Let's bring down Comcast one dissatisfied customer at a time.
March 15, 2015 5:52 PM   Subscribe

Help me help my brother and sister-in-law minimize their Comcast bill. They're currently paying $145/mo for basic cable (no HBO), a land line, and internet service. Dropping the phone will actually raise their monthly expense due to the way services are packaged, so I've been looking for alternatives to cable TV that will allow them to go with an internet-only plan. Roku appears to be the best option (I've looked at Apple and Chromecast), but I have questions...

The situation:

Several evenings/week they watch back-to-back episodes of The Big Band Theory (yeah, I know). They never watch it on CBS, so they're always seeing reruns and they're fine with that. When that option isn't available, they channel surf and watch whatever catches their interest (e.g., sit-coms, History Channel, news).

Sis-in-law likes the Hallmark channel, but not enough to pay extra for it, i.e., access to similar movies would be fine.

They don't watch sports, don't have HBO, and never watch any of the pay-per-view options available to them with their current Comcast plan.

The have 3 TVs. The watch the 20" screen in the kitchen slightly more often than the large living room TV, and they fall asleep to an old portable in the bedroom.

They are in the middle of nowhere, so a room antenna would pick up only ABC and Fox. An attic antenna would add CBS, NBC, and PBS. Roof antenna isn't an option.

They don't want to mess around with DVDs.

I believe a $7.99/mo Hulu Plus subscription will meet all their needs except access to multiple reruns of TBBT.


Questions and clarifications:

As I understand things (correct me if I'm wrong), they need a Roku box for every TV. Roku 3 is probably the best option for the kitchen and living room sets (faster than the stick), but the older TV will need a Roku 1 for the A/V hookup.

Do they need Hulu subscriptions for every set?

Re The Big Bang Theory, it seems that the show--including reruns--is available only through a CBS subscription. Does anyone know of another option?

Assuming they have only Hulu Plus and CBS subscriptions, what will appear on the screen when they turn on the TV? E.g., just those 2 icons or will they have to scroll through dozens of icons for services they haven't purchased?

How do they access the free Roku channels?

According to the Roku website, the Roku 3 "can stream directly from Netflix and YouTube apps on your phone". How does this work? Does this mean that they can stream everything available online via their phones?

Anything else I need to consider?


Note: I've never had cable TV. For the past several years I've accessed movies and TV via the net, prior to this setup I was happy with rabbit ears. This is all new to me. I've spent hours researching options and still feel a bit lost, so assume I know nothing and speak slowly.
posted by she's not there to Technology (23 answers total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
*cough* project free tv *cough*
also maybe chromecast ($35)
posted by sexyrobot at 5:57 PM on March 15, 2015 [1 favorite]


All of those devices can share one Hulu Plus account; in my experience they can even run Hulu simultaneously.

For Big Bang: if they really don't want to deal with DVDs, they can purchase entire seasons on Amazon Instant Video, which presumably would stream through their Roku. It'll be more expensive up front but then they can watch whatever they want. (DVDs would be cheaper, for the record.)
posted by goodbyewaffles at 6:08 PM on March 15, 2015 [2 favorites]


They can get a free Amazon Fire Stick if they sign up for Sling at $20 a month. This new streaming service, owned by Dish, will get them twenty-ish live streaming channels. Add Hulu and Netflix for $10 a month each, and their bill is $40 a month for a wide variety of streaming and on demand options.

The Fire TV Stick is also easier to use for non-techies as it has a remote and a central GUI, rather than needing to be launched from a mess of separate phone/tablet apps.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:26 PM on March 15, 2015 [3 favorites]


I have a Roku and I like it alot. I've had it for many years in place of cable. (Although I do have cable now in addition).
I know the Roku 2 does A/V cables; I'm not sure if the 3 does but it's worth checking with Roku customer service.

