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Old 03-03-2020, 12:28 PM   #1
BoatHouse
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Default Cable Bill Tipping point

Wondering what others see as the tipping point that would drive you to call the Cable/Telco company and demand a reduction in your monthly bill.

For me it is between $225 - $250. This is for a "Standard" Triple Play service(Phone/Internet/Video)

I personally think that $175 - $200 per month is a reasonable price to pay for quality TV/Internet service.

My situation is/was -
MA Home - $265/mo for Comcast(Triple Play)
NH Home - $255/mo for Atlantic Broadband(Triple play)
NH Apartment - $117/mo for Comcast Basic TV only(no internet, no Telephone)
Total - $637/mo -> $7,644 per year!!! Not to mention the $280/mo ATT cell phone bill and the Spotify, Pandora, Apple music,... monthly charges.

Wholly crap, I can not believe I have been paying this for almost 3 years.

I finally reached my tipping point last July(7/2019) and started calling Comcast to lower my MA Home bill.

After the 2nd call to Comcast, I was able to lower the bill by $30/mo by cancelling the "pay" channels(HBO, Showtime...)

But I was not satisfied so I called Comcast for a 3rd time in December. I talked to the retention department for the second time and told them I needed to get my bill under $200 for the same service I currently have or I would be forced to switch back to Verizon Fios. His response was "I am sorry to hear that, but there is nothing I can do." This was the final straw and I committed to switch to Verizon in January.

Side note - over the Christmas break, my 19 year old son came home from College. I noticed he was watching Game of Thrones on HBO. I asked - "how are you watching HBO? I cancelled that." His response - "I signed up for HBO Go. It's only $15/mo." My response - "Um no! Since you make $0 per month, that is costing me $15/mo. Cancel the service immediately or the bank of dad is shut off."

Come January and I receive an add from Verizon and make the call - End result - $170/month for TV/Internet/Phone. It was such a pleasure bringing my Comcast equipment into the XFinity store and cancelling the service!!!

On to March and I start thinking about the NH house with Atlantic Broadband and make the call. The good news is ABB has much better customer service and retention people than Comcast. I explained that I am trying to get my bill below $200. The person was great. She ran through 3-4 options, but was still over $210 for triple play. She finally said she may be able to offer a "Customer Courtesy" 12 month discount for the service I currently had. I am on an old Metrocast plan with old equipment. So everyone that has not called about their Atlantic Broadband bill since they purchased Metrocast should call about this:
I am getting the following "Customer Courtesy" monthly discounts - $20/mo off Telephone, Internet and Video each for 12 months. After 12 months it goes to $10/mo discount each. I know this is kicking the can down the road, but my bill after the discounts is now $195/mo for the same service I have had.

Now my Cable bills are ~$482/mo; $5,784/year. Still way too expensive, but better.

As I know many on this forum have multiple homes, I am curious what your tipping point is and what you have done to combat the rising costs of Cable/Internet?
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Old 03-03-2020, 12:45 PM   #2
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Default Get a library card...

Books are great and cheap...

I agree with your assessment. It seems the cost of cable is a monthly expense second only to a mortgage. Your $637/month would support a 30yr. mortgage of $129,487 at 4.25%.
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Old 03-03-2020, 02:10 PM   #3
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I recently dumped Comcast (at $265/month) for FIOS and Youtube TV. I first just signed up for Youtube TV in October to see if we could live with that instead of Comcast X1 TV. My fear was that my wife wouldn't be comfortable with a streaming service. At first she missed the channel numbers but she soon noticed that Youtube TV would show tiles on the home page with the shows and channels that we normally watch. That made it very easy and we rarely had to go to the guide. The Youtube TV service at $50/month was rock solid and I swear the quality is better than cable tv. After a few months on Youtube TV we were ready to dump Comcast.

I did look at other streaming services but Youtube TV was the only one that included NESN (Red Sox and Bruins) and NBCSN (Celtics) as well as my wife's favorite HGTV. We're sports fans so being able to watch all four Boston pro sports teams was important.

Another nice feature of Youtube TV is the unlimited cloud DVR (they call it the Library). It not only records the program you want but then fills in every season and episode. I love it.

I had FIOS installed in December ($79/month for Gigabit). The $59/month service would have been fine but I picked Gigabit since with that they fixed the price for 3 years, everything like installation, activation and equipment was free and they gave my a $100 VISA gift card. After 3 years I'll drop down to the $59 400 Mbps service. The FIOS service is nearly symmetrical meaning I get gigabit speed for upload and download. Comcast upload speeds are about 10% or less of the download speed.

In early January I got a Comcast bill for $290. It had jumped another $30 from the previous bill. When I called to cancel the service the retention dept. tried everything to keep me but they couldn't come close to the cost of FIOS and Youtube TV.

I have now bought Roku Ultras and streaming sticks to run Youtube TV on our four TV's. They are great and have many channels that provide lots of free content. I think the small Rokus use much less energy than all the Comcast boxes and DVR.

So now I'm thrilled with paying $130/month instead of $290. We're in our 3rd month of FIOS and we haven't had a single issue with the service.

