The Briefing Room
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: kevindavis007 on May 03, 2017, 10:10:10 pm
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Cut the cord? No longer have Cable or Satellite TV? Well, I figure I start a thread where people can share tips or advice on how to cut the cord.
Me, I have Amazon Fire TV (might get a chromecast later on), Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Hulu (Free with Bing search rewards), and Netflix.
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Book marked
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It rarely saves you that much if you bundle. I haven't watched a network TV show in probably 20 years. Just football. I tried to follow The Dome and Grimm on Amazon Prime but lost interest after a while.
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Shouldn't this be the Cordcuttering thread?
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After years with comcast I'm giving Dish network a try and a try is likely all its going to be. I really like having access to all the HD channels (The Expanse is freakin spectacular in 64 inches of HD) but it really pisses me off to have to pay extra to watch the Detroit Tigers play.
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Books, read books, lot's of books. All I have is antenna and having been away from watching TV for so long I really don't like it any more. Too much to do and books are more convenient. I'm a fast reader so the information transfer is much slower listening or watching than reading.
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It's been a two years since we disconnected DirecTV. We've got an antenna for OTA broadcasts, conditions permitting (60-80 mi).
We subscribe to Netflix and Amazon Prime, but the Rokus are as often used on free channels like XTV, FilmOn, or just our local Plex Media Server, which has grown to a few TB of Movies and TV. Plex is the fallback when there's nothing on (or tuning in) OTA and the internet is slow.
There are also various Plex plugins. Most are for adding various streaming channels. But one (SS Plex) is useful for downloading content in the background, to watch later without any buffering issues.
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"Cuttering"? :huh?:
Responding to bookmark. I'll also give my bona fides: although wife and I have a full cable package from AT&T Uverse, we also pay for Hulu, Netflix streaming, and Amazon Prime, and watch them regularly. I also set up a Plex server to handle my recorded media (mpeg2 and mp4 mostly) and have played a little with Plex plugins for streaming, although to be honest I wasn't too satisfied with it.
Interested in learning what others have done or tried...
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"Cuttering"? :huh?:
Don't do it....
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I have a computer hooked directly to my TV, and find anything at all that I might want to watch...
BUT, For folks that want a more ordered presentation, I can recommend Roku. For somewhere between 30 and 100 bucks or so - a one time purchase of their controller, It allows painless access to all of the subscription systems (Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Amazon, etc,) as well as a many channels of free programming, especially if you have kids (lots of kid stuff is free).
The nice thing is, if you decide to try Amazon for instance, rather than buying their gear, only to find you don't like it, the very same subscription is available through Roku without having to buy any other gear.
The bad part is, you'd need a box for every TV, or move the box or stick between TVs...
That's why I stay foot loose and fancy free. I can easily find used computers capable of running a TV, and a cordless KB/glide pad costs about 30 bucks... For my 3 tvs, I am happy to buy the pooters rather than invest in Roku boxen.
YMMV
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Ping to go back to this thread.
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The phone companies did NOT go out of business when long distance was an extra charge, or Caller ID was standard equipment.
So, IMO, the cable and FIOS companies can cut their customers' bills IN HALF and STILL make a fortune.
..same concept as federal tax rates lowered, bringing more taxpayers to the pool.
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BTW, for those using a computer to run their TV:
An RDP or VNC server running on that computer makes it simple to access from a laptop, notebook, tablet, or phone.
I normally have a laptop nearby, and while 90% of the time, I can operate the TV using the cordless keyboard (connected to the TV's computer) from my chair, sometimes I will need to read something on the TV that is too far away to see.. A movie synopsis as an instance... It is a simple thing to get on the laptop, fire up TightVNC's client (Tight is a free and open source VNC server/client system), log into the TV machine's VNC server, and presto, the desktop of the TV is on my laptop. I can read it, and do any operations I might want to right from the laptop's monitor, keyboard, and mouse, log back off, and enjoy.
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BTW, for those using a computer to run their TV:
An RDP or VNC server running on that computer makes it simple to access from a laptop, notebook, tablet, or phone.
I normally have a laptop nearby, and while 90% of the time, I can operate the TV using the cordless keyboard (connected to the TV's computer) from my chair, sometimes I will need to read something on the TV that is too far away to see.. A movie synopsis as an instance... It is a simple thing to get on the laptop, fire up TightVNC's client (Tight is a free and open source VNC server/client system), log into the TV machine's VNC server, and presto, the desktop of the TV is on my laptop. I can read it, and do any operations I might want to right from the laptop's monitor, keyboard, and mouse, log back off, and enjoy.
Sounds cool. I wish I knew what it meant.
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Sounds cool. I wish I knew what it meant.
LOL! in simple terms... You can see the desktop of another computer on the desktop of the computer you are operating on. You can run that remote computer using the computer you are operating on.
Sorry if I geeked out there...
As it regards operating the TV, it means I can operate the TV through the computer connected to it, using the laptop by my chair == I don't have to get up and go over there.
@Sanguine
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LOL! in simple terms... You can see the desktop of another computer on the desktop of the computer you are operating on. You can run that remote computer using the computer you are operating on.
Sorry if I geeked out there...
As it regards operating the TV, it means I can operate the TV through the computer connected to it, using the laptop by my chair == I don't have to get up and go over there.
@Sanguine
Ok, now I understand!
Thanks.
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Surprised VNC wouldn't be too slow to use to watch tv, it's always been significantly slower than RDP when I've used it. It has it's uses.
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I cut the cord over 10 years ago and have never looked back. I got a Roku then tried Netflix and could never find a movie that I really wanted to see. I'd like to hear some experiences with Sling Tv....I'm considering it.
My poor dear 87 yr old mom is on Suddenlink cable. A few days ago she got a notice that she'd need to get a new box for each of her 3 TV's. I call them and they say....we'll let you have 2 boxes for 2 years for free, then it will cost $3.99 a month each after that. The third box will cost $3.99 a month from the get go. Then they say....well if you go down to the local Suddenlink office they'll probably give you the 3rd box for free. So lucky me....I drive to Suddenlink and stand in line for 1 hour and finally get to talk to someone. They say...well we won't give you the 3rd box for free tough luck...lol. Then tell me that they need the old 7 yr old boxes (3) or she'll be charged $40 each for them. So go back to dear old mom's and search and come up with 2 old boxes that haven't been on a tv in over 5 years.....then go back to Suddenlink and stand in line for another hour to return them. I tell them she only has 2 to return... Supposedly they won't charge her for the 3rd....but I still have to check on that. I can't imagine why anyone stays on cable. The Suddenlink lady said they are losing tv customers but are doing a booming business on the internet side. I despise Suddenlink............
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I cut the cord over 10 years ago and have never looked back. I got a Roku then tried Netflix and could never find a movie that I really wanted to see. I'd like to hear some experiences with Sling Tv....I'm considering it.
My poor dear 87 yr old mom is on Suddenlink cable. A few days ago she got a notice that she'd need to get a new box for each of her 3 TV's. I call them and they say....we'll let you have 2 boxes for 2 years for free, then it will cost $3.99 a month each after that. The third box will cost $3.99 a month from the get go. Then they say....well if you go down to the local Suddenlink office they'll probably give you the 3rd box for free. So lucky me....I drive to Suddenlink and stand in line for 1 hour and finally get to talk to someone. They say...well we won't give you the 3rd box for free tough luck...lol. Then tell me that they need the old 7 yr old boxes (3) or she'll be charged $40 each for them. So go back to dear old mom's and search and come up with 2 old boxes that haven't been on a tv in over 5 years.....then go back to Suddenlink and stand in line for another hour to return them. I tell them she only has 2 to return... Supposedly they won't charge her for the 3rd....but I still have to check on that. I can't imagine why anyone stays on cable. The Suddenlink lady said they are losing tv customers but are doing a booming business on the internet side. I despise Suddenlink............
Good to know, as I was considering Suddenlink as an alternative to Uverse...
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Surprised VNC wouldn't be too slow to use to watch tv, it's always been significantly slower than RDP when I've used it. It has it's uses.
@Weird Tolkienish Figure
Nah, I don't watch via VNC - Too slow for that... and so is RDP, btw. at least on my LAN.
Like I said, normally I operate the TV with a wireless KB/Glidepad.
Otherwise, I use VNC to operate the TV, and see small print on it, as it is sometimes too far away to read if the font isn't rigged to enlarge... Reading a movie synopsis as an example... I'll do what I need to, logoff, and watch the show normally on the TV. If I wanted to actually watch something on the laptop, I'd stream it directly.
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Bookmarking.
My contract with Verizon is up in July. I would love to save money.
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Bookmarking.
My contract with Verizon is up in July. I would love to save money.
I am saving seventy bucks a month, every month... for one step up from basic cable. Well worth doing. I paid for the gear to run my TV (the computer, wireless keyboard/glidepad, and wireless networking) inside of the first two months... Two months later, the gear for the Master bedroom TV, and two months after that, the gear for the guest bedroom TV... Ever since then it has been *FREE*
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A few days ago she got a notice that she'd need to get a new box for each of her 3 TV's.
That was the straw that broke it for me... eight bucks a piece for 3 boxes, roughly 30 bucks a month increase, jacking up my bill by about 25% in one whack, and boosting it over it's value line, which it was already teetering upon in my mind.
NUFF. No damn more. Period.
Why the hell am I paying these folks for 250 channels, when I can never find anything to watch? Especially when 30% of whatever I don't particularly care to watch is commercials?
I would never go back to that.
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Bookmarking.
My contract with Verizon is up in July. I would love to save money.
I'd like to cut the cord... now to convince the wife...
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There are a slew of cord cutting articles in the new lately:
https://www.google.com/search?q=cord+cutting&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS729US729&oq=cord+cutting&aqs=chrome..69i57.2182j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=cord+cutting&safe=off&tbm=nws
Much of your paycheck goes to cable TV (way too much) and much of that money goes straight to the Democrat Party.
Something to keep in mind.
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I'd like to cut the cord... now to convince the wife...
@Weird Tolkienish Figure
Do it! With slingtv or PlayStation Vue and a roku you'll not miss out on anything AND it's only about $30/month
I cut the cord about 3years ago and don't miss it AT ALL
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I started with Sling TV a few weeks ago. They have a 7 day free trial period, after which you have the option of canceling. There are two basic packages -- blue and orange, or you can get both. There are also optional add-on packages for anywhere from $5 to $15 a month. I'm paying $25 a month for the blue package, so even if I get one of the add-ons, my bill will still be cheaper than cable.
Right now I only have Sling TV on my tablet and phone. Have to get a Roku or something similar to hook it up to the tv. As far as local channels go, I will need an antenna, but I'm contemplating not bothering with local channels at all. Only local channel I watch is for local news and weather, and I can get that on my other devices through the station's apps. I've also heard that Sling is developing some way to get local channels, but that technology is still in its infancy.
The only other problem is that my WiFi is through cable. Once I can decide on an alternative and disconnect cable tv, I can get rid of cable for good.
So far, I like Sling. I can get channels my cable provider doesn't have, such as Axs. The streaming has been very good. No major problems with scrambling or blackouts. Of course, a lot of that depends on your Internet or Wi-Fi service and perhaps where you live. But for me, so far, so good.
Used to have a bundle -- cost me around $150 a month. Finally gave up the phone, pared down the TV service to basic and used WiFi. Still costs $107 a month. Still too high.
I will be very happy to rid myself of cable once and for all. Why should I be paying so much for terrible choices and even worse customer service?
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Y'all have convinced me to give it a try. I've not tried before because I didn't think I could get access to the Wife's favorite programs. It looks like with Hulu, she'll have most of what she watches. I'm going to pick up a Roku and give it a go.
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FWIW -- a recent article comparing Sling TV and other streaming services:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/playstation-vue-vs-sling-tv-vs-directv-now-vs-youtube-tv-vs-hulu-with-live-tv/amp/
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(http://i.imgur.com/fgLomse.jpg)
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(http://i.imgur.com/fgLomse.jpg)
Squinch your eyes a bit, and that guy might just be Eric Estrada.
How the mighty have fallen. **nononono*
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As expected Spectrum has hiked the price here too, especially for internet.
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Squinch your eyes a bit, and that guy might just be Eric Estrada.
How the mighty have fallen. **nononono*
If you think that's bad, it is official Star Wars canon (I think) that Jar Jar Binks is now an impoverished street entertainer....
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As expected Spectrum has hiked the price here too, especially for internet.
:shrug: If it gets too bad, split the cost with your neighbor... It's not illegal to give your neighbor access to your router... Another beautiful thing about cord cutting.
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I just picked up a Roku and am trying out PlayStation Vue. The wife likes it so far. I missed having Gunsmoke on TVland, so I'm downloading a whole mess of episodes.
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I got a warning from AT&T that I was going to exceed my Bandwidth limit of 1TB. I never even knew I had a limit. I found out that they just started imposing one around March of this year.
I starting watching my usage and discovered that it went way up after we starting using Playstation Vue. Part of the problem, I found was the wife would turn off the TV, but not cancel the streaming that was taking place. Also my daughter, taking online classes, complained about networking problems when streaming was taking place.
Yesterday I set up router port rate limiting on the Roku port. It would not handle 512kbits/s at all. I could not tell any difference in picture quality with 1 or 2 Mbits/s rate limiting. I did notice the speed changed going thru menu selections. I have not experienced any buffering issues. I am now confident that I can stay under the bandwidth limit and not have to pay for unlimited bandwidth.
We are going to pull the plug on Dish later this month.
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(http://i.imgur.com/fgLomse.jpg)
WTF needs dirty channels in this day and age?
I remember trying to watch the Spice Channel on squigglevision (IOW scrambled) back in the early 90's.
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Guys at work used to order the cable filters by the case and re-tune them to whatever channel people wanted to receive.
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Looks like a lot of more people are cutting the cord:
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,266315.0.html
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@kevindavis
Thanks for referring us to the post and article.
It's sad in a way. All these providers are swirling the bowl. You would think they would try to come up with ways to hold onto their customers. But they just keep driving people away, then fret when profits shrink.
If I ever get my act together and get Sling TV hooked up to my tv -- so long Comcast.
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@kevindavis
Thanks for referring us to the post and article.
It's sad in a way. All these providers are swirling the bowl. You would think they would try to come up with ways to hold onto their customers. But they just keep driving people away, then fret when profits shrink.
If I ever get my act together and get Sling TV hooked up to my tv -- so long Comcast.
@Applewood
Your welcome..
Well the providers don't get it and they will go away in 5 years..
I have the Amazon Fire TV and I love it. I have Sling TV (excellent service) however, I might go with Hulu TV service when it is available.
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Another vote for Playstation VUE (like their layout/"DVR" capabilities)(to be fair I haven't tried SlingTV or DirecTV Now yet).
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/
https://www.sling.com
https://www.directvnow.com
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If I ever get my act together and get Sling TV hooked up to my tv -- so long Comcast.
HDMI cable from the tablet to the TV?
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HDMI cable from the tablet to the TV?
I found a guide for U
"If you're new to streaming TV, here's your guide
By Gail Pennington St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jul 16, 2016 (…) "
http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/if-you-re-new-to-streaming-tv-here-s-your/article_e8a9dd76-3117-5dcd-852d-031971fb162b.html (http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/if-you-re-new-to-streaming-tv-here-s-your/article_e8a9dd76-3117-5dcd-852d-031971fb162b.html)
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HDMI cable from the tablet to the TV?
I have a "smart" tv, so I think what I need is a Roku. I gotta look into this further. Already have Sling on my tablet and phone.
Thanks.
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I found a guide for U
"If you're new to streaming TV, here's your guide
By Gail Pennington St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jul 16, 2016 (…) "
http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/if-you-re-new-to-streaming-tv-here-s-your/article_e8a9dd76-3117-5dcd-852d-031971fb162b.html (http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/if-you-re-new-to-streaming-tv-here-s-your/article_e8a9dd76-3117-5dcd-852d-031971fb162b.html)
Thank you. I need all the help I can get.
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I have a "smart" tv, so I think what I need is a Roku. I gotta look into this further. Already have Sling on my tablet and phone.
Thanks.
@Applewood
I don't have a whole lot of experience with the 'smart' side of my tv - I actually disabled it by feeding it a bad IP address... So the smart side of my tv doesn't even work.
But evidently, at least with Samsung, you can buy or download applets for most popular streaming services.
I know I was able to access Amazon (with a subscription) and youtube and such.
But the interface is so hinky and problematic, that I seriously believe you would like the Roku better.
BUT, it costs you nothing to attempt to use the inbuilt features of the tv... It probably has a SlingTV applet already.
YMMV.
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I have a "smart" tv, so I think what I need is a Roku. I gotta look into this further. Already have Sling on my tablet and phone.
Thanks.
I don't know what Sling or Roku are, but if you can watch what you want on your tablet, and your tablet has an HDMI output, you can use an HDMI cable (need the right one, my tablet takes a mini HDMI) to take the video and sound from your tablet and run them through the TV. Might not be the long term solution you're looking for, but the cables are cheap and nice to have around anyway.
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Some totally free video channels that don't require any subscription whatsoever and are totally legal:
WeatherNation TV
http://www.weathernationtv.com/video/
This is an upstart network in the mold of The Weather Channel. Its selling point is that it sticks to forecasts and only forecasts, without any of the reality TV shows or AGW hype.
NASA TV
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
This is the official TV station of NASA. It carries space program video and educational programs. Because it's the federal government, everything is free to redistribute.
Tuff TV
http://www.tufftv.com/tuff-tv-live/
This is a small network that features a male-oriented selection of programs, including cooking, outdoors, pro wrestling and a wide variety of sports.
Rev'n
http://www.revntv.com/watch/watch-online/
This channel is mostly automotive-related programming.
Newsmax TV
http://www.newsmaxtv.com/
This channel was originally conceived as a news outlet, a plan that fizzled when it lost its satellite carriage. Its current mission is carrying simulcasts of conservative talk radio shows.
Bloomberg Television
https://www.bloomberg.com/live
Bloomberg has carried a live feed on the Internet for as long as I remember, one of the very few to have done so since the pre-broadband era.
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bkmk
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I have cable it was in a package that came with internet and phone, but I never seem to watch it at all. Most of your cable bill goes to ESPN (ABC) which I hate, but it was part of the package.
I usually stream for free all my tv and movies from Primewire which is little sketchy but so far I have had little problems since I run a good ad-block program (Ublock Origin with a few extra 3rd party blocks subscribed)... but I watch it on my computer screen and it is not HD. But I don't care since I can't see that great anyway. Primewire (dot IS or dot AG or dot ORG) has most older shows and movies to keep me satisfied and it is ad-free. PM me if you want tricks how to view movies etc there.
I do know of one free stream of FOX NEWS. Again I would run an ad-block program like Ublock Origin. I have it on cable but often go there since they have a live chat.
https://vaughnlive.tv/newzviewz
Stream works most the time, but sometimes during peak viewing times you are kicked for not being a VIP member.
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I just got a letter today from ATT offering a 1000Mbps connection. I called 'em up and they're hooking me up Wednesday. No data cap.
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I just got a letter today from ATT offering a 1000Mbps connection. I called 'em up and they're hooking me up Wednesday. No data cap.
Watch yer bill. Those ATT folk are shifty bastages when it comes to feeing you to death
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Watch yer bill. Those ATT folk are shifty bastages when it comes to feeing you to death
They've been pushing their Direct TV on me a long time. The other day I tried to understand their offer. Most of the page was text so small I was using a jeweler's loupe to read it.
I had a headache before I could read it all. There was every extra charge listed known to man.
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Watch yer bill. Those ATT folk are shifty bastages when it comes to feeing you to death
Who isn't these days?
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Comcast loves to reel you in with the bundle -- tv, Internet and phone for $33.33 a month for 3 months, according to the current promotion. But they don't mention all the other charges, nor do they tell you (without some arm twisting) how much the package will be after the 3 month trial period is over.
I suppose the others are the same. I told you all about my encounter with the Verizon Fios salesman. This guy not only wouldn't tell me what I would be paying after the trial period was over, he wouldn't even acknowledge that there was a trial period. Tried to make it seem like the deal was forever. Uh...no, I'm not that dumb.
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I just got a letter today from ATT offering a 1000Mbps connection. I called 'em up and they're hooking me up Wednesday. No data cap.
AT&T called and said I could have a land line for $20. I thought, why not. Twenty bucks is doable. My first bill was 39.60. I called them and said, What are you doing? This is a $20 line! She said yes. It is $20. What!? My bill says $40. She says yes, that is your bill. So I say, because I am STUPID, how is a $20 line $40? She said, Oh, that. Those are fees and taxes. Your bill is only 20, the rest of that goes to the government.
I don't care. You told me it is $20 and it's not. In fact it's $40. That's not us, she says. I don't care.
Watch the fees, and don't believe what they tell you. They have a new and strange form of math over there, where $40 is really $20, in some alternate universe.
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VOIP (voice over internet provider) is less than $50 per YEAR. Check Net Talk. You need internet.
Adding: The point is this: provided you have a mobile/cell phone it is only necessary to pay for the Internet portion, from Cable-phone-internet providers.
If you still want a land line, Net Talk mentioned above is just one of many choices, many ridiculously high in cost.
I "ported" my old home landline, to Net Talk. Our old friends and relatives can still reach us.
The downside to internet phone is this: Should electricity and power go down, it takes your internet service-router down, too.
A cell phone works in that instance. Longer time outage, perhaps requires a standby battery.
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Check this out:
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,267490.0.html
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I don't know what Sling or Roku are, but if you can watch what you want on your tablet, and your tablet has an HDMI output, you can use an HDMI cable (need the right one, my tablet takes a mini HDMI) to take the video and sound from your tablet and run them through the TV. Might not be the long term solution you're looking for, but the cables are cheap and nice to have around anyway.
Sling TV is a service offering some of the most watched cable channels. With add on packages and others add ons like HBO, STARZ, etc--Ala Carte TV.
A Roku is a wifi streaming device. We have ours hooked to a couple of tvs. Through it (our internet) we watch Netflix and Amazon. There a are a ton of channels you can add to it. Free channels. Paid channels. porn channels. whatever.
Look at this link.
http://mkvxstream.blogspot.com/
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A break down of each streaming service:
http://cordcuttersnews.com/directv-now-vs-playstation-vue-vs-sling-tv-vs-fubo-tv-vs-hulu-vs-youtube-tv-break/
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A break down of each streaming service:
http://cordcuttersnews.com/directv-now-vs-playstation-vue-vs-sling-tv-vs-fubo-tv-vs-hulu-vs-youtube-tv-break/
Anyone know anything about these?
https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295 (https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295)
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Anyone know anything about these?
https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295 (https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295)
I don't Is it like an OTT box or Kodi? With those you can stream whatever is on the internet. New movies before they are or are presently in the theatres. See what I am getting at? Some content you can stream may violate copyrights.
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I don't Is it like an OTT box or Kodi? With those you can stream whatever is on the internet. New movies before they are or are presently in the theatres. See what I am getting at? Some content you can stream may violate copyrights.
I don't know, Fred. That's why I am asking all you guys who know more than I do about this stuff.
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Anyone know anything about these?
https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295 (https://www.freeseetv.com/tvfrog/index.html?Affid=285&s1=11410&s2=2584&s3=&s4=3315&s5=81047295)
I haven't heard of this one.
I didn't find much searching either.
http://www.snopes.com/tv-frog/ (http://www.snopes.com/tv-frog/)
"TV Frog appears to be a legitimate (if relatively new and little-known) device used to convert televisions into “smart TVs.” TV Frog does not enable users to watch cable television for free, whether legally or illegally, as it merely provides an internet connection to any given television set. Few reviews and a limited set of customer feedback data makes it difficult to tell if the product is worth buying, but viewers who wish to watch their regular programs without a cable bill will not have much luck with the device for that purpose. We are unable to pinpoint any functions to set TV Frog apart from similar and often less costly devices such as Roku or Chromecast."
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I haven't heard of this one.
I didn't find much searching either.
http://www.snopes.com/tv-frog/ (http://www.snopes.com/tv-frog/)
"TV Frog appears to be a legitimate (if relatively new and little-known) device used to convert televisions into “smart TVs.” TV Frog does not enable users to watch cable television for free, whether legally or illegally, as it merely provides an internet connection to any given television set. Few reviews and a limited set of customer feedback data makes it difficult to tell if the product is worth buying, but viewers who wish to watch their regular programs without a cable bill will not have much luck with the device for that purpose. We are unable to pinpoint any functions to set TV Frog apart from similar and often less costly devices such as Roku or Chromecast."
So it sounds the same as the others. Roku, Chromecast, Firestick, etc. I have a freind who has an OTT box and watches streaming movies all the time. NEW movies. I shy away from things like that. Not the way my luck goes.
@Smokin Joe, if you are looking to cut the cord some of the above mentioned devices are worth a try. I don't know what you like to watch, but I am pretty much down to watching documentaries on youtube on tv via a roku one on my $17 Sony Trintron (it is a good tv) in my bedroom. I don't watch many movies anymore even though we have Netflx and Amazon. Those we have for the wife and grandkids. The grandkids have the tablets Santa brought them for Christmas. And they can access all of it through our wifi. We have a nice flatscreen tv in the front room but hardly ever turn it on. I got me and the wife the same tablets and she watches her shows on MINE ^-^ instead of the tv. Like Orange is the New Black to shield the content from the kids. But she does watch Dr Phil in the front room on antenna tv. I find that the less I watch tv the less I am inclined to watch tv.
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Thanks, @Elderberry !
Thanks, @bigheadfred !
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Keep an eye on Hulu:
Why Hulu is best positioned to win OTT vs. pay TV subscriber race
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,268568.0.html
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Well I got a Chormecast and I love it.. So I think my Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast is suitable enough for me. I think..
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/lot-new-air-tv-channels-just-went-live/
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/lot-new-air-tv-channels-just-went-live/
Thanks. I bet it has been two years since I scanned for antenna tv channels.
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Just curious if anyone can give me an approximate estimate of what it would cost for me to get a combination of Amazon Prime, Hulu etc that would match anything I can get on premium cable/sat minus movie channels?
Basically I want to be able to watch Detroit Tiger games, NASCAR, The SyFy channel, Walking dead etc without paying $200 per month.
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Just curious if anyone can give me an approximate estimate of what it would cost for me to get a combination of Amazon Prime, Hulu etc that would match anything I can get on premium cable/sat minus movie channels?
Basically I want to be able to watch Detroit Tiger games, NASCAR, The SyFy channel, Walking dead etc without paying $200 per month.
Sports is the hard part. I can't tell you about anything other than NASCAR, and that only historically... I despise most sports and always have, But I used to be an avid NASCAR guy (too boring and too many jangley things on the screen nowadays... I am a fan no longer).
BUT a couple things in that regard.
Probably foremost in reliability is a digital antenna. Depending on your area and what channels you can receive, it may well solve the sports problem for free , after the initial investment into the antenna. It is probably a good idea anyway, as if the cable is down in some emergency, you can still get local channels and local news and such.
At the time, when I was still a fan, the Nascar contract was bouncing between NBC and FOX, both of which broadcasted locally, so my viewership remained, uncontested and free.
Another trick is to find a local station somewhere that is streaming their broadcast - No doubt local Detroit is broadcasting Detroit sports, as an instance.
Lastly, often times one can find European stations that stream American sports.
As for syfy and other cable offerings, you can't think in 'channels'. You must think in individual series. I just recently signed up for Netflix, and really haven't subscribed at all, but all of it is almost immediately available online for free.
That is why I like the flexibility of having a pooter hooked to the tv rather than a digital box. I can surf around with my laptop and find new sources... And if my laptop can get to it, so can my tv.
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Sling has a lot of sports channels. I won't know how well football is covered until this fall though.
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Sling has a lot of sports channels. I won't know how well football is covered until this fall though.
Sling Blue looks pretty good for a $25 starter. I could probably add Hulu and individual series from Amazon prime for under $100 per month and get more than I'm getting from Direct TV.
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Sling has a lot of sports channels. I won't know how well football is covered until this fall though.
Just as good... However, right now they don't carry CBS stations..
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FYI...
http://cordcuttersnews.com/flood-live-streaming-local-channels-started/
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Sling Blue looks pretty good for a $25 starter. I could probably add Hulu and individual series from Amazon prime for under $100 per month and get more than I'm getting from Direct TV.
I'm thinking of going to Hulu Live.
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The cable/satellite bleeding is yuge
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,272056.0.html (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,272056.0.html)
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/antenna-direct-officially-announces-clearstream-tv-making-every-antenna-wifi-antenna/
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X-post
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,274552.0.html
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http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Another-Million-Consumers-Cut-the-TV-Cord-Last-Quarter-140097
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http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Another-Million-Consumers-Cut-the-TV-Cord-Last-Quarter-140097
I also saw an article this week that said amazon now had 80 million prime subscribers in the US.
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I also saw an article this week that said amazon now had 80 million prime subscribers in the US.
I'm not surprised..
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Direct TV still doesn't get it. It has been 3 months since I cut the cable and their offers come weekly to resubscribe....Every one is/are Bullshit.... with heavy fees and costs and a 2 year commitment.
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I took a look at DirectTVNow, but no, I ain't going for it.
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I took a look at DirectTVNow, but no, I ain't going for it.
You are wise. 888high58888
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Just ordered an ota antenna from amazon. Curious to see what I'll pick up.
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Just ordered an ota antenna from amazon. Curious to see what I'll pick up.
Hopefully some really hot chicks.
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Hopefully some really hot chicks.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9d/7e/a5/9d7ea5ff52e3e0577703e3fddc6fba8d.jpg)
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So my HD antenna arrived. I attached it to the window, plugged in the amplifier, changed input type to "antenna" on my TV, and scanned for channels. It picked up 30 channels, all HD!
I talked to my wife, I think we'll slowly swap out cable boxes for antennas and see if she misses it. If she doesn't, that's about $100 a month I can save.
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That's great @Weird Tolkienish Figure May I ask what brand of antenna you purchased?
I'm still not sure if I want an antenna or not. I don't watch local channels much anymore except for local news/weather and I can get that by app or online.
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That's great @Weird Tolkienish Figure May I ask what brand of antenna you purchased?
I'm still not sure if I want an antenna or not. I don't watch local channels much anymore except for local news/weather and I can get that by app or online.
$30 with Amazon Prime:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711BRKLR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Comes with a pre-amp, which is why it's able to pick up so many channels most likely, just being from your window.
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Thank you very much. I will look into it. I just gotta get rid of cable.
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That's great @Weird Tolkienish Figure May I ask what brand of antenna you purchased?
I'm still not sure if I want an antenna or not. I don't watch local channels much anymore except for local news/weather and I can get that by app or online.
It'd be worth it for emergencies. My phone and internet are all provided by the cable company... we had a storm come through and it took out cable service, and there I was, dead in the water... Cell towers were overloaded, and I was quite suddenly down to radio only.
I will only get maybe 2 or 3 channels with an ant, but it's on my list now. And I don't even care about the cost - I am saving 70-100 bucks a month for a couple years now, since I dumped cable, so a fifty dollar one-time cost is pretty negligible to me.
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Mine just came today. What a waist of money. I got even less channels than with my 15 dollar Walmart bought one I was using. I don't want to return it to Amazon so I hooked it up to a TV in the "Lets put everything that doesn't match anything room".
If you see this one. Don't buy it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9WM8XR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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FYI: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170815005722/en/Sling-TV-Introduces-In-Browser-Viewing-Google-Chrome
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https://www.cutcabletoday.com/apple-devoting-1-billion-original-content/
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Mine just came today. What a waist of money. I got even less channels than with my 15 dollar Walmart bought one I was using. I don't want to return it to Amazon so I hooked it up to a TV in the "Lets put everything that doesn't match anything room".
If you see this one. Don't buy it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9WM8XR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9WM8XR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I'm looking for a new indoor antenna.. Got any recommendations??
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I'm looking for a new indoor antenna.. Got any recommendations??
I wish. But no Kevin.
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I went up in the attic to see what kinda antenna I'm using. It has Thomson ant537 printed on it. I've had it for quite a few years now. Works good. I'm in the city though and last time I did a channel search the tv came back with too many damn channels. I think its sold as a RCA item. Don't know if you can still get it. That model at least.
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https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/life/free-tv-apps/
http://cordcuttersnews.com/the-top-5-free-streaming-services-everyone-should-try/
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Mine just came today. What a waist of money. I got even less channels than with my 15 dollar Walmart bought one I was using. I don't want to return it to Amazon so I hooked it up to a TV in the "Lets put everything that doesn't match anything room".
