# Cutting the cord and need some advice...



## Nachtrafe (Aug 26, 2017)

So, I've finally reached the point where the cost of my cable subscription has become overshadowed by the ridiculous charges, confusing packages, and general craptastic-ness of all things cable. I've been doing some research and I _think_ I've finally figured out what I want to do and what equipment I want to do it with, but I'm having trouble getting the last few little ducks to line up. I've been doing some searching on the forums here, as well as many, many other places, and was able to get most of my questions answered, but I'd like to be 100% sure I have the info I need before I pull the trigger.

So...here's the sitch: I currently have an Amazon Prime subscription, as well as Netflix. To get most of the other stations I regularly watch (and cant get with an HD antenna), I'm also considering a Hulu Live subscription (mainly for Disney and various sports channels), as well as HBO Now (got to get my GoT fix). Hardware wise, I'm getting an HD antenna so I can get my local stations (the Big Four and PBS are most important to me, and all are available with a decent antenna).

I've been looking at an Amazon FireTV box. It's price point is lovely, and it would allow me to stream all of the services mentioned above. I can plug the antenna directly into my TV, and while it would be annoying to have to switch back and forth, I'm willing to put up with that if I have to. The main problem with this is, of course, no DVR. I'd like to be able to DVR football games as well as some weekly shows, and the Stick wont do that (not without a lot of shenanigans, and while I'm more than technically competent to put the hardware together - I work in IT and I've been building PC's since I was a teen - again, it's far more trouble than it's worth, especially since the rest of my family isn't as technically competent). I've looked into the Channel Master and the Tablo, but neither impressed me as much as the Roamio OTA. Again, after quite a bit of research, I've tentatively decided that this is what I'd like to go with.

BUT...If I'm understand the threads I'm finding right, TiVO only natively supports HBO Go. Considering I'm telling Spectrum to go pound sand, HBO Go is kinda useless for me. I need HBO Now. My question, therefore, is: Assuming I have a compatible streaming service (Amazon Video or Hulu), and an HBO Now subscription, is there a way to get it to play on the Roamio OTA, or am I going to have to get a FireTV stick/box and use that for my HBO viewing while watching everything else on my Roamio?

Any help and/or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

PS: This is my first post on the community, so if this is in the wrong place, I apologize, and ask that the resident mods please put it in the proper forum.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

You are correct. You need to have an HBO sub to get HBO GO and you need HBO GO to access HBO via Amazon streaming video.
I'd recommend a Roku over the FireTV


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Here are several bits of info as well as questions to consider:

1. TiVo only has the HBO Go app. It does not have the HBO Now app and we don't know if it ever will. That said, you can add an HBO subscription to Amazon Prime via their "Amazon Channels" feature and then watch all HBO programming in the Amazon Video app on your TiVo.

2. The new Hulu with Live TV service ($40/mo) requires the new redesigned Hulu app, which is not available for TiVo. Hulu has given no indication that the updated app will ever come to TiVo. So if you want to subscribe to Hulu with Live TV, you'll need to use a different device. (The platforms that currently have or soon will have the new Hulu app are Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung smart TV, and Xbox.)

3. Depending on where you live, Hulu with Live TV may include all of your local HD channels, in which case you wouldn't really need an OTA DVR anyway. They're regularly adding additional locals across the country.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

If you really need OTA DVR that's integrated into the same box you use for all your streaming apps, an option you may wish to consider is Plex. If you have a premium Plex Pass, you can use your Plex Media Server (a PC, Mac or NAS) to record OTA TV from a compatible tuner and then watch those recordings in the Plex app for various devices (Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, smart TVs, etc.). You can also use that same Plex app to watch live TV on Apple TV and Android TV devices now, with support for Fire TV and Roku coming soon.

Aside from Plex, there are other OTA DVR options available for Android TV devices (the most popular such device being the Nvidia Shield TV). But keep in mind that Android TV doesn't have the new Hulu app that supports Hulu with Live TV and no announcement has been made by Hulu that it will ever get it (although it probably will, eventually).


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## Nachtrafe (Aug 26, 2017)

@Scandia: According to Amazon, the FireTV box works with HBO Now. That's what it says in the product description, anyway. I've looked into Roku, and it's pretty sweet, but FireTV works just as well, and I can get the Amazon equipment for much less.

@NashGuy: 1) Sweet! That's exactly the info I was looking for.  Thank you!

2) Well, damn...that does put a crimp in things. Hulu Live TV has several channels that are the core ones I watch. That could be a deal breaker. Must ponder...

3) Yeah, with an OTA antenna I can watch my local stations with or without the TiVo, but it's the DVR part of that equation that's critical to this whole deal. I dont watch a ton of TV, but the few things I do watch are important to me. I cant always be around when they're on live, so the DVR part of that equation is pretty critical. Again, must ponder...

RE: PLEX: Thanks. That's good info as well. Who knew cord cutting would be so blasted complicated? I just want to watch the things I watch, and not pay through the nose for it. We shouldn't have to jump through so many hoops just to watch a little tv!


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

$29 Roku Express is cheaper than $39 Fire stick. I got a couple of sticks for $20 a few years ago, but haven't seen any deals like that lately. Roku seems to have a lot more apps and is much easier to navigate, IMO.

If you have a universal remote, then Roku has another benefit - one button access to many of the streaming apps, including HBO NOW. That makes for really fast, simple macros when switching to/from watching Tivo. It's actually faster and easier for me to switch to HBO on my Roku than launch it from Tivo. Here are all the Roku discrete app commands available at the moment: 
Amazon
Crackle
FandangoNow
Netflix
Pandora
Vudu
SlingTV
YouTube
Cinema Now
Google play
Hulu
HBO Now
Showtime
Red Bull TV
Spotify
TED
PS Vue
Starz
DirecTV NOW


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Nachtrafe said:


> Yeah, with an OTA antenna I can watch my local stations with or without the TiVo, but it's the DVR part of that equation that's critical to this whole deal. I dont watch a ton of TV, but the few things I do watch are important to me. I cant always be around when they're on live, so the DVR part of that equation is pretty critical. Again, must ponder...


You may already know this but, in case you don't, Hulu with Live TV has a cloud DVR feature that allows you to record shows off of both cable and local channels. (Unfortunately, you can't FF through ads in recordings unless you upgrade to their "premium DVR" for an extra $15/mo.) Click on their "View all channels in your area" link to see which locals are available in your zip code. If a local is available through Hulu with Live TV, you wouldn't need an OTA antenna or DVR for it.

And, at the risk of further complicating your decision, keep in mind that there are other live cable TV streaming services besides Hulu with Live TV. You can read about them at CNet and click here for their master spreadsheet of which services carry which local channels in every US market.


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## Nachtrafe (Aug 26, 2017)

@mdavej: So, Sling works with the Roamio? If that's the case, you may have just solved my issue. I looked at the Sling site and I can get all the channels I want with their Blue package and a couple add ons (which ends up being less than Hulu Live), I can still use my antenna for the local stuff, and according to NashGuy I can add HBO to my Amazon channels and watch that through the Roamio.

@NashGuy: LOL...It's already complicated, so no worries. Fortunately I'm the geeky type of guy who doesn't mind creating my own spreadsheets for all this.  So reading the one on CNet is no issue, and I really appreciate all the info. I like to have the maximum info possible, then winnow down to exactly what I need. 