If anyone has questions about my FIOS and Youtube TV services I'd be glad to answer them.
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Old 03-03-2020, 04:17 PM   #4
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I'm in NH, so no FIOS (brand) but I have Consolidated Fiber service (they call it FAST instead of FIOS, but it's basically the same technology). To me the internet cost is separate from TV as I'd want and need internet with our without TV service. They offer new customers 1GB for $73 a month, but do have lower prices ($48/month and $61/month plans).

In the past, I was always upset that Consolidated never offered TV over the Fiber. But now I see they have their own IP TV Box (they call it CCiTV) available if you want to go with one stop shopping. However I suggest YouTube TV as it can be used in multiple locations and is not tied to the internet provider in any way.

A friend that lives in an apartment ONLY has a choice of Comcast for internet and was able to get some reasonable speed for $50 a month without any TV or phone service bundle (I think she lives in Manchester NH, but it may be Hooksett). She was happy with this price as she was worried that her internet only cost would go way up once she cancelled the phone and TV services.

I also went to YouTube TV for $50 a month.

Good bye cable companies!

The nice thing is that I can watch this here at home in Derry, AND anywhere else in the country, which means at the lake, or on my phone.

I had tested Hulu, but Hulu makes it difficult to use in multiple locations (such as one in a home somewhere and others at the lake, etc.).

Personally I use Amazon FireSticks, but I hear great things about the Roku also.

It's nice to have one remote to use for everything! Gone are the days of using one remote to turn on the TV, press some buttons to select something, then pick up yet another remote to select channels, etc. In fact, I can actually use the voice input and just say "turn on the TV" and it magically just turns on (for the paranoid types, It only listens when you press the voice input button). It's really a nice system.
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Old 03-03-2020, 04:20 PM   #5
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When we made the change more than a year ago I kept only ABB internet but at a reduced data rate. Then I subscribed to YouTube TV and OOMA voice over internet for phone. The good thing about YouTube TV is that you can take it with you. The same account works over at Welch Island and now on the coast of Georgia in our travel trailer.
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Old 03-03-2020, 04:31 PM   #6
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I have Spectrum Internet at the lake for $25/month, Comcast internet in Boston for $40/month, and then I pay for YoutubeTV at $50/month. I run Youtube TV on the two TVs I have at the lake and the two TVs I have in Boston. Works without issue and is great.

I used to pay way too much and now I'm at a reasonable rate.
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Old 03-03-2020, 04:36 PM   #7
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I refuse 2 pay over $200 a month. My triple play bill in Ma. is about $180 and I would cancel it if it was just up to me. I only have internet at the lake house at $70.

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Old 03-03-2020, 05:14 PM   #8
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Default At&t

I've cut all the cables with AT&T.
I support 2 high end smart phones, 1 internet wireless hotspot, AT&T NOW streaming wireless TV (3 concurrent streams) for under $300 p/month. Add < $20 for a 4 user NETFLIX account plus my AMAZON PRIME Video and I have more than enough entertainment through Amazon dongles on 2 TVs and my phone.

ALL of this can fit in my pockets to go anywhere there is AT&T service.
I will simply fill my pockets with gear to have everything at my new summer digs at Lake Champlain. NO EXTRA COST.
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Old 03-03-2020, 05:18 PM   #9
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I snapped two months ago - cancelled everything but internet. Now I'm on

YouTube TV
Amazon Prime Showtime
VOIP Phone

Haven't figured out the actual savings yet but expect to save +$150.00 / month

That's based on my wife having previously ordered everything Comcast had to offer
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Old 03-03-2020, 05:30 PM   #10
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Default Cut the cable

We had Metrocast extended basic package that got up to $180/mo. Switched to TDS fiber optic package for around $125/mo for 2 yrs. Then after our 2 yrs guaranteed rate, it started climbing monthly.

We listened to others talking about streaming TV, and finally said enough is enough. We ended up going back to Atlantic Broadband for internet and Youtubetv. A little learning curve, no channel numbers, but you can organize your channels so the ones most often watched can be moved to the top of the list. You can also deselect channels you don't want to watch (Spanish speaking, kids programming, e.t.c). With basic costs and the little extras, we're around $110-120. And we have a ton of sports channels, and in Alton, our local stations are all the Boston channels and WMUR.

Lovin' YouTubeTV.

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Old 03-03-2020, 05:38 PM   #11
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Well there's always this solution...



https://youtu.be/4PvFw5lyDJQ
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Old 03-03-2020, 05:59 PM   #12
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YouTube TV for me too. Switched to internet only at three locations and use the same YouTube TV account everywhere including on laptops. I believe you get 6 users per account so everyone has their own unlimited DVR as well. The user interface for streaming is different from cable but we got used to it.
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Old 03-03-2020, 06:33 PM   #13
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Default Cable Bill Tipping point

Ditched land-line phone years ago.
Dumped cable tv a few years ago.
Have cable internet, with Amazon Prime & Netflix.