If you see this one. Don't buy it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9WM8XR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I had to move to an apartment a couple of years ago, I tried those flat amplified antennas and they just couldn't cut it, too far from the transmitters and obstruction from the second story apartments. I went to an 80 mile outdoor antenna, Amazons 1byone
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Digital-Amplified-Extremely-Performance/dp/B00ZI9LWS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503163894&sr=1-2&keywords=80+mile+range+tv+antenna
Put it on a ten foot stick of EMT and I can get all the majors including PBS and of course the ones that come in best are the Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and sellucraps, but it's been pretty bulletproof.
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I had to move to an apartment a couple of years ago, I tried those flat amplified antennas and they just couldn't cut it, too far from the transmitters and obstruction from the second story apartments. I went to an 80 mile outdoor antenna, Amazons 1byone
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Digital-Amplified-Extremely-Performance/dp/B00ZI9LWS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503163894&sr=1-2&keywords=80+mile+range+tv+antenna
Put it on a ten foot stick of EMT and I can get all the majors including PBS and of course the ones that come in best are the Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and sellucraps, but it's been pretty bulletproof.
Darn. 29.99. Might give that a go I can mount it on my Direct TV dish poll.
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/amazon-ramping-original-programming/
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/amazon-ramping-original-programming/
Good. I have been looking for the 3rd season of Man in the High Castle. Interesting show.
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Good. I have been looking for the 3rd season of Man in the High Castle. Interesting show.
Same here... I'm hoping that Amazon picks up Oasis. But the reality is this. We are seeing a change in how TV is being viewed and it is for the good imho.
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Same here... I'm hoping that Amazon picks up Oasis. But the reality is this. We are seeing a change in how TV is being viewed and it is for the good imho.
I agree.
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I had to move to an apartment a couple of years ago, I tried those flat amplified antennas and they just couldn't cut it, too far from the transmitters and obstruction from the second story apartments. I went to an 80 mile outdoor antenna, Amazons 1byone
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Digital-Amplified-Extremely-Performance/dp/B00ZI9LWS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503163894&sr=1-2&keywords=80+mile+range+tv+antenna
Put it on a ten foot stick of EMT and I can get all the majors including PBS and of course the ones that come in best are the Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and sellucraps, but it's been pretty bulletproof.
Looks like quite an antenna for a great price. With that many directors, its going to be quite directional.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/28/meet-the-sometime-streamer-tv-watchers-who-sign-up-for-one-show-then-cancel/?utm_term=.26786f88f5dc
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/28/meet-the-sometime-streamer-tv-watchers-who-sign-up-for-one-show-then-cancel/?utm_term=.26786f88f5dc
Thank you for that article, Kevin.
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I had to move to an apartment a couple of years ago, I tried those flat amplified antennas and they just couldn't cut it, too far from the transmitters and obstruction from the second story apartments. I went to an 80 mile outdoor antenna, Amazons 1byone
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Digital-Amplified-Extremely-Performance/dp/B00ZI9LWS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503163894&sr=1-2&keywords=80+mile+range+tv+antenna
Put it on a ten foot stick of EMT and I can get all the majors including PBS and of course the ones that come in best are the Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and sellucraps, but it's been pretty bulletproof.
@GtHawk
Did you stick it out the window, or what?
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@GtHawk
Did you stick it out the window, or what?
Fortunately I live on the first floor, can't deal with stairs, and have a patio. Even with the obstruction of second floor units I have the antenna on a ten foot stick of EMT and can orient it well enough with the transmitters that I almost always have uninterrupted reception, probably be bulletproof another ten feet up. The indoor antennas are worthless unless you are reasonably close to the transmitter and have an unobstructed exposure, at least in my experience.
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/according-fcc-americans-now-fewer-pay-tv-options/
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http://cordcuttersnews.com/according-fcc-americans-now-fewer-pay-tv-options/
Egg-cellent! I hope cable and satellite starve to death.
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Egg-cellent! I hope cable and satellite starve to death.
I've been triggered!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F825cdwotdM
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I've been thinking about where all this leads (form an economics bent).
Let's say along with the big channels, $50/mon of my cable bill is for 100 channels, or 50 cents each. Maybe I watch five of them, and subsidize 95. But any of those channels also has viewers that are subsidizing my channels.
Now we move to ala carte. To make up for the subsidies, my channels would need to charge me a lot more. Assuming markets are rational [a theory I'll butcher in a moment], it should come to ABOUT $10/mon each. [I emphasize 'about' because I'm skipping a few details here that some will recognize, but I think for discussion's sake $10 is close enough].
Once consumers see that price, I think many will drop one or more channels (further driving prices up to make up for lost revenue). Yes, I'm saying that a consumer who is willing to pay $50/mon for five channels will not be willing to pay $50/mon for five channels.
So, say goodbye to the SciFi channel (and hundreds of others only viewed by a small percentage of viewers).
Who wins? Well, the big networks now have a lot less competition. Also I think people will turn to homemade video, internet content, social media, etc. Actually reading a book or talking to your family -- not so much. So we get rid of the decent but not great production quality channels (the middle class?) and replace it with more on the high end and more on the low end ("income" inequality?).
Or not.
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I've been thinking about where all this leads (form an economics bent).
Let's say along with the big channels, $50/mon of my cable bill is for 100 channels, or 50 cents each. Maybe I watch five of them, and subsidize 95. But any of those channels also has viewers that are subsidizing my channels.
Now we move to ala carte. To make up for the subsidies, my channels would need to charge me a lot more. Assuming markets are rational [a theory I'll butcher in a moment], it should come to ABOUT $10/mon each. [I emphasize 'about' because I'm skipping a few details here that some will recognize, but I think for discussion's sake $10 is close enough].
Once consumers see that price, I think many will drop one or more channels (further driving prices up to make up for lost revenue). Yes, I'm saying that a consumer who is willing to pay $50/mon for five channels will not be willing to pay $50/mon for five channels.
So, say goodbye to the SciFi channel (and hundreds of others only viewed by a small percentage of viewers).
Who wins? Well, the big networks now have a lot less competition. Also I think people will turn to homemade video, internet content, social media, etc. Actually reading a book or talking to your family -- not so much. So we get rid of the decent but not great production quality channels (the middle class?) and replace it with more on the high end and more on the low end ("income" inequality?).
Or not.
As long as we are batting ideas about, I can see sports channel consolidation, or network channels offering a range (Fox with business, sports, news, adding an entertainment channel or two and selling that package). I can see the clusters of channels getting smaller, but will that mean more variety in clusters of channels, or will it mean every group will try to be 'the one' you subscribe to, with their smaller variety of related channels? That could put things like TBS, TNT, together with CNN and an 'old shows' network in one clump, NatGeo, Sci, Discovery in another cluster with their own news channel, or add in a weather channel on any of them (there are a few different ones, some just local).
I'm not sure some of the more special interest nets would go away, just get folded in and the whole package thing happen on a smaller scale. In fact, that's where I think things will likely go, and the bigger groups like OWN may have a variety of packages which support their lesser feeds to keep those alive and pad out the package.
While the channel packs may get smaller and even more specialized, I think they will try to give a cluster of channels with a little broader appeal in order to pull more people in and give the appearance of giving more for the price of that smaller package than just one channel for 7 or 10 bucks a month.
Face it, there are few channels out there that people are going to want to shell ten bucks a month for that aren't offering premium content, and even the movie channels go flat after a month or two because of repetition. It would not take long to watch all the 4+ star IMDB 5 or higher movies or shows on any one offering group, and you can only watch so much mediocre TV.
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While the channel packs may get smaller and even more specialized, I think they will try to give a cluster of channels with a little broader appeal in order to pull more people in and give the appearance of giving more for the price of that smaller package than just one channel for 7 or 10 bucks a month.
Could be. I think the advertisers will look at the smaller pool of potential viewers and be willing to pay less, and subscribers will not be willing to make up the difference by paying more. I could be way off base here, I have no idea how much revenue comes from each, or what people are willing to pay.
What I'm pretty certain of is that if ala carte pricing does take off, it's not going to be 'everything's the same but I only pay for what I want to pay for'.
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The argument should be whether it is worth paying for at all.
TV was free for most of it's life, with the cost being borne by advertisers.
Cable changed that dynamic, getting it's revenue coming and going, with bundling protecting garbage programming, and enabling indoctrination and poorer and poorer programming...
The value to day in real programming is far inferior to TV in it's heyday.
In fact, I am paying them exactly what they deserve. Nothing at all.
Hooray, I say. I hope they are driven into the ground. for the colossal waste of intellect that it is.
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And, why am I paying for TV AND commercials?
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Could be. I think the advertisers will look at the smaller pool of potential viewers and be willing to pay less, and subscribers will not be willing to make up the difference by paying more. I could be way off base here, I have no idea how much revenue comes from each, or what people are willing to pay.
What I'm pretty certain of is that if ala carte pricing does take off, it's not going to be 'everything's the same but I only pay for what I want to pay for'.
I think you are right about pricing, and it could mean a golden age for TV--or not. If a network has a 'hot' show, or more than one, they will be more expensive.
I think the less appealing will have a lower price range.
What that will eventually mean is that the 'firstest with the mostest' will get fatter, faster, to stay that way. and I think that is already happening in the current competition between providers like Amazon for hot shows. For writers/actors it is a golden age because there will be more competition for hot show ideas and good writing/acting/production/editing/CGI to pull those ideas from concept to a hit.
I can also see the hottest YouTube channels going commercial on their own if they can keep the material fresh.
And I can forsee a 'no commercials' option at a premium, too. (surcharge, whatever).
Considering the average cable subscriber is already paying for 1/4 or more of their airtime (although usually in the middle of the night) to be infomercials (which pay both ways, subscriber and advertiser both chip in), the no commercial option will come at a price, likely 12 hour programming that repeats.
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And, why am I paying for TV AND commercials?
Answer #1: Because the companies have determined that the current combination of about 1/3 ads and 2/3 content maximizes their revenue. You could have 100% content, but for a higher price, and they don't think you'll pay that.
Answer #2: I don't know, it's your money, why are YOU paying.... (really just another form of answer #1).
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I think you are right about pricing, and it could mean a golden age for TV--or not. If a network has a 'hot' show, or more than one, they will be more expensive.
I think the less appealing will have a lower price range.
But, isn't a network just a very small package?
Technology is (has) taking us to a place where (for those not using free legacy OTA connections exclusively) networks aren't required. You could subscribe to an individual show, or even just pay per episode.
And now that the blatantly obvious has just hit me in the face, isn't Amazon Prime (the TV/movie part) just a network with video on demand? Or, IOW, a package? Meet the new boss?
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But, isn't a network just a very small package?
Technology is (has) taking us to a place where (for those not using free legacy OTA connections exclusively) networks aren't required. You could subscribe to an individual show, or even just pay per episode.
And now that the blatantly obvious has just hit me in the face, isn't Amazon Prime (the TV/movie part) just a network with video on demand? Or, IOW, a package? Meet the new boss?
Precisely, Prime, Hulu, Any of the streaming services essentially offer packages and premium channels/PPV movies, etc. as well. Prime just comes with free shipping on a lot of stuff.
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And, why am I paying for TV AND commercials?
All your base...
All I watch is Youtube now. And that is lessening.
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Been putting off for months, reinstalling KODI (v 17.4), I'm a bit of a Techie and it is a Bitch to configure, but well worth the 3 hours to cram it into a Win10 box and seems stable also.
link to program:
https://kodi.tv/ (https://kodi.tv/)
There are plenty of youtube videos on how to configure it.
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Egg-cellent! I hope cable and satellite starve to death.
Same here.
-
As long as we are batting ideas about, I can see sports channel consolidation, or network channels offering a range (Fox with business, sports, news, adding an entertainment channel or two and selling that package). I can see the clusters of channels getting smaller, but will that mean more variety in clusters of channels, or will it mean every group will try to be 'the one' you subscribe to, with their smaller variety of related channels? That could put things like TBS, TNT, together with CNN and an 'old shows' network in one clump, NatGeo, Sci, Discovery in another cluster with their own news channel, or add in a weather channel on any of them (there are a few different ones, some just local).
I'm not sure some of the more special interest nets would go away, just get folded in and the whole package thing happen on a smaller scale. In fact, that's where I think things will likely go, and the bigger groups like OWN may have a variety of packages which support their lesser feeds to keep those alive and pad out the package.
While the channel packs may get smaller and even more specialized, I think they will try to give a cluster of channels with a little broader appeal in order to pull more people in and give the appearance of giving more for the price of that smaller package than just one channel for 7 or 10 bucks a month.
Face it, there are few channels out there that people are going to want to shell ten bucks a month for that aren't offering premium content, and even the movie channels go flat after a month or two because of repetition. It would not take long to watch all the 4+ star IMDB 5 or higher movies or shows on any one offering group, and you can only watch so much mediocre TV.
That could happen. The reality is this, I was spending $100 for just a few channels and to top it off, I was paying for the infomercials, and very very obscure channels that will fade away.
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Been putting off for months, reinstalling KODI (v 17.4), I'm a bit of a Techie and it is a Bitch to configure, but well worth the 3 hours to cram it into a Win10 box and seems stable also.
link to program:
https://kodi.tv/ (https://kodi.tv/)
There are plenty of youtube videos on how to configure it.
Wait... you went to the trouble of installing Kodi... and then you chose to put it on a Win10 box?
...Why?
:huh?:
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That could happen. The reality is this, I was spending $100 for just a few channels and to top it off, I was paying for the infomercials, and very very obscure channels that will fade away.
Yep. Keyword: "was".I already had Amazon Prime. I got the prime stick and enhanced my viewing options considerably. Ditched previous cable provider and got an upgrade to fiber internet which let the prime stick work, and was bundled with landline and teevee for about 60% of what I was paying for all three with less bandwidth. I'll be checking into Kodi, too, for the little Win 10 machine I picked up recently (so I could learn something newer than XP).
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Wait... you went to the trouble of installing Kodi... and then you chose to put it on a Win10 box?
...Why?
:huh?:
Curious, but why not?
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Curious, but why not?
JMHO, but Win10 sucks. Kodi would be much happier on a little Linux box. In fact, there are Linux distros preconfigured to run Kodi, including versions that run on the Raspberry Pi. :shrug:
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Also, an FYI.. Do not get a Smart TV (at least a Samsung one).
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JMHO, but Win10 sucks. Kodi would be much happier on a little Linux box. In fact, there are Linux distros preconfigured to run Kodi, including versions that run on the Raspberry Pi. :shrug:
I haven't run the machine yet, but that is what I have heard about Win10. I was wondering if there were other reasons. Unfortunately, I can't authenticate the still wrapped versions I have of XP anyway, and the other software out there forces an update to something new. I still have a bunch of XP machines. Never moved 'up' to Vista, 7, or the 8s. Vista was a nevermind, 7 didn't seem to do much XP couldn't that I needed done, anyway, and the 8s were cussed out of the box. That means, though the computers I am running are getting like the B-52 fleet.
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I haven't run the machine yet, but that is what I have heard about Win10. I was wondering if there were other reasons. Unfortunately, I can't authenticate the still wrapped versions I have of XP anyway, and the other software out there forces an update to something new. I still have a bunch of XP machines. Never moved 'up' to Vista, 7, or the 8s. Vista was a nevermind, 7 didn't seem to do much XP couldn't that I needed done, anyway, and the 8s were cussed out of the box. That means, though the computers I am running are getting like the B-52 fleet.
I held onto XP on my home system as long as I could, but finally had to upgrade to 7 as too many new applications no longer supported XP. That being said, 7 will probably be the last version of Windows that I run at home, as I dislike both 8 and 10.
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Also, an FYI.. Do not get a Smart TV (at least a Samsung one).
Yeah. I have one. I can't believe how much bandwidth it took from my router! Finally pissed it off by declaring it needed a fixed IP and then gave it an IP to nowhere. So it's busted. Now, with a standard windows computer hooked up to the tv (in tv mode), it uses tons less bandwidth.
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Aren't the Samsung Smart TVs the ones that have all the spying tech in them?
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Aren't the Samsung Smart TVs the ones that have all the spying tech in them?
I think so, however, the problem is that they don't get updated.
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I think so, however, the problem is that they don't get updated.
They sure don't when they don't have network... Works for me.
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I was in the PC Business till Win 10 came out, Retired.
I had an old dual core with Win10 locked in (no win 7 number) sitting around and decided to try it, It suxs.
But my ol lady gets lost in youtube videos for hours and I am one happy camper, sans Linux.
PS: Dwight Yoakum still suxs, too.
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I was in the PC Business till Win 10 came out, Retired.
I had an old dual core with Win10 locked in (no win 7 number) sitting around and decided to try it, It suxs.
But my ol lady gets lost in youtube videos for hours and I am one happy camper, sans Linux.
PS: Dwight Yoakum still suxs, too.
@corbe ...Ah, Win10 is alright, once you get all the spyware crap shut off, and if you use a local user...
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@roamer_1
I still work on Win10 boxes, I always throw Classic Shell on first, It was time to retire for me, anyway, even had they called it Win 9.
Do hope I'm still here for Win 12 or Broken Windows, whatever their brilliant Marketing department can come up with to sell the crap.
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Good news:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/07/comcast-shares-down-on-subscriber-loss-news.html
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I just discovered a new app on Roku and Amazon Fire (can't find it on Apple TV). Pluto TV. It has hundreds of channels combined into one with a launchpad and a schedule bar very similar to a cable box so you can see what's on. It isn't just junk channels either. They have a lot of great news channels like Sky TV and Newsmax. Plus, they stream a lot of network affiliate channels from around the country (CBS/ABC/NBC). You can also browse the guide to see what's on while watching a show in a sub window. And.. it is free. It just has ads, but so far, they aren't constant annoyances.
(https://services.tegrazone.com/sites/default/files/article-screenshots/PlutoTV.jpg)
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Wait... you went to the trouble of installing Kodi... and then you chose to put it on a Win10 box?
...Why?
:huh?:
Why not?
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Why not?
Asked, (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,261239.msg1442113.html#msg1442113) answered. (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,261239.msg1442147.html#msg1442147)
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Asked, (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,261239.msg1442113.html#msg1442113) answered. (http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,261239.msg1442147.html#msg1442147)
I find Windows 10 perfectly usable, use it every day at work.
I also use a number of Linux machines.
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I find Windows 10 perfectly usable, use it every day at work.
I also use a number of Linux machines.
Just because it's usable does not mean it doesn't suck, and it doesn't mean that it would be the best (or even a decent) choice for hosting a Kodi install. When I set up Kodi (or similar program) at home it will most likely be on a Linux box. But everyone has their preferences, I'm not looking to reignite an OS discussion on a thread which should be about cord cutting.
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Just because it's usable does not mean it doesn't suck,
Well no, it doesn't suck either, maybe not your cup of tea, but it works well if you know what you're doing.
Same with Linux.
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Well no, it doesn't suck either, maybe not your cup of tea, but it works well if you know what you're doing.
Please note that you left out an important part, "it doesn't suck" in your opinion. Note that in my linked post, I included the disclaimer "JMHO" (just my honest opinion) before saying that Win10 sucks.
Suckage is almost always a matter of opinion. So in your opinion, Win10 doesn't suck, good for you. In my opinion, it does.
Now what? *****rollingeyes*****
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Please note that you left out an important part, "it doesn't suck" in your opinion. Note that in my linked post, I included the disclaimer "JMHO" (just my honest opinion) before saying that Win10 sucks.
Suckage is almost always a matter of opinion. So in your opinion, Win10 doesn't suck, good for you. In my opinion, it does.
Now what? *****rollingeyes*****
I'm here to prevent the scourge of ignorant OS opinionating. My work here is done.
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I'm here to prevent perpetuate the scourge of ignorant OS opinionating. My work here is done.
Fixed it for you.
-
Fixed it for you.
22222frying pan
What you want to have a cyber-know-off or something?
-
What you want to have a cyber-know-off or something?
I explicitly said that I didn't, and yet you just can't seem to let go of the idea that someone might have a different opinion of Win10 than you do.
OK, Win10 is the greatest OS ever created in the history of computing.
Happy now? *****rollingeyes*****
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Wow. Some people could argue over which kitten is the cutest. Or, what breakfast cereal tastes best. Or.....
9999hair out0000
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Bookmarking for the info, ignoring the arguments. ****slapping
-
Wow. Some people could argue over which kitten is the cutest. Or, what breakfast cereal tastes best. Or.....
Yeah... it's not like it's a new argument or anything...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixQE496Pcn8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixQE496Pcn8)
(Clip dates from 1991, btw...)
-
Wow. Some people could argue over which kitten is the cutest. Or, what breakfast cereal tastes best. Or.....
9999hair out0000
It's the same answer for both: Mine!!!! :silly:
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Wow. Some people could argue over which kitten is the cutest. Or, what breakfast cereal tastes best. Or.....
9999hair out0000
Rice Krispies or you're a commie.
-
I just discovered a new app on Roku and Amazon Fire (can't find it on Apple TV). Pluto TV. It has hundreds of channels combined into one with a launchpad and a schedule bar very similar to a cable box so you can see what's on. It isn't just junk channels either. They have a lot of great news channels like Sky TV and Newsmax. Plus, they stream a lot of network affiliate channels from around the country (CBS/ABC/NBC). You can also browse the guide to see what's on while watching a show in a sub window. And.. it is free. It just has ads, but so far, they aren't constant annoyances.
(https://services.tegrazone.com/sites/default/files/article-screenshots/PlutoTV.jpg)
Pluto? I hadn't heard of it. Thanks! I'll check it out.
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Rice Krispies or you're a commie.
Close. Kocoa Krispies.
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Wow. Some people could argue over which kitten is the cutest. Or, what breakfast cereal tastes best. Or.....
9999hair out0000
Cereal?
I'll pass.
Make it fried eggs, over easy, grits, flapjacks, and bacon.
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Cereal?
I'll pass.
Make it fried eggs, over easy, grits, flapjacks, and bacon.
No, eggs hard fried and bacon. Mmmmm!
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Cereal?
I'll pass.
Make it fried eggs, over easy, grits, flapjacks, and bacon.
I haven't had good grits in 20 years. Cheesy grits is a favorite of mine.
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I just discovered a new app on Roku and Amazon Fire (can't find it on Apple TV). Pluto TV. It has hundreds of channels combined into one with a launchpad and a schedule bar very similar to a cable box so you can see what's on. It isn't just junk channels either. They have a lot of great news channels like Sky TV and Newsmax. Plus, they stream a lot of network affiliate channels from around the country (CBS/ABC/NBC). You can also browse the guide to see what's on while watching a show in a sub window. And.. it is free. It just has ads, but so far, they aren't constant annoyances.
(https://services.tegrazone.com/sites/default/files/article-screenshots/PlutoTV.jpg)
I have known about Pluto TV for some time. It has gotten better. The ads doesn't bother me.
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No, eggs hard fried and bacon. Mmmmm!
If they're fried hard, then you don't have any yolk to sop up with your toast.
It's over easy.
Wanna fight?? ****slapping
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If they're fried hard, then you don't have any yolk to sop up with your toast.
It's over easy.
Wanna fight?? ****slapping
LOL. :chairbang:
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If they're fried hard, then you don't have any yolk to sop up with your toast.
It's over easy.
Wanna fight?? ****slapping
Lol.... reminds me of the time I was humiliated over the breakfast that I, as a new bride that didn't know much about cooking, prepared for my then-husband and his family. Hey....what's wrong with scrambled eggs & grits???
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With cereal no one ends up with egg on their face.
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Lol.... reminds me of the time I was humiliated over the breakfast that I, as a new bride that didn't know much about cooking, prepared for my then-husband and his family. Hey....what's wrong with scrambled eggs & grits???
Actually...... that sounds quite tasty to me.
You could put cheese in both and let it all melt together as one. ^-^
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Cable TV Prices Are Increasing Again
http://cordcuttersnews.com/cable-tv-prices-increasing/
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I got an email from Roku, indicating they have added a channel of their own. Roku TV with free movies.
Also saw it last night, on my main TV then tried it. It does have commercials. So the movies are interrupted. I let the movies about Cassius Clay, put me to sleep.
When I started my journey to streaming several years, Roku was my 2nd device. (the 1st had been an Insignia Best Buy branded "blue-ray DVD and streaming player."
I swear by Roku. (3 now at my house, plus I gave one to my sister--newest, cheapest Express model)
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I swear by Roku.
When I pulled the plug on Dish recently, I went with Roku. I started out with Playstation Vue and ran right into my data cap. I had to throttle it at my router to stay under the limit. I now have unlimited so its no longer a problem.
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I swear by Roku. (3 now at my house, plus I gave one to my sister--newest, cheapest Express model)
@truth_seeker
Question:
Roku offers One America News, is that true? And is there extra cost in subscription?
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When I pulled the plug on Dish recently, I went with Roku. I started out with Playstation Vue and ran right into my data cap. I had to throttle it at my router to stay under the limit. I now have unlimited so its no longer a problem.
@truth_seeker
@Elderberry
I used to have Roku, but I switched to Amazon Fire TV (since we have Amazon Prime), and Chrome cast.
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@truth_seeker
Question:
Roku offers One America News, is that true? And is there extra cost in subscription?
Roku does show a paid channel for OAN. Cost probably $10/mo. or less.
https://channelstore.roku.com/details/50827/one-america-news-network
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Roku does show a paid channel for OAN. Cost probably $10/mo. or less.
https://channelstore.roku.com/details/50827/one-america-news-network
Well, doggone it. How is it that they can't give you a direct price?
Shoot.
But thanks for your help.
:beer:
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Well, doggone it. How is it that they can't give you a direct price?
Shoot.
But thanks for your help.
:beer:
$4.99 per month
https://www.rokuguide.com/channels/one-america-news-network
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$4.99 per month
https://www.rokuguide.com/channels/one-america-news-network
Thanks so much. I will keep that guide around.
Figuring on buying the 100 dollar Roku box.
Any reason to talk me out of it and into the cheap seats?
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Thanks so much. I will keep that guide around.
Figuring on buying the 100 dollar Roku box.
Any reason to talk me out of it and into the cheap seats?
My Roku has earphones. That is the top model (Roku 3 at the time). I got it for free, for prepaying 3 months of SlingTV.
However they all work fine.
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America Fights Back: Record Number of Patriotic Cord-Cutters Tumble TV Stocks
Breitbart, Oct 13, 2017
There is only one way — one! — to finally and forever destroy Hollywood and much of the mainstream media. You have to cut your cable or satellite cord. You have to cancel your pay TV package. The one-legged stool propping up ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, Disney, MTV, and the entire Tinseltown crime syndicate is you paying for cable TV.
If you want to know how this scam works, read all about it here.
If you want to know what do to after you cut the cord for America, read all about it here.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there is no single act any American can perform that will do more damage to the institutional left than to cut your cable/satellite cord. So please do so today. If that sounds like hyperbole, look at the recent news, look at what cord-cutting is already doing to Hollywood:
Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/10/13/america-fights-back-record-number-patriotic-cord-cutters-tumble-tv-stocks/
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I don't know if cord cutters are patriotic. I just think they are tired of paying through the nose for lousy programming.
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America Fights Back: Record Number of Patriotic Cord-Cutters Tumble TV Stocks
Breitbart, Oct 13, 2017
Whoa. ATT alone -400,000 subs in one quarter.
How long can that go on?
Spectrum called again yesterday - Offered my old $80 dollar package to me for $15.00...
Not even at that price. Heck, maybe not even for free.
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Whoa. ATT alone -400,000 subs in one quarter.
How long can that go on?
Spectrum called again yesterday - Offered my old $80 dollar package to me for $15.00...
Not even at that price. Heck, maybe not even for free.
And you know that $15 price is a come-on. Probably for 3 months. Then watch the price jump up to $100 or more.
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I don't know if cord cutters are patriotic. I just think they are tired of paying through the nose for lousy programming.
I agree.. It is not patriotic, I'm pretty anti-American scum are doing the same thing. It just that people are getting tired of paying $100 for a few channels and lousy programming.
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Whoa. ATT alone -400,000 subs in one quarter.
How long can that go on?
Spectrum called again yesterday - Offered my old $80 dollar package to me for $15.00...
Not even at that price. Heck, maybe not even for free.
Guess they are going to raise their rates.
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Whoa. ATT alone -400,000 subs in one quarter.
How long can that go on?
Spectrum called again yesterday - Offered my old $80 dollar package to me for $15.00...
Not even at that price. Heck, maybe not even for free.
Since AT&T bought DirecTV, they've been reducing support for their U-Verse cable service and pushing subscribers to DirecTV. Instead, most people who drop U-Verse go to streaming instead. When we finally get sick enough of U-Verse losing the signal and rebooting our router for no apparent reason, we'll do the same.
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Guess they are going to raise their rates.
Yeah - I fully expect the cable bill to go up, and basic cable in the package for 'free' (whether you want it or not).
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And you know that $15 price is a come-on. Probably for 3 months. Then watch the price jump up to $100 or more.
Fifteen bucks for the first year...
But then I remembered... another 7 bucks each for three decoders... so '15' is really '$36'... call it $40 by the time the Gore tax gets added...Sneaky bastards...
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Yeah - I fully expect the cable bill to go up, and basic cable in the package for 'free' (whether you want it or not).
Which will consist of 900 home channels and a channel that you like with 9000 channels you don't need.
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Which will consist of 900 home channels and a channel that you like with 9000 channels you don't need.
Yep. About like when I left. Only worse... :laugh:
But It won't matter none... now that I know the answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2KA1_7FVpc
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ6INAayEJI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ6INAayEJI)
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Sling TV Added 711,000 Subscribers in 2017
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/sling-tv-added-711000-subscribers-2017/
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Congratulations Sling! I have it and I love it.
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Roku Ended 2017 on A Strong Note
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/roku-ended-2017-strong-note/
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We've been happy with Roku so far, except for the remote. So I picked up a couple of universals so we have tv volume (and more) controls on the same RC.
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I went with Roku several years ago. Don't see any reason to change. Amazon Prime--$10/month and the four stream Netflix package. Which is $14 a month. My son and my mom and my sister have my Netflix password/log in--thus the 4 stream. I recently downgraded my internet from Cable One to the $55 package. They have a data cap. I was blasting wifi across the street to my son and his online gaming forced us into a higher data category $$$. But now his wife works for CenturyLink so they have their own ISP. So I am in the $80 range per month for all of our online entertainment/use. Using some good old rabbit ears to pick up the local tv stations.
Newer movies we rent at the Redbox.
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Study: The Top 5 Reasons People Ditch Cable For Cord Cutting
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/study-the-top-5-reasons-people-ditch-cable-for-cord-cutting/
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Thanks for the link, @kevindavis I wonder about the 3.1% who listed Oher as their reason for cord cutting.
As expected, price and rethinking one's budget is the primary reason. Cable has priced itself out of most people's budgets. As a senior, I can't be as extravagant as I once was. Right now I have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sling. Combined, they are a heckuva lot cheaper than cable.
I'm getting to the point where I hardly watch tv anymore. I have a big screen laptop that works fine, When this tv set dies, I might just not get a replacement. I don't have family and I seldom have company over. Why do I have to have an actual tv?
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I bought myself a little portable digital television a couple months ago. Where I live in a valley, you can't pick up doodoo for TV signals, but it turns out the hilltops around here, at least a couple of them, are state forests, and the reception up there is far better. So, when I really want to watch a TV show on one of the networks that I can't get online (which is pretty rare), I just take my TV up to the top of the hill and watch it.
Other than my Internet connection, I'm proud to say I don't have to pay a dime for television without a shred of piracy.
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Thanks for the link, @kevindavis I wonder about the 3.1% who listed Oher as their reason for cord cutting.
@Applewood , I have the money... I can afford a decent cable package - somewhat better than basic...
While money is an important part of why I quit - The went encrypted here to fight those who steal cable... The resulting required hardware (a rented box for each tv) is what finally broke the camel's back...
But indeed, why I will not go back is content.
It's crap... It's nearly ALL crap. And I cannot support the little good I find without supporting the mountain of crap. And as it turns out, I don't need any of it.
I have Netflix, but by far and away, I watch youtube. Farmer stuff. Homesteader stuff... Bushcrafting and survival stuff. Real people doing real stuff.
I'm getting to the point where I hardly watch tv anymore. I have a big screen laptop that works fine, When this tv set dies, I might just not get a replacement. I don't have family and I seldom have company over. Why do I have to have an actual tv?
I still have TVs. In fact, I just bought a 55" monster tv for my living room... But I bought it used for 150 bucks. The one in my guest bedroom was free, because it was broken, and I fixed it.
I sure as heck won't be buying a new one.
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@Applewood , I have the money... I can afford a decent cable package - somewhat better than basic...
While money is an important part of why I quit - The went encrypted here to fight those who steal cable... The resulting required hardware (a rented box for each tv) is what finally broke the camel's back...
But indeed, why I will not go back is content.
It's crap... It's nearly ALL crap. And I cannot support the little good I find without supporting the mountain of crap. And as it turns out, I don't need any of it.
