OT: Chord Cutting Recommendations
Open question to the board and looking for suggestions.
My wife and I are contemplating cutting the chord and ditching Comcast. With football season on the horizon I get very apprehensive about potentially missing games.
My thought was to keep the internet and go the Playstation Vue route. Does anyone have any experience there or better recommendations?
Never met someone who regretted cutting the cord. Never tried YoutubeTV, Playstation Vue, or DirecTV Now, but in June/July I tried the Hulu Live trial and loved it. No issues with buffering as mentioned in other comments, so maybe it's better now than it was.
If I were you, I'd sample all four and then make a decision when all the free trials run out.
I have Ps vue Elite. Goes up to $59.99 per month starting 8/24. Generally, it’s very good as a lot of the freezing/dropping signal issues have been fixed. There’s about a 30 sec lag to real tv. I also have att internet $50 per month which sucks but is what it is. I like the dvr aspect of ps vue although it has its ups n downs.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
*Basic Comcast cable package with high speed internet (major networks in HD + HBO, I get 3 cable boxes at no extra cost) $65
* PS Vue using Roku devices (has everything I want minus the History Channel and local channels) $45 or $50 I think.
*Clearstream antenna for the 4th tv without a cable box (works great for the most part, depends on your location).
Beats paying the over $200 I was with just Comcast. Have been happy with Vue, but will be curious to see if loss of net neutrality will affect the quality down the road. Had tons of buffering issues with Directv Now so moved away from it.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
Here is my experience with PSVue. We only had 10MB/1MB and seemed to be okay, what I liked to do was Pause it for a few seconds or let it play while I wasn't watching and rewind to where I stopped watching, that way it could buffer better and not pause in the middle of the program. Bottom line, I would suggest 20MB or more for Internet speeds. I was able to watch the CWS on ESPN via PSVue. Price was right, $40 in Perrysburg, Ohio, got all the ESPN's and Fox affiliates including BTN.
I am also a DirecTV subscriber but am ready to get rid of them because 1) They won't lower my price again after my 1 year customer loyalty discount and 2) last year they dropped fox mid to late August and we didn't get it back till after the Super Bowl. (conveniently) I believe it was only a 8/9 month deal so that could happen again and I see UM will be on Fox again this year. However with DirecTV is could still download the Fox Sports Go App and get Fox with my DirecTV credentials, which made no sense.
peace out, know what im sayin?
August 6th, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
Can you edit your thread title using the new EDIT button? Asking for a friend. I don't have enough points to add a thread and the points still are not working.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
I've been using DirectvNow since the day it first launched. I have the "Go Big" package and I get BTN, SEC Network, all ESPN channels, all Fox Sports channels, as well as local channels such as ABC and Fox Sports Detroit.
The only channel I don't get is NBC, so if any Notre Dame games are playing on NBC I have to use my father's cable TV subscription and log into the NBC app, but I'm about to purchase a digital TV antenna for that so it won't be an issue this fall.
DirectvNow has been great for me. I have no issues streaming to my AppleTV or watching from my phone remotely, EXCEPT when the game is on a local channel. DirectvNow only gives you the local channels when viewing from within your billing zip code. So if I'm out and about and watching on my phone, I don't have the option to view locals.
But it's been great for us. I was concerned a little bit when I switched from Dish Network to DTN but all is well. At this point, I'll never drop my subscription.
Edit: Just asked a buddy who's a huge ND fan which mobile app the ND games stream on and he said the NBCSports app. Well I am able to log into the NBCSports app with my DTN subscription so I might not need that digital antenna after all.
Edit 2: Since I live in mid-Michigan and have WOW internet, I thought I'd check their website to see what the cost would be if I bundled TV and internet. For me to get the same channels that I'm currently getting with my DirectvNow subscription, I'd have to sign up for the "Large Cable" tv package. When bundled with internet (the same speeds I'm currently getting 100Mbps down/10 Mpbs up), it would cost me $94.99 a month for the first year and would then increase to $104.99 a month for the second year and after two full years the prices would end up costing $114.99 per month.