Never looked back--
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Old 03-03-2020, 06:37 PM   #14
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YouTube TV and Consolidated Comm. for internet ,savings of $ 150.00 a month .
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Old 03-03-2020, 07:59 PM   #15
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It seems a lot of us here like YouTube TV!

I know it's off topic, but I'll mention the one thing I don't like about it and maybe someone here knows a work around?

When you have a current time slot show playing, and then go to the live guide, I can't seem a method to read the show description for any other channel/show in the same time slot. The only way that I know how to do it is by selecting the new show, which of course disrupts the current playing show.

As an example, if you're currently watching WMUR news at 6 PM, and then go to the live guide, WMUR continues to play in the background, and as you scroll through the live channel guide, I can't read the show description of any other channels in the 6 PM time slot without selecting them to play first.

If I select a different time slot, perhaps 7 PM, then when I select that show, the description comes up.

It's just the current time slot that doesn't seem to be readable without selecting it first. This seems to occur both on my Android phone and on the YouTube TV app on my Amazon Firestick, or directly on my TV using the YouTube TV app.

Has anyone found a way around this very minor inconvenience? It's the only little niggle that I have with YouTube TV.

I sure to love that we can customize the station order and disable unwanted stations, and their cloud DVR is awesome! They make it easy to watch a show from the beginning if you came in a few minutes late!

Anyone that wants to consider trying YouTube TV, shouldn't hesitate, they have a very easy 30 day free trial.
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:14 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kawishiwi View Post
I've cut all the cables with AT&T.
I support 2 high end smart phones, 1 internet wireless hotspot, AT&T NOW streaming wireless TV (3 concurrent streams) for under $300 p/month. Add < $20 for a 4 user NETFLIX account plus my AMAZON PRIME Video and I have more than enough entertainment through Amazon dongles on 2 TVs and my phone.

ALL of this can fit in my pockets to go anywhere there is AT&T service.
I will simply fill my pockets with gear to have everything at my new summer digs at Lake Champlain. NO EXTRA COST.
I must have hit the “thanks” button by mistake...was just reading from my phone and saw it there...so...no thanks to you!
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Old 03-03-2020, 10:57 PM   #17
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Default Slingbox - Vote

We have full cable (Xfinity) in MA $$$ with a Slingbox attached (Just the cost to buy the box and no recurring fees for Slingbox device)

Up in NH we have Atlantic BB high speed internet and pay $60 for that - attached to the NH TV we have a firestick with the slingbox app.

We watch everything that we see on the MA TV (Xfinity Service) in NH for the internet cost of $60.

As long as you are not trying to watch in MA and NH physically at the same time and want to watch a different channel.

Works for us - at least right now...
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Old 03-04-2020, 06:07 AM   #18
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We also use slingbox, just unable to sling hidef to the N.H. tv. Overall without withdrawll symptoms, you can see all cable channels, while slowly exiting the cable company stranglehold.
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Old 03-04-2020, 09:00 AM   #19
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Default Not sure I understand your problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich View Post
It seems a lot of us here like YouTube TV!

I know it's off topic, but I'll mention the one thing I don't like about it and maybe someone here knows a work around?

When you have a current time slot show playing, and then go to the live guide, I can't seem a method to read the show description for any other channel/show in the same time slot. The only way that I know how to do it is by selecting the new show, which of course disrupts the current playing show.

As an example, if you're currently watching WMUR news at 6 PM, and then go to the live guide, WMUR continues to play in the background, and as you scroll through the live channel guide, I can't read the show description of any other channels in the 6 PM time slot without selecting them to play first.

If I select a different time slot, perhaps 7 PM, then when I select that show, the description comes up.

It's just the current time slot that doesn't seem to be readable without selecting it first. This seems to occur both on my Android phone and on the YouTube TV app on my Amazon Firestick, or directly on my TV using the YouTube TV app.

Has anyone found a way around this very minor inconvenience? It's the only little niggle that I have with YouTube TV.

I sure to love that we can customize the station order and disable unwanted stations, and their cloud DVR is awesome! They make it easy to watch a show from the beginning if you came in a few minutes late!

Anyone that wants to consider trying YouTube TV, shouldn't hesitate, they have a very easy 30 day free trial.
Not sure I understand. For instance every evening at 530, we watch PTI on ESPN. At six pm, the programming changes to Sportscenter.

We access YoutubeTV through a ROKU stick. We hit the back button to return to the UTTV home page with Library, Home, and Live across the top. If Live is not selected, select it then scroll down. While ESPN is playing in the background, we scroll down through the guide. Some, maybe most, when the scrolling highlights that channel, it will give the title of the episode. Of course, it is not as detailed as a cable guide.

We do not access YouTubeTV through the Samsung TV app on the TV. Not sure if ROKU vs Samsung app matters. Initially, the lack of programming info was a little frustrating, but in a short period of time, we adjusted, and now it's a non-issue.

Dave
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Old 03-04-2020, 09:09 AM   #20
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Question Where Do People Find All This Time?