I have Netflix, but by far and away, I watch youtube. Farmer stuff. Homesteader stuff... Bushcrafting and survival stuff. Real people doing real stuff.
I still have TVs. In fact, I just bought a 55" monster tv for my living room... But I bought it used for 150 bucks. The one in my guest bedroom was free, because it was broken, and I fixed it.
I sure as heck won't be buying a new one.
I run everything through one of these:
https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/ (https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/)
I rent a cable card from the ISP for $5/mon which goes in it and decrypts the content. The only thing you can't do is the on demand stuff. The FCC requires the companies to provide cards so they can't force you to use their set top boxes.
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I run everything through one of these:
https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/ (https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-prime/)
I rent a cable card from the ISP for $5/mon which goes in it and decrypts the content. The only thing you can't do is the on demand stuff. The FCC requires the companies to provide cards so they can't force you to use their set top boxes.
Well, ain't that something... I might just check into that, though really, I don't need any of it anymore (cable content), so mebbe a day late and a dollar short... :shrug: :beer:
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Hulu Now Has Over 800,000 Live TV Subscribers
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/hulu-now-has-over-800000-live-tv-subscribers/
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I suppose Hulu will see an increase in subscribers now that Netflix is becoming the Obama indoctrination network.
-
I suppose Hulu will see an increase in subscribers now that Netflix is becoming the Obama indoctrination network.
It does not both one iota that Netflix has an Obama show or partnership.
However, if they start pushing an agenda, then that will matter.
-
I signed up for CBS All Access yesterday, which may be the last piece of the puzzle we needed in order to drop cable. Browsed through what's available and there's some interesting old stuff, in addition to current shows. Sprung for the $9.99 no-commercials package, so we'll see how that works. :shrug:
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It does not both one iota that Netflix has an Obama show or partnership.
However, if they start pushing an agenda, then that will matter.
You better believe this programming will be pushing an agenda. Oh, it will start with Obama/Soros programming of maybe a handful of shows. But before long, anything from, say, the 1950s, which promotes old fashioned values and good clean fun wil be purged in favor of new, kill whitey, gun confiscation, indoctrinate the kiddies, social justice themed crap.
-
You better believe this programming will be pushing an agenda. Oh, it will start with Obama/Soros programming of maybe a handful of shows. But before long, anything from, say, the 1950s, which promotes old fashioned values and good clean fun wil be purged in favor of new, kill whitey, gun confiscation, indoctrinate the kiddies, social justice themed crap.
It seems like they can't put a show on without loading it with homosexuals. Maybe that's the normal state of affairs in media circles and in DC (Which I understand has the highest concentration of those folks in the country), but that doesn't sell in the hinterlands, it is at best endured by many. I just turn that sh*t off.
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You better believe this programming will be pushing an agenda. Oh, it will start with Obama/Soros programming of maybe a handful of shows. But before long, anything from, say, the 1950s, which promotes old fashioned values and good clean fun wil be purged in favor of new, kill whitey, gun confiscation, indoctrinate the kiddies, social justice themed crap.
They already do. At least Stranger Things 2 did. But then again, I expect that. I generally just watch the network TV and movies, and I already know that stuff pushes an agenda.
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Cord-Cutting Keeps Churning: U.S. Pay-TV Cancelers to Hit 33 Million in 2018 (Study)
https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/cord-cutting-2018-estimates-33-million-us-study-1202881488/
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Comcast, Dish, AT&T to Raise TV Prices to Counter Cord-Cutting
Giants including Comcast Corp., Dish Network Corp. and AT&T Inc.’s DirecTV plan to raise rates again in the new year, a move that could boost revenue but risks alienating subscribers who have been ditching their traditional TV subscriptions in record numbers.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-04/comcast-at-t-raise-prices-to-counter-cord-cutting-higher-costs (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-04/comcast-at-t-raise-prices-to-counter-cord-cutting-higher-costs)
***
Sure. Let's counter the mass exodus of customers by alienating more customers with a rate increase. That'll work. *****rollingeyes*****
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Sure. Let's counter the mass exodus of customers by alienating more customers with a rate increase. That'll work. *****rollingeyes*****
Death rattle.
-
Death rattle.
Heck, it's not as if these cord-cutters are migrating to Netflix or other platforms: they're watching less video content overall.
Entertainment programming is down 16% in one year alone. The only exception? Live sports. The NFL is back up now that Kaepernick is safely out of the way. The NHL's Winter Classic was up 20% this year.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/nfl-tv-ratings-are-up-broadcast-networks-bleed-viewers-1162096 (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/nfl-tv-ratings-are-up-broadcast-networks-bleed-viewers-1162096)
So... expect the major broadcasters to push more and more of their marquee sports broadcasts solely to cable, since they can maintain those exclusive rights, shut out competitors and continue propping up their subscriptions.
-
Heck, it's not as if these cord-cutters are migrating to Netflix or other platforms: they're watching less video content overall.
Entertainment programming is down 16% in one year alone. The only exception? Live sports. The NFL is back up now that Kaepernick is safely out of the way. The NHL's Winter Classic was up 20% this year.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/nfl-tv-ratings-are-up-broadcast-networks-bleed-viewers-1162096 (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/nfl-tv-ratings-are-up-broadcast-networks-bleed-viewers-1162096)
So... expect the major broadcasters to push more and more of their marquee sports broadcasts solely to cable, since they can maintain those exclusive rights, shut out competitors and continue propping up their subscriptions.
Oh, I don't know... My TV is still on all day long... And if I leave the office or the living room, I can cast what I am watching to a tablet or even my phone... I even stream radio anymore, for pete's sake... We had a major cable disruption up here, and for a day I was left with nothing but the movies in my local on-LAN library. I have since purchased a couple radios - It is crazy to be that reliant upon a single source...
The point being, I do not watch less content. That content is more available to me than CableTV can even imagine. But the difference is, that content is wholly a la carte, wholly commercial-free, and precisely designed for me personally... The only money they can make off of that is the payment I make for their hardware to provide the networking.
Like with music and movies, TV is finding out their content is not worth much, and is made worthless by consistently shrill liberal indoctrination and endless commercials. They are trying to save it, but the money train is over. Folks have other choices, and they are taking that decision in droves.
Sports ain't gonna save em.
-
I’m watching more and more youtube.
-
I’m watching more and more youtube.
I mostly watch Youtube. I have netflix too... But only because the cost is incidental - My greater family is all on one account, so netflix is costing me about 60 bucks a year.
ArconaiTV is weird for series... each series is in a constant stream, so you can't control which episode you use... and stopping and picking it up later is not possible... Binging is the only way... but it has some movies, and live streaming cable channels... and that is where I get streaming from FoxNews.
ROKU is the other major source... I will eventually spend the money to have roku on all three of my TVs. For now, it is just in the living room... but it has a wide selection without any subscription, and I am considering paying subscriptions so that I can pick up NASCAR again this year, which is the only thing from TV that I mildly miss.
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Oh, I don't know... My TV is still on all day long... And if I leave the office or the living room, I can cast what I am watching to a tablet or even my phone... I even stream radio anymore, for pete's sake... We had a major cable disruption up here, and for a day I was left with nothing but the movies in my local on-LAN library. I have since purchased a couple radios - It is crazy to be that reliant upon a single source...
The point being, I do not watch less content. That content is more available to me than CableTV can even imagine. But the difference is, that content is wholly a la carte, wholly commercial-free, and precisely designed for me personally... The only money they can make off of that is the payment I make for their hardware to provide the networking.
Like with music and movies, TV is finding out their content is not worth much, and is made worthless by consistently shrill liberal indoctrination and endless commercials. They are trying to save it, but the money train is over. Folks have other choices, and they are taking that decision in droves.
Sports ain't gonna save em.
It doesn't take many nights of paying for television content to only be able to surf 47 flavors of paid advertising to feel like you are getting ripped off. Give people an alternative to that, and the stampede is on. Cable providers shot themselves in the foot just in time for the race.
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It doesn't take many nights of paying for television content to only be able to surf 47 flavors of paid advertising to feel like you are getting ripped off. Give people an alternative to that, and the stampede is on. Cable providers shot themselves in the foot just in time for the race.
That's right... I was over at a friend's place the other day, and the TV was on in the background, and it became a distraction to me - Seems to me that TV had just about the same amount of minutes dedicated to commercials as they did the actual show... It was a consternation. I can't believe I put up with that for all those years... and paid for the 'privilege'. *****rollingeyes*****
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That's right... I was over at a friend's place the other day, and the TV was on in the background, and it became a distraction to me - Seems to me that TV had just about the same amount of minutes dedicated to commercials as they did the actual show... It was a consternation. I can't believe I put up with that for all those years... and paid for the 'privilege'. *****rollingeyes*****
It is the same content over and over, too. They have run out of shows, some of which I simply quit watching because of the re-runs, which outnumber new content. But from about 3 AM to 5:30-6 ish, most channels are paid advertising in half hour blocks. Hype, hype-ish hand gestures, extolling the alleged virtues of the latest one egg fry pan or whatever, just wasn't what I was paying for, and the double dip (the 'providers' getting paid by the viewers and the salesmen) is irritating as all get-out when the content is all commercial and no entertainment.
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I cut the "cable" tv several years ago. When the wife and I moved into this place. I was pulling internet over here with a wifi extender. Then my son went to Centurylink and we "moved' our Cableone internet over here. It was still in my name so they did it for free. Added Amazon Prime and Netflix. But I mostly watch Youtube. Or read on a tablet. Thinking about switching to Centurylink. The DIL works for them and may be able to get us a "family" deal. Paying $55 for Cableone now. But they have a data cap. I think I can get the other for less with no cap.
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It is the same content over and over, too. They have run out of shows, some of which I simply quit watching because of the re-runs, which outnumber new content. But from about 3 AM to 5:30-6 ish, most channels are paid advertising in half hour blocks. Hype, hype-ish hand gestures, extolling the alleged virtues of the latest one egg fry pan or whatever, just wasn't what I was paying for, and the double dip (the 'providers' getting paid by the viewers and the salesmen) is irritating as all get-out when the content is all commercial and no entertainment.
YEP. Now I have *NO* commercials... and watch what I want... which means supporting what I want too - As a Christian, and as a Conservative, cableTV forced me to contribute in some way toward things I don't approve of. Even the few channels I did watch had things on them I didn't like at all - But I have to support MTV to get History Channel... No more.
And the convenience of net-based is remarkable - Especially for what you are doing now... Even when you are far from home, you can carry a portable roku, or just use your laptop, and get at all your stuff even as if you were sitting in your living room instead of miles and miles away.
There is no way that cableTV can compete with a la carte whenever and wherever you want it.
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Was telling my brother and family over Christmas that when my tv bites the dust, I'm not getting a new one. I have a big screen laptop where I can watch Sling, Netflix, Amazon Prime and so on. The living room tv is only for local news and weather and these days I can stream those broadcasts as well. I don't watch the alphabet network tv shows except for Law & Order SVU and Sling has it as part of NBC on Demand, so I can watch on my laptop. The other alphabet network shows are totally uninteresting and I only have basic cable for the tv, so no cable news and entertainment on tv. Whatever I want to see, I can watch it on my laptop.
Now my brother and his family have one of those big screen tvs with surround sound, a top of the line Comcast cable package with hundreds of channels (HD) and a slew of sports channels. They also entertain, including watching Penguins hockey with other fans. That's great for them. But I live alone and I seldom have anyone at the house. What do I need a tv for?
Perhaps with this latest rate increase, I will now have an impetus to rid myself of Comcast altogeher. The only reason to keep it is for the Wi-Fi, but I'm sure if I did some homework, I can find a suitable alternative that might cost less.
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I have a "made in the USA" RCA HD antenna I bought for 43 dollars. Which is appropriate because it pulls in 43 channels for free. The closest station to my house is 54 miles away and the antenna is only rated to have a range of 45 miles,so I have nothing to complain about.
I also have a ROKU player that allegedly offers me a choice of roughly 4,000 streaming channels,most of which you wouldn't want to watch if someone pointed a gun at you,but that still leaves a HELL of a lot of channels you do want to watch. Like war movies? There are whole channels dedicated to playing nothing but war movies. Like skiing? There are whole channels dedicated to skiing.
There are no monthly fees attached to either,but there is a monthly fee from Netflix,HBO,etc,etc,etc if you want to watch their premium channels.
I also like the fact that streaming tv is not affected by rain storms or clouds.
I still get HBO,Showtime,Amazon Prime,and a few other premium sources,but I am not paying as much as I was with a sat dish.
I also bought a Channel Master tuner to use so that I still have TIVO and can record shows to watch later. I have a 2TB harddrive plugged into the tuner,so I can record a BUNCH of shows before I run out of storage room.
The TIVO on the Channel Master allows me to come in and turn everything on,and then rewind to start a program already running on the channel it was left on while turned off. That can come in very handy. It also allows me to fast forward,do a program or channel search,control closed captions,etc,etc,etc.
I don't see me ever going back to satellite tv.
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I don't regret dropping Direct TV.. Most of the channels they where offering is home shopping channels or obscure channel like RFD TV.
Right now we have an Amazon Fire TV Box with Prime, Hulu Live, Netflix and sometimes we watch either Tubi Tv or Pluto Tv.
Right now we have Comcast as our ISP and hopefully soon we get another service in our area soon. I'm ready to drop them.
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It doesn't take many nights of paying for television content to only be able to surf 47 flavors of paid advertising to feel like you are getting ripped off. Give people an alternative to that, and the stampede is on. Cable providers shot themselves in the foot just in time for the race.
What killed the Cable / Satellite tv service for me was that the specialty channels (like the SyFy Channel) became just a regular channel. Right now if I want to watch good SciFi I either watch it on Prime, Hulu, or Netflix.
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Was telling my brother and family over Christmas that when my tv bites the dust, I'm not getting a new one. I have a big screen laptop where I can watch Sling, Netflix, Amazon Prime and so on. The living room tv is only for local news and weather and these days I can stream those broadcasts as well.
[...]
But I live alone and I seldom have anyone at the house. What do I need a tv for?
Perhaps with this latest rate increase, I will now have an impetus to rid myself of Comcast altogeher. The only reason to keep it is for the Wi-Fi, but I'm sure if I did some homework, I can find a suitable alternative that might cost less.
Find a used win7-Win10 desktop computer and plug it into your TV... Then all you do on your laptop will happen on the TV too. When I fire up the big TV it comes up with a windows 10 desktop which I control with a wireless keyboard (with a glide pad) from my easy chair.
I just bought a monster TV... Bought it broken and fixed it, so I got a screaming deal... But you can find em pretty cheap anymore, if you find em used... The big tv is a pleasure on my eyes (I can even read the crawl on foxnews), and I have it plumbed through an old school-amp - like what used to sit under your record player or tape deck - That goes to regular house speakers so I get big sound too. I may have 300 bucks in that whole system - The TV, the amp and speakers, and the computer that runs it... And i get big screen and quadraphonic sound.
Serious. And I count it as nothing, because it is just three months of what I am saving by dumping the cable.
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I just use a little known website to get Openload links to what I want to watch... With a good ad-block program (Ublock Origin) I just download what shows I want to watch later on in the background.
Pm me for details if interested.
My total entertainment bill.... 0.00 + internet costs.
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I signed up for CBS All Access yesterday, which may be the last piece of the puzzle we needed in order to drop cable. Browsed through what's available and there's some interesting old stuff, in addition to current shows. Sprung for the $9.99 no-commercials package, so we'll see how that works. :shrug:
I think you'll like it. Since I am use "over the air" antenna for networks it lets you stream you local CBS channel if you want. I get a better picture and sound.
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Find a used win7-Win10 desktop computer and plug it into your TV... Then all you do on your laptop will happen on the TV too. When I fire up the big TV it comes up with a windows 10 desktop which I control with a wireless keyboard (with a glide pad) from my easy chair.
I do that with my laptop. The great thing about that approach is you can do an "extended desktop:" keep doing what you're doing on one screen, and watch TV on the other. Just hook up an HDMI cable and you're set to go.
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I do that with my laptop. The great thing about that approach is you can do an "extended desktop:" keep doing what you're doing on one screen, and watch TV on the other. Just hook up an HDMI cable and you're set to go.
My main office station sorta works that way... I have three monitors on my desk and I pump 'TV' output to the left hand one most of the time...
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Well, dang it..I haven't seen how much my Dish bill is going up. But they are kind od goofy for doing it.
I have lots of good movies that I haven't seen recorded...I'll loose them.
And even more importantly...I'll loose the DVR.
Input is appreciated.
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Well, dang it..I haven't seen how much my Dish bill is going up. But they are kind od goofy for doing it.
I have lots of good movies that I haven't seen recorded...I'll loose them.
And even more importantly...I'll loose the DVR.
Input is appreciated.
Hi @berdie
I would suggest developing alternate sources without dumping dish for a while...
Roku is a good interim choice - a decent roku is around 75 dollars (though you can go cheaper) and will plug into any modern tv right alongside of your dish... And once you own a roku, there is tons of content on it for free - no continuing subscriptions.
Likewise as you go, start exploring what you can do through your computer. Netflix and Amazon prime are decent and popular, and there is a wealth of sites offering alternatives besides them.
It is a different way - It isn't just a presented list you get to thumb through - you have to hunt for what you want, and when you find stuff that suits you, bookmark it so you can return...
I don't know what to tell you about your DVR. Sooner or later, you've got to break the chains. But I think you will find you won't miss much. Most anything you want is already online for free, once you can wander about and find it.
I long ago started saving movies down to hard drives, and trading with others doing the same, but I hardly use them anymore, and have deleted most of them... It's just too easy to find them online. :shrug:
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Well, dang it..I haven't seen how much my Dish bill is going up. But they are kind od goofy for doing it.
I have lots of good movies that I haven't seen recorded...I'll loose them.
And even more importantly...I'll loose the DVR.
Input is appreciated.
While not the most easy/elegant solution, one approach is a "capture card". I've used them for many years in homebrew DVRs, but the thing lately that might help you is for people who want to record their video games. The idea is that you play the game (movie) with a device between your console (DVR) and your TV and it records. It's not going to be fast, and I don't know if you would need to be paying attention to stop recording at the end (probably), but it would probably work (I've never used them this way). If you do a quick search on "HDMI capture card" or "composite capture card" or whatever your DVR uses, you should be able to determine pretty quickly if this is a route worth your effort.
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Well, dang it..I haven't seen how much my Dish bill is going up. But they are kind od goofy for doing it.
I have lots of good movies that I haven't seen recorded...I'll loose them.
And even more importantly...I'll loose the DVR.
Input is appreciated.
@berdie
https://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/tv/best-dvrs/directv-genie-review/ (https://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/tv/best-dvrs/directv-genie-review/)
Here is a relatively inexpensive alternative. I have never used it,but the review is good.
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@roamer_1 @InHeavenThereIsNoBeer @sneakypete
Thank you all for the suggestions. Since I'm about as tech savvy as my dog...I'm going to have to research all this. To see what you mean (lol) and what might work in my old house filled with old stuff. :laugh:
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Thank you all for the suggestions. Since I'm about as tech savvy as my dog...I'm going to have to research all this. To see what you mean (lol) and what might work in my old house filled with old stuff. :laugh:
LOL!
It ain't all that hard @berdie ... Surely you, or a friend of yours, has a kid or grandkid that is tech savvy... Most kids these days, and even many in my generation (I am 56) are cutting the cord. Pick one such, and show them this thread, expressing your interest in doing the same. It will make for great bonding time :)
Like I said though... ease into it. It doesn't cost much for a roku, or to start finding out what you can do from a computer... Ease in and get used to it. When you have understanding and confidence, then cut the cord.
I spent about a year paying for both ways - Keeping my CableTV, and experimenting otherwise. By the time I finally did it, I didn't hardly miss CableTV at all. And the money I am saving (roughly 100 bucks a month) paid for my initial setup within 3 months, and has paid for two more such in the 3 years since (I have continually upgraded the main system [media server] in the living room, with the older systems moving downstream into my bedroom and guest bedroom). All of it bought used, waiting for screaming deals as they come.
But the point being: Take your time. The move to alternatives need not cost much at all... And as you grow comfortable with those alternatives, shaking loose of BigTV will be easy - You will wonder why you hadn't done so years before.
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I think the best advice you have given @roamer_1 is to take my time. Heck, I'm not gonna go broke during this Dish rate hike. I just hate searching around in areas I don't know anything about. happy77
Because of that...I'll probably just go back on antenna...or do nothing. I know how I am.
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I think the best advice you have given @roamer_1 is to take my time. Heck, I'm not gonna go broke during this Dish rate hike. I just hate searching around in areas I don't know anything about. happy77
Because of that...I'll probably just go back on antenna...or do nothing. I know how I am.
:beer:
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AT&T, Spectrum, Comcast, Dish, & Verizon Lost 1.1 Million Subscribers in The 4th Quarter of 2018
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/att-spectrum-comcast-dish-verizon-lost-1-1-million-subscribers-in-the-4th-quarter-of-2018/
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Saw this and thought I might use them. You don't need to subscribe to Sling to take advantage of the install. I'm sure I could do it myself but I don't want to mess with it.
We Tested Sling TV’s Antenna Installation Service: Here Is How It Went
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/we-tested-sling-tvs-antenna-installation-service-here-is-how-it-went/ (https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/we-tested-sling-tvs-antenna-installation-service-here-is-how-it-went/)
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Thanks @The Ghost I have Sling. Received an email sometime back indicating that the company was working on providing local channels. I guess this antenna installation is it.
I've thought about going back to an antenna, but I live in a valley and in the old days, getting local stations with an antenna was a hit or miss proposition here. I've been told that today's antennas are better. Sure hope so.
One question: I still have cable. If I decided to buy an antenna and have Sling do the install, would I have to terminate cable first?
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Well, It is my understanding this antenna will hook right into pre wired cable platform (if you have it like most new homes since the late 90's) I know in my house they would drop the CoAx cable down from my attic into my media control panel in the utility room connect it to the splitter that goes to each room.
So I don't believe you would want to have both.
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Well, I bought my house in 1989. The house had some cable wiring on one side of the living room, but I decided to put my tv on another wall. The old connection was disabled and a new one was installed at the new location for the tv. I also have Wi-Fi installed at the same spot by the tv. If I get rid of cable, I will have to also find a new source for Wi-Fi.
You can tell I'm technologically challenged. LOL
Anyway, thank you.
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Thanks @The Ghost I have Sling. Received an email sometime back indicating that the company was working on providing local channels. I guess this antenna installation is it.
I've thought about going back to an antenna, but I live in a valley and in the old days, getting local stations with an antenna was a hit or miss proposition here. I've been told that today's antennas are better. Sure hope so.
One question: I still have cable. If I decided to buy an antenna and have Sling do the install, would I have to terminate cable first?
Hey @Applewood
As a general rule, no, you would not have to terminate cable.
If you have a flatscreen tv, you most certainly can receive from a digital antenna.
On the back of your tv, look for 'type F' connectors - this is the sort of port that your cable plugs into... There should be two - One will say cable (and will currently have your cable plugged in) and the other will say either Ant (or the like) or VHF/UHF. That is the port the antenna will plug into. The two are usually situated close together, side by side.
Of course that is a simple connection for one tv. If you have multiple tvs to connect, you'll need to get a media guy there to figure out your system, and how to incorporate the antenna.
EDIT:
To switch between the cable and the antenna is accomplished with the 'input' button on your remote... The same way you migt switch between your cable and a game station, or anything else that might be hooked up via the HDMI slots. One of the options will be again, ANT or UHF/VHF
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Well, I bought my house in 1989. The house had some cable wiring on one side of the living room, but I decided to put my tv on another wall. The old connection was disabled and a new one was installed at the new location for the tv. I also have Wi-Fi installed at the same spot by the tv. If I get rid of cable, I will have to also find a new source for Wi-Fi.
You can tell I'm technologically challenged. LOL
Anyway, thank you.
Okay I think I see where you are coming from. Check with your cable company to see what they offer for Internet/WiFi only plans. That cable only goes to your Modem/router box. Also check out other Internet providers for your area to compare rates. I use CenturyLink. I have a no hassel flat rate plan with them. The flat price is $55 per month all fees and taxes included. That price is for 50mbps
CenturyLink Prices,
Plans, and Packages Price /Download Speed
Price for Life 20 $45/mo. /Up to 20 Mbps
Price for Life 80 $55/mo. /Up to 40–80 Mbps
Price for Life 100 $65/mo. /Up to 100–140 Mbps
Price for Life 1 Gig $65/mo. /Up to 1 Gig
Some of their plans reqire fiber optic to the house.
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Just signed up for basic HULU. They now carry A&E and the wife misses that channel since we dropped cable 4 years ago.
Basic plan is $7.99/month, but when I signed up they popped up this message.
The price of Hulu will decrease to $5.99/month. You'll see this on your next billing date after 2/26/19.
My free trial ends March 17 (2019). By then we should be able to decide if we want to keep it. If the price stays at $5.99, WTH.
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I use Roku. Pay for Netflix, Hulu and CBS all access. NBC is free but has a 7 day delay for new releases but it has a treasure trove of old shows with limited commercials. So my net expense per month is now less than $25 bucks. My Direct TV bill was well over $110. And for what? 500 channels that I never watched. Screw em. If you need a Sports fix get the $25 Sling package that included ESPN.
After about a month after I cut the cord my Romote control surfing withdrawal ended. I have never looked back.
If Direct TV and Dish were smart (and they are not) They would offer a one rate flat fee plan that would let you pick your channels alacart.
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I use Roku. Pay for Netflix, Hulu and CBS all access. NBC is free but has a 7 day delay for new releases but it has a treasure trove of old shows with limited commercials. So my net expense per month is now less than $25 bucks. My Direct TV bill was well over $110. And for what? 500 channels that I never watched. Screw em. If you need a Sports fix get the $25 Sling package that included ESPN.
After about a month after I cut the cord my Romote control surfing withdrawal ended. I have never looked back.
If Direct TV and Dish were smart (and they are not) They would offer a one rate flat fee plan that would let you pick your channels alacart.
We have Prime and Netflix. We use Roku. Netflix is the premium plan--4 screens. Besides me and the wife, both our kids and my mom have access to my Netflix. And the grandkids can access it on their tablets if they get permission, content is parental controlled for them in person. So 4 households for one small phenomenal fee.
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We have Prime and Netflix. We use Roku. Netflix is the premium plan--4 screens. Besides me and the wife, both our kids and my mom have access to my Netflix. And the grandkids can access it on their tablets if they get permission, content is parental controlled for them in person. So 4 households for one small phenomenal fee.
Same for us with Netflix. Son, Grandkids and MIL can watch it from their homes. Only once did I get kicked off. Seems everyone was watching at the same time. So I go WTF....that is 4 people I'm cool. Come to find out The Wife was streaming The Ranch on her Fire! I pay the bill but I gets bumped!
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I use Roku. Pay for Netflix, Hulu and CBS all access. NBC is free but has a 7 day delay for new releases but it has a treasure trove of old shows with limited commercials. So my net expense per month is now less than $25 bucks. My Direct TV bill was well over $110. And for what? 500 channels that I never watched. Screw em. If you need a Sports fix get the $25 Sling package that included ESPN.
After about a month after I cut the cord my Romote control surfing withdrawal ended. I have never looked back.
If Direct TV and Dish were smart (and they are not) They would offer a one rate flat fee plan that would let you pick your channels alacart.
Exactly.....
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If Direct TV and Dish were smart (and they are not) They would offer a one rate flat fee plan that would let you pick your channels alacart.
A lot of the reason why they don't is the channels themselves.
Right now, you have seven companies controlling all but a few channels: Disney (ABC/ESPN), Redstone (CBS), Murdoch (Fox), Roberts/Comcast (NBC), Newhouse (Discovery), Dolan (AMC) and Turner. Almost all of them require some level of bundling. If you offer one channel to a customer, you have to offer this other one at full price, too... or if you're offering a competitor's channel, you have to offer our more expensive channel on the same tier or we won't offer it to you at all.
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A lot of the reason why they don't is the channels themselves.
Right now, you have seven companies controlling all but a few channels: Disney (ABC/ESPN), Redstone (CBS), Murdoch (Fox), Roberts/Comcast (NBC), Newhouse (Discovery), Dolan (AMC) and Turner. Almost all of them require some level of bundling. If you offer one channel to a customer, you have to offer this other one at full price, too... or if you're offering a competitor's channel, you have to offer our more expensive channel on the same tier or we won't offer it to you at all.
Well, regardless of their agreements with the big players, it is evident that it is a failed business model. Even their new so called "Streaming" option is loaded with hidden fee's and taxes. I remember the hell AT&T put me thu on the phone trying to cancel my Direct TV subscription. I swore I would never ever do business with those bleep again.
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Well, regardless of their agreements with the big players, it is evident that it is a failed business model. Even their new so called "Streaming" option is loaded with hidden fee's and taxes. I remember the hell AT&T put me thu on the phone trying to cancel my Direct TV subscription. I swore I would never ever do business with those bleep again.
More than that, now that I am weaned off of it, there ain't a damn thing on there I want to watch at all. Going back and looking at it now, it's all crap.
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More than that, now that I am weaned off of it, there ain't a damn thing on there I want to watch at all. Going back and looking at it now, it's all crap.
Amen.
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I hardly ever watch anything new anymore. Right now, I catch an episode of Gunsmoke every now and then. I'm currently viewing season 7.
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I hardly ever watch anything new anymore. Right now, I catch an episode of Gunsmoke every now and then. I'm currently viewing season 7.
Oh, I still watch a bunch... While I am here at my bench there is always something going on the tv... or if it is particularly interesting, I will ship it over to my right side monitor... But it is almost invariably Youtube... Either a documentary of some kind, or a music playlist. I still watch the news, maybe once a day, and I have Netflix for the odd movie now and again... But I am hard pressed to find anything in MSM that is worth watching. I am invariably disappointed when I go looking.
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Well, regardless of their agreements with the big players, it is evident that it is a failed business model. Even their new so called "Streaming" option is loaded with hidden fee's and taxes. I remember the hell AT&T put me thu on the phone trying to cancel my Direct TV subscription. I swore I would never ever do business with those bleep again.
The highly aggressive, deceptive phone sales practices are the industry standard.
In our area Verizon Fios became Frontier. My BIL wanted to change. they gave him a huge run around.
Brings back memories of AOL internet in the CD days. You could start for free. They would extend you for free. But they would resist cancelling you.
The name "AOL" was damaged. AOL-Time Warner dropped the AOL part, due to the lousy service reputation.
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Brings back memories of AOL internet in the CD dis days. You could start for free. They would extend you for free. But they would resist cancelling you.
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ltR9AE75E#)
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Cableone is $55/month. Amazon Prime. Hulu basic. Netflix.
I mostly watch Youtube.
Amazon Prime is worth it in our case. My MIL lives 45 miles away, by herself. My wife does a lot of shopping on Amazon for her mom (her mom pays for those items). That saves my wife extra trips to help take care of her mom. And the free shippiing is great.
If it weren't for my mom on my Netflix account I would drop it.
But by and large, our tvs are off most of the time.
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Three in my family.
Me. Almost entirely youtube
Wife. Almost entirely local antenna programs.
Daughter. Amazon Prime, Netflix.
We did have Sling. I told my daughter to pay, if she wanted it. She declined.
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Another free option is PlutoTV... That is pretty good, and set up sorta like what cable does.
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Another free option is PlutoTV... That is pretty good, and set up sorta like what cable does.
We have that. Just talked to family. I'm dropping Netflix. They are or did raise the price which is a big turnoff. I think their content sucks anyway.
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We have that. Just talked to family. I'm dropping Netflix. They are or did raise the price which is a big turnoff. I think their content sucks anyway.
I only keep Netflix for the grand kids so they have kid stuff to watch. I too have grown weary of the price increases. Not to mention their left leaning political stance with their original content BS.
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I only keep Netflix for the grand kids so they have kid stuff to watch. I too have grown weary of the price increases. Not to mention their left leaning political stance with their original content BS.
We have Netflix split between 5 houses. Costing each house about 60 bucks a year.
I think they have a 'three person' plan, or a 'five person' plan. we have the five. One administrator, one password for all... If you have greater family around you, you might consider that.
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I only keep Netflix for the grand kids so they have kid stuff to watch. I too have grown weary of the price increases. Not to mention their left leaning political stance with their original content BS.
It is done. Now is the time. My account will run until the end of my billing cycle--Feb. 17th. I signed up for kindle unlimited last month. If the grandkids are here they can download a book. We still have Prime anyway for movies, etc. My wife watches antenna tv more than anything.
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Have a PC computer, have a good adblock program like Ublock Origin. Don't have a good adblock program and have no clue what I am talking about then perhaps this is not for you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin
Here is how to watch a lot of movies/tv shows free...
