Cutting the Cord

[AURex 1,984]

So, have any of you already made the transition? My biggest fear has always been losing access to all the various sports channels -- not just the different flavors of ESPN, but FS1 and 2, CBS/NBC/ABC Sports, SEC Network, etc. Wifey's greatest fear has been losing access to her favorite network channels. And we both have been concerned about losing access to our local TV stations.

My Comcast/xFinity contract runs out next month, and it has gotten way too high. So we have been looking at our options for *** cutting the cord ***. Yes, for decades we've been tied into this cable thing, with occasional steps off to the satellite TV options. It is sort of a  leap into the unfamiliar to cut the umbilical.

We've decided to go for it. The choice is between YouTube TV vs Hulu With Live TV. Cost per month is not much different. Both are WAAAAAY cheaper than our current Comcast/xFinity cable. Hulu With Live TV seems to offer more original programming and movies and old TV programs, but you pay extra for assorted features. YouTube TV has unlimited DVR storage (for saving games to watch later) and is apparently a whole lot easier to use, but lacking in original programming (does that matter) and movies (which are available lots of places.

Okay, assuming you subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and your favorite other subscription services, have any of you actually compared YouTube TV vs Hulu With Live TV? What are your thoughts regarding usability, the channel lineup, etc. (As for myself, all I care about is access to the sports channels, and they both provide those)

Any of you cut the cord and survived?

 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

I know it’s not particularly helpful, but depending how close you are with your fiends and family, you can essentially stream everything for free 😉. I pay for Hulu and Netflix, but have passwords to just about everything else.
 

However, if I were presented with the choice you’re asking about, I’d probably go with Hulu because YouTube streams like s*** on my Roku. 

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I killed my cable TV last week. Gonna use the free month of basic HULU as it seems to have the majority of the shows I watch. Been pleased with it so far. I have Netflix and Amazon prime. With no sports TV is almost useless to me in the summer. Saves me nearly 80 bucks a month atm when you figure in DVR/FEE/Taxes etc.

Probably will do a free month of CBS all access or pay the 6 dollars for that and check out Star Trek Discovery and Picard series.

I probably won't touch cable again until necessary for college football or a higher tier of streaming.

Ive used the PS4 for the app's.

Will be interested to see what cable companies do. It seems that with the times there are alot of people that are turning off their cable services. Course will this cause streaming prices to go up. Just thinking cable might try to come up with a way to bring people back when things become more stable.

[sandyclawedtiger 206]

Love my YouTubeTv but for sports. Going to let it go because everything else is cheaper. No problems with stream here in NW Florida. Just can get my local channels and add ins cheaper for now.

[AURex 1,984]

12 hours ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

However, if I were presented with the choice you’re asking about, I’d probably go with Hulu because YouTube streams like s*** on my Roku. 

 

Hmmmm ... we use Roku. Just upgraded to the newest version of the box. What kind of problems are you seeing with YouTube on Roku? Do you think it woukd be the same using a different streamer (like the SmartTV)?

 

 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

3 hours ago, AURex said:

 

Hmmmm ... we use Roku. Just upgraded to the newest version of the box. What kind of problems are you seeing with YouTube on Roku? Do you think it woukd be the same using a different streamer (like the SmartTV)?

 

 

Failure to launch. Won’t load at all. Choppy quality, buffering frequently, just that sort of stuff. It’s probably getting to be time to upgrade the Roku anyhow. If I needed a new TV I’d go the Smart TV route, personally. 

[AUDub 11,131]

Cut the cord last year. Roku with HuluTV and Netflix. No problems at all besides the slight delay on live sports. 

[AURex 1,984]

21 hours ago, sandyclawedtiger said:

Love my YouTubeTv but for sports. Going to let it go because everything else is cheaper. No problems with stream here in NW Florida. Just can get my local channels and add ins cheaper for now.

From? I'm looking for options.

And I don;'t know what this sentence means. "Love my YouTubeTv but for sports." Could you clarify?

 

 

[AURex 1,984]

So what do you mean when you refer to the "delay" of sports?

 

[Mike4AU 1,739]

He may mean that when streaming sports, the stream is delayed a little bit from the actual action.  I have seen it behind a few seconds. 

[AUDub 11,131]

On 5/1/2020 at 11:18 PM, AURex said:

So what do you mean when you refer to the "delay" of sports?