Quote:
Originally Posted by gwhite13 View Post
We also use slingbox, just unable to sling hidef to the N.H. tv. Overall without withdrawll symptoms, you can see all cable channels, while slowly exiting the cable company stranglehold.
I've put away the TV, and never had cable. I spend enough time on my cellphone with email and cost-free YouTube movies/history.

Cable, etc., seems like a second mortgage. No wonder there are complaints of a shrinking middle class!
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Old 03-04-2020, 10:05 AM   #21
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With You Tube-tv, at $50/month, you can watch the Tennis Channel and MSNBC at the same time on two lap-tops, and then switch over to winnipesaukee.com during a commercial. .....
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Old 03-04-2020, 10:54 AM   #22
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When we moved here last year we left Cable TV behind... GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
We’ve got:

Smart TV with zillions of apps
ABB 100 mbps Internet
Netflix
Amazon Prime
Hulu no ads
YouTube Regular-with Ads (Even WMUR has current content on their YT channel!)

All in —$100 ish per month . (Excluded Amazon Prime since we use the crap out of prime shipping which justifies the cost for us)

The only thing we don’t have in house is live sports. But my son lends us his Dish Anywhere for those critical events!
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Old 03-04-2020, 01:18 PM   #23
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Paying $135 for Atlantic Broadband high speed and TV with showtime and Epix (which we never watch) and I think that is too much. In NY had same with Spectrum for $117.

Then we have Amazon Prime and the BlazeTV ($10 per month) (which we have to watch on Roku since our new Samsung TV does not support the app for it).

If it were up to me I would just have the internet, Prime and The Blaze and whatever else I could watch on Roku. But hubby needs Fox News and MeTV. Sigh.....
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Old 03-05-2020, 07:43 AM   #24
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Default Turbo, Roku and Youtube TV

Couldn't be happier! Who the heck wants to have cable?
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Old 03-05-2020, 11:40 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upthesaukee View Post
Not sure I understand. For instance every evening at 530, we watch PTI on ESPN. At six pm, the programming changes to Sportscenter.

We access YoutubeTV through a ROKU stick. We hit the back button to return to the UTTV home page with Library, Home, and Live across the top. If Live is not selected, select it then scroll down. While ESPN is playing in the background, we scroll down through the guide. Some, maybe most, when the scrolling highlights that channel, it will give the title of the episode. Of course, it is not as detailed as a cable guide.

We do not access YouTubeTV through the Samsung TV app on the TV. Not sure if ROKU vs Samsung app matters. Initially, the lack of programming info was a little frustrating, but in a short period of time, we adjusted, and now it's a non-issue.

Dave
I'll try again. Basically, if you are watching the current ESPN channel at 5:30 PM, and then while that is playing, try to look at the Live channel guide, there is no way to read the description about another show that is also playing at 5:30 PM without starting it to play, replacing your currently playing ESPN channel. But if you click on a 6PM (or other future) time slot show, then you can read the program description. It just makes channel surfing a bit less informative while watching the currently playing show.

It's a minor issue. I just haven't found out how to get the channel description.

It's the same way on the web, my phone, etc. So I don't think it's an issue with my FireStick or TV App. It just seems to be the way they designed it, or I haven't figured out the proper menu clicks yet!
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Old 03-05-2020, 11:45 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4 for Boating View Post
We have full cable (Xfinity) in MA $$$ with a Slingbox attached (Just the cost to buy the box and no recurring fees for Slingbox device)

Up in NH we have Atlantic BB high speed internet and pay $60 for that - attached to the NH TV we have a firestick with the slingbox app.

We watch everything that we see on the MA TV (Xfinity Service) in NH for the internet cost of $60.

As long as you are not trying to watch in MA and NH physically at the same time and want to watch a different channel.

Works for us - at least right now...
I was using the Slingbox for a few years and it really is a nice service! However, since I "Cut the cord" and ditched cable, I no longer need it. My overall costs have gone down and my usability and picture quality seems to have gone up. Additionaly we no longer need to coordinate control of the cable box if two of us are in two different locations.

I used to use Ooma for home phone also, but I found the only calls I was receiving on it were telemarketers, so I finally cancelled that too and now use my cell (with an additional free google voice number) for all my phone needs.
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Old 03-05-2020, 01:23 PM   #27
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If you already have Xfinity triple in MA (or NH),,,

While ROKU recently dropped the Sling app and while the Xfinity Beta app will not run on mobile devices (including Roku) if not on your home system area, the Xfinity Beta app works just fine on a laptop anywhere. And if said laptop can HDMI to your tv, you can watch everything you watch in MA anywhere else.

While at the lake I have nothing but ABB Internet only. ~$54/mo and I can watch NETFLIX/Pluto/etc,, on the ROKU, and if I want to watch WMUR or any MA station, I just run Xfinity on my Laptop and HDMI it to the tv.

For landline tele in MA and NH, my free google voice routes to my OBITalk (which Google Chat supports) to the hardline in my house, for free.....
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Old 03-05-2020, 01:51 PM   #28
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If you already have Xfinity triple in MA (or NH),,,

While ROKU recently dropped the Sling app and while the Xfinity Beta app will not run on mobile devices (including Roku) if not on your home system area, the Xfinity Beta app works just fine on a laptop anywhere. And if said laptop can HDMI to your tv, you can watch everything you watch in MA anywhere else.

