Many cutting the cord on cable/satellite

[SamSpade]

Pluto can be cool if you like the turn the TV on and veg out kinda thing.

Crackle is ok, I like the coffee and cars show with Seinfeld.

Looked at Pluto for a while. Does Sling work this way? Probably the most annoying aspect of streaming channels is looking for something you want by endless clicking and clicking and hoping to hit something you might like. We can have a hell of a time finding a movie with the kids, because they've seen so many.

I like the browse capability on Pluto, but I haven't found one channel I think I'd like to use.

 

[DipStick]

Ok, I now have two Amazon devices - a Fire TV and a Fire Stick - and I just got a TV with Roku built into it. So far, I kind of like it - it's not as cumbersome as the crappy streaming device on my son's TV - but I don't really know where to start.
I'm finding myself drifting back to the old tried and true - Netflix, Hulu, Amazon - and my cable selections.

Because while Roku and Fire TV have LOTS of channels, I'm still unclear as to why I would navigate all over the menu if I am looking for News or Weather. Or Sports.
Is there a way to make it better? It may be a lack of familiarity but I am finding it hard to find anything as easy as just going to the weather channel or news channels on cable.

And I hate scrolling endlessly for something to watch, based on a title and a hard to read picture.

What channels do you have?

I have a ton of channels, but usually only watch a couple.

• Playstation Vue
• Netflix
• NBC Sports Live Extra/NBC Olympics
• Pandora
• CBS News/CBSN Live
• Plex (PC to TV streaming system)
• WITN News and Weather
• YouTube
• CARS Tour TV
• NBC News
• SyFy
• FX
• ESPN
• WeatherNation
• Google Play
• VUDU
• NFL
• CNN
• WRAL
• Lucas Oil Racing TV
• PBS
• Smithsonian
• Crackle
• The CW network
• ACC Network

 

[DipStick]

BTW, Playstation Vue is adding NFL Network and NFL RedZone.

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/27/instant-analysis-the-nfl-is-heading-to-sonys-plays.aspx

NFL is slowly rolling out NFL Sunday Ticket to non-DIRECTV subscribers in select markets as well.

Something else I like about Vue is that, unlike Sling, you can use your Vue login to use "TV anywhere" apps for the big cable channels, such as ESPN, NBCSN, FS1, FX and so on. So, when I'm not at home, I can still use the NBC Sports app to watch NASCAR or the Olympics.

 

[DipStick]

I have a hybrid antenna up but have often thought about putting up a bigger antenna... I still get 4, 5, 7, 9, 20 and 50 pretty routinely plus PBS and ION TV.... the signal can be spotty at time but for the most part, good.

I have some bow tie channel master antenna up. I spent, I dunno, $100 because I didn't know if this would catch on in this house... now that it has, maybe someday I'll go bigger/better.

Unfortunately, I can't get anything but ION Television with an antenna. I can get the big three on demand, get local news on WITN and I think I can get ABC live.

I'll probably start watching the shows on the CW channel but can't get it here. I'll just watch online. Love me some Supergirl .

 

[Misfit]

Samspade, this thread started in 2013, you're ready to cut the cord.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Looked at Pluto for a while. Does Sling work this way? Probably the most annoying aspect of streaming channels is looking for something you want by endless clicking and clicking and hoping to hit something you might like. We can have a hell of a time finding a movie with the kids, because they've seen so many.

I like the browse capability on Pluto, but I haven't found one channel I think I'd like to use.

With sling you can scroll through the channels just like you can a cable box. It actually has a bit more customization to it as you can have a favorite channels section.

 

[SamSpade]

Samspade, this thread started in 2013, you're ready to cut the cord.

Thanks, although you might notice I did not originate the thread.

It's a process. If I lived alone, it would be an easy choice.

The kids actually adapt well to cutting the cord - with their computers and tablets, they're mostly used to watching shows ad hoc, and they're comfortable with watching some of the same ones over and over again.
That said, they don't watch many shows where keeping up has any relevance - they watch half hour comedies for kids and they function largely independent of each other. They watch no news or anything "live" nor do they care much for televised sports. So for them, streaming channels already work fine.

They also don't really care if they're not watching the latest cool show - they just binge-watched "My Babysitter's a Vampire" (all two seasons).

Wife and I like news, some sports and live TV and we tend towards the network's big shows. But we also like the serendipity of seeing "what's on" even though often the answer is - well - NUTHIN'.

 

[SamSpade]

With sling you can scroll through the channels just like you can a cable box. It actually has a bit more customization to it as you can have a favorite channels section.

Cool. I read the other day that of course, Sling is Dish, so I'm waiting for DirecTV to offer their version.

What would ALSO be cool is if live tv channels - like Sling - offered a sort of "cloud" DVR. I mean, Hulu and OnDemand features are ALREADY like that - but they don't offer the SAME thing as an actual DVR.
One of the great things about DVR is skipping commercials and backing up and forwarding. Most streaming stuff I've seen will still force in the commercials if say, you fell asleep half way and want to back up and watch what you missed.
Dammit - gotta watch the commercial - AGAIN.

