Cutting The Cord on Cable/Satellite TV Service?

Marceline

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Not with Vue, no. I think it's really misleading that they even refer to it as a DVR. I guess it's fine for regular TV shows but it's pretty much nonfunctional for sports.
 

LoweTek

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You can start from the beginning with MLB TV on Roku. The fast forward takes some getting used to but is also functional.
 

Montana Fan

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You can start from the beginning with MLB TV on Roku. The fast forward takes some getting used to but is also functional.
The other nice feature is jump to an inning. If there's a play or a 1/2 inning you specifically want to see, say - top of the 10th yesterday - you can go right to it.
 

wilked

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You can get an inexpensive ota tuner with dvr capability. Expect to spend 25-30. You need to buy the storage separate, but can get that cheaply as well (say another 30)

I know of no option though for the Vue
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Hulu has launched a live TV service that includes access to "regular" Hulu. They'll upcharge you for commercial-free options and DVR. It contains some local channels, but I put in some random New England zip codes and couldn't get NESN. So PlayStation Vue is still the best option for New England-based Red Sox fans.

All of these services seem to have a fatal flaw. Vue right now is the least-worst option, but it's essentially just like regular cable.
 

rhopkins2323

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Hulu has launched a live TV service that includes access to "regular" Hulu. They'll upcharge you for commercial-free options and DVR. It contains some local channels, but I put in some random New England zip codes and couldn't get NESN. So PlayStation Vue is still the best option for New England-based Red Sox fans.

All of these services seem to have a fatal flaw. Vue right now is the least-worst option, but it's essentially just like regular cable.
Unless I misread the lineup, I don't think Hulu has CSN either. So no go on Cs games.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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What OTT platforms offer NFLN andRedZone.

I see that Dish does, but by the time you buy all the tiers you need to get there you may as well keep cable.
 

pappymojo

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I'm moving into a new home next week (Franklin MA) and they have Verizon Fios. I had gone without cable tv in my last home, but is there any reason to go back to cable now? If I just get internet to stream television, is there anything I should ask for or try to negotiate as a new customer?
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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I'm moving into a new home next week (Franklin MA) and they have Verizon Fios. I had gone without cable tv in my last home, but is there any reason to go back to cable now? If I just get internet to stream television, is there anything I should ask for or try to negotiate as a new customer?
It really depends on your appetite for in-market sports. Outside of New England, I was fine with no Tv, MLB.TV and Sunday Ticket. Back in New England I got PlayStation Vue for easy access to NESN and CSNNE and a local OTA channels package to pick up the Pats.

Cable is kind of garbage (though I admit to loving Better Call Saul).

You can do VPNs and internet streams to get around cable, but life is too short.
 

luckysox

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When we moved to our new home 3 years ago, the FIOS 2 year offer for tv and internet and phone was only $15 more than just their internet. Now, not so much, but back then it was a no brainer.
 

Riconway3155

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I know this isn't "cutting the cord" talk, but NESN can now stream Sox games with a comcast login and the nesngo app. If you can find a friend that will give you a username and password, it will be a little easier for people without cable.
 

Jeff Van GULLY

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I know this isn't "cutting the cord" talk, but NESN can now stream Sox games with a comcast login and the nesngo app. If you can find a friend that will give you a username and password, it will be a little easier for people without cable.
I have Playstation Vue out of market (no NESN) and was just validated through the app. Huge.
 

Fishercat

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Playstation VUE is a bit of a gamechanger. I'm basically on free cable right now as a new customer but my mom and her boyfriend are trying it out. The streaming is silky smooth so far, the channel selection is great, and it has sports. I prefer it to the cable I have at this point.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Playstation VUE is a bit of a gamechanger. I'm basically on free cable right now as a new customer but my mom and her boyfriend are trying it out. The streaming is silky smooth so far, the channel selection is great, and it has sports. I prefer it to the cable I have at this point.
Yeah. The DVR is flawed (easy to rewind but not to fast forward; storage is limited to 28 days) and the UI is quirky, but it's essentially the cable experience without a contract or equipment rental.

Its own apps for iOS are great, and a Vue subscription gives you access to mobile and TV anywhere apps.
 

GreyisGone

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Yeah. The DVR is flawed (easy to rewind but not to fast forward; storage is limited to 28 days) and the UI is quirky, but it's essentially the cable experience without a contract or equipment rental.

