Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[Bestwifeever]

Mine and probably your library card probably also gets us free DVDs. Not as hi-tech as streaming and often I have to wait a few weeks, but I am half way through the 9th season of the 'new' Dr. Who thanks to DVDs.

Yes, the DVDs from the library are great—when we finished Acorn’s three seasons of Line of Duty (soooo good), we were able to get the fourth season on DVD through our public library and watch it on our bluray player.

 

[audreyh1]

Probably as long as you're only streaming 4K to one device/TV.

Rule of thumb I've seen is 10mbps for full HD (1080p) + 5mbps for each additional device/TV simultaneous streaming. We have 25 mbps and stream to 2 TV's or even 3 devices without any issue, but much of broadcast TV is only 720p HD...

There isn't any broadcast TV at 4K that I know of, but there are movies and videos.

With our 20mbps setup (which we have measured being no more than 21mbps):

• We rarely watch two TVs at the same time.
• 4K content is still relatively rare.

So we’ve been fine. And it’s the best we can do here as fiber wasn’t run to our neighborhood.

No - nothing broadcasts OTA at 4K AFAIK.

 

[RonBoyd]

Would like to hear more about how you use SageTV and PlayOn. Looks like PlayOn will record Spectrum shows, which is good. Looks like with both SageTV and PlayOn you need some kind of PC with a tuner hardware. Is that what you do?

Yeah, this is not for the faint of heart. And the only reason I brought it up is because you already have (IMHO) a fairly sophisticated setup... certainly more that just a TV and an antennae or set-top box. From what you described it should be well within your comfort zone (again IMHO).

Yes, you need a PC, although not a particularly powerful one (or even very new -- mine is fifteen years old). There has to be a "server" to send the signal to the TV and, of course, storage space for the video files. (The storage is, also, so, like TIVO, one can pause and backup while watching live shows.) A PC is simply the easiest device to use as a server... well, for me anyway.

In addition, you do need a tuner (I use SiliconDust HDHomeRun devices -- 10 tuners, actually) to get the signal from the antenna to the PC. At this point, you don't even need a TV since you could then watch the show on the PC's monitor.

To get the signal from the PC to the TV you need a HD200 or a HD300. This device is a proprietary SageTV device that was discontinued many years ago but there are plenty of them for sale by private individuals. (Those that were smart enough to snatch up the existing stock when Google took over.) This device serves in a similar manner as a ROKU, Shield or Tablo device does.

I use PlayOn to record the Streaming programs and use SageTV to play on the TV. This is pretty straight forward. I put the video file in the same directory as the SageTV files are located... SageTV doesn't know the difference. <chuckle> Again, no matter how the video is recorded, if it is stored on the PC's hard drive, you don't need a TV.

I should mention that with the HDHomeRun tuners you can use the HDHomeRun program to watch/record OTA shows or subscribe to their streaming service to get/record a great many "cable" programs. See https://www.silicondust.com/. I am kinda impressed with this.

In reading this back, I may have made it sound more complicated that is. However, the use of the Forum I mentioned earlier will lead you through it... assuming my first sentence in this post doesn't apply.

 

[wmc1000]

I just started using playon, (got the $19.99 lifetime license), this month as a test to stream record shows that we currently record using HDhomerun devices to Windows Media Center on another computer.

We can stream the playon recordings to the TV via our fire stick.

My hope, if it continues to work smoothly, is to decommission the HTPC we have been using the past 8 years since we originally cut the cord.

 

[MissMolly]

I downloaded PlayOn a couple of years ago, but have never been able to figure out how it works. Researching on the internet has not helped me. Is there a "PlayOn for Dummies" book/site you can point me to?

 

[RonBoyd]

I just started using playon, (got the $19.99 lifetime license), this month as a test to stream record shows that we currently record using HDhomerun devices to Windows Media Center on another computer.

We can stream the playon recordings to the TV via our fire stick.

My hope, if it continues to work smoothly, is to decommission the HTPC we have been using the past 8 years since we originally cut the cord.

Wow! I, too, purchased the 19.99 life-time subscription but that was a long time ago. It is now $69.99. You waited a long time. <chuckle>

PlayOn is not a "complete solution" by any means. It, for instance, doesn't work for OTA programing. I have had many issues with PlayOn over the past couple years but...The one thing I will say about PlayOn is when you have a problem they bend over backwards to resolve it.

FWIW, when I can't get PlayOn to behave, I use "Replay Media Catcher" - https://applian.com/replay-media-catcher/. It is somewhat awkward to use but does the job. (Hint: If you are interested buy the "Suite" of programs not the individual program.)

 

[Helena]

.

Remember decades ago when "cord cutting" had a totally different meaning ??

It meant getting rid of degenerate TV for good... not using a different medium to access it.

"The times they are a'changing..."

.

 

[RonBoyd]

I downloaded PlayOn a couple of years ago, but have never been able to figure out how it works. Researching on the internet has not helped me. Is there a "PlayOn for Dummies" book/site you can point me to?

