Doomed to Comcast-now what?

[Swamp_Yankee]

Satellite TV just isn't cutting it out here in the woods anymore due to tree cover that is not on my property and cannot be removed. I'm also not going to pay $1000+ for a climber or a bucket truck to trim the tops either. So unfortunately I'm going to have to go to Comcast-no, I'm not interested in cord cutting. Too much hassle to get local channels and sports plus I need the wife and kids to be able to pick up one remote and make everything work. Here is what I need:

Local networks
The Weather Channel
Disney
Nick
ABC Family (or whatever its called now)
Food Network

No special sports packages (we watch the Giants when we can get the games, that's it), no movie packages, no "ON-DEMAND," etc... I just want to get the essentials and pay as little as possible. I would like faster internet than we have now through our current DSL provider (10Mbps up, 1Mbs down), but no phone service. Will I get anything if I play coy and tell them I currently have DirecTV and am looking to switch? What can I realistically expect to pay long-term, ie: after the promo-rate expires?

[madeinuk]

We are in the same twp as you.  Primarily use Comcast for the Internet.  Access streaming video then via a Roku box to get Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime etc.

Apart from sports we never watch cable - it is such dross.

[Bones]

I’m with you on cheap as possible, I have Verizon fios internet cable package, 1 Dvr box and two basic box which don’t tell you what your watching that’s the only difference in the two same channels. No hbo or anything like that, I was paying 130 or 140 a month. We wanted to do less and thought of switching to sling tv and Netflix but we still would have to pay for internet wasn’t much cheaper since internet is like 60-80 a month without a package deal. Long story short we called Verizon said we wanted to cancel at the end of our bill cycle unless they could come down on the price the lady said nope so ok cancel us then. A week later Verizon redemption called and asked what they could do to keep us we said 100 would work the guy gave us everything we currently had for just over 100 like 110.

 

[Kype]

my area is comcast only. its not bad. you still get local news. and everything else you mentioned. just recently we went to internet only and now watch the same stations via the internet. 

[Swamp_Yankee]

47 minutes ago, madeinuk said:

We are in the same twp as you.  Primarily use Comcast for the Internet.  Access streaming video then via a Roku box to get Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime etc.

Apart from sports we never watch cable - it is such dross.

 

38 minutes ago, Kype said:

my area is comcast only. its not bad. you still get local news. and everything else you mentioned. just recently we went to internet only and now watch the same stations via the internet. 

TV habits in our house are as follows:

5:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. - Local news/Weather Channel

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. - PBS Kids

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Local news/Nick/Disney/Food Network

Aside from that routine during the week we typically watch hockey and football (whoever is playing) and 60 Minutes.  If there's a way that I can get all that and my wife can seamlessly toggle between all of it using one remote, then we can "cord cut, stream," etc...  If not, then no.  

[Haskell_Hunter]

Call them and tell them that you are interested in switching from your current provider to them, but you’re not entirely sure that you want to.  Ask them what incentives they have for people willing to switch over.  Complain incessantly about the price when they make an offer.  Tell them they have to do better to get you to switch.  That usually works well.  Let them know “what you have is good enough already” and are only talking to them because you’re interested in the “right deal”.  Never tell them specifically what the right deal is, just allude to it.

[Lunatic]

I don't know about the possibility of this getting done, since I don't know your property, but is there a possibility of raising your dish to get over the obstruction?

One thing I learned bout cable companies. They structure their packages so you never get what you are interested in. There is always something you really want but only available if you go to the next, more expensive level.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Lunatic

[Northjerseyoutdoorsman]

 go to www.suppose.tv you can select all the channels you can't live without and it will tell you ever option you have as far as cable and streaming services and the cost. As far as internet you don't need a super fast "speed". For steaming in 4k you need aprox 25mbps per stream, for 1080p you need aprox 15mbps per stream , for gaming you use less than 4mbps, browsing the Internet you use next to nothing.  You will never  use continuos upload bandwidth unless you have cameras you view remotely so upload speeds aren't really a concern.  I have 60 Mbps service and have zero buffering while streaming multiple 1080p streams at the same time with constant upload usage from cameras

 

Make sure you get the actual bill price after taxes and fees because the number they will give you will be far less without all the extras added on after the fact . Once your promo ends expect your bill to inevitably go up each and ever year after that. Get your own modem and router if you want to save the rental fees

Edited June 10, 2019 by Northjerseyoutdoorsman

[DBuck]

