(10-05-2017 08:08 AM)mj4life Wrote:  

(10-04-2017 09:59 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Ok....so according to Direct TV Now's website, CBSSN is on the $35 tier but not on the $50 tier. It is also on the $60 & $70 tier.

By the way, I'm switching to Direct TV Now from PS Vue since Vue raised the Access tier rate to $40 from $30. I could get by with Sling Blue but the wife and daughter need a couple of channels that Sling does offer even as an additional package.

Switched to Now from Vue a couple months ago because AT&T gave me a 30 day trial & upgraded my cell plan in the process. I do like the channel lineup up as well as the app's user interface which allows you to switch channels similar to regular tv or thru the TV Guide

I just signed up for the 7 day free trial. So far so good and the family loves the additional channels (Hallmark, TCM and the whole Nick family channels).
I see the guide format you were talking about and it is better than PS Vue.

(10-06-2017 11:33 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-06-2017 11:17 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Ok...my Youtube TV report

I have a Sling Orange account for $25+tax for awhile now (about 2 years). It is a great low cost alternative for very small families. Works really well if you primarily watch sports on the ESPN family. Downside...only 1 device at a time...also you have to figure out how to get your locals separately.

I'm switching to Youtube TV now from Sling. Cost is $35+tax but you get locals in larger markets, also FS1, FS2,Fox Regionals, NBCSN, CBSSN, main BTN feed, etc...

A few cautions. If you don't have this (Google Chromecast thingie) up front be prepared to watch the first month on your smartphone or computer (USE GOOGLE CHROME BROWSER). After your 15 day trail they will send you a link to order 1 chromecast for free. The new generation looks like this


About the locals...you don't get everything...just the main feed for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. You will need to set up a remote antenna or order the "lifeline" cable TV with your internet. It cost me under $10 to do this. Your call if getting all the sub-channels is worth it. I will be cancelling this and setting up an antenna to pick up the locals soon.

What I liked is as I traveled it recognize where I was and would allow me to watch the locals in Raleigh. Up at my cottage...the local TV market is way too small to support this.

Finally the upside is 3 devices at one time...and remote locations (i.e. Millennial children) seems to work...so about $39 a month is what I pay (includes tax) and I'm currently not wanting and I get 3 devices versus 1. I also get the FOX family which Sling Orange didn't give along with several extra sports channels.

Finally, can't complain about the picture quality...looks 1080P or near it.

Thanks for update and letting us know your experience. It seems like once you get signed up in an available market you are in and can view the app in markets not available for local channels.
I was unable to sign up because I don't live in a market for local channels.

You might be right...I signed up in the Tampa-St Pete area. Like anything...all these are compromises. You gotta find what works for you.

You probably want CBSSN as one of your must have channels

(10-06-2017 11:20 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(10-05-2017 10:57 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  So I recently learned that Charter Spectrum has a Roku app. Stay with me here.

It's the exact same thing as Vue, Sling, DTV Now 's apps ... you load one app that gives you a quasi/software cable box feel/interface. You have access to the channels that you pay for in your Spectrum subscription. So you don't technically even need a cable box. You can just use your Roku.


This is what everyone will do. DTV, DISH, Comcast, Charter, etc. At a minimum, they'll have it as an option. Probably some will go completely this route and do away with their entire box rental operation altogether.


So at that point ... there's no difference. You have a Roku, you pay $20, $35, $50 a month, whatever, and you get some amount of channels that you view through a Roku app. What's the difference if you pay the bill to Sling or to Comcast??

Hmm...that is interesting. there really is no difference who you pay the bill too in that scenario.
Maybe the cable companies will head in that direction. The big issue right now with cable is the box and how they charge $7 - $10 per box each month. Then the DVR fee on top of that if you want that capability. Take that away and the overall price can come down pretty sharp without any internet package tied to it.

I tell ya, in about another 2 years, we'll see even more internet companies that a customer can choose for their home. Hughes Satellite is pretty expensive right now, but when they come down in price, that give the consumer at least 3 choices (cable internet, phone line, satellite). Then the wireless companies my get involved for the home depending on the 5G technology and bandwidth they may have. We already see them offering deals for the phone like ATT's offer DirecTV Now for $10 with wireless service. T-Mobile picking up the tab for Netflix steaming..etc.

