How do you watch TV?

[rodi]

I'm getting ready to cut the cable... but DH is addicted to weather channel and discovery, and I like HGTV... But we're close.

We have a tivo box (don't like the DVR provided by the cable company) with a cable card in it to give us authorization to the HD channels. Because our cable company is doing a lot of switched digital video (SDV) - we had to get a tuning adapter. That thing is a piece of crud and needs rebooting several times a month. When it gets "lost" - I lose about 1/2 the channels.

I can stream regular amazon rentals through tivo, as well as youtube, and some other streaming sources... but it doesn't support amazon prime.

For amazon prime I hook up my android tablet to an HDMI connector on the tv and stream through that.

I wish I was someone who could give up tv... but I enjoy it a lot.

 

[LakeTravis]

I've known people who spend an incredible amount of money on cable and internet each month. My own personal monthly pain threshold has been $100 since the mid-90's. I've been able to stay under that because we don't watch sports or "premium" channels like HBO.

Even then, I found Time Warner's routine invoice creep incredibly annoying, so the last time they pulled their sem-annual attempt to raise my monthly charges past the $100 mark, I called to cancel the cable portion.

Ended up with 20/1mb internet with basic cable for $49.95 a month. Turns out it's just another 12 month promotion (each monthly bill is $99.95 with a $50 credit) so when they try to jump it up again in a few months I'll cancel the cable again and keep the hi-speed.

We seldom watch anything other than the network channels which we can easily pick up in better quality HD with an antenna (cable compresses the signal and even though it's a great HD picture you can really tell the difference between your local HD affiliates on cable and then uncompressed with an antenna).

Besides a collection of several hundred DVD's we also have Netflix and can stream other online channels. That and the local HD channels are really all we need.

 

[Lakedog]

I am in a rural area with no over-the-air reception but dropped cable a couple of years ago anyway. I have a Roku for Netflix and other streaming but that's it for my TV watching. I really don't miss cable at all - lots of interesting things to do other than watch TV.

 

[Lsbcal]

I agree about a significant number of movies you can only get on DVD's from Netflix. For me, it's Inspector Morse. Not available on streaming from either Netflix or Amazon.
....

Another British series I just discovered and love is "New Tricks"--appropriate for this forum. A forty-something woman detective is put in charge of a cold case unit and has to hire retired detectives (no money for current ones). It's a hoot--these guys are operating like it's still the 70's/80's.
...

A bit OT but we are addicted to Inspector Morse too. We'll try New Tricks, thanks.

An old short series with John Thaw is The Sweeney -- it's very 1970's. Another British series is The Last Detective. Also some of the Touch of Frost -- the earliest ones were ancient and not very good video quality.

 

[easysurfer]

You don't have to watch it on the internet. I watch it live like cable viewers.

Here's what I did before disconnecting Comcast. Go buy you a $10 HD antenna from Walmart or Best Buy. Hook it up to your TV, scan for all channels available. You may be surprised how many channels you pick up. I've read where people who live in large cities can receive 20+ channels. My city has a population of 40k and I get 10 channels. Usually perfect reception although on some bad weather days a couple may break up a little bit. But as I said, half the channels I do receive are in perfect HD quality, including PBS. I even get a weather channel.(Accuweather)

Below is all you need. Of course if you live out in the middle of no where, might not work so good. After I saw what I got, I took my cable box back to Comcast and saved myself $70/mo, less the $8 I pay to Netflix.

RCA Indoor OffAir HDTV Antenna ANT111 - Best Buy

Another good OTA antenna is the "Leaf" indoor antenna. It has a lot of reviews on Amazon, mostly positive.

Amazon.com: Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna - Made in USA: Electronics

Also if you get adventurous, you can try the coat hanger build route.

I've tried all three, plus connecting through a connection to a rooftop antenna at my building (condo). For me, the big honking home built coat hanger antenna works the best.

I've got my antenna angled so I get all the major networks without having to readjust.

 

[ICNTR]

Good old rabbit ears that get about 5 local stations. Also have streaming Netflix $8/month account. Seems to be more than enough for us.

 

[easysurfer]

I think the challenge with OTA reception is there are so many variables. Location of antenna? How good is the antenna? How good is the tuner? to name a few. But once you get a proper setup, it's nice to know you are getting free OTA TV.

The latest OTA adventure for me was I had perfectly working reception, but the DVR I was using was buggy. So after getting a different brand DVR, one station (namely CBS) would work occasionally. So I went ahead and got another antenna, but that didn't solve to problem. Eventually, I realized that if I use my original antenna setup but just angle it so, that was a working solution.

 

[pb4uski]

Like you imoldernu, we live in a rural area where OTA reception is a challenge. We currently have a Dish America package that totals $62 a month for 3 TVs (2 TVs sharing a DVR/receiver and another with just a receiver) and whiile I think we are getting a reasonable deal our contract ends this May so I am considering other options.

