Cable Cutters Enter

[SupaRice]

What are you guys doing to cut the cable bill?

 

I'm thinking this:

http://www.channelmaster.com/Antenna_DVR_s/336.htm​

 

Plus my WDTVLive, which plays all the "ripped" movies I have, plus YouTube / Netflix /  Hulu...

 

What's been your experiences?

 

Has anyone used the ChannelMaster? I like it for the stuff that my wife want's to record like Survivor that doesn't show up on Hulu until way later.

[LawVol]

I have been sans-cable since the first of the year.  It was an adjustment at first, but it didn't take long before I didn't miss it at all.  Between Netflix, Hulu, and a digital antenna, there's plenty of content to watch.  I spend less time in front of the idiot box now, which I guess is a good thing, too.  

 

I will probably cave in and at least get SlingTV for football season, though.  Sports are the last hope for cable.    

 

I don't have any experience with an OTA DVR. 

Edited August 24, 2015 by LawVol

[maroonandwhite]

I recently purchased an Xbox one to handle Netflix, Sling TV and OTA. The OTA tuner is supposedly going to have a DVR function soon but I am not holding my breath. For now that channel master seems to be the best option. I don't have experience with it but the reviews say it's about the best out there. It's pricey though.

 

I had Sling TV a few months before cancelling. The content itself for the price isn't bad but it just wasn't very reliable and when watching big ticket items such as popular sports or Game of Thrones it would crash due to the high demand.

 

I also found myself binging on Netflix way to often and just didn't like how much time I was spending watching show after show. That's more my fault I know but I got rid of netflix as well.

 

So basically I made a full circle right back to cable. I now have Charter cable and internet for a decent price locked in for three years with no contract. The DVR is probably the biggest selling point for me.

[enfield]

Netflix and Hulu aren't an option for those of us on satellite internet out here in the boonies.  Satellite TV and OTA are the only choices.

[1madss]

For OTA go to tvfool.com and enter your address to get an idea of what you can expect to be able to receive.

 

I went with the Tivo as it had to be an easy transition from cable for the rest of the family. It gives me 4 tuners and the guide which was a must. Not a big fan of the 14.99 a month fee, but it's a far cry from the 200 a month I was giving Charter. I also have a Roku that get used mostly for Sling. But maroonand white is right. At the stroke of 8:00 last night it died :) I had to catch the 9:30 for WD.

[2.ooohhh]

Discussed at length previously at. . .

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/85360-have-any-of-you-cut-your-cable/#entry1235253

 

Since my last update to a cord cutting thread, we have officially dropped Hulu entirely. We now pay for Netflix, Amazon Prime(wife's work covers it for the shipping), MLB@bat, HBO Now, and Showtime's new offering as of last month. Total came to $43.98 last I did the math(even counting the prime), but EVERY show or movie we watch at home is entirely commercial break free so it's worth every penny to me. I haven't paid for a month of Showtime yet but unless I find more content I have to have on it I doubt I will pay once the free trial is up. I can start/stop the HBO, Showtime, and Nexflix individually from month to month if I find myself not watching enough content to be worth the fee. I used to OTA but got tired of skipping commercials so I buy the few shows I watch on amazon typically using credits I collect getting stuff shipped free for work.

[sbeck37923]

I bought one of the channelmaster dvr+ boxes last December and cut the cable.  You can save a few bucks by buying the base unit and buying your own portable hard drive for storage.  I have been satisfied so far.  I am saving $115+ a month and still have the convinience of a dvr.  I can stream or buy content that I might be missing.

Edited August 24, 2015 by sbeck37923

[Fourtyfive]

I just returned all my boxes today. Sick of changing bills etc. Kept the Internet. Not sure what I'm gonna do , looking at Dish and Direct , seems Direct owners say they have a better picture than Dish.

[TNWNGR]

OK. As I understand it you can use a BluRay player to view Netflix and other Web based outlets. Or you can use a Ruku box. Or you can use a designated computer. It seems like the player the OP has highlighted (thanks by the way) falls into the Ruku price range. So which is the better because I'm going to purchase one within the next few days.

 

BTW enfield I was on satelitte internet for years and finally went with an AT&T Hotspot WIFI link because it was cheaper and gave more bandwidth. Now I'm closer to town and on a more highspeed pipeline. You can use a good laptop to download all the shows you want to watch from your public library or another hotspot.

[Sam1]

I just returned all my boxes today. Sick of changing bills etc. Kept the Internet. Not sure what I'm gonna do , looking at Dish and Direct , seems Direct owners say they have a better picture than Dish.