I think I'll stick with my cord-less TV subscription and continue paying $80 a month for everything.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Nvm. just read through your entire post lol. These were not the droids I was looking for.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
Me no comprendo
August 6th, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^
The Amazon Fire Tv supports psvue. You don't need a PS4. I wouldn't use the fire stick though, because the experience isn't as clean. You can also watch psvue through your web browser or device with exactly the same user experience as the PS4 or fire tv.
I have psvue and the price is great, I can cancel it at any time without contract, and I was able to cut my monthly bill in half. It has big ten network and unlimited cloud DVR that is accessible on any device.
Only cons are: Depending on where you live you might not get the local news, DVR'ed shows have an expiration, and 720p resolution (all cloud streaming services say they have 1080P, but they usually are only 720P).
I'm never going back, ever.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
Hulutv is cheaper and better sports package than Vue.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
You Tube TV
Its $40 a month, and you get all the locals, plus the ESPN's, BTN, Fox sports and others. I "share" it with 3 other people (you can have up to 6 accounts), each account can have up to 3 simultaneous viewings going but can be logged on to unlimited devices. You have an unlimited amount of DVR that is saved for 9 months. My last cable bill was north of $200 for Direct TV before I made the switch, and even if I don't share the responsibility of the monthly costs, after internet I am cutting that monthly expense in half. Then I just share Netflix, Hulu and HBO go with others and there isn't much I am missing.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
I have PS Vue. I like it. One draw back is that you cannot record just one college football game. If you record a game, all of the games being played on that date are added to your cloud DVR. It sometimes is a bit confusing to find your game.
However, with PS Vue, you have access to ESPN Watch, BTN App and FOX Sports Go, so you can find your game on one of those since all UM games are played under one of those umbrellas.
yeah I wish it separated the games like other DVRs.....finding the game after the fact can be a challenge.
However, within the next 24 hours you can always find it on youtube for free......
August 6th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
Amazon Fire TV and PSVue. Worked great for a year so far and even my wife can figure out how to use it (no small thing). We rented a cottage a couple of weeks ago up North that had wi-fi. Took the Amazon fire with us ($35 on Prime Day), connected it to the wi-fi and voila! all the streaming we wanted. We re-watched "The Stand" mini-series on YouTube. (Weather was a little drizzly).
August 6th, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
I went with Hulu with live TV for BTN. I don’t watch much non-Michigan football until the playoffs.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
I'm partial to the opening chord from AC\DC's Shook Me All Night Long.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
August 6th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
I also have a Tablo that is connected to my modem via either net. I have a flat antenna, attached to the tablo and a 2 terabyte hard drive connected so I am able to record live OTA channels. I have the antenna hidden behind a picture so you can't even tell it is there. I get about 25 channels via the Tablo and with a ROKU in each room, using the Tablo app I only need one antenna to reach every TV.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
I was a long-term satellite TV customer (Dish, then DirecTV) and I recently cut the cord (chord?) myself. I'm another Hulu customer. I did the trials and liked it the best, although all of the interfaces have some issues. I like the added benefit of the past seasons of many shows that have never been on Netflix.
One thing I haven't seen anyone else mention is Philo. This is a small service that can fill in some missing channels for customers of other services at about $10/month. For me, AMC was the primary draw (Better Call Saul tonight!), but there are a number of other ones on there that don't appear on some of the other services.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
Where I live (Boston) Comcast has basically made it just expensive enough that if you get only internet and then use a streaming service, it's within $5/month and at that point I might as well just get cable and internet together.
If I get just internet they cut the speeds massively and I would need it to stream so if my GF is on her laptop and I'm watching the game, it could slow down. Might as well get the package so I don't have to deal with multiple accounts and throttled speeds and they know that so I'm stuck.
Just a thought if you're looking to save money, it might not be worth the hassle unfortunately.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
That is what Comcast is doing in my area too. Raising costs for internet only and limiting your data more and more if you are on internet only.
