Cutting the Cord

[William Park]

On Sat, Apr 20, 2013 at 01:37:12AM -0400, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> Hi folks.
> 
> Well, my kids have been badgering me to stop paying stooopid prices to
> Rogers and I'm ready to leap, switching my Internet and dumping my cable TV
> completely in favour of Internet/Netflix/Usenet/etc.
> 
> Any assistance would be appreciated to help me with these:
> 
> 
>    - This will be cable rather than DSL. Any comments, good or bad, about
>    Teksavvy's cable service? Most of the comments I've read seem to be able
>    the DSL stuff.

I'm on cable with Teksavvy for both internet (Express Cable 18) and
phone (TekTalk Basic VoIP).  No complaint.  No billing issue.

I am with Rogers for cell phone.  Their Pay-As-You-Go is the cheapest I
could find:
    - $5/month for 250 text
    - $0.40/min voice -- I rarely use voice.
I use their automatic "Top-Up".  So, it's fixed monthly charge, and no
billing issue.

> 
>    - Is anyone here using (or looking into) vMedia? It looks too good to be
>    true. I am especially intrigued by what their "VBOX" is beyond just a
>    Google TV box.
> 
>    - Recommendations on a good router are welcome. Preferably something
>    that could run OpenWRT and has gigabit on all wired ports.

We have Linksys, D-Link, and TP-Link, in that order.  I would like to
try Asus. :-)

> 
>    - Does the router need to be placed between my switch and the modem, or
>    can it be just another device hanging off it?
> 
>    - Are there any tips based on previous experience on how to handle the
>    transition from Rogers to Teksavvy or vMedia? How hard will Rogers try to
>    talk me out of it (ie, like the retentions program they have for phone
>    customers that can negotiate better deals?) Otherwise, how hard will Rogers
>    make it to leave them?

For me, it was 30-day notice with 5-days to return modem.  Make sure you
return any rental.

> 
>    - Is anyone having any like with OTA, ie a good old antenna? I have a
>    south facing wall on a three storey house in northwest Toronto, should I
>    even try this?

I have OTA.  Itemized cost from top of my head:
    - $50 -- 4-bay antenna (has wider angle than 8-bay)
    - $75 -- wires, parts, tools (I got lots of cable connectors)
    - $75 -- external tuner (my TV is "HDTV ready" meaning it doesn't
      have TV tuner builtin)

Location of antenna is the most important factor.
    - height -- higher the better
    - direction -- obviously.  From where I am (Mississauga west), CN
      Tower and Buffalo is 90 degress (bad), so my antenna is pointing
      half way.  We get full Canadian channels from CN Tower, and some
      Buffalo ones.
    - distance from tuner -- shorter the better.  Mine is 100feet, and
      Buffalo channels are weak.

Pay attention to the grounding.  Grounding rod should be nearest from
the antenna (usually means straight down) into "moist" ground.  Just
follow the eaves and downdrain.

> 
> 
> All replies are appreciated.
> 
> -- 
> Evan Leibovitch
> Toronto Canada
> 
> Em: evan at telly dot org
> Sk: evanleibovitch
> Tw: el56

-- 
William
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