So, to summarize the (new, revised) situation: If I get a Roamio OTA, I use the HD antenna for local stuff (I checked and I can get nearly 30 channels in my zip code, free OTA, so that's pretty sweet), then I use the Roamio for Netflix, Amazon (and I load HBO into my Amazon Channels, so I can use HBO Now to watch GoT). Then I get Sling Blue and a couple add ons, so we can have Disney, ESPN, and the others we want (which I can watch live or DVR with the Roamio).

Does all that look correct? If it is, I'm golden.

And again, thanks for all the advice. 

EDIT: Hmmm...upon re-reading this, it looks like @mdavej meant that Sling works with Roku, not Roamio. It that's the case, I'm still not quite there. But I am closer.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Nachtrafe said:


> @mdavej: So, Sling works with the Roamio? If that's the case, you may have just solved my issue. I looked at the Sling site and I can get all the channels I want with their Blue package and a couple add ons (which ends up being less than Hulu Live), I can still use my antenna for the local stuff, and according to NashGuy I can add HBO to my Amazon channels and watch that through the Roamio.
> 
> @NashGuy: LOL...It's already complicated, so no worries. Fortunately I'm the geeky type of guy who doesn't mind creating my own spreadsheets for all this.  So reading the one on CNet is no issue, and I really appreciate all the info. I like to have the maximum info possible, then winnow down to exactly what I need.
> 
> ...


No, Sling does not work with any TiVo, but it's available for pretty much every other streaming box out there, including Roku.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Nachtrafe said:


> @Scandia: According to Amazon, the FireTV box works with HBO Now. That's what it says in the product description, anyway. I've looked into Roku, and it's pretty sweet, but FireTV works just as well, and I can get the Amazon equipment for much less.
> 
> @NashGuy: 1) Sweet! That's exactly the info I was looking for.  Thank you!
> 
> ...


 It's a lot like Property Brothers or House Hunters, what are your must haves and what is your budget.  Seriously, once you know what you want and when you want it the how will be much simpler then you think. So just make a list before you start reading web sites. And of course you can keep posting here, a few of us have gone through the process. Forums are about information and sharing it.


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## Nachtrafe (Aug 26, 2017)

@NashGuy: Yeah, I've discovered that.  It looks like, to get what I want, I'm going to have to get the Roamio and the FireTV box - I looked at the Roku, and I like it, but The Boss (aka my lovely wife) prefers the FireTV...so we compromised...and we're getting the FireTV. 

On the plus side, I really like the Roamio's features, especially how it grabs all the various schedules and puts them into one interface. It really seems to take the 'smooth, easy to use interface' seriously.  And the FireTV will let me get Sling, which gives me the channels I want - plus a few other ones that my current cable doesn't have, so that's cool.

@tenthplanet: Yeah...been working on that list (wife actually started a spreadsheet). We figured out what channels are essential, what are 'want to have but can live without', and what are 'meh'. I figured out what services we want to use to get the channels we want, mostly it was just a matter of finding the hardware that could give me all of them. Sadly, there was no 'one box' solution to do it all. The Roamio came close, but it wont do Sling (I was going to go with Hulu Live instead, but TiVo wont do that either ).

Once I have all my ducks in a row (they're mostly there now), I'll post again. And if I have more questions I'll definitely post. Hopefully once I finish headbutting my way through this process, I can pay it forward and help someone else eventually.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

Pluto tv is an app that has movie, news,sports and...local channels. At least on my Roku tv it does. I would guess the Roku devices are the same. you can also use it through your web browser.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Nachtrafe said:


> @NashGuy: Yeah, I've discovered that.  It looks like, to get what I want, I'm going to have to get the Roamio and the FireTV box - I looked at the Roku, and I like it, but The Boss (aka my lovely wife) prefers the FireTV...so we compromised...and we're getting the FireTV.
> 
> On the plus side, I really like the Roamio's features, especially how it grabs all the various schedules and puts them into one interface. It really seems to take the 'smooth, easy to use interface' seriously.  And the FireTV will let me get Sling, which gives me the channels I want - plus a few other ones that my current cable doesn't have, so that's cool.
> 
> ...


 Beware one box solutions, it's better to have your dvr and streaming as separate units. One box means a single point of failure and can sink your recordings and your streaming.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

tenthplanet said:


> Beware one box solutions, it's better to have your dvr and streaming as separate units. One box means a single point of failure and can sink your recordings and your streaming.


Could not disagree more. One box solutions are simpler to use and have less points of failure. No need for multiple power sources, multiple network, etc. TiVi is close _for me_, but the apps are not very good. The DVR+ is also close if you supplement your OTA with Sling TV. If you have a remote tuner like Tablo or HDHomerun, the Roku may be your box to rule them all. Op wants a Tablo DVR plus a Roku.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

If you accept that you'll have to use 2 boxes and get a universal remote, your options are wide open. If you insist that every streaming app lives on your Tivo, then your options are very limited. That pretty much eliminates every TV channel streaming service. My 80+ y/o mother handles Roku and Tivo just fine with a universal remote, every service is just one button press away.

The closest you can get to a one box solution for OTA DVR and TV channel streaming is with an Nvidia Shield and HD HomeRun or with a Channel Master DVR+ that can run Sling TV. Personally, I think the 2 box solution is much more desirable and flexible and is what I use myself and have set up for other family members in their households (parents, kids). I've programmed their remotes so they can instantly switch to/from any app/source with one button and even have nice icons/logos so there is no confusion whatsoever, even if the user can't read (toddlers).


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## Nachtrafe (Aug 26, 2017)

One box would have been nice, but I can live with two. My worry was that I was going to end up with eight or ten new pieces of hardware. One antenna, one DVR, and one streaming box should work fine. 

Thanks again for all your help!!


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## gfweiss (Feb 28, 2005)

Here's another simple solution to view stuff on your TV to consider. I have Verizon FIOS on my TiVo Roamio Pro but I lost the Verizon On-Demand via the TV. I can still get On-Demand on my laptop and my laptop has an HDMI out port. I simply ran an HDMI cable from the couch to a second HDMI in port on the TV (I went through the floor, across the basement ceiling and back up under the TV). Now I can watch anything that I can get on my laptop on the TV by simply switching inputs on the TV. This includes much more than FIOS On-Demand, such as shows offered on most of the networks own web sites.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

scandia101 said:


> You are correct. You need to have an HBO sub to get HBO GO and you need HBO GO to access HBO via Amazon streaming video.
> I'd recommend a Roku over the FireTV


no, Go is for cable subs. Now is for purchasing standalone.

And give me reasons you recommend Roku over Amazon Fire TV. Especially for 4K content. Because after research I disagree and I bought the Fire, which is awesome. Plus you get Amazon stuff integrated.


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## indyrobb (Feb 9, 2005)

Any thoughts on YouTube TV? Cloud based dvr with unlimited storage and has access to some on demand. All your locals, several other channels (sadly missing TNT). 

My only thing was you have to control it thru your phone and cast it to your TV, and I'm wondering if it will work so you can cast out to the tivo like one do with regular YouTube videos. 

It just became available for me here in Indianapolis. Thinking of signing up for the 14 day trial just to see. I've heard good things, but also some not so good things. 

