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Backstage: Paul's Workshop => Audio-related Tech Advice, Support & Discussion => Topic started by: twatts on May 06, 2013, 12:58:04 AM

Title: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on May 06, 2013, 12:58:04 AM
My wife has asked me to look into getting rid of our cable TV and getting a Streaming service instead...

Few questions:

1.  Is a media PC better than a Roku/AppleTv/etc.  If so, should I upgrade my vidcard/soundcard/etc???  If not, which box should I get?
2.  Which service do you use?  Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, what else?
3.  Monday Nite Football - does ESPN stream this?  How about other NFL games???  I was thinking of using an HDTV antenna for the Sunday Games - what do you use???
4.  Ease of use for kids - I like being able to turn on Nick Jr. and having it baby-sit my son for the 30min. after dinner when I bathe my daughter and my wife cleans the kitchen... 

Any thought, recommendations, stories of total failure and success, things to avoid, things to make sure I do, etc...  Hit me with your best shot!!!

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 06:34:43 AM
If you want live football, get an antenna or head to a bar.

I use Netflix via my blu-ray player. This unit also connects to both network and USB attached storage. This covers most things except for Hulu (which requires a sub to watch anywhere but a computer) and shows purchased via iTunes. I'd use AppleTV but my old HDTV does not have hdmi.

I've saved a ton of cash not paying for television to the point that paying a la carte for some shows is way reasonable.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on May 06, 2013, 07:02:07 AM
This is something my wife is wanting us to do also. We already have Netflix and I have an Amazon Prime account. Plus we have to use eztv.it in order to watch our Game Of Thrones. I know that this would save us a lot of money, but I've been a cable addict for so long now that it is going to be hard to kick the habit.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: DoW on May 06, 2013, 07:47:18 AM
ESPN3 does not stream Monday night football.  NBC does stream Sunday night football if that helps any.

I've considered this as well.  I haven't done the research yet though.  They've inflated cable prices way too much.
there is something coming t Boston soon which is like $8/month and somehow restreams some channels, mostly a few local channels.  it has successfully withstood some court challenges thus far.  I forgot the name of it but will try and look it up.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mattstick on May 06, 2013, 08:19:27 AM
Elgato makes a cool product called EyeTV which has a PVR type interface for OTA TV, just connect your coax off the antennae, then USB into the computer. You can then convert the recorded files to Apple TV format, sync those onto all your devices too.

I cut the cable in 08 and haven't looked back. Lots of shady streaming sites for sports, as well as legit services.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Buffalo Budd on May 06, 2013, 08:47:55 AM
Been thinking about doing this as soon as my contract runs out on my current cable.  Thanks for asking all of the questions I would have most likely asked Terry.  :beers:
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: nab on May 06, 2013, 09:01:42 AM
I've been without cable for some time and I never lack for something to watch between Netflix, Hulu, the Local Broadcast Channels, web streaming (PBS in particular has a large volume of shows ready to stream on their site), and through various streaming services on my phone (NFL app for NFL Channel games).   

I go the media pc route, with a wireless keyboard and mouse for my remote.  Since I decided not to buy into the next console gaming systems, I built a gaming/media pc just for these purposes.  This includes a video card with an HDMI out which feeds into my stereo system as well.  So my media pc serves a threefold purpose; gaming, streaming, and media server (mostly for my digital music collection). 

The bonus: I set my media pc up as the house server, so I can stream my media content over my phone.  I can work in my yard and have access to all of the media stored or connected to my media pc.  Secondly, I can actually share the internet with my wife.  We can watch the same short videos and read the same articles if we are discussing something and want to reference some net resource. 

I did use an Xbox 360 as a streamer for some time and that worked fine for just accessing established streaming services (Netflix etc.), but for the added functionality, I'd advocate tricking out a pc or mac as a media server.   


ETA:  The ESPN/NFL bottleneck does suck.  I usually have to find a friend or a bar for games I really want to see; which isn't always a bad thing since it gets me out of the house and social.  Small price to pay for all the other functionality imo. 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Bobafett on May 06, 2013, 08:30:16 PM
Vipbox.tv for sports.   Also myrtv.eu for other channels( Comedy Central, CNN, etc.).
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Lifeboy on May 06, 2013, 08:55:57 PM
Since I have a cable/internet bundle, cable really isn't expensive for me, and getting rid of it wouldn't make much sense. I could definitely go without though...
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 09:48:42 PM
Having all those channels is the worst.

