Cord Cutting or not?

MiamiSpartan wrote:Ballys just launched a direct product, Bally Sports + for $20/month. It might still be rolling out to different markets. I think you can watch the same stuff as on Ballys on cable, unlike BTN+, but I'm not 100% sure.

20 bucks a month is insane though

I claim ignorance. I was thinking about this. , I’d pay someone 100 bucks a lesson to come to my house and show my wife and I how to beat cable. I’m 300 plus a month with Comcast. But both my wife and I live in that fear of technology where we enjoy the war of Bob. Come home, flip the channel. I know I don’t need the stations I have but reading the stuff you all are talking about is like trying to learn a language.

I want to know I can watch my shows. E dry MSU game, the packers and the local news. My wife the same with her stuff

I’m serious, are there businesses out there that would come to my house and give tutorials where we could take notes and decide? If not, there should be. Us 60 year olds would pay good money for it.

DWags wrote:I claim ignorance.  I was thinking about this. , I’d pay someone 100 bucks a lesson to come to my house and show my wife and I how to beat cable.  I’m 300 plus a month with Comcast.  But both my wife and I live in that fear of technology where we enjoy the war of Bob. Come home, flip the channel.  I know I don’t need the stations I have but reading the stuff you all are talking about is like trying to learn a language.

I want to know I can watch my shows. E dry MSU game, the packers and the local news.  My wife the same with her stuff

I’m serious, are there businesses out there that would come to my house and give tutorials where we could take notes and decide?  If not, there should be. Us 60 year olds would pay good money for it.

Google "YoutubeTV" --> Click the link --> Sign-up --> any moran can figure out the interface, seriously, it is incredibly easy to navigate

You can Venmo me the hundred. TIA

Cameron wrote:If you need to pay someone to figure out how to watch the content you enjoy, you have more money than sense.

I was thinking that paying someone now, saves a ton of money later. But whatever.

D wags bro there are channels on YouTube tv just like there are Comcast channels you got this.

Nordic wrote:

DWags wrote:I claim ignorance.  I was thinking about this. , I’d pay someone 100 bucks a lesson to come to my house and show my wife and I how to beat cable.  I’m 300 plus a month with Comcast.  But both my wife and I live in that fear of technology where we enjoy the war of Bob. Come home, flip the channel.  I know I don’t need the stations I have but reading the stuff you all are talking about is like trying to learn a language.

I want to know I can watch my shows. E dry MSU game, the packers and the local news.  My wife the same with her stuff

I’m serious, are there businesses out there that would come to my house and give tutorials where we could take notes and decide?  If not, there should be. Us 60 year olds would pay good money for it.

Google "YoutubeTV" --> Click the link --> Sign-up --> any moran can figure out the interface, seriously, it is incredibly easy to navigate

You can Venmo me the hundred. TIA

What about add ons? Do I need something called a fire stick to stream? How do I get the nfl add on how much? What is a fire stick or a Hulu to help me stream? I have Comcast on my phone and computer and I just press that icon to watch. Does YouTube have that or am I in need of a fire stick? I guess my point is missed. If it’s mindless it’s worth it. My YouTube friends all talk about it and then they start talking about a fire stick and only 85 channels and searching for their favorites. Some guy I watched on YouTube about it a while ago said I might want to add sling tv too. Why?

You will need a computer of some kind hooked to your TV to stream anything. That's what Amazon firestick is. (And others in the market... roku, apple tv, google has one) Some tvs are "smart" that means they have the applications built in. Once you get that plugged into your TV, it's just clicking around, they make it pretty easy to add stuff.

Youtube.tv is an app for "tv". Direct tv has an app for "tv". & Others... You could subscribe directly to some channels like Espn+, foxsports, Discovery +, hbo max... those aren't exactly "tv" they are specific to their shows, but it might be enough. Think of them likeNetflix, if you know that.

I have no experience with YouTube TV, and I'm still miffed at Hulu Live for raising their prices twice in the height of the pandemic, but that's Disney for you. I went strictly OTA for the better part of year. I missed two FB games in 2021. I could live with that. But I had to jump back on Hulu Live because my Dad had to move in with me temporarily and can't live without Fox News. That's a whole nother story.

