Any cord cutters here besides me?

[dainthomas]

Even though they market it as such, there is no such thing as an HD antenna. An antenna is an antenna. It is the transmitter and receiver that are digital HD. This is how I am still able to use an old 1970's TV antenna with my new Samsung QLED TV.

Rabbit ears would look pretty retro on top of a giant flat screen.

 

[olds]

I am paring down. I used to have the "Everything pack" with Dish. Until Dish and HBO went to battle over pricing and Dish stopped carrying HBO.

I dropped to one of Dish's base packages, canceled Showtime and then added HBO and Showtime to my Amazon Prime account. I prefer the Amazon player anyway.

The only reason I didn't cancel all together is that I want the locals and the ability to watch football and DVR shows. I do have an OTA antenna connected to my Dish receiver. I don't watch live TV so I need the record function.

Tried Hulu years ago but I refuse to pay for something and still have to watch commercials.

Also have Fire Stick in the master bedroom and a Chrome Cast in a guest bedroom. Both of then have Dish with DVR too.

 

[Viper1j]

I really want to, live sports are what gets me.. Generally college and pro football.

Sling tv Sports package is 5.00 a month. 5.00 more to add cloud DVR.

Now for the dessert. For those with access to your routers (Another reason to own your stuff) You can make your network ad free,most of your apps, including youtube by using one of these DNS "ad blackhole servers". into your network settings. As of this writing only Hulu will suspend you if they catch you. Different ones work for different ISPs.

Sling tv seems to be immune though.

192.254.74.200
198.27.106.151
208.110.81.50

176.103.130.130
176.103.130.131

DNS1: 35.180.30.251
DNS2: 18.130.55.91

https://kodiroku.com/best-roku-private-channels/

Best Roku Private Channels List + Codes {updated 2019}

 

[dainthomas]

The only reason I didn't cancel all together is that I want the locals and the ability to watch football and DVR shows. I do have an OTA antenna connected to my Dish receiver. I don't watch live TV so I need the record function.

Recast does all of this. A little spendier up front, but works seamlessly with the fire stick. It's paid for itself already since I canceled Direct at the end of December.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Cut cable ~5 years ago. Download what I want, when I want... in the formats I want.

Fuck cable restrictions, fuck their stupid games of contracts, fees, and excessive butt-fuckery. The only winning move is not to play.

I use Plex Media Server in combination with my ChromeCast players

 

[lxskllr]

Never paid for tv. Never paid *for a* tv either as far as that goes.

 

[Viper1j]

I missed the remake of V (2009) when it came out. I'm binge watching it now on Tubi TV

 

[Red Squirrel]

I cut the cord a while back, then when fibre came to town I got the whole package including TV. Realized I was paying all that and hardly watching any TV so I cancelled it and have just the internet now. I pay around $70/mo with my corporate discount.

 

[TheVrolok]

Sling tv Sports package is 5.00 a month. 5.00 more to add cloud DVR.

Now for the dessert. For those with access to your routers (Another reason to own your stuff) You can make your network ad free,most of your apps, including youtube by using one of these DNS "ad blackhole servers". into your network settings. As of this writing only Hulu will suspend you if they catch you. Different ones work for different ISPs.

Sling tv seems to be immune though.

192.254.74.200
198.27.106.151
208.110.81.50

176.103.130.130
176.103.130.131

DNS1: 35.180.30.251
DNS2: 18.130.55.91

https://kodiroku.com/best-roku-private-channels/

Best Roku Private Channels List + Codes {updated 2019}

Will have to look into Slings sports package.

 

[dingster1]

I cut the cord in November. I only watch Amazon and Viki.

 

[bbhaag]

Like some other members I've never had cable. Even growing up my parents never paid for tv so I guess that it just passed on to me.

I do have an attic mounted antenna for OTA channels which feeds four tvs. The living room tv has a Channel Master dvr which is nice if I want to pause or record OTA channels. I also have a Prime membership so music and movies/tv is included with that. I'm also a Netflix member but I may cancel that. I've been waffling back and forth on whether to drop it and pick up another service or just stay with them.

