I believe that Comcast has gone all digital in Chicago. It works fine. I just have to get a cable card from them, which is free for turning in their default box. The only thing I can't watch are PPV channels and HBO. That is due to me using Ubuntu and MythTv. If I used Windows Media Center, I could at least watch HBO but would need XBox 360's in every room.
Cutting the Cord
- Thread starter mac4cy
- Start date
SlingTV/HBO Now/WatchESPN/Fox Sports Go/NBC Sports watcher here. 250 GB gets a little shaky if you watch a lot. I bumped up to 350GB and have had plenty of cushion. Although, I occasionally work from home and I play Xbox One so that bumps me up as well. I bet 250 would be perfectly fine unless you watch a TON of content.
Here's my sports cord cutting plan:
Antenna:
NFL on CBS/FOX, local TV shows, FREE in HD.
Subscribe to Cyclones.tv from September to February.
You get Cyclone Radio network football games, live video coverage of at least one football game, several non-conference MBB games and whatever else you'd like to watch (game replays, WBB, Volleyball, etc). $10 a month, they usually have promos though.
Subscribe to SlingTV from September to April. College football, college basketball, march madness, NBA playoffs on TNT ($25 to get basic package each month along with ESPNU in the sports pack)
Borrow friend's login for Fox Sports Go and NBC Sports Live Extra for Fox Sports 1 Cyclone games and Chicago Blackhawks Hockey. $Case of beer
During the summer, no bills - go outside
Antenna:
NFL on CBS/FOX, local TV shows, FREE in HD.
Subscribe to Cyclones.tv from September to February.
You get Cyclone Radio network football games, live video coverage of at least one football game, several non-conference MBB games and whatever else you'd like to watch (game replays, WBB, Volleyball, etc). $10 a month, they usually have promos though.
Subscribe to SlingTV from September to April. College football, college basketball, march madness, NBA playoffs on TNT ($25 to get basic package each month along with ESPNU in the sports pack)
Borrow friend's login for Fox Sports Go and NBC Sports Live Extra for Fox Sports 1 Cyclone games and Chicago Blackhawks Hockey. $Case of beer
During the summer, no bills - go outside
Here's my sports cord cutting plan:
Antenna:
NFL on CBS/FOX, local TV shows, FREE in HD.
Subscribe to Cyclones.tv from September to February.
You get Cyclone Radio network football games, live video coverage of at least one football game, several non-conference MBB games and whatever else you'd like to watch (game replays, WBB, Volleyball, etc). $10 a month, they usually have promos though.
Subscribe to SlingTV from September to April. College football, college basketball, march madness, NBA playoffs on TNT ($25 to get basic package each month along with ESPNU in the sports pack)
Borrow friend's login for Fox Sports Go and NBC Sports Live Extra for Fox Sports 1 Cyclone games and Chicago Blackhawks Hockey. $Case of beer
During the summer, no bills - go outside
This sounds like a great plan. I may be using it too.
Here's my sports cord cutting plan:
Antenna:
NFL on CBS/FOX, local TV shows, FREE in HD.
Subscribe to Cyclones.tv from September to February.
You get Cyclone Radio network football games, live video coverage of at least one football game, several non-conference MBB games and whatever else you'd like to watch (game replays, WBB, Volleyball, etc). $10 a month, they usually have promos though.
Subscribe to SlingTV from September to April. College football, college basketball, march madness, NBA playoffs on TNT ($25 to get basic package each month along with ESPNU in the sports pack)
Borrow friend's login for Fox Sports Go and NBC Sports Live Extra for Fox Sports 1 Cyclone games and Chicago Blackhawks Hockey. $Case of beer
During the summer, no bills - go outside
stupid question, but what is your tv setup like? How do you handle multiple tvs with what you have listed?
I haven't found fox sports go to have any worthwhile content. Just garbage Olympic sport content. Perhaps they have changed it I am doing something wrong.
I also have the Prime. And one Chromebox with OPENELEC on it, as a test. I am planning to do something this summer to build a DVR machine. :smile:
have you seen their kickstarter page? They have a stretch goal of Kodi support, which could be cool
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1275320038/hdhomerun-dvr-the-dvr-re-imagined
But I've read with the demise of WMC for Windows 10, that they could be the heir apparent to the copy once dvr. Or maybe that they should be.
Sure, no problem.
I have two TVs, one in my basement bar (60" Vizio) and one upstairs mounted on the wall (47" Vizio)
I have an antenna mounted in a closet upstairs to pick up ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, IPTV, etc. This signal is distributed thoughout the house via coax cable in the walls.
Connected to Basement TV and Why:
Coax from antenna to get local channels
Xbox One to watch SlingTV (ESPN, TNT, TBS, etc), any of the apps on Xbox One and play games
Apple TV to watch NBC Sports Network (there's an app on there) or any other apps. I also use the Apple TV to airplay music to the sound system in my basement bar area
All of these devices are wired into my internet (50 MBps connection, not great but definitely solid for what I'm doing)
Connected to upstairs TV and Why:
Apple TV to watch NBC Sports Network, WatchESPN app, AirPlay anything from iPad
Fire TV to watch SlingTV and Fox Sports Go app and also Kodi (formerly XBMC)
These devices are connected to my wireless network
At the moment, I use the Fire TV and Apple TV to get just about any of the streaming apps I need. Unfortunatley, the Apple TV has some apps the Fire doesn't (NBC Sports net) and the Fire TV has apps the Apple TV doesn't (SlingTV, Fox Sports Go). Hopefully someday I can cut down to just one box or the other, but for now I'm set with what I need for sports.