D Wags, if you're paying Comcast $300 a month, you are throwing away $150 of it.

WOW 100mb circuit $44.99
Hulu Live $69.99 (Live TV + Disney + ESPN + BTN etc)

That's it, not counting premium stuff like HBO you might be paying Comcast for.

Plug an ethernet cable from your router into your smart TV, which probably has Hulu already on it. Create a Hulu account, enter your credit card. You're done.

Addons are probably specific to apps, like direct tv has a sports level. (?)

AvgMSUJoe wrote:You will need a computer of some kind hooked to your TV to stream anything. That's what Amazon firestick is. (And others in the market... roku, apple tv, google has one) Some tvs are "smart" that means they have the applications built in. Once you get that plugged into your TV, it's just clicking around, they make it pretty easy to add stuff.

Some TVs are smart enough that you can even install apps on them and bypass the firestick etc.

DWags wrote:I claim ignorance.  I was thinking about this. , I’d pay someone 100 bucks a lesson to come to my house and show my wife and I how to beat cable.  I’m 300 plus a month with Comcast.  But both my wife and I live in that fear of technology where we enjoy the war of Bob. Come home, flip the channel.  I know I don’t need the stations I have but reading the stuff you all are talking about is like trying to learn a language.

I want to know I can watch my shows. E dry MSU game, the packers and the local news.  My wife the same with her stuff

I’m serious, are there businesses out there that would come to my house and give tutorials where we could take notes and decide?  If not, there should be. Us 60 year olds would pay good money for it.

Local news, get an antenna. Amazon Prime can also get you a bunch of news channels, some local depending upon where you live.
Also depending upon where you live you might be able to get Packer games OTA. Spartan games are a different story, I think you have to be subscribed to something to get any of their games.

And to add to the confusion: How to Watch 4K Broadcast TV: A Guide to ATSC 3.0

If you already have an antenna rescan your channels. There's been a lot of updating recently. In fact, I'd rescan monthly.

Cam is grumpy, guys.

Have never had cable & have never missed it. OTA only, all my life.

Mrs. GW is in charge of our tv lineup and I’m fine with that. As I’ve said before, I don’t have the time or desire to figure out which plan gives me this channel but I gotta get that stick so I can have that channel. And God forbid I choose a plan, stick, website, or dish that doesn’t have all my wife’s shows. No, right now I have many cords and cables and no scissors, and I’m fine with that.

Cameron wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:as with all aspect of my life, I have no idea what y'all (or anyone else) is talking about.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:holy hell.. I just started scrolling back through this thread and saw that I posted this in July of 2017:



at least I'm consistent.

All this means is that you have chimed in to proclaim your ignorance and lack of interest in the topic at hand on two separate occasions.

So dumb.

you're giving me way too much credit here.

tGreenWay wrote:Mrs. GW is in charge of our tv lineup and I’m fine with that. As I’ve said before, I don’t have the time or desire to figure out which plan gives me this channel but I gotta get that stick so I can have that channel. And God forbid I choose a plan, stick, website, or dish that doesn’t have all my wife’s shows. No, right now I have many cords and cables and no scissors, and I’m fine with that.

exactly.

I prefer to just drink beer and listen to music songs.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:Mrs. GW is in charge of our tv lineup and I’m fine with that. As I’ve said before, I don’t have the time or desire to figure out which plan gives me this channel but I gotta get that stick so I can have that channel. And God forbid I choose a plan, stick, website, or dish that doesn’t have all my wife’s shows. No, right now I have many cords and cables and no scissors, and I’m fine with that.

exactly.

I prefer to just drink beer and listen to music songs.

Yeah. Seems almost angry. I prefer mindless. However, I get the cord cutting can be mindless, but I want a demonstration. For a tad over a 100 bucks a month I’d rather pay extra tan jump through hoops.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:Mrs. GW is in charge of our tv lineup and I’m fine with that. As I’ve said before, I don’t have the time or desire to figure out which plan gives me this channel but I gotta get that stick so I can have that channel. And God forbid I choose a plan, stick, website, or dish that doesn’t have all my wife’s shows. No, right now I have many cords and cables and no scissors, and I’m fine with that.

exactly.