We have had Netflix in the past via our Nintendo Wii and it worked fine. I recently joined Amazon Prime. I regularly project videos from my Lenovo laptop to our Vizio HDTV via a Displayport>HDMI connection that that works well.

I'm planning on trying an antenna and seeing if we can get signal. My understanding is that with digital signal it is either good or none and not much in between. If we can get our locals OTA then I would probably drop Dish and go with OTA, Tivo and internet sources. If I can't get OTA then I'll probably drop to the cheapest Dish package that I can get to get my locals and a couple channels that we really care about (mostly HGTV and USA) and supplement that with internet sources off a laptop or Roku or Boxee.

 

[timo2]

I use a ROKU box for streaming to the TV. It has more than netflix. I love the little ROKU box.

 

[obgyn65]

To answer your question, I only get the Netflix CDs.

My Roku box has never worked. Roku = mega crap IMHO.

Am curious about how y'all watch netflix. TV? using what streaming device?... or on the computer?...
or do you swap DVD's on US mail?...
.

 

[walkinwood]

Another good OTA antenna is the "Leaf" indoor antenna. It has a lot of reviews on Amazon, mostly positive.

Amazon.com: Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna - Made in USA: Electronics

Also if you get adventurous, you can try the coat hanger build route.

I've tried all three, plus connecting through a connection to a rooftop antenna at my building (condo). For me, the big honking home built coat hanger antenna works the best.

I've got my antenna angled so I get all the major networks without having to readjust.

The Mohu works really well for UHF channels, but doesn't receive VHF channels well. You can go to antennaweb.org to find out if you have VHF channels in your area. Here in the Denver market, 3 of the channels that we like broadcast over VHF.

For VHF, you need rabbit ears or similar kind of antennae. The loops don't work.

 

[ERD50]

I think the challenge with OTA reception is there are so many variables. Location of antenna? How good is the antenna?

It has not been challenging for us. We get all the channels (and more) we got when things were analog. Channel 7 was a bit iffy for some, but they finally made some changes. Same antenna we always used ( a roof-top style, but just in the attic). Two different converter boxes, and I've had multiple TVs with their own tuners connected, and they all worked fine. Picture is many times better than the old analog.

Even with just rabbit ears, we could get many of the channels.

Now, if you are in an area that had marginal reception for old analog TV, things can get a bit hairy. With digital, it either comes in 100%, or nothing.

My Roku box has never worked. Roku = mega crap IMHO.

That is awfully harsh. We have had two ROKU boxes for a couple years and they have always worked perfectly, and were easy to set up. They aren't crap of any sort.

Perhaps your box was defective out-of-the-box (it happens with anything)? Or perhaps operator error in setting it up? What have you done to check those most likely explanations? To declare the whole product line 'mega crap' based on your experience of one box not working for you doesn't even make sense. If you used it and didn't like it, that would be an opinion.

-ERD50

 

[Lakedog]

That is awfully harsh. We have had two ROKU boxes for a couple years and they have always worked perfectly, and were easy to set up. They aren't crap of any sort.

+1

Have used a Roku (as my only TV source) for a couple of years with no major issues.

 

[fritz]

From a previous post here -

We use Tivo with over the air TV - cut the cable (kept internet). Our TV's coax connection along with various others (HDMI, etc.) allows us to watch OTA TV while (2) channels are recording on Tivo (you can also watch any Tivo recording while they are both recording). Tivo offers other DVRs with (4) tuners for more money, but we bought a reconditioned Tivo DVR for $80.00 direct from Tivo. Least amount of HD capability, but more recording space than ATT Uverse DVR - go figure. Tivo allows DVR recording, pause live TV, programming information (one touch style recording), and online streaming (amazon, hulu, netflix, youtube) and a lot of internet radio (most free) - one box. Runs $14.99/mos. for programming service, and the other additional included stuff.

Our area +/-30 miles SW of Chicago gets over 60 OTA channels (7 PBS). Use a small antenna in the attic with an amplifier, and run it through the home's pre-wired coax cable connections. Get a lot of old TV stuff on the local channels. Use the Tivo DVR to time-shift all the programs I want to watch for when I want to watch them (and skip through the commercials).

Like keeping streaming to separate unit (Tivo) for reliability issues. Tried HULU+ and Netflix, but dropped them as they have mostly outdated streaming material. Can get up to date Netflix only by mail (conflict here if you ask me). There are lots of free online streaming sites (even Hulu), but will need those computer connections missing on many new TVs to successfully stream them.

For those "Inspector Lewis" and "New Tricks" fans - recommend "DCI Banks", and "Death in Paradise" if available on your PBS station.

 

[tinlizzy]

I have an HDMI port on the laptop. It actually has wireless capabilities with a little device but I just have an HDMI cord in the TV then hook it to the pc. I still have basic cable but rent Redbox movies (I play them on the DVD in the laptop but view them on the TV) or watch Netflix movies from the laptop to the TV.

