I wish we had better OTA coverage where we live. I only pick up one of the local broadcast channels, FOX, then a bunch of shopping, Christian, and Spanish channels.
-Mike
-Mike
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Streaming TV (again)
- Thread starter D M C
- Start date
I would keep the cable in a heartbeat if it weren't costing over $200 a month. I've called a couple of times to complain and they'll reduce it by %15 for a few months before jacking it back up again.
Also cannot get a straight answer as to the cost. Promos say $45 per month which doesn't include taxes, fees, box rentals, etc., so that the $45 per mo. promo turns into $180 per mo.
Also cannot get a straight answer as to the cost. Promos say $45 per month which doesn't include taxes, fees, box rentals, etc., so that the $45 per mo. promo turns into $180 per mo.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
The CBC switched to digital in your area? You're lucky. We only get Global and CTV OTA here since the conversion. Outside of golf on Global, you pretty much have to pay for sports around here. Watching hockey is out of the question.
I noticed nobody mentioned Crackle. It is a free Netflix with a decent movie selection. I use it through my PS3 but I think they have a website. They have some TV but it isn't the greatest, there is a lot of anime. They do air commercials during the programs to keep it free though.
This was our experience too, with Comcast, before we said forget it and cancelled.
The wife and I were nervous as she likes live TV and I like sports like you do.
The cost savings were huge right from the start, the extra time we both had during the week is invaluable.
I got over not being able to watch sports. I'd go to someone else's house, watch highlights and recaps online, talk about it here, then piggy backed off my cousins DIRECTV for NHL.
My wife adjusted and watches her shows a day or so later which she has come to love now. She likes watching The Chew, and now she can watch them when she wants to.
We both feel like we now control the TV experience instead of it being the other way around for years.
Go for it, cut the cord. If it's not working out, go back to cable. They'll be happy to have you back.
Do it like we did...do them both at first and slowly wean off cable. We accelerated the time table as soon as we saw the benefits.
-Mike
Directv Now subscriber here. We hadn't paid for TV in nearly seven years but when we moved into our new place we couldn't pick up any OTA channels. Looked into cable/satellite and couldn't bear the prices. Decided to give DTV Now a shot since they were running a promo where if you prepaid for three months you got a free Apple TV. We figured $105 for three months of TV and a device worth $150 was worth the try.
Before we received the Apple TV (took about a week to arrive) the experience was terrible since we had to find shows on our phones and Chromecast them to our TV. It was hard to navigate and any on-demand shows we tried would always freeze up. However, the Apple TV makes browsing pretty easy. On-demand shows work about 90% of the time. You can "re-start" shows that have aired within the past 72 hours on most channels, however it's not that easy to figure out how.
The biggest benefits for us are first, they finally started adding local channels. We now get our local Fox and NBC affiliates whereas three months ago we had neither. Second, is that they have been adding more access to individual networks' apps with your Directv Now login (have to find it on the "other networks" list as it is not the same as a standard Directv login). This has allowed us to download apps for Disney Jr, ESPN, NBCSN, etc, log in, and have easy access to either their library or their live content.
I'd say the drawbacks are the lack of DVR (not a huge deal with the added app access, though some networks make you wait a day or two before you can stream) and the lack of all local channels. Again, maybe not a big deal if you can get OTA channels but for some reason we cannot.
In short, DirecTV Now has been better than we expected, just be sure that if you decide to try it out you can run it through some type of set top box (Apple TV, Roku, etc) rather than a Chromecast.
Before we received the Apple TV (took about a week to arrive) the experience was terrible since we had to find shows on our phones and Chromecast them to our TV. It was hard to navigate and any on-demand shows we tried would always freeze up. However, the Apple TV makes browsing pretty easy. On-demand shows work about 90% of the time. You can "re-start" shows that have aired within the past 72 hours on most channels, however it's not that easy to figure out how.
The biggest benefits for us are first, they finally started adding local channels. We now get our local Fox and NBC affiliates whereas three months ago we had neither. Second, is that they have been adding more access to individual networks' apps with your Directv Now login (have to find it on the "other networks" list as it is not the same as a standard Directv login). This has allowed us to download apps for Disney Jr, ESPN, NBCSN, etc, log in, and have easy access to either their library or their live content.
I'd say the drawbacks are the lack of DVR (not a huge deal with the added app access, though some networks make you wait a day or two before you can stream) and the lack of all local channels. Again, maybe not a big deal if you can get OTA channels but for some reason we cannot.
In short, DirecTV Now has been better than we expected, just be sure that if you decide to try it out you can run it through some type of set top box (Apple TV, Roku, etc) rather than a Chromecast.
Yah, CBC has been digital HD OTA in this area for a long time now. Even better than it was on cable! I'll check out Crackle....have it on my AppleTV
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Comcast and other big cable companies are regulated as a utility, like electric or gas. They get hit with various governmental taxes and fees, which of course they pass along to the consumer. Puts them at a pricing disadvantage.
But then Comcast just compounds the problem by tacking on ridiculous fees for things like "HD Technology". Are you kidding me? That might have been justified in 2010 but now HD is the norm. Why the extra fee? Absurd.