Its own apps for iOS are great, and a Vue subscription gives you access to mobile and TV anywhere apps.
If you have an Apple TV fast forward is pretty simple. It's really easy to jump ahead say 3 min and skip the commercials.
 

HoyaSoxa

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Does NESNGo work for Sox games when outside of New England, assuming you have the proper subscriptions? I am a local PSVue customer, and love having the mobile access (will be great for day games at work), but wondering if it will also work when I am traveling.

As an aside, PSVue has been pretty great so far - can't say I miss the cable experience other than not being able to save a whole season of Fargo or Better Call Saul on DVR, and the cost trade-off is totally worth it for me. I do have a tuner box with recording capability for my antenna, will probably get its first real try-out during the US Open and is mostly there for Sundays in the fall.
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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If you have an Apple TV fast forward is pretty simple. It's really easy to jump ahead say 3 min and skip the commercials.
Nice! Does this only work for something that's recorded, or does it work for something that's live? That's where my issue is. If I start the Sox game live, I can start it from the beginning but I can't, say, fast-forward through the commercials for the first three innings to catch up to the live broadcast.

what is the advantage to using NESNGo over watching on Vue (via the Vue app)?
None that I can see.
 

ElUno20

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Very dumb/obvious question, is PlayStation Vue for everyone? It's just a service and doesn't require a PlayStation, right?
 

Madmartigan

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Very dumb/obvious question, is PlayStation Vue for everyone? It's just a service and doesn't require a PlayStation, right?
Correct, here are the supported devices:

PlayStation[emoji768]4 console
PlayStation[emoji768]3 console
Apple TV[emoji768][emoji768]
Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
Roku[emoji768] streaming devices
Android TV
Google Chromecast

I think when it originally came out it only worked with PS3/PS4.

Edit: it also works on Ios and Android devices, and web browsers.
 

Marceline

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Correct, here are the supported devices:

PlayStation[emoji768]4 console
PlayStation[emoji768]3 console
Apple TV[emoji768][emoji768]
Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
Roku[emoji768] streaming devices
Android TV
Google Chromecast

I think when it originally came out it only worked with PS3/PS4.

Edit: it also works on Ios and Android devices, and web browsers.
It works on pretty much any device, but you need to have one of the specific devices from the list above as the "master" device or a bunch of the channels won't work.
 

Ed Hillel

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Yeah. The DVR is flawed (easy to rewind but not to fast forward; storage is limited to 28 days) and the UI is quirky, but it's essentially the cable experience without a contract or equipment rental.

Its own apps for iOS are great, and a Vue subscription gives you access to mobile and TV anywhere apps.
I'm curious about your fast forwarding issues on Vue. I have a Fire TV and it works just fine. Have you tried holding the FF button down for like five seconds? That speeds it up. If you're watching On Demand within your Favorites service you can't fast forward, though.
 

MB's Hidden Ball

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Okay quick question: wife is moving to Essex county and we're trying to figure out the cheapest way to get all Sox/Pats games. We have AppleTV which we could use for the MLB package or subscribe to COMCAST with NESN. The bigger concern is the Pats games. What is the best/easiest way to get the Pats? Any thoughts/suggestions?
 

HoyaSoxa

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For the Pats, every game this year except one (Miami 12/11 MNF game) is on CBS, Fox, or NBC, so all you need is an HD antenna. It used to be that the MNF game was also available over the air locally (Channel 5?), but I am not sure if ESPN still does that for local markets.

Keep in mind the MLB app won't allow you to watch Sox games if you are in New England.
 

jayhoz

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Contemplating a final cut of cable. I have a pretty robust setup that includes a HTPC pushing Plex to a Roku 3 and my mobile devices. This covers downloadable content and streaming services perfectly. If I want to add live content (including NESN) and the ability to record it and view it on a TV, what are my options? Seems like PC based DVR plus either a Playstation Vue or a combination of an OTA antenna (I have one) and firestick loaded with Kodi are the best options? Is there another way to push Kodi and recorded shows from the HTPC to the TV? Roku doesn't play nice with Kodi. Whatever setup I go with will have to be wife and kid friendly. I have a Logitech Harmony remote so that takes some complexity out of things.
 