 

[kt]

Can't cut something that I never had. Have not paid for cable TV and never will. We do have NetFlix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.

 

[dr150]

I've analyzed the situation and for me it's too much of a hassle to juggle different apparatus/apps for the eclectic channels I watch.

I pay $86 for 2 TVs for DISH. I have to call every 6 mo to get them to this point. I'm fine with with it for now. I make enough for this to not be a big deal. Heck, I eat Sushi for $80 every weekend, so having cable for this same amount ain't a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Maybe in 2-3 yrs when this market develops more, I'll entertain it. But for now, I'm good.

 

[DietDrThunder]

The reason I cut the cord was the irritating factor that the $120 a month I was spending, other than 3 or 4 shows (not channels), I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch. Plus I still was paying for Netflix and Amazon Prime. So the ~$8,700 I saved over the past 6 years was worth it to me.

 

[purbeast0]

I've never understood why people act like "cutting the cord" (hate that term since you're not cutting anything and in fact have the same exact cord going to your house to provide you internet) as though it's some special badge of honor.

Is it because you are proud that you are no longer throwing away money on something you were never using? That's not really something to brag about.

 

[nakedfrog]

I've never understood why people act like "cutting the cord" (hate that term since you're not cutting anything and in fact have the same exact cord going to your house to provide you internet) as though it's some special badge of honor.

Is it because you are proud that you are no longer throwing away money on something you were never using? That's not really something to brag about.

I wouldn't say I never used it, but I did determine the value wasn't there. Between Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, I have plenty of content, and can direct the savings to video games and other entertainment.
I'm a little more confused about the people that are cord-cutters but still pirate all the content they were previously paying for.

 

[ibex333]

Stopped using cable in 2012 due to high costs. Antenna reception in Brooklyn, NY is horrible, and the channels are very limited. I compensate with other apps, and uncopyrighted, legal torrent downloads.


KODI+FreeNAS=Win.

 

[Viper1j]

I've never understood why people act like "cutting the cord" (hate that term since you're not cutting anything and in fact have the same exact cord going to your house to provide you internet) as though it's some special badge of honor.

Is it because you are proud that you are no longer throwing away money on something you were never using? That's not really something to brag about.

Actually, I terally cut the cord (coax) with on the side of the house that fed my cable box. My network is set up in my garage, where my web/mail server is located, and everything inside my home is on my wifi.

 

[purbeast0]

Actually, I terally cut the cord (coax) with on the side of the house that fed my cable box. My network is set up in my garage, where my web/mail server is located, and everything inside my home is on my wifi.

You have satellite for a primary ISP? Or you hotspot your phone or something?

 

[Muse]

I'm getting 100 times the entertainment value a Roku 4k Ultra in the living room, and Roku Express in the bedroom. Sling Tv, Tubi tv, Pluto tv, and about 20 other apps. Everything from cooking shows to workout shows. All 100% FREE! (Except for Sling) There's even a free PorHub app, (if you're into that)

More tv than I can watch at 1/5th the cost.

If you haven't looked into it, you should.

I recently bought three 43" 4K TCL Roku TVs cheap (under ~$225 each). Have set up 2 of them, one with a desktop for TV + monitor use, one for just TV and movies + Roku streaming.

I signed up for a 14 day free trial of Sling 4 days ago! I tried Sling a year or two ago but the streaming just sucked so I quit immediately. This time, with the Roku TVs it's not too bad. My <5Mbps DSL doesn't help, but gigabit is on the way when my ISP gets it together here, which should be any day/week/month, who knows (they promised last October).

What's the deal with Sling? I streamed TBS NCAA basketball games Saturday. The quality wasn't as good as OTA HD (i.e. CBS), but it wasn't horrible. I had expected to be able to use the Roku PAUSE/REW/FF 90 minutes feature of the TCL TVs, but get the "not supported for TBS" messages. I tried ESPN 2 days ago, same deal. I get the impression that TBS, ESPN (and who knows who else) have made deals with Sling to provide content with the proviso that you can't DVR them. Actually, the first thing I did when I saw the "not supported" messages was sign up for the $5 DVR feature, thinking that would solve it. But it didn't! I don't even know how to use the DVR feature, but I signed up for it. Have to investigate. Do you have to watch AFTER the program completes?

