Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[Cobra9777]

I just read Google will not make YouTube available on the Amazon FireTV beginning next month. This may be negotiating or posturing, but it may impact cord cutters. Story here https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...youtube-support-from-amazon-fire-tvs-in-2018/

For me it was a huge deal when I couldn't get Amazon Prime Video on the Chromecast. By contrast, removing the YouTube app from Fire TV is a small disappointment. Content-wise, it's not really comparable, at least IMHO. Plus, there are dozens of other ways to get YouTube on the bigscreen if desired, including at least two ways without ever leaving the Fire TV input... the new Silk browser or Kodi. Both are more cumbersome to use than the app however.

In any case, I do wish Amazon and Google would learn how to play nice and cut a deal. It doesn't do anybody any good when you cut off access to your content to a large group of device owners.

PlutoTV is interesting. It seems to have all the castoffs and misfits from HDTV. I do like the Slow TV (trains going through Norway). They have some fun/quirky stations. Some decent older movies...

A couple months ago, I installed Pluto on Fire TV and explored it for about 15-20 minutes. It was mildly interesting, but really nothing there for me. I've never looked at it again. I know it's getting lots of attention and some investment, so I'll check back at some point.

Currently, we subscribe to PS Vue, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Curiosity Stream, and PBS Passport. We get Hulu via DD's login. We never leave the Fire TV platform/input. There's way more content there than I have time to sit in front of the tube. New content comes faster than I can add it to my watch list.

 

[explanade]

Amazon finally released their app. for Apple TV.

Amazon is obviously pushing their own hardware, which has to be a loss leader for them. So you'd think they'd want to be on as many devices as possible, like Netflix's approach. Bezos is supposedly serious about producing original programming, with the deal they made for the prequel to Lord of the Rings.

If he wants the largest audience possible, he's going to have to get his app. on as many devices as possible.

Google is also trying to favor their own devices. Youtube app. on Apple TV 4K doesn't support HDR videos and they want to try to force people to use their VP8 and VP9 codecs instead of the more universal H.264 and H.265.

Sony tried to make its proprietary codecs popular. That's why they lost out on MP3 players and smart phones. It also hurt them for a long time with digital cameras too.

 

[Freedom56]

Pluto has more subscribers, but it's free...

Pluto is mostly no name networks, even more obscure than all the clutter networks in the cable/satellite world, so you get what you pay for once again. It wouldn't begin to replace PS Vue, DirecTV Now, Sling, YouTube TV or Hulu w live TV.

Our primary live TV comes from Sling Blue for $24.99 per month. However my wife spends 80% of the time on Netflix. I use Pluto for news access that I don't have with Sling Blue ( i.e. CNBC, Business News network). They have a decent selection of free movies also. The "no name networks" carry the same programming as the filler stations that cable and satellite services offer. Keep in mind, before cable TV, television was free over the air and still is. Those broadcast stations relied on advertising for revenue. What Pluto is doing is offering the filler channel type programming and some live news channels for free with their revenue stream coming from advertising. As their base grows, they will offer more and more free programming on their platform. Like Sling and Netflix, you can watch Pluto on your PC, tablet, or phone, or your second home.

 

[Dawg52]

I just read Google will not make YouTube available on the Amazon FireTV beginning next month. This may be negotiating or posturing, but it may impact cord cutters. Story here https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...youtube-support-from-amazon-fire-tvs-in-2018/

I got a popup this morning when using my Fire stick. Just bought 2 sticks....chaps my a$$. Not planning to change as I like the FS. If I need to watch youtube I will watch it on my Chromebook.

Pluto has more subscribers, but it's free...

Pluto is mostly no name networks, even more obscure than all the clutter networks in the cable/satellite world, so you get what you pay for once again. It wouldn't begin to replace PS Vue, DirecTV Now, Sling, YouTube TV or Hulu w live TV.

I haven't seen much on Pluto that is to my liking. A couple of channels I might watch I can find elsewhere.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

I have roku's on most TV's but on one I have a low Charter Spectrum cable box. Charter used to soak me by demanding one box per TV, so I dropped. Now with an app that will run live TV on Roku, I am only a partial cord cutter.

Anyhow, some of my Roku's are pretty old. I decided to upgrade one to a Fire TV. IMHO, it is the best for my price range. However, I had to return it as the Spectrum app is not available for Fire TV. Fire TV has been out for at least a year. Why isn't Spectrum playing nice with Fire TV?

