Finally Cutting the Cable - Recommendations?

[Friarfan]

Recommendations on a device: Roku, Appletv, Fire TV, Kodi...?

My biggest need/wants are: local news (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) and Disney Jr (for the kids) Histoy Channel and ESPN/MLB/NFL for me

Grassy-ass!

[In the Corn]

Eld is right. You're going to struggle to find live sports other than the national broadcasts. This hasn't bothered me as much I anticipated. You can get subscriptions for MLB package, etc., but my understanding is you can't get local games as they are blacked out. I maybe wrong about that.

I work everything through my PS3. We have Netflix and Hulu. Netflix will get you the Disney stuff (I imagine a season behind), but they have a lot of other kid programming, as well.

You'll get your History channel on Netflix, as well.

You will not regret cutting the cord. We did it two years ago, and I don't miss cable one bit.

[revo]

I don't have cable at our PA house and use a Chromecast and XBox One to get network apps -- but many of these networks require logging in through your cable provider to prove you're a paying customer. If you're not, the selection is far limited if available at all. Netflix and Amazon Prime are fine, but you need subscriptions. And Hulu requires a subscription if you want to use it through something other than a computer.

As far a the major networks, as far as I can tell they only offer shows and not newscasts -- and certainly not local newscasts.

Also, make sure you have a super-fast internet connection -- nothing more aggravating than not being able to connect or constantly disconnecting.

I wonder if the costs of all the subscriptions + faster internet service actually saves money over the cost of a basic cable subscription.

Good luck!

[Friarfan]

Thanks for all the input, guys. What do you advise for the most satisfactory internet speed? 15, 50, 100, more? Obviously, I'd like to get the cheapest possible without sacrificing watching enjoyment.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Recommendations on a device: Roku, Appletv, Fire TV, Kodi...?

My biggest need/wants are: local news (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) and Disney Jr (for the kids) Histoy Channel and ESPN/MLB/NFL for me

Grassy-ass!

Figure out exactly the content you want and then shop the streaming services for a match. You may need to have more than one service as like direct yv and cable, there are subscription exclusives throughout the Roku, Fire, prime milieu.

[johnnya24]

I've heard you can buy a Chromecast and/or Amazon Firestick (or whatever it's called), and get it hacked to show all manner of sports and premium channels.

It's apparently very easy to do ... though I know nothing about this because I don't really watch much regular TV anymore.

Not that I would ever recommend such immoral and socially destructive behavior ... heaven forbid

[virgonomic]

I buy NHL and MLB subscriptions but there are daily streams posted to reddit. On occasion I have loaded them on the computer and AirParroted them to the AppleTV.

[revo]

No, you just don't use your Roku/Chromecast/whatever, you use your TV's receiver instead. All modern TVs have this capability. Just turn the TV on and go to that channel without going through any 3rd party devices and you should be able to view it just like normal.

I guess that depends where you are and what access you have to clear signals. In PA, I can't get jack shit over the airwaves and I bought one of those powerful antennas too, and that did a whole lot of nothing.

Also, Hulu does not require a subscription unless you use Hulu Plus. I have Hulu on my Roku but don't have a subscription.

Are you sure? I just downloaded Hulu (not Hulu Plus) to my iPhone for use with my Chromecast, and it requires a subscription. And only Hulu Plus is available through the Xbox 360/One, not Hulu. Even going to the Hulu website, where I do have an old log-in, now requires a monthly subscription to watch anything. Maybe only Roku has access to Hulu without a subscription.

EDIT -- searching for Roku + Hulu, it seems you have to have a "Playon" subscription, which I know nothing about, to view Hulu without its own subscription.

[fuhrdog]

Finally cut the cord today and after a nightmare phone call with Dish Network...they can kiss my ass btw..I went with Playstation Vue on my Amazon fire. $44.95 with all the channels I watch except MLB network which sucks but I get every other sports station I watch. Did the week trial and think I can live with it fine.

[Piney Boy]

Nice fuhrdog. I cut the cord back in February. I don't miss cable except for the clear reception. Sling TV is fine, but buggy. Picture goes out way too much. Netflix and Hulu are my main options for entertainment. I did just recently find Kodi and it has been nice to watch my local sports teams again. If I get used to Kodi I might drop Sling. It is liberating to stop paying $200 for TV/Internet/Phone.

[baldgriff]

My wife and I are looking at Sling TV as our way of cutting the cord. We dont need to pay over $200 for TV/Internet and a phone line we never ever use.

[TranaGreg]

I've been using Kodi for 2 years, no cable (no home phone either). It's hooked up to my tv via a small computer (intel nuc) that I bought to be dedicated to it - it's mounted on the wall hidden behind the tv. A Logitech Smart Control remote controls it all (as an aside, it's by far the best universal remote I've ever tried).

Of course I had to subscribe to MLB.tv too - there's an addon for Kodi that lets me watch it on the big screen. That's only thing I pay for, aside from internet.

While I miss live tv a bit (largely news), there are addons for news & other live tv events - they aren't totally reliable tho; I'm at the point I rarely use them, typically using web surfing on my tablet if there's something newsy that I want to see.

[Piney Boy]

I've been using Kodi for 2 years, no cable (no home phone either). It's hooked up to my tv via a small computer (intel nuc) that I bought to be dedicated to it - it's mounted on the wall hidden behind the tv. A Logitech Smart Control remote controls it all (as an aside, it's by far the best universal remote I've ever tried).

Of course I had to subscribe to MLB.tv too - there's an addon for Kodi that lets me watch it on the big screen. That's only thing I pay for, aside from internet.

While I miss live tv a bit (largely news), there are addons for news & other live tv events - they aren't totally reliable tho; I'm at the point I rarely use them, typically using web surfing on my tablet if there's something newsy that I want to see.

For Kodi I cast my phone's screen to my chromecast. It was good for the Phillies game one day this past week, but the Eagles/Steelers game locked up a couple of times. Still better than Sling. Cowboys game was unwatchable at times and good others.

griff- if you get Sling the Blue package has more channels, but no CNN (I don't watch it anyway). The Blue package is $24.99. Not bad as I love watching the EPL on Saturdays. I know I can get those games on Kodi, but I know my daughter and wife would struggle without Sling.

[TranaGreg]

if you want to give it a try search Kodi addons for mlb - the addon installs just like any other, you just have to enter your username & pw in the config screen.

[fuhrdog]

I've had Vue now for 8 days and get just as good a picture as I did with Dish Network. Get all ESPN channels, Fox Sports 1 and 2, Big Ten Network, Fox Sports North, All the news channels, all the cable channels like TBS, TNT, FX, FXX. USA. All the kids channels. 120 plus channels and not only is it 44.95..but that includes all taxes etc. No equipment to rent. If it stays this good, can't wait to see how much they can improve it and or get some internet tv competition from maybe Microsoft or someone similar.