Pulling the plug

I will be canceling my cable next month. I hardly ever watch TV, but it will be harder on my 6 and 7 year old kids. I tested netflix on our Wii and it works great, pretty big kids selection. All I ever really watched was some shows on Discovery (Man vs Wild, Deadliest Catch) but I can get those from the web. I waited for the World Cup to end and I know Football season will be a bit tough but I look forward to saving some money. I have ripped about 40 hours of video and put it on the network and we use xbmc media center to watch it.

Anybody else cut the cord? I know it is a growing trend. Also, any suggestions on how to best rip DVD's to avi/mpeg?

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Comments

nicklauscombs

haven't had cable in about 6 years and i dont miss it one bit.

with that said, i absolutely love streaming netflix through my wii.

jamesleecoleman

My dad cut out cable for a while. It was nice because I didn't watch alot of tv and I was getting stuff down. We have cable at the place now but I don't really watch it.

dynamik

I haven't had cable in a decade. I'm debating shutting off my internet at home as well. I spend too much on forums and such anyway

redline5th

Honestly.... we can get like 3 channels at the house, but I'd much prefer Hulu anyway.

That way I can multitask during commercials. hahaha.

forkvoid

I haven't had a television at my house in four years now. I do miss the History Channel and The Learning Channel, though. The other stations can go rot.

Of course, I still find ways to waste time(streaming TV shows, forums and obsessively refreshing Facebook).

Zartanasaurus

The only channels I watch regularly are Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, HBO and Showtime. I never really feel like I'm getting my money's worth with cable/satellite. I wish you could purchase channels or even shows ala carte, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I'm up in the air on reordering Sunday Ticket this year as well.

Plantwiz

dynamik wrote: »

I haven't had cable in a decade. I'm debating shutting off my internet at home as well. I spend too much on forums and such anyway

WHAT!!!
I though you posted from work

And to the OP, yes, we've been without TV for 2 year (maybe 3, but certainly 2). It's not a big deal making that transition...going wtih Netflix though is hardly going 'without' but it is a start.

I've thought about dropping all media from the home, but I think that may just push me over the edge too far...

I have the 'slowest' speed available if that counts

I've been considering Netflix, but that just goes against my whole...no tv in the house thing.

(BTW - the cable a la carte thing would have been great and I thought for years that should be an option...but we just canceled it all and donated the tvs and called it good...their loss and our gain).

phantasm

I'm mostly a movie guy do enjoy a few shows on TV. In general I consider most of what TV offers to be junk and refuse to watch it. I wouldn't mind doing away with it, but I need my movies.

Devilsbane

Grynder wrote: »

Also, any suggestions on how to best rip DVD's to avi/mpeg?

I'm just glad that this thread isn't about your grandma!

I haven't had cable in about 15 years. From time to time there is something on that I would like to see, but it isn't worth the price. I can find much better ways to waste my time.

One thing I've noticed from being at other peoples' houses is that even if you have 500 channels, there is often still nothing on. So whether you sit there and flip through 20 channels of 500 it makes no difference.

The only reason I have considered cable is because of the new digital signal. Nothing more annoying than someone walking around and screwing up the tv. Or the microwave, or a car driving by (and no, I'm not kidding).

leefdaddy

I could get rid of cable if it wasn't for baseball... But I gotta watch my Cardinals

Daniel333

The package price of my Internet + Cable makes it worth it to me. I normally watch a show or two a week white I study. So I'll probably stick with it for now. But the thought had crossed my mind.

TheShadow

over the air tv here. I actually have more channels once they went digital in southern California (LA). One TV in the bedroom used as an alarm clock only. I get the traffic reports and see the daily violence report (news) and that is it.

I have DSL because I must but Version has probably spent $100 in mail cost trying to get me to convert to FIOS 15Mb. I get a good steady 2.5 on DSL so I see no point.

apena7

Grynder wrote: »

I will be canceling my cable next month. I hardly ever watch TV, but it will be harder on my 6 and 7 year old kids. I tested netflix on our Wii and it works great, pretty big kids selection. All I ever really watched was some shows on Discovery (Man vs Wild, Deadliest Catch) but I can get those from the web. I waited for the World Cup to end and I know Football season will be a bit tough but I look forward to saving some money. I have ripped about 40 hours of video and put it on the network and we use xbmc media center to watch it.

Netflix recently added some Nickelodeon cartoons from the 90's. Hey Arnold and Rocko's Modern Life are 1000 times better than the 6 hours of Spongebob they run each day. Your kids will thank you.

