(09-13-2017 03:31 PM)Hood-rich Wrote:  JMU.... this tool will tell you exactly what you need.

https://www.suppose.tv/tv

Thanks!

I'm actually sitting here trying to figure out what I've currently GOT. Wife handles this stuff cause it's she (and used to be the kids) that "needed" all this crap. I don't "need" Starzz, Netfilx or much of any of this stuff. I like the idea of that magicjack thing.

We had Vonage years ago when it first came out and it was awful, so we switched back to Verizon, now part of the bundle with Comcast/xfinity,

Putting all these various parts together to match what we have,k I'm not sure what if anything we'll save in the long run...

I'll check out that link. Thanks again.

Has anyone used Directv Now? I was looking it over today, but didn't have time to really delve into it.

(09-13-2017 04:07 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  Has anyone used Directv Now? I was looking it over today, but didn't have time to really delve into it.

Hi, tg... haven't seen you in a while. Hope all's been well.

When DTV first came out they had some serious buffering problems. And I think they only allowed one stream at a time.

I've heard they've fixed some things since then.

Here's a site that shares a LOT of info about all things cord cutting.

Cord Cutters News

Lots of good info there. Also, check them out on FaceBook.

I'm glad I posted the link to Cord Cutters News.

I looked around and saw this article:

PlayStation Vue Just Added CBS Sports Network & 1 Other Channel
by Luke Bouma on September 13, 2017

Quote:Today Sony’s live TV streaming service PlayStation Vue streaming service has quietly added several new channels. The main channel being CBS Sports Network and NBC’s Universal Kids channel.

Nice!

(09-13-2017 11:17 AM)Kronke Wrote:  If you're paying $150 for DTV, you're doing it wrong. Call in and threaten to cancel, and they'll cut it in half, and give you all the movie channels and NFL Sunday Ticket for free.

With that said, I'm close to cutting, though it isn't about the cost, but more about the principle of giving money to media outlets that I despise. You can stream pretty much anything you want these days anyway.

Or do the two years in the wife's name and the next two years in your name switching every two years. That's what we do with Directv

Anyone paying $150 a month and switching to a $35 a month streaming service is not comparing apples to apples.

My two years just ran out this past month. We called and got it in my wife's name for the next two years. 185 channels (mostly useless but needed for free NFL Sunday) 4 rooms with whole house DVR and free HD...

total bill $65 a month and 3 free months of HBO/ST..movie channels

After 12 months it goes up to $115 a month. But in year 2 we will drop the package down to 150 channels and pay $76 a month. For saying I can get a better deal with Dish in year 2 I got a $130 credit spread out over 13-24

I gave each of the streaming services a test ride for a free 7 day trial. What I found you can not stream espn on 2 TVs at the same time. One will cutoff. With the most expensive package they allowed 3 (might have been 4) streams devices but not if you are watching the same channel.

If a person is paying $150 a month for Directv they have EXTRAS they ordered. Below are the cost for each package



ULTIMATE ALL INCLUDED
245+ $ 75.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $134/mo. in mos. 13-24



XTRA ALL INCLUDED
230+ channels $ 70.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $124/mo. in mos. 13-24



CHOICE ALL INCLUDED
185+ channels $ 60.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $115/mo. in mos. 13-24



ENTERTAINMENT ALL INCLUDED
155+ channels $ 55.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $101/mo. in mos. 13-24




SELECT ALL INCLUDED (includes espn, espn2, fs1)
150+ channels $ 50.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $90/mo. in mos. 13-24

(09-13-2017 04:18 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 11:17 AM)Kronke Wrote:  If you're paying $150 for DTV, you're doing it wrong. Call in and threaten to cancel, and they'll cut it in half, and give you all the movie channels and NFL Sunday Ticket for free.

With that said, I'm close to cutting, though it isn't about the cost, but more about the principle of giving money to media outlets that I despise. You can stream pretty much anything you want these days anyway.

Or do the two years in the wife's name and the next two years in your name switching every two years. That's what we do with Directv

Anyone paying $150 a month and switching to a $35 a month streaming service is not comparing apples to apples.

My two years just ran out this past month. We called and got it in my wife's name for the next two years. 185 channels (mostly useless but needed for free NFL Sunday) 4 rooms with whole house DVR and free HD...

total bill $65 a month and 3 free months of HBO/ST..movie channels

After 12 months it goes up to $99 a month. But in year 2 we will drop the package down to 150 channels and pay $76 a month. For saying I can get a better deal with Dish in year 2 I got a $130 off spread out over 13-24

I gave each of the streaming services a test ride for a free 7 day trial. What I found you can not stream espn on 2 TVs at the same time. One will cutoff. With the most expensive package they allowed 3 (might have been 4) streams devices but not if you are watching the same channel.

