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01-16-2018, 12:23 PM
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#241
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,594
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So I had a New Years resolution to cut the cord .... so Dec was a test run. So I purchased channels for the roku in conjunction with Netflix. Then I hit the 350 gig limit on my internet .... "HUH? I have a limit?? Arrgg!". I can buy an additional 350gig but the price is the same as the cable bill.
__________________
FIRE'd since 2005
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01-16-2018, 12:31 PM
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#242
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Fargo
Posts: 986
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tryan
So I had a New Years resolution to cut the cord .... so Dec was a test run. So I purchased channels for the roku in conjunction with Netflix. Then I hit the 350 gig limit on my internet .... "HUH? I have a limit?? Arrgg!". I can buy an additional 350gig but the price is the same as the cable bill.
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This is very common. Most people are unaware that they have a limit to their internet.
We have Netflix set to be one step down on the quality ladder. This keeps Netflix from downloading in Super HD. That can be 7-10 GB for an hour. If you log into your profile on a comptuer, you can set the bandwidth for each profile. Some know about this.
We have two main cable internet providers.
One has a 300GB limit. The other has unlimited. Priced similar. If you stream, it is an easy decision to switch to the "no limit" provider.
I have found that Playstation Vue is pretty thrifty when it comes to bandwidth usage. We had a trial of SlingTV early on and it consumed way more data per hour. Not sure if that hold true now.
We use about 600-700GB (family of 5) per month. We have been close to 1TB a few months with long school breaks and terrible weather.
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01-16-2018, 01:01 PM
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#243
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 987
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carpediem
This looks very interesting. It appears that the DVR is really just a micro SD card. What size card do you plan on using?
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128Gb is only $45. Should be more than enough, since I don’t store shows forever. The nice thing is I can also get say a 32gB for $12 in case something specific comes up that Inwould like to keep for a while separate and it is easy to transfer files to a PC.
I keep seeing people refer to local channels on Roku. Is that something new?
Also, pretty hard to put an antenna of any size behind a wall mounted TV where all mine are. The attic makes more sense.
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01-16-2018, 01:44 PM
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#244
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainsoft
....
Unfortunately, my mom lives in an assisted living home where an outdoor antenna is not an option. I tried an indoor antenna but only got two stations, neither of which was anything she was interested in. She currently has Comcast cable and it's horrible. .... I hate paying $75 a month for cable that she only watches a few channels on. I've tried Sling, Hulu, Playstation Vue, and DirectTVNow. The menu's were all way to complicated for her to understand, so I ended up cancelling them. ...
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Not sure if this would help, but what if you recorded a hundred hours of shows for her (various standalone DVRs are available), and just set them to play back in a loop on one input of the TV.
Nothing to navigate, just switch to that TV input. Mostly people just want "something on", doesn't matter much if it's a rerun or whatever.
-ERD50
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01-16-2018, 02:42 PM
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#245
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,215
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
I am not aiming this comment at any particular person, but many people find the forum's "ignore" function to be helpful. Here is how to use it:
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...tml#post739553
I like to post this information now and then in the hopes that it will enhance someone's enjoyment during their time here at the ER Forum.
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That's a good reminder W2R, and I finally did put one poster on ignore. The problem is, other people keep quoting that particular poster. Oh well.
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01-16-2018, 04:07 PM
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#246
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bloom2708
See if you can try Vue on Fire TV as compared to Roku. The UI is really good on Fire TV (Amazon). Might be worth it to consider Fire TV over Roku especially if you already have Amazon Prime.
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Though the Fire TV interface is indeed nice and we shop on Amazon some, I’m not a Prime subscriber and I don’t want to have Amazon content and services shoved in my face all the time as Fire and Apple do. Vue now has a grid guide on their Roku app, the only glaring omission they had. Roku performance is great and their app agnostic, we prefer that.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-16-2018, 04:14 PM
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#247
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
Super!!!
So, how much will your total monthly bill be now for PS Vue, Passport, and any other streaming services or devices you want? Even though it won't be $0.00, still I'd imagine it will be a lot less than it was.
