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That Locast is killer. Put up w a 15 second commercial and get all of the cheesy local channels free. No antennas for me. Been there, done that in the early 70s. If I had to I'd gladly give locast the $5/mo than buy and install an antenna. I'm trying to cut cables and devices, not add more.
Last edited by monstermagnet; 02-12-2021 at 07:15 AM..
Decided to cut the cord this week. The impetus was this new Discovery + streaming service. Most of the cable channels we watch are discovery channels. To those considering the move, this is how I set it up.
1. I made sure my OTA Antenna picks up the major networks.
2. I hooked up a Tablo OTA Quad Tuner DVR. Installed a 2TB hard drive in it.
3. I put Apple TV 4K on each TV
4. Apps I installed: Tablo , Pluto TV, Discovery Plus, Tubi, ABC, NBC and CBS Streaming News apps, Peacock, Netflix, Amazon Prime.
5. Programmed a Harmony remote to control all devices including the Apple TV.
This setup works extremely well. I am saving about $40/month and my Verizon bill with Gigabit, phone and taxes is $98. There are two drawbacks: 1. There is no unified guide so you do have to switch from app to app to find something you like and 2. My OTA reception for ABC channel 7 is not as reliable as I'd like it to be.
I could see us doing this without the DVR and antenna. So basically with an Apple TV and access to Netflix, VUDU and Amazon prime on the smart TV, all it seems like we need is to pay for Internet. And discovery plus covers a huge amount of what we actually watch.
So for the occasional sports meaning hockey games, for super bowl And occasional soccer games, that would Fubo be the best option? Or perhaps paying for NBC Sports app?
But if you’re paying $90/mo for Internet only, you still have to pay for Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime, you would be paying far more than Cable with phone, tv and Internet.
But if you’re paying $90/mo for Internet only, you still have to pay for Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime, you would be paying far more than Cable with phone, tv and Internet.
I was paying for Netflix and Prime even with Cable TV. The only thing extra that I am paying for now is Discovery+.
Why would someone pay $90 for internet only? You don't need Gigabit. Get the $40 (if you using bank payment) to get FIOS 300/300. If you feel that's not enough, get 500/500 for $20 more.
Get Optimum first, then switch to Fios and then switch back. This is how you can make this work
This is how much I paid upfront for my current setup:
Devices for my Internet service to work:
- SB8200 Modem - $120
- Asus AC68U router - $70
- Optimum Service 300/30 for $35/mo
Devices to have a phone line service free of charge(or as people used to call it, landline):
- VIOP Obihai 200(it's changed names now) - $29
- You can reuse your existing landline phone system.
Devices to have access to local channels free of charge since your house is most likely pre-wired with coax:
- 4-way outdoor splitter - $5
Netflix 2 simultaneous streams - $13.99/mo
Total upfront price for the first month: $272.99
Total price per month with netflix included: $48.99 for internet+Phone+TV+Netflix
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optimum will charge you a "modem fee", "network fee" and give you a free router. So, you'll typically be paying $15/mo but if you bring your own modem, they MIGHT remove that network fee from your bill. In 1yr, that is about $180. I paid $190 for my modem and router and it's been about 3 and a half years of service of not paying modem fees. No need to pay for them. $190x3 = $570.
If you are in a 1yr "promo" with Cablevision, no problem! Fios will save you!
Once you have a Fios box setup outside your home, call them and tell them you want to have the LAN port activated. Why? So you can run a ethernet cable from the verizon ONT device(the box that is outside has a "modem" per say, and they call it an ONT) to your own router so you can keep your settings and passwords intact. No need to start over. Just plug and play.
An Optimum employee will come and disconnect the coax cable from outside your home. So, just add the 1 to 4way splitter and keep the cables connected to your TV. Optimum won't scramble your channels. So, even if you're not a subscriber, you can keep watching whatever they're feeding that coax cable. Though, they might at times come by and check it out. It is their property afterall. That's why I stay with them and call "Retentions" once my year is up for an upgrade for the same price or I simply switch to Fios then come back to Optimum.
How does an Obihai work? Well, I'm sure you know about google voice. It's free and easy. So, you connect your obihai device to your router to gain internet access and then to ANY telephone jack. Once it's plugged into the telephone jack, every existing phone jack in your house will become live. So, just connect your existing phone line cable to it and it'll have power. Then, you follow Obihai's instructions on how to combine your google voice number with their device and everytime someone calls your google voice number, your home phone will ring. It'll sound extremely loud and clear.
No monthly fees from Obihai.
One caveat is that you cannot make 911 calls. Theoretically you can, but 911 will not know your location. You can, however, fill out, under obihai's website your home residency address, and once you dial 911, emergency services will come to that registered address.
Free local channels:
As long as you have coax from Optimum to your house and you split that one cable into multiple lines throughout your house(use whatever is prewired in your house already), you will get local channels. Once a year, Optimum has the habit of swapping "channels". So, for instance, channel 2 may be channel 5 now on your tv.
And your tv might error out if you have a smart tv, showing a blank screen and skipping it altogether.
No worries! Every TV with a tv tunner built in comes with a setting. Just go to that setting to "find cable channels". Your TV will find those channels. Once you cycle through them with your remote, they will once again show up as if nothing happened.
