Normally, I would agree with you but from what's being reported, It appears the cable companies don't want to operate at a loss. So, giving people a "deal" that is below their cost, although it retains the customer, doesen't help their bottom line. Those days may be coming to an end. As you stated, they use their cell phone business to get you to be a customer because that's a part where they can make money. They give you a discount on the internet service for a year or so to get you as a customer since they know you can easily get the same cell phone service at many providers for the same price with a better plan.

As far as Roku TV being "junk" TV, the point is it may be "junk" to you but many Villagers only watch a small segment of TV and may not care about commercials so they don't necessarily need to pay the price for YouTubeTV or Hulu or others. When switching to streaming it's alway best to write down the TV channels you watch all the time then check to see how many RokuTV and or other providers have for free vs just getting a "full service" TV package. Amazon Fire TV is also popular and good.

When you are talking about internet service, just remember cable internet is fine for most people here in the Villages expecially if that's all you can get. Where it gets "dicey" is when you have to "play" around with them every year to get a fair price. Not everyone here in the Villages has the ability and or courage to negotiate with them and end up just paying full price. If you can get Fiber, it's something you probably want to do especially if you are what I call a network "geek" because cable internet is not the same as fiber because of the technology.

Hope this puts things more into perspective.

Far from a technonerd. I am sure there are rooms of technonerds. Probably with padded walls. The watch ME. HUM, he has it working TIME TO CHANGE.

Any time anyone discusses the seedy side of IPTV, you do NOT agree with them. So "normally I agree with you" is just flat out untrue.

I also make deals with my vendor. This year I caught them between promotions and a month after my old deal expired, so they wouldn't let me keep my old plan at the same price. However, instead of charging me another $30/month for my old plan on top of the $50 I was already paying, they gave me a new plan, twice the speed, for $3/month more. I don't need twice the speed, and my modem doesn't even go that high anyway. But they did make accommodations for me and even waived the $30 for that month, which was already underway when I called them.

I also got YouTubeTV to honor the old price for 6 months, even though they raised their prices. They also are on notice that if Hulu+TV doesn't raise -their- prices, when my 6 months are up, I'll be switching to Hulu+TV since I'll get more for less, at that point.

I'm happy to pay for copyrighted material. The people who produce these shows, the actors, the lighting folks, script-writers, the set designers, make-up artists, and everyone else - they all deserve to get paid. You might be fine promoting a service that allows people to bypass all that. But that doesn't make it ethical and in some cases, the end result is illegal.

There is also Haystack News app and if you have a Google TV you have free Google TV Freeplay app.
Why would anyone pay $83 / month for junk streaming services? :)

plus outside antenna gets you plenty of local stations, who needs cable?? haven't used in over 5 years.. Fire stick and antenna gets it done

No. The app only allows you to access the channels you pay for with a normal cable package.

With the app, you don't need a cable box on each TV, just install the app on your TV or streaming device. You'll have to login, it checks your account and you get the channels you are paying for. (Still WAY too much money!)

You misunderstood my response, to be clearer, I would normally agree to this statement that was made "When companies start losing customers that’s when they start making deals, it’s not the other way around." I'm glad you are so perficient in negotiating with your providers and I hope that model lasts for a while. It may not, we just don't know.

As far as IPTV is concerned, we will have to wait and see what happens with these services in the future. You are right I've been going back and forth on this type of service but for now i'm going to sit on the sidelines and see what actually happens.

My initial post was to focus on cable companies seeing more cord cutting than they anticipated and why, which is causing some companies to re-organize their business and possibly the cableTV model going away sooner than originally forcast.

A friend of mine told me when he signed up for Xfinity, which at the time was all that was available in his village, since he had 5 TVs, putting cable boxes on all five got too expensive so they only installed cable boxes on two of the main TVs and Roku streamers on the rest using that Xfinity app. It worked for them. Even with that, the bill got too expensive after the initial offer so he switched 100% streaming with YouTubeTV since his wife needed all the channels and they have been happy with a bill less than half of what they were paying.

