Next Door neighbors thinking of going to streaming tv

[pcslookout]

They want local channels too live. Does any streaming service offer this ?

 

[bbhaag]

Not that I know of but what about an antenna? They are pretty small and can be tucked out of the way so they're not so noticeable. A plus side of an antenna is it's a one time cost vs. a monthly sub and if your neighbors have a data cap it won't count toward that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Doubt it, even some of the legal "alternatives to cable" often don't have local channels. Ex: Dish or FTTH etc.

Worth a shot trying an antenna though. Just stick a piece of wire in the centre part of the antenna coax in the TV and you might pickup some stuff. It might be snowy but it will give you an idea what's around. A proper antenna that has the proper impedance etc is going to work way better of course. For me with just a wire I pickup a national news channel in crystal clear HD, it actually blew my mind when I tried it, it's just as good as my FTTH TV. Then I pickup a bunch of snowy ones. The tower is like right in line of sight though so maybe I just got lucky that a piece of wire even picked up anything.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Playstation Vue does if you live in the right areas. They also charge an extra $10 for local channels if you live in one of those areas whether you want them or not. Luckily I don't live in one of those areas. I can wait a day for my local channel shows to show up on-demand.

 

[jackstar7]

I've heard Hulu is planning to offer some kind of live/streaming of content...

https://www.hulu.com/live-tv

http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/hulu-live-tv-full-channel-lineup-1202407833/

Cost seems too high though...

 

[nutxo]

I have hulu, prime and netflix and use an antenna for local. I get a better picture than I got with Comcast and get like 20 local channels.

 

[Kaido]

They want local channels too live. Does any streaming service offer this ?

The most solid solution I've been able to come up with is:

1. A Roku player or Roku TV
2. A Tablo (like a Tivo for OTA-HD), for local channels
3. A pay-for "cable" (well, IPTV) streaming service (Playstation Vue, Sling, etc.)

Unfortunately, the interfaces on the IPTV services are junk. For the most part, no channel surfing, no skipping directly to channels by number, poorly-designed GUI's, occasional lag & pixelization, etc.

 

[Safeway]

DirecTV Now has almost all local channels in most markets. CBS is still holding out because they have their own ODTV offering, CBS All Access. As others have said, the UI and UX for DirecTV Now, and pretty much every IPTV service, is horrendous. I switched from a $240/month package to the early bird promotional $35/month package and added back in all the premium channels and threw in a free Apple TV for my Garage TV. We don't watch TV enough to justify the extra $180/month. Just sports -- football, Le Tour, tennis, basketball -- and a few HBO shows. Live streaming works, but their VOD offering is pathetic.

That $180/month saved buys my Johnny Blue every month.

 

[bigboxes]

I have Playstation Vue. It's just what I want. I get all the news/sports I want and a big handful of other channels I rarely watch. I also have the local CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates. Because our ABC station is not owned by the networks we only have ABC on Demand, which sucks that you can't DVR it over Vue. My wife loves ABC. I did purchase digital antennas for all of the TVs. Even though I am in a prime spot for OTA, the wind seems to have a big effect on my reception. Although Spectrum (TWC) jacked up my internet cost (not bundling) I still save ~$40 a month over bundling cable/internet and still have more of the stuff I really want. I wish we didn't have this duopoly for broadband. It's hard to beat cable internet and not being capped.

Edit: I use Fire TV devices on all three TVs.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I have Playstation Vue. It's just what I want. I get all the news/sports I want and a big handful of other channels I rarely watch. I also have the local CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates. Because our ABC station is not owned by the networks we only have ABC on Demand, which sucks that you can't DVR it over Vue. My wife loves ABC. I did purchase digital antennas for all of the TVs. Even though I am in a prime spot for OTA, the wind seems to have a big effect on my reception. Although Spectrum (TWC) jacked up my internet cost (not bundling) I still save ~$40 a month over bundling cable/internet and still have more of the stuff I really want. I wish we didn't have this duopoly for broadband. It's hard to beat cable internet and not being capped.

Edit: I use Fire TV devices on all three TVs.

How much did Spectrum increase the price on your internet? I have those *******s and $100 a month for TV + $10 for boxes + $50 for internet sucks.

 

[bigboxes]

How much did Spectrum increase the price on your internet? I have those *******s and $100 a month for TV + $10 for boxes + $50 for internet sucks.

I pay $65 + (bullshit) taxes = $68+. VUE is (for me) $45 + tax = $48+ for me. $68 + $58 = $126+ a month for TV + Internet.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I pay $65 + (bullshit) taxes = $68+. VUE is (for me) $45 + tax = $48+ for me. $68 + $58 = $126+ a month for TV + Internet.

So were you paying something similar to me before? Eg $100 for TV, $50 for internet, and $10 for boxes & tax? And they jacked your internet to $65 + tax from $50 or so? Freaking broadband monopolies. Back when I lived in LA my DSL was so cheap since there was robust competition.

 

[bigboxes]

So were you paying something similar to me before? Eg $100 for TV, $50 for internet, and $10 for boxes & tax? And they jacked your internet to $65 + tax from $50 or so? Freaking broadband monopolies. Back when I lived in LA my DSL was so cheap since there was robust competition.

I'm not sure since it was bundled. I'd have to go look at the old statement. I do know that they promotional rates for $30 bundled and $40 alone for new customers. I just had no viable competition to bluff. I tried, but when I checked AT&T fiber they wouldn't offer a plan that was without a cap. They couldn't compete. There's something wrong when our government lets them get away with that crap.

 

[bigboxes]

and yes, I'm saving $40-$50 a month. You just have to factor in the cost of purchasing your own equipment. My wife earns Amazon bucks online so we just used that. The good thing about IPTV is that if you don't like a service you can always try another without being tied artificially into their ecosystem.

 

[bigboxes]

and I know what I am talking about. Suddenly, I get targeted junk mail for a streaming service from Time Warner (Spectrum). They know what I am doing. Too bad they didn't recognize why I left them in the first place.

 

[ImpulsE69]

So glad I don't care about local or sports. Made cutting the cord years ago so easy.

 

[bigboxes]

moo

 

[bigboxes]

So glad I don't care about local or sports. Made cutting the cord years ago so easy.

I've had to deal with a missus for over 24 years now. Can't just up and change things at will. However, I do love my sports. Vue makes my decision easy.

 

[bigboxes]

no Viacom...wah

 

[bigboxes]

no A&E... wah

 

[Perknose]

DirecTV Now has almost all local channels in most markets. CBS is still holding out because they have their own ODTV offering, CBS All Access. As others have said, the UI and UX for DirecTV Now, and pretty much every IPTV service, is horrendous. I switched from a $240/month package to the early bird promotional $35/month package and added back in all the premium channels and threw in a free Apple TV for my Garage TV. We don't watch TV enough to justify the extra $180/month. Just sports -- football, Le Tour, tennis, basketball -- and a few HBO shows. Live streaming works, but their VOD offering is pathetic.

That $180/month saved buys my Johnny Blue every month.

^^^ What Safeway said. I, too, got in on the $35 early bird special, which included Showtime, and added HBO for an extra $5/mo. You had to sign up for the first three months, so $120, but they gave you a free Apple TV and I got a free Echo Dot as well! I kept my FIOS triple play, for which I pay $114.xx/mo including all the big premium channels, a DVR, fast internet, and phone.

The Direct TV Now interface is still a work in progress, and I am still wedded to the convenience and familiarity of FIOS, plus I'd have to tack on ~$50 for internet alone if I dropped them, so I bagged DTV after the intro.

Anyone want to buy a 4th gen Apple TV from me? I've already got a Roku for Netflix.