698 replies to this topic

[JamesGallden]

Hello Friends,

 

I'm getting rather frustrated at having to pay over $100 a month for television, I really watch 5 channels,

 

NBC sports during soccer season

Golf Channel

HGTV

MASN

Espn

 

And the locals but really only for football, and golf.

 

My kids watch lots of things but they are available through netflix, amazon prime, as are most of the other adult shows that are on FX, amc, and so on. 

 

Is there a remedy to this?  I know dish was going to launch the a la carte type thing but I haven't really heard any more about it. 

 

[NewMarketSean]

I'm kind of the same way.

 

Pretty soon i think channels will launch their own streaming service like HBO did recently, so much of that will be available on-line.

[JamesGallden]

I'm kind of the same way.

 

Pretty soon i think channels will launch their own streaming service like HBO did recently, so much of that will be available on-line.

Sports are my biggest issue..

[Matt_P]

Hello Friends,

 

I'm getting rather frustrated at having to pay over $100 a month for television, I really watch 5 channels,

 

NBC sports during soccer season

Golf Channel

HGTV

MASN

Espn

Is there a remedy to this?  I know dish was going to launch the a la carte type thing but I haven't really heard any more about it. 

 

Dish did. Sling TV. https://www.sling.com/package

 

They have HGTV and ESPN. They'll never get MASN and the Golf Channel is doubtful. I'm surprised they don't have NBC.

[RShack]

Hello Friends,

 

I'm getting rather frustrated at having to pay over $100 a month for television, I really watch 5 channels,

 

NBC sports during soccer season

Golf Channel

HGTV

MASN

Espn

 

NBC Sports: if you have a pal who will let you sign in using his cable acct: http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/

Golf Channel: if you have a pal who will let you sign in using his cable acct: http://stream.golfchannel.com/

HGTV: if you have a pal who will let you sign in using his cable acct: http://watch.hgtv.com/ [EDIT: included in SlingTV]

ESPN:  $20/month, 7 day free trial:  https://www.sling.co...gramming/sports

Locals:  get better quality picture free over the air with a cheap antenna

 

The trick is gonna be MASN.  AFAIK, there's no way to do that.  You can get MLB.TV for $120/yr, but to get around the blackouts, you'll need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to make MLB think you're someplace else.  Sometimes a free VPN in your Chrome browser like HOLA or Zenmate will work, but sometimes not.  Zenmate worked perfectly for me last year, but this year it's iffy.  But if you want MASN for more than baseball, I think you're screwed.

[Pedro Cerrano]

It would be nice if DirecTV was like "put together a list of channels you want and it will cost X"

 

I do grow tired of paying so much for cable but, in the end, I enjoy having it.

[Matt_P]

NBC Sports: http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/

Golf Channel: if you have a pal who will let you sign in using his cable acct: http://stream.golfchannel.com/

The trick is gonna be MASN.  AFAIK, there's no way to do that.  You can get MLB.TV for $120/yr, but to get around the blackouts, you'll need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to make MLB think you're someplace else.  Sometimes a free VPN in your Chrome browser like HOLA or Zenmate will work, but sometimes not.  Zenmate worked perfectly for me last year, but this year it's iffy.  But if you want MASN for more than baseball, I think you're screwed.

 

My understanding is that you need an cable/satellite subscription to use the NBC and Golf Channel stream.

[JamesGallden]

I can use my parents for the NBC thing, but I just wonder how much of this is convenience, like flipping back and forth from the O's and The Golf Channel is extremely easy with Satellite/Cable, using push a button.  How fast do these internet based options do this?  It seems a bit cumbersome.  (first world problems, i get it)

[SBTarheel]

MLB Network, MASN, NBA TV, ESPN, and Nickelodeon for the kids..

 

Plus the MLB and NBA Package, and I'm all set..

 

It is absurd that 600 + channels basically get wasted. 

