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Detest watching a movie with 3-5 commercials every 5-7 minutes, and even worse, it is the S-A-M-E
commercial shown over and over 3-5 times through the entire movie!
Then to find out what a scam The streaming device's advertising is! You still have to purchase 'BUNDLES' to get the channels you want, like Home & Garden, The Food Network, Nat Geo,ect!
So those ads saying pay only for the channels you want....is FALSE Advertising, as there are still sure to be some channels in the BUNDLES that you care nothing about, and channels you want but are NOT included!
So think very carefully before you cut that cable service! I would suggest instead, to keep a basic hi-def bundle and add Netflix or similar that does have the programs you want for an added monthly subscription.
When it comes to cutting the cord there is one thing I dont think people understand and it needs to be taken into account.
When you pay for cable/satellite you are absolutely paying for channels you dont watch. That is how the model works. I pay for channels I dont like but maybe you like and you pay for channels you dont like but maybe I like. That is how the cost per channel is kept low. It is spread across millions of subscribers.
If you want to cut the cord and just buy individual channels you aren't going to get that $.50-$1.00 the carriers pay. They are going to want you to pay $5-$20 per channel. If you only watch a few channels that might work out for you. At the same time someone like Viacom may want you to buy a bundle of all of their channels (MTV,VH1, Spike among others).
Cutting the cord works for many people but it isnt as simple as "I want these 5 channels and that is all I am going to buy and it will be cheaper than cable". It might be. It might not be.
People who cut the cable and expect to get the exact same programming and channels for a fraction of the price are usually left disappointed. The people who are willing to sacrifice some shows and channels are the happiest. I have everything I need and want with my antenna, Hulu, and Netflix. Would I like to have HGTV available to me 24/7? Sure, but it's not worth what it would cost me. So I'm willing to give it up. Especially since I have a few seasons of some of the more popular shows available to me on Hulu.
I have been tossing this around for quite some time. People swear by it. I think it probably depends on what you watch and what service you use?
I have the Roku streaming device, but except for Netflix which is a pay channel and I love it, I am not impressed by any other channel except the free~ Oviguide.
The streaming stuff with ads is much worse than regular TV with ads. You can't pause and then skip them, nor flip channels until the ads are over, and like you say - it's the same awful ad over and over. You are trapped. I did the free preview of CBS all-access and it was horrible. Streaming is only really worth it if you can get rid of ads.
The streaming stuff with ads is much worse than regular TV with ads. You can't pause and then skip them, nor flip channels until the ads are over, and like you say - it's the same awful ad over and over. You are trapped. I did the free preview of CBS all-access and it was horrible. Streaming is only really worth it if you can get rid of ads.
There's also the Mute button, which is my favorite button on the remote.
Honestly, it depends on what you watch. We have a pretty hefty package with Sling as we added HBO and will likely drop it once GOT's season is over. During the time we have it we'll catch up on stuff we missed in the last year. We also have a DVR service through them. With all that it is $50. I also have Netflix and Hulu. All, including internet is $123/month. The most basic package with my cable company starts at $80, but it doesn't include HBO, some sports channels and DVR and most like is just for one TV. I can watch sling on any TV in my house and on my devices and I have channels I genuinely watch. And that $80 is before all of the fees that they add, which ends up being over $125 for just one TV w/o HBO or DVR. When we had cable on both TVs, DVR and HBO our cable bill was almost $200 and we still payed for Netflix.
I'll take my streaming services over cable any day. On Sling, the commercials are not that repetitive. On Hulu they are but I've learned to tune them out or mute them as the other poster noted.
I have found that Direct TV is practically begging me not to cut the chord and giving me discounts every time I phone to cancel.
You can buy an antennae and get local channels for free -- it works great for us.
You don't get commercials with Netflix, Amazon, HBO...so I'm assuming Hulu, Sling, etc. have commercials. You can choose not to have commercials with HULU......I don't know about Sling. I 'tried' Hulu for the Handmaid's Tale and yes it was so frustrating with all the commercials.
I get HBO, Starz and Showtime through Amazon Prime and you can add and delete for without any charges.
My concern is things like the Tour de France my husband loves to watch or college football...everything else I can find online.
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