Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[Midpack]

^^^ That’s an excellent summary, though it will probably be out of date within a year. I guess we’re “cable junkie” cord cutters. We’ve saved about $1000 in 19 months with zero sacrifice in channels, features or ease use. Way better value for a multi TV household.

 

[REWahoo]

^^^ That’s an excellent summary.

Yes, one of the best cord cutting sites I've seen. And based on how quickly the streaming landscape is changing, unless the site owner is diligent in keeping the info up to date I would expect it to be riddled with inaccuracies within 6 months.

 

[JoeWras]

Been playing with the Roku, and I just want to say how much better streaming has gotten over the years as the hardware has improved.

I'm willing to give it a chance this time.

I can also understand why people are complaining about some of the STBs that cable/uverse/googlefiber/etc. are pawing off on people. The complaint is generally: "Nothing is improving." Well, I can see why. The writing is on the wall for these devices.

 

[REWahoo]

Been playing with the Roku, and I just want to say how much better streaming has gotten over the years as the hardware has improved.

I experienced the same thing earlier this year when I replaced an old Roku stick with a new Roku Ultra. Big improvement.

 

[Cobra9777]

Here is fairly detailed guide to cord cutting from, of course... TVGuide:
https://www.tvguide.com/news/how-to...-best-streaming-services/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa2i...

I guess we are unenthusiastic "broadcast plus." We don't watch a lot of broadcast TV. But we like having it for certain things. So with no OTA access, we are forced to subscribe to something. I had high hopes for locast but they turned into nagware and are now being predictably sued into oblivion.

We each also like a few cable programs, not channels. In a perfect world, we would subscribe to X hours per month of ad-free, on-demand cable content of our choosing, plus broadcast (including PBS), with cloud DVR, and pay... I dunno, $30/mo. That seems like a fair price to me, considering how little we use it.

Anyway, until we get to that point (probably never), we still pay $55/mo for PS Vue and once again have ~50-60 "cable" channels that we will likely never watch.

Sure, we save money compared to the cable alternative, but mainly just due to the hardware rental costs and other junk fees. And to some degree, that's offset with the cost of hardware like streaming boxes, antennas, tuners, DVRs, and VoIP adapters that we now buy and upgrade periodically.

So that's us: unenthusiastic "broadcast plus"... rapidly transitioning to mainly YouTube. I would estimate that free YouTube now accounts for about 50-60% of what we watch on TV. DW is watching the latest Sailing Zatara, while I type this.

 

[RonBoyd]

This is slightly off-topic but... One of the advantages I found with streaming as opposed to cable/satellite is the quality of the sound track. (Granted, my experience was confined to cable programming at RV Campgrounds and, TBH, the picture quality was not that great either -- mainly SD.)

Anyway, getting the "Theater" experience at home can be a rather costly endeavor and probably quite "off-putting" for most folks. Nevertheless, once you experience Surround Sound (even 5.1), it is hard to accept sound coming from the TV set's speakers.

For roughly the cost of a good TV set, this would be a good "starter" setup:

https://www.audioholics.com/recommended-systems/recommended-5.1-focused-audio-system-for-under-700

One of the most common questions asked of me is how to set up a home theater system on a budget. Many people just getting into home theater systems will go to a retail store and see a home theater in a box or soundbar for $500 or less and wonder why they are still not satisfied with their system. Considering that audiophiles are often targeted by exotic cable companies with speaker cables costs more than $500/pair, the task of coming up with a budget system while being taken seriously is a bit daunting.

For $750 you get a 5.1 system that would crush the sound of any home theater in a box or soundbar, especially for music. Even during the writing of this article the prices of the components listed dramatically changed on Amazon. You might be able to find some of these products at better prices on sale.

Disclosure: I do not have a financial or any other personal interest in any of these products.

 

[Cobra9777]

This is slightly off-topic but... One of the advantages I found with streaming as opposed to cable/satellite is the quality of the sound track...

My experience has been the opposite. With cable, we had full 5.1 surround sound on most channels, including broadcast. Now, with Playstation Vue live streaming, we only get stereo 2.0. I think it's the same for all live streaming services, although I've heard that some on-demand content is now 5.1.

Of course, we still enjoy our surround sound system with Netflix and Prime streaming programs, which are mostly 5.1. But it's been a step backward as far as broadcast and cable channels on PS Vue. Still sounds great on our system, but 5.1 would be much better.

 

[RonBoyd]

My experience has been the opposite. With cable, we had full 5.1 surround sound on most channels, including broadcast. Now, with Playstation Vue live streaming, we only get stereo 2.0. I think it's the same for all live streaming services, although I've heard that some on-demand content is now 5.1.

Of course, we still enjoy our surround sound system with Netflix and Prime streaming programs, which are mostly 5.1. But it's been a step backward as far as broadcast and cable channels on PS Vue. Still sounds great on our system, but 5.1 would be much better.

