Cord Cutters Sound Off

[Jase]

Here is my tvfool report... I am hoping to get all of the yellow channels and maybe a couple of the red channels if I point at least one attic antenna NNE

 

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d8230b387ddbaa1

 

 

[Captroop]

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?

​I streamed NFL Sunday Ticket because the building I live in here in DC does not allow satellite dishes. Last year DirecTV did a pilot roll out of their NFL streaming service in like 4 or 5 major cities, and like 6 college campuses (makes sense since you can't very well put a dish on your dorm room). But in major cities you were only allowed to do it in select areas of the city or with neighborhoods who disallowed satellite dishes. I wouldn't be surprised if it's available to a wider audience this year.

[Zaximus]

I've been cable free for years now.   I have a media PC setup with Kodi (previously xbmc) installed.  With that I have newsgroups auto DLing movies/tv shows when they are available (I only dl HD and shows are out minutes after airing) and adds them to the library.  I use a controller app on iphone/droid to move around the software.  There are also add-ons for Kodi I use, mostly Genesis for streaming movies/tv (in all quality).  We have netflix and prime, prime serves many purposes though.  

I have a friend who has Mach TV for roku3 (it's a 20 bucks a month service, not really on the up and up) private channel.  Apparently it has hundreds of HD channels streaming in great quality, MLB Extra Innings, NFL, etc all that.   If this works it would solve the sports issue, but I watch Panthers games on antenna (or to be exact, TWC is still pushing signal into my house because I have internet through them so I get some channels on that).

I've heard mixed things about SlingTV so I've held off, but their deal for 3 months commitment and 50% off for a roku3 isn't bad, especially if you want Mach TV or a roku for other things.  That's really only like $10 if you planned on getting a Roku3 anyway.

[Jase]

I've been cable free for years now.   I have a media PC setup with Kodi (previously xbmc) installed.  With that I have newsgroups auto DLing movies/tv shows when they are available (I only dl HD and shows are out minutes after airing) and adds them to the library.  I use a controller app on iphone/droid to move around the software.  There are also add-ons for Kodi I use, mostly Genesis for streaming movies/tv (in all quality).  We have netflix and prime, prime serves many purposes though.  

I have a friend who has Mach TV for roku3 (it's a 20 bucks a month service, not really on the up and up) private channel.  Apparently it has hundreds of HD channels streaming in great quality, MLB Extra Innings, NFL, etc all that.   If this works it would solve the sports issue, but I watch Panthers games on antenna (or to be exact, TWC is still pushing signal into my house because I have internet through them so I get some channels on that).

I've heard mixed things about SlingTV so I've held off, but their deal for 3 months commitment and 50% off for a roku3 isn't bad, especially if you want Mach TV or a roku for other things.  That's really only like $10 if you planned on getting a Roku3 anyway.

​Newsgroups you say... I have kodi sideloaded onto my firetv, but I haven't figured out how to do anything like that.

[dos poptarts]

Cut the cord a long time ago. 2007 I think. Typically will wait for Netflix/Amazon/DVD to get released to catch up my viewing habits. I don't torrent. I used to watch Hulu alot (when they had a windows 10ft UI app), but too many commercials now. Tried SlingTV, but windows version was buggy as hell. I've got a Roku upstairs, but like my HTPC more (I stream my dvd/blu-ray rips).

My HTPC setup is Win7 with antenna setup in attic. (Houston is flat, no issues with TV signals).

