OT: Moving away from traditional tv service

[chucklez]

Wife and I are tired of spending $120+/mo for Dish Network for 37 different channels of shopping networks and 15 different CNN (numbers not exact, but you get the point). We have the mid level package and HBO only with locals. That is way to much, for the little bit of tv we watch. BUT, we do need to have some tv for the kids, keep up on local news, and for Cardinal ballgames. Mother In Law WILL NOT come over to watch the kids on occasion in the summer if she cant watch her Cardinals.

So I have been thinking for quite some time to go to online or streaming TV service. Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Sling TV, etc. Maybe get a HD OTA antenna. I have all of our videos burned onto a media server in our home. Maybee pick up a media streamer like the Nexus Player, and be good to go. Get my bill down to around $50/mo. Anyone else do this? Let me know your experience.

 

[mpcart]

Sports is always the problem with cutting the cord. I have no idea how to watch the Cardinals as I don't know where you can stream Fox Sports MW legally

I've thought about the same thing as you but decided that I'd rather pay an extra $50 rather than have to log into all kinds of different services instead of just flipping channels and using the DVR.

It is kind of a hassle vs. minor cost savings issue for me.

Let me know what you find out.

-Mike

 

[chucklez]

When it comes to the NFL, Im a Cowboys fan. Always have and always will. In another NFC market in the same time zone, its hard finding a Cowboys non primetime game on TV as Rams get the market. I used to have a couple of slightly less than legal streaming sites from Europe to watch the games, but they are no longer online. Always been a complaint of mine the NFL doesent allow single team subscriptions during the season. I dont want to watch 13 other ball games. i just want to watch my Cowboys whip the snot out of the Foreskins or the Beagles.

Then another thing to consider, my Wother In Law is incompetent when it comes to technology. She comes over to our house to check her email and clicks every link she is sent. Numerous times Ive had to either deep clean or completely reinstall the OS due to her clicking. God help ya if there is more than 1 remote. Maybe id be better off just sucking it up and staying with Dish.

 

[btweymouth1s]

I only pay $50 a month for tv...we don't have all the extra movie channels and that hoopla, just the basic channel lineup. I thought that hoola stuff was only like $15 or $20 per month?

 

[chucklez]

Huu is $7.99/mo and Net flix is $8.99/mo. Then sling tv is $20/mo for ESPN, TBS, TNT, A&E, Food, History and a few others. Add HBO for $15 if you want it. So cut our cable bill in more than half, lose Fox MW and DVR ability. Of course, using Hulu most shows are available within a couple of hours i think.

 

[makeshift101]

I have a roku and a smart TV, with netflix, hulu, amazon prime and hbo go

there is something also called SLING TV, which allows you to get normal channels, basic cable, sport channels, its just another app on your roku or what not
it cost like 20 bucks or something like that

 

[Coelli]

I cut the cable cord in March 2007 and never looked back. If someone wants to watch something we can't stream, they can suck it up. I bought a 52" HDTV in 2008 and just replaced it with a Sony 65" 4K smart TV and not paying for cable all those years paid for both of them and then some. A lot of some. We do subscribe to Netflix, Hulu (not sure why I keep it) and have Amazon Prime. We also have Chromecasts on both TVs.

Never regretted it for a second; and it's been great to not have my kids subjected to the constant advertising.

 

[South City]

If you switch to DirectTv they almost always give you the complete NFL package for free in your first year. You could watch all the Dallas games then. After the free first year, you can sometimes get a good deal on the next years package and not have to pay full price then either. Even if you cancel the NFL package after the first year, I do believe that you can still order individual NFL games like Pay per view at a price that isn't horrible.

I'm a Steeler's fan.(grew up in Pittsburgh in the 70's...how could I not be!) Luckily for me, the Steelers get a lot of nationally televised games and I can usually catch at least half of their games here in St Louis without the DirecTv NFL package.

As far as month to month costs and channel line ups, DirecTv and Dish and pretty comparable. Other than having the NFL package, what also sets DirecTv apart for me is their DVR hardware/software/menus. Their partnership with Tivo gives them a DVR box that is just superior to anyone else's in my opinion.

 

[chucklez]

If you switch to DirectTv they almost always give you the complete NFL package for free in your first year. You could watch all the Dallas games then. After the free first year, you can sometimes get a good deal on the next years package and not have to pay full price then either. Even if you cancel the NFL package after the first year, I do believe that you can still order individual NFL games like Pay per view at a price that isn't horrible.

I'm a Steeler's fan.(grew up in Pittsburgh in the 70's...how could I not be!) Luckily for me, the Steelers get a lot of nationally televised games and I can usually catch at least half of their games here in St Louis without the DirecTv NFL package.