Just gonna show mostly via pictures...
Go to website
(https://i.postimg.cc/HnBG551g/Two-Movies-1a.jpg)
Enter what you want to view in search (or you could just browse around to see if something grabs ya). Hit enter to search.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RCnXHw9Q/Two-Movies-2a.jpg)
Pick your movie if more than one shows up to choose...
(https://i.postimg.cc/3N74WMYq/Two-Movies-3a.jpg)
If this is movie you want... then great scroll down a little futher on the page
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZYFv2qLz/Two-Movies-4a.jpg)
You should see this (orange "Watch Movie")... click it
(https://i.postimg.cc/65M261SH/Two-Movies-5a.jpg)
Website will give it's generic instructions (two or three versions of this page, just navigate to the "I understand" button and click it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/85dc2yMm/Two-Movies-6a.jpg)
Do you want to download the movie (to watch anytime) or do you want to watch now... I usually download but you decide what you want to do... If you want to download then I will have futher instructions below... if just want to watch we are done here.... to Download click "disable embedding"....
(https://i.postimg.cc/cLVJrqcc/Two-Movies-7a.jpg)
More Download instructions if you choose that option... after disableing embedding the screen will reload with this... a direct link... below that (not shown) is other places you can download from... I always pick O P E N L O A D because it usually works and it just seems a solid place to download from with your adblock program enabled... often other places other than O P E N L O A D are hard to get to work.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xCPjxXVs/Two-Movies-8a.jpg)
Once it opens at O P E N L O A D then you can again watch it there or click "download"... I usually download so that is what I pick...
(https://i.postimg.cc/kXGMsM1c/Two-Movies-9a.jpg)
If Downloading... click here (may have to select it twice
(https://i.postimg.cc/cL8xq9Nt/Two-Movies-10a.jpg)
Eventually you get here and can save to your selected download spot on your computer... If you have "save selected" (instead of just play now)...
(https://i.postimg.cc/dthvdH3N/Two-Movies-11a.jpg)
Couple of different web sites I like that work like this... PM me if you want few other places to try...
Remember... a GOOD adblock program is a must and it doesn't hurt to always have a good anti-virus program up and running of course.... Stick with O P E N L O A D and odds are you will have no problem...
If none of the above makes sense, again I advise you not to try it...
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Our family has found that Amazon prime and the prime stick works quite well. The wife and youngins have been working through the old Star Trek series. I'm easily amused so you tube has a fair amount of regular entertainment. There are several channels on you tube I think are more informative than the history channel which was the big thing I missed about having cable. If you are into the history of tanks, swords, or firearms there is a fair amount out there. Add in the occasional old western on sale on DVD amazon and we are made in the shade.
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Our family has found that Amazon prime and the prime stick works quite well. The wife and youngins have been working through the old Star Trek series. I'm easily amused so you tube has a fair amount of regular entertainment. There are several channels on you tube I think are more informative than the history channel which was the big thing I missed about having cable. If you are into the history of tanks, swords, or firearms there is a fair amount out there. Add in the occasional old western on sale on DVD amazon and we are made in the shade.
@Idaho_Cowboy
Lonesome Dove seems to be playing on both Amazon Prime and Netflix all the time,and westerns just don't get any gooder than that one. Pure gold!
Come to think of it,"Deadwood" is about as good as it gets too,but maybe not quite as "child friendly".
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Apple and Netflix and Hulu, oh my! ‘Subscription fatigue’ sets in among streamers
Apple’s entry into the streaming-video business Monday gives consumers another impressive choice for online movies and TV shows — a high-profile, deep-pocketed competitor for the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
t also is sure to prompt some people to rethink which services they want to keep paying for.
https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-apple-streaming-service-subscription-fatigue-20190325-story.html (https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-apple-streaming-service-subscription-fatigue-20190325-story.html)
***
A good read. I had more services, but now I just have Netflix, Prime and Sling TV. If I paid for all of the services out there, I'd be paying as much as basic cable and Wi-Fi.
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Apple and Netflix and Hulu, oh my! ‘Subscription fatigue’ sets in among streamers
https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-apple-streaming-service-subscription-fatigue-20190325-story.html (https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-apple-streaming-service-subscription-fatigue-20190325-story.html)
***
A good read. I had more services, but now I just have Netflix, Prime and Sling TV. If I paid for all of the services out there, I'd be paying as much as basic cable and Wi-Fi.
Anyone have any suggestions?
I cut the cord probably 10+ years ago and have never looked back. All I had are local channels. Within the last few years I tried Netflix, but was surprised with the real lack of content. I tend to like 70's & 80's shows/comedies/sitcoms, etc. and of course local channels for news.
So basically all I really need are:
Local Channels, which I get by antenna.
Some way to watch older shows, sitcoms, etc.
Some sports
Love DIY shows, HGTV, Fox News
The newer shows or movies....I could really care less about.
Any suggestions since I'm really clueless on how to access these.
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You could try torrents. Its a crapshoot on what you will find. I don't much care for sitcoms, but I did download some "Laverne" and "That Girl" for my daughter. She got a big kick out of them. I mostly went after the westerns and old movies.
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Anyone have any suggestions?
[...]
Some way to watch older shows, sitcoms, etc.
@mrpotatohead
Try Hulu or the free PlutoTV... Some of the older ones are free on Youtube.
For instance: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=columbo+season+1 (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=columbo+season+1)
**NOTE: You really need an ad blocker like AdBlock Plus or UBlock added into your browser or youtube ads will drive you completely nuts. With an ad blocker, you get no ads at all.
Some sports
No help from me there... Can't stand sports, other than NASCAR, and I really don't do that anymore. They've wrecked it for me. I keep up with mud and offroad on youtube.
Love DIY shows, HGTV,
Youtube... And really, subscribe to any number of actual user channels on the subject - WAY better than the TV shows, by far.
Fox News
https://www.arconaitv.us/ (https://www.arconaitv.us/) Arconai is a weird duck... It's all streaming all the time. You can watch Game of Thrones, for instance, but you'll have zero control over the episode, start or finish... But don't let that get you down. For LIVE FEED, it's got a lot of the majors, CBS, Disc, NatGeo, CW, SyFi, etc. to include FOX news and FOX Business.
So for regular channels, if you know when something is playing, just tune into the feed. For FOX, which is the only thing there I care about, the when of it really doesn't matter. At least not to me.
Any suggestions since I'm really clueless on how to access these.
A ROKU would give you a whole lot of options. If your TV is newer and a smart TV, it may have ROKU capabilities built right in. Otherwise, if you have HDMI ports, a ROKU can be added (about $50-75 one-time expense, though many channels require $ubscription)
As to the links I am giving you, I have an actual computer hooked to my TV (My TV starts up on a Windows desktop)... I don't know how you get there with a TV otherwise.
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So basically all I really need are:
Some way to watch older shows, sitcoms, etc.
Some sports
Love DIY shows, HGTV, Fox News
The newer shows or movies....I could really care less about.
Any suggestions since I'm really clueless on how to access these.
Older shows and sitcoms... it depends on the show. If you're willing to subscribe, CBS's "All Access" has official streaming from quite a few of the shows in its library.
For a few of the really old shows, the ones that have lapsed into public domain, there's the Internet Archive:
Classic TV : Free Movies : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/classic_tv)
Those are the ones that have probably been rerun ad nauseum for decades because they never bothered to hold onto the copyright, but they're totally free and you can do whatever you want with them legally.
A few distributors have official Youtube channels. Plus, if you have an antenna, you probably have access to MeTV, Antenna TV, and/or the Retro network, which all have lots of those older shows.
There's also CHCH, which is a television station out of Canada. They're hit-and-miss on the shows they stream live, but they do carry some of the classic sitcoms:
http://www.chch.com/live (http://www.chch.com/live)
Another idea is to look up old DVD sets on eBay or some other secondhand site. You'll pay for the discs, but they're physical copies and yours to keep.
Sports:
This one's tough. If you're looking for the big events, you're going to be limited to what is on antenna unless you resort to piracy. That kind of stuff, because the networks pay so much in rights fees and want to recuperate as much as they can, is simply never going to be legally available for free online. Besides, once you factor in network lag, you're probably better off listening to a radio broadcast anyway.
Fox News:
They actually offer an audio-only feed of their prime time shows for free.
https://radio.foxnews.com/player-files/radio.php (https://radio.foxnews.com/player-files/radio.php)
The DIY stuff, I can't really answer that.
Hope this helps @mrpotatohead
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Thanks for the help! I finally got some time to do some research on these ideas. Thanks all!
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Netflix Reportedly at Risk of Losing 'The Office' (and a lot of other shows)
Though it brings us no joy to say this, it is our duty to inform you that Netflix is reportedly at risk of losing the proven mood-lifting collection of smiles known as The Office.
A harrowing report from The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, contains the news, with the given reason of NBCUniversal's impending launch of its own streaming service. According to the report, "internal discussions" have already started about getting the American adaptation of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant-created comedy off Netflix when its licensing contract runs out in 2021.
The report also includes data on the viewership behind shows like The Office, which—as IndieWire points out—currently stands (by an incredible margin, mind you) as the platform's most-streamed program (https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/the-office-netflix-most-streamed-series-friends-1202127682/).
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/04/netflix-at-risk-of-losing-the-office?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=complexmag&utm_source=twitter.com (https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/04/netflix-at-risk-of-losing-the-office?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=complexmag&utm_source=twitter.com)
(The original Wall Street Journal source for this is, alas, paywalled.)
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Netflix Reportedly at Risk of Losing 'The Office' (and a lot of other shows)
The report also includes data on the viewership behind shows like The Office, which—as IndieWire points out—currently stands (by an incredible margin, mind you) as the platform's most-streamed program (https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/the-office-netflix-most-streamed-series-friends-1202127682/).
@jmyrlefuller
I have watched both the office and friends,and while they are ok,I have a hard time believing they are the most watched series on Netflix. I just don't get it.
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Netflix Reportedly at Risk of Losing 'The Office' (and a lot of other shows)
Though it brings us no joy to say this, it is our duty to inform you that Netflix is reportedly at risk of losing the proven mood-lifting collection of smiles known as The Office.
A harrowing report from The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, contains the news, with the given reason of NBCUniversal's impending launch of its own streaming service. According to the report, "internal discussions" have already started about getting the American adaptation of the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant-created comedy off Netflix when its licensing contract runs out in 2021.
The report also includes data on the viewership behind shows like The Office, which—as IndieWire points out—currently stands (by an incredible margin, mind you) as the platform's most-streamed program (https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/the-office-netflix-most-streamed-series-friends-1202127682/).
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/04/netflix-at-risk-of-losing-the-office?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=complexmag&utm_source=twitter.com (https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/04/netflix-at-risk-of-losing-the-office?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=complexmag&utm_source=twitter.com)
(The original Wall Street Journal source for this is, alas, paywalled.)
I never liked The Office. No great loss....
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Books, read books, lot's of books. All I have is antenna and having been away from watching TV for so long I really don't like it any more. Too much to do and books are more convenient. I'm a fast reader so the information transfer is much slower listening or watching than reading.
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Reading provoked reflection which then provoked the Wisdom of Ancient Greece!
And they had neither degrees nor tee-vee; the poor unfortunates. So sad!!!
Truth is direct and simple. Moderns are full of crap, pretentiousness and pomposity!
Exhibit A. Our Founders (and first 5) were Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison
and Monroe. Now compare them to our last five and laugh hysterically!!!
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So, um...
These channels are probably outside most of your demographic, but... MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. BET and Comedy Central were just made available for free.
https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/viacom-newfronts-pluto-tv-channels-originals-slate-1203200042/
That's kind of a big deal. For cable networks to offer a free model is a sign of a big shift.
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So, um...
These channels are probably outside most of your demographic, but... MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. BET and Comedy Central were just made available for free.
https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/viacom-newfronts-pluto-tv-channels-originals-slate-1203200042/
That's kind of a big deal. For cable networks to offer a free model is a sign of a big shift.
All of those channels are owned by Viacom, and Viacom bought Pluto TV earlier this year. So it's a matter of Viacom using it's just-purchased streaming service to offer free versions of the channels that it also owns.
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All of those channels are owned by Viacom, and Viacom bought Pluto TV earlier this year. So it's a matter of Viacom using it's just-purchased streaming service to offer free versions of the channels that it also owns.
It makes you wonder if any other Big Cable names will do the same any time soon, even if it is simply a reduced plate the way Viacom is doing with Pluto. I know Discovery already has syndication deals with Pluto that predate Viacom buying it.
Right now, the only other big TV name trying the free model is Sinclair. They launched Stirr, which is their own Pluto-like free service... but they're a broadcast network and so they've always had their product out there for free to an extent.
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All of those channels are owned by Viacom, and Viacom bought Pluto TV earlier this year. So it's a matter of Viacom using it's just-purchased streaming service to offer free versions of the channels that it also owns.
A source that I like says the cable TV cos. and cell phone cos. use a model he calls "Confusopoly"
He figures many folks get frustrated when dealing with those purchases.
Remember years ago, trying to cancel AOL? Had any similar recent experience negotiating with your current services?
Having to threaten cancelling, to have bad charges removed?
It employee or you.
It is the business/pricing model.isn't the company, or the
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How To Destroy CNN, Survive Without Cable TV, And Save Lots of $$$
Snip
https://www.dailywire.com/news/14832/how-destroy-cnn-survive-without-cable-tv-and-save-john-nolte (https://www.dailywire.com/news/14832/how-destroy-cnn-survive-without-cable-tv-and-save-john-nolte)
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The wife is finally getting on board with this. We both are disgusted by the news and by media in general. Time to cut it out of our lives.
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The wife is finally getting on board with this. We both are disgusted by the news and by media in general. Time to cut it out of our lives.
@Weird Tolkienish Figure
I did this a couple of years ago,and not only have more shows to view now than ever before,but I also have more reliable and better reception. Snow storms or rain don't interfere with my signals.
I bought a 35 dollar RCA (made in America) High Definition antenna from Amazon and pull in 43 channels with it alone. Keep in mind I live in a rural area and the closest tv station to me is 54 miles away.
The big expense was buying a Channel Master tuner from Amazon so I would be able to record multiple shows while viewing another one,and so I would have TIVO. IIRC,that cost me about 250 bucks.
I ended up buying a 2tb western digital hard drive to plug into the back of the Channel Master to store recordings until I have the time to watch them.
The ROKU was maybe 30 bucks,plus I had to buy cables to connect it all.
I get Amazon Prime for free because I was already an Amazon Prime member for the free shipping,and I pay a fee to subscribe to Netflix and a couple of others. I pay all my subscription fees through ROKU so I only have one bill coming in and so I don't have to put my banking or credit card info out there to a dozen or more places. Truth to tell I could get by with just the roku freebies,netflix,and amazon prime and not really be missing out on much because no matter how much entertainment out there that there is to watch,I only have 24 hours in a day and I also have other stuff to do on good days.
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The wife is finally getting on board with this. We both are disgusted by the news and by media in general. Time to cut it out of our lives.
Bravo!
It will take a month or two... but you will not go back, I can almost guarantee.
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The wife is finally getting on board with this. We both are disgusted by the news and by media in general. Time to cut it out of our lives.
Congrats!! Trust me you won't miss a thing.
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Ok, boys and girls. My "Smart TV' is on its last leg and I've been thinking for some time that instead of getting a new one, I would like to just scrap the tv and do any tv watching on my laptop. I'm the only one in this house and I don't entertain, so why do I need a tv? My laptop is wide and big enough to run any tv programming (including local news).
Right now I have Comcast (Xfinity) for tv and Wi-Fi. I would like to ditch the tv service and just have Wi-Fi, but I don't believe Comcast (Xfinity) will allow it. They are already unhappy because I discontinued the phone service a few years ago. With these guys, everything is a "bundle." Those packages make the cable companies a lot of money.
So now my question: Has anyone had experience with a standalone Wi-Fi and if so, what companies are best? In my neck of the woods, Comcast (Xfinnity), Verizon, Viasat, Hughesnet and Toast are listed as the only providers. Toast is DSL, so no to that one. Hughes and ViaSat are satellite providers, Verizon is fibre and Comcast is cable. I hate Comcast. Verizon is overly aggressive in their sales approach, plus they probably are scammers like Xfinity where you sign up for some low introductory price, but after the intro price expires, the regular price just goes up and up. So that leaves ViaSat and Hughes.
Anyone have any experience with ViaSat or Hughes? Neither has the speeds of Comcast or Verizon, but I'm not so sure I need all that. Presumably both will work for streaming on one device, uploading and playing entertainment and some gaming. I'm not much of a gamer except for solitaire and I can get by with one device at a time. I would like to have reliable streaming without the annoying buffering.
Any help you guys can give me would be appreciated.
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When I cut the cord I kept my internet service with Centurylink but upgrade to their 50Megs for $50 bucks for life. Then I signed up for HULU TV which costs about $47 0r 48 bucks a month with taxes. With HULU TV I was able to eliminate my TV antenna because with HULU I can stream all my local TV stations plus it will store 50 hours of programing on a DVR. Hulu has a good assortment of bundled channels. Lots of sports options. I also cancelled Netflix because they are sleeping with the Obama's. I replace it with Amazon Prime. Hulu TV will let you try it out for one week free. Just a note here there is another Hulu option for 5.99 per month so don't confuse the two services.
All of this is funneled thu my Roku Ultra box that I bought during prime days for an 85 buck one time cost. It has a nice voice search feature and an ear plug hole for private listening. So for about 110 bucks a month I have everything I need.
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I used to watch some tv programs all the time on my desktop,when there was a conflict with recording the ones I wanted to watch later on my DVR/ROKU/Plasma tv.
That way I could watch a program I would have missed otherwise. I quit doing it when a kitten chewed through the speaker wires,and realized I was watching so many shows I didn't have time to do anything else.
Verison is my cable provider,and I use a ROKU to pull in streaming tv,and a HD antenna to pull in broadcast tv. I use a Channel Master DVR to store videos on that I record. Seems like CM no longer makes the type I have,so I can't recommend either it or the newer versions they are currently selling.
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Any help you guys can give me would be appreciated.
First of all, I cannot be a lot of help because your service providers are not out here.
But I was on Spectrum, on a phone, TV, and internet bundle, and when I cut the cord, nothing changed at all - I simple told them I wanted out of the TV programming, but would keep the phone and internet, and except for a pretty hard sales play to keep me on the TV, when I insisted, they simply took the TV out of the package, at a savings of $70/ mo right off the bat, and another $75/mo when I returned their TV hardware (which was why I quit in the first place - their recently rejiggered system suddenly required the hardware decoders for each TV, for a banging big increase equal to the TV service itself)...
So my first recommendation would be to inquire with the service you currently have and cut a new deal. For me, the phone was required if I was to retain the internet... which is no worry for me, as it is my business phone anyway.
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@Applewood I have Hughesnet, and I'm not a fan, but it's our only option out here. You are aware that it's metered, right? I have one of the medium-sized plans and I usually get about 2 weeks before I run out and am throttled down. And, I don't do any streaming - it's too slow for it and it eats up too much bandwidth. I do sometimes download youtubes and watch them later, but I frequently have to try several times to get them to download. YMMV.
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My "Smart TV' is on its last leg and I've been thinking for some time that instead of getting a new one, I would like to just scrap the tv and do any tv watching on my laptop.
Another thing... What is wrong with the tv? If it is just the Smart part, plug your laptop into an hdmi port and forget about the smart. I purposefully disable the smart by giving it an invalid IP, and run the tv as a big ol monitor, with a computer attached to each one.
I really like having the TV. I have a big ol' 50-something inch TV in my front room, and that big ol girl is excellent, as my eyes are problematic... I can easily see the crawl on the bottom of a news channel now, and movies and such are much more enjoyable.
I started with an old Vista era ACER that I bought for hardly nothing used... Plugged it into the then 36" TV I had... It had an hdmi-out port and wifi built in, so all I did was literally plug it in, give it a wireless keyboard/glidepad combo KB I bought at wallyworld for $30, set it up to connect to the wireless, and viola!
That whole rig is still running in my bedroom... Now I have a pretty powerful Dell running the show out here against that big TV, as it serves as a media server for the rest of the TVs - music and movies...
And btw, I bought that big TV used fr 200 bucks, maybe 5 years ago... and all the computers were used and cost me hardly nothing.
And any of that - ALL of that, doesn't really matter, because the nearly $150/mo in savings from ditching the TV service, pays for just about anything I would do in a matter of months.
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Roamer reminded me of another thing. I too just us my plasma tv as a monitor now. Also I hate smart TV's. I don't trust them to not be spying on me. I'll never buy one. Anyway, My roku plugs into my stereo AV/receiver via hdmi cable, along with my DVD/CD player and turntable. I also have a spare HDMI cable hooked up to the receiver so If I need to hook my laptop up I can view it on the big screen. On more thing, The Roku can be wireless but with so many other things fighting for bandwidth I ran a Cat 5 cable to it. Besides Cat 5 gives you faster connections and less buffering
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[...] I ran a Cat 5 cable to it. Besides Cat 5 gives you faster connections and less buffering
Yeah that's REALLY high on my list of ToDos... All my media machines are running wireless. To fix that I need to get cat5 to a switch in the mechanical room, and then go scuba-diving under the house to provide cat5 to the media center and both bedrooms... Which sucks. As big as I am, and as little as the trap is going under the house, I gotta have somebody there to poke me down that hole with a stick.
So I keep on kickin the can. :whistle:
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Thankfully this house was built when they put those multi media connection outlets in every room. I see in some of the newer homes they don't do it anymore because everything is blutoothed or wireless. All the give you now is a couple USB slots in every outlet!
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Thankfully this house was built when they put those multi media connection outlets in every room. I see in some of the newer homes they don't do it anymore because everything is blutoothed or wireless. All the give you now is a couple USB slots in every outlet!
The dumb part is, I built this place, about 7 years ago... Well, nearly so... A remodel interior out to the studs and a remodel exterior in to the studs... It's all new. to include wiring and plumbing.
And I am a tech guy. I fix em for a living. It's just that at the time, I was running the tvs with the cable, which IS delivered everywhere... I didn't need cat5 anywhere except between my desk and the test bench, and a line going out to the shop. It was only after I dumped cableTV that cat5 everywhere became an issue.
Not terribly far-seeing of me, I know... But I am a bit of a luddite, believe it or not. :shrug:
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I have free air antenna and an internet connection... very little I can't watch with a little looking around... I like to download movies/shows and burn them to DVD disk... I probable have 3000 movies now on disk (I can fit anywhere to 5-7 movies on a disk). They ain't dvd quality, but better than old tv reception most the time. There is only so much HQ at my age a person needs... I don't have to see the freckle on some young lady's breast to get the idea it is time to skip ahead a minute or so.
I can find rare stuff (example: Polish anti-communist movie called Roza yesterday) and I am not limited to some plan that only carries this or that due to contracts. I search the net for good movie lists and when I see something interesting I hunt it down. I find some server that stores it and run a good adblock program and click download. Often if I find more than one movie at a time, I will download it in the background while cruisin TBR... or I will put it on download overnight when I am asleep. Youtube has a few movies that certain websites will let you download ((example flvto(dot)biz))... I figure I have enough movies to forget and watch again if needed...
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I have free air antenna and an internet connection...
Antenna does not work very much here, according to what I am told. But I think I am going to delve into that myself, even if I only get the two local channels... That's probably worth the $50, and gives e something for when the cable internet doesn't work.
very little I can't watch with a little looking around... I like to download movies/shows and burn them to DVD disk... I probable have 3000 movies now on disk (I can fit anywhere to 5-7 movies on a disk). They ain't dvd quality, but better than old tv reception most the time. There is only so much HQ at my age a person needs... I don't have to see the freckle on some young lady's breast to get the idea it is time to skip ahead a minute or so.
I did much the same - my video library and my music was originally ripped from my CDs and DVDs...
For a while there, I was buying used CDs by the box full at garage sales, and going through to rip em down to electronic media. And that which I could not find - like albums that I owned, led me to the torrent, where mp3s were already ripped down...
The same for DVD - I know how to rip a DVD down, and i have the hardware to handle it... But it's just silly to spend all that time, when the exact same thing I would produce is available online.
The difference - I never ground em back into CD or DVD... That's a step backward. My entire library remains electronic and is not only backed up here in two places, but also online in a family repository. and periodically sync'd onto a HDD that is kept at a safe deposit box.
I long ago pitched the cds and dvds.
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@roamer_1
The problem with the "Smart TV" is that the picture and sound are both going bad. Not good for a tv. At first, it was only one channel. Now it's spreading to others. The picture wrinkles and the sound cuts in and out. So far, the only services where I don't have this problem are Amazon Prime and Netflix. I thought it was the cable, but no. The tv is more than 5 years old and like every other appliance or electronic device, after five years it's living on borrowed time.
@Sanguine
Thanks for the info regarding HughesNet. Guess I will scratch them off the list.
@The Ghost
I was interested in Century Link, but alas, it doesn't serve my area.
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@roamer_1
The problem with the "Smart TV" is that the picture and sound are both going bad. Not good for a tv. At first, it was only one channel. Now it's spreading to others. The picture wrinkles and the sound cuts in and out. So far, the only services where I don't have this problem are Amazon Prime and Netflix. I thought it was the cable, but no. The tv is more than 5 years old and like every other appliance or electronic device, after five years it's living on borrowed time.
@The Ghost
I was interested in Century Link, but alas, it doesn't serve my area.
How about Mediacom. Are they out your way? Their service sucks in our hood. But YMMV.
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How about Mediacom. Are they out your way? Their service sucks in our hood. But YMMV.
Apparently not. There are only a few providers out my way. Just the ones I listed.
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The problem with the "Smart TV" is that the picture and sound are both going bad. Not good for a tv. At first, it was only one channel. Now it's spreading to others. The picture wrinkles and the sound cuts in and out. So far, the only services where I don't have this problem are Amazon Prime and Netflix. I thought it was the cable, but no. The tv is more than 5 years old and like every other appliance or electronic device, after five years it's living on borrowed time.
@Applewood
That sounds like a soft problem not hardware - That it works reliably at all indicates the hardware is not the issue. It is probably the crappy smart operating system, which might be repaired by setting back to factory specs.
Note that the Android operating system in TVs is incredibly crappy, seldom upgradable, and so poorly maintained that I literally never encourage a client to go through the smart interface... The newer ones are not so bad - the built-in ROKU ones - But even then, you are usually better off to disable it and go with a separate unit through the hdmi, or at least, do so at the first sign of trouble.
Let me ask you, do you have anything plugged in through the hdmi ports, like a roku or an amazon fire stick? Is the machine reliable if operating from the hdmi ports?
If you don't have anything plugged in that way, it would be fairly cheap to test - If your laptop has an hdmi_out port, simply buying a cable to hook it up and changing the source on the TV to HDM1 (or whichever)... Or buy a cheap ROKU and plug it in just to see.
And I do disagree with you about appliances and electronics. Much if not most of my hardware is over 5 years old and running strong. Since I don't buy it new, but rather used (and maybe busted) I am never in it hard enough to worry even if it does leave.
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Thanks @roamer_1 I'll try what you said, but really, if the tv is a goner, I won't lose sleep. I'd like to get rid of cable tv anyway and just have Wi-Fi for the laptop. Cable TV has become so expensive. I even gave up then super deluxe plan and went for basic. Basic and Wi-Fi were $90 initially for the intro price. But now it's over $150. I don't need the extra expense for tv I don't even watch most of the time. About all I view is local news and even that I can stream on my laptop. The old shows and movies I love I can get through Netflix and Amazon Prime. I also have Sling for some channels. All of those run on my laptop. Don't need a tv.
Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions.
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Thanks @roamer_1 I'll try what you said, but really, if the tv is a goner, I won't lose sleep. I'd like to get rid of cable tv anyway and just have Wi-Fi for the laptop. Cable TV has become so expensive. I even gave up then super deluxe plan and went for basic. Basic and Wi-Fi were $90 initially for the intro price. But now it's over $150. I don't need the extra expense for tv I don't even watch most of the time. About all I view is local news and even that I can stream on my laptop. The old shows and movies I love I can get through Netflix and Amazon Prime. I also have Sling for some channels. All of those run on my laptop. Don't need a tv.
Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions.
I agree that if one input (probably ethernet) works and one has problems, there's a good chance the TV is okay. The cable was my first thought, too. What's hooked up to the other side of the cable? If it's the cable box, you could have them replace it for you.
If you're not using HDMI, you might hook your laptop up and try that. These days I use TVs as monitors anyway, as my laptop screen keeps getting smaller.
You mention wifi, but then list verizon (fios) as an option, which confused me a bit. What you do in your own home is one thing, how you get your service to your home is another. For the latter, I'd personally be leery of anything over the air. I had satellite TV once, and every thunderstorm pretty much took it out for the duration. Not sure how this would affect wifi (802.11...), but I'd definitely ask some neighbors and make sure any contract I signed had a trial period.
I have fios, but from Frontier which bought it from verizon (anti-trust issues) in some areas. The tech has certainly been very reliable.
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Antenna does not work very much here, according to what I am told. But I think I am going to delve into that myself, even if I only get the two local channels... That's probably worth the $50, and gives e something for when the cable internet doesn't work.
@roamer_1
FWIW,I have two HD antennas. One for my house,and one for my workshop. Both are RCA (made in America!) and are so tiny you would think they would be useless. IIRC,each weighs around 4 lbs.
In fact,I hesitated to buy the first one because it was only rated for reception out to 45 miles,and the closest tv station to me is 54 miles away in a straight line.
Got it in,hooked it up to a steel pole (maybe 12 feet off the ground) in the ground for a good ground,and used a compass to point it to the middle of the area where the closest tv broadcast channels had their towers.
Picked up something like 43 channels,and do NOT have a booster of any sort. Most were channels I had no idea even existed that belonged to the local regular broadcast tv stations,and mostly play tv series from the 50's to last year.
Got mine from Amazon because of the free shipping and because they aren't Wal-Mart.
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Got mine from Amazon because of the free shipping and because they aren't Wal-Mart.
@sneakypete
Can you send me a link to that when you find the time Pete?
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@sneakypete
Can you send me a link to that when you find the time Pete?
@roamer_1
Here ya go. They even dropped the price to $39.99 w/free shipping.
https://www.tvfool.com/ (https://www.tvfool.com/)
BTW,for best reception go to https://www.tvfool.com/ (https://www.tvfool.com/) and type in your address for compass headings and distances to the nearest tv broadcast towers,and then use a compass to point your antenna in the right direction. Doesn't have to be a fancy one,but one with a degree wheel is REALLY useful.
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@roamer_1
Here ya go. They even dropped the price to $39.99 w/free shipping.
https://www.tvfool.com/ (https://www.tvfool.com/)
BTW,for best reception go to https://www.tvfool.com/ (https://www.tvfool.com/) and type in your address for compass headings and distances to the nearest tv broadcast towers,and then use a compass to point your antenna in the right direction. Doesn't have to be a fancy one,but one with a degree wheel is REALLY useful.
@sneakypete
Thanks!
:beer: :beer:
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Ok, boys and girls. My "Smart TV' is on its last leg and I've been thinking for some time that instead of getting a new one, I would like to just scrap the tv and do any tv watching on my laptop. I'm the only one in this house and I don't entertain, so why do I need a tv? My laptop is wide and big enough to run any tv programming (including local news).
Right now I have Comcast (Xfinity) for tv and Wi-Fi. I would like to ditch the tv service and just have Wi-Fi, but I don't believe Comcast (Xfinity) will allow it. They are already unhappy because I discontinued the phone service a few years ago. With these guys, everything is a "bundle." Those packages make the cable companies a lot of money.
So now my question: Has anyone had experience with a standalone Wi-Fi and if so, what companies are best? In my neck of the woods, Comcast (Xfinnity), Verizon, Viasat, Hughesnet and Toast are listed as the only providers. Toast is DSL, so no to that one. Hughes and ViaSat are satellite providers, Verizon is fibre and Comcast is cable. I hate Comcast. Verizon is overly aggressive in their sales approach, plus they probably are scammers like Xfinity where you sign up for some low introductory price, but after the intro price expires, the regular price just goes up and up. So that leaves ViaSat and Hughes.
Anyone have any experience with ViaSat or Hughes? Neither has the speeds of Comcast or Verizon, but I'm not so sure I need all that. Presumably both will work for streaming on one device, uploading and playing entertainment and some gaming. I'm not much of a gamer except for solitaire and I can get by with one device at a time. I would like to have reliable streaming without the annoying buffering.
Any help you guys can give me would be appreciated.
