Monday, March 8, 2010

Bronxites Have an Alternative to Cablevision!

No, we're not reporting that another less-evil corporation has started providing cable tv services in the Bronx (except for Verizon Fios in very limited areas)...we're talking about cutting out cable all together.

In this morning's Round'em Up, we lamented the fact that Cablevision has an unfair monopoly in the Bronx. Well, one BD Reader got quite fired up and sent in the below missive about Bronxites' alternatives to Cablevision - just quitting cable completely. Our feisty BD Reader makes some great points and also offers what services he/she utilizes with regards to phone and internet.
Break the cable cycle!

Tell those greedy suckers to suck it!!! I hate cable and how it rips people of consistently!

We use Verizon internet - 31.99 a month and it seems fast enough -- the speed really depends on how fast your computer goes. We then use Vonage for our phone system ($25). We save like $50 a month not having cable -- we had the triple play for one blissful year of my life -- oh my god -- my eyeballs were about to rot out from all the TV watching! and then they raised the price and I was like screw this!!! I tried to bargain with them (why would I pay more when I can go elsewhere?) and then it finally dawned on me that people are addicted to cable like crack. I swear people will let their house go into default and eat food out of cans rather than cut off their cable and use the money for healthy things in life. So just say "no" and hook up to your coop's antenna. You are so lucky they provide an antenna. So many coops make you buy cable! Grrr!

I get so mad to because the Bronx is one of the poorest counties in the country and we are bitching about living wages and not allowing biz to come in to employ the residents, but no one will stand up to the ridiculous biz practices that rip off residents. Cablevision is a rip off with its mono. Plus, you are paying for commercials. Who ever came up with the biz model is a genius. Let's sell people crappy tv shows on top of making advertisers pay us to play ads on those stations. I know it employs people and provides them with a living wage, but I think we should tax the F*&^ out of cable services and use the tax revenue for our parks and community centers. I really just want people to stop paying money to the cable companies. You can watch most shows on hulu and online. Grrr!

Anyways, the cable guy who comes around our neighborhood door to door is my buddy and I even talked to him about how lame life is when you are addicted to that crap. He was confessing that he goes home and just zonks out in front of the TV. I gave him some sympathy since that was in the middle of winter and what are you suppose to do? It was fine if he enjoyed the TV shows, but he like "nah, some shit is so useless." He really sounded depressed. But anyways, he told me that HGTV and the Food Network's contract was up with them and the stations were demanding a 300% increase in their fees. He said it was unfair, but it sounds like regular biz practices to me. I mean ask as much as you can for your services when you are at the height of your popularity. The networks were not doing anything wrong - Cablevision has to pony up -- which I think they just came to a compromise in the fees. C'mon, isn't it genius that ABC is raising their rates right before the Oscars so cablevision is the goof in the situation?!?!

Viva la network tv stations!

--BD Reader
Thanks BD Reader! Here's hoping the info you've provided will be enough to give the BoogieDowner household the power we need to wean ourselves off the crack-like euphoria we experience whilst watching the catfights of the Real Housewives series, or the boardwalk brawls the classy kids of Jersey Shore fame provided us with this winter.

~ErLu

11 comments:

Roadtripper Indio said...

I'm twitching right now! The wife and I sat down and really looked at what we were watching versus what we are paying. The result...Cablevision was cut off 3/5/10. Now I'm not saying everything should be free now, but certain companies just have a really greedy thing with them. MSG, ABC, Disney. Sounds like a whole lot of money regardless.

Adding insult to injury, countless Radio Shacks and Best Buys were sold out of DTV antennas this weekend, and I still don't know if my building allows me to put an antenna on the roof.

Between our new Netflix subscription, Hulu.com, and Vimeo.com I have enough to watch. My biggest issue right now though is figuring out how I'm going watch my beloved Yankees!

Anonymous said...

Verizon DSL Internet service is only $19.99 per month for as long as you subscribe. It is guaranteed never to go up.
With an antenna and a converter box, you can get dozens more channels than before the switchover.
And then there are books to read instead of allowing your brain to turn to styrofoam in front of the TV.

Boogiedowner said...

Thanks for all the feedback on this issue! Every comment gets us one step closer to canceling Cablevision. We're currently looking into whether we're able to pick up the antenna reception in our apartment - it appears the people who lived here before us may have removed the wiring in the outlet.
Roadtripper Indio: Isn't there also a way to buy a cord and connect your computer to your TV? Then maybe you can pay for some online subscription to Yanks' games and watch that way?
Anonymous: Are you happy with the Verizon DSL service?

Jack said...

here are devices which allow you to connect a computer feed to your TV. The Xbox gaming system, for example, has this capability.

Assuming Roadtripper is a Bronxite or in the NYC area (based on the post -- seems safe to assume), Roadtripper will not be able to view Yankees games while in the Bronx. The computer feeds of games are for out of market teams. All games the Yankees are playing in would be blacked out from MLB.TV.

PS -- I hope Roadtripper can get some help with the "twitching".

Jack said...

My comment above should read "There are devices..." == not sure what happened to the "T" Sorry about that.

Roadtripper Indio said...

I (many others) have the option of plugging a HDMI cable from my (their) laptop into the TV. Since I recently "upgraded" my high speed internet, there is no longer a video buffering/streaming issue. Wish Verizon would have mentioned a higher speed and 10 dollars off my monthly bill sooner...but why help a customer save, right?

Jack, my twitching...gone! It's a miracle! I think the weather has something to do with it. Unfortunately, I will not be able to watch the YES Network or log onto MLB.com, unless someone with a Sling Box will allow me to use their account! (I hear crickets!) Roadtripper, simply because I had the opportunity to travel the country to watch 100+ New York Yankees games!

Anonymous - any current books you recommend? I'm almost finished reading the two books I'm reading concurrently. I need to sleep more!

Enjoy the day everyone!

Anonymous said...

antenna + converter box = free tv.
same crappy commercials as on cable, but you don't pay for them.
If there's something I really want to watch that isn't on free TV, (like a discovery documentary, HBO series, etc), I have Netflix. For some stupid reason, can't get ABC7 over the air, not missing much anyway, their loss I guess.

James said...

Those are some really nice photos.

Anonymous said...

GET NETFLIX. IT'S THE SHIT!
I pay $8.99 a month for netflix and get 1 dvd through the mail at a time.
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, my roommate has an xbox360, so I can instantly stream movies from the netflix library through my xbox onto the T.V. It is AN ESSENTIAL for movie lovers and a great alternative to shitty cable. What are you going to watch anyways, some schlub news reporter reporting some bullshit for 24 hours a day?

If you/your roommate/your kid don't have an xbox, a little device called the roku box can be purchased from netflix for a flat rate of $100. That also streams movies from the netflix library straight to your t.v.
I LOVE MOVIES.

Guywithacause said...

It should be noted that 85% of movies on Netflix (i.e. anything you actually would want to see) is NOT available instantly (streaming) to your tv. Their supply of instant movies is growing, but extremely limited right now and downright pathetic, so keep that in mind. Most things you want to see will have to be via snail mail, and as a result, is in no way a substitute for not having cable. Netflix still has a long way to go.

Anonymous said...

Disagree. SO many Criterion Collection movies on there. Just watched a Hitchcock last night.