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NFT: Ok Cord Cutters - help me out

DC Gmen Fan : 8/12/2020 1:45 pm
My Fios basic internet and cable is now $140/ month for one TV, and I don't even get NFL/MLB networks or any premium channels.

I tried threatening to cancel to see if they would negotiate but they seem more than willing to lose customers.

So I think it's time to cut the cord. I was all hyped up on Youtube TV but I see they've now increased their price.

From what I read, it may be best to get an antenna for local channels and then something like Sling or Hulu? I didn't think antennas were even an option anymore, so if anyone has any recommendations on the best way to go about this I'm all ears.

Thanks BBI
We have a digital antenna on the roof.  
NoPeanutz : 8/12/2020 2:19 pm : link
Bought it from Amazon and had it professionally installed. It connects up from the roof to the cables around the house. The installer also would have provided the antenna for essentially the same price of what I paid on Amazon, so you can buy it from them also.

In addition to the aerial (which is how I watch the Giants and Ellen in HD), we have Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime- with the lowest Internet package. FYI, PBS Kids channel also comes in free over the aerial, which is educational kids shows 24/7.

You should also make sure you OWN your eqipment (router/modem), since the ISP is probably charging you a monthly fee- at least $10 a month. I bought my FIOS Quantum router for about 160 off Amazon Five years ago, and am still using it. I've gotten about 50 months out of it so far ($500 in equipment fees) and it's still running without a problem. This even though Verizon tried to upsell me to the newest router model when I signed back on with FIOS a few months ago, after being with Optimum for a year.

We use Hulu  
Gap92 : 8/12/2020 2:20 pm : link
But will switch back to Fubo for football season.
Hulu doesn't have NFL Network and NFL RedZone, Fubo does. The knock on Fubo was that they didn't have ESPN/ABC/Disney Channel, but as per an email I received from them yesterday, they now have those channels.

The way it works is that these channels are simply apps that are accessible right on your smart TV or via something like Amazon Fire TV. Simply load the app, sign in to your account, and you're good to go.

Good luck. Cut the cord last year and don't miss it.
I should add  
Gap92 : 8/12/2020 2:22 pm : link
that we get local channels through Hulu (Hulu Plus) and Fubo. We haven't needed an antenna for them.
RE: We use Hulu  
Gap92 : 8/12/2020 2:27 pm : link
In comment 14948480 Gap92 said:
Quote:
But will switch back to Fubo for football season.
Hulu doesn't have NFL Network and NFL RedZone, Fubo does. The knock on Fubo was that they didn't have ESPN/ABC/Disney Channel, but as per an email I received from them yesterday, they now have those channels.

The way it works is that these channels are simply apps that are accessible right on your smart TV or via something like Amazon Fire TV. Simply load the app, sign in to your account, and you're good to go.

Good luck. Cut the cord last year and don't miss it.


One more clarification, where I wrote "these channels are simply apps that..." by "channels" I meant programs/applications (in this case Fubo and Hulu).
my only comment re: YouTube TV  
LG in NYC : 8/12/2020 2:31 pm : link
I have had for about 2 years and while I hate the price increase, it is far and away the best overall streaming service IMO.

easy to use, great interface, plenty of channels (not having YES sucks) and great picture - all in one place.

personally, I just wouldn't want to have 5-6 different places (apps, antenna, streaming service) I would need to access to watch basic live TV
DC  
Matt M. : 8/12/2020 2:39 pm : link
I'm in the same boat. I have a basic package with FiOS for 2 TVs and it runs me $160 and besides no premium channels, no local sports channels or ESPN. That is partially because at that price I didn't want to pay an additional monthly fee for regional sports broadcasting, which as far as I can tell Spectrum doesn't charge. FiOS doesn't show any concern when I threaten to leave and they do nothing in the way of customer retention. When my "deal" with them is up (or close to it) in Feb, I'm switching.
The Hulu channel picking interface is terrible  
US1 Giants : 8/12/2020 2:50 pm : link
unless they have replaced it in the 6 months since I cancelled. Painful to use.

RE: The Hulu channel picking interface is terrible  
UConn4523 : 8/12/2020 2:53 pm : link
In comment 14948503 US1 Giants said:
Quote:
unless they have replaced it in the 6 months since I cancelled. Painful to use.


Hulu's interface is brutal.

In general I think people need new expectations with cord cutting. Unless you are willing to give up a lot you aren't going to save much. What you will get is unlimited flexibility which is very attractive - not to mention the ability to login and watch on the go.
RE: RE: The Hulu channel picking interface is terrible  
Matt M. : 8/12/2020 3:03 pm : link
In comment 14948505 UConn4523 said:
Quote:
In comment 14948503 US1 Giants said:


Quote:


unless they have replaced it in the 6 months since I cancelled. Painful to use.




Hulu's interface is brutal.

