Cutting The Cord on Cable/Satellite TV Service?
- Thread starter LoweTek
- Start date
I would recommend upgrading to a newer revision. You can get the 4K firestick for $29 with a coupon (I used 4K21FTV coupon).
A couple of years ago, I had the Fire TV which mostly worked but I found some bugs in apps that didn't appear in the 4K firestick. So I sold off my Fire TV and got another 4K stick. I think you will find the 2014 firestick to be sluggish navigating the menu. That was my experience when using my parents' stick which is an older generation.
Oh man I thought the NESN App was going to be my solution, with a friend's FiOS log-in. The feed is absolutely brutal - buffers literally every 15-30 seconds - and the features are wanting at best. You can't even rewind to see what was missed when it buffered, or to give enough leeway for the buffering to not be an issue.
So I wasn’t getting any buffering. It’s just the feed can’t keep up with the speed of the game. The puck always looks distorted and shit. Just not a great viewing experience. Wife really doesn’t want to give up YTTV but I’ll do the 7 day trial of Fubo and hopefully she’s cool with the interface. I also want to make sure the nesn feed on Fubo is substantially better than the nesn app.
Funny, I was doing the same thing when I realized there was a NESN channel on the Roku, but had the same experience with lag. I thought it may have been my connection at first, but nope. It was pretty brutal.
PAC-12 network feels like they have been overplaying their hand for years now. The whole situation really pissed me off when I had DirecTV.
Sample size of one, but I switched from YouTube.TV to Fubo. The image quality is a noticeable downgrade from YouTube.TV. I don’t think I’ll enjoy watching baseball on this, even with 50 Mbps up/down speeds. I’ll cancel after the Super Bowl. It’s going to be a WEEI year for me.
I'm going to keep FUBO, and pause YTTV ( which you can do for up to 6 months, without being billed, and without having to cancel your account). In terms of functionality, and overall channel lineup, I do like YTTV a bit better, so I'm hoping maybe they reach an agreement with NESN during that time.
Larry Scott is finally out as commissioner, so we have hope of a better access in the future!
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/30750860/sources-larry-scott-pac-12-commissioner
I added up the cost of all the streaming service subs I have at the moment and I'm right back where I started with cable... Anybody else?
I'm still about 75.00 less per month. Right now my biggest cost driver is still Xfinity, because I had to keep them for internet. Hoping my city utility company will be offering their 1g internet on my street in the spring. That will knock another 35-40.00 off my monthly. Outside of FUBO, my only other monthly charge is for Netflix. I don't really factor my yearly amazon prime fees into it, because I would pay those for shopping alone. I've found that combination of services , plus all of the free apps like Pluto, TUBI, and regular Youtube pretty much scratch my entertainment itch. I'm not ever going back to cable.
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Nope. I pay $70 for 600Mbs internet with Comcast/Xfinity. The internet stays around this price because I'm willing to switch every 2-3 years.
Youtube TV for $22 (split with 2 other people).
Netflix for $14
I also have Amazon Prime for $10 but I was paying for that already when had cable TV.
I can't remember what I was paying for TV/internet with FIOS. I think it was around $120-130. So I'm paying $92 for the equivalent package. Then add another $24 for Netflix/Amazon. I do have the ability to pause Netflix at any time.
My son passes along that Hulu w/ ads is now available for 1.99/month thru UniDays. Guessing it requires a .edu email, but I can't say for certain.
(Vs the current Hulu w/ ads, Spotify, Showtime student package at IIRC 4.99/month)
(Vs the current Hulu w/ ads, Spotify, Showtime student package at IIRC 4.99/month)
I will second this. Just started my fubo free trial. Watching arsenal - Man U on nbc. Yttv picture is much much better than fubo. Fubo picture is similar to watching the Bruins on the nesn app. No good. Will prob just have to deal with the Bruins on the nesn app.
I find if I start the feed early I have better luck than jumping in right at faceoff. I'm guessing they prioritize feeds and the late comers get the short end or something, if that's even how it works. Also a lot of people probably gave up after the first game or two where it was really unbearable lightening the load. Interestingly the NESN+ feed is flawless even when I have issues with the game feed. Still needs a lot of work, but better than nothing I guess.
Fubo.TV just sent me an email saying they’re adding a $5 RSN fee. NESN was name-checked in the email, most likely based on my home market.
I cancelled Fubo after the Super Bowl. I’ll begrudgingly pay $5 extra for YouTube.TV if NESN is included, but not Fubo. Poor picture quality and the inability to time shift a recording in progress (i.e. recording a Sox game and watching delayed at the top of the first while the live game is in the bottom of the fifth) are dealbreakers.