Oh!. I can't speak to PS Vue but in the RV the Cable signal always gave a lower quality sound than the streaming services. On the other hand, it is a ten-year old 5.1 system.

At the stick house, we have a much more sophisticated system anchored by a Yamaha RX-A3038 AVR (https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/av_receivers_amps/rx-a3080_u/index.html) pumping a 9.1 setup.

The AVR probably does alter the sound to give me an "unreal" experience. So I am, admittedly, not the best person to give advice in that area.

AVENTAGE – Surround:AI

Intelligent Surround. This AI technology built into the DSP analyzes the scene of your entertainment content and creates an optimal surround effect to reproduce it with the greatest effect. In real time, this AI instantaneously analyzes scenes by focusing on distinct sound elements such as dialogue, background music, ambient sounds and sound effects, and automatically optimizes the surround effect. The effect is a compelling sense of realism beyond conventional sound field effects, giving you the best of every scene in an entertainment experience.

Anyway, my purpose was to point out a way to improve the sound of TV viewing that would probably fit into anyone's budget.

 

[Dawg52]

This is slightly off-topic but... One of the advantages I found with streaming as opposed to cable/satellite is the quality of the sound track. (Granted, my experience was confined to cable programming at RV Campgrounds and, TBH, the picture quality was not that great either -- mainly SD.)

Anyway, getting the "Theater" experience at home can be a rather costly endeavor and probably quite "off-putting" for most folks. Nevertheless, once you experience Surround Sound (even 5.1), it is hard to accept sound coming from the TV set's speakers.

For roughly the cost of a good TV set, this would be a good "starter" setup:

https://www.audioholics.com/recommended-systems/recommended-5.1-focused-audio-system-for-under-700




.

Anyway, my purpose was to point out a way to improve the sound of TV viewing that would probably fit into anyone's budget.

I've done something similar only using an old JVC receiver, Polk bookshelf & center channel with a JBL subwoofer. Didn't cost a lot of money and sounds better than most soundbars that I've heard. Sounds really good imo.

 

[GenXguy]

WatchFree appears to be the same thing as PlutoTV. I've been watching it for a while now and tons of choices, I highly recommend it.

Cool. I've been using an antenna to tune in the major OTA broadcast networks for several years to avoid cable costs, and I want to avoid paying for any streaming services also, so at least PlutoTV would provide another place for free content, including some free streaming news channels. Thanks for the info.

 

[Smitty700]

I cannot see where AT&T Now (currently known as DIRECTV Now) requires an AT&T box. I can find no reference to that on their site.

Their list of currently supported devices on https://www.directvnow.com include all of the usual suspects, like Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, web browser

 

[RonBoyd]

Cool. I've been using an antenna to tune in the major OTA broadcast networks for several years to avoid cable costs, and I want to avoid paying for any streaming services also, so at least PlutoTV would provide another place for free content, including some free streaming news channels. Thanks for the info.

ROKU has a kagillion free channels available:

https://mkvxstream.blogspot.com/

 

[RonBoyd]

I cannot see where AT&T Now (currently known as DIRECTV Now) requires an AT&T box. I can find no reference to that on their site.

It may be too early to tell what they are going to do. The "new" system has not been instituted yet. The STB reference came from their Press Release announcing the service.

 

[Smitty700]

The problem is they know your location only roughly.

I went on a "ride-a-long" with a deputy with our local sheriff's office a couple of months ago. Anytime he did not have an active call, he followed up on 9-11 hangups, calls to the the emergency center but disconnected before anyone spoke. Most of these hangups were cell phones that gave only a general vicinity. We would knock on doors only to have people have no idea. In come cases, the location was an empty field. But the law enforcement agencies check out the calls.

 

[Smitty700]

It may be too early to tell what they are going to do. The "new" system has not been instituted yet. The STB reference came from their Press Release announcing the service.

Their website says:

You don’t have to do a thing if you already have DIRECTV NOW. Your service will continue without a hiccup. Your app should update automatically, and you’ll use the same sign-in info for the AT&T TV​

It sounds like more of a name change than anything, so we'll see..

 

[RonBoyd]

Their website says:

You don’t have to do a thing if you already have DIRECTV NOW. Your service will continue without a hiccup. Your app should update automatically, and you’ll use the same sign-in info for the AT&T TV​

It sounds like more of a name change than anything, so we'll see..

Yeah, we are all holding our breath hoping they (AT&T) don't "cause" a hiccup. Like those folks who complained about that $10 increase and were pacified with an offer to accept a discounted price for three months. The three months were up and they were told that they (the subscriber) had changed the program they were on and would have to re-subscribe at the greatly inflated price -- from $35 to ~$100.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Their website says:

You don’t have to do a thing if you already have DIRECTV NOW. Your service will continue without a hiccup. Your app should update automatically, and you’ll use the same sign-in info for the AT&T TV​

It sounds like more of a name change than anything, so we'll see..

