Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) - 2021 version

[CatinKS]

Apple+ has free MLB Friday Night games tonight. Ad said no subscription required.

 

[euro]

+1 We have had Ooma for years and pay about $6 in taxes.

Same here. Also, they generally have very decent international long-distance rates too, if you need that sort of thing.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

+1. I don’t know why people don’t get this. Buddy of mine cutting the cord, has 4 TV’s, 2 smart, 2 “dumb.” He was going to buy 2 smart TV’s. I told him don’t do it, 4 Rokus is much less than 2 smart TVs. I also told him with all Rokus, every TV will have the same interface and remote, he agreed that was VERY important to him and his spouse - would make the transition from cable easier.

Learned today he bought two smart TV’s, so they’ll be dealing with 4 different remotes from various brands…

I learned that my smart tv from 2013 eventually became obsolete and unsupported, and I’m glad to use an external streaming box. Next tv will likely be dumb. Of course, I guess I’m expected to replace my tv every few years.

 

[JoeWras]

Finding a dumb TV is almost impossible.

 

[Midpack]

You used to be able to buy a low end Roku with RCA plugs for older dumb TVs, evidently you can’t anymore, though there are HDMI>RCA cables.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Finding a dumb TV is almost impossible.

Ah. See how long it’s been since I shopped for a TV?

 

[zinger1457]

Finding a dumb TV is almost impossible.

Plenty of folks dumping old TV's on craigslist for almost nothing.

 

[JoeWras]

Plenty of folks dumping old TV's on craigslist for almost nothing.

OK. "Finding a new model dumb TV is almost impossible."

It's like finding a new model automobile that doesn't have power windows. Almost impossible.

But, yeah, I could get a 1997 Tercel off Craigslist to solve my problem. But then I'd have a 1997 Tercel.

People besides GalaxyBoy are not happy about this lack of dumb TV either. There's a lot of concern out there. There are "Smart" TVs, and then there are "Smart-Ass" TVs. When you get a new TV, don't get a Smart-Ass TV. (SAT)

SAT's basically require you to be connected to the internet to do anything. Need to change some setting? Gotta connect.

They want your data.

Make sure any TV you get has the option to stay unconnected.

 

[disneysteve]

If you mean new, you’re probably right. But if secondhand is acceptable, I see them all the time at yard sales and thrift shops.

 

[JoeWras]

Yeah, there are a lot out there, especially old tube TVs.

I remember going to our local convenience recycle center 4 years ago right after Christmas. It was a TV graveyard after all the new gifts came in.

There still are a lot of them out there.

 

[zinger1457]

Yeah, there are a lot out there, especially old tube TVs.

I remember going to our local convenience recycle center 4 years ago right after Christmas. It was a TV graveyard after all the new gifts came in.

There still are a lot of them out there.

I wasn't referring to old tube TV's, plenty of LCD flat screen TV's showing up on craigslist for well under a $100.

 

[JoeWras]

I wasn't referring to old tube TV's, plenty of LCD flat screen TV's showing up on craigslist for well under a $100.

Yeah, I read on Reddit (cordcutter sub) about people buying new smart TVs to replace their not-so-old smart TV from just a few years ago because: "It isn't running my Netflix app well anymore."

Geez.

Good point, you can get a cheap LCD "smart" TV that is really dumb because it had such bad specs, it can't run the latest apps. Then just use the HDMI port with your favorite streaming device. A lot of those older smart TVs allow you to turn all the networking off too. It doesn't rely on it like many of the new ones.

 

[ncbill]

One suggestion I've seen is to never setup the smart features at all.

Just use an external device like a FireTV or Roku box/stick for streaming.

 

[Rustic23]

I have tried just about all the streaming boxes except Nividia. I settled on ChromeCast. I use YouTube TV, so it is a good match. Walmart has a streamer, in fact two. (called Onn) both stick and box. Just about the same interface as ChromeCast. ($15 for the stick, $20 for the box) I tried the box, nothing against it, but was not sure about the quality, so I went with Chromecast.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Got the Roku OS 11.0 update on my TV today.
Have not had a chance to check it out yet but found this video on the new features.

 

[explanade]

Streaming industry update in light of Netflix's recent struggles.

https://www.vulture.com/2022/04/netflix-bad-decisions-have-caught-up-with-it.html

But something changed this week. While Netflix is by no means declaring long-term growth out of the picture, it has suddenly turned very pessimistic. It is now forecasting it will lose another 2 million subscribers over the next three months, the sort of big decline we’ve grown used to seeing reported by legacy cable providers — not a tech disruptor such as Netflix. All of a sudden, industry folks I’ve talked to are asking whether Netflix will even be able to get to 300 million subscribers anytime soon, let alone 500 million. “Two hundred million was a fairly easy climb,” one industry vet who works at a streamer told me Wednesday. “Netflix did it first and arguably better than anyone else. But it’s hard to get to 300 million when you’re as mature as Netflix is in terms of people using it and knowing about it. The growth curve is just so much harder for them than anyone else right now.”

