| Author |
Message |
Julieboo
Member
02-04-2002
| Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 5:30 am 
Looking for your help!! We got rid of our beloved DirecTV about two months ago. We got an insignia fireTV. We have Paramount+, Netflix and prime. I admit that I’m not very streaming savvy. Somehow found out that I could get a Fox channel (free) to watch the bears game last weekend. So I’m looking to see what are some free or low cost channels/services?
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-21-2001
| Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 8:27 am
I have a FireTV and these are my freebies:
Freevee
Tubi
PlutoTV
Plex
FreeTV
We do a lot of buying a channel/service for a couple months then canceling. I love a couple shows on Apple TV+ so when they come out, I wait until they're halfway through the season, pay for the app, then cancel when the last ep airs. I put a reminder in my calendar to cancel to be sure we don't pay longer than we have to.
Then I watch for deals. We got Peacock for a year for something like $25. Those types of deals are almost always cheaper directly through the provider and NOT through Amazon channels.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 9:02 am
Remember, Paramount+ Essential comes free with Walmart Plus membership, and there is a HUGE discount if you buy Paramount+ with Showtime through your Walmart account.
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®
$119.99/year
$64.99/year
Includes everything in Essential, plus:
No ads (except live TV & a few shows)
SHOWTIME originals, movies & sports
Your local live CBS station
Download shows to your mobile device
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Julieboo
Member
02-04-2002
| Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 9:04 pm
Thanks Teach and Naja!
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Monday, January 27, 2025 - 10:49 am
Well, my Xfinity bill just went up about $16.00. It's getting much too costly. Now I am actually starting plans to cut the cable.
I'll make and come back and share tentative plans. I can't pay this much.
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Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Monday, January 27, 2025 - 8:05 pm
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I feel equally frustrated.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Monday, January 27, 2025 - 10:37 pm
I also trust Naja to figure out the best plan for all or us. Thank you, Naja. 
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 9:29 am
I have already pretty much decided on Youtube TV.
The base plan has a GREAT selection of over 100 live channels including local, plus unlimited DVR space for $69.99/mo for the first 6 months, then it goes to $82.99.
I will have the bundled add-on of HBO/MAX and Showtime $29.99 a month.
The only problem is which internet service. I want google fiber, but who knows when they will be done installing it to our area. Oh, the other problem is how to get it on the other TVs that aren't smart TVs for the tenants.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 11:06 am
Naja, I was looking at the same. Youtube TV is def the best option for me also, but when I added Xfinity internet and landline... it was almost the same cost. 
Smart TVs are cheap however. I don't know what size the TVs are in the rest of your house, but I got a little one for my office for $99. Best Buy has a 40 inch which is a pretty large TV for $139, and a 24 inch for $65 right now.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 11:14 am
That's the same for me, Kar, but I was thinking maybe it's time to drop the land line. By doing that and going with google fiber and youtube tv with the addons, when the full prices kick in, I would be paying about $55 less.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 11:18 am
I would drop my landline, but where I live, my cell phone doesn't always work. Like yesterday, my cancer trail coordinator called me 3 times on my cell phone, but we could never get a good connection. So I called her on my Xfinity-landline and it was fine.
So I think I kind of need it. And Xfinity here won't give me just internet and the landline, I have to get the basic tv program set up as well.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-02-2002
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 1:06 pm
Comcast is my biggest bill! But the internet is reliable for me, and I need reliable internet to work. So I suffer on. But I'm glad others are able to make the jump and hopefully this helps keep the cable company from increasing too much as they continue to lose people. Esp as us oldies leave this planet. I really don't see my kid paying for cable as long as she has internet. She streams everything.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 1:16 pm
It's my second biggest bill after electric/water.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - 10:41 pm
I never watch actual television, but Bigdog does. I don't even know how to work the television, unless I can use voice commands. I have streamed everything for maybe 10+? years.
I have no idea if that is good or bad.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 10:27 am
I only have antenna TV. Never have had cable and very very rarely stream anything (only twice in my life). It’s a treat to travel and watch cable for me. But, I always end up only watching HGTZ or the History channel.