 

[audreyh1]

Amazon finally released their app. for Apple TV.

Amazon is obviously pushing their own hardware, which has to be a loss leader for them. So you'd think they'd want to be on as many devices as possible, like Netflix's approach. Bezos is supposedly serious about producing original programming, with the deal they made for the prequel to Lord of the Rings.

If he wants the largest audience possible, he's going to have to get his app. on as many devices as possible.

Google is also trying to favor their own devices. Youtube app. on Apple TV 4K doesn't support HDR videos and they want to try to force people to use their VP8 and VP9 codecs instead of the more universal H.264 and H.265.

Sony tried to make its proprietary codecs popular. That's why they lost out on MP3 players and smart phones. It also hurt them for a long time with digital cameras too.

Yep we just installed the Amazon Prime Video app and logged in. Working well it seems. We are happy to have it.

I started a new thread with this info, but if I’d seen this thread resurface, I would’ve posted it here.

 

[txtig]

I got a popup this morning when using my Fire stick. Just bought 2 sticks....chaps my a$$. Not planning to change as I like the FS. If I need to watch youtube I will watch it on my Chromebook.

I agree that this is vey aggravating that Google and Amazon can’t work something out. We have used YouTube a lot on our Fire TV’s and we still plan on sticking with the Fire TV. Amazon just added an internet browser app (Silk) to the Fire TV/ Fire Stick, so that is an alternative to viewing a YouTube on Fire.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Decided to upgrade 2 of the old Roku's I had in my house. Bought one of the new Ultra's ($89) and an Express ($29). Wow! Speed. Increased Wifi range. I have my trigger finger on the "Place Order" button that would replace the remaining old Roku's in my house.

BTW. I have no financial ties to the Roku organization.

 

[Dawg52]

I agree that this is vey aggravating that Google and Amazon can’t work something out. We have used YouTube a lot on our Fire TV’s and we still plan on sticking with the Fire TV. Amazon just added an internet browser app (Silk) to the Fire TV/ Fire Stick, so that is an alternative to viewing a YouTube on Fire.

Amazon recently announced they will start selling the Apple TV and Chromecast again. Perhaps the first step to motivate Google from pulling Youtube from Fire TV's.

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbre...amazon-brings-back-apple-tv-google-chromecast

 

[Freedom56]

I just picked up a ROKU TV for our home in Florida. It is the ultimate cord cutting solution. I wish I had bought this TV for our primary residence instead of buying Samsung and Sony TVs with separate ROKU premiere plus devices. This 55 inch 4K HDR TV cost us just $389 plus tax at Costco. It integrates the tuner, streaming players and other devices connected to the HDMI ports into the familiar ROKU menu. The remote has a power on/off button on top and volume control buttons on the side. The picture quality is excellent for viewing 4K content.

 

[Focus]

Decided to upgrade 2 of the old Roku's I had in my house. Bought one of the new Ultra's ($89) and an Express ($29). Wow! Speed. Increased Wifi range. I have my trigger finger on the "Place Order" button that would replace the remaining old Roku's in my house.

BTW. I have no financial ties to the Roku organization.

Out of curiosity, how old is old? I got my Roku stick in September 2016.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Out of curiosity, how old is old? I got my Roku stick in September 2016.

The 3500 stick originally came out in March 2014. I purchased mine in November 2014. I bet you have the 3600 which came out 2 years later. The processor in the 3600 appears to be 50% faster than the 3500 stick.

 

[Focus]

The 3500 stick originally came out in March 2014. I purchased mine in November 2014. I bet you have the 3600 which came out 2 years later. The processor in the 3600 appears to be 50% faster than the 3500 stick.

Thanks for elaborating. Looks like I can stick with my stick -- so to speak.

 

[karen1972]

Cut the cord today,

Long story short, I called to complain about my current rates as the introductory rate expired. I was basically informed, I should stop complaining because in March the "package" I'm on will expire and my bill will go up yet another $30/month. With their pricing plan, I'd be paying $100/month for basic cable.

So cut the cord, managed to find a plan that doubled my internet, added HBO, and pay $30 less than I started the day, $60 less than I was informed I'd be paying in March.

I settled on DirectTV Now, it had the least amount of buffering problems for me, included the extended news channels, and HBO was only $5. Running it on Roku 3 its solid. Now just waiting for Google Fiber to get installed later this year.