At least from what I've seen on this board, people are/were mad about paying $200/mo bills to a cable company. Then, they can switch to Sling/VUE etc and drop their total bill down to say $50-60/mo for internet and another $30-40/mo for TV.

So I find it hard to believe that $110/mo is going to box rental fees and DVR/HD fees (the latter of which I agree are pure BS, and will very quickly die off when the coming technology changes).

Sorry, but if you're forking over $100/mo in box rental fees ..... something's wrong upstairs.


Unfortunately, I highly doubt there will be a lot of new choice when it comes to residential land-line internet service. The problem is the investment that has to be made in a physical network. You've got to lay miles of fiber optic cable, install switches/routers in neighborhoods, etc. Even if a city builds that with public dollars ... you can't really "share" that infrastructure between multiple providers. One company will be in control of it at a time.

That's just the rub with getting the data out to the homes. It's a monopolistic type deal to its core, unless you actually have multiple companies willing to install parallel networks. To a large extent, the best shot at that is to have the cable company and the phone company having competing new fiber network installations. That probably has and will be true in some areas.


The only true way we're going to see a lot of competition for residential internet service is via wireless. But that's still a long ways off. Maybe one day in our lifetimes. Maybe sooner than I think too ... but at this time, it's not feasible or realistic to provide full internet service to everyone in a residential area using just wireless. Too expensive yet.

Don't want to clutter this thread beyond the stated purpose, but also don't want to start yet another thread in the main board about cable TV.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/07/goog...v-for-you/

Quote:Google Fiber has now revealed that when it launches in Louisville, Kentucky and San Antonio, Texas, it will only focus on providing high-speed internet and not a TV add-on.

Clearly, they're going to let people buy Roku's and then stream the channels/content they want via whichever provider they choose.

(10-08-2017 03:44 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Don't want to clutter this thread beyond the stated purpose, but also don't want to start yet another thread in the main board about cable TV.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/07/goog...v-for-you/

Quote:Google Fiber has now revealed that when it launches in Louisville, Kentucky and San Antonio, Texas, it will only focus on providing high-speed internet and not a TV add-on.

Clearly, they're going to let people buy Roku's and then stream the channels/content they want via whichever provider they choose.

Thanks for info. Wonder if Google is going to be able to get in all homes or only in the new developments.

Could be wrong, but I think even new single family homes the fiber doesn’t come right into the home. Stops at a neighborhood box and then coax cable from there into the house, to a modem of some sorts.

Multi unit on the other hand, might well have fiber equip in the building, then coax cable to the units.

If you don't mind, I'll continue to post news related to traditional pay-TV here.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-...SKBN1CH26T

Quote:The No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier, which owns satellite television service DirecTV, said in a filing on Wednesday that it lost 90,000 U.S. video subscribers in the quarter due to intense competition in traditional pay TV markets and the impact of the recent hurricanes. Shares were down 3.8 percent to $36.74 midday on Thursday.

“It should be clear that DirecTV, like all of its cable peers, is suffering from the ravages of cord-cutting,” said Craig Moffett, analyst at MoffettNathanson, in an email. “It is reasonable to expect a weak quarter for the whole pay-TV industry.”

The announcement weighed on other stocks in the sector, with shares of Dish Network Corp, Charter Communications Inc, Comcast Corp and Altice USA Inc trading lower.

AT&T said it added roughly 300,000 subscribers to DirecTV Now, its cheaper option for customers who want to stream television over the internet.

Has anyone tried Hulu TV? I have loved the PS Vue but want to try Hulu and YouTube (thanks Mark for the info!). Any hints, tips, tricks or anything I should be aware of?

(10-15-2017 01:55 PM)TerpsNPhoenix Wrote:  Has anyone tried Hulu TV? I have loved the PS Vue but want to try Hulu and YouTube (thanks Mark for the info!). Any hints, tips, tricks or anything I should be aware of?

I did the trial and had some buffering and HD issues on the tablet.

(10-09-2017 01:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Could be wrong, but I think even new single family homes the fiber doesn’t come right into the home. Stops at a neighborhood box and then coax cable from there into the house, to a modem of some sorts.