MB's Hidden Ball

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For the Pats, every game this year except one (Miami 12/11 MNF game) is on CBS, Fox, or NBC, so all you need is an HD antenna. It used to be that the MNF game was also available over the air locally (Channel 5?), but I am not sure if ESPN still does that for local markets.

Keep in mind the MLB app won't allow you to watch Sox games if you are in New England.
Ah, didn't know that about MLB app. Cable it is.
 

edoug

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Directv is now on Roku. I don't have Directv anymore so I don't know if it's any good.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Directv and DirectvNow are two very different beasts. It just launched and while it's nice to see it available on Roku, it's probably early to make any judgments on it, as most of the early reviews confirm. No DVR is a pretty big negative, to start tho. And from initial pricing, it seems like you're paying $60-$70 for a decent package, but then you have to pay internet outside bundle pricing, so you're right back near normal cable, no?

I'd love to cut the cord but it never seems like there is a solution that fits my desires that will save me enough to deal with the hassle.
 

IdiotKicker

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Just paid my final cable bill at my current place and am going with FiOS internet and Playstation Vue once we get set up in the new place in a couple weeks. Have been using it pretty much exclusively for the last couple weeks as a dry run, and am a big fan so far. Will report back in once we are on it with no backup later in June.
 

HoyaSoxa

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Ah, didn't know that about MLB app. Cable it is.
As mentioned elsewhere in this discussion, PSVue is a pretty good streaming-only cable alternative at $35/month that gets you NESN, CSN-NE (Celtics), the ESPN suite (including SEC Network), the Fox Sports networks (including Big Ten), MLB Net, NBA Net, NFL Net, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Net, and a good selection of other channels. Your major loss is in DVR capability, clunky interface for searching/switching channels, and no Viacom networks (Comedy Central, MTV, VH-1, Nick, etc.). Free five day trial to start.
 

Ed Hillel

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As mentioned elsewhere in this discussion, PSVue is a pretty good streaming-only cable alternative at $35/month that gets you NESN, CSN-NE (Celtics), the ESPN suite (including SEC Network), the Fox Sports networks (including Big Ten), MLB Net, NBA Net, NFL Net, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Net, and a good selection of other channels. Your major loss is in DVR capability, clunky interface for searching/switching channels, and no Viacom networks (Comedy Central, MTV, VH-1, Nick, etc.). Free five day trial to start.
What's the DVR loss? I have Vue and the "My Shows" function works essentially the same as DVR. The only issue I've had it some glitching if I watch a show I am recording at the time it records and switch channels. Sometimes it messes with the recording. Other than that, it works great.
 

HoyaSoxa

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What's the DVR loss? I have Vue and the "My Shows" function works essentially the same as DVR. The only issue I've had it some glitching if I watch a show I am recording at the time it records and switch channels. Sometimes it messes with the recording. Other than that, it works great.
I am still figuring out the best way to work with it, but I have a few issues of note, most to do with my own strange habits of time-shifting live sports around kid bedtimes and other activities:
-You can't start live sports (or presumably any other recording) from the beginning while the event is ongoing - I have a receiver/recorder for my antenna so that I can start a Patriots game an hour late and still catch up to "live" by the 4th quarter.
-You can't program the recording to add an extra hour to live sports
-When fast-forwarding through commercials, you don't actually see the picture onscreen, so you don't know when to stop
-Recordings don't save for more than 4 weeks - there is no way to record a whole season of, say, Better Call Saul then binge it all a few months later, or continuously replay that same stupid Christmas episode of Doc McStuffins for your demanding 3 year old in May.

None of these are major challenges, just notable differences from the more robust DVR feature I used to have through cable.
 

Ed Hillel

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You can't program the recording to add an extra hour to live sports
I thought the same thing at first, but you actually can. The trick is you don't go to the show via "my shows," but the channel it's airing on directly. Then if you hit the center button and scroll down to the back arrows, it should take you back to the beginning and you should retain the ability to fast forward to real time. It's not exactly intuitive, but I've had success doing that. The issue, however, is that sometimes for me doing so has messed with the recording for later use. But sometimes not. It's quirky.

I've also been able to retain recordings more than 4 weeks, but I'm not sure if that's because there's some setting to switch or because I'm possibly recording less volume.
 