[Russ]

I can use my parents for the NBC thing, but I just wonder how much of this is convenience, like flipping back and forth from the O's and The Golf Channel is extremely easy with Satellite/Cable, using push a button.  How fast do these internet based options do this?  It seems a bit cumbersome.  (first world problems, i get it)

Have two tabs open.

My friend has two houses. So in one, he got the HDHomeRun card from Comcast. Instead of having a set top box, he connects this to his computer. And instead of renting the box(es), comcast actually gives him a discount on his bill. Then he set up a VPN at his one house and is able to connect to the card from both houses using a tablet, laptop or HTPC. So if you still want cable and want it a little cheaper, it's an option.

[Mark Carver]

I've been without cable TV for almost 2 years. I use Plex TV  (plextv.com) on my Roku 3 streaming device for most of everything and it's connected to my TV. As long as you don't have to watch live TV now, there are channels/apps in Plex for NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS that you can view shows the next day for free, as well as many other channels. Plex also has the usual channel apps for Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon, Sling TV, Pandora and many other mainstream channels that you'll find on your cellphone. Overwhelmingly they are for free. Showtime just announced that they will  start streaming via the internet in July. Apple is expected to launch something this fall.

 

As far as MASN/Orioles.... http://4gettv.com/

 

I have a laptop connected to my TV also and haven't missed a game that I wanted to watch... video quality isn't HD but....

[NewMarketSean]

Yeah they'll hold you hostage with local sports channels.

[Cisc-O's]

Seems like such a hassle to not just shell out the money.

[McNulty]

I don't even own a TV any more.  I have two log ins, my folks for FIOS and a friends for Comcast.  I live out of market so there isn't a problem using MLB.tv (hit up Sammy for a way around this).  Watch ESPN and NBC Sports covers a lot.  Fox streams most of their stuff too.  For TV shows, the on demand from Comcast or FIOS usually works, but iTunes has just about everything for 2 bucks an episode.

 

There is rarely anything that I cannot watch, live and in HD, on the internet.  However, if I can't, that's why they make bars. 

 

I will never pay for cable again.  I would encourage all of you to take the plunge for a few weeks and you'll be surprised how little you miss it, if at all. 

[BSLMikeLowe]

I can use my parents for the NBC thing, but I just wonder how much of this is convenience, like flipping back and forth from the O's and The Golf Channel is extremely easy with Satellite/Cable, using push a button.  How fast do these internet based options do this?  It seems a bit cumbersome.  (first world problems, i get it)

 

If you have a pretty fast internet connection, you shouldn't have a problem streaming both at the same time. MLBTV.com, for about $130/season (price reduces each month if you miss the beginning) is terrific. The only O's games I can't watch on it out here are when they play the Mariners or games played in the exclusive windows for the big networks (Saturday afternoons for FOX, Sunday Nights for ESPN). As McNulty mentions, there are some workarounds if you do live in O's "territory"and still want to do MLBTV. If you're tech savvy you can probably do it without issue. If you're not, there are services that for about $5/mo can make it easy.

 

I cut the cord months ago and have no regrets at all. I simply gave up a lot of the stuff I used to watch, and really haven't missed it. And if you only like a small handful of channels, and are resourceful, you can still watch everything you like for a fraction of the cost.

[RShack]

I can use my parents for the NBC thing, but I just wonder how much of this is convenience, like flipping back and forth from the O's and The Golf Channel is extremely easy with Satellite/Cable, using push a button.  How fast do these internet based options do this?  It seems a bit cumbersome.  (first world problems, i get it)

 

Depends on exactly how you do it...

 

If  you have 1 source feeding your TV, then it comes down to how rapidly that source changes channels.  Various options here, so not just 1 std answer.

 

If you have, say, 2 sources feeding your TV, then it's however fast your TV's remote can change from one hdmi input to another one... the actual change will be virtually instant, it comes down to how many button presses your TV remote requires to do it...

 

If you wanna use mlb.tv to get around the MASN problem, and if you live in O's territory and therefore need a VPN, then you're gonna need some kind of computer to feed that... and old slow laptop will do... or even a netbook that somebody is throwing away... or maybe an android tablet... so, that would be one of your sources anyway, with maybe a Roku as the source for everything else...

