DISH TV and Sling TV Beats Cable TV ?

I think I probably speak for most cable subscribers. There is nothing more aggravating than being bullied by Comcast or others about what channels I want. Most viewers really never ever watch more than perhaps 10 core channels on a regular basis out of the 100+ that comes in their package. Who needs them? Packaging so many useless channels is the cable company method of justifying their high prices and monopoly over geographic areas. The minimum rate for most cable companies is around $80 a month for a "starter" package and lots of trash channels (some in Spanish, Thai, Chinese), local channels that are useless and others. The core channels most watched are included for this price.

DISH and Sling TV now offer the same core channels for only $20 a month to appeal to those customers fed up with cable fees and want to cut the cord. In my case, I subscribe to Netflix and get current content on TV from the free Popcorn Time P2P application that allows for streaming of current movies and TV shows without downloading to your computer. I also have Roku so that I can watch streaming on the big screen LCD, versus the computer screen. Roku does offer some decent channels like Netlfix, Hulu, and live news TV, CNN International (which is not the same as CNN you see through cable TV, but it is fine), FOX etc. We also subscribe to Comcast for $80 a month. Why? I am no longer sure.

The only downfall for streaming is that if you want live TV (mostly sports and news) you can only get it via cable. If you want the ABC, NBC, CBS, you have to subscribe. Just why cannot cable offer TV channels that you want? Charge per channel. Well, DISH has heard the customer complaints and offers a core package of the most watched channels: ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, TNT, CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network plus others totaling 30 channels. All these channels would be streamed to your Smart TV (a TV with a built in modem to get the signal).

At my house, these are the most watched channels, if not, all the time. This is all you need really if you already Netfllix, Hulu Plus, Roku and Popcorn. The void is filled because of the sports, live news, and ABC family. Why spend $80 for it and others you never will watch? Of course cable does have Xfinity TV so you can watch on your mobile phone and now Comcast offers Internet service and the Digital Starter package for $80 a month for the first year. The package includes HBO.

The kicker is you must also have Internet service to stream the channels. If you want HBO or other specials, you can buy those separately from their sites. So, you pay $20 for DISH, then maybe $40-50 for Internet. Suddenly, the Comcast offer is appealing being only $10-20 difference.

There seems to be a media war going on. So, before you cut the cable cord, add up your costs.