[Batman]

Antennas for over the air broadcasts will be obsolete very soon. You can't pick up an analog signal that doesn't exist. Everything is going to be digital. Cable companies are currently switching over to an all digital broadcast. The next step will be networks not even offering analog signals. Then antennas are paperweights. Also, if you're still paying for Internet you're not "cutting the cord." And you aren't streaming anything in HD reliably with only 7mb. Maybe at 2pm on a Tuesday when it's the only thing you're using and everyone around you is at work. Good luck at doing it in the evenings or on weekends when traffic is heavy. It will buffer, lag, freeze, etc. If you're gonna be adding a bunch of subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV, Sling TV, Amazon, etc, etc then you really aren't even saving any money. And your service isn't going to be nearly as reliable. I have Charter and after taxes my bill is about $110/month. I have telephone, 50mb Internet, & 250+ channels with 2 HD DVR boxes. It's simple. Cable companies offer promotions. With Charter it's triple play (phone, internet, tv) at $89/month plus $5 per box. After 12 months they jack your bill up $40-60/month. All you have to do is call the 1-800 number right before the 12 months are up and tell them you are switching services to satellite. They'll trip all over themselves offering you the promotional price for another 12 months to keep you from canceling your service. $110/month isn't that expensive considering how much most folks use the service. People use the internet pretty much all day everyday in today's world. Folks want super fast, reliable internet & every TV channel imaginable & they want it for pennies. Doesn't work that way. Unless you are dirt poor or have a mortgage and/or auto payment you can't actually afford it's not that big of a bill.

[Kevin Greene]

 Also, if you're still paying for Internet you're not "cutting the cord." 

​This is where you will be reeled back in by the Majors.

At some point you will start having to pay for the amount of bandwidth you consume to stream all this "free" stuff.

Even the wise guys who watch HBO etc illegally are gonna have to pay for the bandwidth.

My only choice for quality broadband in the 93004 where I live is TWC which I use instead of the alternative, 3MB DSL.

Hoping they don't start charging for massive amounts of data streamed anytime son, but they will as more and more cut the cord.

 

[Jase]

Antennas for over the air broadcasts will be obsolete very soon. You can't pick up an analog signal that doesn't exist. Everything is going to be digital. Cable companies are currently switching over to an all digital broadcast. The next step will be networks not even offering analog signals. Then antennas are paperweights. Also, if you're still paying for Internet you're not "cutting the cord." And you aren't streaming anything in HD reliably with only 7mb. Maybe at 2pm on a Tuesday when it's the only thing you're using and everyone around you is at work. Good luck at doing it in the evenings or on weekends when traffic is heavy. It will buffer, lag, freeze, etc. If you're gonna be adding a bunch of subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV, Sling TV, Amazon, etc, etc then you really aren't even saving any money. And your service isn't going to be nearly as reliable. I have Charter and after taxes my bill is about $110/month. I have telephone, 50mb Internet, & 250+ channels with 2 HD DVR boxes. It's simple. Cable companies offer promotions. With Charter it's triple play (phone, internet, tv) at $89/month plus $5 per box. After 12 months they jack your bill up $40-60/month. All you have to do is call the 1-800 number right before the 12 months are up and tell them you are switching services to satellite. They'll trip all over themselves offering you the promotional price for another 12 months to keep you from canceling your service. $110/month isn't that expensive considering how much most folks use the service. People use the internet pretty much all day everyday in today's world. Folks want super fast, reliable internet & every TV channel imaginable & they want it for pennies. Doesn't work that way. Unless you are dirt poor or have a mortgage and/or auto payment you can't actually afford it's not that big of a bill.

Over the air is already all-digital, bruh. It was actually cable bringing up the Rear in this one. Over-the-air switched over years ago and cable held out longer.

this is more of a "why am I paying $110 for something I barely use" thing. It's still $1300 extra in my pocket per year, minus whatever I pay for sling if I get it.