If a person is paying $150 a month for Directv they have EXTRAS they ordered. Below are the cost for each package



ULTIMATE ALL INCLUDED
245+ $ 75.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $134/mo. in mos. 13-24



XTRA ALL INCLUDED
230+ channels $ 70.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $124/mo. in mos. 13-24



CHOICE ALL INCLUDED
185+ channels $ 60.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $115/mo. in mos. 13-24



ENTERTAINMENT ALL INCLUDED
155+ channels $ 55.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $101/mo. in mos. 13-24




SELECT ALL INCLUDED (includes espn, espn2, fs1)
150+ channels $ 50.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $90/mo. in mos. 13-24

Just to clarify, I had 5 DirecTV HD receivers with DVR:
1. Den
2. Master BR
3. Mother-in-law's room
4. Playroom
5. Media room

My package was Choice at $115 / month base price.

My package provided 1 receiver. I had to pay equipment fees for the other 4 receivers.

Plus they had an equipment upcharge for HD and another upcharge for DVR.


PS Vue gives me 5 profiles:
1. Me
2. Wife
3. Daughter
4. Mother-in-law
5. Extra

Each profile has its own DVR feature.

PS Vue has 4 bundles, with each tier including more channels than the prior tier:
1. Access - $39.99
2. Core - $44.99
3. Elite - $54.99
4. Ultra - $74.99

I forgot that my package is about to go up $10/mth.

At first, PS Vue had two pricing structures: one without local channels and one with. The local channels structure was $10/mth higher.

When they started they didn't have agreements with local broadcasters in every market.

When I signed up they didn't offer local channels in Memphis - which was fine with me. So my prices was for Core was $34.99. That changes at the end of October. It goes up to $44.99.

Oh, and another thing about streaming services...

They're month-to-month. No two-year contract.

You can try Sling one month, PS Vue the next, DirecTV Now the next, etc.

Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

If cable companies allowed Ala carte to pick the only ones that ONE would want it would be perfect. But, they're the ones that pick which channels would be in each package. I don't care much for movie channels because my wife and I love going to the movies and most of them we've seen already and some we don't care much to see. But, as a sports package we get channels that mostly show the Cabal and I don't watch those like I don't watch the regular MSM. At this time I only get the basic ESPIN and only that. I almost subscribed to the other ones like ASN, etc but since UTEP football sucks who wants to elevate the blood pressure when you're taking drugs to bring it down. LOL

Some of the things people are doing to save $20 or $30 a month reminds me of the good old days. The days (and cold nights) of climbing onto the roof and turning the antenna to get the snow out of the picture....

I bet it would be easier to save the $20 a month if stopped spending the extra couple dollars on over priced junk at the 7/11 on the way to and from work.

To me in my lifestyle it's just easier clicking on the one remote and seeing the guild. Pick sports. Check the list of whats on. Then watch it. But then again I just grab that Little Debbie snack and a coke or cup of coffee as I walk out the door. If I need gas I pay for it the pump and on my way. At one time $5 a day was spent on those .25 snack cakes selling for $0.99 or $1.29 and the $0.50 bottle of Dt Dew that sells for $1.75 at the "gas station"

(09-13-2017 04:30 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:18 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 11:17 AM)Kronke Wrote:  If you're paying $150 for DTV, you're doing it wrong. Call in and threaten to cancel, and they'll cut it in half, and give you all the movie channels and NFL Sunday Ticket for free.

With that said, I'm close to cutting, though it isn't about the cost, but more about the principle of giving money to media outlets that I despise. You can stream pretty much anything you want these days anyway.

Or do the two years in the wife's name and the next two years in your name switching every two years. That's what we do with Directv

Anyone paying $150 a month and switching to a $35 a month streaming service is not comparing apples to apples.

My two years just ran out this past month. We called and got it in my wife's name for the next two years. 185 channels (mostly useless but needed for free NFL Sunday) 4 rooms with whole house DVR and free HD...

total bill $65 a month and 3 free months of HBO/ST..movie channels

After 12 months it goes up to $99 a month. But in year 2 we will drop the package down to 150 channels and pay $76 a month. For saying I can get a better deal with Dish in year 2 I got a $130 off spread out over 13-24

I gave each of the streaming services a test ride for a free 7 day trial. What I found you can not stream espn on 2 TVs at the same time. One will cutoff. With the most expensive package they allowed 3 (might have been 4) streams devices but not if you are watching the same channel.