As far as month to month costs and channel line ups, DirecTv and Dish and pretty comparable. Other than having the NFL package, what also sets DirecTv apart for me is their DVR hardware/software/menus. Their partnership with Tivo gives them a DVR box that is just superior to anyone else's in my opinion.

I grew up in Northern Ohio. First game i clearly remember watching was the '79 SB between Dallas and Shitsburgh. Being as my dad was a brownie fan, you didnt cheer the Steelers. So i chose Dallas.

 

[chucklez]

I cut the cable cord in March 2007 and never looked back. If someone wants to watch something we can't stream, they can suck it up. I bought a 52" HDTV in 2008 and just replaced it with a Sony 65" 4K smart TV and not paying for cable all those years paid for both of them and then some. A lot of some. We do subscribe to Netflix, Hulu (not sure why I keep it) and have Amazon Prime. We also have Chromecasts on both TVs.

Never regretted it for a second; and it's been great to not have my kids subjected to the constant advertising.

The regular channels like Fox, NBC, CBS etc are streamed on Hulu, right? With a bit of delay i think.

Would also need to come up with entire house DVR solution.

 

[South City]

I completely understand. I am none too fond of the Browns.(or their illegitimate bastard child the Ravens)

I grew up in Northern Ohio. First game i clearly remember watching was the '79 SB between Dallas and Shitsburgh. Being as my dad was a brownie fan, you didnt cheer the Steelers. So i chose Dallas.

 

[Scubareefman]

Ruko is awesome. Iuse Netflix, hulu plus and get the news with Newsy whicj is so much better then fox/cnn/msnbc. so I pay 15 bucks a month for more tv then I can watch.I have no clue how Sports could be watched, I don't really watch them.

 

[dano83]

If it helps you out at all look into buying a used tivo premiere or hd. The tivo service is 10 bucks a month but you can dvr anything that is watched through it and you can watch netflix, youtube, hulu...all that stuff through it too so you dont have to get a roku or anything like that. Actually i have a hd model if you want it. You would just have to buy a remote for 10 bucks. Pm me if you want it. I live in south county.

 

[chucklez]

My mother in law has a Tivo that is grandfathered in to not have to pay the monthly fee. One of their early models. If i did it I would more set up a home system using a few TB drives and a PC. Make it a true media/streaming server. I already have 1/2 the hardware to do it with several RaspPi boxes.

 

[Reeferhead]

I bought a channel master DVR+ when I cut the cord about a year ago. It was pretty much the only DVR out there I could find without a subscription. So far I'm happy with it.

http://www.channelmaster.com/DVR_Plus_p/cm-7500gb16.htm

We had Dish Network for years. They gradually raised our rate from $30 to $70 a month for their standard package, non HD. When we went to cancel Beth said "no thanks" so many times as they ran down the customer retention schpeel that eventually they just gave us the next 7 months free, no catch. After 7 months we called to cancel again and they offered us a 2 year contract for $5 a month. We cancelled out of principle and don't miss it one bit.

I use PS3 and Apple TV to cycle through paying for netflix, amazon prime, HBO Now, etc when I want and simply cancel when I don't.

I don't watch baseball but I'm a diehard Bears fan. I paid $130 for NFL Game Pass last year and flew to Australia each week to watch the game on my laptop in HD. But if you want to save on airfare you could just use a VPN. :lol:

 

[ItzJustinN]

My mother in law has a Tivo that is grandfathered in to not have to pay the monthly fee. One of their early models. If i did it I would more set up a home system using a few TB drives and a PC. Make it a true media/streaming server. I already have 1/2 the hardware to do it with several RaspPi boxes.

you cant go wrong setting up dlna with a dedicated media server.

 

[u4ick]

I got sick of the both satellite companies, one for billing problems and the other because their costs are way too high.
about a year ago a switched to charter.....which I REALLY did not want to do. But since I was already paying $50/mo for internet, and DTV was 90 just for basic stuff and they rates were about to double since my "promo" was over.
I now have phone (that I never use...not even once) internet and ALL TV channels, and I do mean all of them for $120/mo
Still more than this sort of thing should cost, but certainly a lot less then the alternative.

Loves me some Netflix though....

 

[Mr D smack]

The one thing i miss is the Blue's going cheep. If i knew of someone personally who uses the NHL app i might purchase it. Otherwise I'm straight Netflix, hbo2go, Xbox live and digital converter boxes

 

[makeshift101]

https://www.sling.com/

 

[pigskin018]

I bought a slingbox. Sent it to a buddy who lives in MN (I moved to Louisiana so no more MN sports ) and he pays for directv's highest package. He hooked it up, I send him the 10 bucks a month for the extra TV set fee and boom.

Cut the cord and get every chanel available. Only thing is you gotta have good Internet.

Then you use a chrome cast thing for your TV and you can stream everything directv offers. Plus I can watch the same channels whenever I travel and everything.