About DoverPARon

@hepuesta wrote: It is well known and common knowledge that sports (comparatively speaking) remains as a big portion of Comcast’s revenue BUT the fact remains, sports viewership continues to decline. (I’m not going to get into a debate on here as to why sports viewership is declining… that’s an entirely different discussion). To continually invalidate and “bundle” a channel every few months (and disrespect the paying customers watching those channels) is a feeble, short-sighted attempt to maximize revenue and to rescue/support  a declining sports viewership at the expense of  “non-sports” customers. Comcast’s lucrative “sports interests” surely does NOT need “meek and insignificant” TCM to survive… (or does it?)     Outstanding post! You took the words right out of my mouth and wrote them in a much easier understood manner than I would have.   It has ALWAYS griped me when they began adding the "Regional Sports Fee" and "Broadcast TV Fee" to our bills. First, why are we forced to subsidize the numerous and varied sports interests of others? If you are a TRUE fan of a particular sport or team, pay for a package like we do from MLB.tv for the one team we are fans of? Why force everyone to pay for the others who think they are entitled to 100 channels (or whatever the number may be) of sports entertainment?   I could care less about regional sports and most likely, the vast majority of viewers in the region feel the same way but still I have to pay $8.25 a month so others can keep up with their interests.   Same goes for Broadcast TV Fee - maybe I do not quite understand this one but I could care less about getting my major networks like NBC, CBS or ABC from a local provider. Get it directly from the network, if I want local news, I will check the local broadcasting networks website or our Daughter will tell us about it. Yet another $8.75 a month and ever increasing, just like the regional sports fee.   For the Marketing geniuses at Comcast - why don't you get a focus group of over age 60 and find out what they want to watch and make a Senior Citizen Package available to them instead of continually foisting your every increasing fees, number of unwanted channels upon us? For other Comcast subscribers with contracts - BEWARE - earlier in this thread I recall someone who was going to change their plan to just internet for $79.95 (I believe it was) but Comcast offered them a big lineup of channels for an additional $5.00 for a total of $84.95.   BEWARE: $84.95 is just the beginning - on top of that you have the $17 (or more) in Regional Sports and Broadcast TV fees + Franchise Fees - $4.36 (at least in our area) + Service to additional TV - $6.99 + Service Protection Plan - $5.95 (yes, I knowt this one is optional) - so in reality you must add another $34.30 to your monthly bill which adds up to over $400.00 additional a year...that is at least 4 weeks of groceries for my Wife and I.   From now to the time my contract is up next March I will be investing in my own infastructure, i.e., equipment necessary to cut the cord, at least for the TV. I figure saving $400 next year will more than offset any equipment investment I will make but pay me the long term dividends over the years to come. ... View more

@mariasp wrote: I am getting YouTubeTV next month.  I've done a lot of research in the past two days trying to figure out what devices I need and how to cut the cord.  I will share what I learned:  First, there are just a few ways to watch TCM and becareful not to confuse TCM with WATCH TCM.  Clark Howard, a TV guy who talks about saving money, has some great help online at  https://clark.com/technology/tvsatellite-cable/streaming-tv-comparison-best-channel-lineup/   After you find the service you are interested in because of channel availability,  go to that provider and read the details about the kind of device you need.  they will list all your choices.  Here's the page from YouTubeTV, for example:   https://support.google.com/youtubetv/answer/7129767?hl=en&ref_topic=7071745   Thank you for posting these great resources!  In addition, our Daughter emailed us the following link last evening that has a spreadsheet link that includes even more services than Clarks' website and is a bit easier to scroll thru and find what is and what isn't included in each service:   https://www.cnet.com/news/at-t-now-vs-youtube-tv-vs-sling-tv-vs-hulu-and-more-live-tv-channels-compared/ ... View more

First, I find it amusing that Comcast has labeled this thread as being SOLVED.  By the ever increasing number of pages with complaints I would clearly disagree with their view of the matter.   I admit to either not reading the fine print in my August statement about this happening on October 10th or reading it and not having it register that TCM is a (was a) channel that my Wife would often watch while eating lunch and/or making dinner.   I also find it a totally ignorant decision to place TCM within a sports package?  Who makes this type of decision?? Irregardless, we already spend way too much of our fixed income with Comcast and I have been spending hours on researching cutting the cord and ultimately finding a new ISP since my Wife began cussing at the TV on Thursday the 10th.   As a suggestion to others, one of the BEST resources I have found so far is at this website: https://cordcuttingreport.com/cord-cutting-guide/ - they have really done their research and have links to the various resources they have looked into.   Our contract is up next March which gives me time to find the right alternatives and after 30 years of being a subscriber, I fully intend to say goodbye. The one thing that Comcast seems to forget is the old adage, "the customer is always right"!   Maybe, in a way, this is a blessing for a lot of us who are on fixed incomes because it forces us to finally look at the cord cutting alternatives that are so readily available now, so in that respect, maybe we should say Thank You to Comcast for finally getting us to take a look at alternatives! ... View more