If a person is paying $150 a month for Directv they have EXTRAS they ordered. Below are the cost for each package



ULTIMATE ALL INCLUDED
245+ $ 75.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $134/mo. in mos. 13-24



XTRA ALL INCLUDED
230+ channels $ 70.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $124/mo. in mos. 13-24



CHOICE ALL INCLUDED
185+ channels $ 60.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $115/mo. in mos. 13-24



ENTERTAINMENT ALL INCLUDED
155+ channels $ 55.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $101/mo. in mos. 13-24




SELECT ALL INCLUDED (includes espn, espn2, fs1)
150+ channels $ 50.00 mo Plus taxes. For 12 mos. w/24 mos. TV agmt. $90/mo. in mos. 13-24

Just to clarify, I had 5 DirecTV HD receivers with DVR:
1. Den
2. Master BR
3. Mother-in-law's room
4. Playroom
5. Media room

My package was Choice at $115 / month base price.

My package provided 1 receiver. I had to pay equipment fees for the other 4 receivers.

Plus they had an equipment upcharge for HD and another upcharge for DVR.


PS Vue gives me 5 profiles:
1. Me
2. Wife
3. Daughter
4. Mother-in-law
5. Extra

Each profile has its own DVR feature.

PS Vue has 4 bundles, with each tier including more channels than the prior tier:
1. Access - $39.99
2. Core - $44.99
3. Elite - $54.99
4. Ultra - $74.99

I forgot that my package is about to go up $10/mth.

At first, PS Vue had two pricing structures: one without local channels and one with. The local channels structure was $10/mth higher.

When they started they didn't have agreements with local broadcasters in every market.

When I signed up they didn't offer local channels in Memphis - which was fine with me. So my prices was for Core was $34.99. That changes at the end of October. It goes up to $44.99.

Core is the one I was looking at too.

Clear something up for me-

So we have one whole house DVR, then a separate cable box in three places- Master Bdrm, playroom, living room. As of now, max is 2 spots cause as of 3 weeks ago that's all that's left of us unless the dog starts watching.

So when you say 5 "profiles" what does that mean? If I want to watch in the playroom (soon to be mancave) and there's no "box", how does it receive the programming from the PS, which would be downstairs?

Do we need another device for each location?

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

FAQ | Smithsonian Channel

Quote:If I don't currently get Smithsonian Channel through my cable provider, are there other ways to watch it?

Full episodes and videos from the Smithsonian Channel are available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Netflix, and several other digital and mobile platforms. Check out our Ways to Watch page for a full list of digital viewing options.

I'm not sure if that's a free channel.

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

Free stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Kcj-o4...1D8D91E48A

(09-13-2017 04:34 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  Oh, and another thing about streaming services...

They're month-to-month. No two-year contract.

You can try Sling one month, PS Vue the next, DirecTV Now the next, etc.

And I'm willing to bet your season ticket cost that what you pay this month for one of those. It will be lot more two years from now.


I'm not going to quote the long post on Directv will answer it here.

With the prices I listed...
Includes monthly equipment fees
for up to 4 rooms and the HD DVR
monthly service fee.
https://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/pepod/con...ge-section

(09-13-2017 04:44 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

FAQ | Smithsonian Channel

Quote:If I don't currently get Smithsonian Channel through my cable provider, are there other ways to watch it?

Full episodes and videos from the Smithsonian Channel are available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Netflix, and several other digital and mobile platforms. Check out our Ways to Watch page for a full list of digital viewing options.

I'm not sure if that's a free channel.

Logged on to my Roku account and found the Smithsonian channel. Here's what it says:

Quote:Watch full episodes and short videos from Smithsonian Channel's vast library of shows about everything from space exploration to world history and wild animals to popular music.

I'll add the channel and check it out. I'll let you know if it appears to be free.

Any particular show you're interested in? I'll check if it's available.

(09-13-2017 04:48 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:44 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

FAQ | Smithsonian Channel

Quote:If I don't currently get Smithsonian Channel through my cable provider, are there other ways to watch it?

Full episodes and videos from the Smithsonian Channel are available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Netflix, and several other digital and mobile platforms. Check out our Ways to Watch page for a full list of digital viewing options.