 

Directv's HD channels are outstanding, far superior to Comcast's, but I cannot speak to DIsh (haven't tried them).  The price gouging/changes happen with every one of the providers, although I have learned a trick with Directv, I only watch HBO shows, the rest of the series on the other premium channels don't interest me.  So... I have the cheap $49 package + HBO.  Well, about every 3-6 months Directv runs a special where HBO is only $10/month so right before the deal ends, I call them up to cancel and they offer me the same deal again to keep it, and sometimes throw in some other free previews for 1-3 months hoping you forget to cancel and they start charging.  I just set a notification on the calendar of when to call in and cancel and have been doing it for about 18 months now and never had an issue.

[DaveTN]

I just wish someone would give Comcast some competition so they would have to lower their prices.
I thought that might happen with Google Fiber, but nope, Comcast just doubled the speed and moved on.

[dawgdoc]

I have the ChannelMaster DVR; I wished I had known about it sooner.  Now I don't have to miss a show if two come on at the same time.  I used to have to wait and watch one of the two shows streaming over the internet, which could be any time from the next day to the next week.  Also I can record shows when I am away (it is like HD technology has caught up with 80's technology since I can't use a VCR for much anymore).

 

I have a whole-house antenna in the attic, and I also have Sling TV.  Sling TV can be frustrating when it freezes or just drops entirely, but it is useful if you don't want to either wait or pay per episode for new shows.  For example, I used Sling to watch Fear the Walking Dead.  Had I paid $1.99 for that episode, I would have been severely disappointed.

I probably would not have tried watching The Last Ship if I had to buy it per episode also, but now I am hooked.

[2.ooohhh]

OK. As I understand it you can use a BluRay player to view Netflix and other Web based outlets. Or you can use a Ruku box. Or you can use a designated computer. It seems like the player the OP has highlighted (thanks by the way) falls into the Ruku price range. So which is the better because I'm going to purchase one within the next few days.

 

BTW enfield I was on satelitte internet for years and finally went with an AT&T Hotspot WIFI link because it was cheaper and gave more bandwidth. Now I'm closer to town and on a more highspeed pipeline. You can use a good laptop to download all the shows you want to watch from your public library or another hotspot.

 

Roku is my go-to box to recommend to new cord cutters, followed closely by Amazon's fireTV. That advice assumes you don't already have a PS3, AppleTV or either of the aforementioned boxes.  It also assumes you are relatively new to digital content. If you already own a hundred+ movies on one of the big three,[Apple, Amazon, or an Ultraviolet compatible service (such as Vudu)] then you should choose a box that is compatible with your content.

 

Other streaming boxes such as smart TVs and blu-ray players are a crapshoot as to whether they have currently, will continue to have, or will ever receive different services as they are released.

 

 

 

 

I just wish someone would give Comcast some competition so they would have to lower their prices.
I thought that might happen with Google Fiber, but nope, Comcast just doubled the speed and moved on.

 

Google Fiber is still being built out around town, they haven't actually connected any neighborhoods here yet. Expect Comcast to start accelerating the rate at which they discount as the first neighborhoods are connected and actually receive service as that is when it has occurred in other google fiber markets. The media will be covering the rollout as it gets close, and Comcast PR will be working overtime to put up what appears to be a competitive front.

[Sam1]

I just wish someone would give Comcast some competition so they would have to lower their prices.
I thought that might happen with Google Fiber, but nope, Comcast just doubled the speed and moved on.

 

Doubled the speed at $300/month & you pay about $1,000 to get connected lol.

[Mike A]

I'm probably going with the Channel Master eventually but waiting for / hoping that the price will drop.  In the meantime, we basically use Hulu+ as a DVR for most of the network shows we watch (unfortunately no new CBS stuff).  

[SupaRice]

I pulled the trigger on the ChannelMaster. My UVerse bill was $200 for this month. I'll be getting internet only from Commiecast until Google Fiber is ready. I'll post up about the CM and let y'all know how it goes.

 

I live really close to Lipscomb in Nashville so I should have pretty good reception to a lot of channels.

[btq96r]

I see it's time for our semi-annual cutting cable thread...

 

I did it when I got back from Afghanistan almost two years ago.  Don't miss the bill for cable, but like others I'm thinking of SlingTV for sports once football and basketball come back in season.  I only wish NBCSports would jump in on that so I could watch hockey games as well, but since NBC is owned by Comcast, that isn't likely to be an option anytime soon. 