Oh, it'll change...that's a given. How it will change remains to be seen.

 

[explanade]

ROKU has a kagillion free channels available:

https://mkvxstream.blogspot.com/

How many are worth watching?

BTW, saw the other day Roku stock seems to be doing well.

 

[RonBoyd]

How many are worth watching?

That has been asked about them all.

BTW, saw the other day Roku stock seems to be doing well.

Yeah, I even heard that I need to quickly get on board because it is the next Amazon.

 

[Cobra9777]

ROKU has a kagillion free channels available:...

Is any of this actually proprietary to Roku? Or are we talking about Pluto, Tubi, Crackle, etc. Those can be installed on practically any device and watched for free. Is there some content that Roku actually provides free only to Roku owners?

 

[timo2]

Is any of this actually proprietary to Roku? Or are we talking about Pluto, Tubi, Crackle, etc. Those can be installed on practically any device and watched for free. Is there some content that Roku actually provides free only to Roku owners?

The 'Roku Channel' is the closest thing, and much of it is from other sources anyway. But not all. https://blog.roku.com/introducing-the-roku-channel-free-movies-and-more

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Is any of this actually proprietary to Roku? Or are we talking about Pluto, Tubi, Crackle, etc. Those can be installed on practically any device and watched for free. Is there some content that Roku actually provides free only to Roku owners?

Well, from what I hear in the home theater industry, the content providers (Netflix, Hulu, Pluto, Tubi, Crackle) provide something like an API or framework, and the hardware manufacturers (Roku, smart TV manufacturers, TiVo) develop the apps. And in my experience, the Roku apps are usually better than those on smart TVs or other set top boxes. Part of it might be that they are dedicated streaming boxes, and so are faster than boxes that are also TVs or DVRs, and more robust than the "stick" formats, but the remote and the way features are used seems better to me. Plus, Roku has a big bonus, the ability to search for content across all channels. So the interface is proprietary, but it's based on the work of the content providers.

But as far as content, no, I don't think so. But I don't think that's what Roku is trying to sell, it's trying to sell a more convenient way to access the content you already pay for.

 

[Cobra9777]

The 'Roku Channel' is the closest thing, and much of it is from other sources anyway. But not all. https://blog.roku.com/introducing-the-roku-channel-free-movies-and-more

Thanks. Since I own all Fire TV boxes, I just Googled "roku channel for fire tv" and found this AFTV blog post that explains how to watch the Roku Channel free on Fire TV. So I downloaded the bookmark and it works fine using the Fire TV Silk browser.

I also found this story on cordcuttersnews.com:

The Roku Channel Is Now Available on The Fire TV & Apple TV With AirPlay

 

[GenXguy]

ROKU has a kagillion free channels available:

https://mkvxstream.blogspot.com/

I'm familiar with Rocku, but I don't have their equipment. One thing I liked about PlutoTV is that I could just open it up in a browser on my HTPC and select a channel, although there is a Windows app that I could install that might make it easier to use.

My antenna for ATSC broadcasts, in combination with my HTPC running SageTV along with my movie collection, provides most of the content I need, so I would only have occasional use for PlutoTV, Roku, or anything else.

 

[Cobra9777]

Well, from what I hear in the home theater industry, the content providers (Netflix, Hulu, Pluto, Tubi, Crackle) provide something like an API or framework, and the hardware manufacturers (Roku, smart TV manufacturers, TiVo) develop the apps. And in my experience, the Roku apps are usually better than those on smart TVs or other set top boxes. Part of it might be that they are dedicated streaming boxes, and so are faster than boxes that are also TVs or DVRs, and more robust than the "stick" formats, but the remote and the way features are used seems better to me. Plus, Roku has a big bonus, the ability to search for content across all channels. So the interface is proprietary, but it's based on the work of the content providers.

But as far as content, no, I don't think so. But I don't think that's what Roku is trying to sell, it's trying to sell a more convenient way to access the content you already pay for.

I agree that streaming boxes are generally faster than sticks, though not always... depends on how old the box is and how new the stick is.

I've also noticed that STB apps and smart TV apps tend to be slower and less useful than the same app on a dedicated streaming device... and updated less often. I'm sure there are exceptions to that as well, but I haven't used smart TV apps in probably 5 years.

But the part about searching across channels is certainly not unique to Roku. The Fire TV platform does a great job of this including voice search, Alexa integration, and integration with live streaming services like PS Vue. I'm sure that Apple TV and Android TV handle this as well.

As for the Roku Channel, I'm reasonably sure they had no intention of making it available to owners of competing devices. But so far they haven't done anything to stop it. So for all intents and purposes, it's a free-for-all, same as Pluto and Crackle.