Did your cable bill go up recently?

[jrref]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.

[retiredguy123]

Yes, but Xfinity told me about it in advance. Am I doing anything about it? No.

YoutubeTV also increased in price.

[Michael 61]

People still have cable?

[ROCKETMAN]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have cable. With an average age of 69, younger people seem to be the ones who stream.

[retiredguy123]

People still have cable?
I still have cable, but I would be glad to switch to streaming if there was a good reason to do so. Every time I do the math, the cost savings is minimal (about 10 percent less), and the cable service is better than streaming. With YoutubeTV, I would lose the Lifetime channels, which we watch a lot, and the History channeI. I also get a great deal on my cell phone service, that is only $21 per month.

[jrref]

I still have cable, but I would be glad to switch to streaming if there was a good reason to do so. Every time I do the math, the cost savings is minimal (about 10 percent less), and the cable service is better than streaming. With YoutubeTV, I would lose the Lifetime channels, which we watch a lot, and the History channeI. I also get a great deal on my cell phone service, that is only $21 per month.

Did you look at SlingTV? They have the lifetime channels. YouTubeTV is very popular here in the Villages but there are other streaming services available.

[Bill14564]

I still have cable, but I would be glad to switch to streaming if there was a good reason to do so. Every time I do the math, the cost savings is minimal (about 10 percent less), and the cable service is better than streaming. With YoutubeTV, I would lose the Lifetime channels, which we watch a lot, and the History channeI. I also get a great deal on my cell phone service, that is only $21 per month.

LMN and History are both available on HuluLive. (NFL Sunday Ticket is not which is why I have YTTV). You might also get a better DVR capability if you make use of that.

Even if you drop cable channels you will still need an internet provider which might also get you the great deal on your cell phone.

But comfort and inertia matter. If you are comfortable with what you have and any additional cost is worth it to you to not have to learn a new system then it makes sense to stick with what you have.

[jrref]

LMN and History are both available on HuluLive. (NFL Sunday Ticket is not which is why I have YTTV). You might also get a better DVR capability if you make use of that.

Even if you drop cable channels you will still need an internet provider which might also get you the great deal on your cell phone.

But comfort and inertia matter. If you are comfortable with what you have and any additional cost is worth it to you to not have to learn a new system then it makes sense to stick with what you have.
You are right. I forgot about HuluLive. That's also a very good streaming service.

I know several Villagers who were "comfortable" with cable but after a while the price kept going up and it was enough to get them to switch and stream. The change can be stressful at first but eventually these streaming services interfaces are not that much different than what the cable companies are offering making the transition easier. I also know many that don't want to switch their phones so they couldn't get the cheaper price with that bundle.

It can be a tough decision. I had one person who was tired of the slow and varying internet service from Xfinity which caused them to change.

I guess everyone has their own unique situation.

[thelegges]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.

Haven’t had cable for more than 7 years. Maybe large percentage of posters are the same. So good reason for not many responses

[Battlebasset]

I currently have Sling (just the blue side) for three months on a $38 per month deal. Got it initially to catch some college football playoff games and Fox News. It will carry me through NCAA March Madness. Then I will probably cancel it. Just don't watch it enough. But that is one advantage of streaming packages over cable/satellite. Easier to turn on/turn off, and you can watch from anywhere with your user ID/Password. Same with other streaming platforms I have (Netflix, Britbox, Amazon Prime, ESPN+ etc.). I stream with Quantum, I got in on their $35 for life deal. So far, so good. And it's also month to month so if it becomes not good, I can quickly dump it.

I also put up an antenna that allows me to get all of the networks and several other stations out of Orlando. All told, about 60 channels, with about 30 that have anything you really care to watch. But after the initial investment of $150 for antenna/booster, it's free. Can't beat that.

A final tip - if you have specific platforms you like/want to try, many offer Black Friday deals around Thanksgiving. I picked up Paramount+ and Peacock on an annual subscription for a few dollars each month. Not much there that I watch, but for the price, it was worth it. If I can't get a similar deal when it expires, I'll dump it. Just make sure to mark your calendar so it doesn't autorenew!

[jrref]

I currently have Sling (just the blue side) for three months on a $38 per month deal. Got it initially to catch some college football playoff games and Fox News. It will carry me through NCAA March Madness. Then I will probably cancel it. Just don't watch it enough. But that is one advantage of streaming packages over cable/satellite. Easier to turn on/turn off, and you can watch from anywhere with your user ID/Password. Same with other streaming platforms I have (Netflix, Britbox, Amazon Prime, ESPN+ etc.). I stream with Quantum, I got in on their $35 for life deal. So far, so good. And it's also month to month so if it becomes not good, I can quickly dump it.

I also put up an antenna that allows me to get all of the networks and several other stations out of Orlando. All told, about 60 channels, with about 30 that have anything you really care to watch. But after the initial investment of $150 for antenna/booster, it's free. Can't beat that.

A final tip - if you have specific platforms you like/want to try, many offer Black Friday deals around Thanksgiving. I picked up Paramount+ and Peacock on an annual subscription for a few dollars each month. Not much there that I watch, but for the price, it was worth it. If I can't get a similar deal when it expires, I'll dump it. Just make sure to mark your calendar so it doesn't autorenew!

Congrats on getting the Quantum $35 deal. I was telling so many about this and they weren't interested then when it ended, they missed it. Maybe they will do it again next year?

[Bay Kid]

Comcast internet did and after+ 1 hour I got it reduced. Terrible to deal with.

[Pairadocs]

Yes, but Xfinity told me about it in advance. Am I doing anything about it? No.

YoutubeTV also increased in price.

Same at our house. Did it go up, YES, doesn't it always ! ? Are we doing anything about it ? No, just as Xfinity hoped ! Tired of playing all the musical chair games; limited offers, specials, etc. etc. with all the providers. Constantly changing, getting used to a new format, or equipment, or wiring.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have cable. With an average age of 69, younger people seem to be the ones who stream.

We don't have cable. The lady across the street just installed Dish. Several neighbors have cut the cord here on the historic side.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

YouTube TV went up, and Hulu+ was less expensive for the first time, and offered more. I called YouTube and complained, they knocked the price back down to what I've been paying all along. Took ten minutes.

I'll do the same with Xfinity internet in March when it's time for them to raise my prices again. Once a year, I call the providers and complain. I do the same with phone service at AT&T.

Total inconvenience to me is around 2 hours per year. I'm okay with that.

[Pairadocs]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have cable. With an average age of 69, younger people seem to be the ones who stream.

Totally agree, even our adult children in others states have grown weary of the various streaming options and returned to the cable option in their various locations. As the old saying goes, what's new becomes old, and what's old eventually becomes new. Wonder if people will begin to question why they send all their personal documents and pictures to "the cloud" one day, and begin to think the "old days" when you preserved your personal items yourself on the options of your choice like the "old fashioned" thumb drives, or on DVD's, etc.

[jrref]

YouTube TV went up, and Hulu+ was less expensive for the first time, and offered more. I called YouTube and complained, they knocked the price back down to what I've been paying all along. Took ten minutes.

I'll do the same with Xfinity internet in March when it's time for them to raise my prices again. Once a year, I call the providers and complain. I do the same with phone service at AT&T.

Total inconvenience to me is around 2 hours per year. I'm okay with that.
Good for you! But the reduction on the YouTubeTV will only be for 6 months. They are giving this grace period to everyone complaining. Then it goes back to the regular rate.

[jrref]

We don't have cable. The lady across the street just installed Dish. Several neighbors have cut the cord here on the historic side.

Be careful with Dish. Many people don't realize that you buy the dish and it's yours. You can't return it if you ever cancel. Also, the early termination fee if you decide to cancel before the agreed upon term is clost to $500 and there is no way out.

[FloridaGuy66]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have cable. With an average age of 69, younger people seem to be the ones who stream.