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk


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## johnfasc (Dec 24, 2014)

Have you thought about how much all these extras are gonna cost you?? First the TiVo ota box, then hbo, then Netflix, then sling, then Amazon prime, then Hulu!!!! Sounds like you should have just kept a slimmer cable package. The whole point of going ota is just that. By a fast estimate you will be paying like $75 a month for the next 3 years figuring in the cost of the tivo box. Add in a Roku or Apple TV ups it again. You can get many shows via computer with an HDMI connection, then pick one or two sub providers to keep you monthly tv bill below $50. Just my thoughts...


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

If you haven't chosen yet, here is a good article that lists pros and cons for each box discussedThe best media streaming devices I found it very interesting. and johnfasc is correct that once you add up the costs of all the devices you need you may be better off just downgrading your cable package to keep the costs lower.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

dadrepus said:


> If you haven't chosen yet, here is a good article that lists pros and cons for each box discussedThe best media streaming devices I found it very interesting ......


That looks like a very good article, which gives top recommendation to Roku. But don't put your faith in just one such review. Note the statement just below the byline:


> _This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here._


I have a gen 1 Fire TV (box) and am very happy with it. I've never used a Roku so will not presume to make comparisons. However here are some comments that may be relevant:

1. The bible that is must reading about Fire TV/Stick is: AFTVnews.
Amazon is rapidly adding/improving apps and upgrading software and this site is the best way to track this. The linked review is two months old, so check the AFTVnews stories for the last two months to see Fire TV improvements since then.

2. Gen 2 is the current Fire TV box version but there are indications it is being discontinued, presumably due to a gen 3 model coming:
Amazon removes the Fire TV box from the "Fire TV Family"

3. I am biased toward hardwired network connections vs. wifi. I believe a good wifi connection will rival hardwired but I'm convinced that many folks' wifi systems are not that good. This means I would not recommend a "stick" (Roku or Fire TV) unless a hardwired network connection is just not possible.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

b_scott said:


> no, Go is for cable subs. Now is for purchasing standalone.
> 
> And give me reasons you recommend Roku over Amazon Fire TV. Especially for 4K content. Because after research I disagree and I bought the Fire, which is awesome. Plus you get Amazon stuff integrated.


I don't even remember posting that. I apologise for incorrect content.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

b_scott said:


> And give me reasons you recommend Roku over Amazon Fire TV. Especially for 4K content.


Nobody has said anything at all about 4k content, so it was not relevant to my recommendation.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

I have 2 older Rokus and 1 firetv stick (first gen) the Rokus work best. since I am a Mac man should probably get an Apple TV as well but that Shield looks sweet.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

I'm looking forward to seeing all the new/updated streaming devices that will be unveiled over the next month. We know Apple will introduce the Apple TV 5 (with UHD and all three HDR formats -- HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG) next week. We also know Amazon is on the verge of introducing an updated high-end Fire TV box and probably a new mid-range device. There are rumors that Roku will be updating one or more devices (likely their stick) soon. We could see a new high-end Android TV box from Google or another hardware vendor they partner with this fall too. Lots of choices.


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## dadrepus (Jan 4, 2012)

_While all the 4k stuff is great, I'm stuck with 2 very fine 1080P Plasmas, but not really stuck cause at my declining years 1080P looks fantastic to me.
Sometimes, enough is enough. ;-)_


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## ClearToLand (Jul 10, 2001)

dlfl said:


> That looks like a very good article, which gives top recommendation to Roku. But don't put your faith in just one such review... ...I have a gen 1 Fire TV (box) and am very happy with it. I've never used a Roku so will not presume to make comparisons. However here are some comments that may be relevant:
> 
> 1. *The bible that is must reading about Fire TV/Stick is:* AFTVnews.
> *Amazon is rapidly adding/improving apps and upgrading software and this site is the best way to track this*. The linked review is two months old, so check the AFTVnews stories for the last two months to see Fire TV improvements since then...


Thanks for the LINK to AFTVnews. :thumbsup:

I just ordered a Fire TV Stick Gen 2 (since it was $5 off *AND* when I used my BestBuy Reward Points ~30 days ago to create a $5 Certificate, THIS time it didn't appear for HOURS forcing me to complete my order without it. Once created, they only have a 60 day life so "_Use it or lose it_"...)

I have a Roku Premiere+ (new still in the box) and a couple of new NAS units (Celeron J1800 w/2GB RAM), one running Plex Server. These have been on my 'Shopping List' for quite some time so I'm really enjoying how Plex is pulling things together (compared to pyTiVo - with 500GB units always nearly full, there's always the risk of an incorrect space calculation deleting everything that's not KUID. Two WD Red 3TB HDDs going in '_real soon now_', before Fall Premieres). The "720p @ 4Mbps" ceiling caught me by surprise but ignoring my Roamio Basic and OTAs as Plex Clients and looking elsewhere is paying off. While my ~1-2yo Roamios CANNOT Direct Play / Direct Stream 720p or 1080i @ GT 4MBps, my 'ancient' Seagate FAT+ and Patriot PBO and Core Media Streamers can play the material just fine (uPnP is not as pretty as the Plex Client on a Win7 laptop but...). I believe that the Roku can too, and I've read good reviews about the Fire TV Stick 2nd Gen w/ the beefier CPU.

With 802.11ac MIMO and my router LT 5' away, we'll soon see how well wireless works.  You make a good point though on the variations in quality of WiFi networks.


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## ClearToLand (Jul 10, 2001)

dadrepus said:


> _While all the 4k stuff is great, I'm stuck with 2 very fine 1080P Plasmas, but not really stuck cause *at my declining years 1080P looks fantastic to me*.
> Sometimes, enough is enough. ;-)_


LOL! 

I'm satisfied with an "Entry Level" Panasonic 32" 720 LCD that I watch from ~12' away, reclining on my old couch. It replaced a Panasonic 27" CRT which, along with all of my a/v gear, resides in a ~15 yo ~$700 oak veneer entertainment center that I talked the dear wife into (i.e. it's here to stay). I have a Panasonic 37" 1080 LCD "New-in-box" (largest HDTV that would fit the opening in the entertainment center) still waiting, along with a Panasonic 42" 720 Plasma in storage from my late Dad. I bought a wall mount for the plasma, but it's going to be a hard sell having a 42" plasma ABOVE the 37" LCD in entertainment center.  Plasmas DO suck the electricity though...


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

ClearToLand said:


> LOL!
> 
> I'm satisfied with an "Entry Level" Panasonic 32" 720 LCD that I watch from ~12' away, reclining on my old couch. ..........


Your vision obviously is much better than mine. I'm viewing a 48" Samsung LED/LCTV at 1080 from 10' and things become clearer if I move a couple of feet closer.


dadrepus said:


> _While all the 4k stuff is great, I'm stuck with 2 very fine 1080P Plasmas, but not really stuck cause at my declining years 1080P looks fantastic to me.
> Sometimes, enough is enough. ;-)_


That matches my situation pretty well, in my "declining" (and reclining) years. I would have to have a much larger screen for 4K to mean anything -- and most of what I watch isn't available in 4K anyway.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Flash! AFTVnews has just described two new soon-to-be-released Fire TV/stick models:
Exclusive: These are the two new Amazon Fire TV models being released in 2017
The new box, actually a set-top cube, looks amazing -- a combination of an Echo and a Fire TV, with the capability of controlling your TV either via CEC or a built-in IR blaster in response to voice commands -- no separate Echo or Dot required.

