Cutting the Cable/Satellite Cord

[Resipsa]

Anyone besides me thinking about, or has done this?

With the ps3 having decent Netflix and Hulu Plus and Playon apps now, and over the air network tv, along with other ITV, I'm getting very close. Netflix streaming covers my movie fix, and between Hulu, Netflix, Playon and over the air network access I'm pretty much covered.

If I didn't need my NFL Sunday ticket, I think I'd cut the cord

I mean $20 bucks a month for netflix and hulu, the rest is free, as opposed to a close to $100 a month DTV bill, most of which is for channels and crap I never watch?

Who's with me?

[acarr]

I tried to cut my Direct Tv and they gave me 4 free months. So come February it is gone:banger

[Superbad]

I am really wanting to do this, but my kids would rebel!

[G G]

I have till February with Direc and then I am either switching back to Dish Network or quitting it all myself.

[shilala]

If it weren't for sports, I'd have no need for tv at all. I'm real close myself.

[larryinlc]

Not me. I pay good money to Dishnet for my 200 channels of crap. They finally threw in HD for life, so now I get to watch crap in HD. Life is good.:)

Larry

[LostAbbott]

I only have cable internet, and that is a write off for the business. Never had cable since I left University. Even the basic cable channels not have perfect streaming on their sites...

[mmblz]

yup, we do not have either..
hd antenna gets us NBC and a bunch of PBS stations ... and ALMOST CBS
then there's netflix, hulu, occasional purchase from amazon online tv thing...

[Coach Deg]

I can't live without Espn, MLB, and NFL networks!

[Bunker]

I have been contemplating it for awhile, the kids seem to watch nothing but netflix. The meager list of channels we do get from Comcast are pretty useless.

[Resipsa]

I can't live without Espn, MLB, and NFL networks!

Weeellllllllll......The ps3 has the
MLB ticket, Hulu has the NFL network, Playon on the ps3'has espn..... Just sayin':r

[D_A]

I canceled Direct a few months ago and haven't missed it a bit. I got netflix and bought an antenna which gives us 3 PBS stations, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and a 2 or 3 others.

[Volt]

Going with the concept, I have Cox cable. I can't see cutting the cord. It provides my internet and basic cable. Not sure I could get my standards like the history, TLC, TBS, etc type channels. I also like surfing the channels, you never know when something catches your interest.

I know I have not watched the big 3 in over 7 years with the exception of NFL football games. In the rare possibility they have any programming that I might like, TBS or TNT will buy it from them. So it's a year old... still gonna be new and fresh to me and I'm not the water cooler type chatter, so being up on what's on the tube has little bearing to me.

[wayner123]

I did this a year ago and I couldn't be happier. My digital antenna brings in all the local stations and the networks , CBS, NBC, ABC. The netflix is adding a ton of new movies everyday to instant watch. They have all the kids programming you could want, not to mention that netflix has the starz and signed a new deal with a group to bring movies to netflix before they hit TV.

I use a gaming computer as my media center, and really the only thing I miss out on is ESPN (brighthouse has a stupid non agreement with them), but channelsurfing.net or firstrow.net takes care of any sports I need.

Saving $60 + a month might not sound like much, but to me it's been great.

[wayner123]

Going with the concept, I have Cox cable. I can't see cutting the cord. It provides my internet and basic cable. Not sure I could get my standards like the history, TLC, TBS, etc type channels. I also like surfing the channels, you never know when something catches your interest.

I know I have not watched the big 3 in over 7 years with the exception of NFL football games. In the rare possibility they have any programming that I might like, TBS or TNT will buy it from them. So it's a year old... still gonna be new and fresh to me and I'm not the water cooler type chatter, so being up on what's on the tube has little bearing to me.


All of these channels are either on hulu or you can go to the stations website to stream any show. And that way you can also watch any show you may have missed as most keep the whole season.

[hscmit]

been considering this for a few months now.

what is playon?

[BeerAdvocate]

I have thought about it, but then I would miss out on my sports

[NCRadioMan]

I watch most of my "tv" on the internet becuase almost every major channel and all popular shows and movies gets streamed. Alot of them in HD.

You just have to know where to look. ;)

BeerAdvocate, there are many more sports options than cable/dish on the web. I several laptops and a pc. On Sunday's I will have 4 different games going at times. You can watch virtually any game of any sport that is being televised. Sorry Sunday Ticket holders, you are getting hosed.


I can't live without Espn, MLB, and NFL networks!

All are streamed in HD. :)

[J0eybb]

I quit cable a year ago. I need a set of rabbit ears, because right now I get 0 channels. I do however have my pc hooked up via hdmi.