 

[GaryTN]

Cut the cord today,

Long story short, I called to complain about my current rates as the introductory rate expired. I was basically informed, I should stop complaining because in March the "package" I'm on will expire and my bill will go up yet another $30/month. With their pricing plan, I'd be paying $100/month for basic cable.

So cut the cord, managed to find a plan that doubled my internet, added HBO, and pay $30 less than I started the day, $60 less than I was informed I'd be paying in March.

I settled on DirectTV Now, it had the least amount of buffering problems for me, included the extended news channels, and HBO was only $5. Running it on Roku 3 its solid. Now just waiting for Google Fiber to get installed later this year.

Who is your current internet provider and the speed you’re getting?

 

[karen1972]

I'm now on a Spectrum package at 200MB.

 

[GaryTN]

I'm now on a Spectrum package at 200MB.

That’s excellent speed. I’m on Spectrum with triple play getting 100 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload. To get the best rate, I had to take phone for a total of about $111 a month. Don’t have any phones connected. I have Rokus on both TVs. Would like to just pay for internet and add Sling TV or DirectTV Now. Currently have Netflix that I’m paying for monthly. Just internet would cost $45 plus extra fees but would go to $65 after 12 months. I’m not sure if I can talk my wife into cutting the cord since we wouldn’t get local channels and news. Our contract is up in May. The price will increase and will be easier to justify the cord cutting!

 

[Scrapr]

. I’m not sure if I can talk my wife into cutting the cord since we wouldn’t get local channels and news. Our contract is up in May. The price will increase and will be easier to justify the cord cutting!

Go out and get an over the air antennae. They can be very small and unobtrusive. Ours is smaller than our cable thing. Assuming you can get signal. You can pick up the locals that way

You have to switch inputs on your remote to watch the locals OTA. Like doing a Roku. Which confuses Mrs Scrapr. But sometimes there are cable disputes and a station will drop off the cable but be on the OTA channels. So she figures it out

 

[REWahoo]

I’m not sure if I can talk my wife into cutting the cord since we wouldn’t get local channels and news.

This reception map will let you know if you can get an OTA signal at your location: https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

 

[jim584672]

I went pure Internet years ago. The MegaCableCo. forgot to block the OTA channels from the cable.

 

[Gotadimple]

I went pure Internet years ago. The MegaCableCo. forgot to block the OTA channels from the cable.

Actually Mega* is required to provide the OTA channels as a community service. If you live in an area where OTA is difficult to achieve because of hills or buildings, you can get access through Mega* as basic cable. That gets you about 20 channels, your local OTA plus public service and some shopping channels.

- Rita

 

[jim584672]

Actually Mega* is required to provide the OTA channels as a community service. If you live in an area where OTA is difficult to achieve because of hills or buildings, you can get access through Mega* as basic cable. That gets you about 20 channels, your local OTA plus public service and some shopping channels.

- Rita

They want $20 a month for those channels.

 

[bUU]

Actually Mega* is required to provide the OTA channels as a community service.

Not anymore. A couple of years ago the FCC declared that there is "effective competition" for subscription video throughout the United States and allowed MVPDs to scramble local broadcast channels.

 

[ivinsfan]

That’s excellent speed. I’m on Spectrum with triple play getting 100 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload. To get the best rate, I had to take phone for a total of about $111 a month. Don’t have any phones connected. I have Rokus on both TVs. Would like to just pay for internet and add Sling TV or DirectTV Now. Currently have Netflix that I’m paying for monthly. Just internet would cost $45 plus extra fees but would go to $65 after 12 months. I’m not sure if I can talk my wife into cutting the cord since we wouldn’t get local channels and news. Our contract is up in May. The price will increase and will be easier to justify the cord cutting!

If its available in your area YouTube.tv will give you channels and news along with a big selection of cable channels for 35 a month.

 

[GaryTN]

If its available in your area YouTube.tv will give you channels and news along with a big selection of cable channels for 35 a month.

Thanks for all the advice. I’m not sure the savings provided by cutting the cord are worth it for now. By the time you pay for internet service and choose a service like Sling TV or the many other options, I don’t think the savings and missing the channels we watch would be worth it. I have previewed Sling TV and it works great. I have 333 channels installed on my Rokus (probably use just about 15-20 of them). I think my next step will be to buy an indoor antenna to attach to one of my TVs to see how many local channels I can get. I live in an apartment now and can’t have an outside antenna. And, identify which channels I watch most often so I can at least determine what channels I need to receive after cutting the cord.