steelyman
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It's my second-worst.
Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020
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It's my second-worst.
REWahoo
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Unfortunately all the websites are probably accurate. A few years ago we parked the RV less than 5-6 miles from a TV "antenna farm" and were blocked from getting any signal by a very large hill. At 45-50 miles you need to have clear line-of-sight to have any chance of getting decent reception.
UnrealizedPotential
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Cobra, one thing you can try is to google radio locator and punch in your location. Get a list of some FM stations that broadcast where the TV signals are coming from. See how you receive them from your location. Why do this? Because it's easy to try and FM stations are pretty much like your TV signals. If you can get decent reception of them , you are most likely able to get the TV signals as well.
It's a lot easier than putting up an outdoor antenna . Just something to try.
But yes, when hills get in the way, it's usually game over for TV signals, especially 50 miles away.
Edit to add: If you are out in the boondocks with no one around you can put a TV antenna on the hill and run a wire down to your TV set.
It's a lot easier than putting up an outdoor antenna . Just something to try.
But yes, when hills get in the way, it's usually game over for TV signals, especially 50 miles away.
Edit to add: If you are out in the boondocks with no one around you can put a TV antenna on the hill and run a wire down to your TV set.
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We just cancelled Dish and switched to youtube TV (streaming) for $40/month. Pretty good channel lineup, particularly for sports and free virtual DVR. We're connected by computers (laptop upstairs and server downstairs), so the web interface could use work; I suspect those using Roku or Xbox with remotes might like it.
We have an Xbox upstairs, so I'll fiddle around with it sometime this month to see if DW likes its interface easier (we have an Xbox remote although use it rarely for Plex or MLB).
We have an Xbox upstairs, so I'll fiddle around with it sometime this month to see if DW likes its interface easier (we have an Xbox remote although use it rarely for Plex or MLB).
+1
The only news I watch is when I open my browser up to Bing, it shows "news" along the bottom. If anything "important" happens it is there.
Cutting out "news" is a hidden benefit of cord cutting. I refuse to watch local news too. Car crash, shooting, infant death, then a few minutes of weather (which is always terrible) and then sports. Frees up another 30-60 minutes every day for better hobbies.
Dawg52
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Around here the local station will have 30 minutes of news before the network evening news and will repeat the local news afterward. At my condo one of the stations there will do the same only follow with 1hr of local news. I often wondered...... who devotes 2 hours to news viewing?
audreyh1
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We had gradually walked away from all sources of TV news programming by the time we dropped cable and then broadcast TV, so it was great not even seeing the option on the screen.
Local news is very profitable for the stations. They can sell 100% local advertising.
I believe there is now 7 hours of local news on one of the stations. 4,5,6 am and 4,5,6 pm and 10 pm.
The content is pretty similar, but they do mix up some of the stores and headline or preview some stories and then feature the stories later.
I wonder if anyone actually tried the app...
I find the Local Now news station, perfect for what I'm interested in. You can choose what you're interested in for the area you live in... on call.
Some, but not all of the choices are for :
local weather now
national weather
24 hour forecast.
7 day forecast
national weather
local traffic conditions
business
sports
national news,
local news
entertainment
as well as special shows for food, health etc.
You choose what you're interested in, without having to wait for it. The App locates your area... ie., mine comes from Chicago.
So, if you only care about the local weather, or sports, it's one click away. No waiting.
I find the Local Now news station, perfect for what I'm interested in. You can choose what you're interested in for the area you live in... on call.
Some, but not all of the choices are for :
local weather now
national weather
24 hour forecast.
7 day forecast
national weather
local traffic conditions
business
sports
national news,
local news
entertainment
as well as special shows for food, health etc.
You choose what you're interested in, without having to wait for it. The App locates your area... ie., mine comes from Chicago.
So, if you only care about the local weather, or sports, it's one click away. No waiting.
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ExFlyBoy5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Local news is very profitable for the stations. They can sell 100% local advertising.
I believe there is now 7 hours of local news on one of the stations. 4,5,6 am and 4,5,6 pm and 10 pm.
The content is pretty similar, but they do mix up some of the stores and headline or preview some stories and then feature the stories later.
One of the local stations here re-broadcast the most recent newscast on a continuous loop on one of the OTA "side channels". being forced to watch that channel 24/7 would be my living hell.
I have noticed that Amazon has added channels from "Pluto TV" as an added benefit for Prime Members which has 13 channels listed in the "News" category.
https://pluto.tv/tv/
Edit: Apparently you can watch this just over the internet, as well...for free. I think it's available on many other streaming devices.
davebarnes
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The death spiral continues
https://www.techhive.com/article/3340364/streaming-services/cut-the-cord-or-else.html
"After years of insisting that cord-cutting was neither significant nor worrisome, cable and satellite providers are facing the inevitable: The traditional TV business is now in free fall. In the last quarter alone, major TV providers lost a combined 1.1 million subscribers.