[cricky101]

I'm in the process. I bought a Roku box to stream netflix and hulu plus (got the Netflix running, and it's pretty awesome) in my living room to my LCD tv

Now I need a decent antenna and I'll be ready to cancel the cable TV service.

I do have older TVs in my bedroom and spare room where I work out, and I guess I'll need to get converter boxes along with antennas for those to be able to pull in any channels :td

[BloodSpite]

I'd love to do this but its just not possible for me.

The only high speed internet access I have is satellite. Which regulates how many MB of download I can have typically about 400 meg. 1 show will blow that out of the water. Whats more the X-box Marketplace isn't compatiable with Hughes.net (or so Microsoft told me (http://www.registeredevil.com/archives/2061). How quaint. )

The only other option out here is dial up. Oh boy.

Gonna be a long time before I can get out from under the thumb of the conglomerates it looks like.

[St. Lou Stu]

If I didn't need my NFL Sunday ticket, I think I'd cut the cord


Who's with me?

Sorry bud, you're on your own.:D

[Volt]

All of these channels are either on hulu or you can go to the stations website to stream any show. And that way you can also watch any show you may have missed as most keep the whole season.


I have tried that.... Specifically Burn Notice. I have found watiching a tv show in the little window applet they provide isn't all that pleasing to me. The only real advantage I saw to it was being able to pause it. I have not tried Hulu, maybe I will give it a look. Generally though I am computing and watching tv at teh same time. I anly have room for one monitor on the desk, so a split screen isn't an option.

An aside is the wife is NOT computer not internet savvy and has no desire to be so. If there is once sight I could select a channel or specific show, maybeeeeee.

[4WheelVFR]

I'd love to, but Animal Planet HD, Discovery HD, History and nat geo hd, fox soccer hd, and fox news......just can't cut it.

[wayner123]

I have tried that.... Specifically Burn Notice. I have found watiching a tv show in the little window applet they provide isn't all that pleasing to me. The only real advantage I saw to it was being able to pause it. I have not tried Hulu, maybe I will give it a look. Generally though I am computing and watching tv at teh same time. I anly have room for one monitor on the desk, so a split screen isn't an option.

An aside is the wife is NOT computer not internet savvy and has no desire to be so. If there is once sight I could select a channel or specific show, maybeeeeee.

There is a little button on the bottom right for full screen and many of them have an HD button as well.

Furthermore, hulu does have a lot of the shows in one place. If my 4 year old daughter can do it (she actually started doing it when she was 3), I am sure it's not that big of a learning curve.

[Tuxguy]

For the sports games and channels

www.Rajangan.net

You all are very welcome

[mmblz]

I'd love to do this but its just not possible for me.

The only high speed internet access I have is satellite. Which regulates how many MB of download I can have typically about 400 meg. 1 show will blow that out of the water. Whats more the X-box Marketplace isn't compatiable with Hughes.net (or so Microsoft told me (http://www.registeredevil.com/archives/2061). How quaint. )

The only other option out here is dial up. Oh boy.

Gonna be a long time before I can get out from under the thumb of the conglomerates it looks like.

400 MB??? That sucks!
Do you get cell phone service at your house? Have you looked at a cell modem? Check out millenicom.com... THey have a cap but if you buy the modem it is 10GB...

[Martel]

How is the resolution on these various streaming options? I'm intrigued, but I'm addicted to HD...

Cheers,
G

[BloodSpite]

400 MB??? That sucks!
Do you get cell phone service at your house? Have you looked at a cell modem? Check out millenicom.com... THey have a cap but if you buy the modem it is 10GB...

I looked in to it (It's what I used to do for a living after all :) ) however the service at my house is spotty. The terrain doesn't lend itself to sustained data rates worth a hoot. Even my smart phone has issues.

HughesNet uses what they call a FAP or Fair Access Policy (http://www.nationwidesatellite.com/HughesNet/service/HughesNet_fair_access_policy.asp). Basically says how much you can download in a 24 hour period. This includes your E-mails, uploads, etc. So I don't watch many video's as you may imagine heh

Once you exceed that speed, they cut you back to dial up.

Not to mention you have the same weather issues with the Sat ISP that you have with Sat TV. Weather, rain, cloud cover, etc.

[mmblz]

bummer!
we had millenicom with an antenna, it worked ok. then DSL came out here, was the best day ;)

[BloodSpite]

Would love to see at least DSL.

Drives me nuts everyone talking about "High speed this" "highspeed that" and "Everyone has access to highspeed, what are you crazy?" mentality some companies have now.

Just gahhh!

[Bill86]

I rock cable internet, but I've been cable TV free for 2-3 years. I almost forgot we didn't have cable. I watch everything from my computer always have always will. I wish they would get Fiber optics out here though. Comcast sucks, they are the reason we don't have cable.