Then they nickel and dime you on "extra outlets" and rental of cable boxes.
Then longtime subscribers see teaser deals for new subscribers at 40% less $$ for a couple years and it includes the advanced X1 box. It's insulting to their existing customers.
The math works against them and then they just make it worse. A 5-page bill itemizing all this crap that turns your ostensible $60/mo TV package into $100 actual dollars all-in is a complete turnoff.
But then Comcast just compounds the problem by tacking on ridiculous fees for things like "HD Technology". Are you kidding me? That might have been justified in 2010 but now HD is the norm. Why the extra fee? Absurd.
Then they nickel and dime you on "extra outlets" and rental of cable boxes.
Then longtime subscribers see teaser deals for new subscribers at 40% less $$ for a couple years and it includes the advanced X1 box. It's insulting to their existing customers.
The math works against them and then they just make it worse. A 5-page bill itemizing all this crap that turns your ostensible $60/mo TV package into $100 actual dollars all-in is a complete turnoff.
Last edited:
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Yes! I started with TCI Cable in 1993, which later became Comcast. So 24 years. And I've never been late paying a bill. Not once.
So a couple months ago when I got fed up, I was kind of hoping they'd offer me like a 30% price reduction for 2 years and an upgrade to the X1 box.
But no. They offered me nothing. Zero. Nada.
Hello PS Vue & OTA. Same thing for $40 less. I'm still using Comcast broadband but most of the insane fees go away when you drop the TV part of Comcast.
I stream all my tv. I can't see going back to cable or satellite. I'd still have to pay for Netflix, Hulu and HBO anyway as I enjoy their original content. Now that those greedy Rams have gone back to the town they originally screwed over I don't watch any sports, which was the only thing I needed live tv for.
The #1 thing I still watch is live broadcast TV. More CBS than ABC or NBC. I like local news and newcasts.
I'm 60 miles from Denver which might allow picking up DTV with a powerful antenna, but the wiring in my 1968 home is flat twin-lead which won't carry a digital signal. I'm not interested in trying to re-do the house distribution system by pulling RG59 or RG6 through the areas where the twin lead is.
I've had DirecTV since 1996, and what has kept me with them is the NFL Sunday ticket. I'm a fan of Green Bay and the Seahawks, both of which are far away.
I also have a couple of TVs with no cable connection, just wireless connections so they can get online feeds. So I get DirecTV's online access for channels 200+, but that doesn't provide any live local broadcast signals. My internet is via Xfinity so I added a TV package just to be able to get live local broadcast through Xfinity; I can watch both the DirecTV and Xfinity feeds online if I'm on the same wireless network as the receivers at home.
Not cheap, but it provides a decent set of options.
I'm 60 miles from Denver which might allow picking up DTV with a powerful antenna, but the wiring in my 1968 home is flat twin-lead which won't carry a digital signal. I'm not interested in trying to re-do the house distribution system by pulling RG59 or RG6 through the areas where the twin lead is.
I've had DirecTV since 1996, and what has kept me with them is the NFL Sunday ticket. I'm a fan of Green Bay and the Seahawks, both of which are far away.
I also have a couple of TVs with no cable connection, just wireless connections so they can get online feeds. So I get DirecTV's online access for channels 200+, but that doesn't provide any live local broadcast signals. My internet is via Xfinity so I added a TV package just to be able to get live local broadcast through Xfinity; I can watch both the DirecTV and Xfinity feeds online if I'm on the same wireless network as the receivers at home.
Not cheap, but it provides a decent set of options.
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Twin-lead flat 300 ohm wire can carry digital TV fine! In fact if it's done carefully it's less lossy to signal strength than coax. But the physical installation of that type of wire is very critical or it will lose signal strength. Coax is less prone to signal loss frim sloppy installation.
Twin Lead Wire for DTV and HDTV
Twin Lead Wire for DTV and HDTV
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Oh effing heck. This just received from PS Vue:
Dear xxxx,
Effective today, PlayStation Vue is transitioning Elite Slim plans to a nationwide price of $54.99/mo* for new customers.
As a valued existing customer, you will keep Elite Slim at the price of $44.99/mo* for 3 billing cycles until October 12, 2017. During this period, any changes to your plans will reflect the currently available pricing.
Dear xxxx,
Effective today, PlayStation Vue is transitioning Elite Slim plans to a nationwide price of $54.99/mo* for new customers.
As a valued existing customer, you will keep Elite Slim at the price of $44.99/mo* for 3 billing cycles until October 12, 2017. During this period, any changes to your plans will reflect the currently available pricing.
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
It's the motivation I need to go back to Comcast for more intense haggling. Grrr.
The unfortunate reality is these new upstart streaming services are still trying to figure out what they have to charge and what consumers will accept. It's very fluid. Dammit.
I have demonstrated that the roughly 50-year-old twin lead in my home is definitely not up to this.
After scanning the thread you posted, I'd bet that not one in 50 twin lead installations ever met the parameters that the poster stated for best service.
Trade the 50 year old twin lead in on a fifty year old Dual Showman. Then trade in the Dual Showman for a 50 year old Bassman. Trade in the Bassman on a 50 year old Admiral console TV and curse yourself for getting rid of the twin lead.
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