quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
I have Amazon Prime and Netflix, and just added Hulu, with the idea of cutting the cable.

My only hesitation stems from the fact I can get every game my favorite baseball team (Washinton Nationals) plays through my provider.

MLB.com has a blackout policy, so I can only get those games when I'm out of town (although I might be able to use a VPN, but that would be cheating).

Check out SetTv for $20/month. It seems to provide local channels from multiple jurisdictions, thus giving you access to most games for those localities.

For better buffering, go with the Fire TV box instead of the stick. Playstation Vue, for about $40/month will offer a multitude of channels and has cloud DVR. Also, subscribe to Troypoint.com. The guy is a wealth of knowledge for cutting the cord. If you use the Kodi app, it's best to use a VPN.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
MLB.com has a blackout policy, so I can only get those games when I'm out of town (although I might be able to use a VPN, but that would be cheating).

Nope. Use a VPN ad MLB.com won't be able to ID your location, and will block you for 'all' of their games. Ask me how I know...

Ugh. Those guys piss me off with that. Just let me pay for your product and then watch the game live.

WTF would I buy MLB.com and then wait until 90m after the game is over to watch it, just so Comcast can have first dibs at viewers?

Screw that noise.

Also cut the cable over 18 months ago. Attached a Roku stick to my (not so smart) smart TV because it would no longer receive U-tube videos.

Already had Amazon Prime, so I added Netflix, Britbox and upgraded NC public subscription ($5/mo.).

Don't GAS about sports or the "lame stream" media. Best TV viewing decision I've ever made!

quote:

Originally posted by L90814:



For better buffering, go with the Fire TV box instead of the stick.

We have both and I can't tell any difference at all. On a normal day I would suggest saving the 30 bucks and getting the stick.

But Amazon is having a sale on the 4k player for $49.99 (regular 69.99) that says today only. So if you are thinking of going this route I would jump on this deal.

https://smile.amazon.com/all-n...keywords=fire+tv+box

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I have Fire sticks with KODI loaded on each.
I get everything including movies at the theaters.

Without violating the letter, or at least spirit, of pirating/copyright laws?

I have an apple tv box. We stream netflix and amazon prime video through it. I use an old iPhone 5 as a "remote" it has the apps on it and we search and play using it.

Our total cable bill (with no promotions) was $225/mo.

Now we have just internet and it's $86/mo.

Netflix streaming is $8.99 and Amazon is $99/yr (also includes free 2 day shipping on almost all of their products).

If you have a "Smart" TV then the apps are probably already built into it. Other boxes like Roku have the apps as well. We use an AppleTV because we are a Macintosh house.

We don't have it but you can also get Hulu. Hulu's claim to fame is that is streams network TV shows the day after they air.

Everything has been golden at our house since ditching cable. Still have the following:
Over the air tuner (TiVo)
Apple TV box
Roku Ultra box (just redundant)
PS VUE (awesome)
Netflix and Amazon Prime
We have more TV and movies than ever and after getting it all up and running.. no issues and still cheaper.

I've tried Sony Play Station. Hulu and am now a DirecTV NOW beta tester. Sony is the best of them. HULU is good. DTV is coming on strong after a weak start.

Came to DTV NOW with the Apple TV 4K deal. That's been sweetened to $105 for 3 months. If that fits with your plan, it's a good deal.

Local, I use a Tivo OTA and antennas. Winegard amplified boxes that do a great job.

Curious, why get rid of PS VUE for DTV? What did you gain? Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckWall:
I've tried Sony Play Station. Hulu and am now a DirecTV NOW beta tester. Sony is the best of them. HULU is good. DTV is coming on strong after a weak start.

Came to DTV NOW with the Apple TV 4K deal. That's been sweetened to $105 for 3 months. If that fits with your plan, it's a good deal.

Local, I use a Tivo OTA and antennas. Winegard amplified boxes that do a great job.

quote:

Originally posted by Palm:

quote:

Originally posted by OldMick:
So, please help a fella out, here. All we watch is Fox News, local news, my wife likes cooking shows like Chopped and that's about it.

We have Spectrum Cable and I recently bought the Firestick. I also have Amazon Prime.

If I pay for a faster speed on the internet, and get an antenna, what else would I need, or would anyone suggest to get a little more content just to keep us entertained?

I don't know if you will be able to get fox news and the cooking channels with just an antenna. You might need some sort of TV service if you absolutely have to have those. I use Sling TV and have been happy with it.

Most channels have apps that you can download, but my understanding is that you still have to sign in to those with a valid username and password from some TV provider.

I am by no means an expert.

Thanks, looks like I need to dig a little further.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Palm:
I don't know if you will be able to get fox news and the cooking channels with just an antenna.

You can't get channels like Food Network or Fox News over the air.

Over the Air TV is only the handful of major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.), plus PBS and a smattering of small-time channels you've probably never heard of. And even then, channel availability depends on the specific reception available at your house.

However, PBS has some cooking shows at various times, and the major networks tend to have a few cooking shows during the weekday daytime hours.