I used to sit and watch pure garbage just because I could.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mattstick on May 06, 2013, 10:00:35 PM

So, Lifeboy, are you actually suggesting that you couldn't just get internet cheaper than your internet/cable bundle?

Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: antelope19 on May 06, 2013, 10:11:15 PM
Quote from: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 09:48:42 PM
Having all those channels is the worst.

I sit and watch pure garbage just because I can.

:|

Fypfm
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: VDB on May 06, 2013, 10:40:11 PM
I dream of a day when cable companies provide a la carte channel pricing. As it is, you pay for channels whether you watch them or not. But since this would result in a lowering of your cable bill, providers will only do this after enough people have quit cable that it's worth lowering everyone's bill for the sake of adding that many new subscribers to make up the difference.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Lifeboy on May 07, 2013, 08:11:59 PM
Quote from: mattstick on May 06, 2013, 10:00:35 PM

So, Lifeboy, are you actually suggesting that you couldn't just get internet cheaper than your internet/cable bundle?

No. Of course it would be cheaper to just have internet. I said/meant, in my situation, considering how much use I get out of having cable (sports, tv shows, news), it wouldn't make much sense to just pay for internet when it isn't much more expensive to add cable to it.

That said, I'm sure twatts' situation is different than mine, so it may make sense for him to get rid of cable. I was just giving my $.02
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mopper_smurf on May 13, 2013, 05:39:18 AM
Quote from: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 09:48:42 PM
Having all those channels is the worst.

I used to sit and watch pure garbage just because I could.

13 channels was a lot back then ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9DUX_AHMak
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: UncleEbinezer on May 13, 2013, 09:06:26 AM
Quote from: antelope19 on May 06, 2013, 10:11:15 PM
Quote from: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 09:48:42 PM
Having all those channels is the worst.

I sit and watch pure garbage just because I can.

:|

Fypfm

So true, but then again, I use TV as a complete escape and don't measure my value necessarily on quality.  So watching crap like Duck Dynasty works for me, and by the way is quite hysterical.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: rowjimmy on May 13, 2013, 09:36:00 AM
Quote from: UncleEbinezer on May 13, 2013, 09:06:26 AM
Quote from: antelope19 on May 06, 2013, 10:11:15 PM
Quote from: rowjimmy on May 06, 2013, 09:48:42 PM
Having all those channels is the worst.

I sit and watch pure garbage just because I can.

:|

Fypfm

So true, but then again, I use TV as a complete escape and don't measure my value necessarily on quality.  So watching crap like Duck Dynasty works for me, and by the way is quite hysterical.

I use records for that and don't have to justify it to my friends.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: justjezmund on May 13, 2013, 12:59:02 PM
Quote from: rowjimmy on May 13, 2013, 09:36:00 AM
I use records for that and don't have to justify it to my friends.

You don't even need to be talking about TV when saying this.   :clap:

sig'd
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: McGrupp on June 07, 2013, 10:22:08 AM
I've been without cable for almost 3 years and cutting it was possibly the best thing I've ever done.

"Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye." - Bill Hicks

Like RJ said, with all those stupid channels, I'd sit and watch complete crap for hours. I still waste a lot of time, but at least I'm not watching cable.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on June 07, 2013, 01:18:34 PM
Yeah, looks like we're going to try to switch over this weekend, at least just use the Roku...  We borrowed one from my cousin to get a feel...  We'll see how it goes...

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: DoW on June 07, 2013, 01:41:57 PM
I have my mind set on doing this.  I am waiting for Dexter to finish and then I will cut ties with cable.
I can get aereo in my area, I already order mlb.tv anyway, I get access to Amazon Prime streaming.  I think you can get the NFL package with an online package.  with espn3 for college basketball, I think I have everything there that I watch anyway.
I have my laptop connected to my stereo to access all my audio from hard drives and would just hook up a monitor (how I watch baseball already).
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on June 07, 2013, 05:37:01 PM
So we haven't cut the cable completely yet, but we did downgrade our package from Premium to Economy. And the only change I've noticed is we don't have On Demand and we don't have TBS (the only one of the lost channels that we actually watched.). Our bill dropped from $115 a month to $45 a month. I kinda feel like we've just been giving the cable company $70 a month for nothing.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on June 10, 2013, 11:42:20 PM
Just figured out that Time Warner has a Roku channel, so we can watch our normal cable via the Roku...  At least I can quit renting the Cable Box...  Still have to subscribe to the service...

