OT: Hurricanes Lounge XXIII: Let's Go Bowling edition

[Unsustainable]

Cable & satellite prices suck.

The lack of legitimate alternatives for getting local sports sucks.

That is all.

Over the air antenna for local works. I have 13 OTA channels, in HD.

I used SlingTV, Hulu, and Netflix for everything else, I also have Amazon Prime content to watch.

130 for the GameCenter for hockey

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

Over the air antenna for local works. I have 13 OTA channels, in HD.

I used SlingTV, Hulu, and Netflix for everything else, I also have Amazon Prime content to watch.

130 for the GameCenter for hockey

I think I'm doing something wrong.

I would do the same thing if standalone internet prices were remotely similar to the bundle prices. It looks like the best you can do is about $45 after taxes for internet capable of streaming (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), which puts me at this:

$45 - Internet
$20 - Sling
$22 - Monthly GCL cost ($131 / 6 months)
$ 5 - VPN to trick GCL into showing Canes games (which probably isn't quite legit)
---
$92

When Time Warner says they can do $100 for the internet and TV bundle, the piecemeal approach doesn't really look as appealing. It does save money in the offseason, though (assuming I didn't spring for MLB.tv, which costs the same as GCL but is much less important to me). I just thought I could do better since I used to have no problem walking into their office, asking for their best deal, and walking out with an $80 bundle.

In theory, it'd be cool to be able to watch out-of-market games on GCL, but in reality I don't think I'd end up catching many of them. I just don't have the time for it anymore.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I went to cut the cord a few years ago, and TWC came back and gave me a deal for Internet and Digital TV with 1 DVR and 2 boxes for ~75/month. That lasted for 2 years and they bumped it up to $120. I called them again over a year ago and this time they wouldn't deal so we cut the cord. In fairness, I don't watch much TV and much of what I do watch, I can get online, most of the time for free (like Blacklist 1 day later on NBC's app, etc...)

In the Raleigh area, I get 22 channels over the air including HD versions of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and CW22. My kids pay for Netflix which I think is about $9/month? I paid $20/month for sling simply because about the only shows my wife watches are HGTV, A&E, and Food network and those are on SlingTV (although I like that I get ESPN / ESPN 2 with that also). There are cheaper ways to watch hockey other than GCL, but I won't discuss those here . I also get Amazon Prime for free though my credit card, but rarely watch anything on there.

Anyhow, so I pay ~$65 / month ($74 if you include Netflix) for internet and Sling. Time Warner did come back with a bundle, but it was only good for 12 months and I didn't want to keep going down that path.

We've been happy with it so far. More and more stations are doing like NBC and putting their own apps out there and streaming shows a day or a week late. Cable companies are going to struggle and it will only get worse once Google Fiber gets more pervasive.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Andre Iguodala is a boss

 

[Unsustainable]

I've never had to use my VPN on GCL to watch the Canes.

 

[Unsustainable]

Once I get the email, I will get DTV for the cost of equipment rental, 240 channels and Sunday ticket. So like 30 a month.

But soon the broadcasters are going to have to go to pay by the channel and away from bundling. Once more people figure out that you are subsidizing 99% of the channels you don't watch.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Once I get the email, I will get DTV for the cost of equipment rental, 240 channels and Sunday ticket. So like 30 a month.

But soon the broadcasters are going to have to go to pay by the channel and away from bundling. Once more people figure out that you are subsidizing 99% of the channels you don't watch.

ESPN is the worst offender of that and charges cable operators considerably more than any other broadcaster, something like $6 per subscriber, and forcing cable companies to carry them all (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3, ESPNnews, ESPNU, ESPN Classics, etc..etc...

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

I went to cut the cord a few years ago, and TWC came back and gave me a deal for Internet and Digital TV with 1 DVR and 2 boxes for ~75/month. That lasted for 2 years and they bumped it up to $120. I called them again over a year ago and this time they wouldn't deal so we cut the cord. In fairness, I don't watch much TV and much of what I do watch, I can get online, most of the time for free (like Blacklist 1 day later on NBC's app, etc...)

In the Raleigh area, I get 22 channels over the air including HD versions of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and CW22. My kids pay for Netflix which I think is about $9/month? I paid $20/month for sling simply because about the only shows my wife watches are HGTV, A&E, and Food network and those are on SlingTV (although I like that I get ESPN / ESPN 2 with that also). There are cheaper ways to watch hockey other than GCL, but I won't discuss those here . I also get Amazon Prime for free though my credit card, but rarely watch anything on there.

Anyhow, so I pay ~$65 / month ($74 if you include Netflix) for internet and Sling. Time Warner did come back with a bundle, but it was only good for 12 months and I didn't want to keep going down that path.

We've been happy with it so far. More and more stations are doing like NBC and putting their own apps out there and streaming shows a day or a week late. Cable companies are going to struggle and it will only get worse once Google Fiber gets more pervasive.

Sounds like your situation and mine are pretty similar. My wife has gotten by without cable for the last few years, but she does like watching the HGTV-type shows when available. My one use for TV is sports (mainly football and hockey). Otherwise, we're both happy to get by on Netflix.

I guess even if it costs almost the same during hockey season, it makes more sense in the long run to go the Sling+GCL+antenna route thanks to the offseason savings (not to mention the headaches it saves every time a TWC promo rate expires). Maybe we can put some of the money we save that way towards Hulu instead.

The other thing we need to do is, ahem, "correct" her Time Warner internet plan. She's paying $66 for about 1 Mbps download speed, and I'm not exaggerating. It's insulting.

 

[Unsustainable]

ESPN is the worst offender of that and charges cable operators considerably more than any other broadcaster, something like $6 per subscriber, and forcing cable companies to carry them all (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3, ESPNnews, ESPNU, ESPN Classics, etc..etc...