In general I think people need new expectations with cord cutting. Unless you are willing to give up a lot you aren't going to save much. What you will get is unlimited flexibility which is very attractive - not to mention the ability to login and watch on the go.
IT paid to cut the cord a couple of years ago. Now, not so much. It is more about flexibility, as you mention. But, it seems every channel or suite of channels is it's own streaming service now.
yeah it isn't ideal  
UConn4523 : 8/12/2020 3:28 pm : link
at this point keeping cable is almost more convenient, haha. Outside of watching on the go having everything on 1 interface is a huge plus.

I will move on from cable at somepoint, but to the point above by someone else, logging into 5+ apps on a daily basis is annoying. I can manage but adding on wife + kid just makes it more cumbersome.
Digital Antenna, Sling, Hulu, NetFlix...  
x meadowlander : 8/12/2020 3:38 pm : link
...we rotate the services - we'll cancel Hulu or Netflix, get HBO for a while, exhaust their selection, go back.

Annoying but better than shelling out insane money to Spectrum, our local provider.
It all depends on how much $$$ you want to spend  
NYG27 : 8/12/2020 4:10 pm : link
This was the route I went with...

ISP - Comcast\Xfinity they have an Internet Essentials package if you have school age kids in the house. For $9.99 I get 25 MB internet package and I don't have to pay for their Comcast\Xfinity provided router. At first I was worried about the speed but with 5 people in our household and 12 devices on WiFi, it's been solid. Can't ask for more.

TV Antenna - DISH Network has a service for $150 they will provide you HDTV Antenna and professional installation on your roof for just $150 plus tax. Living in the suburbs of DC (50 miles out), I get all the DC local channels crystal clear. Plus a whole bunch of other channels I never knew about. The TV Antenna picked up 48 over the air channels.

Streaming Services - It's up to you what you want or don't want to pay for monthly. We already paid for Amazon Prime, so their TV service is solid with a good catalog of original TV series and movies.

We also have T-Mobile and they provide you with free Netflix.

Between TV Antenna, Netflix and Amazon Prime, we got plenty to watch. Plus with this setup, my monthly bill for TV and internet is just $9.99 plus my yearly subscription to Amazon Prime ($114.99)

As for Live Sports, so many streaming sites now a days. Always easy to find one when needed.
There's definitely still money to be saved from cutting the cord...  
Jan in DC : 8/12/2020 4:27 pm : link
you just have to prioritize services. Most people have Amazon Prime and Netflix even before they cut cable, so you'll start to use those services exponentially more. Add to that you can just rotate between the other when there's new content you want to watch.

If you subscribe to everything all at the same time, all year long, I agree, you're probably not going to save money. But there's generally no reason to do that if saving money is the goal.

That being said, I cut the cord about... 11 years ago? So I don't really miss live TV. We have Netflix and Amazon and then rotate Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO etc every couple months.

Reddit/Discord and the internet provides streams of live sports that you can cast to the TV.
You Tube TV  
NY Blue : 8/12/2020 5:30 pm : link
I cut the cord last year and will never go back.Even if you
get multiple streaming services , you still come out ahead.

You tube upside. it has most of the stations I look at. You can take it with you ( i watch om my phone, I pad, computer) While it is my wife and myself, i can watch it in my cabin upstate or at home. Downside, you can only have three TV on at a time.

Gee, I pay $74 a month with Direct TV(after discounts)  
Stan in LA : 8/12/2020 5:37 pm : link
Get a gazillion channels and FREE Sunday Ticket. You folks need to learn how to negotiate.
Went back to Xfinity  
AnnapolisMike : 8/12/2020 5:45 pm : link
When the verizon bill for internet pushed towards $100. Paying $130 for 140 channels, DVR service and internet that is 225 down and 5 up, which is enough for us at the moment. Could I save $15 bucks . . . sure. But is it worth it?
Yes, an antenna is a cheap and effective option, IF  
81_Great_Dane : 8/12/2020 6:13 pm : link
you get reception for the channels you want. I have an inexpensive antenna in my apartment and there are some channels I can't get. I could almost certainly get them if I could put an antenna on the roof but that's not really an option.

With digital TV, if you get a channel, it's probably about as good as cable reception. If you don't, you probably don't get it at all. In my experience there's not a lot of in between. But others may know better.

I have YouTube TV and I'm not happy about the price increase, but don't underestimate the value of the unlimited cloud DVR. That's a huge feature and I don't think anyone else can match it.
Suggest that you first see if over the air broadcast is an option  
zxasqw12 : 8/12/2020 6:18 pm : link
Start here, enter a location, and go:

https://rabbitears.info/searchmap.php

You can also try https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

The resulting report will tell you what you may reasonably expect to see via OTA broadcast. If you can get your local stations over the air, that may influence your streaming decisions. If OTA seems workable for your viewing needs, start researching which antennas might work best for you. Here are a few places to start:

https://www.antennaweb.org/

https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html

As another poster intimated, the right decision is really dependent on your viewing preferences. I'm 30 air miles outside of NYC and pull down 77 channels with a Clearstream 2 antenna including all local networks. I use a Tablo box to record and distribute video to other televisions in my home and everything works pretty seamlessly.

