Cord-cutting

[zippypinhead]

It's been a few years since a dedicated thread has been made on the subject, so I figured I'd get a new one off the ground, instead of performing necromancy.

I figure there's plenty of people on this forum who primarily stream their entertainment, so let's talk about that! What devices do you use? What services do you love?

 

[zippypinhead]

I had been a Roku guy for years, but a recent move to an area served by satellite internet has apparently caused my devices brain damage. I can't get a Roku to play properly here, so I went out and bought a Sony Blu-Ray player with streaming capabilities tonight. Man, so far I am impressed! I didn't have to sign in to a service like with Roku, and the thing is running like a champ! Built-in media player that recognizes and plays all video formats, easy-peasy screen mirroring with my tablet. All of my subscribed services run great. And now I can start watching Blu-Rays, too!

I'm glad I took the chance and got it.


EDIT: Oh, and the sprinkles on top of the icing on the cake? The internet app plays the MFC mobile site perfectly!

 

[Gen]

I cancelled my cable this summer, after intending to do it for ages.

Never been a huge TV watcher, but last year my roommate and I had a couple shows we'd PVR and watch together once a week. Or we'd try but half the time it wouldn't record, or would record the wrong thing, so we'd have to torrent anyways. Then the price was going up so I finally cancelled, and I'm so pleased.

Anyways I only use Netflix right now, and torrent or iTunes occasionally if it's something I particularly want to watch. I'm interested in Roku though!

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I have Amazon Prime and Netflix. Then I also watch a bunch of different youtube channels, and stream a bunch of stuff from various web pages, cnn and stuff like that. Crackle as a last resort bored to death type situation.

I flip on the vpn to various countries to watch stuff from there that's geo-specific in who can watch it. Showcase in Canada for Continuum, Dominion, Outlander...a bunch of shows there I watch. Then flip over to a London server to watch iPlayer shows from the BBC, like Doctor Who.

And if there's anything else, there's torrents. But honestly most everything I watch I can get streaming from some place, one way or another. So torrenting is kind of slowing down to nothing these days.

Then if I want to watch any of the major networks, like: NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW, PBS... All total, 17 channels here. My internet is by cable modem. And this company doesn't encrypt all those 'local' channels. The regular cable channels they do.

So I put a 4-way splitter right from the wall, from that I go to my modem for internet. But I also have coax cables running from the splitter over to my computer where they are plugged into my TV tuners (yes plural) installed. I have a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 dual tv tuner installed.


And I also have a WinTV-HVR-955Q USB external tv tuner plugged in. Normally I will take this with me when i travel to use on my laptop. But if I'm at home I plug it back in to the main desktop.


So with both of those I can then watch and/or record 1, 2, or 3 of the broadcast tv channels at the same time, or any combination thereof. I don't actually own a stand alone television. My computer is my complete entertainment package. 5.1 surround sound speakers, multiple monitors, webcams, TV, radio, telephone, and newspapers. It's everything at my place. Yes, I don't even own a smartphone.

When Farscape first aired I got cable because I really wanted to watch that show. About 6 months after it was finished airing I remember sitting there one night and just flipping through all the channels, bored at all the junk I was paying for. I cancelled cable then and have never bothered with it since. There's FAR too many other options that are way better, cheaper, and on demand whenever I want to watch them.

 

[zippypinhead]

I've gotten pretty elaborate in the past, but these days, a box that reliably streams through a USB media player and a good internet connection is really all I'm looking for. I've got an antenna for over-the-air stuff, specifically NFL games. Pretty much anything else I might want to watch I can catch through Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. I also have the WWE Network, which is actually the service I watch the most of any service. Hulu Plus is a close second, especially now that it has so much content from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. I even decided to give Showtime Anytime through Hulu a try, and I like it so far.