Looks to me like competitors such as Roku are going to have a hard time matching the development pace of big-pockets Amazon.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

From the "happy wife, happy life" pool.... Since my TiVo died from lighting strike I have been using YouTube TV and just last night we found that the Miss America Pageant was not available on ABC via YouTube TV due to licensing streaming restrictions. She was NOT happy when she went to her phone to cast the Pageant to the TV and found the big "X" overlaid on the listing.

Due costs of a la cart components and ease of use, I'm just going back to TiVo. I tried alternatives and have come back home.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Nachtrafe said:


> @NashGuy: Yeah, I've discovered that.  It looks like, to get what I want, I'm going to have to get the Roamio and the FireTV box - I looked at the Roku, and I like it, but The Boss (aka my lovely wife) prefers the FireTV...so we compromised...and we're getting the FireTV.
> 
> On the plus side, I really like the Roamio's features, especially how it grabs all the various schedules and puts them into one interface. It really seems to take the 'smooth, easy to use interface' seriously.  And the FireTV will let me get Sling, which gives me the channels I want - plus a few other ones that my current cable doesn't have, so that's cool.
> 
> ...


Just beware that "channels" doesn't meant "content of [those] channels". I found out that since stream apps have the CHANNELS I wanted but NOT the PROGRAMS within the channels that I wanted.

Hulu Live only runs in Beta mode on Roku and included ads galore (on EVERYTHING) even if you pay the extra money not to have ads. Seems to be a glitch with Beta.

I bought Fire as it runs Hulu Live (non-beta) and supposedly without ads, as I paid for no ads but have now discovered Fire lacks the CHANNELS I got used to on my Roku.

NOW I have to get some kind of splitter to enable an additional HDMI connection as the Roku takes up one and the TiVo the other so now I need three.

So I've "cut the cord" and replaced with other issues. Fortunately I don't think it will be an expensive fix. I think I can get some kind of splitter to enable another HDMI for around $20.

BUT your original concern are CHANNELS...don't go by channels in choosing a streaming app as, again, whole programs are missing on some. Whole seasons on others.

CenturyLink offered LOTS but was missing some seasons. Only 7 day trial there so couldn't figure out if it was a temporary snafu or not. Hulu Live is missing a few things as well BUT if you're searching movies or program content on your TiVo you'll see MANY things are on Hulu that aren't anywhere else.

I ended up with:

*Vudu* (fabulous app!...haven't paid a dime yet)
*Hulu Live*. $43 per month with no ads
*LMN, Lifetime, and Travel Channel *Subscriptions (about $49 a year total)
*Amazon Prime *(already had... love their package!)


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

Avoid FireTV. It used to be solid (although they'd break things periodically that wouldn't get fixed for weeks/months), but at some point a couple years ago they added Wifi Direct for the new remotes, and implemented it hilariously insecurely. You're just asking to get the box taken over and a foothold on your network.

I'd only consider AppleTV 4K or an Xbox One S at this point as a streaming box (or Xbox One X, but strictly as a streaming box/4K Blu Ray player that's not needed).


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

Puppy76 said:


> Avoid FireTV. It used to be solid (although they'd break things periodically that wouldn't get fixed for weeks/months), but at some point a couple years ago they added Wifi Direct for the new remotes, and implemented it hilariously insecurely. You're just asking to get the box taken over and a foothold on your network.
> 
> I'd only consider AppleTV 4K or an Xbox One S at this point as a streaming box (or Xbox One X, but strictly as a streaming box/4K Blu Ray player that's not needed).


sorry, this sounds very tinfoil hat to me. I like my AFTV, and I'll be keeping it.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

johnfasc said:


> Have you thought about how much all these extras are gonna cost you?? First the TiVo ota box, then hbo, then Netflix, then sling, then Amazon prime, then Hulu!!!! Sounds like you should have just kept a slimmer cable package. The whole point of going ota is just that. By a fast estimate you will be paying like $75 a month for the next 3 years figuring in the cost of the tivo box. Add in a Roku or Apple TV ups it again. You can get many shows via computer with an HDMI connection, then pick one or two sub providers to keep you monthly tv bill below $50. Just my thoughts...


Have said that many times - I pay $124/mo. total for Comcast HSI (75mb) and all digital channels + free HBO and Starz. I think that's a pretty fair deal given that HSI alone costs something like $75 (which is ridiculous in and of itself, but they've got everyone by the balls for HSI here). Depending on what you want, a cord-cutter setup can cost as much as a double play deal from your cable provider.

But I have to admit I'm a big sports fan so streaming is really a non-starter for me.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

slowbiscuit said:


> Have said that many times - I pay $124/mo. total for Comcast HSI (75mb) and all digital channels + free HBO and Starz. I think that's a pretty fair deal given that HSI alone costs something like $75 (which is ridiculous in and of itself, but they've got everyone by the balls for HSI here). Depending on what you want, a cord-cutter setup can cost as much as a double play deal from your cable provider.
> 
> But I have to admit I'm a big sports fan so streaming is really a non-starter for me.


Sometimes. It depends on the person's needs. Plus, usually you only get that great deal on a 1 or 2 year TV contract, and then it goes way up in price or you have to haggle a ton every year. My Comcast went from $125 to $177 a month ago. I can get internet with WOW for $50 without contract, and PSVue for $40 without contract. If I don't like either one at any point or Wow's price goes up for instance, I can drop one and find something else. At $100 after taxes and stream anywhere on any streambox without paying for a physical DVR or cablecard fee for Tivo, it feels like a steal for me. Also Amazon Fire Tv's are so much smaller than my current Tivo Premieres. Barely any electricity, I can hide them behind my tv (stick it to the back), and bluetooth + wifi to connect to it. They will play all my local files with a better Plex than Tivo's, or Kodi, or any App I want. In 2017, Tivo seems like a dinosaur to me.

As for Sports, most services like Vue or Sling or DTV have much of the sports you'd be looking for, with locals even. As for live sports on local channels, you can just get an antenna as well.


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

Karyn said:


> Hulu Live only runs in Beta mode on Roku and included ads galore (on EVERYTHING) even if you pay the extra money not to have ads. Seems to be a glitch with Beta.


To clarify...No...Hulu Live is simply cable TV channels. The same live channnels that are on every other cable, sat and streaming service. Thus there are ads because of course it's just the live TV channel. What you pay to remove ads from on Hulu is their back catalog selection which is the same as it always has been. Ads may be present of course in any on demand content from a live channel if it's not also a part of the regular Hulu service.


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## Tim McKeown (Sep 16, 2017)

I have done my research and would prefer the Hulu Live streaming package but it is neither available on my TV Roamio OTA nor on my Roku. Therefore I went with Sling that is only available through RoKu right now. That way I can watch football. If and when Hulu, TiVo, and RoKu get their acts together I probably will switch to Hulu Live.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

bonscott87 said:


> To clarify...No...Hulu Live is simply cable TV channels. The same live channnels that are on every other cable, sat and streaming service. Thus there are ads because of course it's just the live TV channel. What you pay to remove ads from on Hulu is their back catalog selection which is the same as it always has been. Ads may be present of course in any on demand content from a live channel if it's not also a part of the regular Hulu service.


