nice if we ever were able to order channels in a cafeteria plan setup and not as a mass package deal.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

seahawk said:


> Get yourself a rooftop antenna and one of these and you'll have more shows than you can stand to watch for $0/month.
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-...Digital-Tuner-500GB/20710258?findingMethod=rr


Maybe I am missing something here. How is that recorder going to give me any more channels than I currently have on my antenna? Isn't the only thing that doing is giving me the opportunity to record and not miss anything that I already have access to?


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## eyegrabber (Mar 9, 2010)

Dish tv has a welcome pack for $19.99/mo every day price. it has 40 channels and i think the locals are included. I havent checked it out but maybe you can add ala cart packages. check it out it maybe what you need. dish.com/entertainment/packages/welcome/


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## willy (Apr 27, 2007)

Cancel all of it, get off your lazy American ass, and go for a stroll in the woods. Also, watch out for coyote's, They bite.


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## seahawk (Aug 1, 2008)

That's right baby -- just like a tivo allows you to time shift, skip commercials, etc. I don't know how much tv you all watch, but i found that within about a week all that crap my family and i watched before was forgotten and we have more than enough new crap on just the 20 or so antenna channels that we can't even watch it all. The ability to record it is the key. If you need more of anything, pipe it in thru an apple tv or something. But then you are just heading back down the same road again. Fishing will be here soon, no need for tv then.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

I'm dropping cable here in the next week or so. I wanna get a YMCA family package through my shop (discount) but my wife's giving me grief about it:what:. Told her she needs a hobby or something. All that's on is mostly crap to me anyways. Cable out, better quality time in.

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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

willy said:


> Cancel all of it, get off your lazy American ass, and go for a stroll in the woods. Also, watch out for coyote's, They bite.


Helpful info.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

seahawk said:


> That's right baby -- just like a tivo allows you to time shift, skip commercials, etc. I don't know how much tv you all watch, but i found that within about a week all that crap my family and i watched before was forgotten and we have more than enough new crap on just the 20 or so antenna channels that we can't even watch it all. The ability to record it is the key. If you need more of anything, pipe it in thru an apple tv or something. But then you are just heading back down the same road again. Fishing will be here soon, no need for tv then.


Actually I will not be heading down the same road again with any of these options. I have not owned cable a day in my life. I am just looking to be able to get s a few of the quality programs and avoid all of the fluff of a cable contract. I would like to get things like History Channel, CNN, and some ports programming. Other than that the open air networks will suffice.


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## F1504X4 (Mar 23, 2008)

http://1saleaday.com/main/

That's a good price on that model. Sale ends at midnight or until they run out. ROKU 2xs 


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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

i kept the road runner, went to directv for tv service, havent looked back


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## dstiner86 (Jun 5, 2012)

You really can't beat what the roku has to offer.. Especially if you subscribe to services like hulu plus and netflix both about 9 bucks or so for either a month but lots of movies and tv shows to watch.. Plus plenty of free stuff on there


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

dstiner86 said:


> You really can't beat what the roku has to offer.. Especially if you subscribe to services like hulu plus and netflix both about 9 bucks or so for either a month but lots of movies and tv shows to watch.. Plus plenty of free stuff on there


Bought another one today


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## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

For those who have switched to rooftop antennas, how large an area are you able to pull from. I'm also dumping cable, want to be able to get Cleveland Columbus news here in Mansfield. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Tommy


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

bkr43050 said:


> I am not unwilling to pay for the "Big Boys" channels but not at the price they are asking just so that they can carry along dozens of other meaningless channels on their coattails. It sure would be nice if we ever were able to order channels in a cafeteria plan setup and not as a mass package deal.


The smaller channels, which are mosty owned by the big companies would go under without a doubt. You'll lose absolutely all the variety overnight. There'd probably be about 10 channels with enough viewership to keep themselves afloat. The idea gets tossed around quite a bit, but most don't think, or hope it'll never happen. Here's an idea how cable breaks down per channel.

http://allthingsd.com/20100308/hate-paying-for-cable-heres-the-reason-why/

Blame the guys being paid millions to play kids games.. Lol


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I know this thread is almost 1.5 years old but I am bringing it up again because I am brainstorming again. I am just not ready to go to the high priced cable contract yet. I am still looking to find a more viable option. Is Roku still a good option for some of you? I currently am using Netflix through an $8 account. We have used it a great deal and it works just fine with our TV and our current internet connection. The issue with it is that we are sort of running out of things on there that we want to see. What are some of the other options worth looking at? Hulu? Crackle? Are there still no options to buys any network stations access through internet? 