 

For those of you on the fence, I'd say give it a try.  My TV channels come in crystal clear in HD, and the antenna only cost me $50 from Amazon.  All I had to do was install it outside, run a cable from it to the hookups outside my house, and move my internet modem to another port since OTA and cable internet can't run over the same feed.

[Mike.357]

If it was mine to choose I'd cut it all but internet.

 

But there is "She who must be obeyed" to deal with.  

 

I am getting near close to making a fight about it though.   I don't need a landline.  I can't tell you the last time anyone called and asked for Mike.357.  I can get all my TV watching needs from netflix, (which my son anchored himself to years ago.  HAHAHAHA I won't let him out of it.)  Mostly i watch  You Tube anyway.  

Edited August 25, 2015 by Mike.357

[runco]

Folks we cut the chord 2 years ago this month, after being plugged into cable/satellite since I was a boy that was 30+ years ago.  It was tough that first few weeks.  Today we never miss it.  As I posted in the other thread from January of this year:

 

We thought we had to have cable (satellite) too, but 18 mos later, probably the best decision we have made.  We actually watch the DVDs we have in our collection.  We actually do have more family time, and we do watch Amazon prime, and lots of stuff on Youtube.  We have re-discovered shows like Gunsmoke and many more.  I admit, I miss ESPN, but what we gained in other areas, we don't miss it that much.  So we are about $1,800 saved now.  The only thing we have to show, is money.  Before it was just check mark that we watched X @ $100 month.  We do have local digital programming of which we have close to 20 channels FREE, FREE, FREE.  Did I mention it was FREE!

 

The only correction I need to make to my post, we have now saved about $2,400.00.  Yea baby!!!!  :pleased:   That's a AR, 1911, another AR, another 1911.....

Edited August 25, 2015 by Runco

[Monkeyman2500]

We haven't had cable for a while. We use a Roku 3 with Hulu,Amazon, and Netflix. It's been great and we only have 4mb internet connection.

[McGarrett]

I haven't had cable since 1995. I get dvds from netflix. We live out in the country and don't have fast internet or cable, and the dish probably would not work good in the woods and hills around me.

 

I recently got one of these antennas; http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KVUAGU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

 

The antenna from amazon works well, I've been watching some Grit TV; http://www.grittv.com/tv-schedule/

[GlockSpock]

So today Amazon has had the Mohu Leaf 30 on and off sale (dependent on stock) for $14.99. I ordered one just to give it a go.

 

http://amzn.to/1hEEvCu

[analog_kidd]

Well, we haven't officially cut DirecTV, but we use a free program called Kodi to supplement it, and I'm pretty close to being able to pull the trigger. The main thing holding me back is watching Fox News and Monday Night Football live.

 

Kodi is an amazing piece of software. It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac and Android. I have a Windows PC connected to my TV running it. IT will find and play any kind of audio / video media that is on your PC, or network. We rip all of our movies to MP4 or MKV format, and Kodi can play them.

 

The beauty of Kodi is that it supports third party plug-ins. There are plug-ins for many of the channels I find on DirecTV. The plug-in connects to the content provided by the channels on their web sites and plays it over the internet. There are also lots of silly plug-ins created by people to broadcast their own crazy content. Some of it is actually pretty good. There are even a few legit plug-ins that play some older movies and TV shows. Search hard enough and you'll probably find a plug-in to watch just about anything you want.

 

There is even a version of Kodi written for the Raspberry Pi computer. I bought a brand new RPi with everything I needed (power supply, case memory card, wi-fi etc.) for $50 on Amazon, and installed the O/S found on the OpenElec Website. It runs amazingly well. I put one in the bedroom and we use it to watch movies stored on the PC in the living room, and shows that it can stream from the Internet.

[seez52]

has anybody been keeping track of how much data you're using to do all this streaming? Im using a roku but have it set for SD since our connection is usually 3mb or less. If I want a fast connection here I'm going to have to spring for Verizon and they make you pay for data in chunks.

[2.ooohhh]

has anybody been keeping track of how much data you're using to do all this streaming? Im using a roku but have it set for SD since our connection is usually 3mb or less. If I want a fast connection here I'm going to have to spring for Verizon and they make you pay for data in chunks.

With many of the services you can really dramatically reduce your bandwidth by adjusting the quality settings. I know on some devices(my PS3s) Netflix defaults to best quality that was pulling lots of data but by knocking it down one notch it dropped by over half and neither the wife nor I can tell the difference on any screen in the house short of the very large projection screen in the theater.