One might think that these companies would respond with lower prices and more flexible TV options. Instead, the opposite is happening: They’re squeezing their remaining subscribers by cutting off promo deals and hiking prices. As a result, cord-cutting is starting to feel less like a choice and more like a necessity."
https://www.techhive.com/article/3340364/streaming-services/cut-the-cord-or-else.html
"After years of insisting that cord-cutting was neither significant nor worrisome, cable and satellite providers are facing the inevitable: The traditional TV business is now in free fall. In the last quarter alone, major TV providers lost a combined 1.1 million subscribers.
One might think that these companies would respond with lower prices and more flexible TV options. Instead, the opposite is happening: They’re squeezing their remaining subscribers by cutting off promo deals and hiking prices. As a result, cord-cutting is starting to feel less like a choice and more like a necessity."
stephenson
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Hi All,
Like several of you have mentioned, the very act of dealing with the rotten customer service (ours is Cox and it is as bad as Verizon), was enough to keep us on edge - when Cox increased our cost (without recourse) by 5-6% a month three months into a 12 month plan, we terminated cable TV, but kept their ISP service. The part that really got to me was their inability to explain the “why” of the increase … at one point, they simply said, “it’s complicated.” Bye Bye, Cox Cable access to TV! This is NOT about the COST - it is about the VALUE of the programming, and about how painful it is to deal with the untruthful and clueless Cox.
Many of you were very helpful with your experiences as I investigated the various OTA options - things have changed since my last OTA system about 10 years ago! Thank you.
So, ran the tvfool.com report for my location, bought a small antenna ($40 delivered), some RG-6 coax, fittings, and a SiliconDust HD Homerun Connect box ($28 plus shipping) and connected it all up in my living room. 37 channels solid as predicted by tvfool. Ran the coax through the wall behind the TV, and moved the antenna to the attic (brackets, bolts, etc came with the antenna - pointed it with my iPhone) …41 channels - all with nearly 100% signal strength.
So, the flow (this was hard to understand initially):
1. Antenna receives broadcast from local TV towers (40 of my 41 are UHF - most OTA broadcasts are UHF)
2. Coax takes signal to the HD Homerun Connect box
3. HD Homerun Connect box tunes two channels independently (other products do more channels - we only need one) (SiliconDust also provides an inexpensive cloud based DVR service, but we don’t use it)
4. HD Homerun Connect box connects to router via ethernet making both channels available anywhere on the network
5. AppleTV box (Gen 4 or 4K) provides access point, using either the provided HD Homerun app, or the $25 licensed Channels app (prior to AppleTV Gen 4, the box would not load apps - the later versions do)
for the HD Homerun box OTA data (either via ethernet or wirelessly) NOTE - I am ScreenMirroring from my iPad or iPhone right now - will be buying AppleTV Gen 4K box later this week)
It feels odd, but you can sit on the back porch, or in the garage, or in the bedroom and watch broadcast TV on your pad, or phone by selecting the app … no wires - same signal quality as a TV. I won’t do this much, but it is interesting combination of OTA to home network.
Our viewing pattern is: pick up the Harmony 650 remote, press “Watch Apple TV” (you can name it something else if you wish). The remote turns on the TV to the correct HDMI connection, turns on the AV receiver to the right selection, and turns on the AppleTV box. Apple TV screen shows the usual icons for Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PBS - AND, it shows the icon for HDHomerun, Channels, etc. Select the various streaming services you have a subscription for (us: Prime, Netflix, Hulu ($0.99 a month), PBS) - AND, now the 41 channels via the tuner box. Pretty COOL!
BTW - the Harmony remote is cheap, you can use it single button to turn on the AV Receiver and play from your music list, tune FM, CDs, etc …. Single remote!
Like several of you have mentioned, the very act of dealing with the rotten customer service (ours is Cox and it is as bad as Verizon), was enough to keep us on edge - when Cox increased our cost (without recourse) by 5-6% a month three months into a 12 month plan, we terminated cable TV, but kept their ISP service. The part that really got to me was their inability to explain the “why” of the increase … at one point, they simply said, “it’s complicated.” Bye Bye, Cox Cable access to TV! This is NOT about the COST - it is about the VALUE of the programming, and about how painful it is to deal with the untruthful and clueless Cox.
Many of you were very helpful with your experiences as I investigated the various OTA options - things have changed since my last OTA system about 10 years ago! Thank you.
So, ran the tvfool.com report for my location, bought a small antenna ($40 delivered), some RG-6 coax, fittings, and a SiliconDust HD Homerun Connect box ($28 plus shipping) and connected it all up in my living room. 37 channels solid as predicted by tvfool. Ran the coax through the wall behind the TV, and moved the antenna to the attic (brackets, bolts, etc came with the antenna - pointed it with my iPhone) …41 channels - all with nearly 100% signal strength.