13 hours ago, Northjerseyoutdoorsman said:

 go to www.suppose.tv you can select all the channels you can't live without and it will tell you ever option you have as far as cable and streaming services and the cost. As far as internet you don't need a super fast "speed". For steaming in 4k you need aprox 25mbps per stream, for 1080p you need aprox 15mbps per stream , for gaming you use less than 4mbps, browsing the Internet you use next to nothing.  You will never  use continuos upload bandwidth unless you have cameras you view remotely so upload speeds aren't really a concern.  I have 60 Mbps service and have zero buffering while streaming multiple 1080p streams at the same time with constant upload usage from cameras

 

Make sure you get the actual bill price after taxes and fees because the number they will give you will be far less without all the extras added on after the fact . Once your promo ends expect your bill to inevitably go up each and ever year after that. Get your own modem and router if you want to save the rental fees

This was very helpful, I know a guy that deals with IPTV and might get it. It's like $90 a box and around $35 every 3 months

[JHbowhunter]

There are only two options where I live in Sussex County.   Century link which is slow as molasses and DSL, or Service electric cable tv.

I had a century link "discounted" bundle with Directv.   Landline.  The "best" internet speed at 10mps (slow), Direct TV package where I had 3 boxes and the genie whole house DVR system, and just HBO.   I was paying $295 a month.

I finally dropped both Century Link and Directv.   Went to SECT, and took the middle internet package with a speed of 40mps which is 4x faster than what I had.   They ported my old landline over to VOIP, so still maintain my legacy phone number.    And I got a good cable package with all the channels I had before except I now get OUTDOOR channel instead of PURSUIT which is better anyway IMHO.

Cost - $185.    Saving $105 a month, faster internet. No more losing tv in a storm.

[Swamp_Yankee]

I think I may have found a solution: Amazon Fire Recast.  Its a DVR that allows you to capture OTA TV and integrates it with Amazon Fire TV.  I would be interested in hearing from anybody here who currently does Fire TV or has a Recast.  The plan is as follows:

-Purchase Amazon Fire TV devices for all three TVs in the house

-Purchase Amazon Fire Recast

-Purchase a large, high quality rooftop antenna (Since we live in the woods we don't really care how it looks)

-Mount antenna on 10' mast affixed to chimney for an overall height of 40' above ground level

(The two dishes will be removed-one is an old SD DirecTV dish from the previous owner, the lower one is our HD dish)

-Locate modem, router, and Recast in walk-up attic

My TVFool report seems to indicate that I should be able to get all of the major NYC networks via OTA and probably Philly as well, though I would likely need a rotor to face the antenna southwest as opposed to directly east. 

[Northjerseyoutdoorsman]

Depends on if you live in the mountains and can get a decent signal from the antenna. I live on the side of a mountain and to get new York stations with the antenna it has to go through the mountain and I was unable to get any ny stations at all . Pointing towards Philly the only major network I was able to pick up was fox other than that. All I got were pbs and church stations  from hacketstown and Allentown. and that was with a 150 mile directional antenna with a motor to turn it.  

You will actually get a better picture using an antenna on an HD TV then you will if you have an HD cable box because there his no compression of the video feed.

Putting your modem and router and Amazon device in the attic is a bad idea electronics do not last long in the heat of an attic during summer months 

[Swamp_Yankee]

Here is my report:

Good point on the electronics-I could easily just run it all down to the second floor and house everything in the master bedroom.  I've found that mounting the WiFi router high creates a wider range all around the house.  

[Haskell_Hunter]

I have never had good experiences with HD terrestrial TV.  If you don’t have a very good understanding of how HD antennas work, choosing one will be very difficult.  They are not all made the same way (materials, design, tuning, etc.).  If you have a very good technical understanding of radio frequencies and antenna tuning, it shouldn’t be a problem.  If not, it’s a lot of time and frustration and money you ain’t gettin’ back.

[Swamp_Yankee]

10 minutes ago, Haskell_Hunter said:

I have never had good experiences with HD terrestrial TV.  If you don’t have a very good understanding of how HD antennas work, choosing one will be very difficult.  They are not all made the same way (materials, design, tuning, etc.).  If you have a very good technical understanding of radio frequencies and antenna tuning, it shouldn’t be a problem.  If not, it’s a lot of time and frustration and money you ain’t gettin’ back.

What problems were you having?  Most of the channels I'm looking to pull in are either VHF HI or UHF.  For some reason WPVI (Philly channel 6) is on VHF LO, but in order to get Philly stations I'd have to put in a rotor to point the antenna southwest anyway.  Most antennas are built for VHF HI and UHF.  We are about 50 miles from the major network (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc...) transmission towers in Lower Manhattan.  What I need to research more is whether or not I should go "overkill" on the antenna or not.  I could easily stick one of these monsters on the roof if I wanted to, but I don't know if there would be harm (ie: signal problems) in using an antenna designed to pull in stations from 150 miles away for stations that are only 50 miles away.