Yeah, it's nuts, it's the same show all day pretty much also, ESPN Classic cracks me up with my dad, he will be watching the game on there, and I watch for about 30secs, and say, dad you know this game was played in the 80s.

He's getting closer to 70, so I understand it.

 

[HisIceness]

Andre Iguodala is a boss

 

[NotOpie]

There you have it....cue Jeff Skinner for spare parts, disappointing prospects, and a cap dump from Montreal fans....Toronto fans....and other Canadian fans looking for another hero....

Seriously, how predictable and how humorous. Gotta love HF.

 

[raynman]

In January I start my first semester back at a 4 year university in a long time. Being 30 on a college campus is going to be weird. At the local community college I was often the same age or younger than my classmates. I don't think that's going to be the same at ECU. I just priced the books for 12 credit hours. $845 for all new or $635 for all used. Wtf. That's almost the tuition of one semester at a community college.

 

[Unsustainable]

In January I start my first semester back at a 4 year university in a long time. Being 30 on a college campus is going to be weird. At the local community college I was often the same age or younger than my classmates. I don't think that's going to be the same at ECU. I just priced the books for 12 credit hours. $845 for all new or $635 for all used. Wtf. That's almost the tuition of one semester at a community college.

If I was rich, I would buy every text book, turn them into a PDF file and make them available.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

i can count on one hand the number of times i actually used a book in the 4 years i was in school

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

In January I start my first semester back at a 4 year university in a long time. Being 30 on a college campus is going to be weird. At the local community college I was often the same age or younger than my classmates. I don't think that's going to be the same at ECU. I just priced the books for 12 credit hours. $845 for all new or $635 for all used. Wtf. That's almost the tuition of one semester at a community college.

I only ran into a couple of people in their late 20s and early 30s when I was in college, but they were interesting nonetheless. They were able to share perspectives and experiences that your average 20-year-old had never encountered.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Nothing to be ashamed about for being a bit older and being on campus. I think in general, people go a bit later these days anyway. I don't think near as many 17 or 18 year olds who go straight outta HS anymore.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Nothing to be ashamed about for being a bit older and being on campus. I think in general, people go a bit later these days anyway. I don't think near as many 17 or 18 year olds who go straight outta HS anymore.

That's not quite accurate (or at least misleading without context). In the 70s, about 50% of US high school graduates went straight to college. In 80s, it was about 55%, in the 90s, it jumped into the low 60%s. It peaked in 2009 due to the recession (****** job market) to 70% of high school graduates headed off to college. Since the economy has recovered, the number has dropped back down to 66%.

So it's true it has declined from the peak of 2009, it still is up pretty significantly from previous decades. Although there have been ups and downs year to year driven by things like the economy, most 17/18 year high school graduates are still indeed going straight to college. It does vary from state to state though.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

That's not quite accurate (or at least misleading without context). In the 70s, about 50% of US high school graduates went straight to college. In 80s, it was about 55%, in the 90s, it jumped into the low 60%s. It peaked in 2009 due to the recession (****** job market) to 70% of high school graduates headed off to college. Since the economy has recovered, the number has dropped back down to 66%.

So it's true it has declined from the peak of 2009, it still is up pretty significantly from previous decades. Although there have been ups and downs year to year driven by things like the economy, most 17/18 year high school graduates are still indeed going straight to college. It does vary from state to state though.

I know that. My point is just that you see a lot of older undergrads. The vast majority are still teenagers, obviously, but seeing a couple 30 year olds in your classes or on campus isn't an aberration.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I know that. My point is just that you see a lot of older undergrads. The vast majority are still teenagers, obviously, but seeing a couple 30 year olds in your classes or on campus isn't an aberration.

Ok, but I wasn't responding to the notion that there are more older undergrads (as I'd have no way of knowing). I was simply responding to your comment where you said "I don't think near as many 17 or 18 year olds who go straight outta HS anymore" with data.

Regarding more adults going back to college, I think a lot of that had to do with the economy as well. In 2008/9, I knew of at least 3 people in their 30s/40s that went back to college after losing their job. 1 went for a masters, 1 did online courses, and another switched from a technical degree to a nursing degree..so it makes sense that more adults started going back in recent years.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Look what finally came in the mail

 

[tomdundo]

Did you buy that light fixture from a Ruby Tuesday or something?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Did you buy that light fixture from a Ruby Tuesday or something?

Tiffany lamps are cool okay?

 

[HisIceness]

In January I start my first semester back at a 4 year university in a long time. Being 30 on a college campus is going to be weird. At the local community college I was often the same age or younger than my classmates. I don't think that's going to be the same at ECU. I just priced the books for 12 credit hours. $845 for all new or $635 for all used. Wtf. That's almost the tuition of one semester at a community college.

I went to community college from 19-21. I would honestly say that a majority of my classmates in every class I took were working adults.

Even the information session I recently attended had people who were older than I am and I'm 27.

UNC Charlotte seems to have more and more 30 somethings every year.

 

[raynman]

I went to community college from 19-21. I would honestly say that a majority of my classmates in every class I took were working adults.

Even the information session I recently attended had people who were older than I am and I'm 27.

UNC Charlotte seems to have more and more 30 somethings every year.

That was my same experience at community college. I kinda wish I would've gone straight out of high school and then transferred instead of dicking around and wasting money. Working a couple of crappy jobs is pretty decent motivation to go back to school.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

That was my same experience at community college. I kinda wish I would've gone straight out of high school and then transferred instead of dicking around and wasting money. Working a couple of crappy jobs is pretty decent motivation to go back to school.

What you going back to study raynman? I give you credit for doing that later in life as I know how hard that has to be.