Yeah, I agree. It is not that user-friendly when you first pick it up but once you "get it," it is so easy to use. Anyway, they do have a bunch of help.

https://www.playon.tv/how-to-guide

https://www.playon.tv/user-guide

If, those don't help then get back to me and I will try to assist you.

 

[MissMolly]

Yeah, I agree. It is not that user-friendly when you first pick it up but once you "get it," it is so easy to use. Anyway, they do have a bunch of help.

https://www.playon.tv/how-to-guide

https://www.playon.tv/user-guide

If, those don't help then get back to me and I will try to assist you.

Thanks. I will look at these.

 

[explanade]

With our 20mbps setup (which we have measured being no more than 21mbps):

• We rarely watch two TVs at the same time.
• 4K content is still relatively rare.

So we’ve been fine. And it’s the best we can do here as fiber wasn’t run to our neighborhood.

No - nothing broadcasts OTA at 4K AFAIK.

That may or may not change soon. ATSC 3.0 is being tested now and stations may convert to it in the next few years.

ATSC will be capable of 4K and HDR.

But unlike ATSC 1.0, which was a mandatory transition for TV stations and consumers, to turn off old analog signals and convert to digital, ATSC 3.0 is voluntary.

No networks have committed to it but some stations, especially those owned by the Sinclair Group, which had a big hand in forming the standard, will probably convert.

They may not broadcast in 4K though they may forecast in 1080p HDR, which would be a big improvement over current formats being used.

Yeah for 4K content, you have to go to streaming, mostly Netflix but some with Amazon and others.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

RonBoyd, thanks for the detailed info on SageTV and PlayOn. I have an old PC that may be a good server. And, I see that a Roku channel is available for PlayOn. Currently I have no method of recording streaming content. I understand that Spectrum streaming has many On Demand shows. But...

Because of my setup, I don't see SageTV in my future.

 

[wmc1000]

I downloaded PlayOn a couple of years ago, but have never been able to figure out how it works. Researching on the internet has not helped me. Is there a "PlayOn for Dummies" book/site you can point me to?

For me the easiest way I found to set up the shows I wanted to record copies of was to click on the "channels" tab at the top of the page.

Then click on the channel with the shows you want to record ie, NBC. This takes you to a page with some selections to choose from, the one I find most useful is "current shows" which I click to get a listing of the shows on the NBC channel.

Click on the intended show, then click on "full episodes"

Click on the current season if more than 1 is listed then click on the "subscribe" button for all future episodes to record when they are available online.


Also see: https://www.playon.tv/how-to-guide/how-to-save-streaming-videos-to-your-computer

Hope that helps.

 

[MissMolly]

Still couldn't get it to work so I downloaded it again and BOOM! Works like a charm. So I am now trying my hand at recording some shows off Netflix.

 

[jimnjana]

I'm not 70 miles from the tower, but even so it helps a lot to locate your antennae as high as possible.

We placed a TiVo in second story bedroom and get good reception there. In our family room we use the little TiVo mini to drive our main TV. Basically it streams from the upstairs TiVo, but works like it's live TV.

When the antennae is on the first floor we don't receive all the channels.

This is what we will be doing too.

 

[RonBoyd]

Our local library gives us a free Kanopy subscription, which is nice.

This week offered yet another reminder that public libraries are the best: You can now stream a bunch of films by the indie production company A24, free of charge. A24 made “Moonlight,” “Lady Bird” and “Ex Machina,” among others, and they’ve teamed up with the free streaming service Kanopy — you just have to register with your library card. (Not every library participates.) If you are already mourning the loss of FilmStruck , which ceases operations on Friday, I hope this news is some small solace. ​

https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/WG_8133.html

 

[trapperjohn]

I have a question, or maybe it's more a plea for help! I cut the cord about 6 months ago, added a new digital antenna, bought a new Amazon Firestick, a new 1G Arris Surfboard cable modem, and a new 4G Netgear wifi router. The only thing that's not new is my 2 year old hi-def Sony TV.

I've signed up with Tablo, which allows me to either watch OTA through my Firestick, or record it to watch later. I've also subscribed to HULU which streams through my Firestick. (Both my OTA signals/Tablo, and my HULU stream run through my Firestick.)

After I assembled everything, it all worked fine during the day, but in the evening, buffering becomes a huge problem. Some evenings buffering will be minimal, but other evenings, the TV pauses and buffers more than it shows a picture which makes watching the show impossible. This happens whether I'm watching OTA shows, or via HULU.

I took the same Firestick, and plugged it into a low-def TV that is at least 10 years old, and it has minimal buffering (almost none). It appears that my 2-year-old hi-def TV is the problem.

I've tried to tweak the settings in the TV, but that doesn't seem to help. I've also turned off the wifi connection in the TV (but left the Firestick wifi enabled). I'm still getting way too much buffering to watch many of the shows.

We have a lot of devices connected to our router, but most only utilize the network occasionally, like our smart thermostat. We don't have kids living at home anymore, and don't use any other laptops, phones, iPads, etc. when we are having the buffering problem. I feel my router and cable modem should be adequate.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[REWahoo]

Sounds like an internet download speed issue. Reduced speed due to congestion is a common problem in the evening when everyone gets home from work/school and starts streaming. Have you checked your speed? https://www.speedtest.net/

 

[MissMolly]

Could your TV be too far from the router?

