Cord cutting detail questions

Masquernom

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Sorry to start another cord cutting thread, but I have some detail questions.

My plan is to get internet service from AT&T, Spectrum or Verizon. Whoever is cheapest.

My problem is we have always had cable TV. So we've had a channel guide. It looks like the cheapest way to go is to get plain Hulu and then local TV channels through antenna. But plain Hulu doesn't have a channel guide and we'd have to be switching TV inputs between internet and antenna. Hulu+Live has a channel guide, but I'm back to paying a lot for live TV.

Anyone have a solution to smooth access?
 
I think I figured it out. To get the channels live that my wife wants to watch, I guess I have to get Hulu+Live.
 
I cut the cord and would like some channels I can’t get with my antenna but it seems like paying for Hulu live or YouTube TV isn’t really any different than staying with the cable company. Seems like any tv solution is about $70 and up.
 
There is no channel guide for Hulu basic because nothing is live but pretty much all the ABC network shows are available on demand within a couple days for streaming at your convenience. I haven't watched live TV in at least ten years just the morning news shows on the antenna. I don't know if Hulu+Live plays commercials or not, that's something to check out if you really hate ads, you can't skip commercials as I understand it. My suggestion would be keep the cable for an extra month but don't use it while you give cordcutting a trial run. If you're happy after your trial then cancel the cable. On Black Friday there will be tons of deals available for streaming apps at a great discount, some for 3 months, some for a year but I don't think there are ever any live TV offers. I grabbed the Hulu basic w/Disney+ offer good for a year for $2.99 a month. I watch Hulu every evening for a couple of hours and I've only watched Disney+ 3 times since last November so won't be getting that one again.
 
Yeah, they have Hulu +Live without ads for about $90 per month. I could do it a lot of ways just for me, but I'm trying to make it work as seamlessly as possible for her. She watches CNN, TLC, TBS, CW, Lifetime, etc. She also records a lot of series. Internet plus Hulu +Live should be around $150 per month. A lot cheaper than Spectrum I have now.
 
Hulu+Live is about to go from $76.99 to $82.99/mo - it includes 90+ channels, unlimited DVR, Disney+ and ESPN+. We’ve had Hulu+Live for several years. There are two on screen guides, one like Netflix with icons, and another that’s a matrix guide just like cable or satellite guide (below). My wife wouldn’t have switched if there wasn’t a matrix guide, now she would never go back to cable - Hulu+Live and YouTubeTV are basically drop in replacements for cable or satellite. If you’re a one TV household, you can probably get cable for about the same price as Hulu+Live. But if you’re a family or multi TV household, I doubt you’ll find a comparable cable package for $82.99/mo after you add all the broadcast fees, sports fees, DVD/equipment charges, etc.

rtaImage
 
You might checkout Frndly TV for ~$8/mo - 42 channels and maybe some are what the DW is interested in. I have a Vizio TV in our RV in AZ - OTA provides 78 channels and it has a guide out to at least 24 hours. I also use a ROKU which streams about everything we watch between that and the OTA. Spend about $30/mo for some streaming services and abotu $^5/mo for 500mb Internet. Let your wallet be your guide :) Here in NoWhere, MT, it's 100% streaming - not OTA available and not cable. Dropped DirecTV in 2011.
 
We have a Fire TV Recast OTA DVR with Fire Sticks on each TV for our locals via antenna and streaming with Prime, BritBox, PBS Passport and Netflix. One remote and no input switching and a channel guide.

Tablo and Sling offer similar products.
 
they have Hulu +Live without ads for about $90 per month. She watches CNN, TLC, TBS, CW, Lifetime, etc.
Be aware that "without ads" does not apply to the live cable networks. It refers to the Hulu and Disney on demand products that are included.
 
I resisted this change for years. I may have even argued a bit with Midpack about it as he was an early proponent of cutting the cord. But he was right, it is better.

My complaint was the change in user experience. I liked my old remote and DVR. There are advantages to having the box sitting in your room with a big old DVR. But there are disadvantages too.

All I'm saying is: Hulu+Live is a good solution for you, just be aware the experience will be different. It will take a little getting used to. Give it time. I bet you'll learn to love it like I did, even if I griped for a few weeks. Also, you didn't mention your streaming solution. I recommend Roku Ultra because it is fast and has a mute button on the remote. I like having a mute button. Fast is good because some day you may find that you also want to switch from Hulu+Live to something like PlutoTV, or even plain old Youtube. Fast processors help make this happen.
 
Has anyone heard of Fision Stream service? We recently looked at a new 55+ apartment community where they offered this as the "technology package" charged in addition to rent each month. This service provides internet and streaming TV channels for all apartments in the complex. They are not offering a choice of Comcast, Optimum or any of the other internet/ cable services in our area. Looking at the channel listing, I found it odd that there were no local network channels, no ESPN and only Showtime premium streaming. How do you watch local news and weather? What about Sunday football on CBS, Fox, NBC? Would you need a separate VHF/ UHF antenna to get those? This can't be right? Do they assume people over 55 don't need/ want to watch these things?!
 
Has anyone heard of Fision Stream service? We recently looked at a new 55+ apartment community where they offered this as the "technology package" charged in addition to rent each month. This service provides internet and streaming TV channels for all apartments in the complex. They are not offering a choice of Comcast, Optimum or any of the other internet/ cable services in our area. Looking at the channel listing, I found it odd that there were no local network channels, no ESPN and only Showtime premium streaming. How do you watch local news and weather? What about Sunday football on CBS, Fox, NBC? Would you need a separate VHF/ UHF antenna to get those? This can't be right? Do they assume people over 55 don't need/ want to watch these things?!
No, haven't heard of them. Here's something: Fision Fiber-Optic Internet & Bundled Telecommunication Services for Communities, Homeowner Associations, Condo Associations I distrust providers that don't give details, and it sounds like they don't give details because they are all about making background deals with your "community."

