OT - Cutting Cable

[Bryce7]

http://decider.com/2017/05/04/deciders-guide-to-streaming-bundles/

http://decider.com/2017/05/08/nfl-a...4.1020012374.1494327452-1354351239.1493908902

Best source that I have seen for cable replacement via internet.

 

[3TrueFans]

If something is labeled as off-topic but placed in the off-topic forum does that make it on-topic or double off-topic?

 

[cyfan92]

PlayStation Vue looks like the best deal?

I was admittedly excited to hear Google (YouTube) was getting into the game, however I was very disappointed in the limited inventory of channels. No HGTV? Good luck to you...

 

[Judoka]

I cancelled Vue at the end of March and they had a list of "reasons why you cancelled" on the cancellation page and not a single one was "I just don't watch TV anymore" or my real reason of "There are no sports I care about until August" or anything like that. The industry is moving slowly but it still hasn't totally internalized that the landscape has changed.

 

[Judoka]

PlayStation Vue looks like the best deal?

I was admittedly excited to hear Google (YouTube) was getting into the game, however I was very disappointed in the limited inventory of channels. No HGTV? Good luck to you...

Actually I'd say that's a microcosm of cable's issue. You apparently care about HGTV. That's fine and if that's a dealbreaker for you that's also fine. But for the vast majority of people they could care less about HGTV. But there's probably some other channel, I dunno, MTV, that you could care less about. But for somebody else MTV is a dealbreaker. And you could go down the whole cable lineup like that. And that is how you end up with bloated, overpriced packages. Because between trying to get everybody's dealbreaker channel plus the conglomerates forcing channels that no one wants down people's throat in order to get the ones people do want you end up with 200 channels, maybe 5 of which you watch, but all of which you're paying for.

 

[Judoka]

Twitter and other avenues to get highlights out in real time have also decreased the value of live sports in my opinion. I'll still watch stuff if I can, especially ISU related games. But I also know if I miss a game I can watch all the interesting stuff within seconds of when it happened via twitter, even if I'm out mowing the lawn or something.

 

[chuckd4735]

PlayStation Vue looks like the best deal?

I was admittedly excited to hear Google (YouTube) was getting into the game, however I was very disappointed in the limited inventory of channels. No HGTV? Good luck to you...

Went with DirecTV Now a few months back, and really haven't looked back. Compared to Vue, it was $5 more, but adding on HBO was $10 cheaper. DirecTV Now also has more channels than Vue, including Lifetime, which was important to the wife.

 

[Judoka]

Went with DirecTV Now a few months back, and really haven't looked back. Compared to Vue, it was $5 more, but adding on HBO was $10 cheaper. DirecTV Now also has more channels than Vue, including Lifetime, which was important to the wife.

Doesn't DirectTV Now do the standard cable thing of being cheap for a year and then ballooning vs. stuff like Vue and Sling that just cost what they cost?

 

[HFCS]

I cancelled Vue at the end of March and they had a list of "reasons why you cancelled" on the cancellation page and not a single one was "I just don't watch TV anymore" or my real reason of "There are no sports I care about until August" or anything like that. The industry is moving slowly but it still hasn't totally internalized that the landscape has changed.

YoutubeTV + internet connection would be more expensive for me than a pretty deluxe cable package that includes access on my devices and gives me a lot more channels.

SlingTV (at $20/mo vs YoutubeTV at $35/mo) is a better value than Youtube's new offering but worse experience than actual cable

Just high speed internet + yearly Amazon Prime + about 8 random months of just picking one of these (hulu, netflix, HBO, Sling) + 4 random months of picking none = decent savings vs cable and better quality product than basic cable. (this is what I've actually been doing for 3 years)

 

[cstrunk]

Twitter and other avenues to get highlights out in real time have also decreased the value of live sports in my opinion. I'll still watch stuff if I can, especially ISU related games. But I also know if I miss a game I can watch all the interesting stuff within seconds of when it happened via twitter, even if I'm out mowing the lawn or something.