Amazon Instant Video is the service where I spend the majority of my Roku time these days. It has way more selection than Hulu or Netflix by far, plus more current shows. I second the suggestion to outlay the cash for the all the seasons of Big Bang Theory in one go. Then they have them and they will not go away, like they could from Hulu or Netflix. Sign up for Amazon Prime which is one flat yearly charge and they get a bunch more stuff included with that. Then there will also be no monthly bill.
posted by bleep at 6:31 PM on March 15, 2015


I use netflix and an antenna and frankly, I can't get away from BBT. Each channel seems to play the same two or three episodes as each other on any given day, but it's there.
posted by rhizome at 6:38 PM on March 15, 2015


TBBT is not legally streaming on any service. Period. (In the USA.) CBS doesn't license it to anybody (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Google, etc.).

So there is no straightforward solution that will meet your requirements. I really like the Roku as a STB streaming receiver, and I think it works with the greatest variety of programming (Amazon, Hulu, Crackle... basically everything except for YouTube). But the only way you will be watching TBBT on it is if you do some messing about.

Aside from a piracy-based solution (which has the distinct advantage of being DRM-free and requiring the least commitment to anyone's crazy proprietary ecosystem with the minor downside of being illegal), the best option is probably just to outright buy all the seasons of TBBT they want on DVD and watch those. They can probably drop their cable bill $100/mo so it won't take long to pay off if that's really what's keeping them with cable.

I think it's absolutely bonkers that anyone would keep paying a Benjamin a month just for the privilege of channel-surfing and passively zoning out to crappy reruns, but if your relatives aren't willing/able to invest some time into a technical solution (e.g. setting up a Plex server, downloading pirated episodes via some careful-enough method so they don't get busted), or changing their viewing habits away from cable-TV exclusives, they may be stuck.
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:38 PM on March 15, 2015


TBBT is not legally streaming on any service. Period.

The most recent few episodes stream free on the CBS website (same as all CBS shows). You can pay CBS to access their full catalog. Lots of commercials at least on the free stuff in my experience.
posted by srboisvert at 6:53 PM on March 15, 2015


Comcast has, or possibly had now, a bundle with 25Mbps Internet, local channels, and HBO (including HBO Go) for around $50 a month. Not a bad deal if you can still get it.

That said, most everything we watch is HBO Go, local broadcast or whatever is available in the various (legal and not) XBMC, err..Kodi, addons.
posted by wierdo at 6:54 PM on March 15, 2015


Response by poster: Probably should have included this in the post--they aren't totally comfortable with the illegal options. They might be persuaded if it isn't a pain to use. I don't know how to stream internet content via a television, but I assume I can find info online. (I just watch via my laptop.)

Re the Fire Stick that can be "launched from a mess of separate phone/tablet apps"--that's actually part of the problem for me, i.e., I don't get that. Bluetooth connection? And it sound more complicated than just using the dedicated remote. Feel free to tell me otherwise...

Also, I'll revisit Chromecast, Amazon, etc. In retrospect, I decided on Roku before I realized that their demands are quite limited.

Thanks for the info so far...I'll be following up on all suggestions.
posted by she's not there at 7:04 PM on March 15, 2015


Have them call Comcast and threaten to cancel.

Have them tell Comcast they're planning to transfer their home phone service to a cheap prepaid cell phone (like Cricket's $25/month unlimited talk plan) or a VoIP service (like Vonage or VoIPo or Ooma).

Have them tell Comcast they're just going to get satellite TV with locals from Dish or DirecTV - or switch to the antenna.

Have them tell Comcast they're just going to go back to DSL or a local wireless provider.

Odds are that Comcast will offer them a lower promotional price and they won't have to change a thing. By the time their rates start to increase again, better cable TV replacements over the net will be available. Or, if Comcast doesn't play ball, have them just make good on the threats by switching services per above.

The triple-play is a nasty thing. People buy into it thinking it will save them money, but it often won't - in that cable companies jack the rates up, and it's difficult to go through the process of switching all of your services to spite the cable company and switch to cheaper competitors. But that's what you do.
posted by eschatfische at 7:27 PM on March 15, 2015 [4 favorites]


Don't misunderstand: the Fire Stick does not need a mess of apps (like Chromecast does). It has its own GUI/menu and a remote. Highlight the thing you want and click.

