Cable Cord-Cutting Workshop

Transcription

1 Cable Cord-Cutting Workshop Informational Packet June 27 th, 2017 Sponsored by: Randy Hunt, CPA State Representative, 5 th Barnstable District Mark Forest - Adjunct Professor, Cape Cod Community College Matthew Cubetus - Planning Board Member, Town of Sandwich

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Over-the-Air (OTA) 3. Streaming Equipment 4. Streaming Services 5. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Telephones 6. What You Can Do Now

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 develop, there is a way to save money: Cord-cutting, or the process of replacing existing cable TV with highspeed 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, Matt Liber, can be reached at or at matthew.liber@mahouse.gov.

4 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 receive more stations. Distance from the transmitting tower is the most important factor when choosing your antenna model. OTA can be coupled with any of the streaming services and equipment outlined in the following sections of this packet. Available channels on the Cape include: ABC NBC FOX CBS PBS The CW QVC ion TV (out of Hyannis) The Cape s distance from the Boston transmission towers means that only the best antennas with amplification are likely to work at all. The best bet is to install an antenna in an attic or on an outside pole if your house is relatively high up and on the north side of the Cape. Anybody beyond Barnstable is going to have a difficult time accessing OTA signals.

5 Figure 1: OTA transmission range map for the Boston area To choose the best antenna for you, visit and enter your specific address to see how far the signal would have to travel. A screenshot of this site (Figure 2) is shown on the following page.

6 Figure 2: antennaweb.org screenshot

7 3. Streaming Equipment What is streaming equipment? Streaming equipment consists of the plug-ins you use to connect your streaming services to your TV (streaming services will be discussed in the following section). 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 $ 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 channels.

9 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. 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.

10 4. Streaming Services What are 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., House of Cards, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Narcos, Bloodline, Stranger Things) Commercial-free Wide variety of pricing options and plans (Figure 3) Figure 3: Netflix pricing options and plans

11 Amazon Instant Video 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 Commercial-free If you currently 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)

12 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 4) Figure 4: Hulu pricing options and plans

13 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

16 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

17 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

18 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 5) Figure 5: DirecTV Now pricing plans and options

19 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 CSN with the purchase of at least the Core package Variety of pricing plans and options (Figure 6) Figure 6: Playstation Vue pricing plans and options

20 5. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Telephones What phone options are accessible through an internet connection only? There are a few services that allow you to keep your home phone for a low monthly price. Some examples include: Vonage CenturyLink

21 Ooma Magic Jack

22 6. What You Can Do Now Current pricing for Comcast service on Cape Cod (approx.): Internet-only (25mbps): $74.95 per month + $59.99 set-up fee Internet (25 mbps) + basic cable: $49.99 per month + $30.00 set-up fee Streaming Services Pricing Chart Comcast Double Play: $49.99/month + tax Streaming Service Price/month Price + Comcast Double Play Netflix $12/month ~$62/month Amazon Instant $11/month ~$61/month Video Hulu $12/month ~$62/month Showtime $11/month ~$61/month HBO Now $15/month ~$65/month Starz $9/month ~$59/month CBS All Access $10/month ~$60/month Sling TV $25/month ~$75/month DirecTV Now $35 - $70/month ~$85 - $120/month PlayStation Vue $30 - $65/month ~$80 - $115/month Examples of cord-cutting bundles: Comcast Double Play (25mbps+basic cable) + Vonage + Hulu= ~$72 per month Comcast Double Play (25mbps+basic cable) + Netflix + Hulu= ~$74 per month