Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) - 2021 version

[pb4uski]

For any cord cutters considering a Fire TV Recast setup, totay is the day! Prime Day has Fire TV Recast marked down to $130 (2-tuner) and $180 (4-tuner) and 4k Fire TV Sticks are $25.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski For any cord cutters considering a Fire TV Recast setup, totay is the day! Prime Day has Fire TV Recast marked down to $130 (2-tuner) and $180 (4-tuner) and 4k Fire TV Sticks are $25.

I'm not as gungho on the Firestick as I used to be. For love or money could not get paramount app to stream on my stick. Also wanted Peacock for some sports and they don't even have a firestick app. Of course all our tvs have Firesticks.

[daylatedollarshort]

I am late to this thread but we just switched cable providers for the new customer rates, dropped the local channels for Locast and saved over $50 a month compared to the non-new subscriber rates from Comcast with local channels added in. This is the first time we could find Internet only services without the local channels being thrown in. There are so many free apps these days we have some back up apps for local news if Locast loses its court cases.

I didn't read all the posts in this thread since there are 21 pages, so apologies if this has been posted already, but our local public library has Kanopy for free streaming with movies and Great Courses.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan I'm not as gungho on the Firestick as I used to be. For love or money could not get paramount app to stream on my stick. Also wanted Peacock for some sports and they don't even have a firestick app. Of course all our tvs have Firesticks.

Actually, you can sideload Peacock onto the Firestick... that is how I watch Peacock. https://www.techhive.com/article/361...n-fire-tv.html

I also used to have CBS All-Access app for the Fire Stick and that worked fine. Don't kow about Paramount + since we don't subscribe to it.

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski For any cord cutters considering a Fire TV Recast setup, totay is the day! Prime Day has Fire TV Recast marked down to $130 (2-tuner) and $180 (4-tuner) and 4k Fire TV Sticks are $25.

I just ordered the 4 tuner version, not sure I need 4 tuners, although we have 3 TVs and three phones, so might come in handy. I also order a new antenna Clearstream 4V TV antenna. Prime Day deal.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


My existing DIY antenna broke two days ago in the wind. Then yesterday it fell 20 ft. I did repair it, but this is the second repair, it fell during hurricane Michael. I'll give it back to my buddy that gave it to me over 5 years ago.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Time2 My existing DIY antenna broke two days ago in the wind. Then yesterday it fell 20 ft. I did repair it, but this is the second repair, it fell during hurricane Michael.

Maybe install the new one in the attic?

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan I'm not as gungho on the Firestick as I used to be. For love or money could not get paramount app to stream on my stick. Also wanted Peacock for some sports and they don't even have a firestick app. Of course all our tvs have Firesticks.

I have no problem with Paramount+. Do you have a subscription? I do (thanks ATT TV) but had never used it... until this experiment.

Peacock does present a problem. (I can watch it with ROKU or Shield but not with FireTV) There is a workaround, however. I haven't tried it since I am not that interested but here is a Google search that my help you out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=peac...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Actually, you can sideload Peacock onto the Firestick... that is how I watch Peacock. https://www.techhive.com/article/361...n-fire-tv.html I also used to have CBS All-Access app for the Fire Stick and that worked fine. Don't kow about Paramount + since we don't subscribe to it.

Well I had a 7 free trial which I cancelled before renewal and told them they weren't supporting my streaming device..maybe NBC and Amazon can settle their pi%%ing contest. sideload, jailbreak I know but come on man...to quote you know who.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd I have no problem with Paramount+. Do you have a subscription? I do (thanks ATT TV) but had never used it... until this experiment. Peacock does present a problem. (I can watch it with ROKU or Shield but not with FireTV) There is a workaround, however. I haven't tried it since I am not that interested but here is a Google search that my help you out. https://www.google.com/search?q=peac...hrome&ie=UTF-8

I do have one and I've tinkered with it a few times...until I get mad. I got the year for 30 and when contacted the help desk, they very kindly turned off the auto renewal but wouldn't refund my money...



We don't have the fastest internet but I can stream everything but Paramount+

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan We don't have the fastest internet but I can stream everything but Paramount+

Can you login?