Right, that was another point I was trying to make. If you are "streamer savy" you may be able to find everything you want to watch across multiple apps vs paying for one app that has all the channels. What we are now seeing is services like YouTubeTV, Hulu and others along with Netflix, Paramont and Prime getting bloated and costing as much as cable TV after you subscribe to all these services. The only advantage is you can subscribe, watch the series you want then unsubscribe with streaming which many are doing.

Have you really done a cost comparison between Xfinity and YouTubeTV? I'm cheap, but every time I compare the two options, I stay with Xfinity. The contract discounts, bundling discounts, cell phone service, the landline phone option, and the cable box built-in apps, etc. make Xfinity very close in price to the YouTubeTV streaming option. Note that YouTubeTV is now more than $90 per month, just for the ability to stream the channels. And, YouTubeTV still does not offer the Lifetime channels, which I watch often. Also, Xfinity allows you to pay for Netflix on your Xfinity bill, thereby avoiding autopay, which I do not like.

Comparing Xfinity to TVyoutube is like comparing apples to oranges.
The options and the interface for Xfinity is far superior to TVYoutube. The voice remote is probably worth the difference in price alone. Also the navigation to other Apps is very impressive.
I don't know why their ad department doesn't do a better job of advertising their strengths.
These include
If you value a unified, polished interface with a great voice remote and built-in apps, Xfinity’s X1 box is stronger than the standard YouTube TV setup. YouTube TV relies more on your device’s capabilities and Google ecosystem.
Also:
1. Voice Remote
Xfinity’s X1 Voice Remote is a major strength:
Lets you search channels, apps, and on-demand content by speaking.
Works well with queries like “What’s on tonight?” or “Show me action movies.”
Can control smart home features (if integrated).
2. X1 Interface & App Integration
Xfinity’s X1 platform is polished and user-friendly.
Seamless integration with popular streaming apps like:
Netflix
YouTube
Prime Video
Peacock (free for many Xfinity customers)
Hulu, Disney+, and more
You can browse live TV and apps from one screen—no need to switch devices or inputs.
3. Personalized Recommendations
Offers personalized suggestions across live TV, DVR, and streaming apps—similar to smart TV platforms.
4. Sports Experience
Xfinity’s sports interface includes features like:
Live game stats
Score tracking
Easy switching between games (especially useful for NFL/NBA fans).

Source ChatGPT

You should have led with that; I could have skipped the unreliable information. Give me your personal opinion and I might consider it but there is no value at all in a pattern-matching tool’s attempt at a convincing argument.

I don't need a voice remote to operate YouTubeTV. My Google Pixel phone IS my voice remote. I say "hey Google, turn on CSpan2 in the Living Room" and as long as the TV is powered on, it'll change the channel to CSpan2. Having a Smart TV means you can do stuff like that. No separate remote required, as long as you have the app on your phone.

But you're right - the two aren't comparable. YouTubeTV isn't an internet provider. Xfinity is. You have to have internet service FIRST - before you can watch anything using YouTubeTV.

I have to say you are right, that Xfinity Voice Remote for "older" folks, from my interactions with people here in the Villages is what keeps them with Xfinity no matter how much it costs. They have to have it.

For others who are more familiar with smart TVs, streaming sticks and smart phones, they tend not to care about the Xfinity Voice Remote.

Interesting.

It is my opinion which I have expressed before. I explained that for some more senior folks such as my Dad and step mom, Xfinity is perfect for them since it so much more advanced and the interface is far more user friendly. I was extremely impressed with it but not enough to pay the substantial difference in costs. Also YouTube TV is great for mobile devices.

As far as ChatGPT, I think you are way off base. It is a phenonemal resource that can do hours of manual research in seconds. For the most part it will retrieve material on other websites verbatim and then provide the links if requested. Nobody or no AI resource is perfect but the synergy of human intelligence and AI is a huge leap forward in capabilities.

But if you want prove your point, then let me know if any of the information is wrong in my post. I strive to keep an open mind.