Octopus Overlords

JCC wrote:Most cable companies offer a locals only option. You'd still have a cable bill but it would probably be minuscule by comparison to what you pay now for everything else.

Not if you want HD (at least with Comcrap).

I have comcast and get the hd local channels for about $14 a month.

dobberhd wrote:I have comcast and get the hd local channels for about $14 a month.

Yes, that is about what they charge extra here. The cheapest base package with no HD is $50.

Dumb old fogey question:

I'm finally ready to enter the 21st century and subscribe to a couple of streaming services. Our TV is the bedroom is smart, but the one in the living room is old and stupid, but still works great so I don't want to replace it. I'm going to need some sort of streaming device and am looking at Roku boxes.

In terms an old, confused man like myself can understand, what's the difference between Roku I, II, III, and IV?

tgb wrote:In terms an old, confused man like myself can understand, what's the difference between Roku I, II, III, and IV?

It's really the features and outputs available. Depending on your TV / AV setup, you likely don't need to get the most current model. I've been using a Roku 2 that was updated in 2015 (faster processor) now for almost a year. If you go to the Amazon Roku page for it and scroll down a bit, you can see the various Roku models compared with their features. I'm guessing you'll likely settle somewhere between the Roku 2 or 3 unless your TV is so old as to not have HDMI connections. In that case, you might be stuck with the Roku 1 as it offers composite video. You just need to know exactly what type of inputs are available on your old living room TV and go from there.

Regardless, while I haven't used the other options, I've never heard anyone I've recommended a Roku box to complain. I think in terms of price and ease of use, they're awesome.

Thanks. The "old" TV is about 8 years old, and does have HDMI connections so that should work out well.

I ruled out smartening up our old TV because its only HDMI port is in use (by the DVD player, I think, or maybe the cable box). Would have had to settle for low-rez composite streaming with a Roku 1, or else wade into the sea of cables and figure out how to reroute everything to free up the HDMI port.

Not worth it. Someday we'll buy a new TV.

Fwiw, HDMI switches are a thing...it's like a USB hub. No rerouting.

Has anyone put up a powered antenna? I have one of those indoor paper-size antennas and, being in rural northern Michigan, don't get Fox because it's too damn far away. I was thinking of getting one of these. I guess I just buy a pole and stick it on there? Do I have to connect it directly to power or run an extension cord or what?

stessier wrote:Fwiw, HDMI switches are a thing...it's like a USB hub. No rerouting.

I hadn't thought of that. We wouldn't watch the Roku at the same time as the cable or DVR player, so that could work. We aren't contemplating cutting the cable yet, just supplementing it.

I'd like a new TV but that's not in the cards for another year or two.

cheeba wrote:Has anyone put up a powered antenna? I have one of those indoor paper-size antennas and, being in rural northern Michigan, don't get Fox because it's too damn far away. I was thinking of getting one of these. I guess I just buy a pole and stick it on there? Do I have to connect it directly to power or run an extension cord or what?

personally, i wouldn't get a motorized rotor antenna unless you have an even split (or more) of directionally opposite signals - and even then, i'd upgrade to a more robust rotor motor, as this $35 one doesn't look like it's built for the long run.. you want an antenna that doesn't need maintenance and the less parts that can break, the better. check your address at tvfool.com for signal directions.

if you're putting it outside, you want it as high as possible (with at least 10' of clearance from power lines or trees if it should fall), and decide - are you going with roof, chimney, wall or gable installation? you'll need to get the proper installation and mounting materials, depending. you'll need proper resealing of the grounding, power and coax cable run entrance. there are some things to take into consideration if you want to do this right - recommend spending some time looking up best practices.

you can get good installation advice from AVSforum's OTA DTV and antenna install subforums. you can look up your particular area of the country here: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/45-local- ... reception/

If you're planning on getting a Roku 2 anyway, you might want to just prepay for 3 months of Sling TV. If you prepay for 3 months, you get a Roku 2 for free. I think it works out to pay $60 for a Roku 2 and 3 months of service. You can easily cancel Sling if you want after that.

for those of you considering a Roku. I just saw on a deals web site that you can get a Roku 4 with wifi and 4k capability, for $80 shipped. The price is $99 through HSN and requires you use Visa Checkout for another $20 off. If you dont have Visa Checkout but have a Visa card, you can sign up for visa checkout free.