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We were paying DISH $77/mo with a lower tier 120+ channel package (about 100 useless channels) with 2 nine year old receivers and one DVR limited to two shows at a time. They informed us it would be going up to $88/mo with no upgrade of any kind. I would have cancelled a year ago but they gave us a $35/mo ($46/mo discount vs the proposed) discount to keep us, until this month.
So now we’re paying $45/mo for PS Vue including all local major networks and PBS Passport will be $5/mo. We have a 28-day cloud DVR that’ll record as many shows as we want, and we can view on up to 5 devices (TV, PC, phone, tablet) simultaneously. And our guide isn’t cluttered up with 80%+ junk channels. Picture quality is improved too, lots of compression on DISH, not really 1080p.
Who knows, we may spring for Netflix or another movie channel and still be ahead $372/year with far greater capability! We’re not power TV watchers, so it appears to be a no brainer for us.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-16-2018, 05:26 PM
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#248
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
We were paying DISH $77/mo with a lower tier 120+ channel package (about 100 useless channels) with 2 nine year old receivers and one DVR limited to two shows at a time. They informed us it would be going up to $88/mo with no upgrade of any kind. I would have cancelled a year ago but they gave us a $35/mo ($46/mo discount vs the proposed) discount to keep us, until this month.
So now we’re paying $45/mo for PS Vue including all local major networks and PBS Passport will be $5/mo. We have a 28-day cloud DVR that’ll record as many shows as we want, and we can view on up to 5 devices (TV, PC, phone, tablet) simultaneously. And our guide isn’t cluttered up with 80%+ junk channels. Picture quality is improved too, lots of compression on DISH, not really 1080p.
Who knows, we may spring for Netflix or another movie channel and still be ahead $372/year with far greater capability! We’re not power TV watchers, so it appears to be a no brainer for us.
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Sounds great!!! You definitely did the right thing, IMO anyway. I love having extra discretionary money every single month, now that I am no longer paying for cable TV.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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01-17-2018, 04:11 AM
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#249
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,240
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
Sounds great!!! You definitely did the right thing, IMO anyway.
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This is becoming standard practice. Many service providers are viewing discounts as a means of attracting customers to switch to their service, but finding that they're better off letting those customers go who insist on the discounted price in perpetuity, relying on the fact that so many more of their customers will stick with the service provider even after their introductory, courtesy, and retention discounts expire, just to avoid the hassles of switching. It will definitely be to the consumer's (financial) benefit to jump from service provider to service provider every few years.
The key is setting yourself up so that the drudgery of switching doesn't affect you. That means avoiding purchasing equipment that is tied to one specific service or type of service. It also means avoiding becoming beholden to specific programming - i.e., avoiding "having to" watch the final season of xxx when it is first broadcast instead of waiting a few years until you resubscribe to a service as a "new" customers that offers that programming.
__________________
Class of 2019
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01-17-2018, 07:11 AM
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#250
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bUU
The key is setting yourself up so that the drudgery of switching doesn't affect you. That means avoiding purchasing equipment that is tied to one specific service or type of service. It also means avoiding becoming beholden to specific programming - i.e., avoiding "having to" watch the final season of xxx when it is first broadcast instead of waiting a few years until you resubscribe to a service as a "new" customers that offers that programming.
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+1. No contract service has become a high priority for us. I can’t imagine entering into another 1 year, much less 2 year contract for TV.
Cable and satellite have much higher hardware costs and armies of techs, so they can’t possibly take on new customers without contracts. I’ll be surprised if cable and satellite TV are still around in 10-20 years, but who knows.
With streaming TV the streaming hardware costs are low (Roku, Apple, Amazon Fire, Chromecast) and that hardware can be used with almost any streaming service. I’ve watched the streaming service landscape for quite a while and PlayStation Vue is clearly the best choice for us. But if Direct TV Now, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live or another service looks better some day, we can switch in a month or less, without any new hardware.
Used to be when the ever present Direct TV rep at Costco stopped and asked who our TV provider was, and I answered DISH, he/she would launch into a long spiel about switching. Now when I answer ‘we stream TV’, the Direct TV rep just lets us pass without a word...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-17-2018, 07:42 AM
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#251
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,067
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
We were paying DISH $77/mo with a lower tier 120+ channel package (about 100 useless channels) with 2 nine year old receivers and one DVR limited to two shows at a time. They informed us it would be going up to $88/mo with no upgrade of any kind. I would have cancelled a year ago but they gave us a $35/mo ($46/mo discount vs the proposed) discount to keep us, until this month.