If I can't get some satisfactory DVR functionality out of the $25/month Sling (not counting the $5/month DVR feature) I think I'll have to cancel, at least after the NCAA's, or maybe the NBA playoffs. I hate commercials!!! Almost always.

Edit: I get all my locals brilliantly with OTA off antenna. That also supports 90 minutes of PAUSE/REW/FF. There's a Roku Android app that supports wifi control of the TV which I use sometimes. That supports headphone "private listening" but there's some lip synch issues with that, so I don't use that too often (I can get headphone support in other ways if I want it). Nice to have the wifi control though rather than RF from the remote.

 

[Viper1j]

I recently bought three 43" 4K TCL Roku TVs cheap (under ~$225 each). Have set up 2 of them, one with a desktop for TV + monitor use, one for just TV and movies + Roku streaming.

I signed up for a 14 day free trial of Sling 4 days ago! I tried Sling a year or two ago but the streaming just sucked so I quit immediately. This time, with the Roku TVs it's not too bad. My <5Mbps DSL doesn't help, but gigabit is on the way when my ISP gets it together here, which should be any day/week/month, who knows (they promised last October).

What's the deal with Sling? I streamed TBS NCAA basketball games Saturday. The quality wasn't as good as OTA HD (i.e. CBS), but it wasn't horrible. I had expected to be able to use the Roku PAUSE/REW/FF 90 minutes feature of the TCL TVs, but get the "not supported for TBS" messages. I tried ESPN 2 days ago, same deal. I get the impression that TBS, ESPN (and who knows who else) have made deals with Sling to provide content with the proviso that you can't DVR them. Actually, the first thing I did when I saw the "not supported" messages was sign up for the $5 DVR feature, thinking that would solve it. But it didn't! I don't even know how to use the DVR feature, but I signed up for it. Have to investigate. Do you have to watch AFTER the program completes?

If I can't get some satisfactory DVR functionality out of Sling I think I'll have to cancel, at least after the NCAA's, or maybe the NBA playoffs. I hate commercials!!! Almost always.

Not Just them. ID Discovery (murder porn), Comedy Central History, and SyFy will do that, unless the program has been running at least 15 min. click I (info) on the menu, then select "Watch" even though you're on the channel. It give you three choices. Resume, Watch Live, or Start Over. If you select start over, you'll be in "On Demand" mode, and you'll have functional controls.

You have satellite for a primary ISP? Or you hotspot your phone or something?

Nope.. have my own cable modem, and pay Comcast 55.00 a month. It used to be 160.00 a month with all the tv shit. I know someone that went from 342.00 a month to 55.00 a month.

 

[purbeast0]

Nope.. have my own cable modem, and pay Comcast 55.00 a month. It used to be 160.00 a month with all the tv shit. I know someone that went from 342.00 a month to 55.00 a month.

So how does your cable modem get internet if you physically cut your cable as you claim?

 

[Viper1j]

So how does your cable modem get internet if you physically cut your cable as you claim?

It had it's own coax run to the garage. I cut the house cord for cosmetic reasons.

 

[Muse]

Even though they market it as such, there is no such thing as an HD antenna. An antenna is an antenna. It is the transmitter and receiver that are digital HD. This is how I am still able to use an old 1970's TV antenna with my new Samsung QLED TV.

Yeah, I have two rooftop antennas (each on its own vertical pole, separated by ~20 feet), another I mounted inside the attic so as to keep it out of the rain & wind (severe windy weather can mess up their orientation, I've had to go up on the roof and reorient several times), and a DIY thingy I saw online, which I also have in the attic that I'm experimenting with. I use these for OTA TV and FM.

 

[purbeast0]

It had it's own coax run to the garage. I cut the house cord for cosmetic reasons.

So you still have a coax cable running to your property, which was my initial point in why that dumb term "cut the cord" grinds my gears.