HELP US SAVE MONEY on CABLE BILLS, please

[Lend-Fish]

OK so I have my HIGH SPEED INTERNET, TELEPHONE, and DIGITAL CABLE TV bundled through Cox. Im sure many of us have this same bundle. Throw in a couple UFC PPV events and the bills are through the roof.

i have 2 questions.

1. I know that a person can watch cable TV on the internet, how does one go about doing this and are there sites that are preferred and more user friendly than others to do this, are there sites you would avoid for doing this??

2. Is it possible to make outgoing calls, or teleconferencing with the internet which would make it user friendly and easy to make and receive calls, and can this be done without paying for "phone" service?? Also, just considering ditching telephone, since we have two cells that get great signal in our home.


So all this signal comes through the same cable, we pay for each service separately and HIGH COST FOR EACH. is there a way to get all these services by simply paying for high speed and then use the high speed for TV and PHONE? If so, i want in.
Thanks in advance for any replies. The internet is your friend.

[johnwill]

There is no way to get the cable package you get over the Internet, or I'd be doing it. Any free Internet TV services are basically useless for real programming.

As far as phone over the Internet, a free service is: http://www.skype.com/ You can also get VoIP phone services for around $20/mo and up.

[sobeit]

since most of the cable networks require royalties, you will not find them online for free.

As far as free phone calls, skype is the closet thing there is, Its three bucks a month for unlimited phone calls in the states to any phone number. If you want them to call you, its a little more. I use skype in addition to my cell phones. No landline. In addition, Skype is free if you are able to get everyone who you might call to install their software.

[Lend-Fish]

Ive seen mny people doing this. There are videos on YOU TUBE about it, but not great videos and not very clearly instructional, so i thought i would pose the questions here. In hope some technically savvy with this info would help. Heard about people getting 3000 channels (of course most are just many language of the same broadcasts, but still all networks. Are you saying this is false?

[johnwill]

Originally Posted by Lend-Fish

Ive seen mny people doing this. There are videos on YOU TUBE about it, but not great videos and not very clearly instructional, so i thought i would pose the questions here. In hope some technically savvy with this info would help. Heard about people getting 3000 channels (of course most are just many language of the same broadcasts, but still all networks. Are you saying this is false?

Yes, I'm saying this is BS. If you can prove me wrong, I'd be delighted, but it's not going to happen.

[Lend-Fish]

hmmm, well ok, If anyone has any better info id love to here it. Thanks johnwill..

[Lend-Fish]

thought i would clarify. I dont expect nor am i refering to channels like HBO and showtime, i would like to be able to watch basic cable. ESPN, FOX SPORTS, CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC, A&E, TLC, Spike, etc.

Is it possible to watch some of those channels on the internet, realtime with ease and quality?

[johnwill]

Same answer, see post #2.

[sobeit]

besides those channels are also paid royalities by the subscribers. That is why there is something called a cable bill.

[Lend-Fish]

If i get skype, and i want to receive faxes, will the skype system save faxes in a box so that i can then open the fax and print it out? Thank You.

Also, should i ge skype pro or just pay as i go. We will use this phone line very littlem but i need to have a line to receive faxes.

[johnwill]

I use www.101fax.com for my FAX service. They charge to send FAX, but an unlimited amount of received FAX is available.

I have no idea how Skype handles FAX, or even if they do at all.

[Lend-Fish]

thanks johnwill. here is a question.

Assuming i purchase a private phone number with SkypeIn, and then configure my fax modem to that number, then shouldnt the fax modem store my faxes in the inbox, when they come in through my skypeIn?

or does the fax modem only work with what it received through a 56K line? I would think the question i posed above would work, what say you?

Thanks

[Lend-Fish]

Well i just bought skype pro and skypeIn.

When i call out people see UNKNOWN NUMBER , does anybody know how to enter my phone number. Nobody will take blocked calls these days. thanks

[johnwill]

That's clearly a Skype question, I have no idea if you can do that, or how to do it. However, a quick search on Google yields the answer, you should give it a try sometime.

http://share.skype.com/sites/en/2007..._for_skyp.html

[Lend-Fish]

actually this is only available in some countries, NOT usa. No caller ID for skype in the USA, which is fine, most of my calls are to business, and i dont mind if they dont have my number. Thanks for the help.

[johnwill]

You're right, that does seem pretty short-sighted of them!