 

[Cobra9777]

I have a question, or maybe it's more a plea for help! I cut the cord about 6 months ago, added a new digital antenna, bought a new Amazon Firestick, a new 1G Arris Surfboard cable modem, and a new 4G Netgear wifi router. The only thing that's not new is my 2 year old hi-def Sony TV.

I've signed up with Tablo, which allows me to either watch OTA through my Firestick, or record it to watch later. I've also subscribed to HULU which streams through my Firestick. (Both my OTA signals/Tablo, and my HULU stream run through my Firestick.)

After I assembled everything, it all worked fine during the day, but in the evening, buffering becomes a huge problem. Some evenings buffering will be minimal, but other evenings, the TV pauses and buffers more than it shows a picture which makes watching the show impossible. This happens whether I'm watching OTA shows, or via HULU.

I took the same Firestick, and plugged it into a low-def TV that is at least 10 years old, and it has minimal buffering (almost none). It appears that my 2-year-old hi-def TV is the problem.

I've tried to tweak the settings in the TV, but that doesn't seem to help. I've also turned off the wifi connection in the TV (but left the Firestick wifi enabled). I'm still getting way too much buffering to watch many of the shows.

We have a lot of devices connected to our router, but most only utilize the network occasionally, like our smart thermostat. We don't have kids living at home anymore, and don't use any other laptops, phones, iPads, etc. when we are having the buffering problem. I feel my router and cable modem should be adequate.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Agree about doing a speedtest. My guess is that your older TV is closer to the router and thus the Fire TV stick is getting a stronger WiFi signal at that location. Try testing your speed using a laptop hardwired to the router. I would do this during primetime and also during the day. Run the test several times and record the average. This will provide a good baseline of what your ISP is actually providing.

Then do some testing on the same laptop using WiFi at the location of your two TVs (again... primetime and during the day). You'll need at least 10Mbps down to get reliable HD video streaming. Double that is better. Depending on the size and structure of your house, it's not unusual for WiFi to be less than half of what you get when hardwired to the router. Others may see no degradation at all.

Again just a guess, but based on what you described, it's probably some combination of: (a) slower speed from your ISP during primetime, (b) weak WiFi signal at the Sony TV, and (c) slower processing power of the stick. I always advise people to buy the Fire TV "box" and hardwire it to the router. The boxes are faster than the sticks and hardwire eliminates all the unknowns associated with WiFi.

Good luck.

 

[deserat]

https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/WG_8133.html

Wow on the Kanopy - thanks so much for that tip!

 

[bUU]

Sounds like an internet download speed issue. Reduced speed due to congestion is a common problem in the evening when everyone gets home from work/school and starts streaming.

Yes, the time of day seems to be a clear indication that that's the problem and that it is only noticeable on the device that supports the higher resolution.

 

[GoGolfing]

I suspect the Firestick is smart enough to know that your older TV can't handle HD, so it doesn't try to pull HD and therefore buffering is not much of a problem. The issue is likely the traffic congestion as suggested on previous posts. If you get your internet service through a cable company this can be an annoying problem as you're sharing bandwidth with all of your neighbors who get their internet service through the same cable service. If it is really bad you might consider switching to a DSL service as you have a dedicated line for your internet service. DSL service comes through a parallel line with your phone line and is provided through phone companies (we use Century Link). https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/dsl-vs-cable/

 

[bloom2708]

What speed download have you purchased 10mb/25mb/100mb? Is it DSL or Cable Modem?

SpeedTest will let you know if you are getting that speed.

Router/signal is up next. We have a 3 unit Google Wi-Fi mesh system. Amazing device. We have one unit on each floor. Signal is very strong and performance is amazing.

I would assume your new router is fine unless it is too far from the FireStick (as mentioned previously).

 

[Chuckanut]

Sounds like an internet download speed issue. Reduced speed due to congestion is a common problem in the evening when everyone gets home from work/school and starts streaming. Have you checked your speed? https://www.speedtest.net/

This happens whether I'm watching OTA shows, or via
HULU.

But, if it is happening while watching OTA stations the internet is not involved I would think. IIRC, his Tablo has to have a hard drive attached to it to record shows. Perhaps the HD is having issues, is not the right type or there is a bad cable connecting it to the Tablo?

One more thought. Is your internet cable or FIOS. If I understand this correctly, the cable coming into your neighborhood is shared with your neighbors who may hog bandwich at times. FIOS, on the other hand, just serves you. Your neighbors can stream video 24/7 and it won't affect your usage.

I am also curious why he bought a Fire Stick when it won't easily work with Google products like Youtube. A Roku is the best, IMHO. They have been doing it a long time and they work with all comers. No corporate animosity to get in the way.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[kgtest]

NFLX is raising subscriber costs across the board, so cord cutting got a little more expensive effective immediately. They need to pay for there 12-14bln worth of corporate bond debt they took on paying script writers and actors to compete against Disney etc.