Cable Cord-Cutting Workshop

Transcription

1 Cable Cord-Cutting Workshop Informational Packet June 12 th, 2018 Sponsored by: Julian Cyr State Senator, Cape & Islands District Will Crocker State Representative, 2nd Barnstable District Vinny demacedo State Senator, Plymouth/Barnstable District Randy Hunt State Representative, 5th Barnstable District Sarah Peake State Representative, 4th Barnstable District Tim Whelan State Representative, 1st Barnstable District

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Over-the-Air 3. Streaming Equipment 4. Streaming Services 5. Voice Telephones

3 1. Introduction. With costs of cable TV and high-speed internet skyrocketing due to the strong monopoly currently held by Cape Cod s residential internet service provider, Representative Hunt decided to examine how he could encourage better pricing and faster internet speeds by introducing competition to this market. To accomplish this goal, he organized a coalition of partners that includes Barnstable County, the Cape Cod & the Islands delegation to the state Legislature, and OpenCape. In the meantime, while this project continues to be worked on, there is a way to save money: Cord-cutting, or the process of replacing existing cable TV with high-speed broadband and select streaming services such as PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. Cord-cutting can offer a more personalized service and potential savings of up to $100 per month. By simply purchasing a streaming device, such as a Roku or Apple TV, you can view all of your favorite content through the internet. By connecting the device to your current TV, services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, CBS All Access, and more, can be accessed. Devices are typically controlled by a remote, as well as an app on your smart phone or tablet. The goal of this workshop is to educate community members about how to explore alternatives to cable or satellite TV subscriptions through cord-cutting, so they can watch their preferred programming at affordable prices We hope that this packet will serve as a supplemental resource that will help deepen your understanding of all the options that exist by opting to cut the cord. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Randy through his legislative office. His aide, Katie Babbin, can be reached at or at katelyn.babbin@mahouse.gov.

4 Your Local Public, Education, and Government Stations! Government transparency Hyperlocal content Easy access to tools and knowledge Here in Massachusetts we have a strong local access tradition. That means your local community negotiated with Comcast and other providers. The companies pay a portion of revenues they generate from your town to support Government, Education and Public content creation and also set aside channels for distributing this local content. In exchange, the companies use taxpayer-owned rights of way and other assets to run their respective businesses. If you think about it, the trade makes sense it acknowledges the value in our publicly held assets while at the same time helping companies deliver their product to our communities. But the biggest benefit of all is that we have local channels reflecting our local communities! Your local Government station (either channel 18 or 15 in most Cape communities) brings critical transparency to local government activities. You can watch your select board, town committees and of course your annual meeting. Transparency in government brings more involvement and better management for us all! Your local Education station (either channel 22 or 14 in most Cape communities) shines light on what happens in our schools. From school committees to school sports to In the Classrooms it lets everyone see what schools are doing. It brings production tools to our students, too - inspiring and teaching our next generation how to both create and be wise consumers of information. Your local Public station (either channel 99 or 13 in most Cape communities) creates a place where the regional, local, and hyper-local thrives. If anyone in the community dreams it, they can create it here! The public station lets everyone access state of the art video equipment and instruction on how to use it there s no barriers in public access. Plus, they deliver hyper local content you can t find anywhere else. On top of that, through local PEG stations people have learned skills that helped their careers, helped their businesses, or helped them engage in the community. PEG stations employ people and create an economic footprint. They form a vital part of the local heartbeat. They intertwine with the local ecosystem. They help make local communities thrive.

5 2. Over-the-Air (OTA) What is OTA? With the purchase of a TV antenna, consumers have the ability to receive signals from their local broadcast TV stations for free. Consumers can choose between purchasing an indoor antenna and an outdoor antenna. Indoor antennas tend to have greater limitations in picking-up signals, especially those broadcasted from faraway distances, as would be the case on the Cape. The prices typically range from $20 for an indoor antenna to $100 for roofmount models. More expensive roof-mount models will be able to reach more stations, and therefore provide more channels. Distance from the transmitting station is the most important factor when choosing your antenna model. OTA can be coupled with any of the streaming services and equipment laid out in the following sections. Available channels on the Cape include: ABC NBC FOX CBS PBS The CW QVC To choose the best antenna for you, visit and enter your specific address to see how far the signal would have to travel. An example (Figure 1) is shown on the next page along with a Boston OTA range map.

6 Figure 1: antennaweb.org screenshot Figure 2: Boston OTA broadcast range

7 3. Streaming Equipment What is Streaming Equipment? Streaming equipment are the plug-ins you use to connect your streaming services (those described in the previous section) to your TV. These are unnecessary if you only plan to stream your services on a computer, smart phone, or tablet. Some examples of streaming equipment include: Roku Other Roku streaming devices range from $39.99 to $109.99, with varying streaming speeds and picture quality. Roku is compatible with Playstation Vue, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Sling TV, HBO, CBS All Access, and Starz.