I'm glad these premium channels are starting to either make their own streaming services unhitched from cable subscriptions, or making exclusive deals with other streamers. Hulu now has Showtime, Amazon has HBO, and next year, Netflix is implementing its exclusive deal with Disney, which people are predicting will be pretty huge. I hope it is, because I have to admit that I'm pretty disappointed with Netflix's offerings over the last couple of years. Maybe dropping Epix won't be so bad, if it means a lot of Disney/Marvel/Lucasfilm content becoming available in a few months. We'll see. That's a best case scenario.

 

[lunarxkittn]

I have a smart TV! The only reason I even want cable in my room is so I can keep up with Rick & Morty, dammit!!!!

Pretty much the only thing I watch on actual cable television anymore is adult swim. And even then it's mostly effin' reruns.

 

[Boog]

I've recently relapsed to including cable due to moving and prices but I still have my previous subs rolling; Prime, Netflix, Crunchyroll and of course the internet. I need to fix up this new place with a proper watching environment but until then, everything non-cable related gets played on the phone or laptop

 

[KylieJacobs]

I actually went from cutting the cord for several years by using mostly Netflix (and regular tv station websites), then went back to satellite tv (plus netflix and Amazon) for the past 2 years.

The biggest problem for me with cutting the cord is not having the local channels. I need ABC and CBS! Most of the shows that I watch are on there (well, other than my science, paranormal shows, and HGTV) and it drives me crazy to have to wait until they are available on their website... I've noticed that internet commercials are a LOT longer than they used to be when I streamed everything also.

I live in the boonies now, so I'm not sure what stations I could pull in with a strong antenna. I was tempted to say screw it and drop satellite tv again a few months ago, but they were willing to drop me down to the introductory price without having to sign a contract.

If I could do something similar to @JerryBoBerry for local channels, I would be more than happy!

 

[zippypinhead]

That is the problem with over-the-air digital signals -- they are far less than reliable. Who knows what an antenna might catch, and it isn't like the analog days, where a weak signal just meant a fuzzy-but-still-watchable channel. You either have a digital signal, or you don't, which is pretty lame. So, I can't really blame anyone who is willing to pay for reliable television signals. And, really, I wouldn't be able speak out against costs for cable, given that I'm paying about $45 a month for streaming services, on top of internet costs. Streaming costs start to add up pretty quick, and before you know it, you're paying a comparable amount to cable. You just happen to be spreading the cost out a la carte.

 

[DrWangFei]

I recently just cut the cord. I had AT&T Uverse, but my 1 year subscription ended, so I went with the dreaded Comcast internet... which is a lot faster, but it's Comcast I pretty much just torrent anything that I want to watch, but I also have Netflix, Hulu+, and Amazon. I have my PC hooked up to my TV, so I can just watch anything on there.

I am interested in the Sony Blu-ray player that you mentioned, there's a few streaming sites that I would like that aren't available on other platforms like the PS4.

 

[n_i_c_u]

I was born when tv was free -- only caveat was you had to buy the tv to get stations, soooooo I am still kind of stuck in that reality. Pay for television shows? The curmudgeon in me says "meh"...even if it is 8 bucks, LOLL.

I built an antenna using google, some hangers and a wooden block. It's ugly but well hidden, and I can get all the non-cable stations. I use the library for all shows that release dvds from pay channels (eventually, most everything gets released). I may be late with my enthusiasm but that is ok with me.

My biggest thing (and what attracted me to this thread) is the whole "cord" part in the cord cutting. I really really really am waiting for the day when I don't have cords going from one end of the room to another, or even from my computer to wherever...soooo many cords running around. I can't wait for wireless everything--and it will happen

 

[Lelo1]

netflix, hbonow, hulu

any thing else online that's free and legal.

 

[zippypinhead]

I am interested in the Sony Blu-ray player that you mentioned, there's a few streaming sites that I would like that aren't available on other platforms like the PS4.

I don't know if the Blu-Ray player has any more streaming options than the PS4. It's a pretty limited set of apps, really. They just happen to be all the apps I actually use, anyway.