HoyaSoxa

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I thought the same thing at first, but you actually can. The trick is you don't go to the show via "my shows," but the channel it's airing on directly. Then if you hit the center button and scroll down to the back arrows, it should take you back to the beginning and you should retain the ability to fast forward to real time. It's not exactly intuitive, but I've had success doing that. The issue, however, is that sometimes for me doing so has messed with the recording for later use. But sometimes not. It's quirky.
Thanks for this! My interface on Roku seems to be a bit different, but the concept of going to channel where a show is airing directly is the same. From there, you just need to hit the * for Options, then scroll to Start from Beginning. In many ways, the limitations of PSVue for me are tied to the limitations of the 10 button Roku remote.

Another question for the Boston-area PSVue folks - is there a place to watch the NBA finals on PSVue (WCVB is not available, just ABC On-Demand), or is the antenna the only way?
 

Marceline

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Thanks for this! My interface on Roku seems to be a bit different, but the concept of going to channel where a show is airing directly is the same. From there, you just need to hit the * for Options, then scroll to Start from Beginning. In many ways, the limitations of PSVue for me are tied to the limitations of the 10 button Roku remote.

Another question for the Boston-area PSVue folks - is there a place to watch the NBA finals on PSVue (WCVB is not available, just ABC On-Demand), or is the antenna the only way?
I got an email from them saying the finals would be available to Vue subscribers via the WatchESPN app.
 

foulkehampshire

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Gripe with my area (southcoast MA), is that I'm too far away from the broadcast station (Providence, RI) to reasonably pick up local channels with an indoor antenna. I know in some areas internet-TV subs have deals with the local distributors to get ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. Massive dealbreaker for me during football season.

As much as I hate shelling out $100 for crappy 30/5 broadband internet & TV, there didn't seem to be much of an alternative unless I gave up on football.
 

jayhoz

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Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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Thanks for this! My interface on Roku seems to be a bit different, but the concept of going to channel where a show is airing directly is the same. From there, you just need to hit the * for Options, then scroll to Start from Beginning. In many ways, the limitations of PSVue for me are tied to the limitations of the 10 button Roku remote.
See, this is exactly my issue (to answer Ed Hillel's question above). I'm primarily a Roku user. But this option just isn't available for everything -- even the stuff I'm recording via My Shows -- and it seems completely arbitrary as to why.
 

Ed Hillel

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See, this is exactly my issue (to answer Ed Hillel's question above). I'm primarily a Roku user. But this option just isn't available for everything -- even the stuff I'm recording via My Shows -- and it seems completely arbitrary as to why.
Well, I use an Apple TV, which only has 7 buttons. I'm pretty sure you can get most of this stuff done, it just requires some trial and error or maybe some research on various forums.
 

The Needler

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Directv and DirectvNow are two very different beasts. It just launched and while it's nice to see it available on Roku, it's probably early to make any judgments on it, as most of the early reviews confirm. No DVR is a pretty big negative, to start tho. And from initial pricing, it seems like you're paying $60-$70 for a decent package, but then you have to pay internet outside bundle pricing, so you're right back near normal cable, no?
Actually, the initial pricing, which they've promised to grandfather for as long you keep the service, was $35/month, plus they threw in an Apple TV.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Actually, the initial pricing, which they've promised to grandfather for as long you keep the service, was $35/month, plus they threw in an Apple TV.
Yes, for the base level and smallest channel package it's $35 (their 'Live a Little' plan of 60 channels). But if you went up to the tiers that had more of the cable and sports networks, it jumps up to $50, $60 and $70 for 80-100-120 channels, which was what I meant when I said "decent" (sorry I could have been clearer on that). The base level is pretty bare bones.
 

Marceline

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It's the 100 channel plan that was initially offered at $35 with the promise of being able to keep that price as long as you didn't cancel.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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I must have missed that, I thought I sought out the deals when it first was offered. Mea culpa. I'm still not sure I would have signed up that early with such uncertainty about the new service.

Edit: but it would have been worth the free trial test drive.
 

The Gray Eagle

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What is a good internet-only company in the Boston area? How much per month are people paying for reliable wireless internet without cable TV?
 

NortheasternPJ

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What is a good internet-only company in the Boston area? How much per month are people paying for reliable wireless internet without cable TV?
Is there any option? In my town we can choose from Comcast, Comcast, Comcast or slow ass DSL. Does anywhere have more than 2 options of Comcast / FIOS / random cable provider like RCN?