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Marmar on June 20, 2013, 09:55:27 AM
Roku.....best TV device I've tried yet.....

FU time warner.....FU!
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: gah on July 01, 2013, 03:40:04 PM
Quote from: McGrupp on June 07, 2013, 10:22:08 AM
I've been without cable for almost 3 years and cutting it was possibly the best thing I've ever done.

"Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye." - Bill Hicks

Like RJ said, with all those stupid channels, I'd sit and watch complete crap for hours. I still waste a lot of time, but at least I'm not watching cable.

I don't even have a tv anymore. As this chick said the other day, oh you're one of those guys! Yes, yes I am.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: bass-freq on July 10, 2013, 02:46:44 PM
At our house we've been without cable for almost 3 years now.  We have a 2010 mac mini with a wireless keyboard and mouse.  When I first started I looked high and low for a setup that was "wife friendly" (aka more like a regular TV experience) and could not quite get there at that time.  I use Plex for a media server of my movie/TV collection and while I think Plex can now support much closer to a regular TV experience (like integrated Netflix/Hulu etc.), my wife has since learned to be comfortable with using just using a browser to get to all that stuff.

That said, some of the recent updates to Plex look really good and I'd like to revisit trying to get a nicer experience.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: bass-freq on July 10, 2013, 07:02:17 PM
Also forgot to mention, we used to have that elgato setup with the mini when we lived in Chicago.  Found a plugin that will automatically cut out commercials and amassed a giant collection of the Simpsons (among other things) until we moved out to the sticks.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on July 10, 2013, 07:09:03 PM
Quote from: bass-freq on July 10, 2013, 07:02:17 PM
Also forgot to mention, we used to have that elgato setup with the mini when we lived in Chicago.  Found a plugin that will automatically cut out commercials and amassed a giant collection of the Simpsons (among other things) until we moved out to the sticks.

which area of the sticks are you in?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: bass-freq on July 11, 2013, 12:41:01 AM
Quote from: mbw on July 10, 2013, 07:09:03 PM
Quote from: bass-freq on July 10, 2013, 07:02:17 PM
Also forgot to mention, we used to have that elgato setup with the mini when we lived in Chicago.  Found a plugin that will automatically cut out commercials and amassed a giant collection of the Simpsons (among other things) until we moved out to the sticks.

which area of the sticks are you in?

Not the Chicago sticks.  New Mexico, 'bout 20 miles outside Santa Fe.  Suffice it to say I am not catching much Phish out here.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on July 11, 2013, 01:27:23 AM
So we didn't exactly cut the cable...

We ended up keeping TWC for TV, except we went with their "standard" package instead of their "digital" package" and reduced our bill significantly.  They also increased our bandwidth a shit-ton (to what it should be normally) and let us keep the phone (mom loves that)... 

But we also have the Roku, and the kids love the free stuff on Amazon and Netflix...

So we ended up saving some money, and got about the same service we had before.  I do miss having a few channels (History 2, ESPNU, Hub) but I can live without them...

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Marmar on July 11, 2013, 12:15:49 PM
Terry, I bet if you search some private channels for the roku, you might just find what yer lookin for.....

I just recently went thru my roku and added a shit-ton of channels.....there's a LOT of stuff out there for it.....it's all on the "private" channels....

I say we make a friggin Phish channel.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on July 11, 2013, 12:58:26 PM
Quote from: Marmar on July 11, 2013, 12:15:49 PM
Terry, I bet if you search some private channels for the roku, you might just find what yer lookin for.....

I just recently went thru my roku and added a shit-ton of channels.....there's a LOT of stuff out there for it.....it's all on the "private" channels....

I say we make a friggin Phish channel.

Yeah, I've added a few privates.  Nowhere TV is a really good one - it has a ton of Adult Swim on there...

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: antelope19 on January 17, 2014, 08:28:26 AM
We are loving the chromecast so much, we're pulling the plug on the Cable today!  Based on current specials, it looks like we'll save about $110/month for the first year! 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on January 17, 2014, 08:34:07 AM
Quote from: antelope19 on January 17, 2014, 08:28:26 AM
We are loving the chromecast so much, we're pulling the plug on the Cable today!  Based on current specials, it looks like we'll save about $110/month for the first year!