While at the lake I have nothing but ABB Internet only. ~$54/mo and I can watch NETFLIX/Pluto/etc,, on the ROKU, and if I want to watch WMUR or any MA station, I just run Xfinity on my Laptop and HDMI it to the tv.

For landline tele in MA and NH, my free google voice routes to my OBITalk (which Google Chat supports) to the hardline in my house, for free.....

Agreed, I use apple tv to just mirror what's on my computer/ipad/phone and run all my cable apps from home on the second homes tvs.
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Old 03-05-2020, 02:47 PM   #29
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No TV on the island. I do have Internet - and that's just so I can work from home and get more island time! Internet runs about $50/month.
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Old 03-05-2020, 02:51 PM   #30
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We only have a DVD player at camp—no cable, no internet.

At home, $113 = cable, internet, HBOGO, Disney+.

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Old 03-05-2020, 05:17 PM   #31
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I'll try again. Basically, if you are watching the current ESPN channel at 5:30 PM, and then while that is playing, try to look at the Live channel guide, there is no way to read the description about another show that is also playing at 5:30 PM without starting it to play, replacing your currently playing ESPN channel. But if you click on a 6PM (or other future) time slot show, then you can read the program description. It just makes channel surfing a bit less informative while watching the currently playing show.

It's a minor issue. I just haven't found out how to get the channel description.

It's the same way on the web, my phone, etc. So I don't think it's an issue with my FireStick or TV App. It just seems to be the way they designed it, or I haven't figured out the proper menu clicks yet!
Try to show you. Judge Judy playing in the background, and on Ellen, Demi Lovato is one guest. My access is through ROKU and ABB for internet.

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Old 03-05-2020, 10:12 PM   #32
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Hint.

For those that have two homes and Direct TV.

The receivers are "dumb". The receivers don't know where they are.
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Old 03-06-2020, 07:49 AM   #33
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Try to show you. Judge Judy playing in the background, and on Ellen, Demi Lovato is one guest. My access is through ROKU and ABB for internet.

Dave
Yes, but you can't read the show description, as an example, scroll right one show to the news at 5 and press select, you can read the show notes. But there is no way to read the show notes on the Ellen show without starting it to play which stops the judge Judy from playing.

It's like they should allow the menu button to bring up the show description without starting to play the show.

Thanks for trying, but my guess is that others don't care about this to go off topic here.
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Old 03-06-2020, 11:45 AM   #34
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My wife is on her way to Comcast in Concord/Xfinity as I type this.
We are cutting "half" the cord and keeping internet which is very fast.
She has some kind of plan to pick up some gizmo at Best Buy where we can get TV...I'll keep others posted on what she comes up with.
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Old 03-06-2020, 01:15 PM   #35
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Default One last thing.

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Yes, but you can't read the show description, as an example, scroll right one show to the news at 5 and press select, you can read the show notes. But there is no way to read the show notes on the Ellen show without starting it to play which stops the judge Judy from playing.

It's like they should allow the menu button to bring up the show description without starting to play the show.

Thanks for trying, but my guess is that others don't care about this to go off topic here.
Here's a streaming TV guide my wife found. It has many, not all, YouTubeTV programming. It will give you a brief description, or at least the title of the episode / program.

https://streamingtvguides.com/YouTube-TV/Guide

Now back to the tipping point.

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Old 03-07-2020, 10:26 AM   #36
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This tipping point conversation has me thinking. I have fios triple play and need to find out my savings if I drop cable. Unfortunately, I can’t even remember who has my home phone number as emergency contact so I guess I’m stuck with that.

I have a YouTube TV question though: if I sign up using the Boston area as my location, do I get the Boston area channels when using it at the lake or do I get local programming?


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Old 03-07-2020, 03:15 PM   #37
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This tipping point conversation has me thinking. I have fios triple play and need to find out my savings if I drop cable. Unfortunately, I can’t even remember who has my home phone number as emergency contact so I guess I’m stuck with that.

I have a YouTube TV question though: if I sign up using the Boston area as my location, do I get the Boston area channels when using it at the lake or do I get local programming?


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We (my wife) just did I this yesterday...we are using Amazon Firestick and YouTube TV (free trial) and she set it up for the Boston area and we live in the lakes region. So far, working good with all the channels we used to get on Xfinity. ABC CBS WMUR FOX Red Sox Celtics all available plus much more we haven’t watched yet.
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Old 03-07-2020, 05:27 PM   #38
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Anyone using an HD antenna?

Is it worth exploring?


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Old 03-07-2020, 07:36 PM   #39
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Anyone using an HD antenna?

Is it worth exploring?


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That has been kicked around many times here, do a search.