I prefer to just drink beer and listen to music songs.

Yep. I spend much less time w/the tv on in the warm months, and a lot more time with music blasting.

DWags wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote: exactly.

I prefer to just drink beer and listen to music songs.

Yeah. Seems almost angry. I prefer mindless. However, I get the cord cutting can be mindless, but I want a demonstration. For a tad over a 100 bucks a month I’d rather pay extra tan jump through hoops.

Bingo. It’s worth it to me not to have to get everything lined up exactly how we’d both like it. However, I do understand how some Swillers would feel a sense of satisfaction and victory having freed themselves of unnecessarily gigantic bills from asshole companies like Comcast.

DWags wrote:

Cameron wrote:If you need to pay someone to figure out how to watch the content you enjoy, you have more money than sense.

I was thinking that paying someone now, saves a ton of money later.  But whatever.

DWags
Here’s a primer on cord cutting using ROKU

Buy a ROKU
(at Costco you can get an Ultra 4K box, a ROKU 4K stick, 2 remotes and a set of ear buds for $130)

Plug in the HDMI cable into the ROKU box and the other end to one of your flat screen’s HDMI ports.

Use the Source button on the TV remote and choose the HDMI

In set up choose network and set the ROKU to use your wireless network.  They’ll ask for a credit card that won’t be used unless you order streaming channels thru ROKU.  (I don’t and order the streaming for each.)

Plug in the ROKU stick on your 2nd flatscreen choose HDMI, set up is the same. (you do have at least 2 flat screens)

Then sign up for streaming.  YouTube TV has a good selection but no Balley Sports @ $64.99/mth
I have Netflix (14.99/mth) Amazon Prime (TV only 8.99/mth) and Disney+ page of Disney+/HULU/ESPN3 $13.99

I suspect you already have internet service that’s about $95 per month.  You’d be at $105 with those streaming channels so you’re at about $200/ mth including internet.

At my house an extra Benjamin a month means better Gin/Bourbon/Irish Whiskey or a decent meal out rather than paying Spectrum for crappy channels I never watch.

DWags wrote:

Nordic wrote:


Google "YoutubeTV" --> Click the link --> Sign-up --> any moran can figure out the interface, seriously, it is incredibly easy to navigate

You can Venmo me the hundred. TIA

What about add ons? Do I need something called a fire stick to stream? How do I get the nfl add on how much? What is a fire stick or a Hulu to help me stream? I have Comcast on my phone and computer and I just press that icon to watch. Does YouTube have that or am I in need of a fire stick? I guess my point is missed. If it’s mindless it’s worth it. My YouTube friends all talk about it and then they start talking about a fire stick and only 85 channels and searching for their favorites. Some guy I watched on YouTube about it a while ago said I might want to add sling tv too. Why?

If you have a newer TV. It is probably a Smat TV and you can download the App. If it is older, get a Roku.

You're up to two hundy.

Nordic wrote:

DWags wrote:

What about add ons? Do I need something called a fire stick to stream? How do I get the nfl add on how much? What is a fire stick or a Hulu to help me stream? I have Comcast on my phone and computer and I just press that icon to watch. Does YouTube have that or am I in need of a fire stick? I guess my point is missed. If it’s mindless it’s worth it. My YouTube friends all talk about it and then they start talking about a fire stick and only 85 channels and searching for their favorites. Some guy I watched on YouTube about it a while ago said I might want to add sling tv too. Why?

If you have a newer TV. It is probably a Smat TV and you can download the App. If it is older, get a Roku.

You're up to two hundy.

I’d have to give you a shit review on google. My check would bounce too.

Just got off the phone with WOW after they jacked my cable bill. Apparently they are forcing people to switch to streaming (DirectTV). Know very little about streaming and looking for advice.

Have 4 TVs and only one is smart. Direct wants $10 a month to rent each one of their gadgets...not doing that. $110 to buy each. Know I can get Roku or Firestick much cheaper...are there other brands I should be looking at? Looking for simplicity. Which works the best?