I hate Comcast so much so rather than pay them more and more to stream or switch to their TV service - I picked up satellite TV instead.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
Cutting the c(h)ord just to replace it with a streaming service is kind of like going to the gym for social hour. Sure, you can say you went to the gym, but you aren't quite getting all the benefits for doing so.
Quit cold turkey. Dump cable. We have an over the air antenna that gets the local channels. That will get you a few decent football games a week. If others are that important, you'll go to a bar - but you'll still come out ahead money-wise.
Meanwhile, hopefully, you'll replace channel-surfing with "nothing on" with more meaningful activities. Go for a walk; find a new hobby; spend some time making things from scratch in the kitchen.
Source: I cut the cord in January 2017 and sued AT&T in court. Haven't had cable since. Haven't cared.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
1) Most people still want and will have a dedicated internet service. Since you've already got that paying significantly less than also paying for cable TV is what MOST people here are doing by choosing a cheaper streaming option.
2) It's nothing like your stupid gym analogy. It's like wanting to pay a lot less to still be able to watch football and getting exactly that. If you want to make your gym analogy accurate it'd be like paying $50 for a gym membership to get the exact workout you need rather than paying $100+ to have access to a bunch of other crap you will literally never use.
3) If I had an antenna I would get less than half of the Michigan games. Taking your advice of "going to a bar" to watch them would have me spending at least 10-20 per game on drinks snacks and tips which would cost every bit as much as just streaming.
4) Just because you couldn't moderate your TV consumption doesn't mean the rest of us suffer from that affliction. I have plenty of hobbies including walking, hiking, camping, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking, playing with my dogs, guitar, cooking from scratch, spending time with my family, playing video games, studying to advance my career, stained glass, reading, and more.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Sorry the light-hearted analogy offended you dude.
I'll summarize: I cut the cord cold turkey 18 months ago, and have enjoyed every second of it. For those frustrated with cable and considering cutting the cord, I recommend considering going all in and cutting off pay-for-TV-services altogether. In my experience, I've found it personally rewarding.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
Currently moving from having ATT (uverse) to a Comcast only area. I truly hate Comcast (I worked there years ago, and they are an absolutely terrible company on numerous levels).
Long story short, when crunching the numbers in a place I have to rely on Comcast Internet as there are no other options, it was not cheaper to go with a Hulu with live TV, Sling, or Playstation VUE. Internet on its own with Comcast, if you want anything above their 50MB service, it 70-80 bucks depending if you rent their router or not. Hulu Plus or Playstation VUE is at least $39.99 at a minimum, and after everything is said and done, it was cheaper to utilize Comcast's Double Play for $121 / month after taxes.
It sickens me to leave AT&T. I loved their service, it was affordable, and blew my previous Comcast experience away. I wish someone would do something about the scenario where you really have no option for high speed Internet outside of only Comcast.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
A number of these don't seem like great deals at all. I also pay around $60 now for my TV service (depending on if I rent a movie or Pay-Per-View event), and with internet these services would actually be more expensive.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:27 PM ^
I think the idea is that people are already going to be paying for Internet anyway. For example, where I am, there is only one speed, 100 MB per second. But that speed, I can stream anything I want. I would already be paying for Internet anyway, so that is not factored into the cost of cutting the cord.
I imagine that it's different if you live in Michigan. But where I live the basic cable package doesn't have BTN which leads me to have to buy premium packages from the more expensive providers. 80/month to get everything via cable/dish or 50 for streaming.
Not a huge deal but still a deal.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^
Credit to you for asking the same question in a different way.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
Dumped DTV for PSvue around 2 years ago, best move ever. I'm not crazy about the guide interface but for the savings I can live with it. Love the unlimited cloud recording, a month is more than enough to catch up. I also have Netflix and Prime, if I can't find anything to watch it's my fault.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
I cut the cable a couple of years ago. We are in a hilly, wooded area and a digital antenna gets zero reception. Started with Sling TV but didn't get full sports coverage. Have had Hulu Live for over a year, very happy with it. I'm in Virginia, was able to watch every Michigan football game, most hoops games, every game during March Madness. My wife can watch the local news, her brother is the news anchor so that (and Project Runway) was a must and was another thing Sling didn't give us.