 

Also, TIVO makes a box called a Roamio that works with online sources and OTA local channels... this would allow you to record OTA (if you get the right Roamio, which is one of the cheaper ones)... it also has a search function that allows you to tell it want you want, and it will find it among whatever online and OTA sources you get... (the trick with TIVO is to get a lifetime subscription, which normally costs too much, but there are legit ways to get it cheaper than the std price...)

[RShack]

Another theoretical possibility...

 

I've got a TIVO Roamio... which has built in streaming... and when I'm in ATL (where S-in-L has cut the cord to such a degree that I can't watch anything that's not on Netflix or Hulu-plus), I sit there with my laptop and watch stuff from my TIVO at home... now, to watch it, you gotta be recording it (or else have it already recorded) which you can instantly tell it to from the PC.... and since it has 6 tuners, telling it to record something else just so I can watch it in ATL, well, that doesn't interfere with anything... and if I had brought my Chromecast (or another gizmo I have) with me, I could have streamed it to his big TV... 

 

So, if your folks, or your brother, or your best-friend-from-high-school, or etc., happens to have a TIVO Roamio, well, maybe they could use a wee bit of help with their cable bill...

 

The limitation here is the upload bandwidth from wherever the TIVO is... you need about 3K to get HD...  while I have a download speed of a bazillion, my upload speed from home varies between 2K and 3K... so I was sometimes getting HD and sometimes getting SD...

 

You can do the same thing with a Slingbox... but I have no experience with that... same issue with upload bandwidth being the limiting factor... a Slingbox also takes over a cable box tuner...

[Mark Carver]

A federal judge has ruled that video-streaming service FilmOn should be treated like a cable company and is entitled to the same compulsory copyright license that cable systems get.

It's a huge and unexpected win, coming not long after Aereo failed when it tried to make the same argument in court. If upheld, the decision would open a route to legal TV-over-Internet businesses—not just for FilmOn but for future competitors.

In his 15-page order, US District Judge George Wu acknowledged that his preliminary decision is in direct conflict with the 2nd Circuit, and he said he'll allow an immediate appeal to the 9th Circuit. The TV broadcasters who sued FilmOn for copyright infringement, which include all four major TV networks, will surely pursue that option.

http://arstechnica.c...eo-couldnt-get/

[Icterus galbula]

Just cancelled my cable. I watch MLBTv and netflix far more than the actual TV. There are probably some things I'll miss, but I want to give it a full go for a while.  Might get the HBO stand alone streaming service down the road. 

[RShack]

Just cancelled my cable. I watch MLBTv and netflix far more than the actual TV. There are probably some things I'll miss, but I want to give it a full go for a while.  Might get the HBO stand alone streaming service down the road. 

 

Cool... please give updates about what might annoy you about it as it happens, so everybody can learn from it...  

 

BTW... not saying you should do this, this is just an FYI... if you get the right model of TIVO (a version of the cheaper ones), it can not only get OTA channels, but in addition you set it up by telling it what streaming services you have access to (HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, whatever)... then, you tell it whatever you want it to find for you, and it will do it... if it's on OTA it will record it... if it's on a streaming service, it will have a link directly to it... doesn't matter if it's OTA or streaming, either way, whatever it finds will be in your list of shows...

 

Personally, I think it's a great idea... S-in-L cut the cord and has about 4 streaming sources, but it's a PITA to find stuff because you gotta look in 4 places... and even those 4 places aren't exactly elegant about their search tools... the TIVO does it right... the main obstacle IMO is the crazy amount they want for lifetime channel service (which you need for it to work, and paying monthly is even worse), but there are legit ways to get it for way cheaper than what they ask...  plus, if you go back to cable it will work for that too (but it can't do cable and OTA at the same time, you gotta pick one or the other...)

 

Then again, if all you care about is mlb.tv and Netflix, it's probably overkill...