[jimmyk26]

I've been on an internet only diet for 4 years now. The best thing is that there is more and more content online every day. As mentioned before the only thing I miss is all of the sports, but that doesn't motivate me to switch back. To each their own, but I am very happy with my set up!

[Mugen910]

There are a few sites that allow live streaming of sports...

Also, get a digital tuner card for the PC and build a $2 antenna...you'll get all the local channels in HiDef...so Sunday Games are not missed.

I cut my Dtv bill in half because i wanted to cancel service but they wouldn't let me go...I'm missing the big channels but Mom gets to keep her shows that only Dtv offers. I still get to watch most sporting events.

[J0eybb]

There are a few sites that allow live streaming of sports...

Also, get a digital tuner card for the PC and build a $2 antenna...you'll get all the local channels in HiDef...so Sunday Games are not missed.

I cut my Dtv bill in half because i wanted to cancel service but they wouldn't let me go...I'm missing the big channels but Mom gets to keep her shows that only Dtv offers. I still get to watch most sporting events.

You can get channels that are close with a cheap antenna. There is a website (http://www.antennaweb.org/) that tells you what you need to receive certain channels. I am missing two local channels with my cheapo antenna. Although if your TV has a a qam tuner you can leave your cable plugged in and get a lot of channels.

[the nub]

Haven't watched on the tube in over 2 years. Everything I want to watch can be streamed online- hockey, MMA, first run movies, TV, etc.

Canadians can watch Hulu and CBS by installing Hotspot Shield.

[hammondc]

Bumpity bump. Looks like the availability on HULU and other services makes it easy now

[Blak Smyth]

I am trying to cut out the Dish. I have Hulu on a Roku and Netflix streaming. I also use Amazon for rentals. I just haven't pulled the plug yet due to a couple shows I want to keep. Must... cut... cord...

[jledou]

Interestingly enough I believe Time Warner pushing back on the networks and their little spats might push the networks further and further to broadcasting through the internet and possibly doing an pay per channel network subscriptions directly to the end user.

I fully believe ESPN is the reason cable still has any viability in major cities. Remote areas are still another story.

[hammondc]

Interestingly enough I believe Time Warner pushing back on the networks and their little spats might push the networks further and further to broadcasting through the internet and possibly doing an pay per channel network subscriptions directly to the end user.

I fully believe ESPN is the reason cable still has any viability in major cities. Remote areas are still another story.

Yep. This most recent fiasco between DirecTv and Viacom has pretty much pushed me over the edge.

[CigarNut]

The one problem here is that first run shows (like True Blood) from HBO are not available online unless you have an HBO subscription or want to wait a year for the DVDs...

[Blak Smyth]

I think if I could get the internet on my TV I would be fine. Can I hook up a laptop to my TV easily?

[363]

I think if I could get the internet on my TV I would be fine. Can I hook up a laptop to my TV easily?

If your laptop has a HDMI imput and so does your TV yep! I do it sometimes and you just switch your laptop to projector mode

[Digs]

I was thinking about and got netflix back a few months ago bit do not like it. There is only so many 15 year old & B grade horror movies one can take :r

[Blak Smyth]

I was thinking about and got netflix back a few months ago bit do not like it. There is only so many 15 year old & B grade horror movies one can take :r

Yah I hardly ever use their streaming, just not enough current product available.

If your laptop has a HDMI imput and so does your TV yep! I do it sometimes and you just switch your laptop to projector mode

Nice, I am gonna try this tonight! Thanks.

[Chainsaw13]

Time to dig up an old thread. Now that we've progressed with more online streaming in the last couple of years, has anyone who's cut the cord regretted it? I'm really leaning toward doing it, as I just got notified my bill will be going up again next month. $130/mo for internet and their HD channel pack. No movie channels. And that's with a $25/mo discount.

[G G]

Ha, I had forgot about this thread. Just went back and re-read it.

