Cutting The Cord on Cable/Satellite TV Service?

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I picked up an RCA Multi-directional Digital Flat Antenna today. I'm in Harlem at 145th street and picked up 58 stations with it. It's mounted on the wall across from the window (about 8 feet from it) and reception is great. The channels break down in to about 50 with actual content (around 8 are empty... might be a reception issue) and of the 50, about 65% are English Language. There are some weather only stations, CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC and a bunch of random content, including ION.

Definitely worth the 60 bucks, IMO.

 

[CoRP]

I've never heard of SpotOn but 5Mbs is enough for Netflix. Download should be fine but what are the upload speeds if you plan on playing Xbox online.

I bought a month. Just tested it and got 3.66Mbs down and 2.17MBs up. I can have up to 5 devices each with that speed.

 

[edoug]

I bought a month. Just tested it and got 3.66Mbs down and 2.17MBs up. I can have up to 5 devices each with that speed.

Should be fine for gaming but no HD for Netflix. Hopefully those numbers stay consistent.

 

[CoRP]

Should be fine for gaming but no HD for Netflix. Hopefully those numbers stay consistent.

They didn't. I got 0.2mbs down last night. I'm demanding my money back. Guess I'm back to Cablevision for my internet.

 

[edoug]

They didn't. I got 0.2mbs down last night. I'm demanding my money back. Guess I'm back to Cablevision for my internet.

Sorry to hear that. It's a long,boring and very frustrating story but essentially that happened to me. I'm not crazy about the price but other than that it has worked out for me and it will for you, probably

 

[bgo544]

A heads-up - the base version of the Roku is on sale on Amazon today for $39.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Just canceled everything with Comcast except for high speed internet. $210 a month down to $50 or so.

I know there's some talk in previous posts here, but since things may have changed I was wondering what the people without cable did for baseball?

Will I be blacked out of Sox games if I pay for MLBTV in CT?

 

[axx]

If NESN was available where you are in CT, I would say yes.

 

[brs3]

Just canceled everything with Comcast except for high speed internet. $210 a month down to $50 or so.

I know there's some talk in previous posts here, but since things may have changed I was wondering what the people without cable did for baseball?

Will I be blacked out of Sox games if I pay for MLBTV in CT?

You should look up to see if NESN is rebroadcast on an OTA channel. As its the only way I can watch any baseball at all, I can catch the MFY on YES via CW11 or another local OTA channel.

 

[brs3]

[quote name='Snodgrass'Muff' timestamp='1354323759' post='4442701']
I picked up an RCA Multi-directional Digital Flat Antenna today. I'm in Harlem at 145th street and picked up 58 stations with it. It's mounted on the wall across from the window (about 8 feet from it) and reception is great. The channels break down in to about 50 with actual content (around 8 are empty... might be a reception issue) and of the 50, about 65% are English Language. There are some weather only stations, CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC and a bunch of random content, including ION.

Definitely worth the 60 bucks, IMO.
[/quote]

I received one for Christmas. I get about 27 channels in south Brooklyn, though it's pretty far from the window. One thing I noticed is I re-search for stations every now and then and the number fluctuates a bit. Pretty much same ratio that you have. Lots of random channels like ION. Old western shows and Magnum PI every day.

 

[Traut]

Yes, Foulkey, all of CT is blacked out for the Sox, Yankees, and Mets on mlbtv. The only way to get the Sox is t to hide your ip. You are now from Cromwell, England.

 

[ccsubruce]

With a good VPN, the Sox stream nicely on my iPad. MLB.TV is the shit.

 

[bgo544]

Just canceled everything with Comcast except for high speed internet. $210 a month down to $50 or so.

Did Comcast give you any trouble? I have heard anecdotes about Comcast refusing to allow customers to cancel cable while retaining internet. We are going to try this soon, but have to stick with Comcast internet because they are the sole option locally for high-speed internet, so we have little leverage.

 

[axx]

Did Comcast give you any trouble? I have heard anecdotes about Comcast refusing to allow customers to cancel cable while retaining internet. We are going to try this soon, but have to stick with Comcast internet because they are the sole option locally for high-speed internet, so we have little leverage.

They probably will let you, but for a fee of course. And an extra $15 a month.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Why not keep basic cable for 15 bucks and get the multi service discount?

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Why not keep basic cable for 15 bucks and get the multi service discount?

This is probably the best way to go. I'm assuming he has a digital TV and can pick up a bunch of HD channels that are available through the wire this way. There might be a more expensive package to include NESN, though. I know Cox used to have their basic package for a tiny fee, but channels would stop around 22. It was like 60 for the full basic package. Not sure if Comcast does the same thing or not.