Heres the link for you: HSN Roku deal

Like Kraken I'm not ready to ditch my current provider (DirectTV), but there are Netflix/Amazon exclusive shows and movies I'd like to be watching.

I'm also a DirecTV subscriber that uses a Roku box (two, actually) to pipe in Netflix and Amazon. For a while DirecTV HBO customers weren't able to enjoy HBO Go on a Roku box, but I'm not sure if that's changed. You'd need to ask someone that's a current subscriber.

Smoove_B wrote:I'm also a DirecTV subscriber that uses a Roku box (two, actually) to pipe in Netflix and Amazon. For a while DirecTV HBO customers weren't able to enjoy HBO Go on a Roku box, but I'm not sure if that's changed. You'd need to ask someone that's a current subscriber.

I called DirecTV today because I happened to notice that Dish Network now has a smart version of their Hopper that allows streaming. I thought if I could get a similar upgrade for our Genie that would eliminate the need for Roku.

Unfortunately I can't.

I smiled seeing the outdoor antennae. We had those then went high tech without them and now here we are again with antennae .

Im using a rooftop antenna. I cut the cable a few years ago and between Kodi and my rooftop, the only thing I miss out on is some live sports. Fortunately fall is where things work the best because so much football is broadcast on network tv. BTW with HD, the picture you get from a rooftop antenna is likely better than cable. The signal doesnt have to go through all of the cable company's filtering and protection, so it comes through cleaner.

cheeba wrote:Has anyone put up a powered antenna? I have one of those indoor paper-size antennas and, being in rural northern Michigan, don't get Fox because it's too damn far away. I was thinking of getting one of these. I guess I just buy a pole and stick it on there? Do I have to connect it directly to power or run an extension cord or what?

I have. I used our old Directv pole to mount it. Works great. I can't remember if I bought a longer power cord or if it came with it being long. I ran it through the house and it plugs inside on my power strip.

My household dropped AT&T Uverse, and switched back to our local cable tv provider going with an extremely scaled back channel package, keeping the bare minimum of channels we had to along with HBO.

I've subscribed to, and streamed all of the following through my Xbox One successfully - Netflix, Hulu, and Sling.

We get the Netflix subscription through our Amazon Prime account, and are currently only using
Hulu (for Showtime's Ray Donovan)

I like Sling, but don't need it right now for any programming.

As documented somewhere around here, we cut the cord back in June when I installed this the Mohu Sky 60. I was able to mount it in my attic and attach to the existing house cabling runs as well as plug the amplifier into an existing outlet. I didn't really mount it as much as prop it between rafters in the general direction I thought was required. It worked okay, but several stations were hit or miss and it almost always went out during storms.

So last week Charter sent out a notice that we could get streaming channels + HBO for $19.99 as well as a free Roku 3. There was no contract and we could cancel anytime and keep the Roku. So we signed up. The problem is that the Charter app is really slow and clumsy on the Roku. There were about 25 channels included (like Lifetime, Hallmark, etc) as well as the local networks which was really nice, but it was all live streaming - there was no way to record anything. We don't live like that anymore so were pretty disappointed.

Then this weekend I looked up where our local signals come from again and went to adjust the antenna. While I almost died from heat exhaustion in the 5 minutes it took, I was quite successful. It turns out the antenna was pointed 90 degrees from the preferred direction. Once I corrected it, I went from signal strengths of around 40 (which was barely connected with frequent drops ) to 75-90. All my stations are rock solid now - it's great!