The thing with Viasat and Hughesnet is, 1) there are no truly unlimited plans with them. You're cut back to ultra-slow after a certain number of gigabytes per month, depending on how much you pay. 2) because it's satellite, you'll have a delay of some number of seconds since every bit of data has to travel 45,000 miles or so. That's more of an issue with gaming than TV but, if you're watching sports for example, it might be an issue. 3) Viasat, and I believe Hughesnet as well, both prohibit HD streaming in an effort to conserve bandwidth. They will automatically cut you back to 360p or 480p.
If you're willing to accept those compromises, and you're really, really eager to make a clean break from the cable company, then it might be a good idea. But if you want HD and responsive speeds, you'll probably need a land-wire service... so that means, alas, you're either going to have to go with Verizon or Xfinity.
And good luck cancelling. I have heard Comcast is a nightmare to deal with in that regard. They use Internet as the bait to get you signed up for the cable service now.
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I agree that if one input (probably ethernet) works and one has problems, there's a good chance the TV is okay. The cable was my first thought, too. What's hooked up to the other side of the cable? If it's the cable box, you could have them replace it for you.
If you're not using HDMI, you might hook your laptop up and try that. These days I use TVs as monitors anyway, as my laptop screen keeps getting smaller.
You mention wifi, but then list verizon (fios) as an option, which confused me a bit. What you do in your own home is one thing, how you get your service to your home is another. For the latter, I'd personally be leery of anything over the air. I had satellite TV once, and every thunderstorm pretty much took it out for the duration. Not sure how this would affect wifi (802.11...), but I'd definitely ask some neighbors and make sure any contract I signed had a trial period.
I have fios, but from Frontier which bought it from verizon (anti-trust issues) in some areas. The tech has certainly been very reliable.
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer
Thanks for your response. Come to think of it, Comcast was supposed to replace both my cable box and modem last year, but never did. I even called for a serviceman twice since then and both times I was told by the customer service person that when the repairman came out, he would also bring and install the new cable box and modem. Well, both times, neither repairmen knew anything about that. I should have called Comcast just to specifically arrange for delivery and installation of the cable box and modem, but I never got around to it. But I was told by Comcast that the wrinkled picture and bad sound I'm getting is not their fault. What do I know?
As for Fios, FWIW, I have a friend who lives nearby and she has had no trouble with FIOS. I just didn't like Verizon FIOS because I had a bad experience with one of their door-to-door salesmen trying to talk me into one of their introductory specials that almost certainly would have ended up costing me as much as cable. I don't like pushy salesmen.
I am reluctant to get satellite because of the weather-related problems you mentioned. Also, I once was told that if you live in a valley as I do, reception can be iffy. I have had that problem with antennas too, although that was years ago. Maybe antennas are better now?
This stuff is all way over my head. I appreciate yours and everyone else's help and advice in all of this.
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The thing with Viasat and Hughesnet is, 1) there are no truly unlimited plans with them. You're cut back to ultra-slow after a certain number of gigabytes per month, depending on how much you pay. 2) because it's satellite, you'll have a delay of some number of seconds since every bit of data has to travel 45,000 miles or so. That's more of an issue with gaming than TV but, if you're watching sports for example, it might be an issue. 3) Viasat, and I believe Hughesnet as well, both prohibit HD streaming in an effort to conserve bandwidth. They will automatically cut you back to 360p or 480p.
If you're willing to accept those compromises, and you're really, really eager to make a clean break from the cable company, then it might be a good idea. But if you want HD and responsive speeds, you'll probably need a land-wire service... so that means, alas, you're either going to have to go with Verizon or Xfinity.
And good luck cancelling. I have heard Comcast is a nightmare to deal with in that regard. They use Internet as the bait to get you signed up for the cable service now.
Thank you @jmyrlefuller You are right about canceling Comcast. I used to have the bundle -- tv, internet and phone. When I wanted out of the phone service, the Comcast guy actually argued with me for almost 15 minutes. And I guess Comcast outsources its customer service to some foreign country because the guy couldn't speak good English and half the time I didn't understand him. It wasn't until I demanded to speak with his supervisor that he finally gave up and canceled the phone service.
Comcast is just awful. For a lot of years they were the only game in town, but now that there is competition from Veriizon and all the others, they still act like a monopoly. I will not shed a tear if Comcast goes under.
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@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer
Thanks for your response. Come to think of it, Comcast was supposed to replace both my cable box and modem last year, but never did. I even called for a serviceman twice since then and both times I was told by the customer service person that when the repairman came out, he would also bring and install the new cable box and modem. Well, both times, neither repairmen knew anything about that. I should have called Comcast just to specifically arrange for delivery and installation of the cable box and modem, but I never got around to it. But I was told by Comcast that the wrinkled picture and bad sound I'm getting is not their fault. What do I know?
As for Fios, FWIW, I have a friend who lives nearby and she has had no trouble with FIOS. I just didn't like Verizon FIOS because I had a bad experience with one of their door-to-door salesmen trying to talk me into one of their introductory specials that almost certainly would have ended up costing me as much as cable. I don't like pushy salesmen.
I am reluctant to get satellite because of the weather-related problems you mentioned. Also, I once was told that if you live in a valley as I do, reception can be iffy. I have had that problem with antennas too, although that was years ago. Maybe antennas are better now?
This stuff is all way over my head. I appreciate yours and everyone else's help and advice in all of this.
Satellite's not nearly as bad in valleys as antennas—you have to be right next to a pretty steep hill to not be able to get satellite reception (I remember as a kid having satellite about 20 years ago now and we had a fairly large hill right in the direction of the satellite but we got service just fine) since you're pointing it at an object about 22,000 miles up in the sky.
Antennas are a lot tougher than they used to be. It's not that they're any worse (the basic technology hasn't changed much since Yagi and Uda invented the directional antenna in the 1920s), it's that the signals are worse. I'm still annoyed that the federal government chose a digital standard that requires line-of-sight to receive it when it went digital ten years ago. I think you previously said you lived in PA, most of which has a lot of hills... and while an antenna's not entirely useless in most situations, you will almost certainly need one with a booster. I live about 40-50 miles from the nearest station, down in the valley, and was able to use a store-brand $25 Yagi-Uda with a booster from Walmart to pick up two stations (plus subchannels), more than I was expecting.
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Years ago we signed up for the full pack from Cableone. Phone, TV, Internet. I am trailer trash. I own my "house" on a rented lot. Time goes by and I buy the trailer across the street. My son and his family moves into the second until that went to crap. Traded out so the wife and I live in the second and my son in the first.(long story) .Cut the cord back to internet only. Bought Prime and Netflix. From my "main" cable link I got a wifi extender in my "new" home. So I am running two houses off from one subscription.
The new DIL works for CenturyLink and they switched over. So I had me Cableone switched over to where I live now.
Cableone is now Sparklite. There have been weird data spikes since Sparklite took over. In a running 12 month period if you top the 300GB cap they kick you to the next plan. So we did that twice thru the last holiday season. Two big spikes at the end of July. and then more at the beginning of August.
With 4 devices running we don't usually hit over 8 GB a day. But they are saying we are hitting 30G a day. I called them and told them if we exceed our data cap this month, cancel our subscription. They said we will double your cap at no extra cost. Yeah. ok.
We wanted to go to CenturyLink cause the DIL could get us the price for life at $35/month compared to the $55 at Sparklite.
Century link comes out and tells us the cable people cut and pulled our phone lines when they installed ur cable internet. so they can't hook us up.
The rest of the story is a shitshow.
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Frndly TV, a New $5.99/Month Live TV Streaming Service is Now Officially Available for Cord Cutters
Frndly TV, the family friendly, live and on-demand streaming service, officially launched today. Frndly had a soft launch a few weeks ago but today they are officially launching as a new live TV streaming service.
Subscriptions to Frndly TV, starting at $5.99, offer live and on-demand content, a linear TV guide, unlimited DVR storage, and more.
The core subscription costs $5.99/month. With the core subscription, viewers will get the ability to view content in standard definition and on one device at a time, plus access to the “Look Back†feature, allowing viewers to go back 72 hours in the guide, start a live show over from the beginning or access more than 1,000 titles on-demand.
For $7.99/month, viewers will get access to high definition content, the ability to watch on two devices simultaneously and unlimited Cloud DVR that stores your favorite shows for up to 30 days – plus look back and on-demand access, similar to the core service.
And for $9.99/month, viewers will get everything previously mentioned plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously and unlimited Cloud DVR that stores all recordings for 90 days.
“While more live streaming services have become available over the last few years, none of them focus on the American family the way Frndly TV does,†said Bassil El-Khatib, CEO, Frndly TV. “We’ve heard many times from consumers that they wanted a more affordable TV service with the channels they can actually watch together as a family.â€
At launch, Frndly TV includes 12 channels. The lineup will expand to 20 channels over the next year.
These are the 12 channels available now:
Hallmark Channel
Game Show Network
The Weather Channel
Outdoor Channel
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Hallmark Drama
PixL
Light TV
BabyFirst TV
QVC
Sportsman Channel
World Fishing Network.
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/frndly-tv-a-new-5-99-month-live-tv-streaming-service-is-now-officially-available/ (https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/frndly-tv-a-new-5-99-month-live-tv-streaming-service-is-now-officially-available/)
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An end in Vue: Sony will shutter its streaming video service
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/sony-will-shut-down-its-playstation-vue-live-tv-service/ (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/sony-will-shut-down-its-playstation-vue-live-tv-service/)
Sony today announced that it will soon shut down PlayStation Vue, its streaming TV service that served as a lighter alternative to traditional cable for live-TV viewers. The company's short blog post on the subject says that Vue will continue to operate until January 30, 2020, but that it will become inoperable after that date.
"Unfortunately, the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected," Sony wrote. "Because of this, we have decided to remain focused on our core gaming business."
Sony will continue to offer movies and TV episodes for purchase on-demand through the PlayStation Store, however; this closure only affects the live-TV service, which licensed channels traditionally found on cable for streaming in an interface that was available on PlayStation game consoles, Roku, Apple TV, and other platforms.
PlayStation Vue was the first major service of its type when it launched in the United States in 2015. It was followed by offerings from Hulu, YouTube, and others that sought to provide the basic live-TV cable experience streaming over the Internet with more modern interfaces and built-in features like cloud-based DVR and without long-term contract commitments. However, despite its early start, the Vue service lagged competitors in terms of subscribers. And since Sony had less leverage in the entertainment business than say, Disney (which is the majority owner of Hulu), it reportedly found itself paying more than competitors for already extremely pricy content deals with TV networks.
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An end in Vue: Sony will shutter its streaming video service
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/sony-will-shut-down-its-playstation-vue-live-tv-service/ (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/sony-will-shut-down-its-playstation-vue-live-tv-service/)
I'm not surprised...
Out of all streaming services, this one was the most exspensive. They should sell it to Amazon.
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Bookmark, got gifted a Roku and wanna see the suggestions.... especially the hidden channel options...
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Bookmark, got gifted a Roku and wanna see the suggestions.... especially the hidden channel options...
I don't have a sugestion but I found info on the hidden ones.
https://www.roku-private-channels.net/ (https://www.roku-private-channels.net/)
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Bookmark, got gifted a Roku and wanna see the suggestions.... especially the hidden channel options...
@Sighlass
Someone did you a big favor. You now have access to more channels than any sat service,and you pay nothing for 90 percent of them,and for the premium channels like HBO,you only pay for the ones you want and use. I am paying @10.66 per month for Netflix,$7.46 per month for BritBox,$16 per month for HBO,and I can view whatever I want at any time of the day or night. I get all the video on Amazon for free because I am a Amazon Prime member.
I keep a file folder on my computer screen named "tv programs" to keep track of this stuff. I didn't do this at first,and ended up paying for the same subscriptions multiple times. I solved that problem with the file list on my desktop,and by paying for them all through my ROKU,using PayPal. That way I don't have to worry about some temp employee from one of the fringe services stealing my bank info,and ALL payments are listed every month in the same place for me to review easily to make sure I am not being overcharged or subscribing twice to the same service.
I even keep a "watching now" file on my desktop to keep track of what series I am watching,what channel it is on,and the season and episode I watched last so I don't waste time flipping through episodes to see if I have already seen them.
On the newer ROKU's there is a button on the remote that looks like a microphone. Let's assume you want to watch Shameless,and don't know where it's playing and don't want to waste time manually typing in the name on ROKU's excellent search engine. Just press that microphone button and say "Shameless",and a list will appear on your tv screen of every service that is showing it.
This is important,so pay attention. If,for example,you have never watched "Homeland",one of the best thrillers to EVER air anywhere,and want to start,using the ROKU search engine or saying "Homeland" into the remote will not only list ever channel that broadcasts Homeless,they list the ones that do not require a subscription so you can watch it for free there. Say that series has been on for 10 years. You will be able to watch the first 3 or 4 years for free,and by the time you are done watching them,chances are there will be a couple more seasons old enough you can watch them for free,also.
Use the ROKU search engine often. It pays and saves you time,too.
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I don't have a sugestion but I found info on the hidden ones.
https://www.roku-private-channels.net/ (https://www.roku-private-channels.net/)
@The Ghost
Thanks for the tip. I had never even heard of the hidden channels.
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@The Ghost
Thanks for the tip. I had never even heard of the hidden channels.
The reason some of those channels are hidden is that they are for adults only. @Sighlass @The Ghost
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The reason some of those channels are hidden is that they are for adults only. @Sighlass @The Ghost
Some say "we" are adults Fred. So it's okay!
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I don't have a sugestion but I found info on the hidden ones.
https://www.roku-private-channels.net/ (https://www.roku-private-channels.net/)
That thing reads like a “Who’s Chinese? I’m not Chinese!!! I would never hack your information, Yankee Dog!†sort of page.
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OK, I did some research on Private channels... Bighead is right, some are adult XXX ... Part of being an adult is knowing not to pollute your mind more than it already is... trash in = trash out.... but there was some other content that looked interesting...
The only thing that worried me was some said it was hard to remove channels (not like others that you just hit option and it had a remove selection).... Will have to investigate this more before I try them.
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels (https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels)
There is bait like this page... which says it streams conservative stuff... but I have no idea whether it is just bait and switch to buy stuff....
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv (https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv)
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OK, I did some research on Private channels... Bighead is right, some are adult XXX ... Part of being an adult is knowing not to pollute your mind more than it already is... trash in = trash out.... but there was some other content that looked interesting...
The only thing that worried me was some said it was hard to remove channels (not like others that you just hit option and it had a remove selection).... Will have to investigate this more before I try them.
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels (https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels)
There is bait like this page... which says it streams conservative stuff... but I have no idea whether it is just bait and switch to buy stuff....
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv (https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv)
If you are thinking of paying for a channel you should look around more. Chances are you can find the same content on free channels.
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The reason some of those channels are hidden is that they are for adults only. @Sighlass @The Ghost
@bigheadfred
I useta be an adult.
I think.
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Will rural college sports fans be able to keep up with the broadband demands of streaming services?
(U)sing the FCC data, we see that only 69.7 percent of rural Alabama, 58.0 percent of Nebraska, 55.9 percent of rural Arkansas, 48.3 percent of rural Oklahoma, and 39.8 percent of rural Arizona have access to minimum-standard broadband. And it’s even less if the FCC data is over-inflated. Those are some very major college athletics areas where die-hard fans won’t have a chance to stream games that are exclusively online.
Meanwhile, college sports are going all-in on streaming their broadcasts online and via streaming services.
https://awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/college-sports-rural-fans-broadband-demands-streaming-services.html
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Don't we pay a monthly Internet tax and fee's to bring the internet to the rubes?
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Don't we pay a monthly Internet tax and fee's to bring the internet to the rubes?
Only if you have internet. Are you logged in?
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Hellooo to @carrpediem.
Welcome to TBR.
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Only if you have internet. Are you logged in?
I'm hard wired.
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So, the suggestion is on the table that the current internet users pay for the installation of internet access to rural areas so they can watch college football games on ESPN?
Is that about right?
Sounds a lot like socialism to me, besides, there was no discussion of rural area demand or desire to have internet access.
I forget, are we supposed to be for or opposed to the liberal agenda?
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So, the suggestion is on the table that the current internet users pay for the installation of internet access to rural areas so they can watch college football games on ESPN?
Is that about right?
Sounds a lot like socialism to me, besides, there was no discussion of rural area demand or desire to have internet access.
I forget, are we supposed to be for or opposed to the liberal agenda?
The way things go we will advance back to the days of Ma Bell. With one big comm company to rule us all. I don't know if that is socialism, New world order, or mere monopolization. But, in the end, we will pay.
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I'm hard wired.
Like The Ghost In The Machine?
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So, the suggestion is on the table that the current internet users pay for the installation of internet access to rural areas so they can watch college football games on ESPN?
Is that about right?
@EdinVA
I
guess it all depends on your POV,but MY POV is that it is important for everyone in the nation to have access to the internet so they can keep track of what our elected officals are doing,and to smack their knuckles when they get out of line.
Lots of rural areas have no access to local papers,and even if they did,chances are the local papers would be owned and edited by leftist buttheads.
Without the internet the only news they would hear would be what they would get from their teebee stations.
Do you REALLY want an America dependent on THOSE asshats for all their political news?
Sounds a lot like socialism to me, besides, there was no discussion of rural area demand or desire to have internet access.
I forget, are we supposed to be for or opposed to the liberal agenda?
I dunno,but I am fairly certain we shouldn't be posting while high. It can harsh your buzz.
Besides,keeping the public informed on local,state,and national news is an obligation of government,just like delivering the mail and the interstate highway system.
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Don't we pay a monthly Internet tax and fee's to bring the internet to the rubes?
Which in turn gets turned over to some corporation with a nice fat contract, which then takes the money, comes up with some excuse not to do the contract, then another corporation gets more money, and comes up with even more excuses.
I mean, the feds have the Post Roads Clause. If the 2nd Amendment applies to more than just muskets (which it does), the Post Roads Clause can be used to build an internet infrastructure. (Of course, that would be if we hadn't dug ourselves into a debt hole in the tens of trillions already for stuff the Constitution doesn't explicitly authorize and if we didn't have unions skimming huge amounts off the top any time there's a federal project.) If you can run an electric wire, if you can run a telephone wire, and pretty much all the areas that don't have broadband yet have those two things, then you can run a fiber-optic cable.
But this crony capitalism, subsidizing corporations that don't deliver on the terms of their deal, it's just not working.
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Sounds a lot like socialism to me, besides, there was no discussion of rural area demand or desire to have internet access.
I forget, are we supposed to be for or opposed to the liberal agenda?
Oh, there is demand and desire, it's just that the Powers That Be have decided it's supposedly not cost-effective.
Besides (see my post above this one) the Constitution specifically allows for the construction of "post roads." Considering that was the 1780s and back then, post roads were the primary means of transporting long-distance communication, the modern equivalent would be Internet lines. So it is a constitutionally permissible use of public funds. (Unlike a lot of our expenditures.) Though I would find it funny if the U.S. Postal Service decided to become an ISP through that clause. Hey, maybe it could solve some of its financial shortfalls that way!
There are areas near me where they're still on dial-up because there are holes between the cable providers' territories where neither one will provide service. As far as I'm concerned, they don't need to be able to provide 1080p-speed video to three houses on one line, but the current state of rural Internet is atrocious, far worse than it needs to be in 2020. You should be able to watch a 360p video—which is the resolution of a widescreen broadcast on an old-school CRT TV screen—on an Internet connection in America.
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Oh, there is demand and desire, it's just that the Powers That Be have decided it's supposedly not cost-effective.
Besides (see my post above this one) the Constitution specifically allows for the construction of "post roads." Considering that was the 1780s and back then, post roads were the primary means of transporting long-distance communication, the modern equivalent would be Internet lines. So it is a constitutionally permissible use of public funds. (Unlike a lot of our expenditures.) Though I would find it funny if the U.S. Postal Service decided to become an ISP through that clause. Hey, maybe it could solve some of its financial shortfalls that way!
There are areas near me where they're still on dial-up because there are holes between the cable providers' territories where neither one will provide service. As far as I'm concerned, they don't need to be able to provide 1080p-speed video to three houses on one line, but the current state of rural Internet is atrocious, far worse than it needs to be in 2020. You should be able to watch a 360p video—which is the resolution of a widescreen broadcast on an old-school CRT TV screen—on an Internet connection in America.
I agree. Where we are at I would think I would have more options, but I don't. We have been with the cable company for about 17 years. But they went from Cableone to Sparklight. We started seeing data spikes and went over the cap twice--300 GB--and there were days when no one was home that some of these spikes were happening. Third time they auto upgrade you. My Dil works for Centurylink and told us she could get us in at a higher speed for the lower speed price. $35 a month. So we decided to do that. DSL. The tech comes out and told us someone had cut the phone line so he couldn't hook us up. Said it was probably the cable people that did it. They said they wouldn't run a line. The landlord said they wouldn't run a line. Didn't even ask the phone company since we don't want that type of phone.
I was still looking at options and called Sparklite and told them if we exceeded our cap to cut us off. They said they would double our cap for the same price we are paying now. $55/month. So I stayed. We ended the bundle, cable/phone/internet, years ago, and just kept the internet. Cable to a wifi router. We have great speed with a tiny bit of buffering sometimes. Like when all 3 tvs are on, someone is on the laptop, and the grandkids are on their tablets. They can multitask like me. "Watch" tv and their tablet at the same time. All us viewing our own content. The wife has her cellphone, which is surgically attached. She has to have it now per her job.
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There are areas near me where they're still on dial-up because there are holes between the cable providers' territories where neither one will provide service. As far as I'm concerned, they don't need to be able to provide 1080p-speed video to three houses on one line, but the current state of rural Internet is atrocious, far worse than it needs to be in 2020. You should be able to watch a 360p video—which is the resolution of a widescreen broadcast on an old-school CRT TV screen—on an Internet connection in America.
Heh. You should try out here by me... cable makes it maybe 10 miles out of town. DSL a little further, but all that mostly near the highway. Cell service is nonexistent off the valley floor, especially so once you have a mountain range in the way... Other than that, 33.6 dialup if you are lucky. A whole lot of it is 14.4... Out in the sticks it is SAT or HAM for internet, and spotty AM/FM radio, HAM and CBs
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I tried a couple of Conservative Roku channels and neither would play...
https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv (https://www.rokuguide.com/private-channels/libertree-tv)
Libertree showed up in my channels but would not even load...
Gave me this --> The channel code provided is associated with a channel not available in your region.
https://channelstore.roku.com/details/270464/the-conservative (https://channelstore.roku.com/details/270464/the-conservative)
This channel would load, but none of the videos would play. It acted like they would play for about 2 seconds, then it kicked back out to the main video list on the channel...
BTW... why is this not a pinned topic...
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I may have posted this before but It's been great for me for about a year now. The only time it crapped out on me was Game 7 of the World Series last year (Bandwidth overload) right when the Nationals were stealing the Astro's codes.
https://ustvgo.tv/ (https://ustvgo.tv/)
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I may have posted this before but It's been great for me for about a year now. The only time it crapped out on me was Game 7 of the World Series last year (Bandwidth overload) right when the Nationals were stealing the Astro's codes.
https://ustvgo.tv/ (https://ustvgo.tv/)
WOW @corbe !!!
Thank you very much.... Streaming OANN !!!! Something I have been looking for forever! If only for that, that puppy is going in the bookmark bar of my media machine!
Beauty Day!! Three beers for you!
:beer: :beer: :beer:
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Glad ya like it @roamer_1 I owed ya anyway with that Win 10 hack you gave me last summer, it proved invaluable. It's how I've been watching my Rockets this season but I'm gonna go ahead and get a VPN this week and setup NBA League Pass from the Ukraine or India, to avoid any blackouts, though.
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Glad ya like it @roamer_1 I owed ya anyway with that Win 10 hack you gave me last summer, it proved invaluable. It's how I've been watching my Rockets this season but I'm gonna go ahead and get a VPN this week and setup NBA League Pass from the Ukraine or India, to avoid any blackouts, though.
I have been looking to stream OANN for YEARS! You da man!
888high58888
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I may have posted this before but It's been great for me for about a year now. The only time it crapped out on me was Game 7 of the World Series last year (Bandwidth overload) right when the Nationals were stealing the Astro's codes.
https://ustvgo.tv/ (https://ustvgo.tv/)
Nice Share... thanks... they not too happy about my adblock though.
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I was told to get a Roku but they were sold out at my store so I got a Fire stick. Not as good, I think.
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I was told to get a Roku but they were sold out at my store so I got a Fire stick. Not as good, I think.
@Gefn
You can buy them directly from ROKU. I bought mine,and a couple I gave to friends who would have never bought "new fangled tech" for themselves,but would use it once they got it. Some of the best money you will ever spend.
I was thinking the new "hold to speak" feature on the ROKU remote was a gimmick,but I am loving the hell out of it. Saves a bunch of time and typing. For example if you missed "The Blindspot" this week and wanted to catch up,you just press the button,say "The Blindspot",and your tv screen will show you ever channel broadcasting it,and if they are free or charge a fee per episode. They even tell you how much the fee will be for each channel that charges you.
Best of all,your vocal searches are saved on the ROKU search engines so you don't have to do it again each time you want to watch that program.
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@sneakypete I’m such a Luddite I wouldn’t know how to set it up.
I wish there was a teenager in my family. One more time I wish I had a child....
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@sneakypete I’m such a Luddite I wouldn’t know how to set it up.
I wish there was a teenager in my family. One more time I wish I had a child....
@Gefn
Yeah,you would. You plug the cord into the back of your tv,where there is a slot that fits the plug. That's it. When you turn your tv on,it configures itself. It will even turn your tv on and off using the ROKU remote. Or if you are going to watch local broadcast tv,you can just use your tv remote to do this.
You don't HAVE to do this,but with thousands of channels to pick from,who doesn't want a recorder? I bought a Channel Master video recorder that is no longer made because it was replaced by an upgraded model,so I can record one show while watching another. Not really sure what is available these days in recorders because I haven't looked. I also have an outside HD antenna (RCA) that I bought from Amazon for $43. I pick up 43 local broadcast channels on it that are free. Don't cost a dime. These are channels like CBS,NBC,ABC,PBS,etc,etc,etc. Most show stuff like tv shows from the 50's,60's,and 70's,and a lot of them are in black and white if you are into nostalgia. Stuff like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone,two of my all-time favorite tv shows.
BTW,out of the thousands of channels you can pull in from your ROKU (Wi-Fi) almost all of them are free,but you will still have to subscribe to and pay for channels like HBO,Netflix,Showtime,The Disney Channel,etc,etc,etc. You actually end up with MORE choices than you had with cable or sat tv subscriptions.
Also,one of the big reasons I went for a ROKU was I got tired of losing satellite signals during rain storms or snowstorms. This doesn't happen with ROKU because it's a Wi-Fi device.
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The Green Hornet TV series (1 season, 1966-67) was mentioned on the Obituaries thread... but since the subject applies more to this thread, I'm responding here. happy77
It was available on SyFy a few years back, but they apparently lost it... it is currently available on YouTube, but not from an official source, so who knows how long it will last. Link here -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT)
@sneakypete , @TomSea , since you both mentioned it.
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The Green Hornet TV series (1 season, 1966-67) was mentioned on the Obituaries thread... but since the subject applies more to this thread, I'm responding here. happy77
It was available on SyFy a few years back, but they apparently lost it... it is currently available on YouTube, but not from an official source, so who knows how long it will last. Link here -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT)
@sneakypete , @TomSea , since you both mentioned it.
@Ghost Bear
Thanks for the heads up!
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The Green Hornet TV series (1 season, 1966-67) was mentioned on the Obituaries thread... but since the subject applies more to this thread, I'm responding here. happy77
It was available on SyFy a few years back, but they apparently lost it... it is currently available on YouTube, but not from an official source, so who knows how long it will last. Link here -> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6fJmjt84zZijUX52K1F24557XEatByGT)
@sneakypete , @TomSea , since you both mentioned it.
I wanted to thank you so much for passing this on.
I have more than a passing interest in Bruce Lee. Interesting fellow.
@Ghost Bear
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@TomSea and @sneakypete , you are both welcome. Glad to help! :beer:
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Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLAw2bdHZTU
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Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLAw2bdHZTU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLAw2bdHZTU)
WOW! And what is the elephant in the room is that Youtube itself, not its subscription service, probably dwarfs them all.
I can't see me ever going back to chunked-and-formed programming. I so very much enjoy the ala-carte method... And I find the individual channels posted by content creators to be superior to TV series in every way... I do watch a series in full all the time... One series at a time. But that is far, far outweighed by joe-six-pack channel creators, which take up most of my media entertainment time. Well over 80%.
In fact I would say that creator content being first, radio would be next, with hollywood being merely incidental.
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Amazon Maybe Working on A New Live TV Streaming Service Called Amazon TV
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/amazon-maybe-working-on-a-new-live-tv-streaming-service-called-amazon-tv/
If true, this is yuge!
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Good Western Channel on YouTube...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJYCQ6WaEMhdZAuPo799bA/videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJYCQ6WaEMhdZAuPo799bA/videos)
I don't know for how long... but you can go to Fox(dot)com and now stream a bunch of Fox stuff including Fox News...
https://www.foxnews.com/ (https://www.foxnews.com/)
Yep Free
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Dish is giving Free Channels automatically, got the email a couple of days ago.
Over 20 Free Previews added to your DISH programming lineup
As the situation continues to evolve with COVID-19, we know you likely will be spending some extra time at home over the upcoming weeks. We also understand that your DISH TV service is a key source for entertainment and news.
To provide you with the entertainment and news you deserve, we’ve worked with many of our TV channel partners to bring all DISH customers over 20 free previews of movie channels, news channels and more that you might not get today.
SHOWTIME is available on Channels 318-324 at no additional cost, where you can watch movies such as Green Book, Rambo and Peppermint, or binge series such as Homeland.
HALLMARK’s “We Need A Little Christmas†Movie Marathon is available to all DISH customers starting Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 22 on Channel 185.
Below is a list of all channels currently available in free preview. Please check mydish.com/freepreview for updates to this list:
<..snip..>
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I thought Dish Was the Cord?
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I'm new to this thread. Does anybody have Fubo?
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I'm new to this thread. Does anybody have Fubo?
You mean FUBAR? Because that's a lifestyle thing for me... :shrug:
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You mean FUBAR? Because that's a lifestyle thing for me... :shrug:
LOL! I keep seeing "FUBAR" every time I think about it.
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I'm pissed. Hulu tv is raising their fee, again 54.99 to 64.99. If Sling would stream the local affiliates I would dump HULU like Direct TV in a rain strom.
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I'm pissed. Hulu tv is raising their fee, again 54.99 to 64.99. If Sling would stream the local affiliates I would dump HULU like Direct TV in a rain strom.
Go get em from their local sites.
I don't pay for ANYTHING except Netflix, and that only because it is so dang cheap. On our family plan my end of it is $70/yr... ALL the rest I get on the internet without any service
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I've been comparing Fubo and Sling, which are both available on Fire Stick.
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I'm pissed. Hulu tv is raising their fee, again 54.99 to 64.99. If Sling would stream the local affiliates I would dump HULU like Direct TV in a rain strom.
@Wingnut
There is this new devise avaialable callled a "tv antenna". You may have heard of them before,but the new ones have amazing range. I have a small RCA I bought from Amazon for about 40 bucks that pulls in something like 40 channels,and I live in a rural area with the closest broadcast tower maybe 30 miles away.
Then get a roku player and enjoy dozens of channels out of the thousands available to stream. Most are free,but you can subscribe to HBO,Netflix,etc,etc,etc through the ROKU,and only have one bill to pay. I like that because it allows me to see all my video bills in one place each month so I can decide what to keep and what to drop.
BTW,WWW.ROKU.COM (http://WWW.ROKU.COM)
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@Wingnut
There is this new devise avaialable callled a "tv antenna". You may have heard of them before,but the new ones have amazing range. I have a small RCA I bought from Amazon for about 40 bucks that pulls in something like 40 channels,and I live in a rural area with the closest broadcast tower maybe 30 miles away.
Then get a roku player and enjoy dozens of channels out of the thousands available to stream. Most are free,but you can subscribe to HBO,Netflix,etc,etc,etc through the ROKU,and only have one bill to pay. I like that because it allows me to see all my video bills in one place each month so I can decide what to keep and what to drop.
BTW,WWW.ROKU.COM (http://WWW.ROKU.COM)
Where do you mount your antenna?
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Where do you mount your antenna?
Your TV didn't come with a Rabbit Ears Antenna? Make sure and use tin foil on those antennas for better reception.
(https://i2.wp.com/oddlovescompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TV-with-rabbit-ears...and-tin-foil.jpeg)
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I put my antenna up in the attic. It pulls in stations fine up there, though I don't watch local stations much.
