Cable TV fees up to $800/year

You know how high fees are for cable TV, right? Well, maybe not. I knew the fees were high, but it didn't hit me how high until I saw an article online this week.

According to a report from Cord Cutters News, the fees Comcast charges, above and beyond the regular cost of services, can total $800/year!

Recently it was announced that Comcast would be raising the fees on a wide range of plans. Comcast’s Xfinity Broadcast TV Fee is going up 11% this year to $21.30. Back in 2016, these fees were just $5 a month. 

RSN fees are also going up in Philadelphia to $13.35 a month, a 5% jump. This is up from just $3 a month back in 2016.

The cost of a TV box and remote will now be $10 a month, a 17% increase from $8.50 just a month ago.

Modem rentals for internet customers will now cost you $15 a month.

All of this is on top of your base package that can cost as much as $99.99 a month just for TV, according to Seniorliving.org.

All of these fees over the course of a year will add up to $715.80. It could be even higher as this assumes you are only paying for one TV box. If you have two TV boxes, your yearly fees will top $835. That is also before you pay for taxes and other fees imposed by the local, state, and federal governments. In total, the cost for TV and internet from Comcast could top $2,000 a year for some customers with these fees.

That's a lot of money that Comcast -- and other cable TV services, so let's don't just pick on Comcast -- get above and beyond the normal service customers expect to pay.

This is just one of the reasons that my Streaming Life makes me happier than my cable TV life ever did.

HBO Max price increase

The latest round of streaming service price increases is still going on. Maybe it's not a round, but a trend. Maybe it's just a thing. Regardless, along with everything else that's gone up in price over the last two years, you can add HBO Max to the list.

On yesterday, the streaming service announced a price increase, effectively immediately.

It's not a large increase, and it's only for one of the two plans, but it's still an increase, and not something any of us want.

Effective Thursday, Jan. 12, the price of a new HBO Max no-ads monthly subscription in the U.S. will increase from $14.99 to $15.99 (plus applicable taxes). That’s a nearly 7% increase. Existing HBO Max subscribers who are currently paying $14.99/month will see their monthly rate increase to $15.99/month effective their next billing cycle on or after Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

"This price increase of one dollar will allow us to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users," the company said in a statement.

While it is effective immediately for new subscribers, existing subscribers won't see it until February 11, four weeks from now.

Not news we wanted to hear, but it could have been worse, and it's only for the higher priced plan. HBO Max is still a pretty good bargain, and a service that I have in my rotation of services as a part of my Streaming Life.

Cord Cutters News is back!

I've been a fan of Cord Cutters News for some time. I was a reluctant fan at first, but I got over that quickly and became a big supporter of the Website.

Years ago, when I first decided to start writing about streaming and cutting the cord, I tried to do something like Cord Cutters News. I didn't know about Cord Cutters News, and I quickly realized how much work was involved in trying to cover all the things people wanted to know. Having a full time job made that impossible.

I tried to create a how-to Website, and quickly realized how much better others did that.

Finally, I realized that I was facing an uphill battle, and decided to simply share my thoughts and feelings about cutting the cord, so here we are.

Cord Cutters News became a regular place to visit, as they covered things very well. Then, around two years ago, things changed. Luke Bouma sold the Website and others took it over. They did a good job. For a while.

Philp Palermo was the face of the Website and YouTube project for a while, but last year, things changed. Those changes were not Mr. Palermo's fault. Family issues, including a seriously ill family member, caused Mr. Palermo to focus on those things and not some silly Website.

The other staff at Cord Cutters News carried the ball for a while, but it was a losing battle. And that was a very unfortunate thing for the Website and YouTube channel.

Now, Luke is back, and running things at Cord Cutters News.

[YouTube link]

I'm glad to see Luke back. I hate the circumstances that led to that, and wish Mr. Palermo's family the best during these trying times.

If you've missed Cord Cutters News, know that it's back. Reading it has been a part of my Streaming Life for some time, and I'm glad it's back to doing what it does best.

Xumo app is now Xumo Play, and I don't like it

Xumo is the new name of the joint venture between Comcast (Xfinity) and Charter (Spectrum), with a little Walmart thrown in. And prior to this week, it was the name of the free ad-supported television (FAST) service that Comcast owned.

With the Xumo name now applying to the project, OS, and devices, the streaming service has been rebranded as Xumo Play.