 

Put it this way: I could be racing home in my car listening to Andy and Coach Smith on the radio on a basketball broadcast. If I hit my garage I can take my sweet time grabbing a beer, saunter upstairs slowly, and catch the play they were just talking about with time to spare.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

2 hours ago, AUDub said:

Put it this way: I could be racing home in my car listening to Andy and Coach Smith on the radio on a basketball broadcast. If I hit my garage I can take my sweet time grabbing a beer, saunter upstairs slowly, and catch the play they were just talking about with time to spare.

You really notice it in the live threads. 
 

I’ll also get final results of games via ESPN app before the game is over on the television. 

[AUBwins 10,064]

1 hour ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

You really notice it in the live threads. 
 

I’ll also get final results of games via ESPN app before the game is over on the television. 

Yes, the updates were frustrating. I had to turn mine off. 
 

I would wait until breaks in action to view our game threads so as not to spoil it. 

[AURex 1,984]

Okay, got it. The game on stream is a bit behind the game on cable, which is a bit behind the live game called on radio. This is not really an issue for me, as I don't switch between audio sources, just watch the game as it shows.

I saw that there was, in fact, some sort of problem with Roku streaming live sports. But apparently, this has been resolved.

It's happening. Our Comcast/xFinity contract expires this month. We are cancelling cable. Moving to stream YouTube TV, which has all the ESPN, both FS, and the various CBS, NBC and ABC sports. Of course, wifey is more interested in her preferred channels, but all of those are included.

Unfortunately, in my location, there is no other internet provider other than Comcast. NONE! So I'm stuck with them for internet. And they KNOW it, so they are going to gouge my azzzz for just internet. But I'd still rather have the flexibility of streaming the entertainment content. And I can eliminate all those bogus charges for cable box, multiple boxes, HD quality, blah, blah, blah.

This change saves me $100 per month for the same cable programming that wifey and I actually watch. We be going there.

 

[AUBwins 10,064]

20 minutes ago, AURex said:

Okay, got it. The game on stream is a bit behind the game on cable, which is a bit behind the live game called on radio. This is not really an issue for me, as I don't switch between audio sources, just watch the game as it shows.

I saw that there was, in fact, some sort of problem with Roku streaming live sports. But apparently, this has been resolved.

It's happening. Our Comcast/xFinity contract expires this month. We are cancelling cable. Moving to stream YouTube TV, which has all the ESPN, both FS, and the various CBS, NBC and ABC sports. Of course, wifey is more interested in her preferred channels, but all of those are included.

Unfortunately, in my location, there is no other internet provider other than Comcast. NONE! So I'm stuck with them for internet. And they KNOW it, so they are going to gouge my azzzz for just internet. But I'd still rather have the flexibility of streaming the entertainment content. And I can eliminate all those bogus charges for cable box, multiple boxes, HD quality, blah, blah, blah.

This change saves me $100 per month for the same cable programming that wifey and I actually watch. We be going there.

 

Congrats on your decision! I have loved every bit of cutting cord. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Signed up for Sling last night so we could get the Jordan doc. $20/1st mo, $30/mo after, no contract. We'll see how it goes.

So now we have:
Sling
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Disney+
HBO
Several free services like PBS and PBS Kids, Youtube, Sundance, etc. 

That's honestly way more than we need until we see how the sports situation shakes out. My main concern is Atlanta United, as they show a lot of their games on Fox Sports Southeast but have now been blacked out outside of Atlanta on that station. Which drives me freaking insane. 

[AURex 1,984]

Cable access ends on Tuesday. After that day, Comcast Internet + VOIP home phone. Already have free trial of YouTube TV for local TV broadcasts, sports, and most cable channels worth looking at). Going forward -----

Subscription services:
Disney+ (already paid through October, but a great deal at $69 per year)
Netflix
Britbox (wifey likes Brit programs)
Amazon Prime Video (we do Amazon Prime anyway)
Peacock (which is free at present)
Acorn (more Brit programs, free at present)
Crackle (checking it out)
Shutter (checking it out)

Will Add:
Cinemax (best movies of all the premium channels)
HBO (when the GoT programs appear, not before)
Starz (good movies and programs, cheap)

 

[augolf1716 21,096]

9 minutes ago, AURex said:

