Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > USA
Reload this Page >

Understanding TV Services in US

Understanding TV Services in US

Old Aug 26th 2014, 12:59 am
  #61  
Grumpy Know-it-all
 
Steve_'s Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Steve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
That's more or less what we paid for Verizon FIOS when we lived NJ. We pay around $220 per month now in Toronto for a crap TV service, slow internet speeds and a land line. We wouldn't bother with the land line but it was more or less free with the other 2 services.
Is that CAD though? More than what I'm paying in Calgary. What pisses me off with my provider is you have to buy the DVR which isn't cheap, which I wouldn't mind so much but it is absolute total crap. It took real skill to make firmware this bad.

In Canada a landline is more important than in the US because cellphone costs are so high here that you do without if you can.
Steve_ is offline  
Old Aug 26th 2014, 1:42 am
  #62  
SUPER MODERATOR
 
Jerseygirl's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 87,988
Jerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by Steve_
Is that CAD though? More than what I'm paying in Calgary. What pisses me off with my provider is you have to buy the DVR which isn't cheap, which I wouldn't mind so much but it is absolute total crap. It took real skill to make firmware this bad.

In Canada a landline is more important than in the US because cellphone costs are so high here that you do without if you can.
Yes it is CAD...I keep forgetting about the currency. . I have a Virgin SIM card in my iPhone...approx $30 CAD per month. A lot less than the $100+ pm I was paying for the US verizon contract.
Jerseygirl is offline  
Old Aug 26th 2014, 11:24 pm
  #63  
Grumpy Know-it-all
 
Steve_'s Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Steve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond reputeSteve_ has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

$100 a month? What? Last time I checked AT&T was around $60 and I heard it had gone down since then. Have you got a data plan on that SIM?

Bizarrely I have a PAYG Verizon phone because it is so much cheaper than anything I could find here.
Steve_ is offline  
Old Aug 27th 2014, 1:22 am
  #64  
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
hungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by Steve_
$100 a month? What? Last time I checked AT&T was around $60 and I heard it had gone down since then. Have you got a data plan on that SIM?

Bizarrely I have a PAYG Verizon phone because it is so much cheaper than anything I could find here.
Whose this towards?
hungryhorace is offline  
Old Aug 27th 2014, 2:44 am
  #65  
SUPER MODERATOR
 
Jerseygirl's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 87,988
Jerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond reputeJerseygirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by Steve_
$100 a month? What? Last time I checked AT&T was around $60 and I heard it had gone down since then. Have you got a data plan on that SIM?

Bizarrely I have a PAYG Verizon phone because it is so much cheaper than anything I could find here.
I had a 2 year plan with Verizon for my iPhone...just over $100 pm.
Jerseygirl is offline  
Old Aug 27th 2014, 3:04 am
  #66  
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
hungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
I had a 2 year plan with Verizon for my iPhone...just over $100 pm.
I pay $54 a month to ATT for 2.5GB LTE. If I travel away for a few weeks and won't have wifi I use my T-Mobile SIM with their $30 5GB LTE data deal. Works great.
hungryhorace is offline  
Old Nov 24th 2014, 11:28 pm
  #67  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 64
00derek is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by penguinsix
One thing, I think, about LG televisions--the Smart TV functions of LG are region-locked to the serial number of the television, so if you want to use it in the USA you'll need a VPN/SmartDNS setup. I think...

Samsung SmartTV functions can have the regions changed, following some rather odd keystrokes on the remote. Again you would need a SmartDNS if you want another region. I have my TV set on UK so I get BBC iPlayer, Sports, ITV and 4od and 5 on the SmartTV as apps (the iPlayer quality is amazing--really looks good--as clear as over the air).
iPlayer has not been working on my Samsung SmartTV for a few months now; I've tried everything; re-installed iPlayer, reset TV to factory setting and then changed country etc. iPlayer gets audio but video is just scrambled lines. Other UK TV is working (4OD, ITV etc) so I know it's not a regional block at play.

Any suggestions?
00derek is offline  
Old Nov 24th 2014, 11:43 pm
  #68  
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
hungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond reputehungryhorace has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Originally Posted by 00derek
iPlayer has not been working on my Samsung SmartTV for a few months now; I've tried everything; re-installed iPlayer, reset TV to factory setting and then changed country etc. iPlayer gets audio but video is just scrambled lines. Other UK TV is working (4OD, ITV etc) so I know it's not a regional block at play.

Any suggestions?
The BBC recently changed the way some third parties accessed their service. It may be that Samsung has been caught up in this.
hungryhorace is offline  
Old Nov 25th 2014, 1:33 am
  #69  
Forum Regular
 
McZaki's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: SF Bay area - Jersey bound, bring on the chills!
Posts: 261
McZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond reputeMcZaki has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

I pay $257 a month for the gazillion channels on DiSH - includes all the fancy packages, EPL, Willow Cricket,extra room/TV Joey thing etc etc etc. I know it is bonkers to pay that sort of money but the reality is that decent telly in the US is very expensive. However, I need to find some time to look for alternatives and make a smart choice

Just to give some perspective, I used to have all the Sky channels+HD+extra room et al back in the UK, I think all that was around £82 a month (around $129).

Also, since you're moving here so you may find this useful, I had to purchase the "Hopper" (sky HD box equivalent) when I moved here - the lad was talking shite around not having credit history to get the "ongoing deals" and long term contract etc. I just told him to cut the crap and tell me how can I get the services without going through the nonsense and having to sign up a long term deal - I had to pay around $800 upfront (including first month subscription) for the box and didn't sign any contract, the technician came next day to setup everything.
McZaki is offline  
Old Nov 25th 2014, 2:08 am
  #70  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
GeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond reputeGeoffM has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

The wife's cousins came to the end of their 2-year Verizon Fios deal a month or two ago. They refused to continue the price discounts so she switched to Charter instead. Problem is, Charter's internet is crap around here, so that was Netflix out the window too. So a new customer who very coincidentally had the same last name as the previous customer at that address signed up as a new customer for Fios again, complete with new customer deals. Apparently the Fios bloke came to fit the cable box in the garage and was happy there was already one there...

Once the in-laws leave I'm going to seriously rationalise the channel package we have. We don't watch sports, we don't need the latest movies, and we rarely watch stuff when it's actually transmitted, so Netflix et al do us fine.
GeoffM is offline  
Old Nov 25th 2014, 5:27 am
  #71  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,477
fulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond reputefulwood has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Understanding TV Services in US

Nice to see another Brit in Mesa AZ. I have no issues currently accessing UK TV thru my computer. Too lazy to do HDMI route...
fulwood is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.