My Hulu service is $44 per month and I pay $9 to remove ads. I do pay the full price therefore should be no ads. I'm not talking about their other services. *I'm talking about the high priced one. Ads are absolutely intolerable. As many as 6 every 10 minutes.
LIVE stream, of course, will have ads. I never watch anything at all live. Everything on my Hulu is loaded with ads even though I pay not to have them.*
Interface for Hulu Beta (live) on Roku is enough to give a person carpal tunnel.

I really dislike it enormously.

CenturyLink works BEAUTIFULLY! Problem is that it won't run WITH TiVo so one must hopscotch around all the boxes to get programming.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Tim McKeown said:


> I have done my research and would prefer the Hulu Live streaming package but it is neither available on my TV Roamio OTA nor on my Roku. Therefore I went with Sling that is only available through RoKu right now. That way I can watch football. If and when Hulu, TiVo, and RoKu get their acts together I probably will switch to Hulu Live.


It IS available...it's called Hulu Beta. The channels I view are cluttered with commercials even though I pay to have them removed. *It's because it's "Beta"...a test package (for which I pay $44 per month to be an unhappy guinea pig of).*

I don't like it on Roku one bit.

To make it work you have to download all the channels separately. It's far too clumsy to use on Roku.

I'm either getting a FireTV (have the stick...not liking it much...VuDu isn't there and can't figure out how to sideload it) or going to* CenturyLink, which runs FLAWLESSLY.*


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

dlfl said:


> Flash! AFTVnews has just described two new soon-to-be-released Fire TV/stick models:
> Exclusive: These are the two new Amazon Fire TV models being released in 2017
> The new box, actually a set-top cube, looks amazing -- a combination of an Echo and a Fire TV, with the capability of controlling your TV either via CEC or a built-in IR blaster in response to voice commands -- no separate Echo or Dot required.
> 
> Looks to me like competitors such as Roku are going to have a hard time matching the development pace of big-pockets Amazon.


Wow! I wonder how to get in on Beta testing.

I knew something was up as FireTV disappeared from Amazon and Firestick super cheap everywhere.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

ah30k said:


> From the "happy wife, happy life" pool.... Since my TiVo died from lighting strike I have been using YouTube TV and just last night we found that the Miss America Pageant was not available on ABC via YouTube TV due to licensing streaming restrictions. She was NOT happy when she went to her phone to cast the Pageant to the TV and found the big "X" overlaid on the listing.
> 
> Due costs of a la cart components and ease of use, I'm just going back to TiVo. I tried alternatives and have come back home.


To be totally honest, I hardly ever watch anything but OTA recordings, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.

I feel like I'm wasting money on Hulu Beta. I watch TWO programs a week for $43 or $44, whatever it is. TiVo tuning really does a nice job of organization NOW that the update was applied (I didn't care for it before).


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

If you're watching a show you *DVR* from a Live channel then it will have ads...just like with cable or any other service. If you can FFW the ads or not I don't know so that could be a difference from say a Tivod show from cable.

Live channels and any content from the Live channels is different from the back catalog. It's basically two different services. Would be the same if Netflix added live channels and the ability to DVR them. They would have ads as well.

I would agree, $43 for 2 shows a week is excessive. If it were me I'd certainly be looking at other alternatives. Heck, it would probably be much cheaper to just buy those two shows for the season on Amazon. Probably same price for one month of Hulu Live would pay for it. Then save the rest.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

Karyn said:


> My Hulu service is $44 per month and I pay $9 to remove ads. I do pay the full price therefore should be no ads. I'm not talking about their other services. *I'm talking about the high priced one. Ads are absolutely intolerable. As many as 6 every 10 minutes.
> LIVE stream, of course, will have ads. I never watch anything at all live. Everything on my Hulu is loaded with ads even though I pay not to have them.*
> Interface for Hulu Beta (live) on Roku is enough to give a person carpal tunnel.
> 
> ...


I don't like the Hulu Live interface (no guide) but to complain that recorded shows need be fast forwarded through commercials....... I mean wtf? Same thing happens with Tivo, and apparently you like Tivo. You can also watch on demand stuff ad-free so maybe do that instead. You're paying for the ad-free. Or you can FFWD through ads once shows are recorded, same as you have to do with Tivo now.

Which two programs do you watch? $44 a month is too much for two shows. Get them elsewhere.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Here's the deal with ads on Hulu with Live TV:

Live channels have ads in them (of course), just like they would with any other source.
Hulu's basic/original on-demand library of shows contain limited ads (about half the amount of time as on typical broadcast TV). They can be removed by paying an extra $4/mo.
The Live TV option automatically comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. Unfortunately, you CANNOT fast forward through the ads in your recordings unless you purchase...
The Premium Cloud DVR option costs an extra $15/mo and comes with 200 hours of storage plus the ability to FF through ads.
I *think* that Hulu will replace a recorded version of a show with their on-demand library version if it's available there, e.g. for a show that aired last night on NBC, ABC or Fox. That could be a good or bad thing depending on whether you paid the $4 no-ad fee or the $15 Premium DVR fee.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

bonscott87 said:


> If you're watching a show you *DVR* from a Live channel then it will have ads...just like with cable or any other service.
> *
> I NEVER watch ANYTHING live. All playback. Of course one can't stop ads in anything live. *
> 
> ...


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

NashGuy said:


> Here's the deal with ads on Hulu with Live TV:
> 
> Live channels have ads in them (of course), just like they would with any other source.
> Hulu's basic/original on-demand library of shows contain limited ads (about half the amount of time as on typical broadcast TV). They can be removed by paying an extra $4/mo.
> ...


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> I don't like the Hulu Live interface (no guide) *I can't stand it either. *but to complain that recorded shows need be fast forwarded through commercials....... I mean wtf? Same thing happens with Tivo, and apparently you like Tivo.
> *
> No...you CAN FF in TiVo. You cannot in Hulu. It's that the ads PAY for the program. I pay for no ads. They force you to watch ads throughout the shows.
> 
> ...


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

bonscott87 said:


> If you're watching a show you *DVR* from a Live channel then it will have ads...just like with cable or any other service. If you can FFW the ads or not I don't know so that could be a difference from say a Tivod show from cable.
> 
> Live channels and any content from the Live channels is different from the back catalog. It's basically two different services. Would be the same if Netflix added live channels and the ability to DVR them. They would have ads as well.
> 
> I would agree, $43 for 2 shows a week is excessive. If it were me I'd certainly be looking at other alternatives. Heck, it would probably be much cheaper to just buy those two shows for the season on Amazon. Probably same price for one month of Hulu Live would pay for it. Then save the rest.


Thank you bonscott87.

I think the fact that Hula named the service Hulu Live instead of something normal like Hulu Platinum with Live confuses EVERYONE...even Hulu themselves.

What the service DOES offer above Plus are current seasons of program content. Plus does not.

I already bought LMN and Lifetime and if I could buy Travel Channel, HGTV, ID, and Destination America I'd never have to leave the couch.
.....sofa induced sinkhole in the Midwest.

Now that seasons are over I've no need for Hulu Live.

Great feature of Hulu is one can pause service for 90 days!


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Artie Fufkin said:


>


It is a bit overwhelming. I've tried many of the stream providers and NONE really deliver.

