Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

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Been watching TV stations telling me I need to rescan my DTV channels. Did the rescan now I lost FOX. Sure hope the station returns for gameday on Sunday.
 
RetiredAndLovingIt said:
Locast just went live in Phoenix and Atlanta today.

They are now in 15 major markets throughout the country broadcasting local TV and sports, about 38 channels.
Click to expand...

I agree with what locast is trying to do. I'm cheering them on from the sidelines. But, as a practical matter, I expect them to go down hard, same as Aereo. I still use the service for PBS Newshour at 6pm. But by 6:15, the first nagware interruption terminates the stream. So I see the first 15 minutes of PBS Newshour, then I get on with prepping dinner. That's OK... anything important that happens in the world is usually covered in those first 15 minutes.
 
I hope not but you're probably right. There is no denying though that many people cannot get free local over the air signals due to the terrain in their area which is true in my case, the mountains block the signal so it's worth it to me. I could watch for free but for a mere $5.50 monthly donation no more nagware. I'll ride it out as long as it's around.
 
RetiredAndLovingIt said:
I hope not but you're probably right. There is no denying though that many people cannot get free local over the air signals due to the terrain in their area which is true in my case, the mountains block the signal so it's worth it to me. I could watch for free but for a mere $5.50 monthly donation no more nagware. I'll ride it out as long as it's around.
Click to expand...

As another person who is blocked out from OTA by mountains (we are only 30 miles from the transmitter as the crow flies) the networks blocking Aereo and locast has always been a mystery to me.... whether I receive my broadcast as free OTA or stream I still have to watch the commericals that presumably help pay the stations costs and I'm more than willing to do that... just don't treat me differently because their just happens to be a mountain between me and the transmitter.
 
One disadvantage with YouTubeTV so far, compared to Dish. If I pause playback to get a closer look at something, the screen goes fairly dark. With Dish, I get a good picture, and can even move forward at 1/4 or 1/16th speed. Sometimes I'll do that to catch some detail, or do my own review on a football play, that kind of thing. Not going to be able to do that with YTTV. Not a big enough deal to keep Dish, but it's something I'll miss.
 
RunningBum said:
One disadvantage with YouTubeTV so far, compared to Dish. If I pause playback to get a closer look at something, the screen goes fairly dark. With Dish, I get a good picture, and can even move forward at 1/4 or 1/16th speed. Sometimes I'll do that to catch some detail, or do my own review on a football play, that kind of thing. Not going to be able to do that with YTTV. Not a big enough deal to keep Dish, but it's something I'll miss.
Click to expand...
I miss that too, the ability to slow mo or even stop a frame. We also miss having the (last channel) jump feature on the remote. But like you, not enough to pay an extra $600+ a year.
 
Yesterdays repack/rescan caused an unfortunate side effect for us. We were getting an ION station that is about 35 miles from us that used to be on channel 27 and a local low-power H&I, (handi-tv) station, on channel 28. The repack changed the ION station from 27 to channel 28. After our rescan we now get the ION station but can't pick up the closer low power H&I station DW liked that she usually had on at times during the week.

No idea as of now how to get both!
 
We had one station move. We're still using both Tablo and TiVo (because why not since I have them both now).

Tablo was one click to rescan and it's happy with ABC 6.

TiVo has a variety of rescan options - all of which I tried. Still not getting ABC 6. I'll try again later today.

Tablo may have a clunkier UI, but they certainly handled this better.
 
wmc1000 said:
Yesterdays repack/rescan caused an unfortunate side effect for us. We were getting an ION station that is about 35 miles from us that used to be on channel 27 and a local low-power H&I, (handi-tv) station, on channel 28. The repack changed the ION station from 27 to channel 28. After our rescan we now get the ION station but can't pick up the closer low power H&I station DW liked that she usually had on at times during the week.

No idea as of now how to get both!
Click to expand...
Somewhere via google I found the new RF channel numbers or whatever they call them. It may have been on the FCC site, but that's undergoing some maintenance today so I can't search that. Anyway, I'd put in the station name I wanted to find the number, then if you're TV allows it, manually add that channel. It sounds like it's not strong enough to show up on a scan but you may get it anyway. You could also point your antenna in that stations direction and try a rescan.

If I can find later what web site I was using I'll post it.