Note that "Fiber To The Home" (FTTH) or "Fiber To The Premises" (FTTP) really does put a twisted pair optical fiber line into the home. The above scenario, fiber to a neighborhood box and then coax cable from there, would be a situation where an upgrade was done but not all the way to FTTH, to be able to re-use the last mile of coax. It's really a sunk cost problem, at least if the houses are close enough for passive optical, since in that case new FTTP would not cost more than new coax.

(10-15-2017 01:55 PM)TerpsNPhoenix Wrote:  Has anyone tried Hulu TV? I have loved the PS Vue but want to try Hulu and YouTube (thanks Mark for the info!). Any hints, tips, tricks or anything I should be aware of?

Hulu is cool but there seem to be more buffering issues than with SlingTV on a Roku. Hulu's interface is furthest from traditional TV (although there is a "Networks" option). On Saturdays you just click over to the heading "College Football" and click down the list and pick a game. You have to go out of your way to figure out what channel you are on! The Hulu web browser interface is also pretty slick. I do think Sling TV has better video quality than Hulu.

Sling TV is still my favorite interface on Roku, but Hulu is pretty nice save the buffering (which Sling also has at times).

FUBO was a limited interface and I don't remember much about PS Vue but Direct TV Now was way too slow for me.

http://awfulannouncing.com/local-network...34-99.html

Blazers and NBC RSN offering a limited OTT service to those in Blazer territory. 15 games for $35

Sounds a little steep to me as a I think $5 to $10 a month would be a better business model but it's something

Update first post to now include the non-sports TV stream package called Philo.

Added this as a non sports option. Might be an easy way to keep the wife/gf happy as you watch sports. HT: MWCtex

https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/philo-...v-service/

(12-12-2017 11:22 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Added this as a non sports option. Might be an easy way to keep the wife/gf happy as you watch sports. HT: MWCtex

https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/philo-...v-service/

First post has been updated with the info. Here is the direct link to get to Philo for consumers. https://try.philo.com/

There is another Philo site but it is specially for college campuses which is how these guys started.

Thanks MWC... another pro for Philo

If you get your sports needs through Sling Orange...or similar which only allows 1 device it is a cheap way to add up to three devices for other household members/geographically separated offspring to watch TV without bumping you off WatchESPN.

(06-17-2017 12:52 PM)solohawks Wrote:  One thing people need to be aware of with PS Vue...if you don't get local channels in your area you are classified as a slim package and pay $10 less. If/when local channels are added in the future I would expect to see a $10 increase and upgrade from the slim pack to include your noe available local channels. To some people it's worth the increase. To others it might not be

I had PS Vue and received one local CBS channel. They took away my slim package. They do count one station against you. Other than that, PS Vue is a great product for the price.

Yeah PS Vue no longer offers the slim packages. You pay for the locals whether they are in your area or not

Gone Sling Orange + CBS All Access (Can't get CBS OTA in my area). $20 + $6 = $26/mo.

For sports, that gets me:

ESPN - NFL, MLB, NBA, CFP/NY6, NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ESPN2 - NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ESPN3 (which includes ESPN on ABC) - NBA, MLB, NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ACC Network Extra - ACC (Syracuse!)
TBS - MLB, NCAA Tournament
TNT - NBA, NCAA Tournament
CBS - NFL (Patriots!), SEC football, NCAAB, NCAA Tournament

(12-13-2017 03:41 PM)orangefan Wrote:  Gone Sling Orange + CBS All Access (Can't get CBS OTA in my area). $20 + $6 = $26/mo.

For sports, that gets me:

ESPN - NFL, MLB, NBA, CFP/NY6, NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ESPN2 - NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ESPN3 (which includes ESPN on ABC) - NBA, MLB, NCAAF, NCAAB, ACC (Syracuse!)
ACC Network Extra - ACC (Syracuse!)
TBS - MLB, NCAA Tournament
TNT - NBA, NCAA Tournament
CBS - NFL (Patriots!), SEC football, NCAAB, NCAA Tournament

That is really interesting Orangefan!!!
In my area, I can get CBS, ESPN on ABC, NBC, and Fox OTA. I wonder if I could substitute the ACC Network for the SEC Network?