TiVo with an awesome OTA antenna, a 3TB hard drive, TiVo remote from playstore on phone, and picking a few channels to subscribe to (if you like), Amazon Prime, and you're good to go, IMO.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Artie Fufkin said:


> I was just  that you posted 3 back to back posts with no text, just quoted other folks post. But I agree on the OTA Roamio, best option out there.


Hey Artie!

My response are under each point in bold so I could address each issue. . Click them to open.

Yes...I agree...now that TiVo updated the Roamio OTA software best out there. Wish they could allow the add on apps (as say, Roku allows) though but that would be very costly to write the software for. There ARE boxes out there that one can fully customize but that's a whole different game. One I'm thinking of isn't even widely available,


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## al_wilson2 (Sep 14, 2016)

Best bet is to just cut the live TV streaming, unless you really need live sports. Most of what I watch is off the antenna. I have Netflix to supplement this. I justify my Amazon subscription, since I shop there a lot. I use bing points to purchase HULU basic, otherwise, I don't have much use for HULU. Since I do have Amazon, then I'll subscribe to Showtime thru Amazon for one or two months a year, just to watch Ray Donovan. Few shows like Walking Dead, Last Ship, Better Call Saul, etc., I'll just buy the season in SD on Vudu. This is great, since I can then watch those commercial free. I keep an eye on UVgrab.com, and a few other sites, to buy ultraviolet movie codes for $5 on average, then watch those through Vudu also. 

If you need some news, you can setup plex to play foxnews clips nonstop. It's not "live", but it will catch you up on the news of the day. There is also plenty of content on youtube. I'm watching a VH1 GNR documentary right now off youtube.

I do understand the desire to have live TV, and just turn a station on. I'm in a good market for this, though. I have a great rooftop antenna, that pulls in about 50 stations from 2 different markets. So I literally get 2 broadcasts of every major and minor OTA network. If I didn't get so many stations, I might be more inclined to subscribe to sling or such. Perhaps check dtv.gov, and see how many stations you can receive, or if you can pull in multiple markets.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

al_wilson2 said:


> Best bet is to just cut the live TV streaming, unless you really need live sports. Most of what I watch is off the antenna. I have Netflix to supplement this. I justify my Amazon subscription, since I shop there a lot. I use bing points to purchase HULU basic, otherwise, I don't have much use for HULU. Since I do have Amazon, then I'll subscribe to Showtime thru Amazon for one or two months a year, just to watch Ray Donovan. Few shows like Walking Dead, Last Ship, Better Call Saul, etc., I'll just buy the season in SD on Vudu. This is great, since I can then watch those commercial free. I keep an eye on UVgrab.com, and a few other sites, to buy ultraviolet movie codes for $5 on average, then watch those through Vudu also.
> 
> If you need some news, you can setup plex to play foxnews clips nonstop. It's not "live", but it will catch you up on the news of the day. There is also plenty of content on youtube. I'm watching a VH1 GNR documentary right now off youtube.
> 
> I do understand the desire to have live TV, and just turn a station on. I'm in a good market for this, though. I have a great rooftop antenna, that pulls in about 50 stations from 2 different markets. So I literally get 2 broadcasts of every major and minor OTA network. If I didn't get so many stations, I might be more inclined to subscribe to sling or such. Perhaps check dtv.gov, and see how many stations you can receive, or if you can pull in multiple markets.


:clapping::clapping::clapping:EXCELLENT post, Al! :clapping::clapping::clapping:

You are ABSOLUTELY correct! And, to expound, if one checks their smart TVs they will find that MLB, NFL, and NBA are BUILT right in! They are live so all one needs to do is dig out the old VCR or whatever to record them.

After months of tedious review of all these streaming services, most of which I cancelled trials SAME DAY, I've determined they are, for many person's needs, utter nonsense and will rarely be utilized.

I might keep basic Hulu no commercials for $11.99 a month but these other services are, IMO, again after much hands on review, nonsense. I like to occasionally watch an old long running program that one can only get from Hulu or Vudu in binge portions but $20, $30, $40, and one has the gonads to be priced at $74.99 per month...H*LL NO!

My TiVo Roamio OTA rocks! It and my Obihau box and Google Voice were the BEST "financial planning" decisions I've made in a LONG time!

:up:


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

Karyn said:


> .


OK, but a beta is a beta. That won't apply to final version. Seems like you know that already.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

al_wilson2 said:


> If you need some news, you can setup plex to play *foxnews* clips nonstop. It's not "live", but it will catch you up on the news of the day.


WILL it though?

/political rant.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> OK, but a beta is a beta. That won't apply to final version. Seems like you know that already.


There's no content in the quote so I'm not sure if you're referring to the invitation to TiVo beta testing or the Hulu beta.

In the case of TiVo beta testing, I'm just too new a user to take them up on it as I wouldn't be able to give valuable feedback as to what could I really compare it to with only a few months of using TiVo so I declined.

If Hulu Live Beta for Roku...the clumsiness of the beta version makes it ridiculous to be paying so much for something so irritating so I'm just going to go back to Hulu Plus, no commercials. I can always revisit next year when new seasons of shows I enjoy are back. The beta for Roku version is such that I never even finished watching the two shows I wanted to.

Yes...I have a Firestick but it's on "Karyn beta test" in another room where I don't watch TV. I'm not a fan of the Firestick either. I prefer what the Roku offers now that their remote control issue has been remedied.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

Karyn said:


> There's no content in the quote so I'm not sure if you're referring to the invitation to TiVo beta testing or the Hulu beta.


"It's an issue, I've learned, with Hulu Live Beta for Roku.

Not with Beta. It just doesn't work correctly. They don't have the many gazillions of bugs worked out for Roku."

reading up on your situation, it seems like you don't need Hulu Live. Just get an antenna and use Hulu w/out commercials on demand.

I love my Fire TV.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

We just cut the cord this summer. When I first started thinking seriously about it I was convinced we needed live TV and some kind of DVR. I tested all the major services, but in the process I realized we virtually never watch anything live. I decided to try streaming only, figuring that if we missed live TV we could always add it later. No need. 

We went with an Apple TV, Hulu (streaming only, no commercials), Showtime and HBO. We also already had/have Netflix and Amazon Prime, so those are not added expenses. We kept FiOS and our two TiVos for a couple months just in case we decided we weren't happy with the new setup, but we never went back to them. Everything we watch was available via one of the streaming services, so we didn't even go back to finish up the content that was already recorded on them.

Our net savings is $98/month* over what we were paying for our FiOS package. When I called to cancel, it was considerably cheaper to keep their "lifeline" TV service than to keep internet only. So technically we're still getting FiOS TV, but we don't have any boxes/cablecards to view it with.

*For the first year, it will actually be an even bigger savings, because during our conversation VZ gave us HBO free for 1 year, so I don't need to buy it via Hulu.

Admittedly, all this would be very different if we were big sports fans. Hockey is the only sport we care about, and now that the season is here we'll see how that goes. We're going to try just listening to the games on SiriusXM. But even if we end up buying the NHL.tv package, financially speaking we will still be way ahead.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> "It's an issue, I've learned, with Hulu Live Beta for Roku.
> 
> Not with Beta. It just doesn't work correctly. They don't have the many gazillions of bugs worked out for Roku."
> 
> ...


I agree! I have a Mohu antenna and everything works great! I'm glad seasons for the shows I watch are over.

