bye-bye land line telephone

[Don Y]

We dumped CenturyLink when they wanted to up our rate to $60/month. "No thanks. It's not *worth* $60/month to us!"

[gfretwell]

My total bill is over $200 but most of it is the bundled satellite. With the bundle they say the "phone" is only $11 plus about the same in taxes. The DSL is about $40.

[Don Y]

They wanted $60 for the DSL (actually, 58, I think) -- before taxes and fees.

Our current "communications" bill is just about $60 -- one cell phone, land line and internet (no CATV/dish)

[gfretwell]

The dish is the real killer on my bill but my wife wants it. I have been looking at just buying HBO, Show etc as a stream but by the time I get them all, I may be back where I started. They all seem to have one show she just needs to see. I could live with broadcast, Netflix and maybe Hulu or something.

[Don Y]

A friend is a Netflix junkie -- many movies each week.

We tend not to have time for movies. Daylight hours we try to be outside "doing things" (chores, hiking, etc.). Nighttime hours I spend working; SWMBO paints (hobby).

The TV sees most of its use as "companionship"; we bring home ~10 movies each week from the local library and let them play while we're "doing other things" -- tuning in just "in passing".

E.g., tonight I'll watch most of _John from Cincinnati_. Having already seen the entire series, it is more important for me to

*hear* the dialogue -- to uncover things that slipped by me previously.

Last week, I "watched" the first season of Pinky & The Brain. No need to *see* the shtick, again -- the humor lies in the dialogue! (*Narf*)

Tomorrow, I'll re"watch" _The Matrix_ for similar hints.

After that, start on _SOAP_.

[gfretwell]

I listen to TV more than watch it, hence my RF headset. I prefer PBS stuff because there are no commercials. If I want to hear a history channel show, I go to Netflix for them. This thing has enough range so I can be working anywhere in the yard and in my shop in the garage. I do have a transmitter on the roof of the screen cage tho, with a very good ground plane. I use that out in the yard and when I am walking the dog.

[Don Y]

I don't wear a headset unless I'm in the office (would disturb SWMBO's sleep if I didn't). So, when in the living room or den, I am free to use the TV "as is".

As I enjoy REwatching things, I know which scenes I will want to "drop everything" and sit in front of the tube to watch. E.g., very little of The Matrix needs to be seen -- once you've already seen it. There's no particular visual that is "exciting". Likewise, in P&tB, you can easily imagine what is on the screen as each line is being spoken ("Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?")

OTOH, there are many scenes in SOAP that I'll *rush* to the TV in order to catch -- because facial expressions and other antics are an inherent part of the humor.

E.g., when Burt tries to demonstrate his invisibility to Mary while bathing with her. Or, when he later *actually* disappears while she is watching him (in the diner, after he has been abducted by the aliens, escaped and is now being recaptured). Or, Peter's introduction to the Campbells & Tates...

And, as it's all recorded video, there's nothing to prevent me from pausing a show and returning to it later -- or the next day.

[HerHusband]

Yeah, the power always seems to go out when I'm converting or encoding video. Like you, there's no "resume" I have to start all over again when the power comes back on.

Anthony Watson

[HerHusband]

Unfortunately, we are rarely able to get a cell signal here at home. I'm not sure why as I can see the cell tower on the hill above us. Must be the topography or something. We've tried different phones and guests can't get reception with their phones either.

Thankfully, phone service is the least of my concerns during a power outage. I don't call anyone anyway.

Anthony Watson

[HerHusband]

I pay about $70 a month for Comcast cable (internet only).

VOIP phone service from another provider is about $20 a month.

I think Netflix costs me about $25 a month now (DVD and Streaming plans).

Tracfone cell phones cost us under $10 a month per phone (three phones).

Anthony Watson

[notbob]

Lewis Black, the comedian, does an entire bit on this. Talks about how his cellphone vendor (AT&T?) is unavailable to him in downtown NYC. He complained to his vendor and they offered to sell him a "transmitter" to boost his cellphone signal. He then went on to berate sed same vendor for charging the him $200 to complete the vendor's "infrastructure".

Well, I thought it was so funny, I cancelled my cellphone service. Damned if the thing doesn't work jes fine on my wifi modem. ;)

nb

[Mark Lloyd]

The second base was probably just a charger, I'm not sure not since a few of the handsets failed. This was a cheap phone.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I'm like that too. Most of my TV "watching" is while doing other things.

There are "pledge breaks" that really are long, boring commercials.

I guess you got a good one. I have a RF headset that claims 300 foot range, but is excessively noisy above 25-30 feet.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

My first cell phone was a Tracfone. Unfortunately, It used AT&T wireless which works here only if I go out in the back yard and stand on one foot while holding it over the oleander plant, and then it works occasionally. Verizon and Sprint do work fine here. I never had a T-mobile phone, so don't know about it.

[gfretwell]

So you are paying $90 for a house phone and internet. I think mine actually comes out less than that but it is hard to tell when they bundle stuff. If you believe the top line I pay $11 for phone and $35 for DSL but I am not sure how many of those taxes and fees go where. Just deducting satellite gets me down to about $70 so that number is probably close.

[Don Y]

Exactly. And, often "Save As" only applies to the final result. So, you can't save your *settings* in case you need to restart.

An example of something software vendors *should* do but are oblivious to (automatic checkpoints in potentially lengthy processes).

[Don Y]

So, you could put an extra kilobuck or more in the bank each year if you started reading books! :>

I'd be scared to see what that comes out to over a lifetime! :< (retire at 45?)

[Joe]

Cell site equipment generally has the operator listed on it so take a drive up to the tower.

You could also check the coverage maps at opensignal.com, sensorly.com and rootmetrics.com

[Don Y]

I have to find a "respectable" BT stereo headset with microphone (and "acoustically transparent" earpieces). But, BT only targets that ~30 ft range!

[Don Y]

We have a similar problem with OTA DTV. I can *see* the towers on the mountain a few miles (as the crow flies) from here. Yet, our reception is spotty. Esp during rain/high winds (I suspect there is a tree in the sightline to the antenna).