8 Apple TV Depending on storage preferences, the prices range from $ to $

9 Apple TV has over 1,600 video apps to choose from, including Netflix, Starz, CBS All Access, FOX News, NFL Network, The Weather Channel, Hulu, HBO, Sling TV, Playstation Vue, and more of your favorite TV shows. Chromecast To use Chromecast, simply plug in the device to your TV s HDMI port and use your phone as a remote. Chromecast offers services such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Playstation Vue, NFL Sunday Ticket, and Google s own library of movies.

10 Amazon Fire TV Depending on your personal viewing preferences, Amazon offers three different devices. The Fire TV Stick is the cheapest and most popular of the three, but streaming quality increases with each device. You can use Amazon to watch Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Sling TV, ESPN, and many others.

11 What are streaming services? 4. Streaming Services Streaming services are the various packages that can be purchased at a monthly rate so you can personalize which content you would like to receive. Some examples of streaming services include: Netflix Large selection of TV shows and movies for all ages Large amount of original content (e.g., The Crown, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Narcos, Bloodline, Stranger Things) Commercial-free Wide variety of pricing options and plans (Figure 2) Amazon Instant Video Figure 2: Netflix pricing options and plans Lots of movies, TV, HBO, and original content Feature allows for customers to add premium channels, such as Starz and Showtime for a discount 30-day free trial available

12 Commercial-free If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, you already have access to these services. However, certain channels require an added fee (HBO has a 7-day free trial and then costs $14.99/month; Starz has a 7-day free trial and then costs $8.99/month) Hulu TV content available for playback, such as Seinfeld, Fear the Walking Dead, The Handmaid s Tale, and Cheers Shows added almost immediately after TV airing 30-day free trial available Available on multiple devices Commercial-free option Children s options are available Multiple pricing options and plans (Figure 3)

13 Figure 3: Hulu pricing options and plans Showtime Includes shows such as The Affair, Homeland, Roy Donovan, Twin Peaks, and Shameless the moment they air. Also includes children s options. Allows you to download full episodes and movies to your mobile devices to watch offline at any time Can be streamed through Amazon, Apple TV, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, Roku, Sling TV, and other streaming services. Commercial-free Free 7-day trial Available on multiple devices

14 HBO Now Free 30-day trial Available for streaming on Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon, or Roku Includes shows like Game of Thrones, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Veep, Real Time with Bill Maher, Westworld, VICE News, and various children s options Includes movies such as The Accountant and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

15 Starz Free 7-day trial Available for streaming on Apple products, Google Play, Roku, and Amazon Includes shows and movies such as Ice Age: The Meltdown, Inferno, Madeline, Risen, Ratatouille, and many others CBS All Access Free 7-day trial Commercial-Free option is available ($9.99/month) Includes over 8,000 episodes on demand from shows such as NCIS, Blue Bloods, The Big Bang Theory, CSI: Miami, and many CBS originals Live-TV streaming available 24/7 that includes the news and sports Available for streaming on Apple products, Amazon Fire, Google, Android, Roku, Playstation Vue, Xbox, and others

16 Sling TV Free 7-day trial Includes channels such as ESPN, FX, NBA TV, Fox Sports, TNT, FreeForm, CNN, MSNBC, many children s options, and more depending on which service you choose (blue or orange) Available for streaming on Apple, Roku, Amazon, Google, Android, and Xbox Sling Blue: $25/month Sling Orange: $20/month

17 DirecTV Now Free 7-day trial Depending on which service you choose, channels such as ABC, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, Discovery, DIY Network, Fox, ESPN, CNN and more can be accessed immediately HBO is $5 extra per month Available for streaming on Amazon, Apple, Chromecast, Roku, and most smartphones and tablets Variety of pricing plans and options (Figure 4)

18 Figure 4: DirecTV Now pricing plans and options Playstation Vue Free 5-day trial Available for streaming on Roku, Playstation, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, and most smartphones and tablets Includes channels such as NBC, CNN, ESPN, FOX News, FOX Sports, USA, Food Network, Showtime, HBO and many more depending on which package you choose Also includes the New England-specific networks NESN and. Variety of pricing plans and options (Figure 5) Figure 5: Playstation Vue pricing plans and options

19 5. Home Telephone Services What phone options are accessible through an internet connection only? Although we advise against home phones because they are outdated and cellphones are more efficient, there are a few services that allow you to keep your home phone for a low monthly price. Some examples include: Vonage Ooma

20 CenturyLink