I did in fact quit satellite tv in February of 2011 when my contract ran out. Bought 2 Roku XD/S and hooked them up to my TV in the living room and the bedroom. Started out with Netflix and Hulu +. Since then I have upgraded the Rokus a couple times and have them on 3 TVs in my house, My Grandfather's old house next door, and my Dad across the street has one all working off my account. The one at my Grandfathers old house is only for the couple times a year someone visits and stays there. I have an outdoor wifi network and they all kick off of that with no problem. I pay like $11.99 a month for Netflix cause it allows me to stream to 4 devices. Oh yeah and I also have a Roku 2 left over from the upgrades and I have it in a little pack that I take to whichever station I am working at and use it while at work. I have never regretted cutting off the satellite. We watch more TV and more of what we actually want to watch now than we ever did before. I also use Playon. I caught it on sale for like $29.99 for a lifetime license about a year ago then paid the $5.99 for the HD upgrade when it came out. We watch most shows on Playon now, and if it wasn't for my Dad I might just cut Netflix off. Playon has these add on scripts that aren't technically supported by Playon and we use one called 1Channel. It has pretty much every movie and every tv show ever made. I guess it's not technically all legal like. There are lots of other plugins for it that will give you cable packages and allow you to stream ESPN, Movie Channels and pretty much anything you get on cable and it's all streamed live. You have to have a pretty good processor to process the playon but if you do it works very well. Every now and then it will buffer more than I like but it's bearable for me. We have been watching the Waltons for the last month or so and also watch Bones, Chicago Fire, etc. using playon all the time.

[Flynnster]

I haven't had cable for 4 years now, and while I do miss it sometimes, I've gotten quite used to it. One thing that makes it a lot better is having either a hardline (hdmi or other) or wireless (chromecast is my choice) connection to the tv.

This way, anything that isn't on netflix, or hulu, or broadcast, I can simply download from somewhere and play it to the tv.

[Bill86]

I haven't watched TV in years (8 or so), don't regret it. I see some people are looking to go this route, here's my thoughts.

To anyone contemplating doing this here's something to think about, bandwidth. Does your provider have a bandwidth cap? What is it? Is that really enough should you use only streaming services.

Right now instead of TV I'm having a 50/10 business line installed without a bandwidth cap. That should run around $100-$125 a month, this depends on your modem handling it or needing them to provide you one and if you get any kind of incentives to switch over. I think the best they offer is usually $10 off your bill each month with a 3 year contract.

Basic cable internet with caps won't support a family (or 3+ people) using streaming services all month, usually there is a fee attached to extra bandwidth use. Also several users streaming can put a decent hurting on your internet speeds and a business line is unaffected by multiple users streaming.

Check what options are available, make sure if you have any kind of bandwidth cap it is over 500GB a month. If it's just you, 300gb or so might be enough but typically the monthly fees for extra bandwidth run you more than a better service plan would should you go over.


EDIT last I remember being told netflix streaming is around 1-2 gigs of bandwidth per hour.

[Flynnster]

Here in Chicago, we've never run into any bandwidth caps. With 4 college guys, Netflix running on at least one computer almost constantly, online gaming, and torrent programs open all the time, we end up using a lot.

[mosesbotbol]

I am internet and antenna only all year. I miss cable, ain't gonna lie... We make due. Shows preferences change.

I miss The O'Reilly Factor the most!

[weems]

I did it for about a year. I had to go back, partly because I can't stand not being able to watch live football at home, but the biggest reason was to shut my spouse the hell up haha.

[Chainsaw13]

Thanks for all the feedback. Bill, you make a good point about bandwidth caps and something I'll ask about. I also have to see how much my internet bill will be after dropping the tv part. It may not make sense price wise if it goes up too much and then you add on Netflix or Hulu.

[Shaneg]

I've been cableless for years- netflix, and Hulu are the only things I need, and have a good wing place up the road for sports as needed.

[G G]

My ISP has no bandwidth caps thank the Lord. If they did it would probably be a hugely different story around my house. Good point though.

[Dude Here]

I haven't had cable in almost three years now, and don't miss it one bit. It's Netflix, Amazon Prime and local channels at my house. We just got the local antenna at the beginning of the year so I could watch the Superbowl.

My wife and I have never been big TV watchers, so it wasn't a very difficult transition getting away from cable. We still have shows we watch on occasion (She loves that Once fairy tale show) and we keep up with The Walking Dead by just buying episodes on Amazon.

Cutting the cord to cable was one of the best decisions we've made if you ask me. It was getting really hard to justify spending the money we were on just a few select channels.

[mosesbotbol]

Thanks for all the feedback. Bill, you make a good point about bandwidth caps and something I'll ask about. I also have to see how much my internet bill will be after dropping the tv part. It may not make sense price wise if it goes up too much and then you add on Netflix or Hulu.

Find or get a couple of buddies to split a Hulu account. I think one account does 4 devices. I use a friend's account. There's also a free service called Plex which has some "unsupported apps" that let you see movies that are currently in theater, along with about every show you can think of.

We watch a lot of Warner Bros. Archive which is a pay service for a ton of WB movies of the past. I love Edward G. Robinson, Boggie, Cagney, so almost every Friday we some sort of 30' era movie on the TV.

