Are you a Cord Cutter?

[jbw749]

Well I've been one for 3 weeks now. For those who don't know what it is, it's when you come to the conclusion that if your paying for Wi-Fi and and a cable/satellite subscription you may be wasting some money.

I was paying $160 per month with all the equipment charges and what not for directv. I've done this in one way or another since 1996!

Now I'm using my roku stick, mobile phone and HD antenna to watch all my programming.

Currently I'm paying $20 for Hulu, $12 for Netflix and $20 for sling for a total of $52. Sling is an app roku offers for 35 popular cable channels you can watch live. I May drop this after the free promotional trial ends, but so far it's pretty cool. The reason I did this was because I realized I only watched about 5 channels out of the 200 I was paying for.

 

I'd be interested in hearing other people setups and how they've been cutting the cord.

 

 

 

[Wriggles]

Really don't watch much TV, golf on weekends, news, etc. I cut out all the premium cable years ago, and just subscribe to limited basic cable at $23 a month. Where I live, in somewhat of a valley, we can't get any broadcast TV. The limited basic gets all the local regular channels, and the in between channels that broadcast the old shows, plus all the radio song channels.

 

Never really watched all the HBO, and the other assorted nonsense. The rolling schedule for my cable company offers hundreds of channels. Who needs all that?

[GolfNuts4]

I have not completely cut the cord. I have my HDTV channels, but ditched any premium channels, do not have a landline phone. I don't think I could completely cut out but I am a minimalist.

[bppry]

$45 for Internet and that's it here. Also if you hard wire your digital TV with the cable line you will get all the over the air channels in HD for free. No need for a extra antenna and the wind doesn't effect the signal.

 

Had a buday but kodi on the firesticks and can watch any show from any network. Live sports on cable providers can be tricky but just thow a buddy a few bucks a month for their log in from their cable provider and you are set.

[blaird]

Im starting to get curious about all this stuff as well. I have uverse, every channel they offer except for EPIX, and in HD, also have their internet and landline. I need to call and cancel the landline but Im paying about 280 a month for 2 reg boxes and a wireless box I dont use.

 

I wish someone could come up with a package and you pick the channels. I want the HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, along with every sports channels. and maybe 15 other random channels. Would it be worth it to change to roku, hulu, or whatever? I know a guy that knows a guy that can hook up firesticks to get a ton of things. Thinking about going that route and maybe picking up another stick or something but not sure how it works.

[BoogieThumper]

Went from Uverse to Directvnow and I love it. I was lucky enough to be an early subscriber to Directvnow when they offered their "Go Big" 100 channel package for $35. They also sent a free Apple TV device if you prepaid for three months of service which I did. They just recently added a years worth of HBO for free to early subscribers as well. The one thing they could improve is as of right now there's no DVR but I hear one is in the works. So the setup is I have the Apple TV on the TV downstairs and I got a Fire Stick on the TV upstairs with the Directvnow app. I think we paid $35 for the fire stick.

 

One thing to keep in mind with internet TV is you go through alot of data. I had to find a local isp (Sonic.net) that still offered "unlimited" data.

 

$35.00/ month for HDTV and $55.00 for internet with free landline. I can live with that

[BoogieThumper]

Im starting to get curious about all this stuff as well. I have uverse, every channel they offer except for EPIX, and in HD, also have their internet and landline. I need to call and cancel the landline but Im paying about 280 a month for 2 reg boxes and a wireless box I dont use.

 

I wish someone could come up with a package and you pick the channels. I want the HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, along with every sports channels. and maybe 15 other random channels. Would it be worth it to change to roku, hulu, or whatever? I know a guy that knows a guy that can hook up firesticks to get a ton of things. Thinking about going that route and maybe picking up another stick or something but not sure how it works.

I "jailbroke" my fire stick following a Youtube video step by step. If I can do it anybody can do it.

[blaird]

Im starting to get curious about all this stuff as well. I have uverse, every channel they offer except for EPIX, and in HD, also have their internet and landline. I need to call and cancel the landline but Im paying about 280 a month for 2 reg boxes and a wireless box I dont use.

 

I wish someone could come up with a package and you pick the channels. I want the HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, along with every sports channels. and maybe 15 other random channels. Would it be worth it to change to roku, hulu, or whatever? I know a guy that knows a guy that can hook up firesticks to get a ton of things. Thinking about going that route and maybe picking up another stick or something but not sure how it works.

I "jailbroke" my fire stick following a Youtube video step by step. If I can do it anybody can do it.

