Comments on: Why Are We Paying For Cable Again? A Wake-Up Call http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:56:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Sunday Link Love | Remodeling This Life http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-25227 Sunday Link Love | Remodeling This Life Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:08:12 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-25227 [...] Why Are We Paying For Cable Again? A WakeUp Call from Mrs. Micah [...] [...] Why Are We Paying For Cable Again? A WakeUp Call from Mrs. Micah [...]

]]> By: Jenna http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-25009 Jenna Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:07:00 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-25009 We got the funniest letter ever from our cable company yesterday. They were writing to inform us that since our promotion had expired, they were going to "give us a special deal". Instead of hiking the price up to the regular rates, they were going to auto-enroll us in a new "rewards program" and our bill would only go up $5. Wow!! REALLY? You're raising my bill five bucks, and I should feel like a special rewarded customer..... We got the funniest letter ever from our cable company yesterday.

They were writing to inform us that since our promotion had expired, they were going to “give us a special deal”. Instead of hiking the price up to the regular rates, they were going to auto-enroll us in a new “rewards program” and our bill would only go up $5.

Wow!! REALLY? You’re raising my bill five bucks, and I should feel like a special rewarded customer…..

]]> By: Dad http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24949 Dad Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:14:39 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24949 From my own experience and talking with various friends and co-workers, I have come to feel that Comcast is the worst of the bunch. There is an arrogance about that company that is grating. When I manage to save my wife's email archive and help her become free of her comcast email address, I'll be switching. One thing I will avoid in the future is using the ISP's email service. It ties you down too much. If all of your email addresses are from groups like gmail, yahoo, hotmail, mac and similar groups you can switch ISP with no upset in your email. From my own experience and talking with various friends and co-workers, I have come to feel that Comcast is the worst of the bunch. There is an arrogance about that company that is grating. When I manage to save my wife’s email archive and help her become free of her comcast email address, I’ll be switching. One thing I will avoid in the future is using the ISP’s email service. It ties you down too much. If all of your email addresses are from groups like gmail, yahoo, hotmail, mac and similar groups you can switch ISP with no upset in your email.

]]> By: thinkingthing http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24947 thinkingthing Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:31:26 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24947 In college, I made do without a TV for four years. Upon graduating, I decided to keep it up and make a run for it. Surprisingly, I still manage to be up to date on Idol, Lost, etc, just through regular conversation. I swear, like a quarter of what you people talk about is television. I fear the day February 17, 2009. That is when senior citizens nationwide, unaware of the digital conversion, unable to watch Matlock, will rise up and destroy us all. It's a shame that all the freed up airwaves got swallowed whole by the existing broadcasters. I would've loved to watch an independently produced personal finance channel. Might've made television useful again. In college, I made do without a TV for four years. Upon graduating, I decided to keep it up and make a run for it. Surprisingly, I still manage to be up to date on Idol, Lost, etc, just through regular conversation. I swear, like a quarter of what you people talk about is television.

I fear the day February 17, 2009. That is when senior citizens nationwide, unaware of the digital conversion, unable to watch Matlock, will rise up and destroy us all.

It’s a shame that all the freed up airwaves got swallowed whole by the existing broadcasters. I would’ve loved to watch an independently produced personal finance channel. Might’ve made television useful again.

]]> By: Zhu http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24946 Zhu Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:26:26 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24946 I'm still lost on how the TV works here... I was used to have 5 channels in France :lol: I'm gonna have a look at our package. I’m still lost on how the TV works here… I was used to have 5 channels in France :lol:

I’m gonna have a look at our package.

]]> By: Amanda http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24928 Amanda Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:26:21 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24928 We've had our boxes for a while now and we're pretty pleased. The picture quality (not sure of exact phrase here - I'll blame pregnancy brain :) ) is so much better. The only thing that is annoying is that if the signal is weak, the channel shuts off (ei "no signal") instead of just being a little fuzzy on regular analog. :) We're happy we have the boxes. :) We’ve had our boxes for a while now and we’re pretty pleased. The picture quality (not sure of exact phrase here – I’ll blame pregnancy brain :) ) is so much better. The only thing that is annoying is that if the signal is weak, the channel shuts off (ei “no signal”) instead of just being a little fuzzy on regular analog. :) We’re happy we have the boxes. :)

]]> By: Amy http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24899 Amy Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:13:01 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24899 We did the same thing you did. Ordered the coupon, bought a converter box to try out digital cable and then finally canceled cable. Very happy with our decision! Our reception quality is better and we found ways to watch our favorite cable shows for free using Hulu and Netflix (which we already subscribed to). If you are curious about picture quality, we have some <a href="http://www.cancelcable.com/" rel="nofollow">screenshots</a> on our blog as well as a <a href="http://www.cancelcable.com/db/showfinder.php" rel="nofollow">Showfinder </a>which lets you watch your favorite shows online. We did the same thing you did. Ordered the coupon, bought a converter box to try out digital cable and then finally canceled cable.

Very happy with our decision! Our reception quality is better and we found ways to watch our favorite cable shows for free using Hulu and Netflix (which we already subscribed to).

If you are curious about picture quality, we have some screenshots on our blog as well as a Showfinder which lets you watch your favorite shows online.

]]> By: Kacie http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24891 Kacie Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:27:51 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24891 Thanks for the links! We went without cable for the first six months of living in Pittsburgh. There just wasn't room in our budget at the time. We didn't really miss it, as we had a small account with Netflix back then. Our bill is really low now, but them tricky cable companies could raise it at any time, I'm sure! Thanks for the links! We went without cable for the first six months of living in Pittsburgh. There just wasn’t room in our budget at the time. We didn’t really miss it, as we had a small account with Netflix back then.

Our bill is really low now, but them tricky cable companies could raise it at any time, I’m sure!

]]> By: Emily http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24887 Emily Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:44:09 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24887 I just posted about my new love affair with hulu. I must be living in a cave, as I'd never heard of it until a few days ago. I have to get the converter box still. I just posted about my new love affair with hulu. I must be living in a cave, as I’d never heard of it until a few days ago.

I have to get the converter box still.

]]> By: Andrea http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/09/10/digital-converter-box-vs-cable/#comment-24884 Andrea Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:46:51 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=999#comment-24884 My boyfriend and I have decided to try dropping cable entirely now that NBC is making it's shows available on iTunes again. We bought an Apple TV (it allows you to watch videos from your computer on your tv, and you can buy/rent movies and tv shows directly from iTunes) about a month ago, and we're estimating that it will be about the same, or possibly cheaper to just BUY episodes of our regular shows every month vs the cost of cable, since we don't watch a whole lot of TV anyway. My boyfriend and I have decided to try dropping cable entirely now that NBC is making it’s shows available on iTunes again. We bought an Apple TV (it allows you to watch videos from your computer on your tv, and you can buy/rent movies and tv shows directly from iTunes) about a month ago, and we’re estimating that it will be about the same, or possibly cheaper to just BUY episodes of our regular shows every month vs the cost of cable, since we don’t watch a whole lot of TV anyway.

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