I cancelled Fubo after the Super Bowl. I’ll begrudgingly pay $5 extra for YouTube.TV if NESN is included, but not Fubo. Poor picture quality and the inability to time shift a recording in progress (i.e. recording a Sox game and watching delayed at the top of the first while the live game is in the bottom of the fifth) are dealbreakers.
Fubo is what, 4 times Netflix premium? Fubo is really overestimating demand for sports.
Fubo was great when you could use giftcards and get a month for free and rotate. Even at the original price, $30? 40? it was ok, but you're right, the interface is bad. Really not worth it. If I'm paying that much, I want a clean interface and real DVR and pausability and all the popular channels. Yes I realize actual cable is much much more, but it's also easier to watch. You need watch soccer like 75% of the time to make it worth it. After discovering the great original content on Netflix, Fubo seems greedy. I can watch sport highlights on the internet, and even some games, and watch the big games whenever everyone is vaccinated so the bars are safe.
Pigs get slaughtered.
Fubo was great when you could use giftcards and get a month for free and rotate. Even at the original price, $30? 40? it was ok, but you're right, the interface is bad. Really not worth it. If I'm paying that much, I want a clean interface and real DVR and pausability and all the popular channels. Yes I realize actual cable is much much more, but it's also easier to watch. You need watch soccer like 75% of the time to make it worth it. After discovering the great original content on Netflix, Fubo seems greedy. I can watch sport highlights on the internet, and even some games, and watch the big games whenever everyone is vaccinated so the bars are safe.
Pigs get slaughtered.
I don't think it's necessarily FuboTV or YTTV being greedy when it comes to RSNs (and specifically NESN), I think it's both parties being greedy.
NESN clearly has a number in mind they want extracted from internet TV services, and so far everyone has dropped them except Fubo, who is now upcharging its subscribers who want to keep it. Perhaps it's NESN who's misreading the market.
I say this because I never would have imagined a world where I'd willingly forgo watching the Sox on TV, but I'll tell you what: I'm NOT going back to cable, and as a YTTV subscriber, I'm not going to ridiculously overpay for an inferior product in FuboTV just because it carries NESN. I guess the "inferior product" part is Fubo's issue, not NESN's, but the fact remains that I've made peace with the idea of a NESN-less world, so that's a NESN problem.
What NESN needs to do is build their own standalone app/streaming service for cord cutters. I'd pay $15/mo for that by itself.
NESN clearly has a number in mind they want extracted from internet TV services, and so far everyone has dropped them except Fubo, who is now upcharging its subscribers who want to keep it. Perhaps it's NESN who's misreading the market.
I say this because I never would have imagined a world where I'd willingly forgo watching the Sox on TV, but I'll tell you what: I'm NOT going back to cable, and as a YTTV subscriber, I'm not going to ridiculously overpay for an inferior product in FuboTV just because it carries NESN. I guess the "inferior product" part is Fubo's issue, not NESN's, but the fact remains that I've made peace with the idea of a NESN-less world, so that's a NESN problem.
What NESN needs to do is build their own standalone app/streaming service for cord cutters. I'd pay $15/mo for that by itself.
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Wife got me Fubo for my birthday for three months...we had the in-laws family sharing on YTTV and it was great but I guess I'll give Fubo a go until I can go to my in-laws 4 hours away and resent YTTV.
This is where I surprisingly netted out too. NESN offers ZERO value outside live Bruins and Sox games and I barely watch the Sox anymore. I’m not leaving a product I love just to watch some regular season Bruins games.
2010 TFP would be horrified with this decision.
I don’t understand how/why NESN doesn’t offer a $5/mo subscription as a streaming service. I could see them maybe having some issues locally in terms of conflicts with their carriers, but for anyone outside New England, it would seem this would be a slam dunk anyways.
NESN’s value went up dramatically when they were moved to the standard package. They don’t want to devalue what they charge everyone who is still on cable. Plus, the extra homes meant higher ad rates.
I also think this is a horrible time for NESN to make some kind of stand on this issue. Right now sports seems like a half-assed enterprise given the lack of crowds and games being postponed left and right due to COVID. Throw in the less-than-stimulating Sox roster, it's not a hard call for me at all.
I may change my tune on that, but right now I'm planning on streaming the radio feed through MLB At Bat ($20 for the year, I believe), that should be enough for the time being.
100% agree with every word here.
If NESN is losing hardcores like me, who watched at least part of almost every game this past horrendous season, who exactly do they think is going to watch? I guess that's their problem, not mine.