You sound like a great Darwin award candidate.

 

[chuckd4735]

Doesn't DirectTV Now do the standard cable thing of being cheap for a year and then ballooning vs. stuff like Vue and Sling that just cost what they cost?

No. There is no contract, and it was not a $35 for 12 months thing. However, they can decide to raise their prices at any time, and I'm sure at some point they will.

 

[3TrueFans]

I looked at DirecTV Now a little but they don't have any DVR functionality and they don't have Roku, PS4 or Xbox apps so that was a no go for me.

 

[3GenClone]

I looked at DirecTV Now a little but they don't have any DVR functionality and they don't have Roku, PS4 or Xbox apps so that was a no go for me.

Have you considered building you own DVR?

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/pc/tv-on-raspberry-pi-watch-and-record-live-tv-1151587

 

[TXCyclones]

I bought a jail-broken Fire Stick about three weeks ago. The number of movies available is crazy. There's a lot of free p0rn too, as well as nearly every Fox Sports extension. Amazon shows a bunch of apps to add regular channels but the couple I've tried (ESPN & CNN) required cable service to verify. I've looked at adding DirecTV Now or Sling apps but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

My other issue is that I've got 5 TVs in the house and it seems like I'd need to add antenna and Fire Stick to each of them?

 

[3TrueFans]

Have you considered building you own DVR?

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/pc/tv-on-raspberry-pi-watch-and-record-live-tv-1151587

I've looked at it, but the wife acceptance factor is too low to be feasible at the moment.

 

[3TrueFans]

I bought a jail-broken Fire Stick about three weeks ago. The number of movies available is crazy. There's a lot of free p0rn too, as well as nearly every Fox Sports extension. Amazon shows a bunch of apps to add regular channels but the couple I've tried (ESPN & CNN) required cable service to verify. I've looked at adding DirecTV Now or Sling apps but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

My other issue is that I've got 5 TVs in the house and it seems like I'd need to add antenna and Fire Stick to each of them?

Whoa, free porn? This is a game changer.

 

[cyfan92]

Actually I'd say that's a microcosm of cable's issue. You apparently care about HGTV. That's fine and if that's a dealbreaker for you that's also fine. But for the vast majority of people they could care less about HGTV. But there's probably some other channel, I dunno, MTV, that you could care less about. But for somebody else MTV is a dealbreaker. And you could go down the whole cable lineup like that. And that is how you end up with bloated, overpriced packages. Because between trying to get everybody's dealbreaker channel plus the conglomerates forcing channels that no one wants down people's throat in order to get the ones people do want you end up with 200 channels, maybe 5 of which you watch, but all of which you're paying for.

I agree with the bloated bundle. A La Carte would be great if that were out there. The reason I was skeptical is that HGTV was the 3rd most watched network in the country last year, behind only Fox News and ESPN. It's family friendly, never spews political banter, and only costs 23 cents per subscriber (3% of what ESPN charges)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...er-upset-you-how-the-network-beat-cnn-in-2016

 

[1100011CS]

I bought a jail-broken Fire Stick about three weeks ago. The number of movies available is crazy. There's a lot of free p0rn too, as well as nearly every Fox Sports extension. Amazon shows a bunch of apps to add regular channels but the couple I've tried (ESPN & CNN) required cable service to verify. I've looked at adding DirecTV Now or Sling apps but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

My other issue is that I've got 5 TVs in the house and it seems like I'd need to add antenna and Fire Stick to each of them?

This is my one complaint/dislike with the current options. You also have to install and sign in you apps on every one. That is, if you use PS Vue you'd need to install that app and login on each TV/device. Not a big deal for me but my wife...

 

[3TrueFans]

This is my one complaint/dislike with the current options. You also have to install and sign in you apps on every one. That is, if you use PS Vue you'd need to install that app and login on each TV/device. Not a big deal for me but my wife...

Just once though.

 

[1100011CS]

Just once though.

Yeah, tell that to my wife