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I'm pissed. Hulu tv is raising their fee, again 54.99 to 64.99. If Sling would stream the local affiliates I would dump HULU like Direct TV in a rain strom.
There is Locast Tv.
https://www.locast.org/
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Your TV didn't come with a Rabbit Ears Antenna? Make sure and use tin foil on those antennas for better reception.
(https://i2.wp.com/oddlovescompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TV-with-rabbit-ears...and-tin-foil.jpeg)
I mention OTA TV to my mom and dad, both born in the 40's, they gave me blank looks and my mom was basically like "what is that". I said ot her: "Mom, I remember back in the 80's before we got cable, we got a bunch of network channels and some really crappy staticky UHF stations. You don't remember that?" She didn't remember it apparently. LOL... 70 year old millenials...
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Where do you mount your antenna?
I mounted mine on a steel pole outside my house. I like the assurance of a solid chuck of steel buried a foot or two into the ground to ground my system out so I don't have to worry about lightening strikes.
Plus,I can use a pipe wrench on the steel pole to "tune the antenna for best reception". I used two 8 foot sections,so it's probably 14 feet above the ground.
I used the cheapest RCA antenna I could find to both save money and buy American. It outperforms it's standards by a significant amount. Maybe by twice as much. I pull in over 40 channels with it,and the closest one is more than 50 miles away,which is further than the stated rated.
https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Satellite-Broadcast-Epicenter-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2EKQ7MSHQ1X9T&dchild=1&keywords=rca+tv+antenna+outdoor&qid=1608648513&sprefix=rca+tv+antenna%2Caps%2C2036&sr=8-3 (https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Satellite-Broadcast-Epicenter-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2EKQ7MSHQ1X9T&dchild=1&keywords=rca+tv+antenna+outdoor&qid=1608648513&sprefix=rca+tv+antenna%2Caps%2C2036&sr=8-3)
BTW,don't get all excited over pulling in 40 stations. Most will likely be 50's black and white tv stations showing stuff that will bore the snot out of you. Obvious exceptions for me was stuff like old black and white "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and old black and white episodes of the original "Twilight Zone". Yeah,there ARE hidden gems in those old stations,but you have to search for them.
Ok,here is what you need to do once you have your new antenna.
Go to
and bookmark that web site. It will use your address to tell you exactly where and how far away the various tv station broadcast towers are from your house.
Buy a cheap lensatic compass. You will need this to point your antenna in the right direction to get the best reception. Once you have determined you have the antenna pointed correctly for the best reception for the stations you want to view,you MIGHT want to do like I did and drill holes where the two pipe sections meet and put a long bolt with a nut through the hole or hole. That way you don't have to worry about wind blowing your antenna out of alignment with the stations.
In my case,I drilled multiple holes because there are a couple of stations I like to view occasionally that require antenna adjustment.
Finish up the deal by buying a ROKU streaming player,and you will never again need a sat dish. I am currently watching Season 9 of the Walking Dead on Netflix over my Roku for free because IIRC,I pay 14 bucks a month to Netflix to watch pretty much everything they offer.
I even have my ROKU set up so they pay my subscription fees to providers like Netflix,Hulu,etc,etc,etc for me. That way all my video bills are coming from one site,and it is easy to monitor what I am using and what I need to dump.
BTW,in addition to spending less money and receiving more channels,you will never lose reception because of weather problems.
(https://www.overtheairdigitaltv.com/tv-station-locator-tool/)
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I mention OTA TV to my mom and dad, both born in the 40's, they gave me blank looks and my mom was basically like "what is that". I said ot her: "Mom, I remember back in the 80's before we got cable, we got a bunch of network channels and some really crappy staticky UHF stations. You don't remember that?" She didn't remember it apparently. LOL... 70 year old millenials...
@Weird Tolkienish Figure
Careful what you say there,Bubba! One day you too will be a geezer.
Providing of course that you are allowed to live that long. Never piss off people who have nothing to lose.
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I mention OTA TV to my mom and dad, both born in the 40's, they gave me blank looks and my mom was basically like "what is that". I said ot her: "Mom, I remember back in the 80's before we got cable, we got a bunch of network channels and some really crappy staticky UHF stations. You don't remember that?" She didn't remember it apparently. LOL... 70 year old millenials...
My mom and dad were born at the start of the 20's. My mom was reeled in by the "Bonanza's in Color" ads and we got a color tv so she could watch Bonanza in color.
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If you are thinking of paying for a channel you should look around more. Chances are you can find the same content on free channels.
@Sighlass @bigheadfred
Or even the pay channels you already have. I can usually find anything new I want on one of the 4 or 5 pay channels I have. One will offer for free what others are charging for to get new customers,so it's not that hard to find most of it.
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I was told to get a Roku but they were sold out at my store so I got a Fire stick. Not as good, I think.
@Gefn
https://www.roku.com/ (https://www.roku.com/)
You can also buy them from Amazon and get free shipping. Seems like you can buy ANYTHING from Amazon and get free shipping if you are a Prime Customer.
Plus,being a Prime customer means you get to stream all the Amazon Prime videos,movies,and series. I am now watching Season 9 of The Walking Dead on Amazon via my ROKU.
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@sneakypete I’m such a Luddite I wouldn’t know how to set it up.
I wish there was a teenager in my family. One more time I wish I had a child....
@Gefn
Basically,you just plug it into your tv and follow the directions.
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I tried out Sling last night. I didn't like the interface and there's no CC, which is a deal breaker for me. The Fubo looks to be the way to go. The local one mentioned above is good, and free.
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My mom and dad were born at the start of the 20's. My mom was reeled in by the "Bonanza's in Color" ads and we got a color tv so she could watch Bonanza in color.
My mom said that she would call her favorite aunt and ask her what she's is watching on TV and she'd say "I don't know but the color is beautiful". BTW anyone amazed by the number of hotels that still advertise color TV as an amenity.
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My mom said that she would call her favorite aunt and ask her what she's is watching on TV and she'd say "I don't know but the color is beautiful". BTW anyone amazed by the number of hotels that still advertise color TV as an amenity.
I am sure we were well past the advent thereof by the time we got a color TV... But I remember going from black and white to color...
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@sneakypete That tells me with an attic mount I'll only get four channels. Hardly worth it.
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@sneakypete That tells me with an attic mount I'll only get four channels. Hardly worth it.
I keep fixin to.... Same here btw... I will get 8 channels, only 2 of which are worthy of mention... But two is better than none if the innernets go down. For a one time cost, it might be nice to have local channels available.
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Running my free trial of Fubo, and it's performing exactly the way I hoped. There's the Fubo app I can run on the Fire Stick, and I can run the regular apps I've used for years that require a cable provider to log in, because they now accept my Fubo credentials in place of the cable TV credentials.
Cable gets turned off next week. Cost of Fubo is about $45 per month, Cable was $155. I can upgrade my internet to a higher speed for about 10-20 bucks. It's fine for now, but 4K TV is coming.
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@sneakypete That tells me with an attic mount I'll only get four channels. Hardly worth it.
:
@Smokin Joe
I have never had an attic mount,so I have no idea how well they work. I do know I have heard lots of people in cities seem to like them,but I live 25 miles from the nearest "city",and the truth on that is they are bragging. It's actually a town.
Go to Channel Master dot com and check out there desktop (I THINK that is what they call them) antennas for range and prices. You MIGHT find one there that will suit your needs. TV antennas and receivers are their whole business,so they are likely to have the stuff that works,IF there is any indoor antennas that will suit your needs.
They also sell antenna boosters.
Why do you need an attic/indoor antenna? Do you live in a housing development with restrictions?
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@sneakypete That tells me with an attic mount I'll only get four channels. Hardly worth it.
It all depends on location.
I can view a large percentage of these local stations with my attic mount antenna.
KPRC-TV HOUSTON, TX
02-1 35.3 KPRC-HD NBC "Local 2"
02-2 35.4 MeTV Me-TV
02-3 35.5 H&I Heroes & Icons
02-4 35.6 StartTV Start TV
KUHT HOUSTON, TX
08-1 8.1 KUHT PBS "HoustonPBS"
08-2 8.2 KUHT Create
08-3 8.3 KUHT PBS Kids 24/7
08-4 8.4 KUHT World Channel
08-5 8.5 KUHT Audio "Sight into Sound"
KHOU HOUSTON, TX
11-1 11.3 KHOU-HD CBS "Channel 11"
KHOU HOUSTON, TX
11-2 11.4 Bounce Bounce TV
11-3 11.5 Justice True Crime Network
11-4 11.6 Quest Quest
11-5 11.7 Circle Circle
KTRK-TV HOUSTON, TX
13-1 13.3 KTRK-HD ABC "ABC 13"
13-2 13.4 LIVWELL Localish
13-3 13.5 KTRK-D3 Laff
KETH-TV HOUSTON, TX
14-1 24.3 KETH-D1 TBN
14-2 24.4 KETH D2 Hillsong Channel
14-3 24.5 KETH D3 Positiv 07p-07a
14-3 24.5 KETH D3 Smile of a Child 07a-07p
14-4 24.6 KETH D4 Enlace USA
14-5 24.7 TBN SD TBN
KVVV-LD HOUSTON, TX
15-01 15.1 Word The Word Network
15-02 15.2 A.M.E.N [Blank]
15-03 15.3 STV Chinese "STV"
15-04 15.4 KVVV LD 3ABN Latino
15-05 15.5 Navroz News "NTV Houston"
15-06 15.6 Greenvi Religious "Greenview WorldTV"
15-07 15.7 BNT Independent "Bright Now TV"
15-08 15.8 Vineyar Independent "Vineyard TV"
15-09 15.9 ABN Independent "ABN"
15-10 15.10 Eye TV Independent "Eyeconic TV"
KTXH HOUSTON, TX
20-1 19.3 KTXH-DT MyN "My 20 Vision"
20-2 19.4 Movies! Movies!
20-3 19.5 Decades [Blank]
20-4 19.6 BUZZR BUZZR
KVQT-LD HOUSTON, TX
21-01 14.3 KVQT-LD Spanish Religious "ConexZion TV"
21-02 14.4 MBC Ethnic "mbc"
21-03 14.5 Elohim Spanish Religious "ElohÃm"
21-04 14.6 MundoTV Spanish Independent "Mundo Latino TV"
21-05 14.7 Cristo Spanish Religious "Cristo TV"
21-06 14.8 LaTele Spanish Independent "La Tele"
21-07 14.9 VivaTV Spanish Independent "Viva 22"
21-08 14.10 INTV Independent "INTV"
21-09 14.11 JTV Jewelry TV
21-10 14.12 KVQT-LD
21-11 14.13 Tele-V Spanish Independent "Televiva"
21-12 14.14 InfoTV
KRIV HOUSTON, TX
26-1 26.3 KRIV-DT FOX "Fox 26"
26-2 26.4 LIGHTtv Decades
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-01 27.9 Global Mall TV
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-01 27.9 Global Mall TV
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-02 27.10 SBTN
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-02 27.10 SBTN
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-03 27.11 VUSA
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-03 27.11 VUSA
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-04 27.12 VNA-TV
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-04 27.12 VNA-TV
27-05 27.13 VCAL TV
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-05 27.13 VCAL TV
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-06 27.14 VietNews
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
27-06 27.14 VietNews
KUGB-CD HOUSTON, TX
28-01 28.1001 KUGB-CD CBN News
28-02 28.1002 KUGB-CD Infomercials
28-03 28.1003 KUGB-CD Shop LC
28-04 28.4 KUGB-CD 3ABN
28-05 28.5 KUGB-CD Infomercials
28-06 28.6 KUGB-CD Infomercials
KCVH-LD HOUSTON, TX
30-1 6.1 ALELUYA Religious
30-2 6.2 ABN 2 Religious
KEHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
32-1 29.1 Court TV
32-3 29.3 Infomercials
32-4 29.4 Grit
32-5 29.5 Stadium
32-6 29.6 Shop LC
32-7 29.7 Infomercials
KUVM-CD MISSOURI CITY, TX
34-1 20.1001 KUVM-CD LATV
34-2 20.1002 KUVM-CD HSN2
34-3 20.1003 KUVM-CD Infomercials
34-4 20.1004 KUVM-CD Infomercials
34-5 20.1005 KUVM-CD 3ABN
34-6 20.1006 KUVM-CD Infomercials
KZHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
38-1 3.1 KZHO-LD Religious "Vision Celestial"
38-2 3.2 KZHO-LD Vida Vision
38-3 3.3 KZHO-LD Religious "Vision Celestial" (KZHO-LD 38-1)
38-4 3.4 KZHO-LD Religious "TV Elohim"
38-5 3.5 KZHO-LD [Blank]
38-6 3.6 KZHO-LD Iglesia JEMIR
38-7 3.7 KZHO-LD Audio "Mana Musica"
38-8 3.8 KZHO-LD Religious
38-9 3.9 KZHO-LD Audio "Joe FM"
KIAH HOUSTON, TX
39-1 34.3 KIAH-DT CW "CW 39"
39-2 34.4 Ant TV Antenna TV
39-3 34.5 Comet Comet TV
39-4 34.6 TBD TBD
39-5 34.7 CourtTV Court TV
KBMN-LD HOUSTON, TX
40-1 9.1 KBMN-LD Infomercials
40-2 9.2 KBMN-LD Infomercials
40-3 9.3 KBMN-LD Infomercials
40-4 9.4 KBMN-LD Cheddar
40-5 9.5 KBMN-LD Infomercials
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-1 10.1 KHLM-DT Multimedios "TV Informa 43"
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-1 10.1 KHLM-DT Multimedios "TV Informa 43"
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-2 10.2 KHLM-DT NewsNet
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-2 10.2 KHLM-DT NewsNet
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-3 10.3 KHLM-DT Mariavision
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-3 10.3 KHLM-DT Mariavision
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-4 10.4 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-4 10.4 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-5 10.5 KHLM-DT Independent "Urban Houston Network"
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-5 10.5 KHLM-DT Independent "Urban Houston Network"
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-6 10.6 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-6 10.6 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-7 10.7 KHLM-DT Spanish Religious "Mariavision Houston"
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-7 10.7 KHLM-DT Spanish Religious "Mariavision Houston"
KHLM-LD HOUSTON, TX
43-8 10.8 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KUVM-LD MISSOURI CITY, TX
43-8 10.8 KHLM-DT Infomercials
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-01 27.3 TCN NuestraVisión
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-01 27.3 TCN NuestraVisión
46-02 27.4 qubo Religious "Abundant Life"
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-02 27.4 qubo Religious "Abundant Life"
46-03 27.5 NuduTV Independent "Nudu TV"
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-03 27.5 NuduTV Independent "Nudu TV"
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-04 27.6 HeartL Heartland
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-04 27.6 HeartL Heartland
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-05 27.7 GEB GEB Network
KQHO-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-05 27.7 GEB GEB Network
46-06 27.8 TCN The Country Network
KBPX-LD HOUSTON, TX
46-06 27.8 TCN The Country Network
KDHU-LD HOUSTON, TX
50-1 7.1 KDHU-LD Daystar
KZJL HOUSTON, TX
61-1 21.1 KZJL-HD Estrella TV "61 KZJL"
61-2 21.2 KZJL-2 Estrella Dos
KFTH-DT ALVIN, TX
67-1 36.1 KFTH-DT UniMás
67-2 36.2 GetTV GetTV
67-3 36.3 GRIT Grit
67-4 36.4 HSN HSN
67-5 36.5 KXLN-HD Univision "Univision 45" (KXLN-DT 45-1)
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:
@Smokin Joe
I have never had an attic mount,so I have no idea how well they work. I do know I have heard lots of people in cities seem to like them,but I live 25 miles from the nearest "city",and the truth on that is they are bragging. It's actually a town.
Go to Channel Master dot com and check out there desktop (I THINK that is what they call them) antennas for range and prices. You MIGHT find one there that will suit your needs. TV antennas and receivers are their whole business,so they are likely to have the stuff that works,IF there is any indoor antennas that will suit your needs.
They also sell antenna boosters.
Why do you need an attic/indoor antenna? Do you live in a housing development with restrictions?
First, to gain altitude. Second, to keep it out of the wind. 10-15 MPH is a light breeze here. Not unusual to have gusts to 60 or more. Even with that profile, however, this IS North Dakota and in North Western North Dakota, major towns are roughly 120 miles apart (Canada is closer than the next "large" town with a five figure population). The "local stations" carry news from Bismarck (250 miles out), Fargo (400 miles), and Minot (130 miles) and rarely, a tidbit from our neck of the woods. There's nothing much to get, so 4 channels.
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First, to gain altitude. Second, to keep it out of the wind. 10-15 MPH is a light breeze here. Not unusual to have gusts to 60 or more. Even with that profile, however, this IS North Dakota and in North Western North Dakota, major towns are roughly 120 miles apart (Canada is closer than the next "large" town with a five figure population). The "local stations" carry news from Bismarck (250 miles out), Fargo (400 miles), and Minot (130 miles) and rarely, a tidbit from our neck of the woods. There's nothing much to get, so 4 channels.
We had a 60 MPH gust up here at the Castle today.
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Anybody watching "Next"?
It is/was originally broadcast on FOX,IIRC,but I am watching it on HULU.
Pretty good series,based on what happens when an out of control computer program decides to take over the world to protect itself.
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Anybody watching "Next"?
It is/was originally broadcast on FOX,IIRC,but I am watching it on HULU.
Pretty good series,based on what happens when an out of control computer program decides to take over the world to protect itself.
Ever watch the 70's era movie Colossus the Forbin Project? Everything old is new again, or very close to it.
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis (https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis)
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Ever watch the 70's era movie Colossus the Forbin Project? Everything old is new again, or very close to it.
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis (https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis)
@GtHawk
Nope,but it has been my experience lately that damn few of the tv programs or movies make pre-1980's or so can match either the acting or the writing of today's stuff.
Most likely due to the studios losing their stranglehold on talent and broadcast access.
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Ever watch the 70's era movie Colossus the Forbin Project? Everything old is new again, or very close to it.
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis (https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71253/the-forbin-project#synopsis)
Yes, I remember that movie. It really brought home the threat of tech and totalitarianism conjoined to me.
Then Fahrenheit 451 with the wall sized interactive screens and networking, socially and otherwise, gave me the creeps.
I have an Echo Show I got as a gift, and still haven't powered up...
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Yes, I remember that movie. It really brought home the threat of tech and totalitarianism conjoined to me.
Then Fahrenheit 451 with the wall sized interactive screens and networking, socially and otherwise, gave me the creeps.
I have an Echo Show I got as a gift, and still haven't powered up...
Send it to me! I already have some Echoes.
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I have an Echo Show I got as a gift, and still haven't powered up...
Only one word comes to mind for that:
PULL!
:laugh:
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I may have posted this before but It's been great for me for about a year now. The only time it crapped out on me was Game 7 of the World Series last year (Bandwidth overload) right when the Nationals were stealing the Astro's codes.
https://ustvgo.tv/ (https://ustvgo.tv/)
@corbe
I am such a procrastinator. Thanks for the link. I finally got around to using this. I just sent the link to my daughter. They just got a house and they have internet but no cable. She can remotely log in my movie and old TV programs server, but she doesn't yet get any live programs.
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@corbe
I am such a procrastinator. Thanks for the link. I finally got around to using this. I just sent the link to my daughter. They just got a house and they have internet but no cable. She can remotely log in my movie and old TV programs server, but she doesn't yet get any live programs.
@Elderberry
Can you say "ROKU"?
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@corbe
I am such a procrastinator. Thanks for the link. I finally got around to using this. I just sent the link to my daughter. They just got a house and they have internet but no cable. She can remotely log in my movie and old TV programs server, but she doesn't yet get any live programs.
y'all ought to look into family accounts and split the cost... My son actually carries the family neflix account, which I pay him 1/5th share. Way cheaper than a monthly independent account.
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@corbe
I am such a procrastinator. Thanks for the link. I finally got around to using this. I just sent the link to my daughter. They just got a house and they have internet but no cable. She can remotely log in my movie and old TV programs server, but she doesn't yet get any live programs.
May I suggest Locast.org? Local channels from the big cities. Way cool.
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@Elderberry
Can you say "ROKU"?
@sneakypete
That's what I have been using for several years now. Now I admit I haven't extensively explored all the services available, but I didn't yet find one that gave me OAN News. Now with ustvgo I can watch it and it don't cost me anything.
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We are all sharing my daughter's Netflix account. I'll take a look at locast, but I almost never watch local broadcast channels. I have an active antenna set up and in Houston I receive gobs of local stations that I rarely look at.
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I'm thinking I may look into something non TCP-IP based for home automation so I don't have to deal with security and also big tech.
Maybe something z-wave based?
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We are all sharing my daughter's Netflix account. I'll take a look at locast, but I almost never watch local broadcast channels. I have an active antenna set up and in Houston I receive gobs of local stations that I rarely look at.
Local channels are a lot more than they used to me. MeTv, GetTV, Comet and Laff are now local channels. Locast has the large market statios so all these syndicated programs are there.
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@sneakypete
That's what I have been using for several years now. Now I admit I haven't extensively explored all the services available, but I didn't yet find one that gave me OAN News. Now with ustvgo I can watch it and it don't cost me anything.
@Elderberry
If you MUST have local news broadcast channels,spring 40 bucks for a small RCA outside antenna. I live 54 miles from the closest tv broadcast tower,and pick up 43 channels with my RCA antenna.
I forget the exact model now,but go to Amazon and do a search there for RCA tv antennas,and it's the one closest to 40 bucks.
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@Elderberry
If you MUST have local news broadcast channels,spring 40 bucks for a small RCA outside antenna. I live 54 miles from the closest tv broadcast tower,and pick up 43 channels with my RCA antenna.
I forget the exact model now,but go to Amazon and do a search there for RCA tv antennas,and it's the one closest to 40 bucks.
@sneakypete
The channel I wanted was not carried locally. I do have an RCA antenna with a built in amp that really pulls in the stations. Stations that I rarely even look at.
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More Americans say they are "cutting the cord"
By Fred Backus
April 23, 2021 / 1:55 PM / CBS News
More and more Americans seem to be "cutting the cord" and switching away from cable and satellite subscription services in favor of streaming services, reflecting changes in the way they consume television.
Five years ago, 63% of Americans mostly watched television through cable and satellite. Today, that percentage has dropped to fewer than half of all Americans, while the percentage of those primarily watching television via a streaming service on the internet has jumped 17 percentage points, from 20% in 2016 to 37% today. About one in 10 Americans watch their TV through a digital antenna, which replaced old-fashioned broadcast television several years ago.
(https://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2021/04/23/1a61c67d-dd0e-4e3c-aaad-6c2d032e7dc6/f8e01c4dfd65b4f825b9361ed83cfa06/3.png)
more
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cord-cutting-americans-rising/
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I did this at the end of January, so I can report some resultss.
The price of the Cable was over $150 per month. I was able to get another ISP, at $65 per month. I have Amazon Premium and a Fire Stick, so there are channels available for free, but the channels I still watch, like FNS, require a third-party provider for the license. I have FUBO, but Sling is cheaper. The FUBO is about 50 bucks.
The internet is more reliable, because the Cable provider uses fiber optics, while my new provider is microwave with a little dish on my house. I have an excellent line-of-sight connection by virtue of my glorious view of Laughlin, which is where the transmitter is. I have a 20 Mbs download package, but I can go a lot higher if I want to pay more.
Bottom line: I pay less for better service in more rooms, and that's what it's all about.
ROKU is also well priced. Still a savings.
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These days, a Roku is dirt cheap. I got one at Christmastime for $10, new—of course it was the base model with no DVR or anything like that, but the HDMI cable that came with it alone was worth that much, so I essentially got it for free.
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@sneakypete
That's what I have been using for several years now. Now I admit I haven't extensively explored all the services available, but I didn't yet find one that gave me OAN News. Now with ustvgo I can watch it and it don't cost me anything.
I have enough stuff & nonsense via my Vizio smart tv. But for OAN + 40 or so channels and $30 @ year, Klowd on a computer will do fine.
https://www.klowdtv.com (https://www.klowdtv.com)
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We have ROKU, but hubby hasn't given up his cable.
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I did this at the end of January, so I can report some resultss.
The price of the Cable was over $150 per month. I was able to get another ISP, at $65 per month. I have Amazon Premium and a Fire Stick, so there are channels available for free, but the channels I still watch, like FNS, require a third-party provider for the license. I have FUBO, but Sling is cheaper. The FUBO is about 50 bucks.
The internet is more reliable, because the Cable provider uses fiber optics, while my new provider is microwave with a little dish on my house. I have an excellent line-of-sight connection by virtue of my glorious view of Laughlin, which is where the transmitter is. I have a 20 Mbs download package, but I can go a lot higher if I want to pay more.
Bottom line: I pay less for better service in more rooms, and that's what it's all about.
ROKU is also well priced. Still a savings.
@Cyber Liberty
I never had cable,but I have had a couple of different sat services.
Dumped them all several years ago when I bought a digital RCA antenna maybe 1/4 th the size of traditional antennas,and mounted it on a steel pole maybe 12 feet off the ground. I was pulling in 8 channels with the old antenna,and now get 43 channels with the new RCA.
$32 bucks including shipping from amazon,and pulls in channels from as far as 70 miles away.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
https://www.roku.com/products/players
I bought the $99 one which is often on sale for $79. I honestly can't recommend any of the cheaper ones because they just don't have all the features. Been using mine for several years now with zero problems from either the player or ROKU.
ROKU's remote is one sweet piece of work,too!
I have no idea how many channels I get with the ROKU. Must be hundreds more than I will ever have time to watch,but the big thing is I can subscribe to the premium biggies like HBO,Amazon,Hulu,etc,etc,etc,right through ROKU,have them pay each individual channel I subscribe to,and I only have one payment and ROKU is the only company that has my bank account number.
I also like the fact all my streaming bills are at one location,and it is easy to check them all and stop one at any time I decide I don't want it anymore.
Since I bought the HD RCA antenna and the ROKU player,I am paying less than half of what I did pay the sat companies,and getting a lot more channels. Not only that,but I don't lose my signal in rain or snow storms,like I did sometimes with the dish.
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We have the internet through the cable company and Rokus. $65/month. We have Prime which, with free shipping pays for itself plus.
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We have ROKU, but hubby hasn't given up his cable.
@libertybele
Probably just doesn't want to have to learn something new.
Not that *I* know anything personally about that sort of attitude you understand,but I HAVE hear rumors about it.
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I mostly read with a Youtube documentary in the background. On book 40 for the year.
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@libertybele
Probably just doesn't want to have to learn something new.
Not that *I* know anything personally about that sort of attitude you understand,but I HAVE hear rumors about it.
:yowsa:
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Local channels are a lot more than they used to me. MeTv, GetTV, Comet and Laff are now local channels. Locast has the large market statios so all these syndicated programs are there.
Quick question, since the universal remote that came with my defunct cable box won't change tv channels (and I don't know if I actually have any other channels on the tv besides good ol' number three: (original remote long lost, and new teevee just not in the budget--this one is only seven yrs old or so)
Cable company quit providing cable tv. (Yes, really!) Abandoned their boxes and everything. I have a fire stick (older) and while I like the programming I can get, it seems to suddenly have problems in the middle of movies. I don't watch much current production, simply because of faggotry and woke-ism and blends of people not seen in most normal gatherings in these parts. What masquerades as "normal" is pretty much alien fare here. But the Mrs. likes to watch Wheel of Fortune and catch the local news from time to time. so I am going to have to get an antenna. About all the fare we will get is in the 35 mile envelope, otherwise, it will be the same networks, just out of another town, 130 miles away or Canada. In case we want to see what regina is putting out, I'll get a dual range with amplifier and that should handle that, and I'm thinking a Roku for the set to go through wifi channels with because the fire stick seems to be having trouble holding onto a wifi signal even though it's only 20 ft. to the router.
Finally, I get around to the question: will the roku allow me to change channels with the antenna feed, or do I need something else to change the channels?
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Finally, I get around to the question: will the roku allow me to change channels with the antenna feed, or do I need something else to change the channels?
None of the Roku remotes that I've used will change TV channels. i do have Universal remotes that will control Roku as well as control the TV. You need to pick up a universal remote to control your TV.
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Quick question, since the universal remote that came with my defunct cable box won't change tv channels (and I don't know if I actually have any other channels on the tv besides good ol' number three: (original remote long lost, and new teevee just not in the budget--this one is only seven yrs old or so)
Cable company quit providing cable tv. (Yes, really!) Abandoned their boxes and everything. I have a fire stick (older) and while I like the programming I can get, it seems to suddenly have problems in the middle of movies. I don't watch much current production, simply because of faggotry and woke-ism and blends of people not seen in most normal gatherings in these parts. What masquerades as "normal" is pretty much alien fare here. But the Mrs. likes to watch Wheel of Fortune and catch the local news from time to time. so I am going to have to get an antenna. About all the fare we will get is in the 35 mile envelope, otherwise, it will be the same networks, just out of another town, 130 miles away or Canada. In case we want to see what regina is putting out, I'll get a dual range with amplifier and that should handle that, and I'm thinking a Roku for the set to go through wifi channels with because the fire stick seems to be having trouble holding onto a wifi signal even though it's only 20 ft. to the router.
Finally, I get around to the question: will the roku allow me to change channels with the antenna feed, or do I need something else to change the channels?
Locast has all the local channels (and subchannels) for the major markets, which is a boon to those of us living in the sticks with little-to-no choices with the antenna TV.
I don't know anything about Roku operation (I have Fire Sticks, old and new), but I'm getting a crash course in it this week. Somebody donated a unit to our local GOP Headquarters a couple days ago, and I haven't gotten in to see it yet.
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Quick question, since the universal remote that came with my defunct cable box won't change tv channels (and I don't know if I actually have any other channels on the tv besides good ol' number three: (original remote long lost, and new teevee just not in the budget--this one is only seven yrs old or so)
Cable company quit providing cable tv. (Yes, really!) Abandoned their boxes and everything. I have a fire stick (older) and while I like the programming I can get, it seems to suddenly have problems in the middle of movies. I don't watch much current production, simply because of faggotry and woke-ism and blends of people not seen in most normal gatherings in these parts. What masquerades as "normal" is pretty much alien fare here. But the Mrs. likes to watch Wheel of Fortune and catch the local news from time to time. so I am going to have to get an antenna. About all the fare we will get is in the 35 mile envelope, otherwise, it will be the same networks, just out of another town, 130 miles away or Canada. In case we want to see what regina is putting out, I'll get a dual range with amplifier and that should handle that, and I'm thinking a Roku for the set to go through wifi channels with because the fire stick seems to be having trouble holding onto a wifi signal even though it's only 20 ft. to the router.
Finally, I get around to the question: will the roku allow me to change channels with the antenna feed, or do I need something else to change the channels?
@Smokin Joe
Antenna feeds regular TV. Your TV, if it is a flatscreen, has TV, which has either a cable connection, or the antenna connection, AND HDMI channels, which are the various things you hook to the TV otherwise, like your ROKU and your Firestick.
SO, you still need a remote for your TV to change between TV, HDMI1 HDMI2, HDMI3,USB, etc...
When the TV is on 'TV', the TV will be getting feed from the antenna or the cable, so you will seek and change TV channels with that same remote....
Then each of the HDMI channels will represent each of the other things you plug in....
In my case, I have nothing hooked to the TV side of the TV...
And HDMI1 is the pooter I have hooked to the TV.
And HDMI2 is the ROKU...
Now, when I am on HDMI2 (which I got to using the TV remote), I am on the ROKU, so I then have to use the ROKU remote to navigate within that sphere...
As for the lost TV Remote, there are several universal remotes out there - I will recommend the RCA remote, which is the one I use, since the real remote that came with the TV is a precious commodity, irreplaceable, so it lives right under the TV where I have to get up to use it. I use the RCA for general purposes. It ain't perfect, but it gives me ON/OFF and volume control and selects between HDMI ports, which is the sum total I need it for.
Setting up a universal to work with your particular TV is a chore, but not all that bad... RTFM.
As for what to use, I will still maintain that hooking a pooter to the TV is the best way to go - Gives you a regular Windows desktop on the TV... Fire up firefox with it's ad-blocker add-on, and most of the ad-sponsored stuff, you never even see. Spend some time watching TV on your laptop for a while and you will find out there is very little you can't get to with regular old internet. I barely ever use the ROKU. Can't even remember the last time...
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None of the Roku remotes that I've used will change TV channels. i do have Universal remotes that will control Roku as well as control the TV. You need to pick up a universal remote to control your TV.
@Elderberry
Huh? My ROKU remotes changes channels daily for me. The trick is to look up the broadcast stations like NBC on your roku search engine,and add them to your channel list.
The ROKU essentially takes over all the tv controls. The tv serves as a slave monitor to the ROKU. You can even use it to turn your tv on and off.
