Looking for a replacement for cable TV....

[alingo2001]

So we have u verse right now. All is good but looking to save some money. Coworker told me about the Roku. Sounds like a great thing. We have amazon prime and hulu plus to go with it. Anyone else have any experience with this setup? Also willing to sign up for streaming Netflix.

[runco]

18 mos ago, after 10 years with dish, and a previous 20 years on cable, I am free, literally free!  We just have an antenna.  I do have Amazon prime, and I have internet streaming on the my 50" TV.  Many shows on the internet, and YouTube.

[alingo2001]

I honestly think I'd be okay without tv period but she'd be raising holy hell.

[npgunner]

this idea gets sweeter for me next year; starting some time next year HBO GO and Showtime Anytime are purportedly to be available without a cable/uverse/dish TV subscription.  It may or may not be limited in some ways compared to what you could get through a Comcast or U-Verse, but I don't think they've worked the kinx out all the way.  

For me ... if I could get Netflix, Prime, HBO GO, & Showtime Anytime with an over-the-air HD antenna for locals, I'd be ok without TV.  Not sure about the wife though, but would certainly help the budget. 

[dawgdoc]

I have a whole-house antenna in the attic, and I have Amazon Prime. However, the three shows that I watch from cable networks are part of Amazon Instant Video ( I pay $1.99 per episode), so Prime is not required. Prime is more like a bonus to the free shipping.

My son misses Cartoon Network, and I have to wait until the next day to watch shows like The Walking Dead, but cable just wasn't worth it to me.

Charter constantly calls trying to get me back. Their $29.99 deal is really a bait and switch (that's the price each of separate phone, internet, and tv services when bundled, and they charge $5 per box). I think their minimum cost for cable only is $70.

I saw some type of HBO Go thing being sold in Costco last week; I assume it might be a stand alone subscription that bypasses cable. Edited December 17, 2014 by dawgdoc

[Electric B]

Going on 2 years with antenna and Netflix.
I do miss college football. Other than that we have not missed Direct TV at all.

[10-Ring]

After Comcast tried to screw us back around the early spring we got rid of our cable and have only missed it a handful of times.  We live in this funky hole and can get 2 channels on an antenna between about 7 pm and noon, and sometimes they are iffy.  So, we don't really mess with the antenna.  The only time that we have really missed it is during the UT football season, I did figure out how to stream the games but they are rather poor quality and my wife misses TWD.  We watched most of the away UT games with friends, we would bring a nice dinner to their place and stay for the game.  We would do the same with the TWD with some other friends.  We watch a lot less brain numbing TV and it's a good excuse to see friends.  

[Dirtshooter]

Try a kayak and a bunch of fishing tackle. You get a workout and if your fishing skills are good, you get fresh low fat food to eat. I just had to make a smart alec response.

[btq96r]

The Roku is awesome, I'm loving mine.  Plenty of channels and apps to it, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video (which gets you a good bit of free stuff if you are a Prime member), and I'm quite fond of the iHeartRadio app to play tunes around the house.

 

I also have a decent OTA antenna, but for some reason can't pick up the local NBC or PBS affiliates.  I might switch to an outdoor one, or an attic one, but since I rent, I'm not sure how much I can change things around.

 

Premium cable is a rip-off these days.  I'm glad that I've made the change.

[maroonandwhite]

Ask yourself what you can really do without. We cut the cord for a short while and I missed the college sports and the outdoor channel too much.  :pleased:

 

We had an antenna and Netflix and we could ALWAYS find something to watch whether it was a movie or a full on binge of a complete series but I always found myself jealous of hearing about the ballgame.

 

If you can do without sports and the few other specialty channels (Discovery, History, etc.) then you can cut the cord. As NPGunner said with HBO and Showtime coming soon as a separate on demand service you will have even more options.

 

We currently have Charter (only thing available) in the living room and an antenna backup in the other rooms and my shop that I am satisfied with. They aren't very cheap but if you only get one receiver with DVR it's not terrible and they don't do contracts of any kind so I can cancel whenever I want.

 

Regarding the actual hardware you can't go wrong with a Roku or Aplle TV. I don't have experience with the Roku but plenty seem to like it. I have mostly Apple products so I went with the Apple TV. Some over the air channels actually have apps on the Apple TV as well so if you miss a show you can stream it on there for free.

[seez52]

The Roku is awesome, I'm loving mine.  Plenty of channels and apps to it, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video (which gets you a good bit of free stuff if you are a Prime member), and I'm quite fond of the iHeartRadio app to play tunes around the house.

 

I also have a decent OTA antenna, but for some reason can't pick up the local NBC or PBS affiliates.  I might switch to an outdoor one, or an attic one, but since I rent, I'm not sure how much I can change things around.

 

Premium cable is a rip-off these days.  I'm glad that I've made the change.

we have trouble getting 4 also. you might try adding a booster. i have a channel master and ir really helps. you could also try turning your antenna mine is fairly sensitive to being pointed in the right direction 

[btq96r]

we have trouble getting 4 also. you might try adding a booster. i have a channel master and ir really helps. you could also try turning your antenna mine is fairly sensitive to being pointed in the right direction 

 

Mine is one of those leaf antenna's.  I have the "booster" that plugs into the USB port on my TV for extra power, but it doesn't do anything.  I plan on looking into alternatives over the winter break.

