Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[The Cosmic Avenger]

If your reason for 'cutting the cable' is to save money then I would purchase any needed router/modem rather then lease it, they aren't that difficult to setup, fairly reliable, and will probably payoff in less than a year. I have an LG OLED TV and prefer using it's smart TV interface with Amazon Prime rather than the Fire Stick but it can vary by TV.

Very much so. Roku is probably fine for most people, but there are some smart TVs whose interfaces are good enough that you might not need one. We have 3 Rokus, but we don't use one of them because the Samsung TV we bought about a year ago has all the apps we use and the interface is as good or better than the Roku, so we use that instead in that room. I also have content in two apps that are less common, Vudu and Plex, and so any streaming device that doesn't have those apps is a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Rustic23]

I bought a cheap Roku TV for the guest room. MISTAKE! It worked well, I thought, then I connected my Roku stick to the TV. Huge difference in picture and speed. I left the stick connected.

 

[ziggy29]

I also like the small size of the Roku remote....

LOL. That small thing is the bane or our existence! It is constantly getting lost, falliing between seat cushions, that sort of thing. We need to be able to "call" it like we can call each other's phones when we misplace them.

 

[steelyman]

LOL. That small thing is the bane or our existence! It is constantly getting lost, falliing between seat cushions, that sort of thing. We need to be able to "call" it like we can call each other's phones when we misplace them.

I was REALLY happy to discover that the remote for my Samsung TV controlled my Roku also (and Samsung Blu-ray). Happiness is an uncluttered living room coffee table with unused remotes living in their own little bowl.

 

[Chuckanut]

I bought a cheap Roku TV for the guest room. MISTAKE! It worked well, I thought, then I connected my Roku stick to the TV. Huge difference in picture and speed. I left the stick connected.

The problem with the Internet TV's is that at some point the hardware may need updating to support new ways of doing things, which means a new TV. OTOH, a new Roku stick can be bought very cheaply.

 

[Cobra9777]

Hi all - any advice welcome!

I’m switching from cox cable to Verizon Fios internet only. I’m renting a router from them - that way they will be responsible if it doesn’t work. I have a smart tv (internet enabled) and blu-Ray player. I have amazon prime and Netflix. What’s the best way for me to get cnn, msnbc, pbs? Do I need Roku or fire stick? I don’t think I do, since can access WiFi through the tv. TIA

I agree with others. First, buy a router or mesh WiFi. Don't rent hardware... it's a total waste of money. Second, you will need to get a streaming box or stick (Roku and Fire TV are very popular choices). They are MUCH better than smart TVs and not very expensive. Third, get OTA if you can. That'll take care of PBS and the other locals. You can also install the PBS app once you have a streaming box. As for CNN, MSNBC, etc, you'll probably need to subscribe to a streaming service like PS Vue or Sling.

We have FiOS internet and a mesh WiFi system. No OTA available here. We subscribe to PS Vue, Netflix, Prime, and PBS Passport. We like the cloud DVR and on-demand from PS Vue. We use Fire TV boxes, which work well with Prime and Alexa. The integration with Netflix and PS Vue is very good as well. Recently I've started using a free app called locast for access to PBS live since PBS is still not offered on any of the live streaming services.

Good luck.

 

[GTFan]

Just a report: we ditched satellite Dish 3 weeks ago and switched to youtubeTV ($40/month although this month is free). We are very satisfied; in our case there are more watchable channels then for 110$/month with Dish (part was the equipment rental); we changed to basic Dish last year for $55/month without ESPN and other sports channels. Dish raising rates again and the dispute with CBS send DW over the edge (most of her TV shows are on CBS for whatever reason).

Satellite TV is in big trouble, IMO they are headed the way of the old BUD (C-Band) providers where only the rural customers that can't get good internet are left. And I don't think that's sustainable for them.

 

[Chuckanut]

Satellite TV is in big trouble, IMO they are headed the way of the old BUD (C-Band) providers where only the rural customers that can't get good internet are left. And I don't think that's sustainable for them.

When the plan to make up for lost subscribers is to raise rates on the remaining ones, well.... Price is a function of Supply and Demand. Maybe they were sleeping in Econ 101 on the day that was taught.

 

[stephenson]

Some thoughts:
- don't rent a router, look around for one that matches your throughput needs
- most houses are just fine with a single router
- Deborah, are you also renting a cable modem? If so, same answer, buy your own that matches your throughput need as the payback is short
- locast requests a donation, so is really not free and not available in most areas
- Roku, Apple TV, etc are simply streamers - but powerful devices you load apps to in order to gain access to various data streams, including OTA channels received by devices like the Silicon Dust HD Homerun box
- PBS online requires a subscription - and, even then it does not offer (I think) real time PBS programming - way better to get this from OTA

 

[explanade]

I am surviving on just my LTE/4G signal with an antenna and an inside signal booster for all my internet needs. I can stream fine almost all the time. I do YoutubeTV - it has as much sports as I want + Golf Channel + I like having access to local broadcasts occasionally. We also enjoy the Amazon Prime streaming options.

I work from home during the week and it works fine. I find bandwidth and latency problems most often on weekend nights when the Netflix monster is unleashed.