 

[TimNJsoxfan]

Wife and I are discussing this right now. She is wondering why we would want Hulu and Netflix.

MLB TV for baseball but how would I watch NFL or college football?

 

[Cumberland Blues]

Will I be blacked out of Sox games if I pay for MLBTV in CT?

I used hidemyIP this past season - worked like a charm (I'm in VT).

 

[riboflav]

Why not keep basic cable for 15 bucks and get the multi service discount?

I have Comcast and Limited Basic is $25 not including HD DVR service which is an additional $17.

 

[TimNJsoxfan]

One more question. Is Roku necessary if I have a PS3 hooked up?

 

[Yaz4Ever]

One more question. Is Roku necessary if I have a PS3 hooked up?

Not sure about college football, but mlb.tv works fine with the PS3 - no Roku necessary for that. I think I remember reading that Sunday Ticket was available via the PS3 for DirecTV subscribers awhile ago, but I may be mistaken. You may be able to piggy-back on someone's subscription. There are lots of people like me who pay for Sunday Ticket but don't watch it via outside apps. MLB.tv, I use on my phone quite a bit, though, and I think others are similar in that respect.

 

[brs3]

One more question. Is Roku necessary if I have a PS3 hooked up?

I don't think so. Roku offers a ton of random streaming apps like Netflix, but with much less of a current/relevant roster of shows and movies. I believe PS3 plays Netflix and maybe even Hulu. If I had a PS3. I highly doubt I would've picked up a Roku.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

PS3 has Netflix, Hulu (Plus), Amazon Instant (Prime), and their own library of shows and movies you can purchase if you can't find it on the first three. I know I picked up the first half of season 6 of Doctor Who when I first caught up on the series, just before the second half of the season started on BBCA for like 1.99 an episode. So they have current stuff.

 

[Yaz4Ever]

Aero is expanding:

http://gizmodo.com/5974203/aereos-cord+cutting-web-tv-service-will-add-22-cities-this-spring

22 new cities including Providence and Boston. Sadly, no Greensboro yet.

The 22 chosen cities include: Chicago, Boston, Miami, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Cleveland, Kansas City, SLC, Raleigh-Durham, Birmingham, Madison and Providence.

 

[bsj]

I currently get 250+ channels with Comcast. But it is expensive as hell (prob $160 bucks for just the TV) and another 25 or so for the internet.

I know there are a LOT of services out there that can give me SOME programming. But is there anything that will get me THAT number of channels, or close? Netflix (already have this) + Hulu + Apple TV + a good digital antenna + semi legal streaming sites + the other couple things I can see out there all seem nice and will maybe cut my costs in half, but from what I can gather, there is still going to be a large sphere of channels, potentially more than 70% of what I get with cable, that I just wont get. Many of these services give me alternative viewing options, but do NOT give me access to the SAME programming.

With young kids who would just throw a fit if Nickelodeon and Nick Jr went bye bye forever, and a wife who watches a lot of random TV channels, I just havent been able to find a scenario out there that will get me pretty much everything but for less.

Am I missing something?

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

No, you're not missing anything. It's not yet possible to approximate cable television with other sources without going to illegal downloads, and even then you're on a bit of a delay while you wait for people to upload new shows. If you can wait for the on demand delay (a few days to a week) for new content, you could always look into mobile apps and computer streaming from someone else's cable subscription. I use my girlfriend's Comcast subscription to watch certain shows OnDemand with my iPad and could stream to my TV through my laptop if I wanted as well.

Unfortunately, if you want the cable TV experience (live programming, easy access to content through your TV, a menu) you still need cable. You can DVR without cable using SimpleTV, but again you'd need access to the content through a combination of an antennae and a borrowed subscription. As was mentioned up thread, you could look into going with basic cable and dumping cable boxes to save some money then using SimpleTV to record shows you aren't going to be able to watch live. I'm not sure if your provider would carry Nick and Nick Jr, though. and you'd have you either manage everyone's content or teach everyone how to use the SimpleTV unit, which requires an external hard drive and is a touch more complicated than using the remote to select a show and hitting "record."

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I currently get 250+ channels with Comcast. But it is expensive as hell (prob $160 bucks for just the TV) and another 25 or so for the internet.