So we are definitely cancelling the Charter streaming after the first month and sticking with OTA for our network needs. We also have HBO Now, Amazon, and Netflix. Since we would have Amazon Prime regardless and had Netflix even when we had cable, that lets me replace my $80 cable bill for the $15 HBO subscription. Not bad at all.

Sometimes you cut the cord, and sometimes the cord cuts you.

Our public electric company is also our internet and cable provider. Dealing with a taxpayer-owned nonprofit, knowing that one's payments are mostly staying in the community, is sweet. Because I'm one of just 10,000 customers, service is personal and always satisfying. Cable TV-as-a-utility is a socialist paradise.

As usual, the capitalists won. The electric company is getting out of the cable business come December. Program licensing fees simply became too extravagant to enable an independent buyer to compete. We'll still get our internet from them, but I am being thrust kicking and screaming into the world of streaming for my TV. Well, unless I want to switch to Comcrap or Verizon, which I don't.

It must begin with either a new TV or a Roku-type box, because I bought our TV when big flatscreens were still crazy expensive -- I paid $1,200 for our 42" Westy, and the only way to get a price that low was to buy a TV without a tuner. It's essentially a giant computer monitor. It doesn't stream internet and it can't pick up broadcast channels. Since the TV is now around 15 years old, I think it's time to replace it.

And then? Then I will come looking for help and advice.

After years of frustration with ever-increasing cable bills, we finally canceled our Xfinity tv service last week an switched to streaming services. My combined tv/internet bill had risen to $247/month for DVR service on four TVs and 150Mbps internet...of which $30 was paid every month just to 'rent' the necessary boxes. I happily returned all of the Comcast's hardware last week, purchased two Roku devices (to go along with an nVidia Shield and Xbox One that I already had), and signed up for YouTube TV. I now have pay only $85/month too Comcast for my 150Mbps internet, and already own my modem and router.

YouTube TV is great. The live TV service includes all our local channels, every cable channel we care about, more sports than we got from Xfinity, and unlimited DVR for $50/month. Combine that with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu (free thanks to a Spotify deal), and we have everything we need...for $110 less each month than we paid to Comcast. I now wish we had made the switch sooner, but it's too easy to just stay in the rut of overpaying...

247 bucks a month?

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 7:29 am 247 bucks a month?

Mine was up to $265 with 350mb down, the premium package of channels(showtime, starz, etc) + HBO. My contract had expired and I didn't notice the Jacking until I got the bill. I found a mid tier package they were offering on a channel list somewhere but couldn't select it online when trying to change my plan. I literally had to call and convince them to let me choose it?!? I got it finally after being transferred twice and threatening to cancel after they told me I could have it but did not qualify for the online purchase discount. Cancelled all the premium channels and upgraded internet to a gig down. We are still paying almost $165 after all the fees and nonsense but $100 is $100. Wife is not quite ready to fully cut the cord but smallsteps. Oh and Comcast decided I needed a professional install to swap out devices (upgrades) for $70.00. Even the installer was like WTF am I here for? He felt bad and redid all my wifi extenders for me for free.

I have a friend that has nothing but awesome things to say about YoutubeTV. His cable bill was similar to yours and he eventually reached the same conclusion. I have no doubts a year from now you'll be paying closer to $180 because of "fee adjustments", but at least you're moving in the right direction by uncoupling yourself from ridiculous cable fees.

We have never had cable but with ATT never had a connection to support streaming other than sketchy Netflix/Prime streams. Once we dumped ATT dsl (and saved $100+/month) and finally had a decent connection a few months ago, I got YouTube TV. Mostly for college football. It's great and if I watched a lot of TV is probably like it even more. Not sure if I'll keep it after the college season and once Disney+ starts but it's a great service. If you like TV.

Just another data point for other oldsters.....
Pay for your internet access and cut the cable TV service. After trying a chromecast and a ruko and a firestick......they all worked well in my market and saved tons of tons of money by snipping the cord. Like many have already said..."Wish we had done it sooner."

dfs wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:50 am Just another data point for other oldsters.....
Pay for your internet access and cut the cable TV service. After trying a chromecast and a ruko and a firestick......they all worked well in my market and saved tons of tons of money by snipping the cord. Like many have already said..."Wish we had done it sooner."