 

[Yoheadden]

We are looking to improve the sound quality on specifically the speaking during shows and movies. We currently have Roku Ulras and was thinking about adding a stream bar pro. It has good ratings for voice quality, but wouldn’t this be essentially replacing he Ultra ? I feel like I would be wasting the money we laid out on the Ultra just 1 or 2 years ago.
Any suggestions from anyone whose been down this road ?

 

[harllee]

We are looking to improve the sound quality on specifically the speaking during shows and movies. We currently have Roku Ulras and was thinking about adding a stream bar pro. It has good ratings for voice quality, but wouldn’t this be essentially replacing he Ultra ? I feel like I would be wasting the money we laid out on the Ultra just 1 or 2 years ago.
Any suggestions from anyone whose been down this road ?

We sometimes have trouble hearing some conversations on our TV. We just enable captions and find that helps and is not too distracting.

 

[RonBoyd]

We are looking to improve the sound quality on specifically the speaking during shows and movies. We currently have Roku Ulras and was thinking about adding a stream bar pro. It has good ratings for voice quality, but wouldn’t this be essentially replacing he Ultra ? I feel like I would be wasting the money we laid out on the Ultra just 1 or 2 years ago.
Any suggestions from anyone whose been down this road ?

I am unsure of what you are asking. The ROKU Ultra is a sound source only and I assume is currently playing the sound through your TV speaker(s). A Streambar Pro is a speaker (system) and ROKU streaming device combined in a single unit. That (theoretically) would give a much better listening experience -- including surround sound -- bypassing your TV speaker. I suspect the StreamPro streaming portion is the same Ultra that you have -- their top of the line unit.

Therefore, you would be gaining a redundant streaming device. If that is not desirable, a stand alone Sound Bar would suffice.

Am I close?

 

[Yoheadden]

We sometimes have trouble hearing some conversations on our TV. We just enable captions and find that helps and is not too distracting.

Thank you Harllee,
This is for dear M-I-L who always has the captions on. Sometimes this is fine, but we are trying to give her a better experience. We’ve even tried the headphones that come with the remote, but as you know, the dialogue still sounds muffled or low sometimes.

 

[Chuckanut]

We are looking to improve the sound quality on specifically the speaking during shows and movies. We currently have Roku Ulras and was thinking about adding a stream bar pro. It has good ratings for voice quality, but wouldn’t this be essentially replacing he Ultra ? I feel like I would be wasting the money we laid out on the Ultra just 1 or 2 years ago.
Any suggestions from anyone whose been down this road ?

I can't help you with what sound bar to purchase, but I am in the market like you are. Audiophile friends tell me we need a sound bar that allows for adjusting the balance between Hi, Low and especially the Mid Range. The middle is where most human voices are.

 

[Yoheadden]

I am unsure of what you are asking. The ROKU Ultra is a sound source only and I assume is currently playing the sound through your TV speaker(s). A Streambar Pro is a speaker (system) and ROKU streaming device combined in a single unit. That (theoretically) would give a much better listening experience -- including surround sound -- bypassing your TV speaker. I suspect the StreamPro streaming portion is the same Ultra that you have -- their top of the line unit.

Therefore, you would be gaining a redundant streaming device. If that is not desirable, a stand alone Sound Bar would suffice.

Am I close?

Pretty much. We already have the streaming device in the Roku Ultra, but need to improve the sound quality. I initially went to Roku products since this is what a I was familiar with. Then after reading the reviews, it dawned on me about being redundant streaming devices.

 

[Yoheadden]

I can't help you with what sound bar to purchase, but I am in the market like you are. Audiophile friends tell me we need a sound bar that allows for adjusting the balance between Hi, Low and especially the Mid Range. The middle is where most human voices are.

After reading through the reviews, I can definitely see the benefit of at least getting the sound bar and maybe some additional surround sound speakers and sub woofer for bass.

 

[pb4uski]

Thank you Harllee,
This is for dear M-I-L who always has the captions on. Sometimes this is fine, but we are trying to give her a better experience. We’ve even tried the headphones that come with the remote, but as you know, the dialogue still sounds muffled or low sometimes.

Perhaps hearing aids for DMIL is the best solution.

 

[Yoheadden]

Perhaps hearing aids for DMIL is the best solution.

Been there, doing that.