So now we’re paying $45/mo for PS Vue including all local major networks and PBS Passport will be $5/mo. We have a 28-day cloud DVR that’ll record as many shows as we want, and we can view on up to 5 devices (TV, PC, phone, tablet) simultaneously. And our guide isn’t cluttered up with 80%+ junk channels. Picture quality is improved too, lots of compression on DISH, not really 1080p.
Who knows, we may spring for Netflix or another movie channel and still be ahead $372/year with far greater capability! We’re not power TV watchers, so it appears to be a no brainer for us.
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Similar setup for me. I don't have PBS Passport but have Prime and Netflix. I have Vue and it is is great, but I actually like Hula's channel lineup a tad better along with their on demand library. It was $5/mo less than Vue but I experienced a lot of buffering. Perhaps a faster internet service is needed with Hula? Might give them another try down the road.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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01-17-2018, 07:43 AM
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#252
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,240
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
I’ll be surprised if they’re still around in 10-20 years, but who knows.
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There's really no doubt they'll still be around: Linear television service may ebb and flow, but those companies are still among the best ways to get broadband service. Even Google Fiber hasn't caused the kind of disruption to the broadband market here in Atlanta that some folks were hoping it would.
And of course broadband becomes the next battleground. Now that those who cut the cord are beginning to see their streaming service early adopter advantage expire, there's going to have to be a new target. Clearly, it'll be the broadband services. "Why are they charging us what broadband service is worth instead of the lesser amount that we want to pay?" As I mentioned earlier, pricing always eventually goes back to what is dictated by value-based pricing.
The question will be what people are willing to do vis a vis broadband service. That's one of the biggest bits of silliness in all this: So many people have been cluelessly bashing cable companies, broadcast networks, etc., about being "monopolies" when there is, in fact, effective competition in all those spaces, while failing to take effective action in response to how much less competition there is in the broadband space.
I think part of the reason is that people just want to complain, and really don't want to do what's necessary to confront lack of competition: Treating broadband the same way electricity is treated, i.e., the "R" word (regulation). Of course, that's not a panacea either: Turning broadband into a regulated utility means giving broadband service providers a regulated amount of profit, and thereby locking people into dependence on a service that will invariably cost more than people want to pay with no real way to hope for a better deal.
I think many people would rather hold out baseless hope that suddenly the cost of stringing fiber to every home in America will become so cheap that a dozen companies will all string their own fiber (which is silly given that so much of the upfront cost involved is labor, and labor is really expensive - heck, how many different companies have strung electrical distribution wiring into your community?), and completely ignoring their experiences with subscription video that I outlined earlier in the thread, i.e., even in a competitive marketplace, "pricing always eventually goes back to what is dictated by value-based pricing".
__________________
Class of 2019
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01-17-2018, 07:49 AM
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#253
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Fair enough. I didn’t mean the companies, I meant cable and satellite TV as we know it. Dish and Direct TV already provide streaming with Sling TV and Direct TV Now which tells me they know satellite isn’t going to survive.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-17-2018, 11:44 AM
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#254
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
...
So now we’re paying $45/mo for PS Vue including all local major networks and PBS Passport will be $5/mo. We have a 28-day cloud DVR that’ll record as many shows as we want, and we can view on up to 5 devices (TV, PC, phone, tablet) simultaneously.
...
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Are you leaving out the internet service cost? Still trying to wrap my mind around this stuff.
Right now we pay Comcast (internet + video) $131/mo which includes ~250 Mbs speeds. Our internet connect costs without the video package would be $80/mo for 150 Mbs, and $65/mo for 60 Mbs. Not many connection options where we live.
I was looking at the Roku Ultra and thought maybe I'd try it. Should try it before our Comcast 1yr contract expires. Not at all familiar with PS Vue.
We generally watch PBS specials like Nova, Masterpiece, etc. Don't watch the old network stuff. Very rarely watch sports except for the upcoming Olympics. No matter what we chose, we'd still want Amazon and Netflix.
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01-17-2018, 12:03 PM
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#255
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
Are you leaving out the internet service cost? Still trying to wrap my mind around this stuff.