We have much less TV time which is another side benefit.

Um mobile data is way more expensive than home data.

Especially if you're streaming a lot of video.

 

[explanade]

The problem with the Internet TV's is that at some point the hardware may need updating to support new ways of doing things, which means a new TV. OTOH, a new Roku stick can be bought very cheaply.

For a lot of people, it's convenience, operating it with the same TV remote.

For TV manufacturers, it's a way to make profits because smart TVs track your habits and send targeted ads.

Vizio and Samsung have been caught spying on people.

I believe Roku is also able to keep prices down by using targeted ads as well.

Apple TV is the best streaming device, from a performance and privacy standpoint. But it approaches $200 and may be confusing for some people to use.

 

[REWahoo]

LOL. That small thing is the bane or our existence! It is constantly getting lost, falliing between seat cushions, that sort of thing. We need to be able to "call" it like we can call each other's phones when we misplace them.

Get one of these to replace it.

 

[MichaelB]

Get one of these to replace it.

 

[steelyman]

Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV)

For TV manufacturers, it's a way to make profits because smart TVs track your habits and send targeted ads.



Vizio and Samsung have been caught spying on people.

I’d heard of this and own a Samsung TV. When I first set it up (late 2016) I went through a step to establish a Samsung “account”. I’ve since deleted that (I hope). The TV periodically updates its software but I don’t get little “extras” that I don’t want. Who knows what they’re doing?

More and more I’m choosing to go through Roku for streaming for its cleaner interface and perceived (by me) more consistent play. That probably tracks my viewing habits.

So mostly I select from my antenna w/DVR, Roku, or Blu-ray player from the TV home.

 

[Midpack]

- PBS online requires a subscription - and, even then it does not offer (I think) real time PBS programming - way better to get this from OTA

The PBS app is free and that will allow you to watch quite a bit of their programming without a subscription. Only if you want all the better programming (like Victoria) will you need a PBS Passport subscription, $60/yr or $5/mo some places.

None of it is live, all on demand.

However, PBS Newshour is live streamed on YouTube starting at 5pm CST, before it shows live in the CST timezone And shortly after it airs live, it’s all on YouTube on demand. All free!

 

[MissMolly]

You can also install Playon on your computer. It's a free download. If you buy a subscription you have DVR capability. They frequently have sales on their subscriptions, most recently over President's Day weekend for $29.99 for lifetime. They have a bunch of channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube, CW, Vudu etc. There are 23 channels altogether. If you buy the subscription you can record whatever is on these channels. Most of the shows are available anywhere from next day after airing to a week after airing. The entire library at PBS is available even without the PBS Passport.

 

[steelyman]

Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV)

One of the OTA networks around here is Movies!

http://moviestvnetwork.com/

It broadcasts many classic movies that will make me set my DVR. A lot aren’t offered on Netflix or Prime.

 

[Golden sunsets]

You can also install Playon on your computer. It's a free download. If you buy a subscription you have DVR capability. They frequently have sales on their subscriptions, most recently over President's Day weekend for $29.99 for lifetime. They have a bunch of channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube, CW, Vudu etc. There are 23 channels altogether. If you buy the subscription you can record whatever is on these channels. Most of the shows are available anywhere from next day after airing to a week after airing. The entire library at PBS is available even without the PBS Passport.

Gosh; There is so much to absorb in this universe of alternative options to watch content. I can hardly keep track of it all. This one looks very intriguing. I just downloaded it . I haven't purchased the paid version yet, but may very do so.

 

[MissMolly]

Gosh; There is so much to absorb in this universe of alternative options to watch content. I can hardly keep track of it all. This one looks very intriguing. I just downloaded it . I have't purchased the paid version yet, but may very do so.

Wait for holiday weekend. They always put it on sale. Easter is just around the corner...

 

[MissMolly]

And I meant to add that there is a PlayOn channel (app) for Roku.

 

[stephenson]

Midpack - thanks! Didn't know PBS News was streamed live on the net anywhere.

We have subscription through our contributions, and it isn't live on the app - usually delayed a day.

I'll check youtube soonest.

 

[explanade]

There's talk of a price increase on DirectTV Now packages, with channels dropped.

Wow I just checked their prices. Not really cheap at all. I did a trial with them about 18 months ago at like $35 a month.

Nothing like that any more.

 

[robnplunder]

Can you break down what you are paying to each to get to just $30/mo? I haven't been able to find anything that included the Golf Channel that would be that cheap including Netflix.

Not the golf channel. I pay $5 (soon to be $10/months) to watch Korean TV channels online. They have two golf channels.

 

[deserat]

Yeah, this is a problem. It angers us when we cannot use DirecTV NOW to watch the Broncos when we are away from Denver.

(Without, for obvious reasons, going into any detail but... look into something like NordVPN.)

Used NordVPN when I lived in Milan to stream PBS and Wolf Hall.....if I move overseas again, I will get NordVPN again.

 

[timo2]

Can you break down what you are paying to each to get to just $30/mo? I haven't been able to find anything that included the Golf Channel that would be that cheap including Netflix.

Using Suppose https://www.suppose.tv I typed in Golf Channel but the cheapest platform was sling blue + sports extra for $35/mo