[dave]

Went without cable for two years, but caved and went back to the cord.
-Burned through most of what we wanted from Netflix and Amazon Prime.
-Less and less of those two services offerings are HD anymore
-Missed sports and news -- not really much comparison between Badger football through a choppy P2P stream and a Big Ten Network HD broadcast
-Wife is working from home now and really likes HGTV (and others) in the background.
-We are watching more On Demand now than Netflix/Amazon

At $121 w/taxes for (extended?) basic cable and internet with 3 HD boxes, it's about $60 more than internet alone was. Not cheap, but worth it to us for now.

Note: During the years that we cut the cord, but used Cox for internet, we accidentally found that Cox bled local channels (Big networks and a few PBS) through the same wire....so we weren't exactly without the entire cable TV menu.

[Flynnster]

One thing that helps with cutting the cord is being comfortable with torrenting things. It's really easy to get almost anything in great HD quality.

[AdamJoshua]

I just cut the cable last month. I was at 186 a month for internet and cable and I realized all I did was put reruns on in the background when I was home reading or working. I really don't watch that much t.v., literally 90% was just reruns of crap.

I kept the internet, I have the super duper internet it's 75 bucks a month or so, when I called to cancel they basically turned off my DVR but I get basic / local cable and my same internet for 71 a month, saved 4 extra dollars and still get the standard definition local channels. I signed up for Netflix and torrent a few newer movies, I suppose I'll look at amazon prime as well, but I'm set for now, saving 100 bucks a month is always nice.

Another bonus is it forces you to watch other things, I have never seen Doctor Who until a couple weeks ago and have already burned through 6 1/2 seasons of it and am addicted, I've also re-watched all of Black Adder and Fawlty Towers, I'd rather watch those reruns than the crap they show on network t.v.

[Chainsaw13]

I think once I get done with all my travel for work, I'm ditching the cable. Like you Adam, I find I watch a lot of stuff I've already seen. Might be even more incentive to do something other than watch tv. Like smoke more cigars? Oh crap, there goes any savings. :D

[hotreds]

If there were a way to get sports I'd dump my dish in a minute! I don't watch anything but sports. SWMBO might be upset, however, as she watches quite a few of the channels.

[mosesbotbol]

The one problem here is that first run shows (like True Blood) from HBO are not available online unless you have an HBO subscription or want to wait a year for the DVDs...

Use a friend or relative's cable company login to watch HBO.

Plenty of sites have shows after the next day as well. Image quality can vary.

[CigarSquid]

I have not had cable or satellite for over a year. We use Netflix and Hulu. I also do the MLB TV on my Xbox.

For football, I use this crazy online streaming deal... Not HD, but as long as I am not throwing a super bowl party, I can dig it.

It works good. We seem to be gone a bit and every time I think about getting cable, when I price it all out, that alone turns me away again.

[Buckeye Jack]

15 months now and don't regret it at all. Here is my setup:

- OTA antenna on the roof

- I have a basic $45/month internet bill thru TW

- I pay $14 a month for a tivo subscription which I have a roamio and a mini. We use those as our main guide and DVR so that we can watch network shows we record on either the main TV or the cigar room TV where we are at 5-7 nights a week after the kids go to bed. We could probably get by with just the main DVR but the mini has a lifetime subscription so no extra.

- Netflix streaming subscription - $8/month

- 2 Apple TV's to watch netflix (could watch on tivo box but the interface is so much better on the ATV's)

- We also buy a seasons worth of about 2 or 3 shows from itunes (SoA, Justified, was Breaking Bad). Cost of those are about a month and a halfs worth of what we were paying for on DirecTV.

So in total I pay about $22 a month for TV. I don't consider the internet price because we would have it regardless. The initial setup fee is a bit higher but that was paid off in the first 6 months of cutting the cord.

The only sports I really watch is college football, and I get my fulfillment with what already comes in OTA. I miss baseball at times.

[pattersong]

I just cut the line over this past weekend. Where I am in Toronto, Rogers has a monopoly on the cable TV/Internet services market. They charge ridiculous fees for what you receive.

I signed up for a smaller known Internet service provider with unlimited bandwidth at 1/3 of the cost of Rogers.

Subscribe to Netflix and VPN into the American programming. I can't go without hockey, so I will pay for the hockey season. All said and done, I haven't saved a whole lot more than before the cut, but I receive much more programming.
OTA might be the next logical step.

Cable Internet: $45/mo (unlimited b/w)
Netflix: $8.99/mo
NHL $12/mo
VPN: $2/mo

[AdamJoshua]

So after a month of no cable, I have burned through all of the episodes of Columbo, Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, Dr. Who and Keeping Up Appearances, along with a few random shows on Netflix. I'm working on the Rockford Files now.

[mosesbotbol]

So after a month of no cable, I have burned through all of the episodes of Columbo, Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, Dr. Who and Keeping Up Appearances, along with a few random shows on Netflix. I'm working on the Rockford Files now.