I honestly did love my Roku, and I would still be using it if it worked in my house. I would recommend it, and as far as available apps go, I'm pretty sure it has the most comprehensive selection on the market, and that's just through official means. There are also a ton of "unofficial" Roku channels out there that are pretty interesting. Also, it has become apparent to me that, unlike the Roku, my new Blu-Ray player wasn't specifically designed to stream, and so it isn't the most responsive box I've had, and it can get a bit overwhelmed at times and really start to chug along.

The Blu-Ray is still a good box, and I still like it a lot as a comparably-priced alternative, but I thought I'd let you know of the few cons that have popped up for me since I bought it.

 

[KylieJacobs]

I just wanted to update that I cut the cord at the end of December, and I haven't missed DISH at all!

I bought a Amazon Fire TV (2 actually) and a Mohu 60 Sky (outdoor/attic) antenna. I was already subscribed to Amazon Prime and Netflix, but I added Hulu Plus.

I live in the middle of nowhere , and the antenna works a lot better than I expected. I think it picks up around 36 digital channels. The only bummer is that I cannot pick up ABC, but it technically should be on my roof instead of the side of the house. To solve my ABC dilemma, I added Hulu Plus which is absolutely amazing! I went with the no commercials package which I believe is $11.99 per month. They update most of your regular TV shows the day after it airs (not CBS, but I can watch them with the antenna). Hulu Plus is the Netflix for regular TV shows.

I could probably do without Amazon Prime, but I have it mainly for 2 day shipping, so it's basically an extra and it works good with the Fire TV box.

Really, Hulu Plus is my only extra monthly expense that I wasn't already paying for.

Advice:
- If you sign up for Hulu Plus and want to go without commercials, set your payment up directly through their website because they won't let you have the option if you allow other sites such as Amazon to bill you.

- I was kind of excited about Amazon's Fire TV games, but they aren't really much different than the apps that you play on your tablet. The main difference is that you can hook up a bluetooth controller (Xbox computer ones work by the way).

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I don't own this, but recently had a chance to use it for a couple weeks and thought it might interest others.

It was a Raspberry Pi with OSMC installed for a media center operating system with Kodi running. Then in that they had TVaddons installed. Don't ask how to set all that up. I haven't looked into it yet.

The result was every movie and television show ever made on demand.

And there's a bunch of remote control apps designed to work with it. So you can control all of it from a tablet or phone. Overall it made a pretty nice little media player to hide behind a TV and never even see.

 

[zippypinhead]

I keep seeing Raspberry Pi mentioned everywhere. I might have to try one out and just build myself a proper home media server when I get a few extra bucks.

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I keep seeing Raspberry Pi mentioned everywhere. I might have to try one out and just build myself a proper home media server when I get a few extra bucks.

They just came out with the Pi 3 version. People are saying it's running much faster than previous versions. Quad core processor. And it has built in wifi and bluetooth now, and still has 4 usb ports . So you don't really need a usb hub anymore. It's also the same size and structure as previous models so stuff you bought already will still work with it. Same price as the Pi 2 as well, only $35 for the main computer. You still need to buy an SD card, power adapter, case and maybe an HDMI cord to plug it into your TV/monitor.

 

[zippypinhead]

Wow, $35? Maybe I can get one sooner than I thought.

 

[DFT]

Pi 3 is so sweet, and backward compatible with existing enclosures for the Pi 2.

I cut cable in the 90s. I still watch a lot of TV, but nuts to that noise. When I cut the cord I had 40 working analog channels that looked worse than the oldest VHS tape you know. I have one last Windows 7 box set up exclusively as a DVR for OTA (over the air) content which is captured by my Silicon Dust network tuners. This tickles my sports funny bone most of the time. When MS finally pisses me off enough as they try to kill off Win7 that'll switch to a linux box running Myth, likely Mythbuntu at first.

Netflix is ok, I subscribe to Amazon Prime now and have a great breadth of programming available which I rarely watch. Windowed content, exclusives on various vendors, services that buffer - makes one want to be a pirate with a Plex server full of... home videos.

The rest of my setup : a Roku that streams over the LAN and broader net. XBox360 interacts beautifully with the Win7 Media Center for now. Only other thing to improve my local and streaming experience is throw the Chromecast in the trash.