Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[davebarnes]

Yep, upload to the cloud is still much slower than download unless you have fancy fiber service. Also, how much does TB of cloud storage cost? What if the cloud service closes?

1. Call your internet service provider and ask about all the internet services.
Mine, CenturyLink, offers "100 Gbit" service. Which is actually 100/10. But, for $10 less per month I can get 80/40. This is nowhere on their website.
2. Dropbox Plus is 2TB for $120/year. iCloud is the same. Box offers unlimited for $15/mo.
3. You need multiple backups. I use Backblaze ($50/yr, unlimited) for backup. Not for sharing and not for everyday access. I also backup to an external drive on my desk.

 

[camfused]

...so NAS are a thing of the past...

I use my Synology NAS for a VPN server (free VPN), and as a TimeMachine server for my 3 Macs. I barely scratch the surface on what you can do with these things.

 

[RonBoyd]

Ideally, I’d only keep my best photos, but I’m a photo hoarder. Even then my archival photoshop panoramas can be 1-2 GB each.

I have 40-50 years of personal photos -- a large bunch converted to digital -- that is included in the 2-3 TB local storage.

In addition, I spent two years traveling the U.S. scanning the photos that my close (and some not so close) relatives had squirreled away. That is a much larger amount that I store separately. These are valuable since they range from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. It would have been nice if I could have kept some of the originals; for example, daguerreotypes but nobody was that willing to give them up.

 

[RonBoyd]

2. Dropbox Plus is 2TB for $120/year. iCloud is the same. Box offers unlimited for $15/mo.

Dropbox is worth every Penney one spends on it. I use it for my Moneydance files so that I can access it anywhere and on any device.

I also use it to share our Streets & Trips files. Not to mention easily sending overly large files.

In fact, I hardly think about Dropbox as it has come to be so necessary.

I just looked and find that I allow The House of Boyd Society to hold their membership records there. I, also, forgot that PLEX is placed there. In fact, I was surprised to find some 23 folders that I use quite regularly.

 

[FreeBear]

I have 40-50 years of personal photos -- a large bunch converted to digital -- that is included in the 2-3 TB local storage.

In addition, I spent two years traveling the U.S. scanning the photos that my close (and some not so close) relatives had squirreled away. That is a much larger amount that I store separately. These are valuable since they range from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. It would have been nice if I could have kept some of the originals; for example, daguerreotypes but nobody was that willing to give them up.

I feel better now! My best w*rk is definitely worth keeping too, but I need to get rid of all the junk RAW (digital negative files). This is as much fun as cleaning the garage, though. I'd rather just go on more trips, and, well, take more pictures.


I think the only thing that will save you and me that the hard drive "arms race" continues. I have a 6TB drive for my apple time machine backing up a few 3 TB drives. Then there is DW's machine...


NAS would probably make sense for us too but I'm too cheap.

 

[RonBoyd]

I feel better now! My best w*rk is definitely worth keeping too, but I need to get rid of all the junk RAW (digital negative files). This is as much fun as cleaning the garage, though. I'd rather just go on more trips, and, well, take more pictures.

I think the only thing that will save you and me that the hard drive "arms race" continues. I have a 6TB drive for my apple time machine backing up a few 3 TB drives. Then there is DW's machine...


NAS would probably make sense for us too but I'm too cheap.

Yeah, we got a little off track. We have five computers going at all times. It is just simply (less complicated) to use NAS.

On the getting rid of "junk": I am great believer in "The only bad photo is the one not taken." Some of what I thought were terrible were also the most popular.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Yep, I have 5TB used on my NAS, including 3TB of media on my Plex server and another TB of security video from the house which I should probably age out, but I think I set it to roll over at some point. Anyway, that's why I prefer it for media rather than cloud storage, I can't imagine what that would cost.