The Rifleman or Gunsmoke are pretty good.

[shilala]

Amazon has the fire tv stick (think chromecast) for 19 bucks, two days only.
Drawback? Ships mid-December.
I figured for 19 bucks, it'd show up right in time for tv watching season. It's usually $39.

I'm a slave to Directv. We can't survive without football here, Weeze and I don't miss a game.
As soon as the NFL offers all the games online, Directv is gone. And I mean within seconds.

[WaRevo]

So after a month of no cable, I'm working on the Rockford Files now.

Love that SHOW. He reminds me of what my dad looked like before he passed away in 92. Not only looked like Jim Rockford but sounded like him. Almost thought they were secret twins LOL

James

[AdamJoshua]

I caught a lot of Rifleman (Chuck Connors the original multi-sport pro jock) on MeTV and how can you not love Matt Dillon .. 2 solid choices to put on the list.

[Stephen]

Amazon has the fire tv stick (think chromecast) for 19 bucks, two days only.
Drawback? Ships mid-December.
I figured for 19 bucks, it'd show up right in time for tv watching season. It's usually $39.

I'm a slave to Directv. We can't survive without football here, Weeze and I don't miss a game.
As soon as the NFL offers all the games online, Directv is gone. And I mean within seconds.
Well they do, but there's some hoops you have to jump through. Only costs about $200 a season, too, as opposed to what Sunday Ticket charges.

[shilala]

Well they do, but there's some hoops you have to jump through. Only costs about $200 a season, too, as opposed to what Sunday Ticket charges.
They offer them after they are played, no?
I had no idea they offered live games. If they do, I could tabcast that.
We used to watch on wiziwig, but that was kind of a pain.

[Fordman4ever]

I dropped cable and got a digital antenna. Works great.

[Stephen]

They offer them after they are played, no?
I had no idea they offered live games. If they do, I could tabcast that.
We used to watch on wiziwig, but that was kind of a pain.
Nope, what I'm talking about is a live, HD broadcast.

[weems]

Amazon has the fire tv stick (think chromecast) for 19 bucks, two days only.
Drawback? Ships mid-December.
I figured for 19 bucks, it'd show up right in time for tv watching season. It's usually $39.

I'm a slave to Directv. We can't survive without football here, Weeze and I don't miss a game.
As soon as the NFL offers all the games online, Directv is gone. And I mean within seconds.

Same here, can't miss any SEC game. But I freaking hate DirecTV.

[irratebass]

Ok seriously thinking about doing this again. I have Comcast with Internet, 2 DVRS Cable w/HBO only for about $170 a month.

I watch AMC (Walking Dead, Saul, Madmen) the most, Vh1 Classic for That Metal Show, Spike for Ink Master & Bar Rescue & HBO for well their series as well....that's about it.

Wife and boy watch ABC Family, Lifetime & The cartoon channels.

I subscribe to Nextflix and stream everything through the Xbox (One is on it's way)

We looked at HULU, but there was a particular show we were watching at the time (Nurse Jackie or Dexter or Madmen.....I don't remember), but they didn't have the current season, so we didn't get it.

I bought her the ROKU last year and decided it wasn't worth since you still had to subscribe to things, so I returned it.

Thinking about doing the ChromeCast....I torrent films and some tv show seasons.

So, with what I have/watch what would you consider would be my best move? I would have to keep internet that's a no brainier ($72 a month)

What is PlayOn? Do they have current seasons? Same with Plex?

[DPD6030]

We are also thinking of getting rid of our tv services when our contract is up. It's crazy expensive. Some future relatives have a roku and some other plug in stick and are satisfied. I don't watch a ton of sports so it doesn't matter much to me. All that matters is $125/month with a discount is a shame for tv.

[Slow Triathlete]

We cut the cable about 3 years ago and I have not missed it a bit.

For sports I usually go to a sports bar or hang out with my friends to watch a game.

[irratebass]

I have heard that HULU still has commercials WTF???? Even though you pay for the service you still have to sit through commercials?????

[Porch Dweller]

Anyone use the Amazon Fire Stick? We're thinking about dropping the cable once we move into our retirement home next month. We use a PS3 for Netflix and Amazon Prime on our living room TV. Was thinking about getting a Fire Stick for the bedroom (that sounds naughtier than it should :D ) and man cave. So if anyone uses it I'd appreciate their thoughts on it,

[kydsid]

We have FireTV. I use the phone app for it from time to time, which is the only way to use the stick I believe. I find the phone app good but a little sensitive for moving around the GUI. I'd give the nod to the firetv because you get a remote.