I'm just going to get Hulu Plus and be fine with that. There's SO many other things that are free. Pluto, Tubi TV, Vudu, the list is endless!

Thank you for everything!


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

Karyn said:


> :clapping::clapping::clapping:EXCELLENT post, Al! :clapping::clapping::clapping:
> 
> You are ABSOLUTELY correct! And, to expound, if one checks their smart TVs they will find that MLB, NFL, and NBA are BUILT right in! They are live so all one needs to do is dig out the old VCR or whatever to record them.
> 
> :up:


I don't think you're going to be able to record content that is streamed from an app on a smart TV to any external device.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

shwru980r said:


> I don't think you're going to be able to record content that is streamed from an app on a smart TV to any external device.


You can. Old DVRs DO record what's on TV. I can't speak for DVD or DVR recordings but VCR is another animal. I've done it. When I was changing from Dish to Comcast I recorded 24 VCR tapes worth of stuff. Whether or not things like sports might have an imbedded code that scrambles after a period of time I don't know but other things didn't.

Remember, I'm talking about TV apps...not Roku or anything else...just what shows up as a "channel" or "app" ON the TV...ONLY on the TV itself.


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## osu1991 (Mar 6, 2015)

Karyn said:


> You can. Old DVRs DO record what's on TV. I can't speak for DVD or DVR recordings but VCR is another animal. I've done it. When I was changing from Dish to Comcast I recorded 24 VCR tapes worth of stuff. Whether or not things like sports might have an imbedded code that scrambles after a period of time I don't know but other things didn't.
> 
> Remember, I'm talking about TV apps...not Roku or anything else...just what shows up as a "channel" or "app" ON the TV...ONLY on the TV itself.


You have to have aa audio/video output from the tv to the VCR. The apps are outputting to the screen only. You don't have a way to output the video and audio from the app to the external device.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

Karyn said:


> You can. Old DVRs DO record what's on TV. I can't speak for DVD or DVR recordings but VCR is another animal. I've done it. When I was changing from Dish to Comcast I recorded 24 VCR tapes worth of stuff. Whether or not things like sports might have an imbedded code that scrambles after a period of time I don't know but other things didn't.
> 
> Remember, I'm talking about TV apps...not Roku or anything else...just what shows up as a "channel" or "app" ON the TV...ONLY on the TV itself.


Right, but I think you used the analog output on the Satellite receiver to the analog input of the VCR. In this case, there is no set-top box. The streaming apps are integrated into the TV. Most TVs don't have any kind of video output.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

shwru980r said:


> Right, but I think you used the analog output on the Satellite receiver to the analog input of the VCR. In this case, there is no set-top box. The streaming apps are integrated into the TV. Most TVs don't have any kind of video output.


My Samsung smart TVs do BUT they ARE a few years old. There are all the connections one could imagine on them.

Things don't seem to come with adequate output & input anymore.

Laptops are another good example. One is lucky to have even one or two tangible.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

VCR's don't record HD, so...... probably not an option. Also it's 2017. Who has a VCR?


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> VCR's don't record HD, so...... probably not an option. Also it's 2017. Who has a VCR?


Wasn't so long ago people looked down upon vinyl too! Now look! Peeps will pay top $$$ for 33s and 45s. I'm still kicking myself for tossing my parent's old old old vinyl from God knows what years...1930's, maybe?

Me! I have THREE and they all run perfectly! I even have a TV DVR combo unit that still runs perfectly. On that one though, can only record that which are on OTA channels.

No HD recordings? That's strange. I have HD shows recorded. Maybe they are translated to SD. I don't know. Never even thought about it.

I know there's still a market for VCRs as I put one up for sale on a Friday night and delivered it at 11:00 next morning (LetGo) for $75. It was a 4Head Toshiba. I got many more inquiries after that and decided to hold on to what I have until after the move.

They aren't digital so bypass some of the digital headaches.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

There's not a market so much as *they don't make them anymore so if someone wants to transfer old home movies they need them"

Vinyl has merits. It sounds better to some people. VCRs in no way are better, at all. Magnetic tape deteriorates. Cassettes suck too.

Anyway......


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> There's not a market so much as *they don't make them anymore so if someone wants to transfer old home movies they need them"
> 
> Vinyl has merits. It sounds better to some people. VCRs in no way are better, at all. Magnetic tape deteriorates. Cassettes suck too.
> 
> Anyway......


Yep


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Dawghows said:


> We just cut the cord this summer. When I first started thinking seriously about it I was convinced we needed live TV and some kind of DVR. I tested all the major services, but in the process I realized we virtually never watch anything live. I decided to try streaming only, figuring that if we missed live TV we could always add it later. No need.
> 
> We went with an Apple TV, Hulu (streaming only, no commercials), Showtime and HBO. We also already had/have Netflix and Amazon Prime, so those are not added expenses. We kept FiOS and our two TiVos for a couple months just in case we decided we weren't happy with the new setup, but we never went back to them. Everything we watch was available via one of the streaming services, so we didn't even go back to finish up the content that was already recorded on them.
> 
> ...


I'm not much of a sports fan myself and I also find that commercial-free basic Hulu ($12) plus Netflix, Showtime and occasional HBO or Amazon Prime Video meets my needs (plus live locals OTA for local news, Sunday NFL, mindless channel surfing). Live streaming news from CBSN and free recent on-demand from the PBS app round out things, along with an occasional rented or free movie on VUDU. I do like being able to record some stuff here and there with my Roamio OTA but it wouldn't be *that* much of an adjustment to live without it as long as I keep Hulu.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

NashGuy said:


> Live streaming news from CBSN and free recent on-demand from the PBS app round out things....


I have both these apps installed as well, but I haven't used them much. Used CBSN to see some of the Hurricane Irma coverage. So far the Reuters app is my favorite news app. When you launch it, you can select a 10-, 15-, or (I believe) 30-minute current news update, or select individual stories one-by-one. There's also a live feed, which is often just video with no commentary at all, which I find oddly mesmerizing.


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## al_wilson2 (Sep 14, 2016)

b_scott said:


> WILL it though?
> 
> /political rant.


Actually, plex (or Fox) is not even needed. CNN/FOX/etc. have plenty of clips on their youtube channels that can play nonstop. Also, PBS youtube channel has entire news broadcasts uploaded. And yes, some of us FoxNews fans do watch other news.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

b_scott said:


> There's not a market so much as *they don't make them anymore so if someone wants to transfer old home movies they need them"
> 
> Vinyl has merits. It sounds better to some people. VCRs in no way are better, at all. Magnetic tape deteriorates. Cassettes suck too.
> 
> Anyway......


I can't argue that except to say my VCR tapes have not deteriorated. Perhaps it's because I keep humidity very low in my home. Don't know but the recorders and tapes are all perfect.

They could, yes, be transferred to DVDs. One of my recorders does just that but I've never used it.

I think I've bought a lot of devices in my lifetime that I'll never find use for.

Right now I've a VERY high end rack that I keep forgetting about. I need to sell the components. I've kept them stored and free from humidity if anyone wants to inquire.

But on original post...yes, VCRs are STILL high demand.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

signed up with PS Vue yesterday. Got a firestick for the second TV. Tiny footprints and can play all the apps and all my media (Plex, Kodi). Can't beat it. Officially a convert from Tivo. No fault of their own really - just time to move on from the dinosaur of classic cable TV + physical DVR.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

b_scott said:


> ...just time to move on from the dinosaur of classic cable TV + physical DVR.


