Is $200 a month for cable TV and Internet too much?

[Mike.357]

I think they all suck. We used to have Dish, works fine mostly but the trees around here have a strange habit of growing. All of the sudden one day there is no signal then. Basically with Dish everytime I had an issue I had to threaten to disconect them to get any action.

I am pretty much to the point I will buy an antenna to put on the roof and go back to ATT for a phone and internet.

On the other hand I have Sirius radio in the truck. I absolutely love it. Local radio blows and I have never had the first bit of trouble from Sirius. Hopefully when they merge with XM it will get better even.

[saintsfanbrian]

Mike, I wouldn't count on Sirius getting any better after the merger. XM has had issues with satellites lately.

[molonlabetn]

Call them up and tell them that you would like to disconnect. They (Charter) cut my payment in half for a year to keep me...

[Marswolf]

My place has both Dish and DTV dishes on the house. I've been to lazy/busy to remove them. The extra channels got to re-running crap all the time and got worse and worse.

I also had a growing tree with Dish that getting to be a problem.

I finally disconnected all of them and put a BIG antenna, rotor, and amp up on the ridge. Lots of good stuff from three states and the cost per month is... --- ...ZERO. Of course everyone doesn't own a ridge top, so YMMV.

[Mike.357]

wouldn't count on Sirius getting any better after the merger.

I think Sirius rules anyway, even status quo would be alright, I mainly got Sirius to listen to NFL games and races anyway. But Outlaw Country has been a nice bonus. Mojo Nixon is the best DJ ever!

also had a growing tree with Dish that getting to be a problem.

My entire lot is tree covered. There is no where to get signal from Dish anymore, a guy from Direct told me their satellite is in another part of the horizon that my house can see. So DirectTV might be an option, but I am more along the thought lines of an antenna and just get free TV. Nothing on cable really anyway, and I believe inside of two weeks I would not miss it anyways.

[Smith]

My entire lot is tree covered. There is no where to get signal from Dish anymore, a guy from Direct told me their satellite is in another part of the horizon that my house can see. So DirectTV might be an option, but I am more along the thought lines of an antenna and just get free TV. Nothing on cable really anyway, and I believe inside of two weeks I would not miss it anyways.

Only problem with that is that starting in 2008 there will not be anymore over-the-air programming. It will all have to go through one of the major suppliers. Ain't it great!

[saintsfanbrian]

I just thought they had to broadcast in Digital not analog. I didn't realize they would not be doing over the air transmissions.

[Marswolf]

As I understand it, it will be HD, but not pay service only.

[Guest canynracer]

anything satellite has issues with storms...my neighbors (5 houses) all HAD direct TV...they switched becaus they were CONSTANT victims to storms..

I have all of the channels except movie channels...I have phone, cable, and high speed, all wrapped up under comcast $145.00 month...I would look at the premium channels you have to save some cash..

also, you can make a call to comcast and let them know your concern...they usually drop the price, or put you in a packange to help with cost depending on your needs.

[Guest dotsun]

My entire lot is tree covered. There is no where to get signal from Dish anymore, a guy from Direct told me their satellite is in another part of the horizon that my house can see. So DirectTV might be an option, but I am more along the thought lines of an antenna and just get free TV. Nothing on cable really anyway, and I believe inside of two weeks I would not miss it anyways.

That guy from Direct was full o sh*t, Mike. The sat's from dish and direct are so close together you can pick them up from the same dish.

[NeveSSL]

Over-the-air isn't disappearing... only analog over-the-air.

Radio is doing the same thing by 2010 and then the FCC is considering auctioning off the old analog frequencies to industries. According to a radio engineer I talked to at an Audio Engineers Society meeting, anyway.

Brandon

[Marswolf]

As I recall, the TV satellites are all roughly over Houston.

[Marswolf]

Only problem with that is that starting in 2008 there will not be anymore over-the-air programming. It will all have to go through one of the major suppliers. Ain't it great!

Check out http://www.dtvanswers.com/ for info about picking up digital signals with a regular antenna. You will need a DTV converter box. The (we're hear to help you) government will give you up to two $40 coupons to apply toward the converters. See http://www.ntia.doc.gov/. Converter prices are expected to be in th $50-70 range. But you will need the converter box by 17 February 2009. Wouldn't hurt to go ahead and get the box unless you plan to get a DTV ready set. I think they will send out the coupons beginning 17 February of this year. You have 90 days from issuance to use them.

[Mike.357]

This may have been covered but I am not going back and re-reading it all.

How can you tell if you TV is already able to accept digital signals?

All the TV's we have in our house work with the digital cable signal now and worked previously with Dish Network.

I wonder if this whole thing is pretty much a non issue.

[DaveTN]

I wonder if this whole thing is pretty much a non issue.

It is a non-issue if you have a cable box. It is only an issue to those that use over the air signals.

It will become an issue to you when the cable companies start reducing the number of standard definition channels as they add HD channels.

[Mike.357]

All I know for sure is the networks can take a flying leap at a rolling donut if they think I care about watching. No way am I buying a TV just so they can shove advertisment down my throat.

[DaveTN]

All I know for sure is the networks can take a flying leap at a rolling donut if they think I care about watching. No way am I buying a TV just so they can shove advertisment down my throat.

I watch the prime time network shows and I don’t watch commercials. Why? Because the technology allows me that option.

[dariks]

I watch the prime time network shows and I don’t watch commercials. Why? Because the technology allows me that option.

DVR's are the best thing since sliced bread. I absolutely hate commercials and now I don't have to watch them anymore. I rarely watch "live" tv anymore either.

[Mike.357]

You younger guys have it made now days. DVR's digital cable, remote controls.

I remember not even having a TV when I was a young child. Our first one, black and white and three channels only. Finally got a color set in about 1968 or so. And that freakin thing must have weighed 300 lbs.

Of course I also walked to school back then in the snow, uphill bothways, carrying a baked potato to keep my hands warm. Potato was also doubling as lunch. Hands cold on the way home from school.

[Guest Jason F.]

Yeah the first time we got cable it was a real amazing thing. Those 20 or so channels could be found one at a time by rotating that little dial. Then you quickly learned the art of trying to turn back and forth quick enough to catch a boob shot on the naughty channel. Ahh being a teenager before the days of free internet porn were great.

[Guest Spuds]

$200 a month would buy some nice guns over the course of a year.

Last August, a rifle I had leaned up against the wall slid down and caught my coax cable, disconnecting it from the jack on my TV. Rifle was OK. When the bowl games started late December, I reconnected the coax so I could watch a bit of football.

[KahrMan]

JasonF,

Rotating that dial back and forth brings back some fond memories:D:D:D

and I thought I invented that technique:dirty:

[Guest db99wj]

I remember being a remote control as a kid.....

My dad or grandfather would yell at me to go change the channel!!

RCA I think might have had the first remote's, they had the 4 chrome buttons on it.

We had a magnivox, pushing 300lbs at least, that the remote used sound to change the channels and volume.

[Marswolf]

I's amazing whet you can findo the digital airwaves.