I don't know anyone with cable in my Village and I socialize with plenty of people in my area.

We're south of the turnpike so much younger average age than 69, probably closer to 58 average.

I personally prefer streaming and not paying an arm and a leg for TV that I barely watch.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Good for you! But the reduction on the YouTubeTV will only be for 6 months. They are giving this grace period to everyone complaining. Then it goes back to the regular rate.

And then, in six months, I'll re-visit the situation. If I can get it cheaper on Hulu+, then I'll call YouTube again and have the conversation again. If they can't help me, I'll switch to Hulu+. Not a big deal.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Be careful with Dish. Many people don't realize that you buy the dish and it's yours. You can't return it if you ever cancel. Also, the early termination fee if you decide to cancel before the agreed upon term is clost to $500 and there is no way out.

Not my problem. I won't ever get Dish. Zero interest in it.

[jrref]

I don't know anyone with cable in my Village and I socialize with plenty of people in my area.

We're south of the turnpike so much younger average age than 69, probably closer to 58 average.

I personally prefer streaming and not paying an arm and a leg for TV that I barely watch.

I don’t think anybody has regular cable anymore with cable boxes where they use a remote to change channels. People have cable boxes but it’s a streaming box and user interface like YouTube. I see a lot of younger people using cable internet instead of fiber internet when it’s available for some crazy reason.

[tophcfa]

About a year ago we finally had it with the cable bill price increases and made the leap into the streaming world. Once we toppled the learning curve, we can’t believe we didn’t cut the cord sooner. No looking back.

[Michael 61]

I don't know anyone with cable in my Village and I socialize with plenty of people in my area.

We're south of the turnpike so much younger average age than 69, probably closer to 58 average.

I personally prefer streaming and not paying an arm and a leg for TV that I barely watch.
Same - I think one older neighbor has cable, everyone else I know here in The Villages has some variation of streaming services.

[smurphy]

There is a website, suppose.tv which will help you quantify your options. You enter you location/zip code, then check off the channels you are interested, and it will then tell you where they are available. You can specify which channels are deal breakers and those which are optional.

You can do what ifs, like if I add service x, what will it do to my total cost and what will be the benefit.

[djlnc]

My Spectrum internet just went from $65 to $80. Took me by surprise.

[Bay Kid]

Spent an hour+ on the phone with Xfinity where they raised my internet from $85 to $110. After much high blood pressure work I finally got help from a nice fellow and ended up paying $70. a month. Whew, until next year farewell.

[Rzepecki]

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have cable. With an average age of 69, younger people seem to be the ones who stream.

I’m a “younger people” at 72? I’ve been streaming for about 5 years.

[coleprice]

My DirectTV bill has increased multiple times, without warning over the past 4 years, so I replaced it with SuperBox. You can buy SuperBox online from Amazon or other internet providers for under $200. Now I have access to over 1,700 channels at NO COST!!! My monthly bills have gone away and I access via internet, all of the TV Networks, News, Sports, Movie, Weather and other channels, plus thousands of movies via Video on Demand . . . for FREE!!! Thanks to SuperBox, I'm done with Cable & Satellite providers and their Monthly Bills.

[retiredguy123]

Spent an hour+ on the phone with Xfinity where they raised my internet from $85 to $110. After much high blood pressure work I finally got help from a nice fellow and ended up paying $70. a month. Whew, until next year farewell.
I never discuss my bill with Xfinity on the phone. I go online and make an appointment to meet with a live person at one of their 2 stores.

[CybrSage]

I also put up an antenna that allows me to get all of the networks and several other stations out of Orlando. All told, about 60 channels, with about 30 that have anything you really care to watch. But after the initial investment of $150 for antenna/booster, it's free. Can't beat that.


What antenna do you use?

[jrref]

About a year ago we finally had it with the cable bill price increases and made the leap into the streaming world. Once we toppled the learning curve, we can’t believe we didn’t cut the cord sooner. No looking back.

I helped a couple make the switch from Xfinity to Quantum Fiber and Youtube. To my surprise although they had several Xfinity cable boxes, the interface they were using was very similar to the user interface on YouTube. The learning curve in their case was partially learning and getting familiar with the differences but also getting over the "fear" of using YouTube TV. Over time the cable companies have been transitioning to what I call a streaming user interface in order to compete.

I feel steaming is beneficial for those who want to only pay for the content they want to watch. With the ability to easily subscribe and unsubscribe to services as they please.

The cable companies are "taking a beating" becasue of the cord cutters and have to resort to bundling their services with phone and other things. Unfortunately, not all areas have a choice for internet so many have to deal with what they have available. The good news is we have seen some of the fiber companies such as Quantum expanding into other areas such as Bonita Villas so there is some hope that most Villagers will have more of a choice to subscribe to a company that better fits their needs.

[Singerlady]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.
No cable. Streaming. Total streaming with YouTube, internet with Comcast and Netflix…..about $150. No problem deciding what to do.

[jrref]

When looking at internet providers here in the Villages, in most cases for us Villagers, cost seems to be the biggest driver when selecting a provider since very few are running a business or working from home.

This is not an advertisement but an awareness post. What's interesting is the cable companies are not providing their new advanced technology here in the Villages. While Verizon, ATT and T-Mobile Are providing new wireless services and now Quantum Fiber is offering their newest technologies "Lumen is using XGS-PON technology, a passive optical network to provide the symmetric multi-gig capabilities." You can read about it here. Attention Required! | Cloudflare (https://ir.lumen.com/news/news-details/2022/Quantum-Fiber-launches-multi-gig-service-delivering-symmetric-8-gigabit-internet-speeds-in-select-cities/default.aspx) Areas around Dunedin and north to Bonita Villas and other areas have this new fiber technology. Area's south down to Osceola Hills are scheduled to get this new technology in 2025.

Although us Villagers don't need these high speeds now, it will be interesting to see what the future holds, there are businesses here in the Villages that do. It's also "good to know" that the wireless carriers, and Quantum and Centric fiber companies are still investing in the internet infrastructure here in the Villages, whether we need it or not. While the cable companies are doing nothing except trying to bundle services with stuff we don't want and are trying to become a Phone company.

Interesting. I think we are very lucky to have these wireless and fiber serivices available for most of us here in the Villages.

[Kerry Azz]

I’m 71 and I only stream, that statement is ludicrous. My internet bill is 55.00 a month 4 tv’s 3 Alexa device security cameras and a wireless printer. Cable is for people who like to throw money away.

[jrref]

I’m 71 and I only stream, that statement is ludicrous. My internet bill is 55.00 a month 4 tv’s 3 Alexa device security cameras and a wireless printer. Cable is for people who like to throw money away.

That's about what you should be paying for internet these days here in the Villages. Good for you!

[FloridaGuy66]

I’m 71 and I only stream, that statement is ludicrous. My internet bill is 55.00 a month 4 tv’s 3 Alexa device security cameras and a wireless printer. Cable is for people who like to throw money away.

Same with people that are paying for a landline phone.

[mraines]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.

For the first time in 10 years, I seem to have gone over my allotted data. I tried to call to find out why and how I could avoid this. Absolutely maddening trying to get a person to talk to and then one that is knowledgeable. I finally hung up.

[mraines]

I’m 71 and I only stream, that statement is ludicrous. My internet bill is 55.00 a month 4 tv’s 3 Alexa device security cameras and a wireless printer. Cable is for people who like to throw money away.

How do you only pay $55?

[mraines]

Spent an hour+ on the phone with Xfinity where they raised my internet from $85 to $110. After much high blood pressure work I finally got help from a nice fellow and ended up paying $70. a month. Whew, until next year farewell.

How did you do that? I couldn't get past the one I had. I kept asking to speak to someone else and I finally just hung up.

[jrref]

Same with people that are paying for a landline phone.