I'm not sure if that's a free channel.

Logged on to my Roku account and found the Smithsonian channel. Here's what it says:

Quote:Watch full episodes and short videos from Smithsonian Channel's vast library of shows about everything from space exploration to world history and wild animals to popular music.

I'll add the channel and check it out. I'll let you know if it appears to be free.

Any particular show you're interested in? I'll check if it's available.

When I went to my ROKU account this is what I found under View & activate free trial offers. Might be different channel than just Smithsonian?

Start your 30-day FREE* trial of Smithsonian Earth today! Value: $3.99

(09-13-2017 04:44 PM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

Free stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Kcj-o4...1D8D91E48A

Yea, see? I'm such a neophyte on this stuff I don't even think about looking for another avenue like that. Finding it as an App, paying another few bucks a month to add it or whatever.

I saw that guide for each service and just thought oh, well. That's a shame, no more Channel XXX, no matter what it was.

How would PSVue, or Roku, Apple TV etc get to three (or more) sites/rooms/Tv's?

Do I need another device of some sort for each location?

(09-13-2017 05:02 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:48 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:44 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

FAQ | Smithsonian Channel

Quote:If I don't currently get Smithsonian Channel through my cable provider, are there other ways to watch it?

Full episodes and videos from the Smithsonian Channel are available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Netflix, and several other digital and mobile platforms. Check out our Ways to Watch page for a full list of digital viewing options.

I'm not sure if that's a free channel.

Logged on to my Roku account and found the Smithsonian channel. Here's what it says:

Quote:Watch full episodes and short videos from Smithsonian Channel's vast library of shows about everything from space exploration to world history and wild animals to popular music.

I'll add the channel and check it out. I'll let you know if it appears to be free.

Any particular show you're interested in? I'll check if it's available.

When I went to my ROKU account this is what I found under View & activate free trial offers. Might be different channel than just Smithsonian?

Start your 30-day FREE* trial of Smithsonian Earth today! Value: $3.99

I saw two Smithsonian-related channels:
- The Smithsonian Channel
- Smithsonian Earth

I added the Smithsonian channel on my Roku account.

Under Full Episodes I started watching Secrets: Blackbeard's Ship.

Pretty cool. It's off the coast of North Carolina. The team recovering and studying the artifacts includes East Carolina. Go Pirates!

Anyway, back to the Smithsonian channel. It's free. Does it have EVERYTHING you'd find on the network channel? I don't know, simply because I'm not familiar with it.

(09-13-2017 05:25 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 05:02 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:48 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:44 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  

(09-13-2017 04:35 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Using that tool from Hood-rich it looks like Fubo is the closest match for me. But NO ONE carries the poor Smithsonian channel.

Surprised by that, I think their stuff is really good. Aerial America is one of my favorite lay about Saturday AM shows.

Gonna keep digging on this stuff.

FAQ | Smithsonian Channel

Quote:If I don't currently get Smithsonian Channel through my cable provider, are there other ways to watch it?

Full episodes and videos from the Smithsonian Channel are available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Netflix, and several other digital and mobile platforms. Check out our Ways to Watch page for a full list of digital viewing options.

I'm not sure if that's a free channel.

Logged on to my Roku account and found the Smithsonian channel. Here's what it says:

Quote:Watch full episodes and short videos from Smithsonian Channel's vast library of shows about everything from space exploration to world history and wild animals to popular music.

I'll add the channel and check it out. I'll let you know if it appears to be free.

Any particular show you're interested in? I'll check if it's available.

When I went to my ROKU account this is what I found under View & activate free trial offers. Might be different channel than just Smithsonian?

Start your 30-day FREE* trial of Smithsonian Earth today! Value: $3.99

I saw two Smithsonian-related channels:
- The Smithsonian Channel
- Smithsonian Earth

I added the Smithsonian channel on my Roku account.

Under Full Episodes I started watching Secrets: Blackbeard's Ship.

Pretty cool. It's off the coast of North Carolina. The team recovering and studying the artifacts includes East Carolina. Go Pirates!

Anyway, back to the Smithsonian channel. It's free. Does it have EVERYTHING you'd find on the network channel? I don't know, simply because I'm not familiar with it.

Yea, saw that episode while in Kitty Hawk. There's a small series of similar shows/episodes. I think Monitor-Merrimac, the first man-made submarine and others. It's why I really like that channel, lots of cool stuff and amazing photography.