Right now we pay Comcast (internet + video) $131/mo which includes ~250 Mbs speeds. Our internet connect costs without the video package would be $80/mo for 150 Mbs, and $65/mo for 60 Mbs. Not many connection options where we live.
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A fair point, thanks. But we’d have and use an internet connection with or without TV, so it’s not an additional expense for us - unless we find we need a faster internet connection, then we’d add the upcharge for comparison. But I’ve been streaming with my smart TV for a long time without buffering or resolution problems, so I’m not expecting an issue. It’s just DW and I, but faster internet may be needed in households where many people are online at the same time.
For us, there’s no way a faster internet + PS Vue will cost nearly as much as comparable Dish, Direct TV or Comcast cable TV for us - anytime soon at least. Net neutrality or some other development will likely change the landscape again one day...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-17-2018, 12:10 PM
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#256
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
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Midpack thanks.
What is your internet speed if I may ask and is it sufficient for your streaming needs? I'm not sure that I need all that much speed to get decent web and streaming experiences.
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01-17-2018, 12:42 PM
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#257
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
Midpack thanks.
What is your internet speed if I may ask and is it sufficient for your streaming needs? I'm not sure that I need all that much speed to get decent web and streaming experiences.
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IME 10 Mbps over WiFi is plenty for one stream at 1080p with only occasional buffering or resolution issues, and I’ve read 15 Mbps for two streams. If you want to venture into 4K resolution, you’ll undoubtedly want a more robust connection. And make sure you’re router isn’t a bottleneck, could be if it’s really old. From my experience, I think the quote below is a little strong unless you’re planning to watch 4K.
I haven’t needed to hardwire to get a good connection, but I’m planning to buy one Roku with an Ethernet connection in case. I’ll have a Roku Streaming Stick + and a Roku Ultra, with a cheapo Chromecast in the basement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TechRadar
If you have a slow internet connection – let's say, 5Mbps or less – you can probably expect a lot of hiccups, stuttering and low-resolution video. Stepping up to around 10Mbps will net you a solid connection and will almost guarantee a solid connection, but a lower-than-average resolution.
It's not until you get to the 15-20Mbps range through a wired connection to your router that things really start to look good on PlayStation Vue. If you already have that level of internet service coming into your home, great. Just make sure your PS4 is either in range of the router or you have the ability to hardwire your system.
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__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-17-2018, 01:59 PM
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#258
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
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So it sounds like 60 Mbps might do for our needs. I have a kind of long distance through some walls from the router to the TV. Even with a booster the signal is attenuated quite a bit and I don't know how to estimate the streaming quality with that issue. I guess I'd just have to see it in action.
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01-17-2018, 03:10 PM
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#259
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
So it sounds like 60 Mbps might do for our needs. I have a kind of long distance through some walls from the router to the TV. Even with a booster the signal is attenuated quite a bit and I don't know how to estimate the streaming quality with that issue. I guess I'd just have to see it in action.
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60 Mbps is more than we have.
You probably know this, but do you have a smart TV now? If you can stream YouTube, Vimeo, or any HD video apps, that should be an indication how streaming TV will perform. Or if you can stream YouTube over WiFi (with cell service off and not hardwired) to a desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet, that’s another indication.
And there are streaming devices with Ethernet connections if you don’t trust WiFi and you can wire to it, Roku Ultra is just one.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-17-2018, 03:31 PM
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#260
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
60 Mbps is more than we have.
You probably know this, but do you have a smart TV now? If you can stream YouTube, Vimeo, or any HD video apps, that should be an indication how streaming TV will perform. Or if you can stream YouTube over WiFi (with cell service off and not hardwired) to a desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet, that’s another indication.
And there are streaming devices with Ethernet connections if you don’t trust WiFi and you can wire to it, Roku Ultra is just one.
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The TV is just a dumb plasma unit. But we do stream Amazon via a Sony Blueray DVD player. Generally it is OK. We watch Netflix now via the Comcast cable which seems to be more reliable. I would guess that a Roku Ultra would have as good or better streaming reception then the DVD.
I could buy a Roku Ultra from Amazon and have a month to test it out before the Comcast contract expires. If it isn't good enough for us, can always default back to Comcast.
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