So, the flow (this was hard to understand initially):
1. Antenna receives broadcast from local TV towers (40 of my 41 are UHF - most OTA broadcasts are UHF)
2. Coax takes signal to the HD Homerun Connect box
3. HD Homerun Connect box tunes two channels independently (other products do more channels - we only need one) (SiliconDust also provides an inexpensive cloud based DVR service, but we don’t use it)
4. HD Homerun Connect box connects to router via ethernet making both channels available anywhere on the network
5. AppleTV box (Gen 4 or 4K) provides access point, using either the provided HD Homerun app, or the $25 licensed Channels app (prior to AppleTV Gen 4, the box would not load apps - the later versions do)
for the HD Homerun box OTA data (either via ethernet or wirelessly) NOTE - I am ScreenMirroring from my iPad or iPhone right now - will be buying AppleTV Gen 4K box later this week)
It feels odd, but you can sit on the back porch, or in the garage, or in the bedroom and watch broadcast TV on your pad, or phone by selecting the app … no wires - same signal quality as a TV. I won’t do this much, but it is interesting combination of OTA to home network.
Our viewing pattern is: pick up the Harmony 650 remote, press “Watch Apple TV” (you can name it something else if you wish). The remote turns on the TV to the correct HDMI connection, turns on the AV receiver to the right selection, and turns on the AppleTV box. Apple TV screen shows the usual icons for Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PBS - AND, it shows the icon for HDHomerun, Channels, etc. Select the various streaming services you have a subscription for (us: Prime, Netflix, Hulu ($0.99 a month), PBS) - AND, now the 41 channels via the tuner box. Pretty COOL!
BTW - the Harmony remote is cheap, you can use it single button to turn on the AV Receiver and play from your music list, tune FM, CDs, etc …. Single remote!
Chuckanut
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I read in the WSJ a while back that ATT is going to compensate for losing satellite customers by raising prices on the remaining customers.
You can't make this stuff up.
You can't make this stuff up.
NoMoreJob
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I read in the WSJ a while back that ATT is going to compensate for losing satellite customers by raising prices on the remaining customers.
You can't make this stuff up.
It may make some sense in the short-term. There are those who are not particularly price sensitive and/or not techie enough to figure out or want to mess with streaming. ATT must realize this and assuming they do there must be an alternative long-term plan. If not, they're certainly toast.
RunningBum
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Looks like Dish went up another $5. I'll cut back to the welcome package after the NCAA tourney, then come fall I'm going to take a serious look at streaming packages.
REWahoo
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I said goodbye to Dish on Monday and it looks like one of the best decisions I've made in a while.
Precisely. The TechHive article is nothing but naive, populist drivel. Running a business requires an appetite for market research-driven decision making and an appreciation for nuance. I'm sure that commentator got a visceral thrill from presuming he knew what actions would maximize profits, but of course he's just making up rationalization to fit his desired conclusion rather than referring to logical conclusions from reliable marketing sensitivity analysis.
The end-game for anyone who owns a pipe has to be to keep the value of the pipe high, without regard for what the pipe is carrying. Underselling the pipe is foolish.
SmallCityDave
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I finally got my Playon app working right and I really like it, is anyone using Playon with Philo?
I received my Dish bill yesterday it went from $78 to $108 without notice.... I called to cancel but they asked me to try the Flex pack with DVR & 2 tv's for $37, I'm giving that a shot.
I currently have hulu ($1 per month) with playon but I'm thinking of going with Prime, Netflix & maybe Philo and dropping Dish.
I received my Dish bill yesterday it went from $78 to $108 without notice.... I called to cancel but they asked me to try the Flex pack with DVR & 2 tv's for $37, I'm giving that a shot.
I currently have hulu ($1 per month) with playon but I'm thinking of going with Prime, Netflix & maybe Philo and dropping Dish.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
I'm guessing your total bill, including the monthly equipment charges for the DVR ($15) and two TV's ($7 each) will be in the $65 range. Compare that to $16 for Philo, with essentially the same channels as the Flex Pack.
stephenson
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NC 57,
Any reason to opt for 64GB Apple TV over the 32GB version? $20 difference ...
Any reason to opt for 64GB Apple TV over the 32GB version? $20 difference ...
SmallCityDave
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They gave me a $25 per month credit for a year so it should be $37.
Are you using Philo, can you skip commercials with it?
REWahoo
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Good job on the credit. I was so fed up with their no advanced notice price increases I wasn't interested in anything they had to offer when I called to cancel.
Yes, and you can fast forward through anything you have saved. More detail on the Philo help site: https://help.philo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006333394-Fast-forward-ad-rules
Yes, and you can fast forward through anything you have saved. More detail on the Philo help site: https://help.philo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006333394-Fast-forward-ad-rules
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RonBoyd
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How did you work this deal?
audreyh1
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It’s likely that the bigger memory helps with gaming.
SmallCityDave
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