LOL right!! So, I've seen many eventually realize they don't need the landline anymore and just drop it. Some feel the landline phone is like a member of the family. Fortunately, you can go to Consumer Cellular and port your number to them and they will give you a landline phone that works over their cellular network so you can keep it if you want. I think it's $15/month. Or you can get MajicJack.

[jrref]

How did you do that? I couldn't get past the one I had. I kept asking to speak to someone else and I finally just hung up.

I know i've said this before but you need to understand the situation the cable companies are in. They are loosing subscribers at an alarming rate so when you call they have been instructed to make it as hard as possible to cancel or try to re-negioate your service. I know some just spend an hour and get some sort of temporary discount but at the end of the day you need to figure out which companies service your home and then work with the company that you like best and has the best deal for your specific needs.

I know I talk about Quantum fiber a lot but the reason is when I moved to the Villages 3 1/2 years ago, many had no idea what it was or that their home was already pre-wired and they had this choice. My personal goal was to create awareness and help my friends and neighbors make the switch if that's what they wanted to do.

[FloridaGuy66]

How do you only pay $55?

I pay $40/month with Xfinity. I supply my own modem and wifi router and my account is on autopay to get that rate. Every 12 months they try to increase my rate but then we just call them and tell them we're cancelling, and then they offer us $40 for 12 months again. Has worked for 3 years in a row so far.

[jrref]

I pay $40/month with Xfinity. I supply my own modem and wifi router and my account is on autopay to get that rate. Every 12 months they try to increase my rate but then we just call them and tell them we're cancelling, and then they offer us $40 for 12 months again. Has worked for 3 years in a row so far.

For which speed?

[FloridaGuy66]

For which speed?

300 mbps. We can have 3 TV's steaming at once without any issues.

[biker1]

Hi-Def (aka 1080p) requires about 5 megabits per second per stream. 4k (aka 2160p) requires about 20 megabits per second. per stream. We used to stream Netflix to 2 TVs simultaneously without issues at full 1080p resolution with a nominal 10 megabits per second internet bandwidth. Most people have more than an order of magnitude more internet bandwidth than they require. This, of course, can't be avoided because the lowest tier of service by most providers is several hundred megabits per second. I have noticed an attempt by providers to upsell customers to even higher nominal bandwidths at higher prices. Most people don't have a good handle on what they actually need.

300 mbps. We can have 3 TV's steaming at once without any issues.

[retiredguy123]

Hi-Def (aka 1080p) requires about 5 megabits per second per stream. 4k (aka 2160p) requires about 20 megabits per second. per stream. We used to stream Netflix to 2 TVs simultaneously without issues at full 1080p resolution with a nominal 10 megabits per second internet bandwidth. Most people have more than an order of magnitude more internet bandwidth than they require. This, of course, can't be avoided because the lowest tier of service by most providers is several hundred megabits per second. I have noticed an attempt by providers to upsell customers to even higher nominal bandwidths at higher prices. Most people don't have a good handle on what they actually need.
I switched from the Netflix premium service (4K) to the standard service (1080p) and I didn't notice any difference in picture quality. I have a 75 inch, 4K + HDR, television. I find it very strange that they don't even tell you when a program is in 4K or 1080p.

Note that Netflix just increased their prices this month. The standard service is now $17.99 per month, and the premium service is $24.99 per month.

[jrref]

I switched from the Netflix premium service (4K) to the standard service (1080p) and I didn't notice any difference in picture quality. I have a 75 inch, 4K + HDR, television. I find it very strange that they don't even tell you when a program is in 4K or 1080p.

Note that Netflix just increased their prices this month. The standard service is now $17.99 per month, and the premium service is $24.99 per month.

I find this very strange because if you have anything but a 4K Samsung TV you will see many movies in 4k Dolby Vision and if you have a Samsung TV you will see them in HDR. These movies will definetly be at a noticably higher resolution and brighter. There is no way to not notice it. But, depending on what you watch, you may be watching 1080P content on Netflix so in that case you won't see any difference.

Along with this information, another reason to dump cable and stream no matter which Internet provider you use is because the cable companies are not sending all their content at 1080P. Much if it is still at 720P. Your TV will be upscalling it to 1080P or 4K in most cases but that upscaling is not a substitite for higher resolution content. I helped a couple switch from Xfinity to Quantum with Youtube TV using 4K Roku streaming devices and without any prompting from me they mentioned the picture looked a lot sharper to them after watching content for a couple of days.

[biker1]

Unless you are looking at true 4K material up close (say a few feet), you probably can't tell the difference between a 4K and a 1080p version. Our typical viewing distance is 12 feet for a 75" set. There is not much material in 4K. You can find some nice 4k demos on YouTube, typically nature scenes.

I switched from the Netflix premium service (4K) to the standard service (1080p) and I didn't notice any difference in picture quality. I have a 75 inch, 4K + HDR, television. I find it very strange that they don't even tell you when a program is in 4K or 1080p.

Note that Netflix just increased their prices this month. The standard service is now $17.99 per month, and the premium service is $24.99 per month.

[retiredguy123]

I find this very strange because if you have anything but a 4K Samsung TV you will see many movies in 4k Dolby Vision and if you have a Samsung TV you will see them in HDR. These movies will definetly be at a noticably higher resolution and brighter. There is no way to not notice it. But, depending on what you watch, you may be watching 1080P content on Netflix so in that case you won't see any difference.

Along with this information, another reason to dump cable and stream no matter which Internet provider you use is because the cable companies are not sending all their content at 1080P. Much if it is still at 720P. Your TV will be upscalling it to 1080P or 4K in most cases but that upscaling is not a substitite for higher resolution content. I helped a couple switch from Xfinity to Quantum with Youtube TV using 4K Roku streaming devices and without any prompting from me they mentioned the picture looked a lot sharper to them after watching content for a couple of days.
I have a Sony TV. I can watch Netflix through my Xfinity cable box, or using a direct wifi stream using a 4K Roku stick. In either case, the picture looks the same. I wish the provider would tell you which format you are actually watching, but apparently, they want to keep it a secret.

[jrref]

Hi-Def (aka 1080p) requires about 5 megabits per second per stream. 4k (aka 2160p) requires about 20 megabits per second. per stream. We used to stream Netflix to 2 TVs simultaneously without issues at full 1080p resolution with a nominal 10 megabits per second internet bandwidth. Most people have more than an order of magnitude more internet bandwidth than they require. This, of course, can't be avoided because the lowest tier of service by most providers is several hundred megabits per second. I have noticed an attempt by providers to upsell customers to even higher nominal bandwidths at higher prices. Most people don't have a good handle on what they actually need.

Technically, you are 100% correct, but there is more than streaming that requires higher speeds. For example, if you have cameras or a video doorbell, when someone comes to the door or the camera senses movement, the video has to go from your home to the server in the cloud then back down to your device. Slow cable upload speeds or slower speeds in general make the response time very slow. When I had cable and my video doorbell rang, the person was gone most of the time before I got the video. Another example it if you backup your devices to the cloud which you should be doing. Or if you upload a lot of files or pictures. Then upload speed becomes an issue.

So all this said, Most of us Villagers will get by fine anywhere from 200-500 mbs. Remember, with cable you will get slow-downs from time to time which will cause some buffering so you want a higher speed than 100Mbs to give you some margin when this happens.

If you are a gamer, then higher speeds and shorter latency is what you will want. I'm not sure how many "gamers" there are in the Villages but this is a driver for faster speeds.

These high internet speeds are mainly for homes with families where you have three or more people using the internet or if you have a business at home or you are a Youtuber or upload a lot of content to the internet.

At the end of the day, $40 for 300Mbs or $50 for $500Mbs or if you were lucky and got the $35 for 1Gbs that was available recently these services are what you want. If you have fiber at your home, you want that service because the download and upload speeds are the same, you are NOT sharing your bandwidth with all your neighbors meaning you have a direct connection so no slow-downs during peak times and the latency is the shortest. Always choose fiber over cable at any price.