I am using Centurylink DSL and have had it for over 2 years. My 2 year special rate dropped so now I went from $39 to $59 for just the internet. They suggested that I could package cable with it for only like $3 more per month. That sounded pretty interesting until I asked about how long that price was good for. The answer was one year after which it would go to like $105. And I would be signing a 2 year contract. I was very frustrated with their misleading marketing. They made no mention to that pricing change when they tried to lure me in.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

Fta still has alot to offer if you get the right setup

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

ostbucks98 said:


> Fta still has alot to offer if you get the right setup
> 
> Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


I don't know what you mean by FTA.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

http://www.ftalist.com/index.php


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Contract? Time Warner Cable doesn't do contracts. You can cancel at any time. 30 day money back guarantee. Cancel for whatever reason and get all your money back.


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## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

http://www.wiziwig.tv/
Free sports on your pc, laptop, or tablet. I watch NFL games on here because WOW Cable does not carry them. The ads are annoying at first but then they allow you to close them and watch the game(s). Plus it's free!!


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

fishwendel2 said:


> http://www.wiziwig.tv/
> Free sports on your pc, laptop, or tablet. I watch NFL games on here because WOW Cable does not carry them. The ads are annoying at first but then they allow you to close them and watch the game(s). Plus it's free!!


*Nothing is free!

Thats a European service broadcasting from Spain offering up to 250kbs streams. I bet its pretty horrendous quality eh? Certainly not HD. You'll also want to watch the adware/spyware and what they do with your data. I'd tend to want to keep my money here in the States.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

MassillonBuckeye,
I know that you are emphasizing that nothing is free and I get that. I am just trying to find an alternative that would allow me to watch specifically what I want at a lower price than the $75-100 that the cable companies want from us every month. With the exception of the occasional ESPN and Big Ten Network for viewing my sports team I am fine with what I currently have. We watch over-the-air programming and Netflix and that is enough for me aside from the sports. With the options that I am finding I guess I will just plan on going to Buffalo Wild Wings or other similar establishments when games are not on my channels. I was frustrated last Saturday when I found out that the Buckeyes game was not actually on CBS but rather CBS network which is not over-the air.


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## dstiner86 (Jun 5, 2012)

Im sorry if im repeating what someone previous has said. But if you have WiFi in the house maybe check into a roku player.. last I seen then have access to college and pro sports yes you may have to pay a fee but hey you may get some other games other channels may not carry. .plus they have several other apps like hulu crackle youtube etc etc not all free but most beat the price of cable


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

CBS Sports Network is in HD. I watched the OSU game. I have Time Warner. Mine is on ch. 1322. 
I had 7 games on at 1pm Saturday. I think one was on True TV. I think it was a D-3 game tho.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

ress said:


> CBS Sports Network is in HD. I watched the OSU game. I have Time Warner. Mine is on ch. 1322.
> I had 7 games on at 1pm Saturday. I think one was on True TV. I think it was a D-3 game tho.


If I had Time Warner I am confident that I would get pretty much all I want. First I don't even have TW or any cable as an option. My only options are Dishnet, direct TV, etc. All those options are expensive...especially for someone who wanted a pretty limited amount of TV like me.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

dstiner86 said:


> Im sorry if im repeating what someone previous has said. But if you have WiFi in the house maybe check into a roku player.. last I seen then have access to college and pro sports yes you may have to pay a fee but hey you may get some other games other channels may not carry. .plus they have several other apps like hulu crackle youtube etc etc not all free but most beat the price of cable


I looked at Roku again and saw nothing for Big Ten Network or CBS Network. I may give Roku a try at some point but it won't be in hopes of any game viewing.


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## bassattacker (Mar 14, 2007)

I worked for Time Warner for a year as a service technician, when i went back into civil engineering i cut the cable and kept our internet service only. At first it was a pain, couldnt watch sports shows, movie channels, etc...

1.5 yrs later and there is nothing on cable that i cant stream either for cheaper or free. All major networks, ABC, NBC, CBS all stream there hit series shows any sporting events. Alot of other networks like AMC, Discovery, etc... also stream their more popular shows. WizWig is one site of millions that you can use to watch your sporting events, another site i use is CouchTuner for tv shows and series (how i kept up with GoT). Also have a Xbox360 and Wii which we stream on both with multiple apps on both that have different selections of shows and movies. Will be adding two Roku's here in the near future. I would say on average we save $150 a month. I also HDMI my Laptop into the TV, but ive overclocked it as well as upgraded ram and graphics to support this, you can get out of the box laptops that can support it. 

