The death of cable TV as you know it seems to be here. Earlier this month, Spectrum and Comcast announced a new streaming player that will let you watch your TV subscription from Spectrum streaming online alongside other services like Netflix. Now Spectrum has announced that new customers will only get the streaming-only option.
With this change, current Spectrum TV customers can keep their cable TV boxes if they want, but new customers will only get the streaming option with Xumo. The good news is the new streaming players are about half the monthly cost of Spectrums cable TV boxes. Also, you can buy them outright for $60 and pay no monthly fee.
In a statement to Cord Cutters News, Spectrum said, “The Xumo Stream Box is the primary video device Spectrum will be providing to customers going forward. It delivers a next-generation entertainment experience that is integrated with the customer’s cable TV services on a level not seen on other platforms. Traditional set-top boxes will remain available to customers who request one.
Spectrum is the second largest cable TV but not the first to go streaming-only. A growing number of mid-size and small cable TV companies, including Frontier and WOW! have stopped offering traditional cable TV. Instead, some of them have partnered with services like YouTube TV or launched their own streaming service like Spectrum is doing.
By moving customers 100% to streaming, Spectrum will be able to focus completely on the Internet through its cables. This will let them have more bandwidth to offer a better internet service. Currently, part of its network is reserved for TV. Someday in the distant future, Spectrum and other cable TV companies stop offering traditional cable TV, and 100% of its network can be dedicated to internet service.
Many customers may not even realize that their TV package is streaming online now instead of coming through the coaxial cable. Spectrum also says its DVR feature will now be cloud-based and customers who already pay for DVR will get to use the new cloud DVR. No longer will DVR recordings be made on your device. Now like with YouTube TV they will be streamed from the main service at Spectrum.
There is one big catch with the new Xumo box vs cable TV. If you decided to pay $5 a month for the box instead of buying it for $60, you need to ask to stop paying for it after 12 months. If you don’t contact Spectrum and ask them to stop billing you $5 a month, Spectrum will keep charging you $5 a month indefinitely. If you are paying $5 a month and damage your box, Spectrum will replace it for free. If you buy it and damage your box, you will need to buy a new one.
From our understanding, Spectrum’s TV packages are the same price streaming online as they are through its old cable network.