Nice.  Chromecast, FTW!
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: justjezmund on January 23, 2014, 09:26:15 AM
I like my chromecast, the hulu app for iOS kinda sucks imo as a remote (kinda buggy but prob with an update from them would fix).Anyway  I'm looking for a roku just to get some more channel verity, specifically sports.  Are the games on espn and mlb.tv live, do they blackout local games, can anyone comment?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: VDB on January 23, 2014, 09:31:40 AM
The Watch ESPN app shows live games, yes, but you still need a cable subscription to use it.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: justjezmund on January 23, 2014, 09:43:24 AM
Quote from: V00D00BR3W on January 23, 2014, 09:31:40 AM
The Watch ESPN app shows live games, yes, but you still need a cable subscription to use it.

should have figured as much.

giving up sports is really the only reason I haven't cut yet and going to be a hard decision come game time.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Buffalo Budd on January 23, 2014, 10:05:45 AM
Quote from: justjezmund on January 23, 2014, 09:43:24 AM
Quote from: V00D00BR3W on January 23, 2014, 09:31:40 AM
The Watch ESPN app shows live games, yes, but you still need a cable subscription to use it.

should have figured as much.

giving up sports is really the only reason I haven't cut yet and going to be a hard decision come game time.

I'm in the same boat along with HBO.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: twatts on January 23, 2014, 10:24:47 AM
Quote from: justjezmund on January 23, 2014, 09:26:15 AM
I like my chromecast, the hulu app for iOS kinda sucks imo as a remote (kinda buggy but prob with an update from them would fix).Anyway  I'm looking for a roku just to get some more channel verity, specifically sports.  Are the games on espn and mlb.tv live, do they blackout local games, can anyone comment?

We have a Roku and its junk for sports.  Any of the Sports channels requires you to pay a substantial subscription, get cable access, or both.  If I have to get cable, why not just watch cable???

That being said, most local games are broadcast so we can watch that way...

My wife and I are slowly becoming dissatisfied with the whole experience...  We're thinking of switching to UVerse (now that they offer it to us) and ditching the Roku/Netflix in favor of Cable/DVR again...

Terry
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mattstick on January 23, 2014, 01:21:55 PM

You can use a VPN service to get around local blackout rules on mlb.tv
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: VDB on January 23, 2014, 10:08:20 PM
Quote from: Buffalo Budd on January 23, 2014, 10:05:45 AM
Quote from: justjezmund on January 23, 2014, 09:43:24 AM
Quote from: V00D00BR3W on January 23, 2014, 09:31:40 AM
The Watch ESPN app shows live games, yes, but you still need a cable subscription to use it.

should have figured as much.

giving up sports is really the only reason I haven't cut yet and going to be a hard decision come game time.

I'm in the same boat along with HBO.

Ditto.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on July 03, 2014, 01:09:49 PM
I officially got rid of the cable the yesterday.  Feels good, and the bill feels even better.   :samurai:
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: antelope19 on July 03, 2014, 01:50:24 PM
Quote from: mbw on July 03, 2014, 01:09:49 PM
I officially got rid of the cable the yesterday.  Feels good, and the bill feels even better.   :samurai:

Nice!   :clap:
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That's 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What's on YouTube that's not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on October 04, 2017, 11:45:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That's 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What's on YouTube that's not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?

well, hulu is 39 a month so there.  i guess not a whole lot different except you dont need an antenna which we all know how fun they are, or a fucking box, the storage is unlimited, you can watch where ever  the fuck you are on any fucking device... how is that for a difference motherfu.........
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on October 04, 2017, 11:47:24 AM
my 1 year contract is up in March. I got a pretty good discount for the 110 channels with 25/mps internet 89 a month which comes out to 105 a month with fees.

Thinking about dumping Comcast in March and getting Century Link 45/mps for 55 bucks a month.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Hicks on October 04, 2017, 12:40:37 PM
Yeah I'm on an introductory deal with Century Link right now.  Comes out to $76/month for pretty decent cable (all Blazer and Ducks games) and 40 Mbps internet.

If you do sign up emay I think they have a referral program where we can both get gift cards.   

However, I will say they are the most incompetent company I have ever dealt with. Installation and the whole sign up process was basically a nightmare that took a couple months to sort out. 

Service is good though. 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on October 04, 2017, 01:14:02 PM
Quote from: Hicks on October 04, 2017, 12:40:37 PM
Yeah I'm on an introductory deal with Century Link right now.  Comes out to $76/month for pretty decent cable (all Blazer and Ducks games) and 40 Mbps internet.