The short answer is anywhere from zero to a few channels. In this hilly terrain a long way from transmitters, reception is highly dependent on exact location.
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Old 03-08-2020, 08:48 AM   #40
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We (my wife) just did I this yesterday...we are using Amazon Firestick and YouTube TV (free trial) and she set it up for the Boston area and we live in the lakes region. So far, working good with all the channels we used to get on Xfinity. ABC CBS WMUR FOX Red Sox Celtics all available plus much more we haven’t watched yet.
On YouTube TV, at the lake, I get the same channels as I get at home in the southern NH area. But a few weeks ago I was in the Sebego Lake area of Maine and was showing YouTube TV on my phone to a friend and it seemed to switch to the local Maine channels. There was just a brief message that popped up at the time, and I was distracted and didn't read it fully, so I can't be sure and I didn't take the time to review what was changed.

I had originally started with Hulu (instead of YoutTube TV), but found that Hulu isn't as friendly when it comes to using it in different physical locations. YouTube TV is much more flexible and friendly in this regard.
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Old 03-08-2020, 11:34 AM   #41
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On YouTube TV, at the lake, I get the same channels as I get at home in the southern NH area. But a few weeks ago I was in the Sebego Lake area of Maine and was showing YouTube TV on my phone to a friend and it seemed to switch to the local Maine channels. There was just a brief message that popped up at the time, and I was distracted and didn't read it fully, so I can't be sure and I didn't take the time to review what was changed.

I had originally started with Hulu (instead of YoutTube TV), but found that Hulu isn't as friendly when it comes to using it in different physical locations. YouTube TV is much more flexible and friendly in this regard.
This past November, we took the train down to Orlando FL, leaving on a Monday. We watched Monday night football on the train (lots of buffering), watched ch 9 & ch 25 news with our morning coffee, and ditto in the hotel . A friend goes to Phoenix regularly and watches our local channels(we both live in Alton Bay). His girlfriend lives in Freedom and her local channels are ME based, but he can watch the Boston based channels while at her house.
Not sure why yours would change over. Being able to watch your local channels is supposed to be a big selling point for the Youtubetv service.

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Old 03-08-2020, 06:42 PM   #42
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YouTube TV when traveling:
https://support.google.com/youtubetv.../7193651?hl=en

Our experience traveling is in accordance with the info shown in the above link. For example in southern coastal Georgia we got a Welcome to the Jacksonville viewing area even though our "Home area" remained the Boston area.

When at home we had set the WMUR evening news and the NH Chronicle to record each session. Then when on travel they can be viewed once the live session is over. We were not able to watch them live when in another viewing area.

Alan
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Old 03-08-2020, 07:36 PM   #43
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We have cable in MA (Fios) as well as NH (Spectrum). We are seriously considering YouTubeTV, but the past post gives me pause. Are plan was to sign up in Boston area and then view it in NH when we are there. Now I am confused about this out of. viewing area comment above. Anyone with actual experience like my setup?
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Old 03-08-2020, 09:05 PM   #44
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Default U tube tv

We also made the switch to U tube tv. For $50 month we can stream television any where we have digital signal. They allow 3 devices at once so great for families that may be in different locations. ie.our daughter while she is at college. We cancelled our dish service at $125 month which was only good at our home in Vermont. Basically the exact channels maybe a little more and better quality. To answer tummymans question, you log on by mobile device and you get the package for your location. Mainly the only difference I notice from Vt to Nh is local news. Which I think is an awesome option. Check out there site they offer free trial. If/when Comcast comes into the lakes region we will be able to do the same with our broadband service. Until then it’s Comcast in Vt and ABB in NH.
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Old 03-09-2020, 08:24 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by tummyman View Post
We have cable in MA (Fios) as well as NH (Spectrum). We are seriously considering YouTubeTV, but the past post gives me pause. Are plan was to sign up in Boston area and then view it in NH when we are there. Now I am confused about this out of. viewing area comment above. Anyone with actual experience like my setup?
YouTube TV has a place to enter a zip code and inform you of the local stations available there. Alton and gilford New Hampshire are in the Boston area


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Old 03-09-2020, 10:39 AM   #46
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We have cable in MA (Fios) as well as NH (Spectrum). We are seriously considering YouTubeTV, but the past post gives me pause. Are plan was to sign up in Boston area and then view it in NH when we are there. Now I am confused about this out of. viewing area comment above. Anyone with actual experience like my setup?
You should have no problem.

I'm in southern NH and my TV viewing area is considered the Boston market area. When I'm at the lake, I see the same channels as I do at home. It works perfectly and this is the main reason I went away from Hulu and switched to YouTube TV.
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Old 03-13-2020, 05:59 PM   #47
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Default is there an internet alternative in Moultonborough

I am all for ditching Spectrum Cable and going with YouTube TV - sounds like it has all the channels I want/need. Thanks for the good info about this in previous posts. My question regards alternatives to Internet. For people who have switched to Internet over the phone line, what has your experience been in M'boro? Is it fast enough for quality streaming? Does the speed degrade significantly in the summer months? Are there any other options for Internet? Appreciate your thoughts.
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Old 03-14-2020, 05:16 AM   #48
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I am all for ditching Spectrum Cable and going with YouTube TV - sounds like it has all the channels I want/need. Thanks for the good info about this in previous posts. My question regards alternatives to Internet. For people who have switched to Internet over the phone line, what has your experience been in M'boro? Is it fast enough for quality streaming? Does the speed degrade significantly in the summer months? Are there any other options for Internet? Appreciate your thoughts.
Check out Consolidated:
https://www.consolidated.com/residen...order-internet
or ask someone, in the know, at town hall, they might hint the speeds you can get with them.
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Old 03-15-2020, 08:13 AM   #49
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Default Free TV