Now I briefly looked at something called Simple TV but I didn't check too closely because it wanted me to sign up and I didn't go further - I think that's what that does.

Also - my Roku TV is missing some things that I think a Roku has - like an Ethernet port or slots for more storage. Can those be used to store content? Or just the apps that deliver content?

 

[Clem72]

What would ALSO be cool is if live tv channels - like Sling - offered a sort of "cloud" DVR. I mean, Hulu and OnDemand features are ALREADY like that - but they don't offer the SAME thing as an actual DVR.

Do you mean the ability to pause for a good length of time, or to rewind, or skip commercials (if the stream has buffered ahead)? I know the Sony service has on-demand functions, but I don't think you can do any of those things with the live stream.

 

[Dakota]

Samspade, this thread started in 2013, you're ready to cut the cord.

It took me something like 2 or 3 threads over a course of a few years to break-up with my house phone and now that I have, I don't miss the phone or the bill.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Cool. I read the other day that of course, Sling is Dish, so I'm waiting for DirecTV to offer their version.

What would ALSO be cool is if live tv channels - like Sling - offered a sort of "cloud" DVR. I mean, Hulu and OnDemand features are ALREADY like that - but they don't offer the SAME thing as an actual DVR.
One of the great things about DVR is skipping commercials and backing up and forwarding. Most streaming stuff I've seen will still force in the commercials if say, you fell asleep half way and want to back up and watch what you missed.
Dammit - gotta watch the commercial - AGAIN.

Now I briefly looked at something called Simple TV but I didn't check too closely because it wanted me to sign up and I didn't go further - I think that's what that does.

Also - my Roku TV is missing some things that I think a Roku has - like an Ethernet port or slots for more storage. Can those be used to store content? Or just the apps that deliver content?

Some of the channels on Sling have on demand in addition to the live TV portion, for example FX, AMC and History you can watch anything that has played in the recent past (last week maybe), but TBS and TNT are live stream only.

 

[somdfunguy]

Cool. I read the other day that of course, Sling is Dish, so I'm waiting for DirecTV to offer their version.

What would ALSO be cool is if live tv channels - like Sling - offered a sort of "cloud" DVR. I mean, Hulu and OnDemand features are ALREADY like that - but they don't offer the SAME thing as an actual DVR.
One of the great things about DVR is skipping commercials and backing up and forwarding. Most streaming stuff I've seen will still force in the commercials if say, you fell asleep half way and want to back up and watch what you missed.
Dammit - gotta watch the commercial - AGAIN.

Now I briefly looked at something called Simple TV but I didn't check too closely because it wanted me to sign up and I didn't go further - I think that's what that does.

Also - my Roku TV is missing some things that I think a Roku has - like an Ethernet port or slots for more storage. Can those be used to store content? Or just the apps that deliver content?

Playstion Vue has the DVR functionality

 

[SamSpade]

Playstion Vue has the DVR functionality

Just found that on their site - giving it some thought. Wish their free trial was a bit longer.

 

[Misfit]

https://eero.com/

No more buffering. No more dead zones.

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[DipStick]

https://eero.com/

I pick up my modem on the other side of the neighborhood.

 

[awpitt]

I've been reading this thread because I'm thinking about becoming a cord cutter. I'm looking at both Vue and Sling as they seem to be the main options for "live" TV. I have two Google Chromcasts at home. Seems like Vue and Sling would get me the basic stuff that I normally watch now except for NFL games. I'd appreciate hearing opinions on Vue vs Sling and on ways to get NFL games. Thanks.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I've been reading this thread because I'm thinking about becoming a cord cutter. I'm looking at both Vue and Sling as they seem to be the main options for "live" TV. I have two Google Chromcasts at home. Seems like Vue and Sling would get me the basic stuff that I normally watch now except for NFL games. I'd appreciate hearing opinions on Vue vs Sling and on ways to get NFL games. Thanks.

I take it you have the direct tv sunday ticket package? I think they have an exclusive and are the only ones that offer such a comprehensive deal.

 

[awpitt]

I take it you have the direct tv sunday ticket package? I think they have an exclusive and are the only ones that offer such a comprehensive deal.

No, I don't have Direct TV or the NFL package. That's why I was asking about options on how to get NFL games if I cut the cord.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

No, I don't have Direct TV or the NFL package. That's why I was asking about options on how to get NFL games if I cut the cord.

Ah ok, well you get the local NBC, FOX and ABC as an add on with sling, you also get ESPN (of Fox sports depending on your pick), that will cover some games there. Unfortunately CBS doesn't cooperate. As far as NFL goes I don't expect to lose much compared to metrocast, College football I may miss MASN, but I do get more Fox Sports channels than I did with metrocast so I will see this fall.

Don't know enough about the play station network to tell you, but it seems to have more channels and options.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Just checked their webpage and found this.

http://help.sling.com/articles/en_U...g&utm_medium=marquee&utm_campaign=nfl_network

So it looks like they are trying to cover the NFL games somewhat.