It's still bothersome when you have to jump through hoops for something, like the other day when the Bears were on MNF. None of my streaming things gets ESPN. The game was local on WGN. The only way to get WGN onto my TV is to go to the Comcrap steaming website in a Chrome browser on a computer then Chromecast to the TV. Even then, there were frequent lags and unfocused picture.

I still prefer having cable but may re-evaluate in a couple of years. I keep the minimum channel package that will still allow me to get Altitude TV (which is where all local sports are, other than football). It's still like the second-cheapest package they have. No premium channels; no DVR; and we only pay for one cable box. For other TVs in the house, I use Roku's Xfinity Stream app (the UI isn't nearly as user-friendly as using a native X1 box, but it works reasonably well). I go to the Xfinity store every year in person to renew the contract, they raised the price on me this year, so after taxes it's $120/month for cable and internet (but I think it's good for 2 years this time, so until Feb 2021).

The sling service is accessible via roku and firestick. You pick and choose what channels or channel packages you want. Espn is certainly there as well as internal DVR. I did buy an antennae for local channels. Between sling, netflix and the antennae we are spending less than $50 a month for more content than I can stand.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:15 pm

dfs wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:50 am Just another data point for other oldsters.....
Pay for your internet access and cut the cable TV service. After trying a chromecast and a ruko and a firestick......they all worked well in my market and saved tons of tons of money by snipping the cord. Like many have already said..."Wish we had done it sooner."

It's still bothersome when you have to jump through hoops for something, like the other day when the Bears were on MNF. None of my streaming things gets ESPN. The game was local on WGN. The only way to get WGN onto my TV is to go to the Comcrap steaming website in a Chrome browser on a computer then Chromecast to the TV. Even then, there were frequent lags and unfocused picture.

Or...you know...simply tune your TV to live TV by hitting a button on the remote.

You probably wouldn't even need an antenna to get WGN. But even if you did, antennas are cheap.

I have an antennae...the third of it's ilk. When the wind is blowing right, it can sometimes tune in a heavily-pixelated WPWR...and that's it. And that's when it is apparently placed in the most ideal location, upstairs bedroom connected to the small TV -- most other spots in the house (including main floor where the big TV is) get nothing at all.

Sorry, I thought you still lived in or within 50 miles or so of Chicago. My mistake.

59.9 miles from my front door to WGN-TV. And I was going to guess 60 before looking it up.

Yeah, I thought you lived closer to Chicago than that. Their transmitter is pretty much dead center of Chicago. I can pick it up without even plugging in an antenna in Rogers Park.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:04 pm Yeah, I thought you lived closer to Chicago than that. Their transmitter is pretty much dead center of Chicago. I can pick it up without even plugging in an antenna in Rogers Park.

We warned you against getting your dental work done out of a converted food truck.

But it has a bunny on the side!!!

How are those 18-carrot crowns working out for you?

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 10:43 am I have a friend that has nothing but awesome things to say about YoutubeTV. His cable bill was similar to yours and he eventually reached the same conclusion. I have no doubts a year from now you'll be paying closer to $180 because of "fee adjustments", but at least you're moving in the right direction by uncoupling yourself from ridiculous cable fees.

I have run the numbers and In 6 months I will see my first pay hike as some of the "deals" expire like the half price for the equipment rentals (x 4 tv's). that will kick it up about $30 a month. After one year all of it expires and they charge me $1,000 a month . Personally , I would have cut the cord this last go round but the wife and kid watch to much crap


Just played with my youtube TV at my sister's house last weekend and came away very impressed. I am going to look real hard at it when my year contract expires. Combining that with disney +, netflix and prime should cover just about everything but maybe local sports? Or does your tube TV use local affiliates for major networks? I mean there is always the Bar for watching Braves, Falcons, etc