As I’ve posted in other related threads, it is possible to get all your “home” local channels anywhere you have internet by using a Tablo digital DVR. As long as you have local channels via antenna where you locate the Tablo, it can be streamed to any other device in your home or over the internet to anywhere. We have 40 channels via antenna at our central MA house and can record and stream recorded or live channels from there to our island house (which has 7Mbps Consolidated DSL service). We supplement that with Netflix and Hulu and all works fine at that speed.
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Old 05-18-2020, 09:04 AM   #50
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Default YouTube TV updates?????

Need to get some updated info, especially on YouTube TV. Just received a notice from Spectrum that my triple play costs were increasing because some promotional discounts were over. My bill went from $150 to $195 per month, with Cable TV being the biggest increase. Called them today and did get a small reduction in my TV cost by switching to a lower tier package. However, the cable TV costs are still egregious IMHO.

However, I have been really interested in cutting the entire TV service and switching to YouTube TV. Technically, I have all the correct TV hookups, so the switch is very easy. What makes it even more attractive is that I can also cut the cable portion of service at an out of state property from another supplier. Savings are substantial when combining both cable TV cancellations along with no real reduction in the important channels we desire. Plus we can select the best "home" area for local news, etc.

We currently have Spectrum internet at their basic speed...I think 100MBS. We are located in Moultonborough. New TV is supplied with cable TV via direct coax cable to the cable box, them HDMI to TV. Netflix etc. are via wireless connection, although I could hook up a Cat7 cable directly if needed back to the modem. Netflix signal appears super.

My question here is more about the picture quality of the YouTube TV, since my most recent set is a 65" Samsung with all the latest features. What I have been learning is that "allegedly" YouTube TV does not broadcast at the newest speed and quality levels. However, I would like to hear from others who have made the switch......are you pleased with the picture quality? I intend to do a free trial shortly, but would love to understand how people feel about this option. Thanks in advance....HELP !!!!!
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Old 05-18-2020, 09:16 AM   #51
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When my wife first got our Firestick up and running and selected YouTube TV to begin watching TV again after cutting it from the xfinity package, I suspected that there was some degradation in picture quality. Of course, there was no going back so after a couple of days, I got used to the new picture. That was many weeks ago and I am watching TV as I type this. It’s a perfectly acceptable picture now! Do I feel it’s a slight degradation...yes. Am I going back to cable? Hell no.
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Old 05-18-2020, 09:22 AM   #52
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Verizon FIOS triple play in Mass for $149.00 / month
No HBO, Showtime or anything else.
High speed internet
Not a promotion, hard negotiation.

SlingBox - $ 225 from Amazon

Atlantic Broadband in NH for $ 63 a month, including modem rental.

This has been working great. With slingbox, you can watch on one TV at a time.
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Old 05-19-2020, 07:38 AM   #53
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Default Spectrum Internet

My experiment this season with spectrum is that I went on seasonal service for cable tv and internet. Internet speed was "slowed" so allow for security system operation. I have been using Youtube TV with a roku. Have two roku devices. One standard, the other a higher end roku. I have found TV quality good to best depending if I am using other wifi devices. However at only paying $50.00 a month right now I am fine with the quality. I had youtube last season with the 100MB spectrum and there were no issues with quality or downloading speeds. I am waiting to see if spectrum automatically takes me off seasonal.

Youtube has a 30 day free trial period for nothing to lose in trying it.
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Old 05-19-2020, 09:27 AM   #54
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Just imagine how much people all over America are paying for ESPN and all those local sports networks right now for replays of 10 year old hockey games.

I tried to dump ESPN on DirecTV because I never watch it, but if you want NESN, you have to pay for ESPN too.

I switched to YouTube TV. It even works pretty good over the crappy 1.5MBps DSL that is available around here. Amazingly Zoom works pretty well too.
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Old 06-23-2020, 01:45 PM   #55
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Well, after lots of research and price haggling with Spectrum, I dumped their cable TV service Monday and have gone to YouTubeTV. Have it running on two TV's...Samsung that are pretty new. If your TV is not compatible, a cheap ROKU solves the issues. Samsung units older than 2016/17 need a ROKU as the service is not compatible with the software. No biggie.

By eliminating cable TV only at my NH and MA properties, the savings is close to $1200/year or $100 per month. Enough of being held hostage by cable companies. As far as Spectrum was concerned, i got a large increase in costs in January as some promotional discounts expired. After a lot of discussion, they educed my bill by cutting a lot of cable channels. My last bill for cable was $80.48 for service PLUS $13.50 for a Broadband TV surcharge, whatever that was. Total cable cost was $94 rounded. YouTubeTV is $49.99. A no brainer and then I add the full benefit of cancelling the MA service.