Having said that,I normally watch network broadcast channels using the tv antenna and the tv remote.
I bought a RCA digital antenna
https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Satellite-Broadcast-Epicenter-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=JFXYUV3L3VYS&dchild=1&keywords=rca+antenna&qid=1623012031&sprefix=rca+antenna%2Caps%2C304&sr=8-3
And pull in over 40 broadcast channels with it. Never even heard rumors about most of them,never mind seeing them before going with the antenna above
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@Smokin Joe
Antenna feeds regular TV. Your TV, if it is a flatscreen, has TV, which has either a cable connection, or the antenna connection, AND HDMI channels, which are the various things you hook to the TV otherwise, like your ROKU and your Firestick.
SO, you still need a remote for your TV to change between TV, HDMI1 HDMI2, HDMI3,USB, etc...
When the TV is on 'TV', the TV will be getting feed from the antenna or the cable, so you will seek and change TV channels with that same remote....
Then each of the HDMI channels will represent each of the other things you plug in....
In my case, I have nothing hooked to the TV side of the TV...
And HDMI1 is the pooter I have hooked to the TV.
And HDMI2 is the ROKU...
Now, when I am on HDMI2 (which I got to using the TV remote), I am on the ROKU, so I then have to use the ROKU remote to navigate within that sphere...
As for the lost TV Remote, there are several universal remotes out there - I will recommend the RCA remote, which is the one I use, since the real remote that came with the TV is a precious commodity, irreplaceable, so it lives right under the TV where I have to get up to use it. I use the RCA for general purposes. It ain't perfect, but it gives me ON/OFF and volume control and selects between HDMI ports, which is the sum total I need it for.
Setting up a universal to work with your particular TV is a chore, but not all that bad... RTFM.
As for what to use, I will still maintain that hooking a pooter to the TV is the best way to go - Gives you a regular Windows desktop on the TV... Fire up firefox with it's ad-blocker add-on, and most of the ad-sponsored stuff, you never even see. Spend some time watching TV on your laptop for a while and you will find out there is very little you can't get to with regular old internet. I barely ever use the ROKU. Can't even remember the last time...
That original is lost, the one the cable outfit gave us was supposed to be universal, but when I try to change channels in TV mode, it won't. Maybe I need to rescan for channels, but I will wait until I get an antenna to do that.
The laptop option isn't an option. If it was just me, that would be one thing, but Mrs. Joe is NOT tech savvy, and only uses a computer to play solitaire. Has no interest otherwise. Since she will be doing much of that teevee watching, I need something simple enough for her to navigate with a minimum of training...
When I'm at work, we have satellite tv everywhere I end up in the lab or living quarters, at home though, Mr. Joe will do most of the watching.
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That original is lost, the one the cable outfit gave us was supposed to be universal, but when I try to change channels in TV mode, it won't. Maybe I need to rescan for channels, but I will wait until I get an antenna to do that.
The remote for the cable box is changing the channels in that box, not on your TV. At least mine was that way - I still needed the TV remote to turn the TV ON/OFF... And to trim volume (though the cable remote did that too). SO you need the remote, one way or the other. It's maybe 15 bucks for a universal remote, right at the Wallyworld.
The laptop option isn't an option. If it was just me, that would be one thing, but Mrs. Joe is NOT tech savvy, and only uses a computer to play solitaire. Has no interest otherwise. Since she will be doing much of that teevee watching, I need something simple enough for her to navigate with a minimum of training...
Nah... She can do it... Shoot, my mamma does it all the time. Set her on PutoTV for instance... Totally free, and purposefully set up to be like a cable box... I think it is a pretty crappy site, but that is because I can't be rid of the commercials, and I hate having to watch at a particular time, like TV, and PlutoTV, are set up to do. I am an OnDemand guy, so I do very little direct streaming, which is what Pluto does.
Another one is Peacock TV, which is NBC's offering... Really easy to navigate. And both them sites have movies on demand.
Now all you need is a bookmark to PlutoTV, and another to PeacockTV set in the Bookmark bar of the browser, and she can get to em fine.
And there's hunnerts of em.
PlutoTV (https://pluto.tv/live-tv/tv-land-drama)
PeacockTV (https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home)
When I'm at work, we have satellite tv everywhere I end up in the lab or living quarters, at home though, Mr. Joe will do most of the watching.
If she can run a ROKU, she can run internet based sites. Only difference is, you operate it from your chair with a wireless KB/Glidepad which ain't much different than any other KB... and I think easier to deal with than the remote - except that I can't see it in the dark... Still looking for a backlit portable KB/Glide.
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Sister gave us access to her Netflix account via Roku..... but she is always busy and we didn't want to bother her with setting up Amazon (Prime) tv with the roku.... so instead we take wife's laptop and log in her Amazon Prime account and navigate to videos to stream on the computer. Now we do the same thing, but with a hdmi cable we just transfer the show to the tv to watch when we need to (family viewing).... but most the junk on Amazon is just so gay central that it is not worth watching most the time. But if we do a search for a movie on Roku and it shows up as being on Amazon, we can watch it commercial free.
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Sister gave us access to her Netflix account via Roku..... but she is always busy and we didn't want to bother her with setting up Amazon (Prime) tv with the roku.... so instead we take wife's laptop and log in her Amazon Prime account and navigate to videos to stream on the computer. Now we do the same thing, but with a hdmi cable we just transfer the show to the tv to watch when we need to (family viewing).... but most the junk on Amazon is just so gay central that it is not worth watching most the time. But if we do a search for a movie on Roku and it shows up as being on Amazon, we can watch it commercial free.
Just find an old used Win7 era box used somewhere...
Look for one that has an HDMI port on it, because then all you'll need is a network connection and a wireless KB/Glidepad... If it don't have HDMI on it you will need to buy a video card for it too, likely, though if it has DMI/DVI you can get an adapter...
But that's the whole setup... My current main Media box Is an old dell in a midsize tower that cost me nothing... Put a 2g vid card in it to get HDMI, put a USB wireless network card in it, and a USB wireless KB/Glidepad in it... Upgraded it to Win10 for free, and stuffed it in place. It also has a 4T back drive that holds my music and vid library, but that ain't necessary.
The whole thing, less the big drive out back, I don't think I am 100 bucks into it... Maybe somewhere between 50 and 75... It is super cheap - And since it is always on (I just shut off the TV, not the pooter) it serves my other TVs streaming from my pics, vid and music library, and also functions as a backup location.
And here's the fun part... I use my laptop quite often for looking around to see what I want to watch, and since both my laptop and the media machine are using the same sync'd Firefox account, all I have to do is rclick on something in my laptop browser, and select 'send to a device', and choose 'KEELER', which is that media machine, and just like that, it is there in my Firefox on the media machine to select as a tab.
So I don't hardly have to use the KB even, since if I am here, the laptop is always on anyhoo.
I just put a new mini-tower dell on the bedroom TV. In that one fifty bucks and a DMI to HDMI adapter... I5 box with 8g RAM, and it runs like a watch.
Only other thing to recommend, is hope to get one with Windows Pro on it, because then you can operate it as a remote desktop really easy too, which makes it easier to maintain when you need to, from a real station with a real KB/Mouse and a monitor up close.
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When my wife loses her multitude of Roku remotes, I control it from my Cell.
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@Sighlass
Said all that and forgot what I meant to say in the first place - If you have a box wired to the TV that is signed into your browser sync (all three major browsers have a sync acct), any password that is in your laptop will also be in the media machine... So you can sign right on into that Amazon or Netflix account... Worst case, call your sis the first time you do, as they may mail her because it is a 'new' device trying to access, and she may need to approve.
That browser sync is pretty cool for passing everything between your devices. Any device I have, from my phone to my tablet, or my notebook, or any of my many machines can access everything the very same.
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When my wife loses her multitude of Roku remotes, I control it from my Cell.
That's one of the bad things about the divorce. When the clicker's gone, I got no one to blame but me.
But then, now the clicker is never gone. happy77
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@roamer_1
Lol, it must hurt to see folks like me still running XP.... must admit, I have started to look around for a new computer. Did keep in mind your love of HP and see a lot of refurbished ones for sale.... I will one day rejoin the modern world... (but can't promise)...
P.S. thanks for the advice on your setup... not sure I will get that tech, but if I do, will probable get a setup with a freaking DvD player in it too, since over the years (and years and years) I have just burned all those movies I "borrowed" off the web (Mp4 and other formats), so I have about 300 or more DvDs with 4-7 movies on each of them.
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@roamer_1
Lol, it must hurt to see folks like me still running XP.... must admit, I have started to look around for a new computer. Did keep in mind your love of HP and see a lot of refurbished ones for sale.... I will one day rejoin the modern world... (but can't promise)...
P.S. thanks for the advice on your setup... not sure I will get that tech, but if I do, will probable get a setup with a freaking DvD player in it too, since over the years (and years and years) I have just burned all those movies I "borrowed" off the web (Mp4 and other formats), so I have about 300 or more DvDs with 4-7 movies on each of them.
Man, @Sighlass ... If you can keep them old dogs running, you can sure enough find an old win7 box or two for free in somebody's basement or closet, or for a few bucks at yard sales... I find em all the time. for nothing! and ANYTHING is going to be better than what you have by an order of magnitude...
Now, I know I am in the biz, but really, every business and every house dang near all of them, have a pile of old computers that busted somehow and they went and got another... Often there is nothing wrong that a reload won't fix... Often all they need is a hard drive or a vid or network card.... If you can't find an easy one, soon enough you'll have enough laying around for a frankenpooter.
Shoot, I will often walk off from some business closet somewhere with 5 or 6 machines to haul away - They PAY ME to haul em off. And most of em are fine.
If it is a decent Win7 box (hopefully Win7Pro), capable of an i5 or better cpu, 8 to 16 gigs of ram,SATA and PCIe, that's a plenty sweet ride for what you are doing. And they upgrade for free to Win10. Maybe you get lucky and find onboard HDMI and internal N series wireless... That's asking some, but who knows?
Keep your peepers out for em... Let folks know you are looking. Shoot, there's probably several to be had among your church fellowship. Hunt the yard sales and Sally Ann's... You know the game, I am sure. Surely you know a redneck geek down there, or one of your nephews or cousins that is handy that way...
As to the DVD thing, I still have a blue-ray in my main media box, and the one in the guest bedroom too - But they are incidentally present for a possible redbox rental, which you and me both know is never going to happen.
As to my library, that is all committed to hard drives now and has been for a decade. I don't think I have a CD or DVD left in the place. :shrug:
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When my wife loses her multitude of Roku remotes, I control it from my Cell.
@Elderberry
The newest ROKU has a remote that beeps to let you know where it is when you are looking for it. All you have to do is ask your ROKU "Where the bleep is my bleeping bleeping remote?",and it will start beeping so you can go beat it for getting lost.
Ain't technology a great thing?
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I watched a Christian documentary.... really hit home some of the Southern Baptist doctrine changes that are taking place with the people in power. Very eye opening what the left will do to place themselves in power....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zoe6tNmRyk
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I watched a Christian documentary.... really hit home some of the Southern Baptist doctrine changes that are taking place with the people in power. Very eye opening what the left will do to place themselves in power....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zoe6tNmRyk
They've been trying to do in the Roman Catholics for decades.
A number of other denominations have been compromised.
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They've been trying to do in the Roman Catholics for decades.
A number of other denominations have been compromised.
They've been successful with the RC Church, too. Look at the "Pope." The Cards elected a Liberation Theology Jesuit from Argentina, so many RCs are now saying their Pope is no longer Catholic. Electing the out-and-out communist as Pope has shaken the Membership to the core and split the Curch.
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@roamer_1
Lol, it must hurt to see folks like me still running XP.... must admit, I have started to look around for a new computer. Did keep in mind your love of HP and see a lot of refurbished ones for sale.... I will one day rejoin the modern world... (but can't promise)...
P.S. thanks for the advice on your setup... not sure I will get that tech, but if I do, will probable get a setup with a freaking DvD player in it too, since over the years (and years and years) I have just burned all those movies I "borrowed" off the web (Mp4 and other formats), so I have about 300 or more DvDs with 4-7 movies on each of them.
Re: computer brands
I've had pretty good success with an HP. I have an HP laptop that so far has lasted me three years. The only problem was entirely my fault (smashing the screen, forcing me to run everything through the HDMI port and an external monitor, turning it into a desktop).
The most durable laptop I've ever owned was the Asus Eee PC, which I don't even know if they make that brand anymore. It was one of the last of the XP computers when I bought it in 2010 and if not for that, I'd probably still be using it. It's still sitting in a drawer somewhere (again, the screen was damaged).
Whatever you do, dude, don't get a Dell. They frequently break, wear down, and all in all don't last very long. I bought one for college on a three-year warranty and you would not believe the laundry list of times I had to go get it repaired for some problem or another.
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Re: computer brands
I've had pretty good success with an HP. I have an HP laptop that so far has lasted me three years. The only problem was entirely my fault (smashing the screen, forcing me to run everything through the HDMI port and an external monitor, turning it into a desktop).
The most durable laptop I've ever owned was the Asus Eee PC, which I don't even know if they make that brand anymore. It was one of the last of the XP computers when I bought it in 2010 and if not for that, I'd probably still be using it. It's still sitting in a drawer somewhere (again, the screen was damaged).
Whatever you do, dude, don't get a Dell. They frequently break, wear down, and all in all don't last very long. I bought one for college on a three-year warranty and you would not believe the laundry list of times I had to go get it repaired for some problem or another.
Durability in laptops... Right now I am on an HP Elitebook running an i7 and 16g or ram. Has a front SSD 240g, and a 2T rear drive (I took out the DVD and put a HDD there, so two hard drives).... 17" large form factor laptop.
One of the things you find out in business class laptops, they are WAY more durable (this one is in a stainless steel body) and way more configurable/update-able, having none of the low ram limitations (as an instance) of consumer products.
And that reaches right across the board - Doesn't matter if it is HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc... And the same in desktops - My whole herd is HP business class except for a lonely Dell (business class) that is my main media server and runs my main TV.
If you want good, long-lasting equipment, go business class. HP is a great contender, but any of them will do pretty well. Even used - This very machine can be found end of lease refurbed for 4 hundred and some. If a feller only has 500 to spend, I would rather see you get solid refurbs than mess with consumer grade.
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Durability in laptops... Right now I am on an HP Elitebook running an i7 and 16g or ram. Has a front SSD 240g, and a 2T rear drive (I took out the DVD and put a HDD there, so two hard drives).... 17" large form factor laptop.
One of the things you find out in business class laptops, they are WAY more durable (this one is in a stainless steel body) and way more configurable/update-able, having none of the low ram limitations (as an instance) of consumer products.
And that reaches right across the board - Doesn't matter if it is HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc... And the same in desktops - My whole herd is HP business class except for a lonely Dell (business class) that is my main media server and runs my main TV.
If you want good, long-lasting equipment, go business class. HP is a great contender, but any of them will do pretty well. Even used - This very machine can be found end of lease refurbed for 4 hundred and some. If a feller only has 500 to spend, I would rather see you get solid refurbs than mess with consumer grade.
I'm running an HP Elitebook with an I5 and 8 MB. Got the itch to back up my files a little while back, so I did, just copied as much of the machine as would go into a remote drive. The very next boot up, no go.
The drive died. I took it to a friend who does this stuff, and he threw in a SSD and recovered purt'near everything from the old drive from the backup I made just on the spur of the moment.
With the SSD it is noticeably faster, and now I don't have to worry as much about bumps. I've been running it (bought refurbed) for three years now. The first thing I'd recommend is replacing the drive with the solid state one, and then max out the memory, just to get the best performance out of it.
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With the SSD it is noticeably faster, and now I don't have to worry as much about bumps. I've been running it (bought refurbed) for three years now. The first thing I'd recommend is replacing the drive with the solid state one, and then max out the memory, just to get the best performance out of it.
Absolutely on both counts. In fact, if you have an old machine, the very BEST way to get an eyebrow raising difference is replacing the drive with an SSD... Then RAM, and then upgrade the wifi/net... pretty much in that order.
But one caution: Back up. SSDs work, and then they don't. when they leave, they are pretty much gone. I seldom recover anything from a non-working SSD. And when SMART tells you they are reaching their write limit, don't dawdle. Take it very seriously.
The part of your tale that matters is your poorly regimented backup. If that didn't teach you, I can turn my collar
around. In the end, backup is everything.
Even (or maybe even more) when traveling (which you tend to be) you need some bulletproof means in place.
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Absolutely on both counts. In fact, if you have an old machine, the very BEST way to get an eyebrow raising difference is replacing the drive with an SSD... Then RAM, and then upgrade the wifi/net... pretty much in that order.
But one caution: Back up. SSDs work, and then they don't. when they leave, they are pretty much gone. I seldom recover anything from a non-working SSD. And when SMART tells you they are reaching their write limit, don't dawdle. Take it very seriously.
The part of your tale that matters is your poorly regimented backup. If that didn't teach you, I can turn my collar
around. In the end, backup is everything.
Even (or maybe even more) when traveling (which you tend to be) you need some bulletproof means in place.
Thanks for the advice. Keeping in mind that we don't all have the setup you do, what would you recommend for backup/recovery?
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Thanks for the advice. Keeping in mind that we don't all have the setup you do, what would you recommend for backup/recovery?
If you are at home, and you have multiple machines, network access between them is KEY. Pick one that is to be 'Always On' And use that to serve the other machines... One of the things to serve, is as a place that is always there that all the other machines back up to.
I actually have two 'Always On' machines - One that is my file and backup server, and one that is my Media server. Since they are BOTH always on, one doing business stuff, and the other doing media stuff - they back up between themselves too - So I have a native backup, twice replicated onsite.
Something similar, but on a smaller scale would be an always on NAS or USB storage space - Both basically the same thing, one being a direct network appliance (probably faster and more bandwidth), and the one I will touch on here briefly, which is a standard USB external hard drive. Most modern routers have a USB port on them, and that is what it is for... To receive an exernal hard drive that will always be on, and will always be accessible from the local network.
With that in mind, with either a machine, or an appliance that is always on, any machine attached to your local LAN can have an automated means of backup, because when the backup program runs, the target location is sure to be there. You get the idea.
I am not a fan of imaging software for backup uses... It seems efficient, but the problem is, the entire backup is in a single file, and if that file is damaged, all of the backup is effected. If it is a raw copy software, every file in the backup routine is simply copied to the target location... If you get damage, you may lose some files,but not the whole thing. The native Windows backup solution is like an image - it is rather, a container file more like zip, but the same problem applies. Don't get me wrong, it is better than nothing, sure, but a raw file copier would serve you better.
I am still using Cobian (https://www.cobiansoft.com/) even though it is not in development and has been sold... Cobian 'Gravity' the last version of the original program is still available and I really can find nothing better. And it is free, btw.
Another thing to consider for critical data - Now critical being a small subset, small enough to comfortably fit in what I am talking about - is the use of Microsoft's native cloud system... It is complicated if one desires not to log your machine onto microsoft every time and retain a local user (which is what you want), but if you have a Microsoft mail account, your machines can use something kinda like a roaming profile from Microsoft's cloud. I use this to keep my main desktop and my main laptop synchronized. That is everything in the profile - many Windows settings, desktop background, and three primary file locations : Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are kept sync'd between them always using Microsofts OneDrive...
This would be recommended for you, if you have lightweight critical data on the road - Because every time you log in to internet somewhere, those files are pumped up into the internet, and if your desktop at home is online all the time, automatically sync'd to your home from wherever you are. It is not worth it, at least to me, for backing my whole backup, but if you can manage with the free stuff you get with a Microsoft email account, Or better yet, if you are using an Office 365 subscription already (which gives you way more space to work with) This is hard to beat.
Also, both at home and on the road, I will return to a USB external drive - The same backup software can back up on demand too - Which means you can plug in a drive and manually run a backup job, and then unplug the drive when it is done... Nice to have a backup that is offline in case of some electrical failure or fire or whatnot... Grab the family Bible and the external drive and get the hell out... Especially on the road, where a daily backup to an external is an immediate and local-to-you backup regardless of cloud tricks and the vagaries of access to it.
And depending on your weight, don't forget thumb drives. If you have USB3 on your laptop, a USB3 thumb is a sufficient and highly portable solution. And they are getting huge and cheap. A 128g thumb is what, maybe fifty bucks? If you can live in that, it is way cheaper than an external drive of average size.
I will stop there and call it good. If any of it sounds like something you want to play with, I am always around to help out... or even write something up that is a little more grandular, if there is a demand.
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Thanks for the advice. Keeping in mind that we don't all have the setup you do, what would you recommend for backup/recovery?
Backblaze (https://www.backblaze.com/). My wife and I both have it on our computers. My wife's laptop SSD failed, and I was able to go download the backup from Backblaze and she didn't lose anything. The house could burn to the ground and we'd still have her data.
For an offline solution, you can buy a hard drive dock and two drives (SSD are a good choice here too) and periodically back up to the drive and swap it out with the other one stored offsite somewhere (safety deposit box, for example). An alternative to the dock is just to buy two USB-3 enclosures and two SSD, and backup to and swap those.
If you just want to backup important documents, don't have hundreds of gigabytes of photos or other stuff, the free services like OneDrive or Dropbox are an option. But I prefer Backblaze because it gets everything except the stuff I tell it not to back up.
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The most durable laptop I've ever owned was the Asus Eee PC, which I don't even know if they make that brand anymore. It was one of the last of the XP computers when I bought it in 2010 and if not for that, I'd probably still be using it. It's still sitting in a drawer somewhere (again, the screen was damaged).
On a side note:
I pulled that Asus out of storage last night. I had backed up some of my files from even older desktops (including one that ran Windows 95!) on the Asus's internal hard drive. After some finagling to run the video output to the external port, wouldn't you know it? The darn thing DOES still work, and just as well as it did! It was fun going through all the old stuff I had saved on it; old programming projects, photos (which I promptly transferred to the black-box hard drive), music I had transcribed to MIDI... old comedy sketches I'd done as a teenager!
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On a side note:
I pulled that Asus out of storage last night. I had backed up some of my files from even older desktops (including one that ran Windows 95!) on the Asus's internal hard drive. After some finagling to run the video output to the external port, wouldn't you know it? The darn thing DOES still work, and just as well as it did! It was fun going through all the old stuff I had saved on it; old programming projects, photos (which I promptly transferred to the black-box hard drive), music I had transcribed to MIDI... old comedy sketches I'd done as a teenager!
I had a stripped down eeepc as a test bed machine for years... It finally ended up doing nothing but setting up routers and testing/bridging modems... I finally scrapped it because I couldn't kill it. Surprising performance from a bang-for-buck box. But then, I like ASUS generally or did... Been one of three boards I have supported all the way along (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte). I spend most of my time on business class HP these days.
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Arrrrgh! Locast is shut down, where I'd been getting local TV channel feeds. Are there any suggestions?
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Arrrrgh! Locast is shut down, where I'd been getting local TV channel feeds. Are there any suggestions?
@Cyber Liberty
Buy an antenna. I have a 40 dollar RCA outside antenna that MIGHT weigh 3 lbs that picks up 40+ broadcast stations,and the closest one is almost 50 miles away. Had tv channels back in the pre-sat days,and only thought there were a total of 5 channels.
I have mine hooked to my ROKU so I can catch local news and weather. I also like to watch the old black and white oldies like the original "Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" on it.
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Arrrrgh! Locast is shut down, where I'd been getting local TV channel feeds. Are there any suggestions?
Have you tried ustvgo.tv?
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Have you tried ustvgo.tv?
Doesn't have the off-channels I like, like MeTv, Retro and Comet. :shrug:
I have trouble with antenna TeeVee because the nearest big city is Las Vegas, and the signals from there are for shit. Maybe I can get a better antenna?
Oh well....no more Svengoolie for me. :crying:
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Doesn't have the off-channels I like, like MeTv, Retro and Comet. :shrug:
I have trouble with antenna TeeVee because the nearest big city is Las Vegas, and the signals from there are for shit. Maybe I can get a better antenna?
Oh well....no more Svengoolie for me. :crying:
No Svengoolie? No wonder your sound bummed!
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OK. Here's my situation. I have around 24MPS internet bandwidth available most of the time. ATT Uverse Bundled with digital landlines and Direct TV for television programing. Cost is $200+ per month)
There are three TVs, several computers, and smart devices in use here wirelessly connected.
In the near future it is likely that I will be able to have fiber service (100MPS for $69 per month)
1. What is my best option for replacing direct TV in my current situation?
2. Should I forget that and wait for the fiber?
3. What would be my best option (least costly) for replacing the programming I currently get from direct TV? I do not want to have subscriptions for multiple streaming services and do not want to put up an antenna to get local channels.
@roamer_1 @Cyber Liberty Anyone
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I never did DirectTV... :shrug:
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Doesn't have the off-channels I like, like MeTv, Retro and Comet. :shrug:
@Cyber Liberty
I get them with my RCA antenna,but it is local programming,and going to be different depending on where you live.
I have trouble with antenna TeeVee because the nearest big city is Las Vegas, and the signals from there are for shit. Maybe I can get a better antenna?
My RCA antenna is a tiny little thing I have mounted to a steel pole in the ground outside my house. I can pull in around 43 channels with it,and it replaced an older antenna maybe 5x as large that only pulled in 5 channels.
To be honest,I had no idea all those channels even existed. I just bought and put up the RCA antenna because it only cost around 40 bucks from Amazon,and I wanted it to watch local news and weather. At the time I bought it,it was only rated to pull in channels from 40 miles away and the closest broadcast station to me was 48 miles away,so I took a chance and bought it anyway.
It is now rated at pulling in stations up to 70 miles away for $33.88,and 80 miles away for $99.99.
It is also Made in America,which is a big deal for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You might also want to buy a tuner for your antenna so you can record programs. This is the one I bought,and I freely admit I bought it because it was the cheapest one at $39.99. Kinda clunky to operate,but the price was right.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I2ZBD1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you want a "more evolved" tuner,there will be links to them at the page selling the one above. Truth to tell,I recommend spending a few more bucks to get one easier to operate.
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OK. Here's my situation. I have around 24MPS internet bandwidth available most of the time. ATT Uverse Bundled with digital landlines and Direct TV for television programing. Cost is $200+ per month)
There are three TVs, several computers, and smart devices in use here wirelessly connected.
In the near future it is likely that I will be able to have fiber service (100MPS for $69 per month)
1. What is my best option for replacing direct TV in my current situation?
2. Should I forget that and wait for the fiber?
3. What would be my best option (least costly) for replacing the programming I currently get from direct TV? I do not want to have subscriptions for multiple streaming services and do not want to put up an antenna to get local channels.
@roamer_1 @Cyber Liberty Anyone
A ROKU player,and the do dah I recommended above for antenna tv,along with the RCA antenna. If you are further away from local stations than 100 miles,just put it up on a long metal pole antenna. I say "metal pole" because that will ground it and protect you from lightening strikes.
https://www.roku.com/products
This is the ROKU home page. You can also buy pretty much all of it from Amazon for roughly the same price,but it's easier to look over all your player options on the company home page than it is to jump around on URL's.
PM me if you want more.
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I never did DirectTV... :shrug:
@Cyber Liberty
Well,they weren't too bad if you didn't know what you were doing or what your options are. I saved over 100 bucks a month when I dropped my sat services and went to my ROKU and an antenna. The ROKU is powered through your wi-fi connection.
Not only did I save over 100 bucks a month,I literally got a thousand or more extra channels. Granted,I wouldn't watch most of them at gun point,but that's where I get Brit Box from,as well as a dozen or more excellent channels I watch off and on.
I get Amazon videos for free because I am an Amazon subscriber. I consider it free even though I make a payment on it once a year because I was paying that much when I had sat tv,and couldn't get any of the Amazon channels.
The truth is most of what I watch I can get from either Netflix or Amazon. There are occasionally series I want to watch that I don't normally get,so I take that channels free 30 day trial and binge watch the series and then kill my subscription.
I binge watch most things I watch anyhow,so this is not a problem for me. Binge watching MI-5 now from Brit Box (which I subscribe to) and am up to season 9 now. My memory sucks from chemo,so I do better when I don't have to wait a week or more for the next episode to air.
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I was Dish Network user for a lotta years. I know ATT really pushes Direct TV. I get my internet and phone via ATT, but no TV. I used a WDTV Live box for many years, but now I use a ROKU. Over all the years, I always owned all the equipment, so I couldn't be charged monthly equipment charges. They are all DLNA compliant boxes now, except whatever Apple customers use. I have an amplified TV antenna that brings in lots of local channels that I really only use for sports. There are so many streaming channels via internet, it really comes down to price and/or channel selection. For the newer movies, I P2P download them.
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I was Dish Network user for a lotta years. I know ATT really pushes Direct TV. I get my internet and phone via ATT, but no TV. I used a WDTV Live box for many years, but now I use a ROKU. Over all the years, I always owned all the equipment, so I couldn't be charged monthly equipment charges. They are all DLNA compliant boxes now, except whatever Apple customers use. I have an amplified TV antenna that brings in lots of local channels that I really only use for sports. There are so many streaming channels via internet, it really comes down to price and/or channel selection. For the newer movies, I P2P download them.
My big concern at the moment is do I have enough bandwidth to enable me to use a streaming service w/o affecting my ability to use the internet.
My electric coop is in the process of getting fiber to my area and say that they will offer an internet, TV, phone bundle. I'll likely wait and see what that entails and its cost before I make any moves. @Elderberry
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OK. Here's my situation. I have around 24MPS internet bandwidth available most of the time. ATT Uverse Bundled with digital landlines and Direct TV for television programing. Cost is $200+ per month)
There are three TVs, several computers, and smart devices in use here wirelessly connected.
In the near future it is likely that I will be able to have fiber service (100MPS for $69 per month)
1. What is my best option for replacing direct TV in my current situation?
2. Should I forget that and wait for the fiber?
Now is EXACTLY the time for experimentation, Providing you have enough bandwidth for streaming reasonably, which you barely do.
IF you do, and are satisfactorily accommodated otherwise, why wait? And there will be an interim period where you are uncomfortable with the new thing, but right now you can become comfortable without messing up what you are used to... When you become acclimatized to the new thing, THEN kick DirectTV to the curb, and good riddance.
3. What would be my best option (least costly) for replacing the programming I currently get from direct TV? I do not want to have subscriptions for multiple streaming services and do not want to put up an antenna to get local channels.
Well, certainly an external antenna if it will do you any good. You are up high as I recall, so you are likely to be able to catch digital transmissions pretty easy. Talk to your neighbors and see what actually comes in and which antennas work where you are to understand the value and expectations before the fact - Since you are higher than your neighbors, you will likely be guaranteed to do it better than them.
Secondly, ROKU. A decent add-on ROKU device (providing your TV is HDMI capable, any modern flat screen is) runs about 75 bucks, and can be free thereafter (you can do paid subscriptions through it, but don't need to).
And finally, and most importantly, an experiment: With any computer or internet device, start exploring online. I can recommend PeacockTV, IMDB TV, which is a free extension of Amazon Prime, and PLUTOTV , USTVGO, and Crackle with lesser recommendation.
Use a browser you don't normally use - If you normally use firefox, then use Chrome instead or Edge... Use the bookmark toolbar in that browser to allow for easy navigation to the places you find and frequent... You can find nearly anything direct from the internet for FREE (if you don't mind a little legal hacking anyway).
The ultimate purpose of this experiment would be to find a cheap used computer and attach it to your TV(s)... Once you have a Windows desktop on your TV, anything you have done from your computer can be exactly replicated on your TV.
Look, I am a YOUTUBE freak. Most of my entertainment is on YT and Rumble. Conventional 'TV' is ancillary anymore. But I DO go to Peacock and IMDB ALOT. and to the others I mentioned upon occasion. and I do use ROKU a bit. But if you are like me, once you overcome your thumb-to-clicker addiction, you will find ala carte to be far superior. I would not go back to programmed TV even if they paid me.
So be aware that your preferences may change, and be open to that.
The upshot being, I may be hardware heavy (3 tvs, so 3 computers, and one roku), but the cost of the used computers was negligible - a used 5-10 year old machine will work fine and cost almost nothing. But I can pay for a station (less the actual TV) for less than I used to pay for cable for two months.... And mostly just about for nothing.
The only subscription I pay for is Netflix. I have Amazon Prime too, because I needed it for shipping anyway. the rest, and I would say the majority by a ways, is FREE tv and youtube/Rumble/Bitchute/etc.
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My big concern at the moment is do I have enough bandwidth to enable me to use a streaming service w/o affecting my ability to use the internet.