We had buffering problems with Hulu but had them with Sling as well, Cox speed is variable and unreliable and was most of the problem. I upgraded internet speed to 300 mbs (or whatever they are) and have had no buffering problems since although speed varies from 18 to 275. I get all the ESPN's, Fox Sports, BTN, SEC network, some Pac12 stuff, even can watch my brother's Colorado State games. The cloud based DVR doesn't have the option of extending the recording, at least it didn't during March Madness the last time I checked. And if a game is televised locally the Hulu broadcast occasionally starts 30 minutes late which screws up recording.
Never used Youtube TV. I was told, but don't know if it's true, that YTV's lack of buffering issues is because it is lower resolution.
I use Roku boxes or Stick+, and one Roku TV, have been very satisfied. Hulu has a ton of movies, including the Criterion collection for classic movie buffs, lots of TV series. We also have Netflix and Amazon Prime, my wife watches a bunch of stuff on both. I only watch college football and college basketball and have been completely satisfied and have saved over $2000 per year.
Edit: Couple of Hulu Live things:
You can only have two Hulu streams at the same time unless you pay extra for unlimited streams, but there are only two of us so it isn't an issue for me.
Mobile devices work away from home as long as you log into Hulu Live with them through your home network once every month, your mobile device notifies you if it's getting close to the end of the month and you haven't logged in.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
I don't know if what you said was true about YouTubeTV having lower resolution, but I think it may be true from experience - although it wasn't bad resolution it wasn't as good as cable HD or satellite HD IMHO.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:25 PM ^
I called DirectTV and threatened to cut the cord and they gave me my same plan for $50 per month with no contract and no expiration. It includes Big Ten Network and ESPN.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
We've had PS Vue for a little over a year.
I got the mid-range package, and I was able to watch every football game last year. I was also worried about missing out on sports when we cut the cord, but it hasn't been a problem.
I'm a HUGE fan of PS Vue - I highly recommend it.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:51 PM ^
DirecTVnow. This is a really good option, since it's only around $50 and you still get the BTN and most of the "good" channels. It cuts out a lot of the music channels, which I can do without anyway.
As a side note, if you have standard DirecTV and want to switch, I recommend calling to cancel and mentioning that to the CSR. When I did, they offered me the current DirecTV package (that I was paying $70/mo., already a deep discount ($130 normally), for $25/mo., for an entire year!
To top that off, I had a problem with my combined ATT/DirecTV combined bill, and when I called about that, they gave me an additional $20/mo. discount on my DirecTV service.
So now, I have the premium DirecTV package (250 channels) for $5/mo. for the next 12 months!
Count your blessings. I called to bitch about the latest price hike and threatened to cancel. My "helper" said ok and to expect an email telling what equipment I had the best way to return it. Oh, and return it in a timely fashion or expect a fine. Fuck Direct TV and ATT while I'm at it. Big props to my "helper" for cutting the chord.
YouTube TV - Video and audio quality
YouTube has more streaming experience than any of the other streamers.
If the program broadcasts in HD, they will stream it in HD, if at all possible (they can't do anything about your crappy ISP service).
Further, they will stream full surround sound audio. I paid a lot of money for that damn surround sound and I want the streaming service to take advantage of it!
Been on YTTV for about 6 months - quite happy with it.
Make sure to subscribe to the Spelling Channel
thanks.
As others have stated, YouTubeTV is a good option. We cut the chord 6 months ago and went to YouTubeTV with no complaints. Good channel options, especially for sports, and DVR options cover anything we need. User-friendly, too.
Can't comment on chord cutting, I only focus on chode cutting
Seeing everyone's typical internet costs (around $50/month) has me wondering, would you pay $90 to $100 per month for Gigabit internet?
August 7th, 2018 at 12:54 AM ^
Umbilical Chord, that's a sweet band name.
I have DirecTV. It has hundreds of channels to watch. Frequently I find myself scrolling through the list unable to find anything I want to watch so I’m reading more.