My bill for local TV, Phone and Internet is $35. Do I have to pay taxes? No. Internet is not taxed. So, it's $35 flat every month.
If you want Disney+ or/and Netflix, then that's an additional price that you have to add to it.
But some Tmobile and Verizon phone plans offer free netflix/disneyplus. If you are already paying for a family plan with them, might as well use them and add them to your tv experience.
For some people, $272.99 is a bit too much and in times of covid, I can understand. But this is just a small investment. After that, it is extremely cheap for what you're getting.
Why would someone pay $90 for internet only? You don't need Gigabit. Get the $40 (if you using bank payment) to get FIOS 300/300. If you feel that's not enough, get 500/500 for $20 more.
In NY this isn’t a problem I believe but in many other states there is a bandwidth cap. Use over a certain amount and you pay extra, except for the top tier plan.
I got probably 2 dozen channels with the digital antenna.
Comes with a remote that you can fine tune the position.
We just cut everything loose. We have the antenna and internet only.
No Netflix, no prime, Hulu, etc, none of that stuff. TV is garbage and so are most of those streaming services. Not giving my money to these skells. Let ‘em get rich off someone else.
Get Optimum first, then switch to Fios and then switch back. This is how you can make this work
This is how much I paid upfront for my current setup:
Devices for my Internet service to work:
- SB8200 Modem - $120
- Asus AC68U router - $70
- Optimum Service 300/30 for $35/mo
Devices to have a phone line service free of charge(or as people used to call it, landline):
- VIOP Obihai 200(it's changed names now) - $29
- You can reuse your existing landline phone system.
Devices to have access to local channels free of charge since your house is most likely pre-wired with coax:
- 4-way outdoor splitter - $5
Netflix 2 simultaneous streams - $13.99/mo
Total upfront price for the first month: $272.99
Total price per month with netflix included: $48.99 for internet+Phone+TV+Netflix
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optimum will charge you a "modem fee", "network fee" and give you a free router. So, you'll typically be paying $15/mo but if you bring your own modem, they MIGHT remove that network fee from your bill. In 1yr, that is about $180. I paid $190 for my modem and router and it's been about 3 and a half years of service of not paying modem fees. No need to pay for them. $190x3 = $570.
If you are in a 1yr "promo" with Cablevision, no problem! Fios will save you!
Once you have a Fios box setup outside your home, call them and tell them you want to have the LAN port activated. Why? So you can run a ethernet cable from the verizon ONT device(the box that is outside has a "modem" per say, and they call it an ONT) to your own router so you can keep your settings and passwords intact. No need to start over. Just plug and play.
An Optimum employee will come and disconnect the coax cable from outside your home. So, just add the 1 to 4way splitter and keep the cables connected to your TV. Optimum won't scramble your channels. So, even if you're not a subscriber, you can keep watching whatever they're feeding that coax cable. Though, they might at times come by and check it out. It is their property afterall. That's why I stay with them and call "Retentions" once my year is up for an upgrade for the same price or I simply switch to Fios then come back to Optimum.
How does an Obihai work? Well, I'm sure you know about google voice. It's free and easy. So, you connect your obihai device to your router to gain internet access and then to ANY telephone jack. Once it's plugged into the telephone jack, every existing phone jack in your house will become live. So, just connect your existing phone line cable to it and it'll have power. Then, you follow Obihai's instructions on how to combine your google voice number with their device and everytime someone calls your google voice number, your home phone will ring. It'll sound extremely loud and clear.
No monthly fees from Obihai.
One caveat is that you cannot make 911 calls. Theoretically you can, but 911 will not know your location. You can, however, fill out, under obihai's website your home residency address, and once you dial 911, emergency services will come to that registered address.
Free local channels:
As long as you have coax from Optimum to your house and you split that one cable into multiple lines throughout your house(use whatever is prewired in your house already), you will get local channels. Once a year, Optimum has the habit of swapping "channels". So, for instance, channel 2 may be channel 5 now on your tv.
And your tv might error out if you have a smart tv, showing a blank screen and skipping it altogether.
No worries! Every TV with a tv tunner built in comes with a setting. Just go to that setting to "find cable channels". Your TV will find those channels. Once you cycle through them with your remote, they will once again show up as if nothing happened.
My bill for local TV, Phone and Internet is $35. Do I have to pay taxes? No. Internet is not taxed. So, it's $35 flat every month.
If you want Disney+ or/and Netflix, then that's an additional price that you have to add to it.
But some Tmobile and Verizon phone plans offer free netflix/disneyplus. If you are already paying for a family plan with them, might as well use them and add them to your tv experience.
For some people, $272.99 is a bit too much and in times of covid, I can understand. But this is just a small investment. After that, it is extremely cheap for what you're getting.
As much as I love the research and digging of this post, none of that gets us MSG so no local NY sports. A deal breaker for many on here, as discussed previously. MSG has us by the short hairs for hockey and basketball (and boxing and others). Currently only on Fubo or ATT TV, both heavily bundled and so overpriced. As for the raw coax, not nearly as many channels as Locast which is free. Plus, cutting the cord means I actually want to get rid of the physical cord (and hardware, boxes, remotes, power bricks, etc).
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