[biker1]

The majority of Villages would be fine with a nominal 40 megabits per second up and down. It is disingenuous on the part of vendors to suggest that hundreds of megabits per second to gigabits per second will provide you a better experience. Those who actually need higher bandwidths will generally know. Regarding backups to the cloud, they are typically incremental backups and don't require much bandwidth and it really doesn't matter how long they take. If you have no clue what you need then you are probably paying for much more than you need.

Technically, you are 100% correct, but there is more than streaming that requires higher speeds. For example, if you have cameras or a video doorbell, when someone comes to the door or the camera senses movement, the video has to go from your home to the server in the cloud then back down to your device. Slow cable upload speeds or slower speeds in general make the response time very slow. When I had cable and my video doorbell rang, the person was gone most of the time before I got the video. Another example it if you backup your devices to the cloud which you should be doing. Or if you upload a lot of files or pictures. Then upload speed becomes an issue.

So all this said, Most of us Villagers will get by fine anywhere from 200-500 mbs. Remember, with cable you will get slow-downs from time to time which will cause some buffering so you want a higher speed than 100Mbs to give you some margin when this happens.

If you are a gamer, then higher speeds and shorter latency is what you will want. I'm not sure how many "gamers" there are in the Villages but this is a driver for faster speeds.

These high internet speeds are mainly for homes with families where you have three or more people using the internet or if you have a business at home or you are a Youtuber or upload a lot of content to the internet.

At the end of the day, $40 for 300Mbs or $50 for $500Mbs or if you were lucky and got the $35 for 1Gbs that was available recently these services are what you want. If you have fiber at your home, you want that service because the download and upload speeds are the same, you are NOT sharing your bandwidth with all your neighbors meaning you have a direct connection so no slow-downs during peak times and the latency is the shortest. Always choose fiber over cable at any price.

[Bill14564]

I switched from the Netflix premium service (4K) to the standard service (1080p) and I didn't notice any difference in picture quality. I have a 75 inch, 4K + HDR, television. I find it very strange that they don't even tell you when a program is in 4K or 1080p.

Note that Netflix just increased their prices this month. The standard service is now $17.99 per month, and the premium service is $24.99 per month.

I notice when shows are in 720 resolution (typically YTTV) but I'm not sure I notice the difference between 1080 and 4K. I do see a banner with the rate when I first tune to a show but I'm not sure if that's coming from the television or the firestick.

When I was concerned about usage limits I put my firestick into a non-4K mode. Is it possible your device is configured that way and you didn't notice any difference because you never watched a show in 4K?

Thanks for pointing out that the standard plan is only 1080. I have premium for a different reason and was considering a downgrade but now I'll have to give that a bit more thought.

[Bill14564]

I have a Sony TV. I can watch Netflix through my Xfinity cable box, or using a direct wifi stream using a 4K Roku stick. In either case, the picture looks the same. I wish the provider would tell you which format you are actually watching, but apparently, they want to keep it a secret.

It would be difficult for the provider to tell you that information. There is not a separate data stream for messages from the provider. They don't send a popup or special commercial to those using the 4K streams. The best they might do is present two versions of a show and allow you to choose one but I would find it annoying to have yet another button to click to play the movie (images of George Jetson just popped into my head).

The television should to be able to tell you what resolution it is displaying though each brand would have its own way of accessing that info.

[retiredguy123]

I notice when shows are in 720 resolution (typically YTTV) but I'm not sure I notice the difference between 1080 and 4K. I do see a banner with the rate when I first tune to a show but I'm not sure if that's coming from the television or the firestick.

When I was concerned about usage limits I put my firestick into a non-4K mode. Is it possible your device is configured that way and you didn't notice any difference because you never watched a show in 4K?

Thanks for pointing out that the standard plan is only 1080. I have premium for a different reason and was considering a downgrade but now I'll have to give that a bit more thought.
For the record, all of my equipment is in the 4K mode. I have a 4K Roku stick, a 4K cable box, a 4K Blu-Ray player, and a 4K television, and everything is set to 4K.

[jrref]

The majority of Villages would be fine with a nominal 40 megabits per second up and down. It is disingenuous on the part of vendors to suggest that hundreds of megabits per second to gigabits per second will provide you a better experience. Those who actually need higher bandwidths will generally know. Regarding backups to the cloud, they are typically incremental backups and don't require much bandwidth and it really doesn't matter how long they take. If you have no clue what you need then you are probably paying for much more than you need.

I agree with you on the backups. After the first full backup, the rest are incremental and not a problem. The problem is with the first full backup or if you want to run another full backup periodically or if you have multiple computers which we do. When I had cable, my upload speed was about 30Mbs and I couldn't get the full backup to complete.

As far as 40Mbs being sufficient, that could be true if you had fiber internet and were getting that speed all the time and were hard wired to your router. But as we know, even with fiber, forget about cable, the internet is variable so you need some extra speed as a buffer or you could have problems. When I help Villagers switch to Fiber Internet, I hear the same story often. That they needed to pay for higher cable internet speeds because when the snow birds returned their cable internet speed would vary enough to cause their streaming devices to buffer and were tired of slow internet when using their computers. The other thing that is often overlooked is for example, say you have 100Mbs service at your router. When you are hard wired or very close to your wifi device you will get this speed. But when you are on Wifi, as you move away from your wifi device, your speed will get slower and slower. Many of us have TVs, computers and other devices on Wifi because we can hard wire them. So having 40Mbs service in theory, if you are wired can be enough bandwidth as you mentioned, but in reality, most use wifi for almost everything so 40Mbs will not be enough speed. This is why I believe most ISPs give you a minimum of 200-500Mbs. They want to service to work for most people and don't wan the call backs. Just not worth it for them.

You make a good point though, ISPs are using speed as an advertising gimmick to some extent. Even if they offered you 1Gbs speed, you would probably never use all that bandwidth. If you are not using the bandwidth it doesn't cost them anymore to provide 1Gbs service vs 500Gbs service. Where speed and number of users comes into play is with Fixed wireless from Verizon and T-Moble and with cable. In all these cases, their transport system is designed to handle only a certain amount of users simultaneously. When this is exceeded you can experience slow-downs.

[biker1]

Doubtful. I get 90% of nominal bandwidth everywhere in my 2100 sq ft house with a router that is centrally located. Regardless, most of the bandwidth is used by video and as long as you can get 5 megabits per second you are good to go.

I agree with you on the backups. After the first full backup, the rest are incremental and not a problem. The problem is with the first full backup or if you want to run another full backup periodically or if you have multiple computers which we do. When I had cable, my upload speed was about 30Mbs and I couldn't get the full backup to complete.

As far as 40Mbs being sufficient, that could be true if you had fiber internet and were getting that speed all the time and were hard wired to your router. But as we know, even with fiber, forget about cable, the internet is variable so you need some extra speed as a buffer or you could have problems. When I help Villagers switch to Fiber Internet, I hear the same story often. That they needed to pay for higher cable internet speeds because when the snow birds returned their cable internet speed would vary enough to cause their streaming devices to buffer and were tired of slow internet when using their computers. The other thing that is often overlooked is for example, say you have 100Mbs service at your router. When you are hard wired or very close to your wifi device you will get this speed. But when you are on Wifi, as you move away from your wifi device, your speed will get slower and slower. Many of us have TVs, computers and other devices on Wifi because we can hard wire them. So having 40Mbs service in theory, if you are wired can be enough bandwidth as you mentioned, but in reality, most use wifi for almost everything so 40Mbs will not be enough speed. This is why I believe most ISPs give you a minimum of 200-500Mbs. They want to service to work for most people and don't wan the call backs. Just not worth it for them.