Also have a HD FTA Antenna as well.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

bassattacker said:


> I worked for Time Warner for a year as a service technician, when i went back into civil engineering i cut the cable and kept our internet service only. At first it was a pain, couldnt watch sports shows, movie channels, etc...
> 
> 1.5 yrs later and there is nothing on cable that i cant stream either for cheaper or free. All major networks, ABC, NBC, CBS all stream there hit series shows any sporting events. Alot of other networks like AMC, Discovery, etc... also stream their more popular shows. WizWig is one site of millions that you can use to watch your sporting events, another site i use is CouchTuner for tv shows and series (how i kept up with GoT). Also have a Xbox360 and Wii which we stream on both with multiple apps on both that have different selections of shows and movies. Will be adding two Roku's here in the near future. I would say on average we save $150 a month. I also HDMI my Laptop into the TV, but ive overclocked it as well as upgraded ram and graphics to support this, you can get out of the box laptops that can support it.
> 
> Also have a HD FTA Antenna as well.


Can you be more specific. For instance, Buckeyes game tomorrow night on primetime ESPN. How would you get it? If it were on Big Ten Network?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I briefly looked at CouchTuner just now. I have to say that I get pretty nervous when a site is asking me for credit card information just to sign up for a FREE account. I will pass on that one. Not that it really had anything that jumped out at me as needing to have either.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Wiziwig does not show tomorrow's game either. I guess I will just resign to the fact that there is really no alternative to the cable route. Tomorrow evening may be a night for some wings and brews at Buffalo Wild Wings.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

bkr43050 said:


> Wiziwig does not show tomorrow's game either. I guess I will just resign to the fact that there is really no alternative to the cable route. Tomorrow evening may be a night for some wings and brews at Buffalo Wild Wings.


USAtoday just did a big article on this subject...they said you could beat cable programming....UNLESS YOU WERE A SPORTS FAN....AND IF YOU WERE, THERE WAS NO WAY AROUND CABLE....Unless you gave up watching sports!


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## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> *Nothing is free!
> 
> Thats a European service broadcasting from Spain offering up to 250kbs streams. I bet its pretty horrendous quality eh? Certainly not HD. You'll also want to watch the adware/spyware and what they do with your data. I'd tend to want to keep my money here in the States.


Free and non HD unless you have an "HDTV notebook or pc" lol
Better than nothing.


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## bassattacker (Mar 14, 2007)

BKR, when it comes to sports you have to start searching the web for sites that are streaming it and broadcasting it. Some will be streamed from out of country. I have watched races and football from many different mirror sites just by searching for that specific event and looking for mirror sites. You really do have to be careful and know what your looking at when using some of these sites cause some do have some malicious software attached on direct links inside the sites. Couchtuner is free you dont have to put your CC info in. I use a honey pot server as well as cisco router and switches with top of the line anti malware and spyware for my network.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Well Time warner had me hooked on their high speed road runner. But after thinking a while I don't download large program files or stream. So really dont need it.
So after checking into it. I bought a 2 year package with AT&T and Directv. The main reason I got the dish and all for free and the set up. So now at the two year contract end i will stop Direct TV and will set up a tower, rotor and a good antenna. And use free tv. Lots of channels out there. And with the dish I'll still get my u universe which the price is better to.

To check available channels in your area try this:
http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=1


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

we switched from time warner to cincybell fioptics, they gave us a much better price and the internet service was heads above time warner. We had a bundle package with both companies and of course, just like Time Warner, Cincy Bell's price doubled after one years service when all promotional stuff expired which left me pissed. With that being said, I had Cincy Bell disconnect our landline and take out the fioptics but we kept the internet for $49 a month. I installed a 6 panel HD antenna in our attic, pointing 3 panels at Dayton and 3 panels at Cincinnati, we get 60 HD Channels at our house for free. Of course we do not get the premium channels you pay for, but I do not miss them at all. We have NetFlix, since our TV's are new "smart" Tv's, we are able to access the wifi through them allowing us to watch netflix and to live stream other stuff that you find on the internet. My days of paying outrageous prices for TV channels are done!


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Direct TV and our only CBS channel out of Toledo have split hairs. There are alot of PO'd Browns and Pittsburgh fans around here. Who knows what else they'll be missing.
Yeah I hate paying 105 a month for High speed internet and being able to watch all my sports and other shows in 1080 HD on the 50" HD TV but that's the name of the game for that type of service.


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