[2.ooohhh]

I cut the cord (got rid of directTV satellite) in 2007. Looking back, the first 2 years were rough, many of the streaming services and "channels" didn't exist yet, my antenna setup sucked, and I was basically using a PC hooked up to my primary TV as both a DVR and to watch internet based programming. Much of that changed when I got married and I had to deal with the WAF(wife acceptance factor) I slowly made the move to an using an apple TV(first gen silver) and purchased/rented content via apple in many cases to have recent shows. Now we have an apple TV(3rd gen) on each TV in the house, and the entire setup works great. We pay for netflix, and hulu, and have been prime members for several years for the shipping anyway so them throwing in video content is just a bonus. We also pay for MLB at bat most years since my wife's family are baseball fans. We honestly see more games on that than her dad sees and he has season tickets. We honestly only miss cable when it's world series time since the series hasn't been offered via streaming yet, but we just hit up a local sports bar.

[JPS]

Nothing but broadcast TV for 2 years now for our family, and we rarely miss cable/satellite..  We use the money we save to buy our favorite programs when they come out on DVD, and everybody is happy.  We now have 2-3 days per week that the TV doesn't get turned on, and we can actually speak to each other.

[tennesseetiger]

Just wait until google goes main stream with TV and Internet service...they will give people the ability to pick and choose what channels they want instead of the packages that the current providers offer. Pretty sure Google is laying fiber in Nashville right now actually.

[JPR1959]

Well, after my 2 year contract was up with Direct TV, I called and wanted to cancel.  They said how can we keep you as a customer.  I said make me a deal, and they offered to let me keep my DVR, second receiver, and 200 channels for $72 per month.  I can handle that.

[bersaguy]

Well, I have considered booting Comcast cable but I would go nuts. I have become addicted to the History channel, Discovery channel, Animal Planet, and a few others and the only way I can get those is by cable. I have been talking with Comcast and they said they had a cheaper plan than I was on that had all of these so I have them switch me to that package. My bill went from $72.00 to $100.98. I guess they thought I was to stupid to know what they had done. Well I went up to the local office and a clerk and I had a big discussion and he was nice enough to show me a package that actually had 95% of what I wanted but did have all the channels I really wanted and it was $45.95 + $9.95 for a second box for my bedroom TV.so after box and taxes my bill is $61.07. I am fine with that. If you don't stay on top of them they will surely screw you at every opportunity..................jmho

[10-Ring]

Well, I have considered booting Comcast cable but I would go nuts. I have become addicted to the History channel, Discovery channel, Animal Planet, and a few others and the only way I can get those is by cable. I have been talking with Comcast and they said they had a cheaper plan than I was on that had all of these so I have them switch me to that package. My bill went from $72.00 to $100.98. I guess they thought I was to stupid to know what they had done. Well I went up to the local office and a clerk and I had a big discussion and he was nice enough to show me a package that actually had 95% of what I wanted but did have all the channels I really wanted and it was $45.95 + $9.95 for a second box for my bedroom TV.so after box and taxes my bill is $61.07. I am fine with that. If you don't stay on top of them they will surely screw you at every opportunity..................jmho

This is a lot of the reason we fired Comcast.  Every single month our bill was wrong.  Like $100 or more wrong.  We would spend a significant amount of time each month calling or making a trip to the local office, which really isn't that local.  It wasn't worth the trouble.  I miss it sometimes but it certainly hasn't killed me. 

 

By the way, we use a Google Chromecast.  Although it is easy to use, and you can use a PC, tablet, or smart phone to control it mine has always been very buggy.  The biggest inconvenience is that I have to reset the router almost every time I use it also has issues with the video and audio getting out of synch.  The Chromecast is cheap but if I were in the market I'd spend the extra money on a Roku.

[Will Carry]

There is nothing like a good book. The kind made from paper and ink. 

Edited December 17, 2014 by Will Carry

[npgunner]

There is nothing like a good book. The kind made from paper and ink.

What is this surely alien device that you speak of?

[2.ooohhh]

There is nothing like a good book. The kind made from paper and ink. 

 

I had one, couldn't find the charger for it so I donated it.  :up:

[gun sane]

We finally chucked the Dish and went with Roku.  It's good enough for me but the wife's having a hard time going cold turkey without her Estrogen Channel fix.  U-Verse is in the neighborhood, just not on our side of the street yet.  I think she might go out and dig the trench herself.

[maroonandwhite]

We finally chucked the Dish and went with Roku.  It's good enough for me but the wife's having a hard time going cold turkey without her Estrogen Channel fix.  U-Verse is in the neighborhood, just not on our side of the street yet.  I think she might go out and dig the trench herself.

As much as I despise ATT as a company they have a great service with the U-Verse. The equipment itself is the high point. Charter is still using the old software from 1991 on all of their boxes.

[runco]

Nothing but broadcast TV for 2 years now for our family, and we rarely miss cable/satellite..  We use the money we save to buy our favorite programs when they come out on DVD, and everybody is happy.  We now have 2-3 days per week that the TV doesn't get turned on, and we can actually speak to each other.

100% the same in this family of six, but we do stream YouTube on TV, and picture quality is excellent.  Kids love Gunsmoke! 

[Sam1]

What is this surely alien device that you speak of?

 

I've seen them before on a show called "ancient aliens"   Sometimes they look like this