 

Thats what people keep telling me. Im just trying to figure out if its a better deal to get one of these. And if I do, what am I paying and how much will my internet be, how much data will I need and things like that.

 

My brother just went to direct tv but doesnt watch as much as I do. Everyone I know that has it, has the same complaint about signal going out everytime a thunderstrom comes thru.

[BoogieThumper]

Im starting to get curious about all this stuff as well. I have uverse, every channel they offer except for EPIX, and in HD, also have their internet and landline. I need to call and cancel the landline but Im paying about 280 a month for 2 reg boxes and a wireless box I dont use.

 

I wish someone could come up with a package and you pick the channels. I want the HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, along with every sports channels. and maybe 15 other random channels. Would it be worth it to change to roku, hulu, or whatever? I know a guy that knows a guy that can hook up firesticks to get a ton of things. Thinking about going that route and maybe picking up another stick or something but not sure how it works.

I "jailbroke" my fire stick following a Youtube video step by step. If I can do it anybody can do it.

 

Thats what people keep telling me. Im just trying to figure out if its a better deal to get one of these. And if I do, what am I paying and how much will my internet be, how much data will I need and things like that.

 

My brother just went to direct tv but doesnt watch as much as I do. Everyone I know that has it, has the same complaint about signal going out everytime a thunderstrom comes thru.

Yeah thats an issue, Im lucky to live in a mild climate near a major city and I've had hardly any issues at all.

[nix]

quit paying for cable 8 years ago, have sunk that $70 a month into a savings account which is now pretty large. I think I once did the math that if you cut cable and saved the money and invested it with 6% returns, after about 10 years or less you would be able to pay for cable for the rest of your life on the interest.

[tuckman]

I have kodi tv downloaded so I can watch just about anything free.

 

I have netflix and just got sling tv last month with the cartoon package for the kids. I canceled directv. It was such a waste.

[LouieLouie]

Used to have directtv, but dumped them 2 or 3 years ago.

 

Got an HD OTA antenna for $25 at HomeDepot and I get all the local channels, NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, etc.

Have Netflix for $9 a month, and recently picked up a Roku and Slingtv for $25 a month.

Slingtv is awesome. It has all of the sports channels and the Bravo, HGTV, etc channels for the wife. The picture quality isn't as good as cable/satellite, but its still in HD and pretty reliable.

Thinking of getting rid of Netflix soon because we don't really watch much on it anymore.

[highergr0und]

Been almost 2 years for me....

 

Use digital antenna + Tablo for local TV. Tablo is a little box that broadcasts the antenna signal wirelessly through the house. Connect a drive to it and it's a DVR!!

 

I use Playstation Vue for cable. I got mad at Sling for having WAY too many issues during Walking Dead and major sporting events.

 

Beyond that, I use Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Kodi to watch movies and such.

[jbw749]

Well a couple weeks in and I don't miss having directv at all. I'm going to cancel sling as well, I just don't need to watch any of their channels live. So I'm now saving my self about $125 per month.

[Albatross85]

Early adopter of Directv Now streaming as well. I get 160+ channels and HBO for $35 per month and my price sans HBO is locked in for life. Saved my $1k per year over what i was paying directv before.

 

Funny story, when i canceled my directv i was no longer eligible for "free" unlimited data on our ATT plan (they own DTV now) so they alerted me that they would be pulling that. I called them and found out the most Data i had ever used on our plan was 12GB. So i got the 16GB plan and saved $20 per month on my bill now over unlimited.

 

100 megabit Internet- $50

DTV Now- $35

Netflix- $10

 

 

Covers my needs perfectly

[ZAP]

We cut it a few months ago to help pay for my son's college. Bought a cheap Mohu antenna from Walmart.

I really don't watch TV much at all any more. Can't say I miss it.

I've read like three books and practiced my putting more than ever on my putting mat this winter.

I am hoping for clear weather so I can pick up Sunday Masters coverage.

[Mcnulty]

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

[nix]

1. I buy the mlb package and chromecast it to my tv

2. I borrowed my parents espn login

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

[Albatross85]

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

Directv now comes with all the espns, my local foxsports, nhl, nbc, fs1, golf channel, only one i dont get is the NFL network (thursday night football)

[Mcnulty]

1. I buy the mlb package and chromecast it to my tv

2. I borrowed my parents espn login

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

 

For the MLB is there a blackout restriction for your local team?

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

Directv now comes with all the espns, my local foxsports, nhl, nbc, fs1, golf channel, only one i dont get is the NFL network (thursday night football)

Which directv option are you speaking of?