Oh, try this: https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=184277

From Fishers, IN, you are probably looking for WUDZ? This says it's on channel 6 now, if I read this correctly. That looks right because it shows ION on 28.
 
update for Spectrum customers

I recently called Spectrum, and here is what I found out. TV Choice *is* available in our area, and it is pretty much what has been described. You get 10 channels for $35.99 per month, and the could DVR is another $4.99 per month. Since I would be dropping my bundle, my internet would go from $64.99 per month to $74.99.

Bottom line, it would be about $150.97 (the rep's figure) *before* taxes. So you might end up saving $25 per month over my current new amount of $182...

And even if, like us, you rarely watch more than channels, at least now you have the entire "Silver" package to watch...

Also, you need to have Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, or Samsung, none of which we have.

By keeping our existing cable, we can still watch live TV and many on-demand programs (like on A&E) by virtue of our Spectrum account.

So for now, we may end up just paying, and paying, and.....
One more thing. Here are the two websites that describe it all, neither of which would be easy to find:

https://www.spectrumchoicechannels.com/
https://watch.spectrum.net/
 
Couple of odd things today.

This morning, watching ESPN Game Day, the video would freeze for a second or two, while the audio continued. Occasionally at first, then 3-4 times or more per minute. I switched over to Dish and it was not happening there, so it wasn't ESPN doing it everywhere. I rebooted my cable modem and that fixed it. I've got fiber run on my street and am expecting to be able to hook up to that soon, which I assume will be better.

Just now while watching a game, I suddenly got thrown out of YTTV to the home screen. After a few sections it told me there was an update available and asked it I wanted it. I get annoyed enough at all the times I get asked to update my LG TV, but that has always been at startup. I don't like that I got interrupted like this. Could be the critical part of a game or movie.

I customized the order of channels in the Live Guide on my laptop. On some TVs it took, and at some it was slower, or maybe not at all (haven't rechecked). On another it took my custom, later reverted to the default, and now it's back to custom.

Other than that, it's all been fine. I'd be more worried about those pauses if I wasn't switching carriers soon.
 
wmc1000 said:
Yesterdays repack/rescan caused an unfortunate side effect for us. We were getting an ION station that is about 35 miles from us that used to be on channel 27 and a local low-power H&I, (handi-tv) station, on channel 28. The repack changed the ION station from 27 to channel 28. After our rescan we now get the ION station but can't pick up the closer low power H&I station DW liked that she usually had on at times during the week.

No idea as of now how to get both!
Click to expand...

I have a somewhat similar side-effect by having to do a rescan.

Unfortunately, I only have a balcony facing one direction. With my setup, the antenna and DVR I'm using was able to get all the major networks.

But after the rescan, I lost FOX. Well not entirely, but now if I want FOX I have to move the antenna outside to the balcony to get a decent reception. Which I really don't want to do for a couple of reasons.
 
wmc1000 said:
Yesterdays repack/rescan caused an unfortunate side effect for us. ...
Click to expand...

easysurfer said:
I have a somewhat similar side-effect by having to do a rescan. ...
Click to expand...

We were away Friday, did a rescan this AM after DW mentioned we only got a few channels (the ones that weren't moved).

We lost the local PBS station after the scan. I did a preliminary investigation a little later, I noted the "signal quality" for each of the stations we received (from one of the TVs that gives this info) and their "physical/real/RF channel #" (I think that's what it's called). Then I removed a now unused splitter and cable, and saw the signal quality number go up by a few digits on most channels. Rescanned the channels around the missing PBS, and it picked it up now. But it was marginal, and pixelated in and out. Seems the low to mid 30's on that quality # is the bottom end. We get 50's for some channels, but many are in the 30's. I don't think that number is any kind of standard measure, probably specific to that Vizio model.

So I'll get up into the attic (where our 'rooftop' antenna is), probably buy a new distribution amp and clean up any other unused splitters and see if I can squeak a few more 'quality' points out.

-ERD50
 
ARS Technica reports another price increase by AT&T https://arstechnica.com/information...ers-with-second-big-price-increase-this-year/
AT&T is rolling out another batch of price increases for AT&T TV Now, the online streaming service formerly known as DirecTV Now.

The AT&T TV Now "Plus" package that contains 45 channels and costs $50 a month will rise to $65, AT&T told Ars. Customers on some other plans will get a $10 increase, AT&T said. That means the "Max" plan with 60 channels will go from $70 to $80, but plans with more channels that range in price from $86 to $135 will stay at the current prices, AT&T told us.