Sounds like your HOA makes a deal with them and you choke on it or accept it. "This can't be right?" Yes it can, because they want to make money and the HOA wants to be cheap. Locals and ESPN are expensive, especially ESPN. So they omit those. The whole local channel thing is crazy because they still jam the ads at you too, but local-carry is a huge contentious area in the cable/streaming world.

I use a separate antenna to watch my locals and I'm happy with it, but I realize not everyone would be.
 
Some TV’s are ‘Smart TVs’ which you can use to stream some shows without additional costs. Basically a built in Roku.

If you have one, check out PlutoTV. It has a grid menu and has tons of shows.
Bravo has a lot of stuff on there, as well as CNN movie channels, etc.
Some shows even have dedicated channels.
So while it may or may not have a particular channel, it may have the shows you or your spouse want to watch.

Best of all, its free.

As others have said, it is a different experience. As such, there is a learning curve.
 
We only get Hulu+Live during hockey playoff season. Otherwise, about 50% of our viewing is PlutoTV. I love it. Then 25% locals using an antenna, and 25% some streaming service of the month we subscribe to (Netflix, Peacock, Paramount, Max, Disney, etc., never all at once, just one).
 
Thanks Joewras, that's helpful and it seems it CAN BE! How is the quality of your separate antenna channels? Yes, it's all about cost and deals/ ease of delivery.

Zathras, I use Roku at our beach home, which has Xfinity as the cable/ internet provider. I rent ONE cable box from them and use Roku sticks on 3 other TV's there to watch everything that Xfinity provides on all TVs through the Xfinitiy Stream app on Roku. Roku is a great inexpensive solution, but doesn't provide live local TV other than Xfinity if you have that service.
 
Unlike Pluto and Roku lie channels, Sling Freestream gives 10 hour DVR for accounts now. Although, it never added the DVR feature to my pre-existing Sling Freestream account and says it's not available. Creating a new account would probably be required.
 
Thanks Joewras, that's helpful and it seems it CAN BE! How is the quality of your separate antenna channels? Yes, it's all about cost and deals/ ease of delivery.

Antenna local channels can be very good or very bad. It depends on the quality of your antenna, your TV and finally the place you are in the reception footprint.

I personally use Tablo so I get a DVR experience. I record shows and can time shift them. I have the older generation and it works well. I put a full sized 1960's style antenna in my attic, and it pairs really well to the Tablo.

I suggest people on this thread move over to the general thread we've had for years. For more about antennas, search the thread for the following terms:
- OTA
- antenna
- Tablo


My antenna and the discussion of it:

antenna1-2-jpg.37704
 
Unlike Pluto and Roku lie channels, Sling Freestream gives 10 hour DVR for accounts now. Although, it never added the DVR feature to my pre-existing Sling Freestream account and says it's not available. Creating a new account would probably be required.
Just a follow-up on this. I never created a new account, but I checked back on my existing Sling Freestream account yesterday, and they had finally added the 10 hour DVR service to my account. I gave it a test just recording a news show and playing it back. I don't know if any other free streaming services include a free DVR feature within its official app.
 
Since this thread has been resurrected, I can give an update. We now have internet and Wi-Fi by fiber from AT&T. We have Hulu +Live for TV. The wife initially was not too happy, but she seems to have adjusted better now. I bought a new Roku Ulta box. It comes with a better remote that also controls the TV power and volume along with the Roku app. Having just one remote has helped smooth the transition. Internet 300 is $65.24 per month, Hulu is currently $79.30.
 
Since this thread has been resurrected, I can give an update. We now have internet and Wi-Fi by fiber from AT&T. We have Hulu +Live for TV. The wife initially was not too happy, but she seems to have adjusted better now. I bought a new Roku Ulta box. It comes with a better remote that also controls the TV power and volume along with the Roku app. Having just one remote has helped smooth the transition. Internet 300 is $65.24 per month, Hulu is currently $79.30.
We also have the ROKU ultra with the voice remote. It's very handy to just ask for media by name or by actor. We get by with the ROKU, along with Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock for about $35/mo in MT. In AZ we have that plus the OTA antenna pulls in 78 channels, including all the locals.
 
When we cut cable using Roku, we did the same thing (look for a TVguide, use an antenna for local, etc).

However, our routine quickly shifted from thinking "what's on TV now (or tonight)?", TO thinking: "what do I want to watch right now?"

We use Prime channel (free with Prime), Britt Box, & Peacock. We do cancel some during the summer (much less interest in TV). Occasionally we pay several dollars for a movie, or TV series, but in total is certainly way less than cable. We use RottenTomatoes.com to review and help choose movies. For kids or grandkids PluggedIn.com does an excellent job reviewing movies in several categories (foul language, sexual inuendo, voilence, etc). Lately we've been watching a lot of oldies (Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, etc).

Happy Streaming!
 
I've been watching Freevee a lot recently, they have a lot of good stuff including some Amazon Originals. I just finished watching Bosch and now watching Bosch: Legacy, both are excellent shows. The only premium I pay for is Hulu and Disney+ on the Back Friday deal and cancel it after about 9 months in order to re-qualify for the BF deal every November without messing with new e-mail addresses. Also get the BF deal on Britbox every year for 3 months or so.
 
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