YMMV based on a variety of factors including terrain, environmental factors (trees, houses, and other obstructions), mounting height, and other variables. But it's definitely worth looking into.
Try  
DTgiants : 8/12/2020 6:20 pm : link
I just kicked DirecTV to the curb after 25 years. I'm using YouTubeTv and will buy the nordVPn, I live in NC. I will connect to the NYC server and watch the local fox for the Giants games via Locast. I have read about it and it sounds good. I'll let you know if I'm successful
I posted earlier about possibly switching to Fubo  
aimrocky : 8/12/2020 6:35 pm : link
But my main goal is to use them as an interim solution until Spectrum rolls over my promotional pricing. I call next week... If they don’t give me what I want, I’ll cancel, do a free trial, then sign back up as a new customer.
RE: Suggest that you first see if over the air broadcast is an option  
Stan in LA : 8/12/2020 7:03 pm : link
In comment 14948663 zxasqw12 said:
Quote:
Start here, enter a location, and go:

https://rabbitears.info/searchmap.php

You can also try https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

The resulting report will tell you what you may reasonably expect to see via OTA broadcast. If you can get your local stations over the air, that may influence your streaming decisions. If OTA seems workable for your viewing needs, start researching which antennas might work best for you. Here are a few places to start:

https://www.antennaweb.org/

https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html

As another poster intimated, the right decision is really dependent on your viewing preferences. I'm 30 air miles outside of NYC and pull down 77 channels with a Clearstream 2 antenna including all local networks. I use a Tablo box to record and distribute video to other televisions in my home and everything works pretty seamlessly.

YMMV based on a variety of factors including terrain, environmental factors (trees, houses, and other obstructions), mounting height, and other variables. But it's definitely worth looking into.


All good except for 1 thing, can't record streaming or cable TV signals (that's where the good stuff is).
Is there a streaming option  
Mike in Marin : 8/12/2020 7:04 pm : link
for all football games on Fubo or something else ? Similar NFL ticket but on streaming ?

We are moving in a few weeks (same area) and I am considering giving up DirectTV as we almost never watch live TV anymore, never watch local channels (other than football games not on Sunday Ticket).

I think my kids and wife would finally be onboard if we upgrade 1 or 2 TVs to the latest smart TVs.

We already have streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO (and Showtime, etc., through DTV sign-on, which would need to be replaced).
RE: RE: Suggest that you first see if over the air broadcast is an option  
zxasqw12 : 8/12/2020 9:36 pm : link
All good except for 1 thing, can't record streaming or cable TV signals (that's where the good stuff is)

True, but I didn't want to drift too far off the OP's topic. Besides, if he cuts the cord, there won't be a cable option anymore.

You do bring up a good point, though- YTTV, Hulu, and Sling all offer their own DVR options and the OP should throw that into the decision mix as well.
I'll tell you my set up  
allstarjim : 8/12/2020 11:00 pm : link
Mohu Curve HD antenna...sits in the window, great picture for a surprising number of local channels.

I also have an Amazon Firestick, that works very well.

Amazon Prime, $119 per year. Really great content just on Prime.

Netflix: $13 per month

Hulu Ad-Free: $12 per month

HBO (will probably cancel this one): $14.99 per month

So for $50 per month I get all the local stuff and more content than you can shake a stick at through subscriptions, ad-free and on demand.

And while missing some football is a concern, you still get plenty with the local channels.

If you happen to have a relative give you their user id and password to online cable streaming...you're having your cake and eating it too.
It definitely still pays to cut the cable,  
NoPeanutz : 8/13/2020 10:52 am : link
and always will... because nearly all people who have cable are also already paying for broadband Internet + at least one or more streaming services, whether it is Amazon Prime, Netflix, or Disney+...

The fallacy most people make is $A = $B or $A < $B, and they therefore believe that it is no longer cost effective to cancel cable.

It really should be $A + $B > $B, and therefore it is almost always cheaper to cancel cable. ALSO, your app subscriptions are almost always month to month, so you can upgrade and downgrade easily at will. You cannot say the same for your cable provider.
RE: It definitely still pays to cut the cable,  
Jan in DC : 8/13/2020 4:27 pm : link
In comment 14948960 NoPeanutz said:
Quote:
and always will... because nearly all people who have cable are also already paying for broadband Internet + at least one or more streaming services, whether it is Amazon Prime, Netflix, or Disney+...

The fallacy most people make is $A = $B or $A < $B, and they therefore believe that it is no longer cost effective to cancel cable.

It really should be $A + $B > $B, and therefore it is almost always cheaper to cancel cable. ALSO, your app subscriptions are almost always month to month, so you can upgrade and downgrade easily at will. You cannot say the same for your cable provider.


Yea, I find it hard to believe that people aren't subscribing to Prime or Netflix or both before cutting the cord. We had both AND cable but we hardly used Netflix except for like the one or two "had to watch" shows.
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