You make a good point though, ISPs are using speed as an advertising gimmick to some extent. Even if they offered you 1Gbs speed, you would probably never use all that bandwidth. If you are not using the bandwidth it doesn't cost them anymore to provide 1Gbs service vs 500Gbs service. Where speed and number of users comes into play is with Fixed wireless from Verizon and T-Moble and with cable. In all these cases, their transport system is designed to handle only a certain amount of users simultaneously. When this is exceeded you can experience slow-downs.

[FloridaGuy66]

Hi-Def (aka 1080p) requires about 5 megabits per second per stream. 4k (aka 2160p) requires about 20 megabits per second. per stream. We used to stream Netflix to 2 TVs simultaneously without issues at full 1080p resolution with a nominal 10 megabits per second internet bandwidth. Most people have more than an order of magnitude more internet bandwidth than they require. This, of course, can't be avoided because the lowest tier of service by most providers is several hundred megabits per second. I have noticed an attempt by providers to upsell customers to even higher nominal bandwidths at higher prices. Most people don't have a good handle on what they actually need.

You're assuming that we are getting non-compressed pure 1080p from your streaming service. That is EXTREMELY rare. Services like Netflix and Prime compress the heck out of everything. Works totally fine for some things, not so much for other things.

Anything over 300 mbps is overkill for 99% of the population.

[jrref]

Doubtful. I get 90% of nominal bandwidth everywhere in my 2100 sq ft house with a router that is centrally located. Regardless, most of the bandwidth is used by video and as long as you can get 5 megabits per second you are good to go.

You are fortunate that you get 90% of nominal bandwidth everywhere in your 2100 sq ft house. I've been in a lot of homes here in the Villages and coverage depends on the quality of the wifi device used and the floor plan layout. Although the cable and fiber techs try to place the wifi device in the best location, I've seen some terrible installs, especially with cable. These days the techs are instructed to do the install as quick as possible. But with a good wifi device placed in a good location, yes, you should get most of the wired speed. So a great example is the new Quantum fiber recently installed in Bonita Villas. These are Courtyard Villas with a common, long floor plan. Meaning usually a bedroom converted office on one end then the kitchen, livingrooms and bedrooms as you go to the other end of the home. When Quantum installs the SmartNid/router they also put the wifi7 pod right next to it on the wall of the bedroom/office in most cases. Although the wifi works, it gets pretty slow and spotty as you go to the other end of the home. What I've been doing for many is making a 10-15ft Ethernet cable then moving the Wifi7 pod over to their desk or a shelf on the desk were there is limited obstructions to the rest of the home. The result is the wifi signal is almost full strength all over the home, even in the Lanai on the other side of the home. In the "old" days at Verizon, the techs would do stuff like this to get the most out of the service. These days, the techs don't have ethernet cable on the truck or are even allowed to make cables. They install, get it working and as long as there is a signal they are done. I don't agree with this but this is the situation.Of course you might get a tech who may take the extra step but it's rare.

I don't disagree with the notion of 5 or 10 or 20 or 40 Mbs being sufficient especially since everything we stream is compressed but you are assuming near perfect conditions. And I don't blame the ISPs "pushing" higher speeds so most installations will work with minimal callbacks. If they are willing to provide reasonable speeds at cheap monthly prices like the fiber companies are doing today, I'm happy. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

[biker1]

What is labeled as 1080p consumes about 5 megabits per second. Anything over about 40 megabits per second is overkill for 99% of the population.

You're assuming that we are getting non-compressed pure 1080p from your streaming service. That is EXTREMELY rare. Services like Netflix and Prime compress the heck out of everything. Works totally fine for some things, not so much for other things.

Anything over 300 mbps is overkill for 99% of the population.

[biker1]

Nope. Any centrally located router will deliver good Wi-Fi performance.

ISP probably push higher bandwidths because they see higher revenues in doing so and most people have no clue what they require.

You spend a lot of words pushing a narrative.

You are fortunate that you get 90% of nominal bandwidth everywhere in your 2100 sq ft house. I've been in a lot of homes here in the Villages and coverage depends on the quality of the wifi device used and the floor plan layout. Although the cable and fiber techs try to place the wifi device in the best location, I've seen some terrible installs, especially with cable. These days the techs are instructed to do the install as quick as possible. But with a good wifi device placed in a good location, yes, you should get most of the wired speed. So a great example is the new Quantum fiber recently installed in Bonita Villas. These are Courtyard Villas with a common, long floor plan. Meaning usually a bedroom converted office on one end then the kitchen, livingrooms and bedrooms as you go to the other end of the home. When Quantum installs the SmartNid/router they also put the wifi7 pod right next to it on the wall of the bedroom/office in most cases. Although the wifi works, it gets pretty slow and spotty as you go to the other end of the home. What I've been doing for many is making a 10-15ft Ethernet cable then moving the Wifi7 pod over to their desk or a shelf on the desk were there is limited obstructions to the rest of the home. The result is the wifi signal is almost full strength all over the home, even in the Lanai on the other side of the home. In the "old" days at Verizon, the techs would do stuff like this to get the most out of the service. These days, the techs don't have ethernet cable on the truck or are even allowed to make cables. They install, get it working and as long as there is a signal they are done. I don't agree with this but this is the situation.Of course you might get a tech who may take the extra step but it's rare.

I don't disagree with the notion of 5 or 10 or 20 or 40 Mbs being sufficient especially since everything we stream is compressed but you are assuming near perfect conditions. And I don't blame the ISPs "pushing" higher speeds so most installations will work with minimal callbacks. If they are willing to provide reasonable speeds at cheap monthly prices like the fiber companies are doing today, I'm happy. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

[jrref]

Nope. Any centrally located router will deliver good Wi-Fi performance.

ISP probably push higher bandwidths because they see higher revenues in doing so and most people have no clue what they require.

You spend a lot of words pushing a narrative.

I don't agree with everything you are saying but you are entitled to your opinion. It's good to get different perspectives on a topic.

As far as pushing a narrative, I have 30 years real-life experience in networking field, worked for an ISP, and am just trying to share some of my knowledge to my neighbors here in the Villages. Many Villagers have none or very little understanding in this area and welcome people who are willing to help.

[Bill14564]

Nope. Any centrally located router will deliver good Wi-Fi performance.

ISP probably push higher bandwidths because they see higher revenues in doing so and most people have no clue what they require.

You spend a lot of words pushing a narrative.

Not even centrally located.

My TMobile router is at the end of my house closest to the cell tower for best reception. I ran three speed tests standing five feet from the router and three more at the other end of the house in the bedroom. There was essentially no difference at all.

"Essentially" because two of the three tests were faster in the bedroom, farther from the router. My *guess* is that the rate was bouncing between 300Mbps and 320Mbps and it just happened to be at the higher end when I was farther away from the router.

[biker1]

Nope, not opinion, just facts. You consistently go on a rant about cable providers and suggest people need higher bandwidths than required. Cable providers are fine for internet access for the vast majority of people. Choosing a cable provider for content is another issue. While I haven't used a cable provider for internet access there are plenty who have and seem happy. While I have had broadband access for 28 years and fiber to the house for 15 years, I wouldn't criticize those who choose cable for internet access. It is just bits down a wire and if it meets your requirements then it is fine.

I don't agree with everything you are saying but you are entitled to your opinion. It's good to get different perspectives on a topic.

As far as pushing a narrative, I have 30 years real-life experience in networking field, worked for an ISP, and am just trying to share some of my knowledge. Many Villagers have none or very little understanding in this area and welcome people who are willing to help.

[biker1]

It is good to hear that. While I have been reasonably happy with CenturyLink/QuantumFiber, I am glad to hear that the cellular providers are a good option if I need it. Thanks for the feedback.

Not even centrally located.