My son just fixed it so the laptop/tv is on a split screen so I can surf the net AND watch a movie.

 

[RunningBum]

With digital, it either comes in 100%, or nothing.

Yes and no. Usually you either get it or not, but if you are on the edge of getting a strong enough signal it can be pixelated. If it's towards "yes", you can mostly watch it and occasionally the picture freezes or breaks up. If it's towards "no" you get just enough to think it might lock on but it usually doesn't. Some receivers will measure the strength of signal for you, which helps you adjust it by positioning the antennae. I have one station that comes in around mid 60%. In bad weather it can be worse, and below 60% I lose it.

 

[ERD50]

Yes and no. Usually you either get it or not, but if you are on the edge of getting a strong enough signal it can be pixelated. If it's towards "yes", you can mostly watch it and occasionally the picture freezes or breaks up. If it's towards "no" you get just enough to think it might lock on but it usually doesn't. Some receivers will measure the strength of signal for you, which helps you adjust it by positioning the antennae. I have one station that comes in around mid 60%. In bad weather it can be worse, and below 60% I lose it.

Well yes, you can get right on the hairy edge where it pixelates and goes in and out, but that's really a very narrow zone. IME, if you are that on-the-edge, a sneeze or a breeze or a gnat fart will freeze the picture, making it essentially unwatchable. Compared to analog, where there's wide zone of great, very good, good, not so good, poor, really bad, and really really bad but I can make it out a little bit.

I will say, when a storm is passing between us and Chcago, I'd rather have the analog receiver. The pixelation and freezing and audio drop out make watching almost impossible. That's a rare and very temporary condition, but sometimes it happens just as we want to track a storm on TV. Internet time!

-ERD50

 

[mountaintosea]

Computer only free sites.

 

[Major Tom]

I don't own a TV, so watch everything on the computer. Used to use Netflix, but dropped that a while ago and currently get all viewing for free by using YouTube and the BBC iPlayer to watch all my favorite shows from Aunty Beeb. My sofa is set up behind my desk (small apartment) so that if I go full-screen, I can sit on the sofa and watch - just like real TV!

Sure, I miss out on a lot by not having a subscription to Netflix, Hulu or the like, but what I don't see, I don't miss. I'm an INTJ ya know

 

[Malcolm2]

Tivo with cablecard, Roku for AmazonPrime and Netflix. I have found that i cannot watch 'regular tv' under any circumstances as I do not wish to waste my time on commercials. If a few more Roku new channel apps are added soon (HGTV for my spouse, History channel for me) and we will likely ditch the Comcast channel package.

I found out that my neighborhood is now covered by Clear.com (wireless broadband) and if it really works it will be bye-bye Comcast in total. Clear.com is 4G unlimited and 6MPS.

Anyone have streaming experience with Clear.com?

 

[caninelover]

At home, I have verizon fios cable/internet. Living room I have a Roku box for streaming netflix or amazon (I have prime, but mostly for shipping), and verizon's cable box/dvr combo for cable tv. In my bedroom I just replaced a 15 year old tv with a new 46 inch samsung smart tv - it has 'apps' built into it for streaming netflix, amazon or other things too.

I think the real interesting trend is the one that netflix is catching onto to with releasing 'House of Cards' all at once...binge watching vs. waiting each week for a new episode...

 

[Fishingmn]

Not retired yet but we have Directv with whole house DVR. The main thing I watch is sports, especially hockey, and that's primarily on Fox Sports North here.

Wife and I do love having DVR as we tape our favorite mainstream shows and watch them on our time without commercials.

 

[deserat]

A bit OT but we are addicted to Inspector Morse too. We'll try New Tricks, thanks.

An old short series with John Thaw is The Sweeney -- it's very 1970's. Another British series is The Last Detective. Also some of the Touch of Frost -- the earliest ones were ancient and not very good video quality.

Oh, yes - love those series - can get them on DVD from the library here - can also watch the newer series on line (Lewis and Wallender were available when they were being aired online)

What I'd like to know is what DVRs do you all have (all readers of this thread who said they have DVRs)? I've been looking around and there aren't many DVRs available like there used to be as the cable companies have their own DVRs - I know you can use your laptop or computer with Windows media and a tuner of sorts, but I'd like to do this more simply without devoting a computer to the task...

 

[Alan]

I use a roku, as does DW on the TV in her room. For YouTube I have an HDMI cable for my iPad which works great. Most of the places we rent on our long vacations have Internet plus TV with HDMI and the iPad works great for Netflix as well.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Dropped Dish network about 8 years ago as an economy measure to reach F.E. sooner. Broadcast TV is almost worthless . I did get a digital converter box, via the guberment discount , but very rare to watch.