[kcowan]

For anyone sideloadingbtheir Firestick, Filelinked is off the air at present. There are workarounds in Downloader but who knows if they are the same versions?

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Time2 I just ordered the 4 tuner version, not sure I need 4 tuners, although we have 3 TVs and three phones, so might come in handy. I also order a new antenna Clearstream 4V TV antenna. Prime Day deal. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 My existing DIY antenna broke two days ago in the wind. Then yesterday it fell 20 ft. I did repair it, but this is the second repair, it fell during hurricane Michael. I'll give it back to my buddy that gave it to me over 5 years ago.

I received both my new 4 tuner Recast and the Clearstream antenna as listed above. I compared my Buddies DIY antenna to the Clearstream, my buddies DIY was just a little better, not enough for me to send it back though. And the Clearstream was 1/3 the size. I mounted it up on the 20ft mast I have and installed the Recast. The setup was so easy, I still wonder if I'm finished! My wife recorded her first soap as the first test. We voice activated the record function. The default is to record the series everyday and it did, but you can change that to only the one program. It has a two week TV guide which is very nice. Everything can be voice controlled, but it is not necessary to use voice. (that's for my neighbor who has such a thick southern accent Alexa is clueless )
So far I'm very happy with the recast, I even got a hug from my wife after she found how easily she could record programs.
The internal tuners are very good, I have two Sony's, one got 27 stations, one got 29 stations and the Recast got 30 stations.
You can wait to order, I got mine, the new version will surely be out tomorrow.

[Gumby]

Six months since dropping cable and I haven't hadn't a single complaint from the young wife, so it was a good thing to do.

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

The Peacock TV app is now available for the FireStick in the app store as of Jun 24th.

https://amazonfiretv.blog/peacock-is...s-147eb083ee2b

[pb4uski]

^^^^ Yes, finally! Thanks for the heads up! I downloaded it last night and used it to watch the hockey game. I was also able to uninstall the sideload version that I had been using.

Go Bolts!

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredAndLovingIt The Peacock TV app is now available for the FireStick in the app store as of Jun 24th. https://amazonfiretv.blog/peacock-is...s-147eb083ee2b

I installed that yesterday, I found it very, very slow to load. After reading your post, I tried it again. It took 110 seconds from the time I clicked on the link, clicked whose watching and clicked on the movie, before the movie started. The second test, it dropped down to 45 seconds, it skipped the whose watching question, same time with the 3rd test.



Are you seeing these slow load times?

[pb4uski]

Not me. It worked fine... about the same as the sideloaded version. Only difference what's that with the official version you got to see the Peacock logo on the home screen where with the side loaded version is just a black blank box.

Perhaps try rebooting your Firestick?

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Not me. It worked fine... about the same as the sideloaded version. Only difference what's that with the official version you got to see the Peacock logo on the home screen where with the side loaded version is just a black blank box. Perhaps try rebooting your Firestick?

I tried a reboot, it didn't really help, after reboot it was 34 seconds before I could click on a movie and 1 min 10 seconds before the movie stated playing.
That is a minor inconvenience for a free service that once loaded will play for the next 1-1/2 hours, but I don't think it should be that slow. I only have 100MBPS service but it works fine for everything else.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Time2 I tried a reboot, it didn't really help, after reboot it was 34 seconds before I could click on a movie and 1 min 10 seconds before the movie stated playing. That is a minor inconvenience for a free service that once loaded will play for the next 1-1/2 hours, but I don't think it should be that slow. I only have 100MBPS service but it works fine for everything else.

It took me 6 seconds to from App Icon to Who's Watching to App loaded. And then another 6 seconds to go from App to Watch Now to movie playing. I have a wired 50MBPS (DSL) service. This was with a FireTV Cube.

There must be something unidentified causing a drag on your system... or solely on this particular instance.

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd It took me 6 seconds to from App Icon to Who's Watching to App loaded. And then another 6 seconds to go from App to Watch Now to movie playing. I have a wired 50MBPS (DSL) service. This was with a FireTV Cube. There must be something unidentified causing a drag on your system... or solely on this particular instance.

I tried a different Firestick on a different TV, Peacock loaded in 15 seconds and the movie took another 20 seconds. That's better, but not as fast as yours. I have a brand new Firestick, I'll install and see how it works.