If you do sign up emay I think they have a referral program where we can both get gift cards.   

However, I will say they are the most incompetent company I have ever dealt with. Installation and the whole sign up process was basically a nightmare that took a couple months to sort out. 

Service is good though.

Oh nice! Ill keep ya posted in a couple months Hicks.
Yeah I heard the customer service and company in general is terrible.
As long as the service is good and I dont have to call in all the time about outages or something, ill probably get it.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 05:57:08 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 11:45:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That's 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What's on YouTube that's not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?

well, hulu is 39 a month so there.  i guess not a whole lot different except you dont need an antenna which we all know how fun they are, or a fucking box, the storage is unlimited, you can watch where ever  the fuck you are on any fucking device... how is that for a difference motherfu.........

:-o
My Hulu is only $11.99 a month, what kind of add-ons do you have on yours?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on October 04, 2017, 06:14:31 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 05:57:08 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 11:45:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That's 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What's on YouTube that's not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?

well, hulu is 39 a month so there.  i guess not a whole lot different except you dont need an antenna which we all know how fun they are, or a fucking box, the storage is unlimited, you can watch where ever  the fuck you are on any fucking device... how is that for a difference motherfu.........

:-o
My Hulu is only $11.99 a month, what kind of add-ons do you have on yours?

I dont use hulu.  Got the comparable pricing off their website.
https://www.hulu.com/welcome
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 08:15:36 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 06:14:31 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 05:57:08 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 11:45:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That’s 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What’s on YouTube that’s not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?

well, hulu is 39 a month so there.  i guess not a whole lot different except you dont need an antenna which we all know how fun they are, or a fucking box, the storage is unlimited, you can watch where ever  the fuck you are on any fucking device... how is that for a difference motherfu.........

:-o
My Hulu is only $11.99 a month, what kind of add-ons do you have on yours?

I dont use hulu.  Got the comparable pricing off their website.
https://www.hulu.com/welcome

Ah, I didn't know Hulu offered a Live TV option for an extra $28 a month. I'm fine with watching everything the next day, so I'll keep my mid-level plan, I pay the extra $3 for no commercials. If we REALLY want to see something live, we have an HD antenna that I bought for $25-30 on Amazon when we first cut the cable.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 08:22:51 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 08:15:36 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 06:14:31 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on October 04, 2017, 05:57:08 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 11:45:50 AM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:32:03 AM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 10:44:23 AM
using the free trial of youtube tv.  you can stream live tv, there are a couple handfuls of good stations.
the coolest part is it is also an unlimited dvr.
the app is clean and very user friendly.
at $35.00 a month i am not sure i will keep it, all my paid streaming services are adding up to what my cable bill would be.

tv.youtube.com

$35 a month is nuts. I bought a TiVo OTA box for $300 and an antenna for $40ish. That's 10 months of YouTube and I have a dvr capturing HD broadcasts of every local channel. What's on YouTube that's not on my local networks, hulu, or Netflix?

well, hulu is 39 a month so there.  i guess not a whole lot different except you dont need an antenna which we all know how fun they are, or a fucking box, the storage is unlimited, you can watch where ever  the fuck you are on any fucking device... how is that for a difference motherfu.........

:-o
My Hulu is only $11.99 a month, what kind of add-ons do you have on yours?

I dont use hulu.  Got the comparable pricing off their website.
https://www.hulu.com/welcome

Ah, I didn't know Hulu offered a Live TV option for an extra $28 a month. I'm fine with watching everything the next day, so I'll keep my mid-level plan, I pay the extra $3 for no commercials. If we REALLY want to see something live, we have an HD antenna that I bought for $25-30 on Amazon when we first cut the cable.

Exactly - the Tivo box makes it one-touch to skip most commercials, too. I do the Hulu ad-free plus Netflix and HBO. I get everything I could ever want to see right now for about $30 a month.

Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on October 04, 2017, 08:44:07 PM
For the record i have an antenna too, and do netflix and hbo.
Never had the best of luck with the antennas.  Like now I dont get CBS or NBC, but I get a shitload of weird channels I never heard of before.
Just putting out this option, nothing to lose with the free trial.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on October 04, 2017, 11:07:04 PM
Quote from: mbw on October 04, 2017, 08:44:07 PM
For the record i have an antenna too, and do netflix and hbo.
Never had the best of luck with the antennas.  Like now I dont get CBS or NBC, but I get a shitload of weird channels I never heard of before.
Just putting out this option, nothing to lose with the free trial.

