Cord Cutters Sound Off

[Jase]

Let me preface this by saying I work for a cable company, but it's not in your area so I'm not trying to sell ya. This is my opinion from my own experiences and from what customers tell me. Don't do Sling TV. It's limited. You can only stream on one device at a time, it eats your data, it's inconsistent, and when you add the sports pack it really doesn't save you much. It's going to be difficult to keep your sports programming strictly OTA. Depending on your household viewing habits once you add the different OTA packages (like HBONow, Sling TV, and other services) you can be paying just as much if not more than a cable package. Plus you're using more data, which will increase your internet costs. If it's just you, maybe you'll save a bit. But if you're throwing in kids shows and home and garden shows and stuff on top of your sports, you could end up paying more. Plus the hassle of multiple bills. I would suggest at least talk to your local cable company. We have packages geared toward streamers; I would imagine they do. Plus you can bundle your internet, too. If you do cut the cord, I would still avoid Sling TV if your household consists of more than you.

Good insight, thanks.

we might return in a few years for those reasons, but right now with kids aged 3 and 4,we mostly watch either kids tv or sports, not much between, and rarely do we split to the second TV.

[KSpan]

We dropped over a year ago and have only had Netflix and OTA. Circumstances are pretty much exactly the same (small kids, only watched kids shows) and other than Panthers games I haven't missed it a bit.  I've actually watched way more 'TV' this way, and the lack of commercials is glorious.

Now we have a Roku 3 on our upstairs TV and stream through my PS3 downstairs, and both of our TVs stream well enough to be competent backups. We had DirecTV specifically for Sunday Ticket, and we had a good experience with them overall.  Just too expensive to not be utilized.

 

Also, we initially had 3 Mbps DSL and had zero issue streaming HD content.  Now we have 12 through UVerse (my company pays for internet) and continue to have zero issue.

[Chimera]

I cut the cord in late 2012 and it lasted until about spring 2014. However, I also cut the internet cord, too and just relied on 4G for my internet needs. I eventually got internet service again so the kids could stream Netflix. The PBS kids shows are pretty bad. I eventually got tired of it and went back to cable.

[Darth Biscuit]

​Really? You only need about 7mbps to stream HD over netflix...

​idk if it's our house wiring or TWC just sucks ass... I'm thinking it may be a combo, but yes, it's not good.

Netflix and HBOGo will stream, but it's a pain in the ass sometimes.

It also doesn't help that my wife's on her iPad non stop every night and my son has a computer, iPad and iPhone that's constantly streaming data as well.

 

That poo stops Sunday at 9PM tho, I get ill if they screw up my GoT time.

[Captroop]

We cut the cord when we moved into our DC apartment last October. Never looked back. We've got Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, and an Antenna (which we don't use much, honestly). I also use a buddy's HBO Go account, and when HBO Now is available on Android, I'll purchase that as well. 

In addition to cutting the physical cable, I just love cutting the cord with my TV. Everything is on demand. I don't have to worry about what time on what day something broadcasts? Did I set the DVR? How much space do I have? A couple shows are on at the same time, which one should I DVR? It's just simpler.

Sports? I only ever watch baseball and football anyway. Baseball I can watch at the bar, or I can just hop on the metro and actually go to a Nationals game (what a concept!). Football, I paid for Streaming NFL Sunday Ticket, which was great, except we play the NFC East this year, so I imagine several games will be blacked out. Might not be worth it this time around.

The only bad part is avoiding spoilers for 6 months when I'm waiting for AMC shows to finally make it on to Netflix.

But, I don't have to deal with Comcast. And you truly cannot put a price on that.

[ZeroZeroSeven]

Sports streaming is coming...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/06/03/yahoos-livestreamed-nfl-game-is-a-huge-deal-for-football-tv-and-the-internet-heres-why/

With so much riding on professional football, the league's embrace of streaming is likely to bring over-the-top video even further into the mainstream than services such as Netflix and Hulu already have. Given that Netflix accounts for nearly 37 percent of all U.S Internet traffic, an influx of livestreamed football traffic could push the Internet's capacity to its limits as Americans shift away from the traditional cable bundle to embrace cord-cutting and "skinny" channel bundles.

In the future, livestreaming could even become a lucrative new revenue stream for the NFL as it auctions off exclusive rights to its Web casts. Yahoo may have paid as much as $10 million to stream the single game on Oct. 25, according to CNN, beating out Google and other bidders.

[Panthro]

I have a Roku and Apple TV

I run Netflix, Hulu, Sling and HBO Now

I may drop Sling until football season. 