[Albatross85]

1. I buy the mlb package and chromecast it to my tv

2. I borrowed my parents espn login

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

 

For the MLB is there a blackout restriction for your local team?

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

Directv now comes with all the espns, my local foxsports, nhl, nbc, fs1, golf channel, only one i dont get is the NFL network (thursday night football)

Which directv option are you speaking of?

DIRECTV NOW, its a streaming service

[LouieLouie]

Yeah if you check out slingtv (also a streaming service), you can get all the sports channels you need including the NFL network. Not sure why directv now wouldn't have that channel if you have 160 other channels. Are you sure you don't get it?

Anyway, slingtv is $25 and the only thing I don't get is ESPN but that is out of choice. If you want ESPN 1, 2, 3 you can pay $40 a month, but I get NBCSN, FS1, FS2, FS Local, etc.

 

If you are concerned about how to stream all of this stuff, it is basically the same as having a cable box, except you have to purchase the cable box. There are several different types/brands of boxes you can buy, Appletv, Roku, Tivo, Amazon Fire, etc. I use a Roku. It picks up a wifi signal from your house, and then uses a HDMI cable to your tv. Plug it in to the electrical outlet, turn it on with the remote and stream away. It really is that simple.

If you go to slingtv, you can get a Roku for 50% off. You will need one box per tv that you want to use it on.

Plus, you can download the slingtv/directv now app onto any of your ipad/laptop/computer type devices and watch it from there. You might even be able to bypass the Roku if you have a smart tv.

[CactusGolf]

Looking for some input. Looking at the MLB.tv where you can stream games for about $112 a year.

 

Any reviews? Worth it? Would be looking to stream from either a PS4 or watch on my tablet.

 

Thanks!

[ZAP]

Sports channels? Honestly I don't miss them. Everything you would ever want to see is on this thing called the internet.

[chickenpotpie]

1. I buy the mlb package and chromecast it to my tv

2. I borrowed my parents espn login

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

 

Seems like over half the people who have "cut the cord" rely on someone else's cord/password

[jbw749]

1. I buy the mlb package and chromecast it to my tv

2. I borrowed my parents espn login

 

What do you guys do about sports channels that have "cut the cord"?

 

Seems like over half the people who have "cut the cord" rely on someone else's cord/password

 

This is because the entertainment industry charges too much for their services therefore if people cut the cord and share their passwords to get their entertainment cheaper it should drive down actors salaries forcing them to "act" better in a more competitive market. This in turn gives them much less time to have opinions on politics.

[kwelifan]

Went with fire tv with a gaming controller and playstation vue. Now I have no cable and my bluray player and video game systems collect dust. I like the simplicity of using one thing for all things entertainment.

 

Sling is cheaper for the basic packages. I found Vue's middle packages to be more comprehensive and cheaper.

 

If you're going with a box (fire tv, roku, etc) I would highly recommend one with an Ethernet port as opposed to using wifi. The speed difference may not be noticeable all the time, but its more reliable.

[displayname]

I cut the cord about 5 years ago. I think it initially saved about $80/month. Now that might be closer to $60ish, but still sizable.

Currently using Roku, Netflix, Hulu, and OTA. Honestly, I do miss select shows from time to time. I miss Comedy Central some times, but many of their shows are on Hulu. I also had to lean on someone else's cable to watch Planet Earth II this year. The Golf Channel was great, but again, not needed. But these types of things are few and far between. Now when I look at cable vs the other streaming/live TV options (OTA, PS Vue, Sling, YouTube TV/Live) I wonder less about what I'm missing, and more about why they haven't changed.

[nix]

For the MLB is there a blackout restriction for your local team?

 

Yes.

 

Looking for some input. Looking at the MLB.tv where you can stream games for about $112 a year.

 

Any reviews? Worth it? Would be looking to stream from either a PS4 or watch on my tablet.

 

Thanks!

 

I love mlb.tv. I think it's fantastic. If you love baseball, it's a must have frankly. The part about local blackouts is key though.

[LouieLouie]

Now when I look at cable vs the other streaming/live TV options (OTA, PS Vue, Sling, YouTube TV/Live) I wonder less about what I'm missing, and more about why they haven't changed.

 

I watch far less tv now that I don't have cable. I just find better things to do than watch tv, including sports. Most sports broadcasts are starting to get so political that I don't want to watch anymore. I still watch some of the more major events, but I find myself watching less and less each year.