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Bbpeach
Member
07-06-2005
| Wednesday, February 12, 2025 - 10:11 pm
All of those wanting to switch to YouTubeTV, I got a notice today that they are blocking all paramount content including CBS, starting tomorrow. This is one of those negotiating things. I don’t know if it will be long or short lived. Just be aware.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 6:28 am
Right now, I was going through my credit card trying to figure out how much I'm spending on streaming, and what to cut and switch to. While doing this, I ran across this article about Hulu disappearing into Disney. Does this mean I will have to pay about $90 a month if I want to watch my Hulu shows? It's not happening.
Hulu App to Be Phased Out as Disney Is ‘Fully Integrating’ Service Into Disney+
Also, if I don't keep an eye on my emails (I use a different email that I never check so I don't get spam on the one I do use.) Will I all of a sudden be charged for Disney+?
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 7:16 am
Grooch, I just watched the report on it on cable news. They will still offer Hulu as a stand alone, and Disney+ as a stand alone, but the app itself will be different.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 7:38 am
Thanks, Naja.
While I was googling, I found this new service that looks very interesting, and cheap, too!
Roku has unveiled a new streaming service that’s cheaper than Netflix, Disney+, and more – here’s everything we know so far about Howdy
quote:Roku has launched a new paid-for streaming service
Howdy was made available on August 5, 2025, in the US
It costs $2.99 a month and is only accessible via the Roku platform for now
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 7:46 am
I saw that a few days ago. I love that it's commercial free for $2.99.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 9:24 am
We really took a hard look at cutting back, mainly focused on dropping DirecTV. Maybe we watch too much TV but with my interest in sports and my wife’s interests we really haven’t found a way to cut back much at all. We’re really hoping that Google Fiber finding gets to our community and then we’ll reevaluate. Right now because everything in our house is AT&T including our cell phones we get a bundle discount. AT&T has sold off DirecTV but still includes it in their bundles.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Friday, August 08, 2025 - 9:58 am
We all wanted everything easier, and to be able to get only what we want, but the whole industry has made it harder instead of easier.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-21-2001
| Saturday, August 09, 2025 - 7:45 pm
We've dropped everything except Peacock, Hulu and Starz. I don't even have Prime Video right now (and I'm trying to figure out how to get JUST Prime Video w/o going through the enter Amazon Prime gig). I have so many books that I rarely watch more than a couple hours of TV a week. We cut DirecTV out a couple years ago, and we've not missed it a bit.
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Saturday, August 09, 2025 - 9:20 pm
Fubu helped us cut the cable cord. It took some adjusting getting rid of directv but I''m so glad to be without them
Mack, call directv and tell them you want to cancel. They will offer a little deal, tell them no we still want to cancel, then they send you to a vip member that can offer a better discount. They were going to reduce us about 50.00 a month good for a year. We still said no. She said how much for you to stay. I said 100 LOL she said she couldnt do it. Point is, do the above and you will at least save 50 a month for a year 
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Sunday, August 10, 2025 - 7:51 am
I probably need to call again now that AT&T is out of the picture. I tried that approach with DirecTV when it was totally owned by AT&T and they basically said “sorry to see you go”. We’ve been with DirecTV since 1998 starting up in north Virginia where the cable system was one of the oldest in the US and in terrible condition. Back then DirecTV actually had reps and a separate retail area in Best Buy. When we moved to Texas the house we bought was all set up and using DirecTV so we stuck with them. Didn’t help that the local cable company was Time Warner at the time and I didn’t like them. Anyhow, 27 years with one provider is hard to drop.
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Sunday, August 10, 2025 - 1:55 pm
ok, I am pretty sure I figured out how to save $90 and still be happy. Let's see.
I got a used Tivo Bolt Vox with 2 room extenders. I'll start with the Tivo subscription.
I can record my locals over the air with Tivo.
$12.50 Tivo (annual cost split monthly)
$55.00 xFinity cable for 5 years
$18.99 Hulu no ads
$17.99 Netflix no ads
$16.99 HBO MAX Prime add-on (Includes TRVL and DSC and more)
$12.99 Paramount+ Prime add-on (Includes Showtime and more)
----
$134.46 Total.
I don't count my Amazon Prime because I signed up for free shipping and didn't know they had video.
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