 

[Chuckanut]

FYI,

Tivo is running a Father's Day deal on the Bolt OTA DVR. And has cut the price of the All-In lifetime guide also. About $400 for the unit and the lifetime guide. (Life time of the Tivo unit, not your lifetime.) It's OTA only, not a cable box. You will need an antenna.

TiVo Dad-uation Sale | Save Up to $110 | Hurry while supplies last!

 

[Buckeye]

Cancelled YTTV, the $35 to $50 a month jump was too much. Looking for some other options to try.

I was not happy with the increase but still a great value. Being able to watch TV wherever I can get a cell or wifi signal is too much to give up. Waiting at Costco for tires to be rotated? Let's watch an episode of Columbo!

Also, I have two friends benefiting from my account so there are actually 3 households getting service for $50+tax per month.

 

[RunningBum]

Fire TV Recast down to $129 for Prime members. I wonder if they have a new one about to roll out? Or if I should jump on this.

 

[Midpack]

I’m a PS Vue subscriber, and it appears NBC won the negotiations - the real bottom line here. While I’d love no price increases, PS Vue is still far cheaper for us than any cable or satellite option (with added equipment fees and after teaser rates expire).

Today PlayStation Vue raised its price by $5 a month on all of their plans. Now PlayStation Access costs $49.99 a month. This all comes after Sony reached new deals with AMC, Discovery, NBC, and Turner to keep their channels on PlayStation Vue.

Increased Access, Core, Elite, and Ultra monthly package price by $5. As an existing customer, you will keep your current price for a minimum of 30 days. The new price will be reflected on your next billing cycle on or after July 31, 2019.

Added channels to the lineup, including CuriosityStream, beIN Sports, BabyFirst, and moved Tennis Channel to a wider audience.

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/playstation-vue-is-raising-their-price/

 

[ivinsfan]

Ughh, the streaming platforms are going the way of old cable and adding channels no one wants or watches to justify raising prices. IMO this will make Sling TV more attractive to viewers. Sling Blue or Orange are still the best price deal IMO.

 

[bloom2708]

Fire TV Recast down to $129 for Prime members. I wonder if they have a new one about to roll out? Or if I should jump on this.

I have the same thoughts. I want to buy this, but the reviews are not great and Amazon will probably release a better version as soon as I buy it. Doh.

 

[RunningBum]

I have the same thoughts. I want to buy this, but the reviews are not great and Amazon will probably release a better version as soon as I buy it. Doh.

I decided to pass and hold out for the next gen. As of right now, I don't need it, though even if I keep satellite I could put it on hold for a few months while my sports are out of season and use this. If I go with streaming I could do the same. Until I'm more sure, I'll wait for an improved product.

 

[bUU]

Ughh, the streaming platforms are going the way of old cable and adding channels no one wants or watches to justify raising prices.

Imagine that.

IMO this will make Sling TV more attractive to viewers. Sling Blue or Orange are still the best price deal IMO.

Until Sling starts doing it.

 

[Midpack]

^^ While streaming prices will converge with cable and satellite, it’s already taking years and cord cutters can easily save thousands in the meantime. And the new equilibrium should be a little lower because the home equipment and service costs are lower, thanks to more competition - there are already more streaming options than cable/satellite in most metro areas.

bUU will be right eventually, if you want to waste $ thousands in the meantime. We’ve saved about $900 and counting so far using PS Vue vs Dish...

 

[rmcelwee]

I have not read through the 91 pages of this thread <G> but my wife ONLY watches the Fox Business channel. That's it and it is on 24x7. I don't watch any TV at all. What is the cheapest way to get this channel? Thanks!

 

[REWahoo]

Fire TV Recast down to $129 for Prime members. I wonder if they have a new one about to roll out? Or if I should jump on this.

I have the same thoughts. I want to buy this, but the reviews are not great and Amazon will probably release a better version as soon as I buy it. Doh.