[hotreds]

I ended up getting the Sling for the wife as I watch only Netflix and MLB.tv. Came with a free Roku stick. Good to go, not paying close to $100 a month for Directv stuff I never watch!

[Flynnster]

Anyone use the Amazon Fire Stick? We're thinking about dropping the cable once we move into our retirement home next month. We use a PS3 for Netflix and Amazon Prime on our living room TV. Was thinking about getting a Fire Stick for the bedroom (that sounds naughtier than it should :D ) and man cave. So if anyone uses it I'd appreciate their thoughts on it,

I have a firestick and I really like it. A big thing for me is having the remote instead of having to use my computer or phone like for my chromecast. It also has dual band wifi which the chromecast doesn't. The Firestick UI is really nice. Go for it!

[Porch Dweller]

Thanks, men!

[Porch Dweller]

We have FireTV. I use the phone app for it from time to time, which is the only way to use the stick I believe. I find the phone app good but a little sensitive for moving around the GUI. I'd give the nod to the firetv because you get a remote.

I looked at the Amazon site and the Stick comes with a remote now.

[Flynnster]

I looked at the Amazon site and the Stick comes with a remote now.

It does indeed come with a remote. It's a very basic one but it's all you need. You can upgrade to a fancier remote, which I think comes with the Fire TV.

[irratebass]

Sling TV app lands on Xbox One today for a free 30 month trial

[kydsid]

30 months would be awesome :p

[Chainsaw13]

One step closer to cutting the cord. Got my new HDTV antenna in and connected. Problem I'm having now is getting my tv remote to do the audio lock. I run all my sound they my a/v receiver. It won't lock in, so in order to change the volume, I need to switch back/forth between tv and audio. So, what's a good remote I can use to replace all my remotes?

[hotreds]

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-650-Remote-Control/dp/B004OVECU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1428070739&sr=1-1&keywords=universal+remote

[irratebass]

Boom! Getting better and better...Sling Tv now gonna offer HBO GO before the season premiere of Game Of Thrones....it's an extra $15 on top of the $20 Sling Tv fee, but it beats $180 still

http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/02/sling-to-offer-streaming-hbo-content-in-april-undermining-apple-tvs-hbo-now-exclusivity-deal/

[irratebass]

Well I cut the cord yesterday all I have now is internet with Comcast for $80 a month......starting to have regrets.....

[Chainsaw13]

Well I cut the cord yesterday all I have now is internet with Comcast for $80 a month......starting to have regrets.....

Regrets in having Comcast? I would too.... :lr

[irratebass]

Regrets in having Comcast? I would too.... :lr

Ha, no just that the Internet is going to be $90 a month + Netflix $8 then was thinking of adding Sling TV which is $20 a month & HBO Now another $15 a month, but can cancel at anytime, so after Game Of Thrones it's gone.

Just didn't seem like I was getting a break really.

**update* wife just text me and said she got them down to $60 a month for the internet, so def getting Sling TV with HBO now :wo

[Chainsaw13]

Yea, that's my fear too Mickey. Once you start subscribing to all the different streaming systems, you end up near or at what you had with cable.

I just signed up for HBO Now yesterday. That along with my Fire TV and my new HDTV antenna, has me at the point of cutting the cord. Problem is getting good sound out of my TV when OTA, through my receiver. I have an older TV with only Digital Audio out.

[Fordman4ever]

ANyone here do Sling TV? We just started it and it's pretty cool. We have Netflix, an antenna, amazon prime and now Sling TV.

We paid for 3 months upfront for sling tv and they sent us a Roku. We get 12 tv channels for only $20/month. it has espn, espn 2, food network, history channel, history 2, travel channel, disney, and a few others. the cool thing with the sling tv is that on some of the channels you can go back as far as 4 days and watch tv shows you missed. My wife and I love it.

[hotreds]

Have Sling mainly for mama as I watch primarily Netflix and sports on ESPN or MLB.TV on Roku.

[14holestogie]

How's that hdtv antenna working for you, Bob? How far are you from the transmission towers? Everything I've been looking at says most are good in the 35-40 mile range and I'm probably closer to 50.

[Chainsaw13]

How's that hdtv antenna working for you, Bob? How far are you from the transmission towers? Everything I've been looking at says most are good in the 35-40 mile range and I'm probably closer to 50.

So far so good. I'll have to look it up to see how far away I am. I've yet to really test it out, to see how good of a signal I'm getting. I just put it up on the one location the wall and did a channel scan.

BTW, I bought the non amplified Amazon version antenna. Was like $25-30.

[irratebass]

ANyone here do Sling TV? We just started it and it's pretty cool. We have Netflix, an antenna, amazon prime and now Sling TV.

