Cord Cutters Unite - Let's Talk Modern Television
I was always a huge fan of DirecTV. For the last 15 years, I've strongly advocated their service to be the gold standard for digital entertainment. The service was good, their support was solid, they were the exclusive provider of the NFL Sunday Ticket, what wasn't there to love?
Over the years, the "cord cutting" trend has picked up great steam, and yet I still resisted. Still paid my $2k a year to the man, and felt smug superiority over the poors streaming their Hulus and whatnot.
But, with this climate of broadcast litigation and carriage disputes, I finally hit my breaking point. 10 minutes before Game 1 of the NBA finals, off went my ABC. Then CBS followed shortly thereafter. The straw the broke the camel's back.
Use an antenna? Are you kidding me, this isn't 1976 where I turn the dial to point some skeletal contraption on my roof toward Canada in order to watch Bachelor in Paradise.
So, my friends, the time has come to embrace the new state-of-the-art, and with all of the myriad streaming options available, the landscape is cluttered and confusing. But, I'm certain there must be a new gold standard, and perhaps this thread can be used to share our experiences in crafting the best digital entertainment packages and set-ups available.
I'll start with my own needs/wants, and hopefully this can illuminate some best practices with what others are doing.
What I like about DirecTV/current traditional service:
1. They have the NFL Sunday Ticket
This is why I will retain service through the end of this season, but I hope beyond hope that after this year it'll be available on one of the other streaming platforms. Probably going to be stuck next year though, as I believe it'll probably be AT&T exclusive through the 2020-2021 season. Arrgh. Probably outside of my control here.
2. DVR Content with No Commercials
No, I will not watch commercials. I must be able to fast forward. Obviously.
3. My DVR Curates Content For Me
This is perhaps what I love best. Subscribe to "season passes" and it automatically records the stuff I want. This is a universal feature and I'm sure is replicated with the streaming providers. BUT, what I truly appreciate is when I pop into my play list and see that it has helpfully recorded the first episode of the new season of Top Chef. While I'm sure that with any of these providers I could go to Bravo and set this to record when the episodes start to air, I can't be bothered to actually know when this stuff is starting and go after it myself.
4. Other Live Sports
Aside from the Sunday Ticket, I do need access to live sporting events on the major broadcast networks, the ESPN family of networks, stuff like Fox Sports/NBC Sports Net, and need the ability to add other regional sports networks as appropriate.
5. Local Channels
The ability to receive my local channels would certainly be a plus.
6. Wide Channel Selection
The more the merrier, ldo.
7. Ability to Interface with Other Streaming Packages
Have subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video, Showtime's streaming package, HBO Now, etc. Probably will be other a la carte stuff that pops up as well, so it'd be a plus to be able to integrate some of that stuff. Not sure if that is a thing.
So where are we at? Looking at some kind of cloud-based DVR type thing that'll interface with some kind of streaming aggregation subscription service. Is there something that exists today that'll tick the boxes?
What are we doing out there, friends?
Bump
Are people still cord cutting with the prices of streaming apps on the rise?
Haven't had cable in 3 years. Fubo emulates it almost exactly for much less money, ime.
I could never use Fubo. The name is too dumb. I have Hulu.
I had a rooftop antenna installed and they connected to the old cable TV system left behind when I pulled the plug. Works perfectly on all the sets in the house, and there up to 145 over the air channels in Vegas.
I am still youtubing...
The alternative is not to stay with a cable provider but to also not do streaming.
Outside sports there's basically nothing interesting to watch on TV anymore.
I have been using IPTV for sports and free apps for tv for quite some time now. I’m hoping it never goes away but I always like to keep something on the back burner just in case. I refuse to ever pay for cable tv again.
I have been using IPTV for sports and free apps for tv for quite some time now. I’m hoping it never goes away but I always like to keep something on the back burner just in case. I refuse to ever pay for cable tv again.
Yeah, I discovered IPTV from this thread sevaral years ago I believe, haven't looked back since. All the PPVs, sports packages, etc for about 1/10th what I was paying for Directv has been pretty amazing. I added a couple inexpensive Plex Shares and haven't had any need for the on demand service like Netflix, Hulu, etc.
Tell me more about IPTV. Who do you use? Is it legal? What’s the cost?
The alternative is not to stay with a cable provider but to also not do streaming.
Outside sports there's basically nothing interesting to watch on TV anymore.
This is correct. I have access to a Prime account so I do get to watch Thursday NFL games. I also recently re-upped with Netflix so I could watch the Tom Brady roast but I picked the plan with ads which is about $8/month. I haven't watched a damn thing other than the roast.