I decided to pass and hold out for the next gen. As of right now, I don't need it, though even if I keep satellite I could put it on hold for a few months while my sports are out of season and use this. If I go with streaming I could do the same. Until I'm more sure, I'll wait for an improved product.

I considered the Recast a couple of months ago but the mediocre reviews weren't encouraging so I went with the Channel Master Stream+ instead. $150 plus another $50 for a 1T external drive.

My thoughts after using the device for a few weeks:

PRO:

The Stream+ device serves the same function as a Roku or Fire TV, but also has a built-in tuner that allows you to attach an OTA antenna to get local channels AND to record those programs for future viewing. It uses Google Live Channels to provide a channel guide, allowing the user to select individual programs or series to record up to two weeks in advance.

The interface has a bit of a learning curve but has worked well once I got comfortable with it. I did have some issues after initially setting it up and using it for a few days. After figuring out what the problem was (me) and resorting to a factory reset, I've not had any more problems.

CON:

As an android device, it does not "speak" to some of its non-android competitors. This means you cannot access Amazon Prime or Netflix from the device as it won't load the apps for those two streaming providers. That could change, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Also, the Stream+ has no built in memory so it needs an external drive to store the OTA programs you want to record. While this is an extra expense, it also means you can decide how much storage you want up to the device limit of 2T.

 

[REWahoo]

I have not read through the 91 pages of this thread <G> but my wife ONLY watches the Fox Business channel. That's it and it is on 24x7. I don't watch any TV at all. What is the cheapest way to get this channel? Thanks!

Here is a great website to answer that question: https://www.suppose.tv/tv

 

[RunningBum]

I considered the Recast a couple of months ago but the mediocre reviews weren't encouraging so I went with the Channel Master Stream+ instead. $150 plus another $50 for a 1T external drive.

My thoughts after using the device for a few weeks:

PRO:

The Stream+ device serves the same function as a Roku or Fire TV, but also has a built-in tuner that allows you to attach an OTA antenna to get local channels AND to record those programs for future viewing. It uses Google Live Channels to provide a channel guide, allowing the user to select individual programs or series to record up to two weeks in advance.

The interface has a bit of a learning curve but has worked well once I got comfortable with it. I did have some issues after initially setting it up and using it for a few days. After figuring out what the problem was (me) and resorting to a factory reset, I've not had any more problems.

CON:

As an android device, it does not "speak" to some of its non-android competitors. This means you cannot access Amazon Prime or Netflix from the device as it won't load the apps for those two streaming providers. That could change, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Also, the Stream+ has no built in memory so it needs an external drive to store the OTA programs you want to record. While this is an extra expense, it also means you can decide how much storage you want up to the device limit of 2T.

As I understand it, the Recast isn't dedicated to a specific TV but instead you can access it from any Fire-based TV or stick (but not Roku or most smart TVs, unfortunately). CM Stream+ looks like it connects to a TV so it looks like you'd need one for each TV you want the DVR capability for, and it wouldn't even work to watch from a tablet. Is that correct?

 

[REWahoo]

CM Stream+ looks like it connects to a TV so it looks like you'd need one for each TV you want the DVR capability for, and it wouldn't even work to watch from a tablet. Is that correct?

Correct.

 

[rmcelwee]

Here is a great website to answer that question: https://www.suppose.tv/tv

So $45 per month to watch one channel. I guess the industry still isn't where we would like it to be. Thanks!

 

[audreyh1]

So $45 per month to watch one channel. I guess the industry still isn't where we would like it to be. Thanks!

You can watch Fox business channel streaming online for free.

 

[REWahoo]

So $45 per month to watch one channel. I guess the industry still isn't where we would like it to be. Thanks!

But, but, but...you get 50+ other channels totally free!!!

 

[RunningBum]

You can watch Fox business channel streaming online for free.

Can you? When I looked at that, it asked for a login from a service provider, which you would be paying for. I didn't pursue but I assume you can't watch without going through that login process.

You could get the login credentials from a friend or relative...