We paid for 3 months upfront for sling tv and they sent us a Roku. We get 12 tv channels for only $20/month. it has espn, espn 2, food network, history channel, history 2, travel channel, disney, and a few others. the cool thing with the sling tv is that on some of the channels you can go back as far as 4 days and watch tv shows you missed. My wife and I love it.

Wow! That's a nice deal, they send you a Roku? Wonder why they did that? I can use it on my Xbox One.

[Fordman4ever]

I don't have an xbox and it was just one of the options. if you paid for 3 months up front they sent it to you

[irratebass]

I don't have an xbox and it was just one of the options. if you paid for 3 months up front they sent it to you

Interesting....thanks......doing this today since GOT starts Sunday

[Chainsaw13]

How's that hdtv antenna working for you, Bob? How far are you from the transmission towers? Everything I've been looking at says most are good in the 35-40 mile range and I'm probably closer to 50.

Did a bit of moving the antenna around. Looks like I'll need an extension to the cord that comes on the one I bought. Found putting it in a window increases the signal level a lot.

Looking online, I'm anywhere from 15-18 miles from most of the stations. My guess is you'd want either an amplified indoor, or an external.

[14holestogie]

Did a bit of moving the antenna around. Looks like I'll need an extension to the cord that comes on the one I bought. Found putting it in a window increases the signal level a lot.

Looking online, I'm anywhere from 15-18 miles from most of the stations. My guess is you'd want either an amplified indoor, or an external.

Yeah, definately an external for me. I'd guess the most powerful one I can find to cover my 50-60 mile range. Everything I see so far states most ranges advertised are exaggerated, so I'll probably need something close to 80-100 mile range.

[Chainsaw13]

It's amazing how much the cable companies compress the signal. Colors more vibrant OTA.

[Chainsaw13]

So I've been without cable for three days now. A lot less surfing, more actual watching. I'm still getting some basic cable thru the line, including local hd channels. I'm still trying to find the best spot to put my hd antenna. Where it is now, anytime a car drives by, I lose signal for a couple seconds.

Best part of all of this, my bill will only be $20/month for the next year.

[Porch Dweller]

After two months, I threw in the towel and got DirecTv. I was missing hockey too much. :)

[CigarSquid]

After two months, I threw in the towel and got DirecTv. I was missing hockey too much. :)

Why not do this if you are missing hockey..

https://gamecenter.nhl.com/nhlgc/secure/gclsignup?spf=false&intcmpid=nhl-gcl-xbox-landingpg

I am thinking of getting it just so I can get into hockey more.

[irratebass]

Cancelling Sling today.....not impressed with it & GOT is now over.

[GreekGodX]

What internet speeds do you guys have for all the streaming? I just got 50mbps and initial usage looks good. I'm just thinking if there is multiple people streaming and using the internet that it would slow down too much. Upgrade to 100mbps?

[Chainsaw13]

Im still on 15mbps. Works well enough for me, even at peak times, with only the occassional lag. But them I"m the only one in the house.

[hotreds]

My speed is 75 at the router, 25 at my computer. You lose and INCREDIBLE amount of speed- per inch of distance it seems!

[pnoon]

Anyone here use the PlaystationVue streaming service?

How do you like it? Does thier "cloud DVR" functionality work to your satisfaction?

I'm getting ready to cut the cord and PlaystationVue is the frontrunner. I will be taking advantage of the 7-day free trial in January.

[pnoon]

Anyone here use the PlaystationVue streaming service?

How do you like it? Does thier "cloud DVR" functionality work to your satisfaction?

I'm getting ready to cut the cord and PlaystationVue is the frontrunner. I will be taking advantage of the 7-day free trial in January.
Started the free trial the day before yesterday.
Looks like all systems are go.

I actually prefer the UI on the Amazon Fire Stick over the AppleTV. But they only launched PSV for the AppleTV in November, so I am hoping improvements are on the way soon.

Gonna dump AT&T for TV and as an ISP.
Switching to PlayStation Vue and back to Time Warner/Spectrum for Internet. Internet speed going from 24Mbps to 100Mbps!
I'll be saving $100/month the first year and $80/month after that.

Onetime hardware outlay of $220. AppleTV ($150) and 2 Amazon Fire Sticks ($70).

Cutting the cord rocks!

[pnoon]

I'm loving my new internet throughput.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/6011048412.png

[Greentud]

Antenna for local. Amazon fire stick and kodi gets me all I need. Ongoing cost is $99 per year for Amazon Prime.

[Greentud]

Forgot to add that I am currently using Playstation Vue because it gives me NESN so I can watch the Bruins via a better quality stream than I'm getting through Kodi. I don't like the Red Sox so I will cancel it once hockey is over which for the Bruins should be soon.