I started with a cheap indoor antenna and it sucked. Bought a cheap roof mount and attached it to the pole holding my now defunct directv dish using zip ties and just used the existing coax from the dish to the living room and I have the clearest HD picture I've ever seen. Probably better than directv.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on November 30, 2017, 07:14:46 PM
So, I get hulu now with my sprint unlimited plan.
I thought you could watch anythimg next day, but I am not havimg that experience, ie thwy dont have the current seasons of stuff like Fargo or AHS.  How does hulu even work?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on November 30, 2017, 08:50:58 PM
Quote from: mbw on November 30, 2017, 07:14:46 PM
So, I get hulu now with my sprint unlimited plan.
I thought you could watch anythimg next day, but I am not havimg that experience, ie thwy dont have the current seasons of stuff like Fargo or AHS.  How does hulu even work?
A lot of shows on network TV, sans CBS, are available the next day. Cable shows are released on Hulu a season at a time, a few months after the season airs. if you add HBO or Showtime, those are next day as well.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mehead on December 13, 2017, 10:38:38 AM
Quote from: mistercharlie on November 30, 2017, 08:50:58 PM
Quote from: mbw on November 30, 2017, 07:14:46 PM
So, I get hulu now with my sprint unlimited plan.
I thought you could watch anythimg next day, but I am not havimg that experience, ie thwy dont have the current seasons of stuff like Fargo or AHS.  How does hulu even work?
A lot of shows on network TV, sans CBS, are available the next day. Cable shows are released on Hulu a season at a time, a few months after the season airs. if you add HBO or Showtime, those are next day as well.

Does Hulu offer all seasons of a particular show or just the current / most recent one?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mbw on December 13, 2017, 11:44:17 AM
Quote from: mehead on December 13, 2017, 10:38:38 AM
Quote from: mistercharlie on November 30, 2017, 08:50:58 PM
Quote from: mbw on November 30, 2017, 07:14:46 PM
So, I get hulu now with my sprint unlimited plan.
I thought you could watch anythimg next day, but I am not havimg that experience, ie thwy dont have the current seasons of stuff like Fargo or AHS.  How does hulu even work?
A lot of shows on network TV, sans CBS, are available the next day. Cable shows are released on Hulu a season at a time, a few months after the season airs. if you add HBO or Showtime, those are next day as well.

Does Hulu offer all seasons of a particular show or just the current / most recent one?

It seems to be kinda hit or miss.  It is definitely not the most recent one, as they appear to wait until a new season comes out to release the old one like netflix.  So a 'few months' could potential turn into a year or more. The shows I watch have the older seasons as well, but I feel like I have come across shows that were missing some seasons.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on December 13, 2017, 12:29:26 PM
Once you have a good work8ng antenna, I highly suggest a TiVo Roamio OTA. I got mine on sale for $300 and there's are no fees once you buy it. It's a great dvr for all the shit on broadcast networks.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on April 09, 2019, 01:38:18 PM
so got rid of TV finally to lower my xfinity bill.
Where do you go to stream/watch sports without subscribing to a membership?
Trying to watch NBA and NHL playoffs. Poked around on some reddit pages but havent seen any links yet.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: gah on April 09, 2019, 02:11:06 PM
Quote from: emay on April 09, 2019, 01:38:18 PM
so got rid of TV finally to lower my xfinity bill.
Where do you go to stream/watch sports without subscribing to a membership?
Trying to watch NBA and NHL playoffs. Poked around on some reddit pages but havent seen any links yet.

bars.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: pcr3 on April 09, 2019, 02:33:12 PM
Quote from: emay on April 09, 2019, 01:38:18 PM
so got rid of TV finally to lower my xfinity bill.
Where do you go to stream/watch sports without subscribing to a membership?
Trying to watch NBA and NHL playoffs. Poked around on some reddit pages but havent seen any links yet.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLStreams

