1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

I want to get rid of cable... Roku? Apple TV? Smart TV? What do I need?

Discussion in 'General' started by Lizard 1, Sep 7, 2016.

  1. theJrod

    theJrod Well-Known Member

    Still seems like there's no good one-source solution.
    Sling TV, Netflix, Hulu, whatever sports channel, premiums.... maybe you'll save some money overall, but you'll be managing several subscriptions. But paying essentially ala cart for only what you watch is definitely better.
     
  2. Mick6R

    Mick6R Well-Known Member

    Been happy with a cheapo HD antenna and a Chromecast in the spare bedroom. Cast Netflix cartoons in there from tablet or phone for grandson to watch.
     
  3. 3twins

    3twins Well-Known Member

    I got rid of my $200+ DirectTv last month and have been using Amazon and Netflix to watch movies and an antennae for local programming.

    So far what I've noticed about Netflix is it reminds me of the old days of walking around a Blockbuster struggling to find something worth watching.

    I might give HBO Now a shot. They have a free month trial.
     
    SundaySocial and V5 Racer like this.
  4. cpettit

    cpettit Well-Known Member

    Cut the cable 3 years ago and I don't miss it a bit. We have a Roku and a Chromecast along with a good antenna. The wife can watch fooseball and I watch wsbk, motogp and f1 via Internet. We don't have fi-optics in our hood yet so I have to settle for time Warner Internet but it's ok for 40 or 50$ a month.
     
  5. Lawn Dart

    Lawn Dart Difficult. With a big D.

    I have Comcast Business 50Mbps down (which is too slow for all that I do, including working from home and streaming and trading).

    My setup includes:
    • Roku 4 in the living room (supports optical audio and 4K video, which you may or may not need)
    • Roku 3 in the bed room (supports surround and 1080p, but only through HDMI interface)
    • TabloTV box w/ 2TB Western Digital Hard Drive and an attic antenna (local channels, DVR, multiple channels at the same time, if I wish, all High-Def)
    • SlingTV subscription - I was an early adopter, so I have a really good plan for cheap, but plans today only cost $25-40ish a month, depending on what you select. Some channels have their own OnDemand feature, so you can often get popular shows (at least the latest 2-3 episodes) whenever you want, and not just when they come on.
    • A Home Theater PC in the living room that gives me some capabilities that you may or may not need.
    If you want racing, you can pay the subscription, then possibly use something like an iPad to "cast" the video to the Roku (or if you have a Smart TV, some work there too), or SlingTV has packages that come with BeIN Sports, and the channel has its own on-demand capability, where you can see a race in its entirety even after it has aired.

    My monthly fees are Comcast Business ($100) and SlingTV ($21-ish?).

    My one-time costs - all the hardware I mentioned, plus a lifetime guide subscription for Tablo (you can do monthly, but lifetime is forever, for as many Tablos as you decide to own) that I think was around $150?

    I just set up my sister with pretty much everything I mentioned here (minus the HTPC) and she loves it.

    If I was smart, I would set up a little side hustle to provide this stuff as a package for people and do installations, because my little system works pretty darn well, if the person using it can at least understand a remote control.
     
  6. groundhogday

    groundhogday Well-Known Member

    Dish Network came out with something they're calling the flex pack. I think it's 50 or so channels for something like $40 before fees, taxes, etc. The commercial made it sound like you got to pick your networks, but when I looked into it they were just offering a limited number of networks in the package. It was really just another package, which is what they've been doing all along. Just with fewer networks. Adding a sports pack, outdoors pack, etc is an extra $10 a month.
    It would be ideal if I were able to hand pick a set numberof networks for a significantly lower price. I think I have America's top 200 or something like that. In reality we watch fewer than two dozen networks with any regularity, but they make you upgrade packages to get maybe three extra networks you want. So I'm paying almost $100 a month for those two dozen networks we watch.
     