My TMobile router is at the end of my house closest to the cell tower for best reception. I ran three speed tests standing five feet from the router and three more at the other end of the house in the bedroom. There was essentially no difference at all.

"Essentially" because two of the three tests were faster in the bedroom, farther from the router. My *guess* is that the rate was bouncing between 300Mbps and 320Mbps and it just happened to be at the higher end when I was farther away from the router.

[jrref]

Not even centrally located.

My TMobile router is at the end of my house closest to the cell tower for best reception. I ran three speed tests standing five feet from the router and three more at the other end of the house in the bedroom. There was essentially no difference at all.

"Essentially" because two of the three tests were faster in the bedroom, farther from the router. My *guess* is that the rate was bouncing between 300Mbps and 320Mbps and it just happened to be at the higher end when I was farther away from the router.

Which type of home do you have so we can get an idea of the layout? Are there any major obstructions between your router and the rest of your house? My guess is no because as I mentioned, with the proper placement, you can get almost wired speeds over wifi throughout your home.

[Bill14564]

Which type of home do you have so we can get an idea of the layout? Are there any major obstructions between your router and the rest of your house? My guess is no because as I mentioned, with the proper placement, you can get almost wired speeds over wifi throughout your home.

It's a Begonia and other than a couple of interior walls, there is no major obstructions anywhere in my home.

Just tried it again in the far corner of the garage - as far away as physically possible and through an exterior wall and around a car and golf cart. Again, no degradation at all.

So for me, centrally-located is not necessary, wired is not necessary, and wifi pods are not necessary. Every manufacturer's router is different but right now I'm pretty happy with mine.

[jrref]

It's a Begonia and other than a couple of interior walls, there is no major obstructions anywhere in my home.

Just tried it again in the far corner of the garage - as far away as physically possible and through an exterior wall and around a car and golf cart. Again, no degradation at all.

So for me, centrally-located is not necessary, wired is not necessary, and wifi pods are not necessary. Every manufacturer's router is different but right now I'm pretty happy with mine.

That's great. I know that model very well and my neighbor who has that model has one of the older Quantum wifi routers, non-mesh, covering the whole home as well. It's a very open floor plan.

[jrref]

Nope, not opinion, just facts. You consistently go on a rant about cable providers and suggest people need higher bandwidths than required. Cable providers are fine for internet access for the vast majority of people. Choosing a cable provider for content is another issue. While I haven't used a cable provider for internet access there are plenty who have and seem happy. While I have had broadband access for 28 years and fiber to the house for 15 years, I wouldn't criticize those who choose cable for internet access. It is just bits down a wire and if it meets your requirements then it is fine.

Given your assumptions, for sake of discussion, I measured streaming a Netflix 4K HDR movie last night and the bandwidth was between 15 and 18Mbs. So let's assume 20Mbs for discussion as the most bandwidth anyone would need to stream Netflix on one TV. So, for a typical home here in the Villages with two people living in it, If both parties watched Netflix for example, on two separate TVs it would use about 40Mbs. Beyond that, each person might use their phone but let's assume that is minimal, also many might stream 1080P content using less bandwidth and 40Mbs is what's needed. Again I'm not trying to argue with you, just want to think this through.

This morning I went on the internet to see what's offers are listed for providers here in the Villages at my location In Osceola Hills. I know other areas in the Villages might have slightly different offers. Also, for simplicity, listed is base internet service without any special bundling.

What I found was:

1) Verizon Fixed Wireless: Plans starting at $35/month plus taxes and fees, No speed claims but they say Good for 1080P streaming. The $45/month plan says Good for 4K streaming. Price lock for 5 years. Couldn't find any limitations on monthly data.

2) T-Mobile Fixed Wireless: Plans startiong at $50/month plus taxes and fees. Typical Download Speed 87 – 318 Mbps (5G), Typical Upload Speed 14 – 56 Mbps (5G), No contract or price lock. Unlimited data.

3) Xfinity Internet: Plans starting at $35/month plus taxes and fees 150Mbs for the 1st year. Monthly limit on data.

4) Spectrum Internet: Plans starting at $30/month plus taxes and fees 100Mbs for the 1st year. Unlimited data.

5) Quantum Internet: Plans starting at $50/month, no taxes and fees, 500Mbs, uncertain the length of the deal given the controversy of "price for life". Unlimited data.

6) Centric Internet: Similar to Quantum.

So, given these offers and given the analysis that we don't need speeds over 40Mbs or something close to that, ISPs are all already providing a "base" speed plan for about $50/month given some you need to add the taxes and fees. Their advertising may be trying to convince you to pay more for faster speeds but they are all offering their base speeds at approximately the same cost.

[biker1]

My point is the lowest tier from almost all providers is greatly in excess of what the vast majority of users in The Villages need. Paying more for additional bandwidth is silly since it will offer no value. I have 200 megabits per second up and down as that is the lowest tier offered. This is essentially 10x what I use. Even when I was working from home running software projects and sometimes moving around large tarballs, the lower bandwidth we had at the time (80 megabits per second) was in excess of what I needed. Regarding video, I also measured 4K at about 20 megabits per second. Currently, there isn't much material. Furthermore, at typical viewing distances you would be hard pressed to see the difference between 1080p and 2160p.

Given your assumptions, for sake of discussion, I measured streaming a Netflix 4K HDR movie last night and the bandwidth was between 15 and 18Mbs. So let's assume 20Mbs for discussion as the most bandwidth anyone would need to stream Netflix on one TV. So, for a typical home here in the Villages with two people living in it, If both parties watched Netflix for example, on two separate TVs it would use about 40Mbs. Beyond that, each person might use their phone but let's assume that is minimal, also many might stream 1080P content using less bandwidth and 40Mbs is what's needed. Again I'm not trying to argue with you, just want to think this through.

This morning I went on the internet to see what's offers are listed for providers here in the Villages at my location In Osceola Hills. I know other areas in the Villages might have slightly different offers. Also, for simplicity, listed is base internet service without any special bundling.

What I found was:

1) Verizon Fixed Wireless: Plans starting at $35/month plus taxes and fees, No speed claims but they say Good for 1080P streaming. The $45/month plan says Good for 4K streaming. Price lock for 5 years. Couldn't find any limitations on monthly data.

2) T-Mobile Fixed Wireless: Plans startiong at $50/month plus taxes and fees. Typical Download Speed 87 – 318 Mbps (5G), Typical Upload Speed 14 – 56 Mbps (5G), No contract or price lock. Unlimited data.

3) Xfinity Internet: Plans starting at $35/month plus taxes and fees 150Mbs for the 1st year. Monthly limit on data.

4) Spectrum Internet: Plans starting at $30/month plus taxes and fees 100Mbs for the 1st year. Unlimited data.

5) Quantum Internet: Plans starting at $50/month, no taxes and fees, 500Mbs, uncertain the length of the deal given the controversy of "price for life". Unlimited data.

6) Centric Internet: Similar to Quantum.

So, given these offers and given the analysis that we don't need speeds over 40Mbs or something close to that, ISPs are all already providing a "base" speed plan for about $50/month given some you need to add the taxes and fees. Their advertising may be trying to convince you to pay more for faster speeds but they are all offering their base speeds at approximately the same cost.

[jrref]

My point is the lowest tier from almost all providers is greatly in excess of what the vast majority of users in The Villages need. Paying more for additional bandwidth is silly since it will offer no value. I have 200 megabits per second up and down as that is the lowest tier offered. This is essentially 10x what I use. Even when I was working from home running software projects and sometimes moving around large tarballs, the lower bandwidth we had at the time (80 megabits per second) was in excess of what I needed. Regarding video, I also measured 4K at about 20 megabits per second. Currently, there isn't much material. Furthermore, at typical viewing distances you would be hard pressed to see the difference between 1080p and 2160p.