I know there are a LOT of services out there that can give me SOME programming. But is there anything that will get me THAT number of channels, or close? Netflix (already have this) + Hulu + Apple TV + a good digital antenna + semi legal streaming sites + the other couple things I can see out there all seem nice and will maybe cut my costs in half, but from what I can gather, there is still going to be a large sphere of channels, potentially more than 70% of what I get with cable, that I just wont get. Many of these services give me alternative viewing options, but do NOT give me access to the SAME programming.

With young kids who would just throw a fit if Nickelodeon and Nick Jr went bye bye forever, and a wife who watches a lot of random TV channels, I just havent been able to find a scenario out there that will get me pretty much everything but for less.

Am I missing something?

If you're really paying that much, just call Comcast and threaten to cancel. They should be able to cut your bill significantly. I know it's not completely cutting the cord, but if you're actually spending $160+ on just the TV you're getting screwed unless you have a ton of HD boxes. We're paying $124 a month for 1 HD DVR, HBO, Showtime, 20mbps Internet and the phone.

 

[bsj]

If you're really paying that much, just call Comcast and threaten to cancel. They should be able to cut your bill significantly. I know it's not completely cutting the cord, but if you're actually spending $160+ on just the TV you're getting screwed unless you have a ton of HD boxes. We're paying $124 a month for 1 HD DVR, HBO, Showtime, 20mbps Internet and the phone.

We were over 220 until I did just that.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Well, it's officially done. All I have at the moment is Netflix streaming. What do people think about Hulu+ vs Amazon? If you had to pick one, which one would it be?

 

[Blacken]

If I had to pick one for streaming, it'd probably be Hulu+ as Amazon has a lot of Netflix overlap. But Amazon Prime is too useful to be discounted; being able to get pretty much anything delivered in two days is awesome.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

If it's just about streaming, I agree with Blacken. Having Netflix essentially covers the Amazon Instant library.. .at least, the free stuff. If you're looking to pay a la carte for content, Amazon offers a larger library than Netflix. Even still, while I haven't had a hulu+ account for a while, I remember them getting television content more quickly than Amazon, so for approximating what you just gave up, it may be the better option. Of course, a lot of that content is available for free. For instance, I just started a stream of the latest episode of Fringe without a plus account. It has the last five available.

I'd dig through hulu's website and see how much content they have that you'd need a plus subscription for and if most of it is available for free, just skip it.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Yea I got the free week oh Hulu+ and there is enough interesting content to keep me entertained for a while.

 

[InsideTheParker]

I don't know what kind of media player you have. My Sony media player comes with access to a wide range of services, some of which are free. Right now I'm watching Crackle's free Seinfeld series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee." Some of it's very funny. You have to sort of poke around and see what you like. Last winter I watched a lot of Hulu, especially Hill Street Blues. Because I don't have access to it on the media player, I hooked it up from the laptop to the TV using an HDMI cable. Lots of things are possible, but you need to look for them, starting with your computer, to find out what's available before you pay for a new service.

 

[behindthepen]

I just heard today you can get Aereo on Roku. You need some kind of code.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Channel code aereo.

More are here:

http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/

There's also a porn channel if you're really into that sort of thing (Nowhere Porn).

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Stupid question alert:

I need a digital antenna to get the over the air channels, right?

 

[soxfan80000001]

Meanwhile, the cheapest Verizon FIOS internet offering is 15Mbps, now up to $70/month with a 2 year contract or $75/month without the contract. For only internet.

Internet and phone with no contract? Also $75/month. Same price as just internet.

Internet and TV (290 channels)? $80/month. Five bucks more than just internet.

There were always "discounts" for multiple services, but it's obvious that they've made a change in their pricing to discourage cord cutting even further

 

[soxfan80000001]

One thing I didn't notice that makes it even more fucked up. TV+internet combo and you get a $100 gift card. So it's actually less expensive to get TV+internet for a year than just internet. Verizon shits all over this thread.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Stupid question alert:

I need a digital antenna to get the over the air channels, right?

Indeed. Depending on where you live in relation to the major broadcast towers, you either can get away with regular bunny ears, or a powered antenna. If you're further away, it may make sense to put a digital antenna on the roof of your building. You can get a regular RCA antenna for under $20 just to find out, and return it to Best Buy if it's not enough. Even in Boston, I went from everything coming in clear, to getting about half the channels just by moving 5 miles east.

 

[InsideTheParker]

We bought a special "HD" antenna. It brought in four stations. Then we attached our great big old UHF/VHF antenna, which is in the attic of our garage, and we get 9 stations clear as a bell. We are in a very rural area, so most people get tons more.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

We bought a special "HD" antenna. It brought in four stations. Then we attached our great big old UHF/VHF antenna, which is in the attic of our garage, and we get 9 stations clear as a bell. We are in a very rural area, so most people get tons more.