If NESN is losing hardcores like me, who watched at least part of almost every game this past horrendous season, who exactly do they think is going to watch? I guess that's their problem, not mine.
They’d have to seriously upgrade their app if they started charging for it. Although Peacock picture quality sucks too and they charge so what the hell do I know.
Adding to the chorus of folks here who will probably just settle for radio or the occasional ESPN/Fox game rather than go to Fubo or something else. I have YTTV and split it with my sister (she lives in the same town and you can stream to 3 devices simultaneously) so it’s still a decent deal.
How long have you had YTTV? Do your sister still need to login to your network every 2-3 months while using YTTV? I have to do this with my two sharers but they are in different states.
I went through the cancellation steps on the Fubo account and they gave me a credit for $50 toward next month. I'll roll with that and go back to Sling when it expires, I guess. I'll have to listen to the Red Sox on the radio. Fubo is entirely too expensive, and most of the soccer-viewing here seems to happen on Peacock.
I’ve had YTTV for maybe 2 years and been sharing it for 6 months. We haven’t run into any log in issues like this, maybe because we’re in the same town with the same ISP YTTV thinks we’re signing in from a single household.
YTTV requires all accounts to log in from their home zip code once a month to remain active. I actually created a generic log in to share it with a family member that lives in another area, which I log into from my phone periodically.
I did something similar but it's not every month. I currently do it every 2 months. The time limit is somewhere between 2-3 months where you'll get a prompt if you haven't logged in.
Just following up on this, I popped online to pay my bill today and my XFinity portal says:
I called Comcast a few weeks ago to complain and to cancel. The rep mentioned the implementation delay. We'll see what happens in May/June. If they don't give me unlimited internet for $0, then I will be going to FIOS.
“Delaying until 2022” sounds to me like you won't have to worry just yet in May/June.
Whoops, didn't see the 2022. The rep had said it was postponed until later this year so I guess this new update is good for me!
For soccer/football, you might look into Paramount+. It costs $5 a month w/ ads, $10 without ads.
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/all-of-the-original-content-coming-to-paramount/
- National Women’s Soccer League
- UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League – Paramount+ is the only place in the U.S. where soccer fans can find exclusive English-language coverage of every UEFA club competition match, every season.
- Concacaf – offering more than 200 Concacaf matches, starting with the Concacaf Nations League Finals in June of this year, which will feature the U.S. Men’s National Team. Coverage will feature all 41 national teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean across different competitions, including the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which will feature the defending champion U.S. Women’s National Team.
- Liga Profesional de Fútbol – Paramount+ will stream more than 300 matches a year from Argentina’s top soccer division.
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A – Paramount+ will stream more than 360 matches a year from Brazil’s premier soccer league.
I don't know, I think they will save the commercials for halftime but if they do show ads while the game is in play. They will make a lot of people angry. A lot of people are going to angry if they pay for the no ad subscription and they show ads during a (US) football or basketball game.
FYI, I'm on their "Super+ More" package tier, and I got a notice from them in January saying that package now includes unlimited data. I'm not sure where they drew that line, but it seems to be already decided.
I'm really glad people have been giving their impressions of FuboTV as I was also interested in switching from YTTV just for NESN. As I sit here watching like my 3rd Bruins game this year because the Rangers game happens to be on NBC Boston, I realize that while I miss watching all the Bruins games, I don't miss it enough to deal with a subpar experience with Fubo. And as I get older and older, things like the Red Sox totally fall off my schedule. While I'd like to see NESN come back to YTTV, I'm not going to be too sad about it if they never do.
I agree the Fubo reviews have been a great help. Thank you all for your input. I am very pleased with YTTV, other than dropping NESN. The unlimited DVR, and ability to say “record all of xyz” is one of those things you never knew you needed, but now hate to do without. Change of schedule, rain delay, extra innings, no problem.
That said, I’m going to give AT&T Now a trial run soon. Must watch for my family includes Sox, Celtics, Pats, and CNN. This seems like my only option to provide all of these. I will give some feedback once it try it out.
That said, I’m going to give AT&T Now a trial run soon. Must watch for my family includes Sox, Celtics, Pats, and CNN. This seems like my only option to provide all of these. I will give some feedback once it try it out.
Fubo finally did get a "record all [team] games" option, but yeah. I don't miss it.
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Based on what I’m reading here (that NESN has a roku app with live streaming as of last august), could I just borrow a friend or family member’s cable credentials and watch this way?
https://nesn.com/2020/08/nesn-launches-new-digital-experience/
https://nesn.com/2020/08/nesn-launches-new-digital-experience/