Here's a vid on the Fire Stick, in particular contrasting it to the Roku.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:33 PM on March 15, 2015 [1 favorite]




We just call comcast whenever our promotional rate is about to end and inform them that we would like [new promotional rate that is currently advertised for new customers]. Customer service won't do it but they immediately transfer you to a "customer retention specialist" who had more authority. They will try very hard to get you to buy a package you don't want, but they will ultimately give you what you ask for. It sucks but it's worth doing it for the savings.
posted by gatorae at 8:04 PM on March 15, 2015 [3 favorites]


Seconding gatorae.

The problem with being a cordcutting advocate is that if you help someone do it and they're not up to speed on all the tech and resources needed, you will become their tech support.

For a good chunk of the TV-loving public, once you get beyond Netflix/Hulu/Amazon this is still the wild west.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:53 PM on March 15, 2015


Are they watching 2 episodes per night of TBBT because they are super into that show, or simply because that is what re-run is currently in rotation when they want to unwind in front of the TV? I used to watch Scrubs twice a day because it that was what was on; now I watch Cougar Town. You may want to clarify this before you go to a bunch of effort making sure they have access to that particular program.

With any streaming device they will see apps for Hulu, Netflix, You Tube, etc...whatever channels they have subscribed to and added to their channel line-up.

They will also need a solid, high-speed wi-fi connection to stream to any devices connected to their TVs unless you plan on connecting them all via an ethernet cable.
posted by Bretley at 9:00 PM on March 15, 2015


Roku has a Youtube channel now - it may not work on really old devices though - on my 2XD it works fine. You can set it up so the Roku is a Youtube display device for your PC if you have an account.
posted by rfs at 9:41 PM on March 15, 2015


If you do go the firetv stick route, check out this. With a this to set it up quickly and painlessly, and a tutorial(combined with the tutorials on the tvaddons site) you can change an icon on the homescreen to launch kodi, and play literally anything with those addons.

My entire media setup now is just the bare internet comcast package, a firetv, and kodi+those addons. It gives me netflix, hulu, amazon instant, etc and everything else they don't carry.

Yea, it's a pirate/"illegal" option, but it's not like torrenting where you can get busted for sharing. It just accesses stuff on offshore filestorage/video streaming sites and pipes it through a nice interface on to your tv. The worst case scenario is that a link doesn't work and you select the next option for playing that movie/episode of that show.

I've installed this for multiple friends, including some VERY tech illiterate folks who just jumped straight in to the deep end and love it. It's super simple to use genesis and the other addons it provides(they basically work like netflix, with a bit of fiddling once you pick an actual show to play specific episodes).

I found it so damn handy that i bought an extra android box to carry around with me on trips/to friends houses just to play stuff with.

The firetv stick is massively the best bang for the buck as far as streaming players go, and that software is the coolest thing out there right now in my opinion. Combine the two and it's a serious game changer. I haven't had something so massively change the way i consume media since bittorrent became popular over a decade ago, or when netflix streaming first got a strong selection...
posted by emptythought at 11:32 PM on March 15, 2015 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: Boy--so many options that I wasn't aware of--I feel like I'm back at square one. I'll be checking into all suggestions over the next couple of days. I hope to have a short list of options before the end of the week when the next Comcast bill is due.

Btw, they also have a Surface tablet running the RT OS, which I find virtually useless. Perhaps I'll also find a purpose for that tablet in the solution to the TV question.
posted by she's not there at 12:26 AM on March 16, 2015


Can I Stream.It is a really, really useful site for cord-cutters. Unfortunately it's not *super* useful for The Big Bang Theory because different seasons (maybe even different episodes?) have different availability. But a lot of seasons are available on iTunes, Amazon, or Vudu.
posted by mskyle at 6:27 AM on March 16, 2015


You're sounding a little overwhelmed in your last update, so I'd just like to chime in to say: be careful of analysis paralysis. Yes, there ARE a lot of options out there and yes, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day most of the mainstream options are likely to work just fine for your parents. Once you've weeded out anything that's too complicated, you're picking from among many good choices, not trying to discern THE right choice from many bad ones - no matter what, they're going to be spending a LOT less than $145/month!