Cable access ends on Tuesday. After that day, Comcast Internet + VOIP home phone. Already have free trial of YouTube TV for local TV broadcasts, sports, and most cable channels worth looking at). Going forward -----

Subscription services:
Disney+ (already paid through October, but a great deal at $69 per year)
Netflix
Britbox (wifey likes Brit programs)
Amazon Prime Video (we do Amazon Prime anyway)
Peacock (which is free at present)
Acorn (more Brit programs, free at present)
Crackle (checking it out)
Shutter (checking it out)

Will Add:
Cinemax (best movies of all the premium channels)
HBO (when the GoT programs appear, not before)
Starz (good movies and programs, cheap)

 

Damn your serious......I maybe interested in Britbox I'm a huge fan of Brit programs

[AUDub 11,131]

19 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

Damn your serious......I maybe interested in Britbox I'm a huge fan of Brit programs

Wish I could get my wife into them. She just blanches when I suggest Fawlty Towers or Flying Circus. 

[augolf1716 21,096]

11 hours ago, AUDub said:

Wish I could get my wife into them. She just blanches when I suggest Fawlty Towers or Flying Circus. 

Both are great but Fawlty Towers is one of my all time favorites Basil Fawlty and Manuel are classic together

[AUDub 11,131]

6 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

Both are great but Fawlty Towers is one of my all time favorites Basil Fawlty and Manuel are classic together

Arguably the funniest show ever produced.

[AURex 1,984]

On 5/9/2020 at 9:41 PM, augolf1716 said:

Damn your serious......I maybe interested in Britbox I'm a huge fan of Brit programs

Britbox and Acorn both specialize in British programs (as well as Canadian and Australian). Britbox is better. Lots of the British crime/inspector series, as well as drama and comedy programs.

Shudder is all horror movies and horror series. Good if you like the genre.

Crackle has movies from Sony Pictures, TriStar, Screen Gems, Columbia and some original series.

Disney+ is cheap and includes all the Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar stuff. Original series like The Mandalorian, and new spin off Star Wars movies.

I'm thinking Netflix may decline over the next few years, as the big studios pull their TV series and movies. I'm not crazy about any of their original programs, but some people seem to like them.

Cinemax has the best selection of movies. It was dropped from Comcast/xFinity Premium, which pizzzed us off.

Starz is cheap. The big attraction is Outlander, which may or may not justify subscription.

We are now 100% streaming. No more cable or dish. Not missing anything. From YouTube TV, we have all local broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) which assures sports that appear on network TV, plus all the ESPN channels, all the Fox Sports, all the various cable-ish channels that carry sports like TNT, TBS, etc, and yes SEC Network. And for cable-ish-folks there's Smithsonian, BBC America, Sundance, Discovery, History, HGTV, etc -- and all the cable news channels (MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, etc) . So far, I'm not noticing anything that I'd miss from cable. And YouTube TV is only $50 per month.

You still gotta pay for Internet service, but still, Internet + $50 for YouTube TV is much cheaper than cable. Then add whatever other services you prefer. I stream thru a Roku device, but you can go with Smart TV or Apple TV, otherwise.

ZERO Regrets!

 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

11 hours ago, AURex said:

Crackle has movies from Sony Pictures, TriStar, Screen Gems, Columbia and some original series.

I finally peeked at Crackle the other night and they had Clue! That alone made it worth installing the app on my Roku TV.

Our only paid subs are Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video (doesn't even really count) and Sling. And we might drop that once the Jordan doc is finished and then just wait until sports are back to figure out what we want to do next. 

Just dropped HBO Now. What's great about these services now is that there aren't any contracts and you can come and go as you please. When Succession comes back, I'll pick HBO back up and catch up on anything I've missed. And then drop it again. 

And the price is right, for the most part. Crazy how much more expensive it gets when you add live sports to the equation. 

[AURex 1,984]

I have a Smart TV, but I prefer Roku. I don't like the Smart TVs, because they all track your usage, sending your private data to whatever Asian country your TV came from. Roku is an American company. I've used Roku for years.

However, after signing up for Disney+ a few months ago, I discovered that it only works with newer Roku boxes. Installing the new Roku devices was a royal PITA. It required re-validating every danged subscription service we had. That said, the top of the line Roku Ultimate (which has recently been on sale for 50% off) has voice search. Not as useful as the xFinity voice search, but still a nice feature.