Oh, and for Cyclones.TV I usually just hook a PC up to either of my TVs and go to the website. You can also AirPlay to watch as well.
I should make a video of my setup and share it - it's hard to type
To answer your multiple TVs question. The only thing that I can't do at the same time on both TVs is Sling. This usually isn't an issue though because my wife can watch Sling HGTV or whatever and I can use the WatchESPN app or do something that isn't on Sling. The rest of the apps don't care how many simultaneous streams you do and my connection handles it without a hitch.
If you have a large family then things can get trickier I'm sure.
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Big XII and Pac 12 football in the fall, Big East basketball during the winter (depending on your definition of worthwhile content)
Here's a $35 solution to OTA recording via DVD:
Mediasonic HW180STB HomeWorx HDTV Digital Converter Box with Media Player and Recording PVR Function, Dolby Digital, HDMI Out (New Version)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IYETYX8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It does *not* include the memory - you get to choose between a thumb drive or an external hard drive or whatever suits you. It gets the job done for the OTA shows I watch.
Mediasonic HW180STB HomeWorx HDTV Digital Converter Box with Media Player and Recording PVR Function, Dolby Digital, HDMI Out (New Version)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IYETYX8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It does *not* include the memory - you get to choose between a thumb drive or an external hard drive or whatever suits you. It gets the job done for the OTA shows I watch.
Interesting, I've tried getting football games in the fall but nothing shows up. If others can make this work, I must be doing something wrong.
if you are doing WatchESPn app with your sling login that wont work until they roll out a multiple stream option. I tried to watch ESPN on my tv with AppleTV and NBA playoffs on my ipad at the same time Sat night and it wont let you start the second one.
Just cancelled cable yesterday and took my stuff back. Have Roku's on 3 TV's and an outdoor antenna running all 3 as well. Looking at a small form factor PC to maybe do streaming sports stuff, might do something with a DVR or HTPC, but that won't be until fall, probably. Might have to bump this or PM some of y'all for advice once I jump in on rolling my own DVR later on.
:wink:
:wink:
Sure, no problem.
I have two TVs, one in my basement bar (60" Vizio) and one upstairs mounted on the wall (47" Vizio)
I have an antenna mounted in a closet upstairs to pick up ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, IPTV, etc. This signal is distributed thoughout the house via coax cable in the walls.
Connected to Basement TV and Why:
Coax from antenna to get local channels
Xbox One to watch SlingTV (ESPN, TNT, TBS, etc), any of the apps on Xbox One and play games
Apple TV to watch NBC Sports Network (there's an app on there) or any other apps. I also use the Apple TV to airplay music to the sound system in my basement bar area
All of these devices are wired into my internet (50 MBps connection, not great but definitely solid for what I'm doing)
Connected to upstairs TV and Why:
Apple TV to watch NBC Sports Network, WatchESPN app, AirPlay anything from iPad
Fire TV to watch SlingTV and Fox Sports Go app and also Kodi (formerly XBMC)
These devices are connected to my wireless network
At the moment, I use the Fire TV and Apple TV to get just about any of the streaming apps I need. Unfortunatley, the Apple TV has some apps the Fire doesn't (NBC Sports net) and the Fire TV has apps the Apple TV doesn't (SlingTV, Fox Sports Go). Hopefully someday I can cut down to just one box or the other, but for now I'm set with what I need for sports.
Oh, and for Cyclones.TV I usually just hook a PC up to either of my TVs and go to the website. You can also AirPlay to watch as well.
I should make a video of my setup and share it - it's hard to type
To answer your multiple TVs question. The only thing that I can't do at the same time on both TVs is Sling. This usually isn't an issue though because my wife can watch Sling HGTV or whatever and I can use the WatchESPN app or do something that isn't on Sling. The rest of the apps don't care how many simultaneous streams you do and my connection handles it without a hitch.
If you have a large family then things can get trickier I'm sure.
I am but a simple man. This sounds way too complicated. So complicated that I'm willing to continue paying the outrageous fee to DirecTV just so I don't have to deal with all of that stuff.
I have 3 TV's in my house, 2 of them are considered "smart" TV's. What are the chances that there will be something (one unit) in the near future that will easily plug into the USB ports of those TV's and then access my home wireless network and then give me easy access to all the apps that are being mentioned in this thread once I pay for the subscriptions? Or does this type of thing already exist? Also, potential for using USB sticks in those USB ports to DVR programming from the aforementioned apps?
I use Chromecast that plugs into HDMI and USB. It has an app for ESPN, Netflix, YouTube and others. I think the only thing mentioned so far that don't Chromecast are Fox Go and cyclones.TV.
I cut over a year ago. I use the in-laws cable for my online access to ESPN, NFL Network and etc, which I stream using Chromecast (from laptop or phone) and an Xbox. We have Netflix and Prime (not for the shows/movies) and use HULU regularly besides OTA channels.
My 2 TVs are tied into a 2x4 HDMI switch in the basement (base control area) and are connected to said switch with 25' HDMI cords. I have an Xbox, BluRay and another computer (the one i use for FirstRow and etc) all going to the switch.
My only issue is FOX sports not allowing Dish Network customers to stream live yet. C'mon man!
My 2 TVs are tied into a 2x4 HDMI switch in the basement (base control area) and are connected to said switch with 25' HDMI cords. I have an Xbox, BluRay and another computer (the one i use for FirstRow and etc) all going to the switch.
My only issue is FOX sports not allowing Dish Network customers to stream live yet. C'mon man!
I've had good luck streaming CYTV though Chromecast. Its all about the WIFI signal & bandwidth I believe.