[Chimera]

Antennas for over the air broadcasts will be obsolete very soon. You can't pick up an analog signal that doesn't exist. Everything is going to be digital. Cable companies are currently switching over to an all digital broadcast. The next step will be networks not even offering analog signals. Then antennas are paperweights. Also, if you're still paying for Internet you're not "cutting the cord." And you aren't streaming anything in HD reliably with only 7mb. Maybe at 2pm on a Tuesday when it's the only thing you're using and everyone around you is at work. Good luck at doing it in the evenings or on weekends when traffic is heavy. It will buffer, lag, freeze, etc. If you're gonna be adding a bunch of subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV, Sling TV, Amazon, etc, etc then you really aren't even saving any money. And your service isn't going to be nearly as reliable. I have Charter and after taxes my bill is about $110/month. I have telephone, 50mb Internet, & 250+ channels with 2 HD DVR boxes. It's simple. Cable companies offer promotions. With Charter it's triple play (phone, internet, tv) at $89/month plus $5 per box. After 12 months they jack your bill up $40-60/month. All you have to do is call the 1-800 number right before the 12 months are up and tell them you are switching services to satellite. They'll trip all over themselves offering you the promotional price for another 12 months to keep you from canceling your service. $110/month isn't that expensive considering how much most folks use the service. People use the internet pretty much all day everyday in today's world. Folks want super fast, reliable internet & every TV channel imaginable & they want it for pennies. Doesn't work that way. Unless you are dirt poor or have a mortgage and/or auto payment you can't actually afford it's not that big of a bill.

​you do realize you can pick up digital signals with your grandma's old bunny ears, right?

[Batman]

Over the air is already all-digital, bruh. It was actually cable bringing up the Rear in this one. Over-the-air switched over years ago and cable held out longer.

this is more of a "why am I paying $110 for something I barely use" thing. It's still $1300 extra in my pocket per year, minus whatever I pay for sling if I get it.

If you rarely watch TV or use the Internet, then go for it and cut it off. But you are in the vast minority that doesn't use it frequently.

[Batman]

​you do realize you can pick up digital signals with your grandma's old bunny ears, right?

That's not what I meant. After all the cable companies get switched over to digital (which is 95% complete) they are going shift their attention to having OTA frequencies shut off. They are already working on it legally. They will petition with the FCC and have it killed. Fox and CBS have already floated around the idea of killing it on their own without being forced to stop by the FCC and cable companies. Verizon and Comcast will shut it down. OTA signals can interfere and disrupt police and emergency responder signals and communications. OTA broadcasts will be completely killed the exact same way analog cable signals have been terminated.

[Zaximus]

Over the air is already all-digital, bruh. It was actually cable bringing up the Rear in this one. Over-the-air switched over years ago and cable held out longer.

this is more of a "why am I paying $110 for something I barely use" thing. It's still $1300 extra in my pocket per year, minus whatever I pay for sling if I get it.

​Yeah the quality of ota HD is better than cable/satellite I believe anyway.

For Kodi though, I don't use FireTv, I use the full version on a media PC so that's probably why.  Kodi itself doesn't do newsgroups, but there are separate apps (sickbeard/couchpotato/drone) that do the work and interface into Kodi (announcing/library update, moving to a folder that Kodi looks to, downloading the tag/episode info, etc), via api .  

[KSpan]

If you rarely watch TV or use the Internet, then go for it and cut it off. But you are in the vast minority that doesn't use it frequently.

Internet service and TV viewing are two separate things, which is why the internet does not fit into 'cutting the cord.'. You can use the internet for myriad things, one of which is viewing visual media such as TV programming, but TV service is exclusively for visual media.  

And to your point about it being a small cost, that's totally beside the point.  Any cost that is not yielding sufficient value is the eye of the spender is one that should be cutcut, and despite popular sentiment cable TV is anything but necessary.  I don't miss the service or the associated bill one bit, even if it is 'nominal' by societal norms.

 

 

 

[KendrickPanther]

I was curious if there was any streaming service for the Hornets and Panthers in our market of Charlotte?

I want to drop att. Every year its the same you threaten to leave, they offer you a too good to be true deal and your bill changes every damned month you have to call and fight over some BS charge. 

However I have a fear of losing my Panther games. Channel 46 doesn't come in great for me over the air and I'd prefer to have those another way. 

And of course the hornets are on foxsports south which usually comes on a cable plan with a sports tier. Id love to give my money to anyone but ATT/TWC to watch the Hornets.