Anybody else cut the cord? I know it is a growing trend. Also, any suggestions on how to best rip DVD's to avi/mpeg?

Handbrake has my vote.

snadam

Plantwiz wrote: »

WHAT!!!
I though you posted from work

Same place, no?

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

I cut my cable off last year. Haven't missed it since. I have a media center pc that I built and hooked up to my 47" LCD in my living room. Just like most people here, I get along fine with just netflix and hulu.

Deathgomper

leefdaddy wrote: »

I could get rid of cable if it wasn't for baseball... But I gotta watch my Cardinals

The only reason I have cable.... Tigers baseball. Is it worth it? No. But when I listen to the game on the radio I just want to watch it on tv.

gosh1976

I couldn't do it especially in the fall. I would end up spending more money watching soccer and football at the bar then I would save by cutting off the cable.

dynamik

I'm just glad this thread wasn't about grandma...

Plantwiz

dynamik wrote: »

I'm just glad this thread wasn't about grandma...

Baiting eMeS to start the "Momma" comments aren't you?

by snadam:
Same place, no?

Don't know? I didn't think he (dynamik) worked from home....either that, I missed your comment completely (and tonight, that is possible).

tpatt100

If I were single I would cancel it. Hulu looks only halfway decent on my 61 inch tv. I do like HD channels though like Discovery and NBC.

Pash

Been without Sky and cable for 3 years. Can't say I miss it really.

Windows 7 media centre, nice Hauppage tuner, freeview goodness (i still pay my tv license).....

2E151

Everyone has a vice, mine is Turner Classic Movies.

za3bour

Devilsbane wrote: »

isn't worth the price. I can find much better ways to waste my time.

One thing I've noticed from being at other peoples' houses is that even if you have 500 channels, there is often still nothing on. So whether you sit there and flip through 20 channels of 500 it makes no difference.

That's so true i have a satellite at my house but it's flat rate you pay 200$ and that's it (and it has HD) and i have more than a 1000 channels but our favourite list has around 40 channels and most of the time there is nothing on it.

BUT i love my sport channels especially the HD ones ,they are really nice and they broadcast most of major trounements in soccer and NBA in addition to tennis as well so if i watch TV it's probably sport or national geographic or some series.

dales

Pash wrote: »

Been without Sky and cable for 3 years. Can't say I miss it really.

Windows 7 media centre, nice Hauppage tuner, freeview goodness (i still pay my tv license).....

Good job too, it sounds like over there in the usa if you dont have cable then you dont have to pay. Over here even if you dont have a tv if you own any device capable of receiving live or nearly live tv transmissions (note computer/mobile phone) then you need a tv licence anyway. Over a barrel.. I think so!

shadown7

I just dropped my last week. I tried to drop Direct twice in the last 3 months but they came back with HUGE $200.00 credits both times so I stayed with them for a couple extra months. This time I didn't answer the phone when they called to offer me more credits. I get all I need with Netflix and Hulu.

tbgree00

I've been trying to convince my wife to drop cable. We can pick up local news over the air and every single show we watch on DVR is on Hulu. We have netflix as well so there are plenty of options. Back in my single days I had over the air and existed just fine and that was before streaming was very big.

She doesn't want to lose the option to turn it to a channel and watch whatever block of house redesign or cooking challenge shows they are playing. I would just like to cancel most of our biggest non-utility or mortgage bill.

Nuwin

No cable here. Love it.

ESPN3.com has been a life saver for sports. I'm glad my internet provider subscribes to it. That, plus MLB.TV. It's easy to justify the cost of MLB.tv as I get an entire season of baseball for close to what I was paying a month for cable. So I'm still saving for 11 of 12 months out of the year.

I never really watched any shows. My wife did. I could care less. Cable = sports for me.

mikedisd2

Went without a TV for a year and a half. Wish I didn't have to buy another one. It's just so our 3x year old can watch english speaking cartoons. All she's knows at the moment is Anpanman and Shimajiro.

Easy to get rid of TV when you realise how patronising it is.

Pash

dales wrote: »

Good job too, it sounds like over there in the usa if you dont have cable then you dont have to pay. Over here even if you dont have a tv if you own any device capable of receiving live or nearly live tv transmissions (note computer/mobile phone) then you need a tv licence anyway. Over a barrel.. I think so!

Absolutely. It does get a bit annoying though when you receive letters from online retailers making sure you have contacted relevant parties to get your tv license paid for. I do have a TV in the flat, never turn it on though.

undomiel

Haven't had cable for several years here. Don't really miss it since I've never been a big tv watcher anyhow. Stick to mostly pulling up hulu every now and then and redbox.