Understood. I think there is a minum that these companies are going to charge for minum service to cover their percieved costs. Right now in this area it looks like it's around $50 taxes and fees included. I don't believe we are going to see an offer like $20/month for 50Mbs for example or maybe I could be wrong.

Anyway, thanks for bringing this up. It's an interesting discussion.

As far at the TV resolution, funny you bring that up. My retirement job is TV Calibrator and we do the Value Electronics TV Shootout every year. You can see the videos on YouTube. Most don't reaize there is a relationship of screen size to seating distance in order to see specific resolutions. Here is a good reference explaining it all for those who are interested. TV Size To Distance Calculator (And The Science Behind It) - RTINGS.com (https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship)

I'm pretty sure there are fewer and fewer 1080P only TVs these days and most are 4K. But your point makes me chuckle because when 8K TV came out we realized you needed to be sitting pretty much on-top of the TV in order to see that resolution. With 4K you have to be sitting closer than you might think to see that resolution as well.

[biker1]

No, we probably won't. QuantumFiber's lowest tier is 200 megabits per second. Paying additional for more bandwidth, unless you have a requirement, makes no sense. I suspect the providers have convinced many people they need more bandwidth. I know people who opted for 1 gigabit per second, and pay additional over a lower bandwidth, but have no need for it.

Regarding TV resolution, the best sets are 4K and 8K, whether you need the resolution or not. That is just the way the manufacturers work; the sets with the best glass and electronics have the higher resolution.

Understood. I think there is a minum that these companies are going to charge for minum service to cover their percieved costs. Right now in this area it looks like it's around $50 taxes and fees included. I don't believe we are going to see an offer like $20/month for 50Mbs for example or maybe I could be wrong.

Anyway, thanks for bringing this up. It's an interesting discussion.

As far at the TV resolution, funny you bring that up. My retirement job is TV Calibrator and we do the Value Electronics TV Shootout every year. You can see the videos on YouTube. Most don't reaize there is a relationship of screen size to seating distance in order to see specific resolutions. Here is a good reference explaining it all for those who are interested. TV Size To Distance Calculator (And The Science Behind It) - RTINGS.com (https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship)

I'm pretty sure there are fewer and fewer 1080P only TVs these days and most are 4K. But your point makes me chuckle because when 8K TV came out we realized you needed to be sitting pretty much on-top of the TV in order to see that resolution. With 4K you have to be sitting closer than you might think to see that resolution as well.

[retiredguy123]

No, we probably won't. QuantumFiber's lowest tier is 200 megabits per second. Paying additional for more bandwidth, unless you have a requirement, makes no sense. I suspect the providers have convinced many people they need more bandwidth. I know people who opted for 1 gigabit per second, and pay additional over a lower bandwidth, but have no need for it.

Regarding TV resolution, the best sets are 4K and 8K, whether you need the resolution or not. That is just the way the manufacturers work; the sets with the best glass and electronics have the higher resolution.
Question: If a 4K or 8K TV does a good job at upscaling, why do you need to watch a 4K signal? Last year, they admitted that the Super Bowl was actually broadcast in an upscaled version of 4K, not a native 4K signal. Was that any different from watching it on an upscaling TV? I certainly couldn't tell the difference.

[jrref]

Question: If a 4K or 8K TV does a good job at upscaling, why do you need to watch a 4K signal? Last year, they admitted that the Super Bowl was actually broadcast in an upscaled version of 4K, not a native 4K signal. Was that any different from watching it on an upscaling TV? I certainly couldn't tell the difference.

Very good question.

So, when a signal is "upscaled" to a higher resolution the software has to "make up" information that's not there to get the additional pixels.

The lower-resolution content is upscaled through a process called "interpolation," which enlarges the image while maintaining (or potentially improving) its visual quality. More specifically, interpolation creates a grid of "blank" pixels on top of the original image and then colors those blanks based on their surrounding pixels. The enlarged picture is then refined by sharpening or softening parts of the image when necessary, as well as applying filters to adjust its colors further. The result is an estimate that closely matches the original picture but now fits the pixel count of a 4K screen. (Quoted from https://www.howtogeek.com/4k-upscaling-vs-native-4k-whats-the-difference-and-which-is-better/)

The algorithms used these days are very sophisticated and the results are very good. With native 4K content, there is no interpolation so the result will be the best.

[retiredguy123]

Very good question.

So, when a signal is "upscaled" to a higher resolution the software has to "make up" information that's not there to get the additional pixels.

The lower-resolution content is upscaled through a process called "interpolation," which enlarges the image while maintaining (or potentially improving) its visual quality. More specifically, interpolation creates a grid of "blank" pixels on top of the original image and then colors those blanks based on their surrounding pixels. The enlarged picture is then refined by sharpening or softening parts of the image when necessary, as well as applying filters to adjust its colors further. The result is an estimate that closely matches the original picture but now fits the pixel count of a 4K screen. (Quoted from https://www.howtogeek.com/4k-upscaling-vs-native-4k-whats-the-difference-and-which-is-better/)

The algorithms used these days are very sophisticated and the results are very good. With native 4K content, there is no interpolation so the result will be the best.
I understand interpolation. But, if they cannot even afford to broadcast the Super Bowl in native 4K, what is the point of broadcasting it using upscaling when almost everyone already has a 4K TV that upscales?

[biker1]

Probably not. If you have a 4K 75" TV and are sitting 12 feet or more from the set you probably can't tell the difference between a 1080p signal upscaled by the TV to 4K and a true 4K signal. YMMV as some sets may upscale better than others. In the case of a network sending out an upscaled 4K signal, they may do a better job of upscaling than your TV.


Question: If a 4K or 8K TV does a good job at upscaling, why do you need to watch a 4K signal? Last year, they admitted that the Super Bowl was actually broadcast in an upscaled version of 4K, not a native 4K signal. Was that any different from watching it on an upscaling TV? I certainly couldn't tell the difference.

[jrref]

I understand interpolation. But, if they cannot even afford to broadcast the Super Bowl in native 4K, what is the point of broadcasting it using upscaling when almost everyone already has a 4K TV that upscales?

Biker1 answered your question, but to add, bottom line, every TV has different upscalling capabilities. The more expensive the TV the better the upscalling will be. When the network upscales then your TV has to do less or no work upscalling so everyone will get a good picture no matter which 4K TV they have. Over time, as the technology allows, "eventually" 1080P broadcast video will be replaced with 4K video, just like there is less 720P broadcast video than years ago. This is what we expect but whether that happens or not we will have to wait and see.

[jrref]

If your cable bill goes up and you call to complain, if they give you a discount is what your are getting still the cheapest or are you still paying too much? What's everyone doing when this happens? Is there anyway to stop fighting with your company every year?

When I look at the web sites, all the "deals" are for 1 or 2 years. Verizon is offering a 5 year "deal". I also see pricing without the taxes and fees so sometimes it can be pretty misleading.

[MorTech]

You're assuming that we are getting non-compressed pure 1080p from your streaming service. That is EXTREMELY rare. Services like Netflix and Prime compress the heck out of everything. Works totally fine for some things, not so much for other things.

Anything over 300 mbps is overkill for 99% of the population.

Yup...AV1 is outstanding and open source.

I backup an Oracle VirtualBox VM weekly...It takes many hours using cable modem upload but I don't care. I don't use OneDrive but sync would be fine.

I value "cheap" when it comes to voice/data communication :) 100mbs is more than enough @ 30 bucks per month and can handle at least four 4K streams...6 bucks per month cell phone service thru Tello.

[MorTech]

I currently have Sling (just the blue side) for three months on a $38 per month deal. Got it initially to catch some college football playoff games and Fox News. It will carry me through NCAA March Madness. Then I will probably cancel it. Just don't watch it enough. But that is one advantage of streaming packages over cable/satellite. Easier to turn on/turn off, and you can watch from anywhere with your user ID/Password. Same with other streaming platforms I have (Netflix, Britbox, Amazon Prime, ESPN+ etc.). I stream with Quantum, I got in on their $35 for life deal. So far, so good. And it's also month to month so if it becomes not good, I can quickly dump it.