  7. Me too :)
     
  8. Narco's season 2 just came out. Already done watching that though :)
     
  9. Steady T

    Steady T Xaus Power

    SlingTV.com has a deal where you prepay three months of service and you get a free Roku 2 shipped to you.

    https://www.sling.com/devices/roku

    I went this route (my Roku arrived just 2 days after I signed up). The base SlingTV package is 20/mo. I added the sports package (5/mo) to get Bein. Sling TV recently added Comedy Central. Some channels (Bein) archive their programs for 3 or 4 days, so you can watch/pause/rewind races if you don't catch them live...or don't feel like getting up at the asscrack of dawn.

    Highly recommended.
     
  10. wanderlust

    wanderlust Well-Known Member

    I have a solution. Quit watching so much tv and come to the track more often...

    :Poke:

    You just can't get enough of the real housewives of Hollywood, can you?
     
    SupermotoFan and Lizard 1 like this.
  11. dsmitty37

    dsmitty37 Well-Known Member

    I pay $34.99 for 15 mbps internet from Time Warner. I bought my own modem and router so I don't pay $5/month modem rental fee and $5/month wifi fee. I have Hulu and Netflix accounts that I use my tablet to stream to a Chromecast on the bedroom tv and I have a PS4 in the living room that I use to stream on the living room tv. Tablet is also set up with KODI to watch motorcycle racing for free
     
  12. BHP41

    BHP41 Calling out B.A.N. everyday

    I have Netflix (which I hardly watch) and MotoGP and WSBK subscriptions. I use my Apple TV(3 years old now I think) to put the races on the TV.

    Works for me. I'm single and the cat doesn't give a shit what's on TV. She does come and sit beside me when when hears Nick Harris voice, which is funny.
     
  13. Rebel635

    Rebel635 Well-Known Member

    Netflix, kodi and motogp subscription.
     
  14. Lizard 1

    Lizard 1 Well-Known Member

    Pretty much what I have been reading on options. My plan would be to keep WOW or TW internet. I think $35/month gets you 30mps or something... Get Roku, Apple TV, etc. and then do $10 for a subscription. Maybe add MotoGP which is really $10/month. So, maybe $60/month vs $200? Pretty good...

    Just want local channels for the news. Again, we watch only a handful of channels and the movie channels they include are shit.

    What is Kodi?
     
  15. Venom51

    Venom51 John Deere Equipment Expert - Not really

    Kodi is a Media Center like front end for an HTPC. Gives you a 10 foot interface and does a pretty good job of integrating your different sources of content.
     
  16. assjuice cyrus

    assjuice cyrus Well-Known Member

    The

    Thief
     
  17. sicc

    sicc Well-Known Member

    chromecast (v2) on every tv.
    netflix, hulu plus, motogp and wsbk subscriptions.
    Anything not found on the above I buy the SD version from Amazon and stream from any PC's chrome browser.
    VUDU pay per view movies.

    Youtube is an excellent source for content, and its (typically) LEGAL.
     
  18. cpettit

    cpettit Well-Known Member

    Also if your parents or a sibling have cable just pay their bill one month a year in exchange for their login info. Then you can get almost anything online whenever you want.
     
  19. thrak410

    thrak410 My member is well known

    Reviving from the dead. DirecTV NOW just launched and its a very interesting option. They have a special now to get the $60 package for $35 AND you get a free AppleTV Gen4 if you sign up for 3 months.

    I'm considering giving it a shot and seeing how it is. I have regular DirecTV now so it'll be an interesting comparison.
     
  20. jdanhires

    jdanhires Well-Known Member

    I signed up for the free week to compare it to PlayStation Vue. While the package selection on DTVNow appears to be greater for a lower price (at the intro $35 rate), the Amazon Fire interface is terrible and the web interface isn't much better. PS Vue is much easier from a usability standpoint. Vue is also available on the Roku and allows streaming up to 5 screens. DTVNow is limited to 2. There's also a DVR functionality with Vue, along with VOD for NBC, CBS and FOX. Vue also has BeIN sports.

    For the price though (with HBO a $5 add on) DTVNow is hard to beat. Interfaces can be improved, and they've stated there will be a DVR early next year.

    John
     
    BigBird likes this.

Share This Page