Google has chromecast.

The Pantry wrote:Just got off the phone with WOW after they jacked my cable bill. Apparently they are forcing people to switch to streaming (DirectTV). Know very little about streaming and looking for advice.

Have 4 TVs and only one is smart. Direct wants $10 a month to rent each one of their gadgets...not doing that. $110 to buy each. Know I can get Roku or Firestick much cheaper...are there other brands I should be looking at? Looking for simplicity. Which works the best?

Have a couple Roku and they seem simple enough

The Pantry wrote:Just got off the phone with WOW after they jacked my cable bill.  Apparently they are forcing people to switch to streaming (DirectTV).  Know very little about streaming and looking for advice.

Have 4 TVs and only one is smart.  Direct wants $10 a month to rent each one of their gadgets...not doing that.  $110 to buy each.  Know I can get Roku or Firestick much cheaper...are there other brands I should be looking at?  Looking for simplicity.  Which works the best?

Roku & YoutubeTV

You can skip the Roku if you have a smart tv.

I've always found smart tvs to be a little flakey with streaming. Always like a plug in Roku/firestick

MiamiSpartan wrote:

The Pantry wrote:Just got off the phone with WOW after they jacked my cable bill. Apparently they are forcing people to switch to streaming (DirectTV). Know very little about streaming and looking for advice.

Have 4 TVs and only one is smart. Direct wants $10 a month to rent each one of their gadgets...not doing that. $110 to buy each. Know I can get Roku or Firestick much cheaper...are there other brands I should be looking at? Looking for simplicity. Which works the best?

Do you have a Smart TV? If so, you probably don't need any external device for Streaming. For any TVs that aren't Smart TVs, Roku works great. I don't know the difference between the different Rokus other than some are 4K. I have a Roku stick on one TV and it works well for me.

In my research, DirecTV stream doesn't seem as good. I forget I'd it was more money or fewer channels, but I suggest that you research YouTubeTV, Hulu Live, and Sling, and see what works best for you.

I'm currently on a free trial of YouTubeTV, but will also be trialing Hulu Live.

Have Prime. Used it for a few months with the smart TV. Never tried Netflix...not interested. Just looking for a streaming alternative to cable that has the networks I watch most often. Looked at DirectTV's lineup and they have a package that suits my needs. Guess my main question is regarding the best streaming hardware. Talked with my sis. She said they have Chromecast on one of their TV's.

kingstonlake wrote:I've always found smart tvs to be a little flakey with streaming. Always like a plug in Roku/firestick

Well, you are the expert in being flakey.

tGreenWay wrote:

kingstonlake wrote:I've always found smart tvs to be a little flakey with streaming. Always like a plug in Roku/firestick

Well, you are the expert in being flakey.

Don't sell yourself short

I think roku is probably the best.  I have that and a firestick. Both are probably a couple years old,  the roku just seems faster,  but once you have the app, there really isn't much of a difference.

InTenSity wrote:I think roku is probably the best.  I have that and a firestick. Both are probably a couple years old,  the roku just seems faster,  but once you have the app, there really isn't much of a difference.

InTenSity wrote:I think roku is probably the best.  I have that and a firestick. Both are probably a couple years old,  the roku just seems faster,  but once you have the app, there really isn't much of a difference.

InTenSity wrote:I think roku is probably the best.  I have that and a firestick. Both are probably a couple years old,  the roku just seems faster,  but once you have the app, there really isn't much of a difference.

Agree. Roku is more riable. Bit a firestick may or may not be "adjustable" to enable a person to watch UFC PPV's for free. So I've heard....

What addon do you put on your firestick kodi to get stuff of questionable legality? or so I've heard.

[tw]1562862422028824577[/tw]

" the average consumer spends around $273 per month on TV streaming subscriptions, home Wi-Fi and other services"

I'm going to assume the quote means average household, but it still blows my mind.

"A recent Screen Engine/ASI study shows the average monthly cost for cable and satellite subscribers without antennas is $148.70, while folks who have over-the-air antennas as part of their TV mix spend an average of $72.60 a month on paid TV services."