Apple TV and TWC and HBO Now combo is not working at the moment. (Thanks TWC) It runs off my work verison Hub.

I have an antennae but it is pretty useless and I cannot get Fox.

 

I do not miss Direct TV and when Google FIber gets dropped into the house I will be be hard wiring everything.

[Towelboy]

Have you considered getting an amplified multi-directional interior antenna? I've heard great things about the Mohu Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna ($39.99 on amazon). Also, go to http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx to find out what channels you can pick up and what type of antenna you will need. I plan to do this next week to see if i can get the network channels at my house. if so, bye bye directv.

[Jase]

Have you considered getting an amplified multi-directional interior antenna? I've heard great things about the Mohu Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna ($39.99 on amazon). Also, go to http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx to find out what channels you can pick up and what type of antenna you will need. I plan to do this next week to see if i can get the network channels at my house. if so, bye bye directv.

​I have read the leaf is all hype and won't outperform other similarly sized indoor antennas.  I have had a similar sized antenna in matthews.  ABC, Fox, CW and one of the PBS stations came in well.  NBC, CBS, and MYTV and the other PBS stations either didn't come in or were spotty.  When it comes to antennas, from what I hear, there is no substitute for size and height.  The one I'm looking at is about 36"x50" and that's why it's going in the attic.

[Hotsauce]

​I have read the leaf is all hype and won't outperform other similarly sized indoor antennas.  I have had a similar sized antenna in matthews.  ABC, Fox, CW and one of the PBS stations came in well.  NBC, CBS, and MYTV and the other PBS stations either didn't come in or were spotty.  When it comes to antennas, from what I hear, there is no substitute for size and height.  The one I'm looking at is about 36"x50" and that's why it's going in the attic.

I bought the Amazon version of the Leaf. It was $50 and works perfect (I get over 60 HD channels)

AmazonBasics Amplified Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna - 60 Mile Range https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFXNQBU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_OmBCvb0CF24E3

[Towelboy]

​I have read the leaf is all hype and won't outperform other similarly sized indoor antennas.  I have had a similar sized antenna in matthews.  ABC, Fox, CW and one of the PBS stations came in well.  NBC, CBS, and MYTV and the other PBS stations either didn't come in or were spotty.  When it comes to antennas, from what I hear, there is no substitute for size and height.  The one I'm looking at is about 36"x50" and that's why it's going in the attic.

​I plan to try the leaf and if it doesn't perform, I'll return it. The site I referenced told me I would need an amplified version to get all the local channels. We'll see. I also plan to buy an Amazon FireTV Stick with XBMC/KODI installed so I can watch movies and maybe stream live TV through some addons. 

[Hotsauce]

We cut the cord when we moved into our DC apartment last October. Never looked back. We've got Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, and an Antenna (which we don't use much, honestly). I also use a buddy's HBO Go account, and when HBO Now is available on Android, I'll purchase that as well. 

In addition to cutting the physical cable, I just love cutting the cord with my TV. Everything is on demand. I don't have to worry about what time on what day something broadcasts? Did I set the DVR? How much space do I have? A couple shows are on at the same time, which one should I DVR? It's just simpler.

Sports? I only ever watch baseball and football anyway. Baseball I can watch at the bar, or I can just hop on the metro and actually go to a Nationals game (what a concept!). Football, I paid for Streaming NFL Sunday Ticket, which was great, except we play the NFC East this year, so I imagine several games will be blacked out. Might not be worth it this time around.

The only bad part is avoiding spoilers for 6 months when I'm waiting for AMC shows to finally make it on to Netflix.

But, I don't have to deal with Comcast. And you truly cannot put a price on that.

Two things....

if you have Amazon Prime and Roku, you can purchase all Amc shows like walking dead or better call Saul for like $1 an hour after they air. Or you can watch them live on Sling because it gets AMC. 

 

How did you stream NFL ticket? I have done it every year but could do it last year?

[Hotsauce]

​I plan to try the leaf and if it doesn't perform, I'll return it. The site I referenced told me I would need an amplified version to get all the local channels. We'll see. I also plan to buy an Amazon FireTV Stick with XBMC/KODI installed so I can watch movies and maybe stream live TV through some addons. 

Save your money and get the Amazon version. It's the exact same thing, but $30 cheaper. I have this one, works great. 

[Towelboy]

Save your money and get the Amazon version. It's the exact same thing, but $30 cheaper. I have this one, works great. 

​the amazon version is $47.99 - a refurb mohu leaf 50 is $39.99