We have any cordcutters here?

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Thu May 04, 2017 6:26 pm

We just switched from Comcast TV & internet to internet only from them. Got a couple AppleTVs and signed up for Directv Now + HBO.

So far so good. The guide could use some work and just better navigation and sort options in general, but quality has been good and only 1 video has stuttered at all and it was only twice in an hour.

Lots of apps and crap you can throw on these things. Thought I would hate the remote but its actually sweet, minus the cost of replacing it if it breaks, $75.

Anyone else on any of these boxes, AppleTV, Roku, FireTV, Chromecast and have any favorite free apps? So many to look through to see if they're decent or ****.

fastchevy · Post by **fastchevy** » Fri May 05, 2017 10:08 am

I have a roku in just about every room in the house. I have Sling which is awesome...it has the stuff I watch: AMC, Spike, ESPN, Tru TV, etc. For $5 more I have the comedy package which includes Comedy Central and more. We also use Amazon, Netflix, and Crackle occasionally. I also have Kodi running on a PC and may get a Fire Stick with Kodi installed on it so I don't have to mess with the PC.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Fri May 05, 2017 4:25 pm

Only have Netflix and Amazon Prime with chromecast. Nothing else really. Thought about getting one of those android boxes but chromecast works just fine.

Post by **Philip** » Fri May 05, 2017 5:40 pm

I "almost" cut the proverbial cord a couple of times.

The last couple of years, when I tried to drop Comcast cable for an "internet only" plan, they transferred me to a "customer retention" department and gave me a one-year deal that includes basic cable, and one premium channel (HBO or Showtime or Cinemax) for the price of just internet! That's the only reason I am still on cable... Seems like cable companies are trying to retain their cable customers to appear better on paper in front of their shareholders

I had Sling TV for about a year, it was great! The only problem I was having is some stuttering at peak times (audio out of sync with video), most likely caused by Comcast bandwidth privatizations... So much for Net Neutrality.

I watch Netflix occasionally, the kids more than me.

My landline phone has been gone for several years, replaced by an VoIP Ooma phone, at almost no cost (just some FCC taxes). Even that is used rarely anymore.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri May 05, 2017 9:27 pm

I'll have to look into that Ooma phone, current landline is... $55, comcast is coming out with a $12/mo cell plan on verizon's network, was thinking about that.

I saw the Crackle app on the app store, maybe give it a try. Almost went with Sling but my mother would have missed out on some odd channel she likes that DTV Now has.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Fri May 05, 2017 9:57 pm

Cut the cord 3-4 years ago. I use SFF HTPC for our main TV. We can get any tv shows and sports with Kodi.
I prefer to just download most stuff though. In the bedroom a smart TV which has ytube apps etc, for movies and tv shows I just use a 500gb external drive which used to be in my ps4 before i upgraded it to 2gb. In the downstairs plasma TV we chromecast to make it a smart tv and I use an old nexus 4 android phone to screen mirror hockey games. which actually works really well. Finally in the spare bedroom a WD patriot box office and couple of thumb drives with movies.

in the last 1-2 years online streams in HD have been pretty good for sports/ 20 - 45 sec delay is ok for me.

I can't stand commercials (causes instant attention deficit disorder and wife yapping becomes audible) so I will never go back!

Post by **Philip** » Fri May 05, 2017 10:20 pm

Oh, also, my main TV is hooked up to a HTPC and mostly used through that, I sometimes use an OTA HD antenna for local channels, but mostly watch cable by streaming through the HTPC.

I also have a custom-built Linux NAS that has a lot of media accessible throughout the gigabit LAN and 802.11ac WiFi. The NAS has a small ssd for the OS, and 4 hdds for media, two for use that get backed up to the other two nightly.

Shinobi · Post by **Shinobi** » Tue May 09, 2017 7:46 am

I just have cable for the internet, I've been doing this for a few years now. I have 3 roku boxes for netflix, and hulu. And use FandangoNow to sometimes buy movies. I also have an older dual core Dell laptop that I have hooked up to a LCD TV upstairs in my office (which I am on now) that acts as an HTPC for video and audio.. it's also hooked up to a wireless media server in my house for video and audio files. Ya, I don't really miss cable at all. For free local digital channels over the air OTA, I have a few smaller external antennas on my TV's, I get about 28 channels. The funny thing is my house is up in elevation on hill, and when my Wife watches NBC, it's comes from Georgia which I am several miles away in South Carolina... but I get the signals are bouncing the right way. :-)

morbidpete · Post by **morbidpete** » Tue May 09, 2017 10:56 am

48 TB media server using Plex. Sonarr and Couch potato to keep content up to date.

Post by **Philip** » Tue May 09, 2017 10:19 pm

Daumn 48TB ? I have like a modest 6TB (+6TB backup) on mine...

morbidpete · Post by **morbidpete** » Mon May 15, 2017 8:48 am

Philip wrote:Daumn 48TB ? I have like a modest 6TB (+6TB backup) on mine...

Yup, Love it. Only using about 20TB right now. I developed a storage addiction. I use a distro called UnRaid. Its great

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Tue May 23, 2017 2:23 pm

We only have Internet service. No cable or dish service. Although we do have the basic Netflix service... I never understood why people would pay for TV when you can get so many free channels over the air?

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Tue May 23, 2017 7:07 pm

Easto wrote:We only have Internet service. No cable or dish service. Although we do have the basic Netflix service... I never understood why people would pay for TV when you can get so many free channels over the air?

Cuz I need HBO. Game of Thrones, Westworld, Leftovers, The Night of, Deadwood, The Wire, Sopranos... Id be fine with just that, FX and AMC are nice to have though.

Netflix is started to have a bunch of their own series now, getting tempting.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue May 23, 2017 8:16 pm

i use a WDTV live box and stream stuff from my PC i get from usenet, and a homebuilt TV antenna for local stuff.

i haven't had paid TV since 2004, just cable internet.

and actually there is a bunch of good content on youtube, with addblockers on chrome, it works nice

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 7:17 pm

I'm considering it. Though, I would probably need a new router. I doubt the WRT54GL could handle anything of that nature, right?

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 7:46 pm

7.5mbps for HD through Directv Now.

Just Mark · Post by **Just Mark** » Wed Jun 14, 2017 3:37 pm

I cut the cord about 2 years ago when I realized that we never watched any of the 500 cable channels we were paying for. Put an antenna in the attic and an HDHomeRun on my network and get 52 channels of which many are redundant network broadcasts from other nearby cities. I get around 20 unique channels. Only watch the news over broadcast really. We spend most of our TV watching time on Hulu and Netflix.

tao_jones · Post by **tao_jones** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:51 pm

We dropped DirecTV over a year ago. We mainly use Netflix and Hulu but I do pick up PS Vue for college football season. I need the Big Ten Network for some of the Michigan football games and AMC for The Walking Dead.

AppleTV in the bedroom and living room. Roku in the office. FireTV for the man(kid)cave.