This week, instead of elaborating on a new streaming service or delving into the life of a would-be cord-cutter, I've decided to gather a hodgepodge of interesting cord-cutting tidbits.
I hope they either help shed some light on column-related decisions I've made in the past or inform you as to what cable alternative might be the best option for you.
Here we go.
AN UPDATE ON THE HIRES
One of my recent profiles, featuring cord-cutting guinea pigs Steve and Alice Hire, ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, as the couple had to switch internet providers.
I can now report that the San Diego residents have successfully migrated from Cox to AT&T for their internet and phone service. They are locked into a one-year contract for $52 a month, which includes an internet speed of 50 Mbps. So far, Steve is pleased with the service and reports no issues with buffering.
WHY NOT VOIP?
Speaking of the Hires, one reader asked why I didn't recommend that the Hires try Ooma, an internet phone service. It's a fair question, especially since Ooma and other voice-over-internet-protocol phone providers such as Vonage or magicJack might have been cheaper than phone service through AT&T.
In the case of Ooma, for instance, phone service is free-ish, meaning once you pay the one-time hardware charge of $100, you'll get free basic phone service. Monthly taxes and fees, however, cost $4 per month. If you want to keep the same home phone number _ and that was a must for the Hires _ then you can expect to pay an additional $40 upfront.
I could have suggested that the Hires consider something along these lines, but I felt like they were already dealing with so much change that this would add an unnecessary layer of complexity to the mix.
HELP FINDING THE RIGHT STREAMING TV PACKAGE
Many readers want to know how they, too, can cut the cord. Since there are now so many streaming TV options and I can't help everyone, I'm pretty enthusiastic about a new online service called Suppose.tv that can help anyone determine which TV bundle, cable or streaming, meets their needs.
The comparison tool is fairly easy to use: Select your TV market region and your must-have or maybe-want channels, and Suppose.tv spits out a side-by-side view of available bundles in your area and their costs. You can also prioritize channels, indicate how many simultaneous streams you need and filter results by device. The latter means you can limit results to packages that work on Roku or Amazon devices.
Trust me, it's a nice little timesaver. And it's free.
PLAYSTATION VUE PRICE HIKE
I was pretty bummed when I found out PlayStation Vue was raising the prices of their streaming bundles (by $10 a month in San Diego!) _ not because the value isn't there (the service did just add the Fox affiliate here), but no one likes to pay more for something they've come to appreciate for less.
What's more, I recently interviewed Dwayne Benefield, who runs the Vue division at Sony, for my story on the Hires. I asked him whether Vue would raise prices. That would have been a good time to come clean, but he didn't give me any indication that prices were in flux.
Anyway, here are the new nationwide prices. I'll let you decide if you think you still get enough bang for your buck.
_Access Slim, the cheapest plan, is now $39.99 a month.
_Core Slim, the second tier for sports fans, is now $44.99 a month.
_Elite, the fairly all-inclusive tier, is now $54.99 a month.
_Ultra, the package that comes with HBO and Showtime, is now $74.99.
DIRECTV NOW TO ADD CLOUD DVR
AT&T's streaming service DirecTV Now will finally get a cloud DVR feature, with some customers getting access to a beta version this summer. Later this year, customers will also get parental controls and the ability to pause live TV.
DirecTV Now's cheapest plan costs $35 a month, though packages with regional sports networks start at $50 a month. AT&T has not indicated whether its cloud DVR will be included with its bundles or available for an extra fee.
PASSWORD SHARING, HOW COMMON IS IT?
I've been known to borrow a password (or two) to access a streaming app I don't pay for _ cough, HBO _ and I'm clearly not alone. Reuters conducted a survey with help from Ipsos and found that 21 percent of streaming viewers ages 18 to 24 said they logged into someone else's digital video account. On the whole, 12 percent of adults participate in the same behavior.
I'm actually surprised the numbers aren't higher. A quick poll of my business section colleagues revealed that at least five out of six of us engage in the password-sharing behavior.