That's easy to prove @Bigun ... With one internet connected device, go to Youtube, search 'free HD movies', and pick one and start it playing. Then use another device and see if your internet is impacted greatly. It really is not the bandwidth as much as the latency. If you have good wire and switches running to your house 24MBPS is sufficient (barely). If you are getting a ton of hourglass on the movie, or a ton of drag on the surfing on the other box, then your sufficiency may not be suffonsified, and there is no cause to move further.
My electric coop is in the process of getting fiber to my area and say that they will offer an internet, TV, phone bundle. I'll likely wait and see what that entails and its cost before I make any moves. [/size]@Elderberry
You might check out StarLink if it is available to you... It is a rage up in here with the hillbillies. Reliably 80mbps from what I hear, and often 100-120... YMMV...
You have to throw 500 bucks for the equipment, but thereafter, pretty decent internet broadband for 100 a month with no caps. That will get you where you want to go, even if your Ph/cable company is dragging their feet.
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Now is EXACTLY the time for experimentation, Providing you have enough bandwidth for streaming reasonably, which you barely do.
IF you do, and are satisfactorily accommodated otherwise, why wait? And there will be an interim period where you are uncomfortable with the new thing, but right now you can become comfortable without messing up what you are used to... When you become acclimatized to the new thing, THEN kick DirectTV to the curb, and good riddance.
Well, certainly an external antenna if it will do you any good. You are up high as I recall, so you are likely to be able to catch digital transmissions pretty easy. Talk to your neighbors and see what actually comes in and which antennas work where you are to understand the value and expectations before the fact - Since you are higher than your neighbors, you will likely be guaranteed to do it better than them.
Secondly, ROKU. A decent add-on ROKU device (providing your TV is HDMI capable, any modern flat screen is) runs about 75 bucks, and can be free thereafter (you can do paid subscriptions through it, but don't need to).
And finally, and most importantly, an experiment: With any computer or internet device, start exploring online. I can recommend PeacockTV, IMDB TV, which is a free extension of Amazon Prime, and PLUTOTV , USTVGO, and Crackle with lesser recommendation.
Use a browser you don't normally use - If you normally use firefox, then use Chrome instead or Edge... Use the bookmark toolbar in that browser to allow for easy navigation to the places you find and frequent... You can find nearly anything direct from the internet for FREE (if you don't mind a little legal hacking anyway).
The ultimate purpose of this experiment would be to find a cheap used computer and attach it to your TV(s)... Once you have a Windows desktop on your TV, anything you have done from your computer can be exactly replicated on your TV.
Look, I am a YOUTUBE freak. Most of my entertainment is on YT and Rumble. Conventional 'TV' is ancillary anymore. But I DO go to Peacock and IMDB ALOT. and to the others I mentioned upon occasion. and I do use ROKU a bit. But if you are like me, once you overcome your thumb-to-clicker addiction, you will find ala carte to be far superior. I would not go back to programmed TV even if they paid me.
So be aware that your preferences may change, and be open to that.
The upshot being, I may be hardware heavy (3 tvs, so 3 computers, and one roku), but the cost of the used computers was negligible - a used 5-10 year old machine will work fine and cost almost nothing. But I can pay for a station (less the actual TV) for less than I used to pay for cable for two months.... And mostly just about for nothing.
The only subscription I pay for is Netflix. I have Amazon Prime too, because I needed it for shipping anyway. the rest, and I would say the majority by a ways, is FREE tv and youtube/Rumble/Bitchute/etc.
Thanks @roamer_1
I also have Prime and that seems to stream with no problems.
I think I'll just wait a bit longer and see what my potential fiber provider comes up with as a package before making any big moves. Shouldn't be more than a few weeks.
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Thanks @roamer_1
I also have Prime and that seems to stream with no problems.
I think I'll just wait a bit longer and see what my potential fiber provider comes up with as a package before making any big moves. Shouldn't be more than a few weeks.
I have a Fire stick with Prime (actually I have....4), and I can get Live TV channels. Most require an account somewhere, like Sling or Fubo. OANN is one that does not.
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I have a Fire stick with Prime (actually I have....4), and I can get Live TV channels. Most require an account somewhere, like Sling or Fubo. OANN is one that does not.
You need one for each TV I suppose. Is that correct?
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Bigun wrote:
"My electric coop is in the process of getting fiber to my area and say that they will offer an internet, TV, phone bundle. I'll likely wait and see what that entails and its cost before I make any moves."
I'm thinking that may be a better deal than the other services offer.
Back when I had ATT (and later Frontier) Uverse, it all came in (internet/tv/phone) over the copper-based landline. I was getting only about 3-4mbps, service was ok (almost never down), but Frontier kept jacking the bill up, up, up (again, for only 3.5mbps).
So I switched over to Comcast cable. BIG increase in internet speed almost immediately up to 90mbps. TV wasn't quite as good, but still ok. Phone service was "like it was before" (don't make many calls here). BUT... the price was A LOT lower.
In recent months (after my 2-year "introductory rate" ended), Comcast has jacked up the price so that it's almost as high as was Frontier. BUT... internet speeds have gone way WAY up. Just ran Speedtest as I typed this, and got 939mbps (almost a gig).
Frontier has been installing fiber optic, and they claim they're going to provide 1gb service as well. BUT... unlike the days of Uverse, I think the fiber WON'T carry the tv signal. Instead, subscribers will have to get it via Dish Network or something like that. Not interested.
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My big concern at the moment is do I have enough bandwidth to enable me to use a streaming service w/o affecting my ability to use the internet.
My electric coop is in the process of getting fiber to my area and say that they will offer an internet, TV, phone bundle. I'll likely wait and see what that entails and its cost before I make any moves. @Elderberry
I have seen multiple streaming devices used on a 100 Mbps connection. If you are just using one, 25 Mbps should suffice, and 100 Mbps will be plenty.
Most streaming services do use dynamic bit rates. If you try to stream over a narrower bandwidth than full HD, you might get bumped down to lower resolution.
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Doesn't have the off-channels I like, like MeTv, Retro and Comet. :shrug:
I have trouble with antenna TeeVee because the nearest big city is Las Vegas, and the signals from there are for shit. Maybe I can get a better antenna?
Oh well....no more Svengoolie for me. :crying:
I don't know your exact location or topography, but if you're fairly distant from the city—and not in a huge mountain range that would block the signals—I would recommend, at least, a directional antenna with a preamplifier. The higher you can mount it, the better.
Comet is available on the Stirr app, which I know is on Roku and pretty much every other streaming platform.
Retro has some content online but their online feed has only about a quarter of their over-the-air content, and it's the stuff widely available elsewhere (public domain stuff that their owners don't have to clear the rights to show).
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I never did DirectTV... :shrug:
Many years ago, my parents tried DirecTV when I was a kid. This was back when it was new. We had it for about a year. I guess we decided it wasn't worth it.
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OK. Here's my situation. I have around 24MPS internet bandwidth available most of the time. ATT Uverse Bundled with digital landlines and Direct TV for television programing. Cost is $200+ per month)
There are three TVs, several computers, and smart devices in use here wirelessly connected.
In the near future it is likely that I will be able to have fiber service (100MPS for $69 per month)
1. What is my best option for replacing direct TV in my current situation?
2. Should I forget that and wait for the fiber?
3. What would be my best option (least costly) for replacing the programming I currently get from direct TV? I do not want to have subscriptions for multiple streaming services and do not want to put up an antenna to get local channels.
@roamer_1 @Cyber Liberty Anyone
Well, as far as replacing content... you have to decide what you want. Most services don't provide everything. Judging by comments you've made in the past, you don't watch a lot of sports content—which means you're going to save a LOT of money, because that's usually the most expensive part of the package.
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You need one for each TV I suppose. Is that correct?
Yes, that's correct.
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Well, as far as replacing content... you have to decide what you want. Most services don't provide everything. Judging by comments you've made in the past, you don't watch a lot of sports content—which means you're going to save a LOT of money, because that's usually the most expensive part of the package.
Thanks @jmyrlefuller
Useful information.
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Yes, that's correct.
Thanks! The number of choices is truly bewildering but all need more bandwidth than I currently have available it seems.
I'm gonna wait and see what my fiber provider has to offer before I do anything else.
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Thanks @roamer_1
I also have Prime and that seems to stream with no problems.
@Bigun
Prime is quite representative of the streaming experience - If you are satisfied with Prime, you will likely be similarly satisfied with all the streaming options.
Broadband cable will likely make it more responsive, and may automate toward higher resolutions, but mostly, it will give you the ability for multiple streams without interrupting normal internet perusals.
I think I'll just wait a bit longer and see what my potential fiber provider comes up with as a package before making any big moves. Shouldn't be more than a few weeks.
Suits me fine. But if I were you, I'd get your feet wet with it a little bit. It costs you nothing to mess with the free stuff... An HDMI cable and a laptop and you've got it on the bigscreen TV. Pretty easy stuff.
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Update: Fiber internet hooked up today. Downloads 400MPS Uploads 300MPS. ROKU will be here on the 10th.
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Update: Fiber internet hooked up today. Downloads 400MPS Uploads 300MPS. ROKU will be here on the 10th.
Congrats on your expanding universe and plethora of options.
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Congrats on your expanding universe and plethora of options.
Yeah! It's actually a bewildering list of options.
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ROKU is hooked up and working on one TV. I haven't had much time to play with it yet but I like what I see so far!
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ROKU is hooked up and working on one TV. I haven't had much time to play with it yet but I like what I see so far!
Good choice. I have Apple TV and Roku and prefer Roku. The cheap options even has voice search to make it easy.
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ROKU is hooked up and working on one TV. I haven't had much time to play with it yet but I like what I see so far!
Just got a ROKU yesterday and am working through my options.
Are there any channels you highly recommend? And did you find any of the 'local news' channels worthwhile?
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Just got a ROKU yesterday and am working through my options.
Are there any channels you highly recommend? And did you find any of the 'local news' channels worthwhile?
Since I posted what you quoted @WhatWouldReaganDo, I've now got the second TV on ROKU and we have, in addition to what comes with ROKU, Amazon Prime (before ROKU), HULU (local channels included), and Paramount +.
I find those provide more than I have time or inclination to watch. Tried Peacock but canceled that.
Now paying less than half of what I was paying ATT before for the same things.
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OK, finally went out and bought a Roku stick. Now what? I don't want to pay Netflix anything. Currently an Amazon Prime customer, but am going to let that expire.
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Now paying less than half of what I was paying ATT before for the same things.
I am slowly weening myself away from AT&T. They royally pissed me off when they dropped OAN from Uverse. Bastards! I switched cell phone service, but still have a land line (which I need). What I need is a new internet provider, but I hate cable companies even more than AT&T.
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Since I posted what you quoted @WhatWouldReaganDo, I've now got the second TV on ROKU and we have, in addition to what comes with ROKU, Amazon Prime (before ROKU), HULU (local channels included), and Paramount +.
I find those provide more than I have time or inclination to watch. Tried Peacock but canceled that.
Now paying less than half of what I was paying ATT before for the same things.
Is that Hulu + Live TV? I didn't think Hulu standard offered local channels.
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Is that Hulu + Live TV? I didn't think Hulu standard offered local channels.
:yowsa: Hulu+
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I am slowly weening myself away from AT&T. They royally pissed me off when they dropped OAN from Uverse. Bastards! I switched cell phone service, but still have a land line (which I need). What I need is a new internet provider, but I hate cable companies even more than AT&T.
Finally getting true high-speed internet through my electric coop was the key to getting rid of ATT for me @Hoodat. Without that, I would still be stuck with U-verse.
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Since I posted what you quoted @WhatWouldReaganDo, I've now got the second TV on ROKU and we have, in addition to what comes with ROKU, Amazon Prime (before ROKU), HULU (local channels included), and Paramount +.
I find those provide more than I have time or inclination to watch. Tried Peacock but canceled that.
Now paying less than half of what I was paying ATT before for the same things.
We basically have the same things; ROKU, HULU and Paramount+ --- still can't get hubby to do away with Comcast (they are my worst nightmare when it comes to customer service).
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Just got a ROKU yesterday and am working through my options.
Are there any channels you highly recommend? And did you find any of the 'local news' channels worthwhile?
@WhatWouldReaganDo
Can't recommend any channels because I don't know what you like,but if you can't find something you like on a ROKU,you just ain't trying.
Your best bet is probably use the search engine to look up shows you like to watch,and once you find a channel that advertises a bunch of show that interest you, add that channel to your favorites.
For example,if you like comedy,do a search for a series titled "Shameless". I don't care who you are,you will be in awe of Frank,and want to watch every episode to see what scam he is trying to pull in that episode.
You will notice from your search that there are several channels broadcasting Shameless.
This is how I picked MY saved favorite channels.
BTW,there is no such critter as "local news" on the web unless you live in a city like Chicago or NYC.
I also have a regular tv antenna and a channel splitter hooked up to my tv. Thanks to the new antenna I bought maybe 8 years ago,I now get 43 channels from my tv antenna. Before the new outside antenna,I got maybe 6.
Bought the RCA antenna from Amazon,and paid something like 29 bucks for it. Probably less. Just guessing. I don't know anything about any other antennas,but I DO know that all the RCA antennas are made in America,and you can buy them directly from Amazon.
BTW,with the old 70's antenna I used to have,I got maybe 6 stations. As I wrote above,I now get 43.
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My biggest ROKU pro-tip:
Get the app. Because when you lose the clicker, your phone will function as a universal ROKU remote.
I am currently operating BOTH my ROKUs only with the phone app.. Because the clicker in the bedroom has followed Murphy's Law, and is somewhere nearly centered underneath my bed, and the clicker in the living room quit working and I have not figured out how to reprogram or replace it.
But I run them both just fine from the app... until I get a round tuit.
I can't help y'all much with channels. I spend some time on the ROKU channel and a couple free movie channels. Of course I can get at my paid memberships channels (Netflix, Prime) through the ROKU, and other subscriptions (Youtube), but that is only as a convenience and reserve - I generally don't use them from ROKU. I use them through my primary system, which is a PC hooked up to the TV.
I actually use ROKU as a standby for that system (if for some reason the PC ain't working I can still use the TV through ROKU), though I DO seek out free movies on ROKU and I do tend to use ROKU for paid/rental movies. I also use the OANN app from time to time, and a couple private membership channels that actually feed better from the ROKU than they do on the web.
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Comcast (they are my worst nightmare when it comes to customer service).
They all suck. Every last one of them. They are handed a monopoly by local government, and they act accordingly. You have no option of going with a different cable company.
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I have one simple request right now. I was streaming with Locast, but they were put out of business by a lawsuit.
Every service I've seen that promise all local channels never carry MeTV. Who streams MeTV???
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They all suck. Every last one of them. They are handed a monopoly by local government, and they act accordingly. You have no option of going with a different cable company.
@Hoodat
Yes,you do. You can kill the cable system and buy a ROKU player to replace it. Most people with cable save at least 100 bucks a month by doing this.
No satellite dish,no cable,just plug it into your telephone outlet,subscribe for $8.99 a month,and start searching for free tv shows and movies to watch. If you are like most of us,you are going to end up subscribing to Netflix and a few other providers and still end up paying a LOT less than 100 bucks a month.
You will almost certainly get Amazon Prime too,but if you are already an Amazon Prime member anyhow,it will be free to you.
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I have one simple request right now. I was streaming with Locast, but they were put out of business by a lawsuit.
Every service I've seen that promise all local channels never carry MeTV. Who streams MeTV???
@Cyber Liberty
It's free on ROKU,but it's not very highly rated,with 2 stars out of 5.
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No satellite dish,no cable,just plug it into your telephone outlet,subscribe for $8.99 a month,and start searching for free tv shows and movies to watch.
Hold on now... As a point of order, you HAVE TO HAVE broadband access.
That may be DSL through your phone line, or it may be Cable, or it may be satellite... but broadband access must be there.
There is a distinction between cable internet and CableTV - Two different things. I have cable internet access through Spectrum - But I do not subscribe to their TV option. Two different things. If I put my TV in TV mode, there is nothing but noise. But the internet access is there... I just have to move the TV to HDMI1 for my PC or HDMI2 for ROKU... But none of that would work without the internet access package.
In my case, you could plug ROKU into the phone line all day long and you wouldn't get diddley. Because my internet does not come over the phone copper. it comes over the cable.
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@roamer_1 , yeah, this is what I need. Phone and high-speed internet without paying a fortune. I only have one cable option, so I am hoping to find DSL service other than AT&T.
Just switched cell service to Patriot Mobile..
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@roamer_1 , yeah, this is what I need. Phone and high-speed internet without paying a fortune. I only have one cable option, so I am hoping to find DSL service other than AT&T.
Just switched cell service to Patriot Mobile..
I switched to Cricket only to later find out that it is just ATTs cut rate service. Same ownership.
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Hold on now... As a point of order, you HAVE TO HAVE broadband access.
That may be DSL through your phone line, or it may be Cable, or it may be satellite... but broadband access must be there.
There is a distinction between cable internet and CableTV - Two different things. I have cable internet access through Spectrum - But I do not subscribe to their TV option. Two different things. If I put my TV in TV mode, there is nothing but noise. But the internet access is there... I just have to move the TV to HDMI1 for my PC or HDMI2 for ROKU... But none of that would work without the internet access package.
In my case, you could plug ROKU into the phone line all day long and you wouldn't get diddley. Because my internet does not come over the phone copper. it comes over the cable.
@roamer_1
It's been over 10 years and I have chemo brain,so my memory is slightly less than perfect,but from what I REMEMBER,all I did was buy the Roku,go to their web page and sign on and agree to pay them $8.99 per month for their service,which includes paying any fees to other services I subscribe to. Which,of course,they add to my normal monthly service fee of $8.99.
All I really remember doing beyond that was just plugging my ROKU into my phone line and hooking it up to my tv. I use a station splitter because I also have a DVD player and a TV antenna hooked to my tv.
Here is my list of monthly payments as well as the services I subscribe to.
Monthly tv and movie fees:
-21.34 Philo streaming via ROKU 01/26/2021
-74.71 Per Year for Disney Plus Channel-Activated Nov 2020 and pd until Nov 2021.
Disney Plus Yearly - US - Web , ($6.23 per month)
-$8.99 Roku AUTO PAY Fee for ROKU subscription
-$7.46 Roku for BritBox + PP 24 Oct 2019 Pay Pal
-$16.00 for Roku for HBO + 2330 6 Apr 2018 PP
-$8.51 Roku for Hulu PP 24 Oct 2019
-$15.49 Roku for Netflix PP 9 Feb 2022
-$11.73 Roku for Showtime + PP 24 Oct 2019
-$9.60 Roku for Starz + PP 24 Oct 2019
$93.62 per month
-$48.64 VERIZON Due ea mo on the 2nd as of 5 Feb 2018
I subtracted the Verizon fees from the ROKU fees because I was already paying that each month before I got the ROKU.
As you can tell some of these fee rates date back to 2018 and I need to update them,but they really aren't that high. I was paying a HELL of a lot more to Dish Network and getting a hell of a lot less.
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@roamer_1 , yeah, this is what I need. Phone and high-speed internet without paying a fortune. I only have one cable option, so I am hoping to find DSL service other than AT&T.
Just switched cell service to Patriot Mobile..
I hit Spectrum Cable and never looked back. Been with em for an age now. No worries. VOIP phone and unlimited cable internet... something like 70 or 80 bucks a month. Just can't beat that.
Now, because of my geekitudinal needs, I require some stupid pet tricks that your average joe six-pack does not even understand... And that's where the rub was for a while. But, I got to know a few of their basement geeks (birds of a feather, after all) and a couple escalated favors later, I have true fixed IP and dang near 60 upload... which is plenty.
And I do right by them. They get in a trick bag they move to the front of the line with me.
So it's all good. I will never leave.
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I switched to Cricket only to later find out that it is just ATTs cut rate service. Same ownership.
I am on straight talk... 35/mo, paid forward somewhere into the fall.
And it don't matter much in the west... everything is ATT/Verizon anyway.
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@roamer_1
It's been over 10 years and I have chemo brain,so my memory is slightly less than perfect,but from what I REMEMBER,all I did was buy the Roku,go to their web page and sign on and agree to pay them $8.99 per month for their service,which includes paying any fees to other services I subscribe to. Which,of course,they add to my normal monthly service fee of $8.99.
All I really remember doing beyond that was just plugging my ROKU into my phone line and hooking it up to my tv. I use a station splitter because I also have a DVD player and a TV antenna hooked to my tv.
Here is my list of monthly payments as well as the services I subscribe to.
Monthly tv and movie fees:
-21.34 Philo streaming via ROKU 01/26/2021
-74.71 Per Year for Disney Plus Channel-Activated Nov 2020 and pd until Nov 2021.
Disney Plus Yearly - US - Web , ($6.23 per month)
-$8.99 Roku AUTO PAY Fee for ROKU subscription
-$7.46 Roku for BritBox + PP 24 Oct 2019 Pay Pal
-$16.00 for Roku for HBO + 2330 6 Apr 2018 PP
-$8.51 Roku for Hulu PP 24 Oct 2019
-$15.49 Roku for Netflix PP 9 Feb 2022
-$11.73 Roku for Showtime + PP 24 Oct 2019
-$9.60 Roku for Starz + PP 24 Oct 2019
$93.62 per month
-$48.64 VERIZON Due ea mo on the 2nd as of 5 Feb 2018
I subtracted the Verizon fees from the ROKU fees because I was already paying that each month before I got the ROKU.
As you can tell some of these fee rates date back to 2018 and I need to update them,but they really aren't that high. I was paying a HELL of a lot more to Dish Network and getting a hell of a lot less.
@sneakypete
That's a whole lot more than me, Sneaks... and too complicated.
I pay 70/80 bucks a month for cable access... I am subscribed to Netflix on a fam account that costs me around another 70 bucks a year... And I have Prime, which winds up incidental in cost, as the vid side of that is a perk. I would be paying for prime anyway because my business requires it for shipping.
And that's that.
But I do it differently - That's why I like having a PC hooked up to my TV and use it way more than ROKU.
There is literally nothing I can't find on the internet, one way or another, and find it for free.
So i find the structures and limits of ROKU a bit confining.
Don't get me wrong. I ain't cussing it. I just mostly do else-wise. :shrug:
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@sneakypete
That's a whole lot more than me, Sneaks... and too complicated.
I pay 70/80 bucks a month for cable access... I am subscribed to Netflix on a fam account that costs me around another 70 bucks a year... And I have Prime, which winds up incidental in cost, as the vid side of that is a perk. I would be paying for prime anyway because my business requires it for shipping.
And that's that.
But I do it differently - That's why I like having a PC hooked up to my TV and use it way more than ROKU.
There is literally nothing I can't find on the internet, one way or another, and find it for free.
So i find the structures and limits of ROKU a bit confining.
Don't get me wrong. I ain't cussing it. I just mostly do else-wise. :shrug:
@roamer_1
Not really. Other than the $8.99 a month to Roku,the rest is optional. Like I wrote earlier,I had the fees to Verizon for internet going years before I got the ROKU because I had to have them for my computer and the sat dishes I had earlier.
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@roamer_1 , yeah, this is what I need. Phone and high-speed internet without paying a fortune. I only have one cable option, so I am hoping to find DSL service other than AT&T.
Just switched cell service to Patriot Mobile..
Came back to ask... Is starlink available in your area?
Because I will tell you what, it is absolutely changing the landscape up here in the rural mountains.
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@Cyber Liberty
It's free on ROKU,but it's not very highly rated,with 2 stars out of 5.
I have the Roku app on my Amazon Fire Stick, I'll poke around it a bit...
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I have one simple request right now. I was streaming with Locast, but they were put out of business by a lawsuit.
Every service I've seen that promise all local channels never carry MeTV. Who streams MeTV???
If you can't find MeTV, then change your search to each of the old TV series that you want to watch. I found a lot of old TV series on the Roku Channel.
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If you can't find MeTV, then change your search to each of the old TV series that you want to watch. I found a lot of old TV series on the Roku Channel.
The ROKU has hundreds of channels, none of which are MeTv (I liked Svengoolie). When I was surfing the channel line up I was amazed to see there are 24/7 channels for Mystery Science 3000 and the Red Green Show. But no MeTV. There are a number of Fire apps that have "local channels" but for some reason MeTV is never listed. :shrug:
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Where to watch MeTV (based on address): https://www.metv.com/wheretowatch/zip/
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Where to watch MeTV (based on address): https://www.metv.com/wheretowatch/zip/
There's no on-air in available from my location (the nearest TV market is Las Vegas), and I don't have any of the cables they list because I cut the cable. There's a "handy Tutorial but the link does not lead to a tutorial.
I might be able to get the Frndly TV to work at $7 per month with the Fire TV app. I can get a free trial so I can see what's in there.
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The ROKU has hundreds of channels, none of which are MeTv (I liked Svengoolie). When I was surfing the channel line up I was amazed to see there are 24/7 channels for Mystery Science 3000 and the Red Green Show. But no MeTV. There are a number of Fire apps that have "local channels" but for some reason MeTV is never listed. :shrug:
I did some looking around and found that MeTV is carried by the streaming service FrndlyTV. That service is available on Roku devices and probably Fire TV also, but it looks like they charge $6.99 per month. From what I can find that's the only streaming service that carries MeTV, unfortunately.
EDIT: I really need to refresh the thread before posting. :thud:
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I did some looking around and found that MeTV is carried by the streaming service FrndlyTV. That service is available on Roku devices and probably Fire TV also, but it looks like they charge $6.99 per month. From what I can find that's the only streaming service that carries MeTV, unfortunately.
EDIT: I really need to refresh the thread before posting. :thud:
I did exactly that. Now we'll see!
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Funny that this MeTv conversation came up. On 7/15 Dish Network moved MeTv from a channel included in my slim package and moved it to a channel I don't get.
I watch MeTv alot. I am majorly steamed! 9999hair out0000
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Just got a ROKU yesterday and am working through my options.
Are there any channels you highly recommend? And did you find any of the 'local news' channels worthwhile?
Pluto. It's free, Glen Beck, OAN, Newsmax are all on it, plus other channels and on demand.
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@WhatWouldReaganDo
If you are an Amazon Prime member,the Amazon shows are available to you for free.
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Pluto. It's free, Glen Beck, OAN, Newsmax are all on it, plus other channels and on demand.
Well I'll be... I have been on PlutoTV since Hector was a pup... And I didn't know that.
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Well I'll be... I have been on PlutoTV since Hector was a pup... And I didn't know that.
Yeah I saw that on Pluto. There is probably a way to program my Roku to navigate to Pluto to watch those shows, but I have no idea how to do it. I know I can watch Fox news live by clicking some link someone gave me. I'm getting lazy in my old age and if the channel is easy to navigate to...that's the one I watch...lol.
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Yeah I saw that on Pluto. There is probably a way to program my Roku to navigate to Pluto to watch those shows, but I have no idea how to do it. I know I can watch Fox news live by clicking some link someone gave me. I'm getting lazy in my old age and if the channel is easy to navigate to...that's the one I watch...lol.
I did it just now, just to prove it... In ROKU, search for 'pluto', select the resulting channel, and add it.
I have never Accessed PlutoTV through the ROKU... Like I said upthread, I use a PC attached to my TVs as my main form of access... Just like surfing on a pooter... So I will likely continue to use the PC to watch it. But it is nice to have it loaded in the ROKU, in the event that the computer side goes down.
Like you, I am lazy too - And it is way easier for me to use the computer and keyboard... For one thing, the keyboard is way bigger than a clicker, and impossible for me to lose. :laugh: ...And old dogs, and all that... It's just easier to use the PC, and since I am using Firefox, everything is available on all my devices. That is great - I can put whatever I am watching on my laptop or a tablet and go watch out on the porch, or wherever... And way less commercials too. :beer:
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Pluto. It's free, Glen Beck, OAN, Newsmax are all on it, plus other channels and on demand.
I added Pluto to my Roku a number of years ago, and found they kept repeating the same programming. So I lost interest.
Is OAN on there free? or on demand? Might need to revisit.
My own cord cutting strategy is I have Sling, and my kids share Prime and Netflix.
Enough to keep me entertained, for only $30./mo.
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Just got a ROKU yesterday and am working through my options.
Are there any channels you highly recommend? And did you find any of the 'local news' channels worthwhile?
I have been watching Tubi a lot recently. It is free with minimal ads, and it has a lot of older TV series and movies, with new selections rotated in on some schedule, not sure yet how often.
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Yeah I saw that on Pluto. There is probably a way to program my Roku to navigate to Pluto to watch those shows, but I have no idea how to do it. I know I can watch Fox news live by clicking some link someone gave me. I'm getting lazy in my old age and if the channel is easy to navigate to...that's the one I watch...lol.
I just added the channel. Then it pops up on the home screen.
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I have been watching Tubi a lot recently. It is free with minimal ads, and it has a lot of older TV series and movies, with new selections rotated in on some schedule, not sure yet how often.
Tubi is good, too. I actually rotate through a bunch of channels, watch all the movies that interest me and move on. Filmrise, Freevee (formerly IMDB), Plex, and Crackle, are among them, Netflix through family, BritBox and a couple others. I end up paying about $30/month not counting the Amazon Prime membership.
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Yeah I saw that on Pluto. There is probably a way to program my Roku to navigate to Pluto to watch those shows, but I have no idea how to do it.
@mrpotatohead
Well,it is kinda complex. You have to open the search engine and type "Pluto" in the subject box.
Once you are there,you can save the Pluto Channel in your favorites,and just click on the icon.
I know I can watch Fox news live by clicking some link someone gave me.
Same deal,but slightly less complex because you don't have to do as much typing.
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Streaming surpasses cable as top way to consume TV
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/streaming-surpasses-cable-tv-market-share (https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/streaming-surpasses-cable-tv-market-share)
Streaming has officially topped cable as the most popular method by which Americans consume television content, according to new data from Nielsen.
Why it matters: Just as cable's victory over broadcast ushered in waves of change to U.S. media, streaming's rise will continue to bring new businesses and cultural forces to the fore.
Details: Streaming now makes up more than one-third of all television consumption in the U.S., according to data from Nielsen's monthly Gauge study of TV consumption.
• Netflix continues to be the top streaming platform, taking 7.7% of total share of TV consumption in July. YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ increased their share of viewing time last month to 7.3%, 3% and 1.8%, respectively, while HBO Max held steady at 1%.
Yes, but: Traditional TV, which includes both cable and broadcast consumption, still collectively makes up the majority of TV viewing in the U.S., for now.
• But if the rate of these categories' decline continues, streaming could very well surpass traditional television as the primary way Americans consumer TV content in the next few years.
• While the total amount of TV consumption has remained consistent in the past year, the amount that Americans have streamed has increased 22.6%, compared to declines in cable and broadcast of 8.9% and 9.8%, respectively.
More at link.
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The reason why MeTV isn't available on streaming platforms is simple: it's all reruns, and they only own the rights to carry those reruns over-the-air (and on cable/satellite); they have no streaming rights to any of their programming, so it can't be carried on any streaming platform as a whole channel.
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MeTV is carried on Frndly TV, a channel I can get on Roku.
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The cord has been cut. Streaming is more watched than cable
The cord has been cut.
For the first time ever, Americans are watching more streaming TV than cable, according to a report from Nielsen. The milestone has long been expected as viewers change their viewing habits and ditch their pricey cable bundles for cheaper alternatives.
In July, streaming amounted to 34.8% in the share of total TV consumption, a growth of nearly 23% within the past year. Cable and broadcast viewership both dropped year over year, with the former amounting to 34.4% and the latter making up just 21.6%. Both fell around 10% compared to July 2021.
Nielsen notes streaming has surpassed broadcast before, but its the "first time it has also exceeded cable viewing." Netflix, Hulu and YouTube also captured record-high shares, with Netflix (NFLX) being the biggest streaming platform thanks to "Stranger Things'" new season.
The report's findings aren't surprising, but it is an inflection point for the typical American TV viewer as well as the industry. Entertainment companies are spending billions of dollars bolstering their streaming services to future-proof themselves. But streaming's glory days might already be over: The war to win over subscribers at any cost is done........
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/19/business/streaming-cable-viewership/index.html
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I truly don't understand why anybody subscribes to cable anymore.
Both my ex and her sister have cable,and even though I GAVE them both a ROKU player and showed them how it worked,they still make those cable payments and watch cable tv instead of their ROKU's.
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I truly don't understand why anybody subscribes to cable anymore.
Both my ex and her sister have cable,and even though I GAVE them both a ROKU player and showed them how it worked,they still make those cable payments and watch cable tv instead of their ROKU's.
I don't get it either @sneakypete we have a Roku in the family room and a Roku in our bedroom, but hubby still refuses to cut that cord. He rarely watches cable.
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MeTV is carried on Frndly TV, a channel I can get on Roku.
They want to charge me $7 a month for Frndly TV on my Roku.