Jump to content

Best internet provider to switch to in Austin (and cable/etc. , as we're looking to dump Spectrum)


Brisketexan

Recommended Posts

Spectrum shitting the bed and not carrying ESPN during the biggest week of CFB season has finally gotten us off our asses and ready to dump the shitshow that is Spectrum.  If we do so, we need to replace two things:

1) our internet service.  Obviously want something fast and reliable.  Google fiber isn't to our area yet (if it ever will be -- said it would be years ago, then fucking nada)

2) our cable.  I channel surf some, so I'll end up on history channel or some shit, but our big watches are a) sports (so, ESPN and FS1 etc.) and b) local network TV (we still watch the local news)

We have several streaming plans (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV+), but have had several friends in the past week (fed up with Spectrum) praising YoutubeTV and Sling.  

So, striking a reasonable balance on price and what they offer, what are the recommendations for an ISP and a cable alternative?  We haven't shopped for this shit in....a LONG fucking time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Brisketexan

ive been a directtv stream user for all of its name iterations because it has LHN. When that goes away I’ll likely move to YouTube tv because it’s basically the same but a little cheaper.  (Directtvstream is currently in a contract dispute with the Austin nbc station so that still happens occasionally)
 

I recently switched to home internet from my cellular provider (tmobile) and it’s been performing well, and with autopay and the mobile plan I have it’s $30 a month. 
we rarely have more than two video streams going though and the max speed is notably less than a cable internet service so it may not be right for you.  But maybe look into it with your mobile company, assuming you have one, and see if it could work for you.  Strong 5g signal is also a requirement in case you are tucked into some pocket with weaker or blocked signal. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are out in the sticks.  We suffered through HughesNet satellite and their horribad data limits, throttling, and Hindu-ish (No CR!) customer service for a number of years.

5-7 years ago or so we switched over to a Wireless Digital Subscriber Link ISP (Western Broadband)  and could not be happier.  We have a bunch of big trees, so we had to build a 60 ft. tower (less than $1k) so that our radio transmitter can do a line of sight off of their equipment located on a water tower about two miles away.  We get great data speeds (20 up, 10 down), have never encountered any data limits, and it is very reliable unless there is a torrential rain that interferes with the signal -- very rare (especially this year!).  Their customer support (rarely used) is local smart people.  Highly recommend.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/12/2023 at 6:18 AM, HornOnTheBayou said:

YoutubeTV is fantastic, except for one major flaw. They don't have the local Fox Sports channels (or Balleys, or whatever the hell they're called now) so that means no Astros, Rangers, Spurs, etc.  If that's a big deal to you, stay away.

Directv stream has the regional sports channels. And lhn on its grim march to the grave, for like $15 more?  Dvr function sucks though. 

Edited by Pato del Muerto
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dropped those cocksuckers (Spectrum) two years ago and went Google Fiber with YoutubeTV.  No problems.  At the same time I dropped our 30 year old AT&T home phone account and ported to a $10 box Google offered.  No problems and sound quality is equal to the old land line.

Honestly for what I do, I don't see a big difference in 200mb down to 1,000mb down.

Still wondering who sucked more, Spectrum or AT&T?  I hope to never deal with either again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...