On regular TV the "shows" I watch during the week are local and national news. Absolutely nothing else. On weekends I watch sports. Yeah, I wish I could have watched the PGA the last two days but I ain't paying a cent to do it.
And if Monday Night Football returns to ESPN only this season (and not ABC) I just won't watch. Life will go on.
This is correct. I have access to a Prime account so I do get to watch Thursday NFL games. I also recently re-upped with Netflix so I could watch the Tom Brady roast but I picked the plan with ads which is about $8/month. I haven't watched a damn thing other than the roast.
On regular TV the "shows" I watch during the week are local and national news. Absolutely nothing else. On weekends I watch sports. Yeah, I wish I could have watched the PGA the last two days but I ain't paying a cent to
it is. the writers strike was why it was on ABC last year.
The writer's strike was the excuse Disney got away with for getting permission to put it on broadcast.
FWIW, Apple TV (the device) supports VPNs now. So if you want the convenience of US Netflix for a fraction of the cost, sign up for an account from Turkey or another country where the premium version is only $3-4/month.
The ones that provide more channels and are less money are definitely illegal. The one I use is 10$ per device per month. I have it installed on 4 devices. Google or YouTube Troypoint or newtechevolution and a lot of your questions can be answered there.
Yeah, I discovered IPTV from this thread sevaral years ago I believe, haven't looked back since. All the PPVs, sports packages, etc for about 1/10th what I was paying for Directv has been pretty amazing. I added a couple inexpensive Plex Shares and haven't had any need for the on demand service like Netflix, Hulu, etc.
Same. Not sure if I'm a horrible person or what, but I don't really feel the slightest bit guilty either.
Exactly. I haven't researched the legality, but I can't imagine any possible way they are legal.
My understanding is that since you are neither downloading nor distributing anything with IPTV( or a Plex share), as a user, you aren't technically doing anything illegal. Now, the IPTV seller is another matter but not my concern
My understanding is that since you are neither downloading nor distributing anything with IPTV( or a Plex share), as a user, you aren't technically doing anything illegal.
For the US, I think that's the most common interpretation of that 2020 (?) copyright act that (not surprisingly) content creators don't agree with. As always Dana White is the most vocal among those. I think the angle to that is that people who pay for the services are basically bankrolling people who commit a felony?
What we can be pretty sure about right now in the US is that if we watch unlawful streams on free sites that's fine. Nobody can expect consumers to know if content on YouTube or Twitter is there legally or not.
YouTube TV
YouTube Premium for no commercials
Amazon Prime
Apple+
Netflix
Hulu
Paramount
MAX (HBO)
Disney +
I'm not saving a damn thing with all this (and running on FIOS), and the YouTube TV is borderline worthless to me. But I have everything and I wouldn't consider standalone TV an option anymore.
Should add that the total cost of all of the above is not really a factor for the wife and I these days, we're just at that age and career/earnings point. But going back to a time it would have been (20 or so years ago) no way would we justify half of them. There's more good content with streaming but not proportionate to the cost.
EDIT: I watch more YouTube than anything, mostly home improvement, music, music gear related. The obscene $20-whatever for the ad free might be the best value for me out of everything, and I tried to cut it and it lasted about 10 minutes before I had to sign back up. Maybe 3-4 seasons worth of TV shows and wind up renting half the movies I watch rather than waiting. Younger poorer me would be aghast
Pro tip: set your VPN to Albania or Myanmar, apparently their governments don't allow online ads or something. No more YouTube ads. You can also use ad-blocking extention if you're on a computer
I don't use a VPN
See the government may think I'm into beating off to midget clown porn, but really I'm beating off to the government spying on me while they think I'm into midget clown porn.
Seriously though I don't use a VPN
Services I pay monthly for
Apple+
Netflix
Hulu
Disney+
ESPN+
Peacock
YouTube TV (already bought Sunday NFL ticket for 2024) - split the base monthly cost with my son. We both have full access at our houses on our main TVs.
Services I pay annually for
MAX
Paramount+
Amazon Prime
PokerGO
Starz
All services are no ads. Wont watch ads!!
Its more together what I was paying for cable, but not by all that much. We have property a hour away and spend a lot of time at both places, so its nice these travel unlike cable. Add the fact the amount of content is 100X cable and NO commercials other than live sports. We have went stretches where we didn't touch a service for a month or two and threw money away, but meh.
I cut everything except Prime and YT Premium now that spring has sprung here. I haven't even watched Prime since I canceled Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV 6 or so weeks ago. I just watch/listen to YT all day. Hopefully I can maintain this in 5 months when it is getting ready to snow again.