Notices of the increases are being sent to existing customers, so the price hikes will affect both new and existing users.

And that's not all. AT&T is also raising prices for the second time this year on customers who kept plans that are no longer offered to new customers. For example, customers with the old "Live a Little" plan that includes 65 channels had their monthly price raised from $40 to $50 in April and will now see the price raised from $50 to $60 in November. That's a 50% increase in seven months.
Click to expand...
 
RunningBum said:
Somewhere via google I found the new RF channel numbers or whatever they call them. It may have been on the FCC site, but that's undergoing some maintenance today so I can't search that. Anyway, I'd put in the station name I wanted to find the number, then if you're TV allows it, manually add that channel. It sounds like it's not strong enough to show up on a scan but you may get it anyway. You could also point your antenna in that stations direction and try a rescan.

If I can find later what web site I was using I'll post it.

Oh, try this: https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=184277

From Fishers, IN, you are probably looking for WUDZ? This says it's on channel 6 now, if I read this correctly. That looks right because it shows ION on 28.
Click to expand...

Yes, in Fishers, we get channel 28 in another room that is only using rabbit ears antenna. Our attic omnidirectional antenna that used to get both that channel and the ION channel that is 35 miles away now is the one that only gets the ion signal and not the WUDZ signal anymore. I tried to enter it manually on channel 6 but it shows no signal.

Antennaweb.org is where I saw that WUDZ is rf channel 28 and that ION was on 27 and is now on 28. Also that rabbitears site shows WUDZ is off the air so it must be an older listing because we do receive it on another tv today.
 
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Having switched away from service with AT&T, brings a smile :D to me knowing I won't bite every time I get one of their letters in the mail begging me to come back, quoting "free" package deals.
 
I’ve continued to be unable to pick up a channel after the repack (WIRP, independent that I liked because it broadcast “Movies!”). Antennaweb seems to indicate it still exists but rescans or manual addition miss it.

It’s not essential so I can live without it. Fortunately, the major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and especially PBS) made the transition well.
 
Chuckanut said:
I've been an advocate of Tivo products for some time. But, recent decisions Tivo has made regarding inserting ads into recordings people make, has made me cool on the product. Here is a look at some alternatives for OTA recorders.

https://zatznotfunny.com/2019-10/co...1RrVK0IkU3G30Nv7BLvLTxQ3HCpdIV6T3rZWjYsXU9hJE
Click to expand...
I get that you and others not happy with TiVo slipping an ad in, so far not showing up on my Bolt. But almost all of the options included in that list will result in watching more commercials than with TiVo. Seems kind of counter productive, but whatever makes people happy.
 
Does AT&T offer discounts/promos for their streaming service like they do with DirecTV? I've been paying $61/month for DirecTV's XTRA package for almost the last two years, when my current promo expires in January I'll call them and try to extend it for another year, or switch to another provider if needed.
 
Chuckanut said:
I've been an advocate of Tivo products for some time. But, recent decisions Tivo has made regarding inserting ads into recordings people make, has made me cool on the product. Here is a look at some alternatives for OTA recorders.

https://zatznotfunny.com/2019-10/co...1RrVK0IkU3G30Nv7BLvLTxQ3HCpdIV6T3rZWjYsXU9hJE
Click to expand...
:eek::mad:
Wow. The HDD died on my Bolt+, and I have taken the opportunity to test Sling and Hulu as replacements, but I was considering ordering a replacement drive from Weaknees.com. In light of this news, I think I'll decommission the TiVo. Or at least delay putting it back in action until after the rollout of this new "feature", and see if maybe they respond to what I assume will be a very negative reception.
 
bobandsherry said:
I get that you and others not happy with TiVo slipping an ad in, so far not showing up on my Bolt. But almost all of the options included in that list will result in watching more commercials than with TiVo. Seems kind of counter productive, but whatever makes people happy.
Click to expand...

A Tivo rep has said that you can call CS and get the pre-roll ads removed, so not as big a deal as first thought. Bad move on Tivo's part to do these but can be avoided.

What can't be avoided now is the stupid decision to put the new, crappy Tivo+ service into the guide (taking up a row on the page) instead of making it an app like everything else.
 
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