https://www.reddit.com/r/NBAstreams

Haven't used them, but I bookmarked them when I started looking into cutting the cord a year or two ago.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Buffalo Budd on April 09, 2019, 04:55:40 PM
Plan to cut the cord this month.
I figured it'd be a horrible decision with NBA and NHL playoffs starting this week but this gives me hope.
:beers:
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mattstick on April 09, 2019, 06:01:01 PM
Budd if you know anyone with Rogers or Bell TV you can piggyback off their account to stream Sportsnet and TSN.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Hicks on April 09, 2019, 07:19:43 PM
PSVUE has been recommended to me as a cable alternative for sports, have not tried it yet though. 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on April 09, 2019, 08:16:25 PM
From what I've gathered over the past few years of having no cable, the only people who seem hesitant about it are sports fans. The rest of us could give a damn. No sportsball, no problem! I have a buddy that can get live sports on his jailbroken FireTv, so I know it's possible. I just don't know how.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on April 09, 2019, 11:38:21 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on April 09, 2019, 08:16:25 PM
From what I've gathered over the past few years of having no cable, the only people who seem hesitant about it are sports fans. The rest of us could give a damn. No sportsball, no problem! I have a buddy that can get live sports on his jailbroken FireTv, so I know it's possible. I just don't know how.


Very true. I've been meaning to invest in one of those. A couple friends know how to jail break them.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: mistercharlie on April 10, 2019, 05:32:51 AM
Quote from: emay on April 09, 2019, 11:38:21 PM
Quote from: mistercharlie on April 09, 2019, 08:16:25 PM
From what I've gathered over the past few years of having no cable, the only people who seem hesitant about it are sports fans. The rest of us could give a damn. No sportsball, no problem! I have a buddy that can get live sports on his jailbroken FireTv, so I know it's possible. I just don't know how.


Very true. I've been meaning to invest in one of those. A couple friends know how to jail break them.

I can jailbreak one in a matter of minutes, It's super quick and easy. I just don't know (ie. I've never researched it) how to get live sports on it.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on April 18, 2019, 02:03:30 PM
fyi the reddit threads come through! Watched the playoffs for NBA and NHL and the streams work great.
They post a thread a little before each game and list like 4-5 stream links in there.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: emay on May 10, 2019, 04:02:56 PM
Pluto TV is also an amazing app/free streaming provider.


Has tons of content from sports to cartoons and movie channels.



Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: anthrax on December 03, 2022, 02:30:52 PM
i think i've had enough of xfinity/comcast cable television.  any YoutubeTV users out there?  how do you like it?  anyone use verizon home internet?

i'm thinking i can keep xfinity for home internet at about $90 a month and get YouTube TV for $65ish a month and pause it for 1-2 months when we're busy over the summer.  this will save a bit of money but more importantly free me from comcast cable!  thoughts?
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on December 03, 2022, 04:44:27 PM
I cut the cable years ago - I bought a Tivo OTA and use an antenna for live tv plus we have Hulu, Netflix, HBOmax. The only thing I don't really have is live ESPN, etc. because I don't pay for YTtv or anything cable-like. I steal most Saints games from buffstreams and don't really give a shit about any other sports. 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Bobafett on December 04, 2022, 01:21:15 PM
I have had YT tv for about 1 year now.  I love it.  I had not had live tv other than antenna for 10 years.  Now I can watch all the sports I want, the app works great on my phone, and I can share it on 6 devices, so I set my mom up with it and she cancelled direct tv.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: PIE-GUY on December 04, 2022, 01:39:07 PM
Yep. A key part of the process was killing Directv and zip-tying a $20 antenna to their pole and using their professionally run wire to get that antenna signal to the living room. Works like a fucking champ. 
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: pcr3 on December 04, 2022, 08:28:28 PM
We dropped cable for youtubetv a few years ago and I think it's great. The only issue I have is that they dropped the local sports network (NESN) about 6 months after we made the move, which means I can no longer watch Red Sox and Bruins games at home, at least until playoff time. As I no longer have the time nor the need to watch EVERY game like I used to, I am ok with that.
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: GBL on December 06, 2022, 06:40:53 PM
another YouTuber here as well, the $60 price compared to $200+ was all I needed

I would say it takes a little getting used to, especially the channel guide, but once you get used to it AND customize it it's awesome

not sure if anyone mentioned this either but having unlimited dvr is a huge plus, and it automatically saves your shows that you favorite
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: Bobafett on December 06, 2022, 06:48:48 PM
Damn I didn't even consider the unlimited dvr.  Good shout
Title: Re: Cutting the Cable... Advice sought on getting rid of Cable TV
Post by: shoreline99 on December 07, 2022, 12:04:56 PM
Cut the cord in February 2020. We have had Hulu live on and off since then. No issues at all, it's been great.

While not necessary, a newest version amazon fire stick or TV will make the streaming much smoother w/ less buffering.