There are not a lot of changes to the app and service, apart from the new name and modified logo. There is one recent change that I really don't like, though. And I really don't like it.

When you launch the Xumo Play app, your live stream starts playing. And there is no option to stop that.

Let me first explain that Xumo Play, like the Xumo app before it, is similar to Pluto TV. The main difference in what the two apps/services do is mostly cosmetic and who owns them. Pluto TV is owned by Paramount. Xumo Play is (and has been) owned by NBCUniversal.

Previously, the Xumo app didn't autoplay. Now it does. And there is no setting to stop that.

Let me be clear that I absolutely hate autoplay and never use it. I hate it in every form it appears. I don't like content playing before I press Play. If I don't press Play, I don't want things to play.

I suppose it's there way of being helpful. It's not helpful. It's simply them forcing the playing of content on the customer so they can pad their playback stats. And those playback stats are used to justify their advertising fees.

I have no problem with autoplay being the default action of any app/service. Well, I do, but I can deal with it, as long as there is a way for me to turn it off. I prefer to play content when I want it to play, not when they decide. It's arrogant for them to decide that when I want the content to play, rude for them to not allow me to stop it, and deceitful for them to pad the playback stats in order to charge advertisers more.

The content of Xumo Play is great. The app itself is one that I will not use. I used to recommend Xumo Play as a great service, when it was simply Xumo. The rebranded service is one I'll not use until they either turn off autoplay or allow me that ability. Until they do, it's no longer a part of my Streaming Life.

How to shop for a TV antenna

If you are thinking about cutting the cord, or just putting up a TV antenna for any reason, it's not really a simple process.

It should be, of course. After all, that used to be the way everybody got TV signals. In the days before cable and satellite TV, that was how you got TV. People in the 1940s and 1950s could watch TV by putting up an antenna. Why can't people in the 2020s do the same thing?

Well, people can. But many people face a couple of drawbacks on this.

One, people are lazy. Technology has made so many things easy, that anything that requires work or some thought is often ignored by an easier way to accomplish the same thing. But with that convenience comes expense. To save money, you have to put in some effort. Keep reading for tips on how to accomplish this.

Two, there are more liars and cheats than there used to be. Part of that is because there are a lot more people overall. We're at 8 billion today. In 1950, there were around 2½ billion, less than ⅓ of today's total. More people, more liars and cheats.

What do liars and cheats have to do with anything? Well, they're the ones that will sell you a piece of trash for you use to watch TV. Or not watch TV, as it often turns out.

So, what's a body to do? Well, one good thing would be to find a reputable source for information. I'm not claiming to be one that can answer all your questions, but I can point you in the right direction.

Let me tell you about Tablo. That's an over the air DVR system that only works properly if you have a good antenna. If your antenna is trash, their system doesn't work worth a darn. They want you to watch TV using their equipment. Part of that is having a good antenna.

Here's the secret: you don't need to purchase a Tablo in order to get good information about TV antennae. Tablo regularly posts tips on finding a good antenna. They put out a good article around three years ago that covered shopping for a TV antenna. Actually, about how to NOT shop for an antenna. It's good information:

1. DON'T Just Buy the First TV Antenna You Saw Advertised
2. DON'T Just Buy the Same TV Antenna Your Brother/Cousin/Coworker Bought
3. DON'T Just Ask for a Basic Recommendation
4. DON'T Just Google 'Best TV Antenna'
5. DON'T Just Search for 'TV Antenna' on Amazon

Those are actually the titles of sections of a large article, and they give the reasons they make those suggestions. They're good suggestions. And they list three different antenna manufacturers that make quality antennae and provide good online tools to research things.

Let me offer you two reasons -- well, two versions of the same reason -- that you need to do some research.

A good friend lives a few miles away from me -- different county, in fact -- and she has a difficult time picking up TV signals. Simply getting the same antenna I got wouldn't work for her. Her setup, based on her location and terrain, would mean she would need a much higher antenna. Even then, she wouldn't pick up the same stations I get.

My mother's residence is only a couple of miles from mine, but even at that close distance, terrain means reception at her house is than reception at my house.

It's a little bit of work to find the right antenna, but the savings could really add up to make it worthwhile. I'm glad I did it. It's made my Streaming Life so much easier.