For what it's worth, we've had a Roku2 for about 3.5 years now and love it. We have both Amazon Prime and Netflix on it, though there's enough stuff on Netflix that we generally just stick to that. Honestly, if your parents use their TV in more of a 'passing the time' capacity (as we do) rather than having any specific shows they HAVE to watch, there is more than enough to get into on Netflix (or Amazon, or, I would imagine, Hulu) to keep the average viewer happy. If they like BBT they'll probably like other sitcoms that are available on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon - and others have already suggested BBT DVDs if they REALLY love that particular show.

I can't speak to any of your questions about Roku3, but to two of your questions:

Assuming they have only Hulu Plus and CBS subscriptions, what will appear on the screen when they turn on the TV?
I'm assuming the Roku3 interface is reasonably similar to Roku2's. Here is what we see when we turn on the TV. I'm pretty sure we subscribed to all the channels you see on the right - though again, we really only ever use Netflix and Amazon. It is possible to remove any of those icons from your view if you want, so I'm 99% confident you could set up the screen to only show CBS and Hulu if you like.

How do they access the free Roku channels?
One easy way to do it is to access that "Streaming Channels" link in my image above, then either browse 'Top Free Channels' or search for the specific one you want. After you find it, you just add it to your roster and you're good to go! In addition to removing any icons, you can also rearrange them as well, so if you add a lot of channels and something gets buried in the queue, you can always move it up. Roku really is quite easy to use.

So anyway, Roku is one option that would probably work well for your parents. There are other options that would probably also work well, but unless anyone says otherwise (and I'm not seeing that yet in this thread), I don't believe any option really stands out over the others - they're all pretty good. My advice would be to save yourself the cycles and just pick an option. Happy to try to answer any other Roku questions you have - feel free to PM. Good luck to you and your parents!
posted by DingoMutt at 9:32 AM on March 16, 2015


One thing to keep in mind is that, as people pointed out above, Comcast can get very flexible with their pricing if you threaten to cancel, but also that your brother and SIL will still need to get internet from someone for any of the TV alternatives above. Comcast's prices for any single service tend to be higher than their bundles, so depending on who they talk to at Comcast, they might end up spending less keeping the Comcast TV.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 1:30 PM on March 16, 2015


Comcast's prices for any single service tend to be higher than their bundles, so depending on who they talk to at Comcast, they might end up spending less keeping the Comcast TV.

Something that a lot of people don't know is that due to the Federal Internet Tax Freedom Act, in the US, you generally don't get charged tax on Internet service.

So, if you get just Internet and nothing else from your cable company, it's usually tax-free. If you get TV and Internet, you start to pay franchise, local and state taxes on the service. It you get TV, Internet and phone, you pay even more in taxes (primarily due to the FUSF tax).

Depending on the locality, an Internet-only plan that on paper looks like it costs $10 more per month than the same plan with TV or phone services added on may actually cost the same or less in the end than the bundle due to the generally heavy taxation on television and phone subscriptions.

The Internet Tax Freedom Act is really quite awesome.
posted by eschatfische at 7:02 PM on March 16, 2015 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks to all who responded - I had no idea how much I had to learn when I posted the question.

They are about to enroll for trial weeks with SlingTV, Hulu, and Netflix, which they will access with either a Roku or Fire stick. If all goes well (i.e., completely hassle-free), they will use the SlingTV offer (free Roku or Fire stick w/ a 3 month subscription) to get a stick for another TV.

Re TBBT - SlingTV includes TBS, which is the channel that is currently providing their TBBT fix.
posted by she's not there at 4:50 PM on June 22, 2015


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