Thanks, we'll check PBS and see it that works for my wife. Don't know why I'm having such a hard time wrapping my head around this. Guess I'll have to write up a list of "like to have" content and see where each is available. Then figure out what I'l need aside from the antenna and Amazon Prime.

Never been a cable subscriber. We have an over the air antenna in the attic, and get a beautiful 1080p picture on all the local channels. Run that to tivos on both tvs and we can record 8 shows at once, if needed, and watch anything recorded on either tivo on either tivo. Also have everything networked, and can transfer video files from the computer to either tivo. We also have roku 3s on both tvs. With apps installed that gets us access to NBC, FOX, ABC, CW, ESPN, NBCSports, among others. The caveats with the Roku, is you need a good internet connection, as well as credentials to a paid subscriber account. Basically, the only way to get full access to channel apps, many of which let you watch "live" as well as on demand, is to have credentials from someone that pays for a cable subscription. Additionally, we have Amazon Prime, Netflix, NHL Center Ice (or whatever it is called now). My sister has a paid cable subscription, so we use her credentials. Have to re verify whenever the apps update, but it works out well. We are able to watch Olympics coverage at any time through the NBC Sports app.

As someone mentioned with the MLB app, there are blackouts with the NHL app. Anything that is broadcast on any channel local to you is going to be blacked out. For me that is anything involving the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils. Luckily, those are not teams I actively follow so it works out well for me. unless my team is playing one of those three teams, then it sucks. This season, between the NHL app and NBC sports app I ahve been able to see every Blackhawks game except for maybe 5 so far.

Last December we cut the cord. We have Roku streaming sticks on 3 tv's. We also have Hulu, Direct TV and CBs[for the wife]. Been happy so far. Saving about $75/month

I used to pay over $100 a month for Dish. Cancelled it after a DVR dispute.

Now I have DSL internet, which is required for my wife's job, DirectTVNow at $35, Netflix at $10, and Amazon Prime which I have to cover free shipping. We use the cheapest Firestick. Everything streams really well.

No hope of OTA reception. DirectTVNow has one local channel. No sports reception, and I don't miss that a bit anymore. No Olympics coverage, and I don't care. Cutting the cord is not for everyone, but it works great for me. I can buy guns and ammo with the savings.

I think I could get by with Netflix alone, great programming. I like the foreign films, too. Instead of watching the Olympics, I recommend watching the series Lillyhammer on Netflix. It's got snow and all, plus it's very funny.

quote:

Originally posted by L90814:


Check out SetTv for $20/month. It seems to provide local channels from multiple jurisdictions, thus giving you access to most games for those localities.

there are a lot of reports out there about this service being pretty sketchy, if not downright illegal. The guy who runs it has been linked to a number of other dubious enterprises. Better Business rates them an F. They won't disclose that they actually have agreements allowing them to legally access the premium content that they offer, and are being sued by a number of the large content providers.

Just one of the links I noted: https://flixed.io/set-tv-not-legitimate/ .

For the folks with Fire devices, check out Terrarium TV and Mobdro. MUCH easier to navigate and maintain than Kodi.

The worst thing about being a “cord cutter” is that you’ll quickly find out how many people you know who will encourage theft. I rarely discuss it but on the few occasions that it’s come up (usually because someone asks if I’ve seen something) there is someone in the group who tells me about this app or that hack where I can watch every movie ever made or new TV shows.

I’m not interested in stealing content. If TV ever becomes that important to me then I’ll pay for it. I’m thrifty, not a theiving piece of shit.

quote:

Originally posted by old dino:
We are now considering cutting the cord too ... and are researching our options. What I have noticed is Netflix buffering over and over usually between 7p - 9p. Running a speed test finds download speeds sometimes just below 10 Mbps. Read that the reason this is the peak time when everyone in the neighborhood is on the internet and sucking up the bandwidth. I woke up at 3a and decided to do a speed test finding my download was not 170+ Mbps. This morning as I sit here typing this message it is 45 Mbps. These speeds are all based on wifi and not hardwire.

I am curious what others here who have cut the cord have to say about their experience with peak time bandwidth drops and if there is anything I should consider such as relocating the router, checking for interference, router channel setting and/or running hard wires from the router to the televisions.

Thanks

I'm on 23Mb U-Verse. It's the best I can get where I live.

I have no trouble whatsoever with Netflix nor Amazon. They are razor sharp and don't have to buffer. However, I have DirectTV Now (streaming), and it has buffering and image quality issues in the evening, currently. It was the same when I had Sling TV. While looking at a crappy image on my TV, I can run an internet speed test and still download at 20-21Mb, which indicates to me the problem is with DirectTV/Sling, as opposed to my internet connection.

Only reason I have cable is because I work for Comcast...but for 3 years before working for them we just used Amazon Prime and whatever came over the antenna. Sucks for the first month or two but the key is finding friends with cable and just plan watching times at their houses, lol. I did that with The Walking Dead and we just made it a weekly get together with friends so it all worked out.

I’m paying for 100mbs down and like 5 or 6mbs up with Charter. Never have buffering issues.