I also put up an antenna that allows me to get all of the networks and several other stations out of Orlando. All told, about 60 channels, with about 30 that have anything you really care to watch. But after the initial investment of $150 for antenna/booster, it's free. Can't beat that.

A final tip - if you have specific platforms you like/want to try, many offer Black Friday deals around Thanksgiving. I picked up Paramount+ and Peacock on an annual subscription for a few dollars each month. Not much there that I watch, but for the price, it was worth it. If I can't get a similar deal when it expires, I'll dump it. Just make sure to mark your calendar so it doesn't autorenew!

I suggest using Virtual Card if your credit card company supports it (Capital One does). You can create a credit card in front of your real credit card that you can turn on and off or delete it. This way you are not exposing your real card number at all these streaming services. You dont have to worry about autorenew.

[jrref]

Yup...AV1 is outstanding and open source.

I backup an Oracle VirtualBox VM weekly...It takes many hours using cable modem upload but I don't care. I don't use OneDrive but sync would be fine.

I value "cheap" when it comes to voice/data communication :) 100mbs is more than enough @ 30 bucks per month and can handle at least four 4K streams...6 bucks per month cell phone service thru Tello.


You are a great customer for fixed wireless service then. I think down the line, fixed wireless will finally kill the cable companies. It's not popular now because you need to be really close to a cell tower and pricing is not that cheap.

Anyone with fixed Wireless from Verizon or T-Mobile here in the Villages tell us about their experience with the service?

I saw a sign leaving Lowes on 7 mile drive that said Internet $20 and a number to call. I wonder what that is?

[jrref]

I have a friend paying over $300 for Spectrum Phone, TV and slow internet. They called several times and they reduced the price to $280. Unsatisified, they then went over to Consumer Cellular and moved their two cell phones and the Spectrum landline. Cost less than phones with Spectrum and with Spectrum the price given was for only 1 year then it goes up. With Consumer Cellular that's the price, no 1 year promotion. They are switching to Quantum and YouTubeTV cost $135/month.

Good story.

[MorTech]

You are a great customer for fixed wireless service then. I think down the line, fixed wireless will finally kill the cable companies. It's not popular now because you need to be really close to a cell tower and pricing is not that cheap.

Anyone with fixed Wireless from Verizon or T-Mobile here in the Villages tell us about their experience with the service?

I saw a sign leaving Lowes on 7 mile drive that said Internet $20 and a number to call. I wonder what that is?

Closest tower is Turtle Mound...Too far for reliable service.

Here is $20 Internet.

https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZX kiOiJnaWZcL0RvLWN1cC1waG9uZXMtd29yay5qcGciLCJlZGl0 cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjgyOH0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ij oiYXZpZiJ9fQ==

[jrref]

Closest tower is Turtle Mound...Too far for reliable service.

Here is $20 Internet.

https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZX kiOiJnaWZcL0RvLWN1cC1waG9uZXMtd29yay5qcGciLCJlZGl0 cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjgyOH0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ij oiYXZpZiJ9fQ==

So for those who only want the internet speed that's needed in a typlical Villages home, Xfinity NOW should do the trick. $30/month, not a promotion but they say the price could go up, 100Mbs download, 10Mbs Upload, unlimited data, 20 ms latency, basic wifi and refurbished equipment that you don't need to return if you ever cancel. Perfect for those not wanting to pay more for faster speeds. If 100Mbs is too much speed, not to worry since that's the maximum speed. Speed could vary during peak times but I'm sure it should be good enough service. Govt. taxes included in the $30/month so this is probably the cheapest you can get here in the Villages.

[jrref]

Closest tower is Turtle Mound...Too far for reliable service.

Here is $20 Internet.

https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZX kiOiJnaWZcL0RvLWN1cC1waG9uZXMtd29yay5qcGciLCJlZGl0 cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjgyOH0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ij oiYXZpZiJ9fQ==

If anyone has this $20/month internet service, please let us know.

[jrref]

Looks like Spectrum is offering wifi7 equipment for and extra $10/month now. They call it "Advanced networking". Just for comparison, Quantum Fiber has been offering wifi7 equipment included in their price. I guess Spectrum is giving it's customers a choice so if they feel they don't need it, the service will cost less.

I can tell you, after evaluating many wifi7 vs older wifi installations, the wifi7 equipment works significantly better meaning you can get full home coverage with just one device vs having to use extenders to get the same coverage with older equipment. I think it's the newer antenna designs and the addition of the 6Ghz radio that is making the major diffence.

[CB750 Rider]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.

I am ready to switch to YouTube TV in the face of rising cable bills. Question: Do I need to remove the coaxial cable from the Xfinity set-top box, and reconnect that cable to my smart TV?

I intend to keep Xfinity internet service, but not the X1 TV package. Thanks in advance for responses.

[retiredguy123]

I am ready to switch to YouTube TV in the face of rising cable bills. Question: Do I need to remove the coaxial cable from the Xfinity set-top box, and reconnect that cable to my smart TV?

I intend to keep Xfinity internet service, but not the X1 TV package. Thanks in advance for responses.
No. The COAX cable will only be used to connect to the modem/router when you cancel the Xfinity cable TV service. You will have a modem/router for the Internet service. Most likely, you will be able to connect the Internet to the smart TVs with the WIFI signal. You can also use an Ethernet cable to connect a computer or smart TV to the router, but not the COAX cable.

[bilcon]

Yes, but Xfinity told me about it in advance. Am I doing anything about it? No.

YoutubeTV also increased in price.

Met with Xfinity rep in Lady Lake. Very supportive and got my bill back to pre increase status. I lost nothing and only had to decrease my WiFi output, which was way too high for what I needed. Works fine at 400. I do this every two years when the increase comes. He also gave me all new boxes. Go in person. No phone contact.

[Pairadocs]

Did your cable bill go up recently, if so, are you doing anything about it?
Xfinity and Spectrum had increases as of January.

Did it go up, YES, it went further than up, it went OVER the MOON as old Ralph used to tell Alice.....LOL ! BASIC CABLE, very few channels we have any interest in, and internet, 2 boxes, living room and one bedroom, $178. Think it was $99 when we got it. Doing anything about it ? No. Did call, seemed like just the same old games we played for years with Dish, and a couple others, just all seems to end up an expensive and really frustrating endeavor, always changing equipment, etc. etc. Decided to just take internet, not even have TV, but Xfinity said our internet bill would then go to $90 a month plus quite a few extra taxes and fees ! So doing nothing right now... think that's what they could on, that most won't do anything ?

[Pairadocs]

I’m 71 and I only stream, that statement is ludicrous. My internet bill is 55.00 a month 4 tv’s 3 Alexa device security cameras and a wireless printer. Cable is for people who like to throw money away.

Where does on find internet service for $55 and still get TV service without paying for each and every channel (which seems to really add up to much more than our cable bill) ?

[jrref]

Did it go up, YES, it went further than up, it went OVER the MOON as old Ralph used to tell Alice.....LOL ! BASIC CABLE, very few channels we have any interest in, and internet, 2 boxes, living room and one bedroom, $178. Think it was $99 when we got it. Doing anything about it ? No. Did call, seemed like just the same old games we played for years with Dish, and a couple others, just all seems to end up an expensive and really frustrating endeavor, always changing equipment, etc. etc. Decided to just take internet, not even have TV, but Xfinity said our internet bill would then go to $90 a month plus quite a few extra taxes and fees ! So doing nothing right now... think that's what they could on, that most won't do anything ?
What part of the Villages do you live in? Do you have any other options except Xfinity?