In testing the YouTube TV product, I found the picture quality to be excellent. Program guide takes a little to get used to it (as others have said), but there is also the capability to rearrange the channels and put the infrequently used ones at the end of the list. NEAT!!! Selection of channels works for us...all the major news channels plus WMUR, all the popular business channels, etc. And the sports package is terrific. No NFL network, but I can live without that as long as the Pat's are on.

YouTube will certainly save you money...no cable boxes, no extra remotes, etc. etc. $100 a month in my pocket is a no brainer. Give it a test drive and see how good it really is.
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Old 08-04-2020, 04:16 PM   #56
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Default Consolidated Communication Internet ?

Would like to hear from Forum members who have Consolidated Communication Internet. Is the service dependable ?

Contemplating jumping from Atlantic Broad Band to Consolidated.
I want to drop my cable with Atlantic, however, if I do, my monthly Internet service with them will skyrocket, as currently I have a bundle.

If I go to Consolidated, I can pickup 25Mbps for $39.19 per month, but there is a 2 yr contract stipulation. Early termination fee of $149 applies to Internet.

I cannot get the advertised Atlantic BB special price of Internet (100Mbps+Cable (60 channels), of $59.99 per mo for 2 yrs, because I'm a current customer, and this pricing is only offered to 'new' customers.

I want to cut my cable, but retain my Internet for streaming channels.
(Netflix, Hulu, NatGeo, etc).

Thoughts ?
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Old 08-04-2020, 05:07 PM   #57
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Would like to hear from Forum members who have Consolidated Communication Internet. Is the service dependable ?

Contemplating jumping from Atlantic Broad Band to Consolidated.
I want to drop my cable with Atlantic, however, if I do, my monthly Internet service with them will skyrocket, as currently I have a bundle.

If I go to Consolidated, I can pickup 25Mbps for $39.19 per month, but there is a 2 yr contract stipulation. Early termination fee of $149 applies to Internet.

I cannot get the advertised Atlantic BB special price of Internet (100Mbps+Cable (60 channels), of $59.99 per mo for 2 yrs, because I'm a current customer, and this pricing is only offered to 'new' customers.

I want to cut my cable, but retain my Internet for streaming channels.
(Netflix, Hulu, NatGeo, etc).

Thoughts ?
My next door neighbor just got that $39 deal and he says it's not great. Lot's of buffering if more than one person is on it.
We were also thinking of changing until I talked to him.
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Old 08-05-2020, 05:48 AM   #58
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Here's a map of Consolidated's expected speeds in Moultonboro. The data is at least a year old, so may be better than shown. Typically, to get the best speeds from them, you should order a bonded line, which is two lines sharing the load.

There is another game in town though for Moultonboro, Sandwich and Tuftonboro. Hub 66 is putting fixed wireless antennas on local cell towers and offering 200+ Mbps service to those in the signal pattern. There is a tower on Red Hill pointing south east and more towers are going in. Cost is $89/month but there is a promotional available at $39/month for the first 100 customers in a town. Does it work? Don't know - waiting to hear from their customers. The story seems solid but proof of their ability to deal outages and customer support will make or break their success.
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Old 09-19-2020, 05:55 AM   #59
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We too are getting rid of cable. Just too expensive. Has anyone in West Alton tried a digital OTA (over the air) antenna? All I really want is WMUR for weather/local news. I'm assuming it's not viable due to the mountains blocking the signal, but thought I'd throw this question out there.
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Old 09-19-2020, 07:04 AM   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GodSmile View Post
We too are getting rid of cable. Just too expensive. Has anyone in West Alton tried a digital OTA (over the air) antenna? All I really want is WMUR for weather/local news. I'm assuming it's not viable due to the mountains blocking the signal, but thought I'd throw this question out there.
If you have wifi WMUR has an app on amazon prime. Sure it’s available on others.


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Old 09-19-2020, 08:27 AM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GodSmile View Post
We too are getting rid of cable. Just too expensive. Has anyone in West Alton tried a digital OTA (over the air) antenna? All I really want is WMUR for weather/local news. I'm assuming it's not viable due to the mountains blocking the signal, but thought I'd throw this question out there.
Correct, not viable OTA. Lots of prior discussion on the forum.

You can go here:
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
put in the 03810 zip and then drag the locator to your location.

WMUR broadcasts in the VHF high band. I have a fairly high gain direction VHF high band yagi antenna that I once used on Welch Island. It is just sitting on my garage. You are welcome to try it
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Old 09-19-2020, 08:33 AM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slickcraft View Post
Correct, not viable OTA. Lots of prior discussion on the forum.

You can go here:
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
put in the 03810 zip and then drag the locator to your location.

WMUR broadcasts in the VHF high band. I have a fairly high gain direction VHF high band yagi antenna that I once used on Welch Island. It is just sitting on my garage. You are welcome to try it
appreciate the offer! I don't think I even need to try it based on the link you provided.
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