Yea I found one on Amazon for $20 or so which should do the job for us. I think this little experiment is going to work out very well.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Spend a little extra on something like the Leaf or RCA Multi-directional Antennae. It's worth it.

Of course, that's assuming you're hooking it up to one TV and don't need multiple antennae for the house.

 

[Soxy]

[quote name='Snodgrass'Muff' timestamp='1357786353' post='4495968']
Spend a little extra on something like the Leaf or RCA Multi-directional Antennae. It's worth it.

Of course, that's assuming you're hooking it up to one TV and don't need multiple antennae for the house.
[/quote]

Not always. It's very much a YMMV scenario that is extremely sensitive to where one's exact location is. You always want to try the cheapest antenna you can find first. You can always return it if it sucks. I'm using $15 rabbit ears and I get everything perfectly. When I lived in Charlotte, it was a bit dicier. Had I been staying there it probably would have been worth spending a little extra, but it would've been a complete waste of money where I live now in Columbia.

You should only spend money on a fancier antenna when you're sure you need it. And there's really no better way to tell than by hooking something up and seeing what you get.

 

[Traut]

Yea I found one on Amazon for $20 or so which should do the job for us. I think this little experiment is going to work out very well.

The only thing you're going to miss is sports. Monday night I would have loved to see ND get its ass kicked. Didn't happen because I don't have ESPN.

 

[InsideTheParker]

The combination of something like frontrowsports or whatever links are given in the game thread, plus an HDMI cable into your telly can provide you with many games. The quality will not be what you are used to. It's unfortunate that mlb's online service blacks out games for local fans; otherwise that would be the answer.

 

[brs3]

Meanwhile, the cheapest Verizon FIOS internet offering is 15Mbps, now up to $70/month with a 2 year contract or $75/month without the contract. For only internet.

Internet and phone with no contract? Also $75/month. Same price as just internet.

Internet and TV (290 channels)? $80/month. Five bucks more than just internet.

There were always "discounts" for multiple services, but it's obvious that they've made a change in their pricing to discourage cord cutting even further

One thing I didn't notice that makes it even more fucked up. TV+internet combo and you get a $100 gift card. So it's actually less expensive to get TV+internet for a year than just internet. Verizon shits all over this thread.

I wonder if/when Verizon bumped the price of just internet to $70. I hope nobody else follows suit. Basically it sounds like they decided the internet-only folks are going to pay for cable anyway. I pay $50/month for internet, plus about $16 for hulu & netflix. The best I've seen offered by Optimum is $79/mo for internet/phone/cable for 2 years, and free DVR for a year. Then after a year the DVR add-on price returns. They haven't convinced me that 79/mo for 1 year, then maybe 100/mo for the 2nd year is worth it.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

thefirstrow.eu

Where I live now has trouble getting Fox over the antenna, so I watched a bit of the Redskins/Seahawks game online. The awesome thing was I was able to view the Spanish feed, which was muy bueno because that meant no Joe Buck.

 

[manny25]

If you have Comcast Internet, it's worth getting the most basic cable TV package if you're a heavy ESPN watcher. My internet alone would be $64, but if I add on the limited basic TV package for $20, the Internet drops to $48/month. Even though ESPN isn't included in this plan, I can still watch all the ESPN channels online by validating with my Comcast account. I figure watching ESPN online (and on the multitude of devices it's supported on) is worth $4/month.

 

[ddeveau]

Yea I got the free week oh Hulu+ and there is enough interesting content to keep me entertained for a while.

I think an underrated virtue of Hulu+ is the ability to subscribe to current shows. So if your antenna doesn't get all stations in well, or you just want to watch shows on your schedule without a DVR, you can watch the current episode of many shows starting the day after the episode airs. Lots of network shows are available, plus some shows (Daily Show/Colbert) that an antenna can't get.

 

[DLew On Roids]

If you have Comcast Internet, it's worth getting the most basic cable TV package if you're a heavy ESPN watcher. My internet alone would be $64, but if I add on the limited basic TV package for $20, the Internet drops to $48/month. Even though ESPN isn't included in this plan, I can still watch all the ESPN channels online by validating with my Comcast account. I figure watching ESPN online (and on the multitude of devices it's supported on) is worth $4/month.

So if you get Internet only through a Watch ESPN partner, you can't use Watch ESPN? You need a cable feed?