I felt like this too, but after using streaming apps for a bit I find that their limitations are very annoying when compared to the ease of use of the TiVo.

There are three that stick out to me and the wife:

Not being able to skip commercials or FF when you are back in time to catch up
Not being able to FF and 2x, 4x, 8x etc while watching the screen. All of the apps only seem to have skip fwd and back x seconds. Sometimes when watching a show we like to rewind back to find something and using only the +/- 30 sec skip is a pain.
Still limited in channels available compared to cable.
I'd love to move on from the dinaosaur but these features are too strong for me to give up.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

My guess is when it comes to video most people have pretty much the same desires:

System's costs are acceptable.
System is easy to use
System provides an easy way to find content

System provides the ability to watch what ever I want
System provides the ability to watch anything when ever I want
System provides the ability to watch anything on any screen I want
System has an acceptable level and type of commercial interruption (which for many is zero commercials). 
No such system exists and never will - so what we are really talking about is what compromises each person is willing to accept. We have more options now than ever, so what works best for me will be different than what works best for the next guy and very likely will change over time for all of us.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

Local NHL hockey coverage is the only thing keeping my current setup from meeting all 7 of those criteria.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

ah30k said:


> I felt like this too, but after using streaming apps for a bit I find that their limitations are very annoying when compared to the ease of use of the TiVo.
> 
> There are three that stick out to me and the wife:
> 
> ...


I tried almost every streaming service out there except Sling and found that the channels offered were sorely lacking in program content and more times than not if programs I do like were carried only old episodes or if current season, were spotty in what episodes available to view.

I decided to just purchase the current season of each of the programs I enjoy. It worked out FAR less expensive, has NO commercials, I can view ANYTIME I want, AND even pick the provider of the season (some are better than others and some can be accessed directly from my TiVo without having to go outside to the Roku or Fire).

I'm not even so sure I need Hulu no commercials at $11.99 a month. I never actually use it. It just exists.

Now that the programs I enjoy so much are in active season on NBC, CBS, ABC, and WGN I use my TiVo with that AWESOME skip feature to record them and I'm thrilled to have a ton of shows to watch without paying one cent to do so.

It was a little frustrating to try all the stream services to be met with disappointment at every last one BUT after a "pencil sell" to myself I found just picking what I want in TRUE "ala carte" form is FAR better than "streaming" and definitely blows the dinosaurs old bones to dilusty calcification!


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

atmuscarella said:


> My guess is when it comes to video most people have pretty much the same desires:
> 
> System's costs are acceptable.
> System is easy to use
> ...


It's taken me MONTHS to do but I finally have all 7 of those met at this time. I've not yet utilized #6 but figured out how to if I actually WANT to watch on any screen but I don't.

I think it's a bit confusing and frustrating (understatements) when starting out but looking back at all the money I'm saving I consider those many hours I put into "customization" as having paid myself instead of the dinosaur and I'll be earning "interest" on my "sweat equity" in time spent.

Everything is now BETTER than the dinosaurs could EVER offer and the picture quality blows ALL dinosaurs to dust. Comcast had the very worst picture quality of all.

I'm so happy I bought that TiVo!


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Comcast rolling out IPTV based version of Limited Basic TV


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

ah30k said:


> I felt like this too, but after using streaming apps for a bit I find that their limitations are very annoying when compared to the ease of use of the TiVo.
> 
> There are three that stick out to me and the wife:
> 
> ...


Based on Playstation Vue:

#1 - You can. You can just go to the show, press down, and then choose Start at Beginning. Then just FF as needed, to live.
#2 - Vue, at least on Amazon Fire TV, allows 10 second increments or you can just do 2x, 4x, 8x, etc while seeing the screen. Jumps the same as Tivo does, which is not "smooth"
#3 - Not that limited. Even Core PS Vue has every single channel I watch except Viacom stuff (A&E, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central). That's a licensing thing because Viacom are being little B's about selling anything to streaming only companies. So I get those elsewhere.



slowbiscuit said:


> Comcast rolling out IPTV based version of Limited Basic TV


Only to those with Comcast internet, in house, and you have to pay $18 first, then add on packages (which end up totaling the same or more than paying for regular cable with the same channels)


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

ah30k said:


> Not being able to skip commercials or FF when you are back in time to catch up
> Not being able to FF and 2x, 4x, 8x etc while watching the screen. All of the apps only seem to have skip fwd and back x seconds. Sometimes when watching a show we like to rewind back to find something and using only the +/- 30 sec skip is a pain.
> Still limited in channels available compared to cable.
> I'd love to move on from the dinaosaur but these features are too strong for me to give up.


I've had both Vue and Sling TV. I liked Vue's DVR but I find Sling's better actually.

So based on Sling TV (you got a Vue post above).
1) I'll be honest I've never tried to watch something that's still on Live. Guess I just don't watch that much TV. I'm pretty sure you can start watching from the beginning and "catch up".
2) Not sure what you mean here. FFW is really nice on Sling, actually better then Netflix or Amazon to be honest. The show continues to play in the background and you get a preview box down near the timeline on the bottom. I usually go to 4X and maybe 4-5 "ticks" and I see the frame of the show and I hit play and it's near instant starts at that spot and it's near perfect most of the time where it starts right up on the program.
3) Really depends on what you watch. Sling, Vue and DirecTVNow already have pretty much all the most popular channels. You'd have to really be in to some obscure stuff to not find it on a streaming service these days.

But it's not for everyone. I cut the cord 7 years ago. The amount of money I've saved over that time...


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

Dawghows said:


> Local NHL hockey coverage is the only thing keeping my current setup from meeting all 7 of those criteria.


Which channel? Sling and Vue have all the Fox Sports Nets and NBC/Comcast Sports channels. I can watch every Red Wings game if I wanted to for example. Obviously not all the RSNs are streaming but the vast majority of them are.


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## stormtech (Mar 18, 2008)

I have been 100% streaming for a year now. Went from analog cable with a Premier 2 tuner unit.

I will note here that I have a terrible aversion to commercials on TV - any and all advertising for that matter.....

I now have Hulu commercial free ($12), Netflix HD ($11), and CBS All Access commercial free ($10). I am in TV viewing bliss. I have a Roku 3 which I love.

I have had Sling Blue for a few months now. I did do their great 4 month free trial last winter but that was before they have DVR. The DVR works just as bonscott87 says above. The only difference is that they do not allow fast forwarding with the FX network.

I never dropped my analog cable ($10) and just found out I get all those channels (25+ including all the major networks) in digital via clear qam. So I dropped Sling.

Because of the upgrade offer to a Bolt and transferring my lifetime service I called my cable company to inquire about the cost of digital TV with a cable card. $70 per month. Comparing that to $33 I now spend on my streaming channels plus the outlay of $300 for the Bolt upgrade makes in a no brainer for me to stay with what I have. Plus add the fact that I have seemless viewing of shows - no buttons to push to skip commercials.

I looked at this very hard - I was hoping the Tivo solution would be closer in cost - but it just isn’t for me.

Also to add - Roku gives me the option of over 4500 channels or apps. Granted a lot of them are junk or just silly, but ones like the Smitsonian channel are just great.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

bonscott87 said:


> Which channel? Sling and Vue have all the Fox Sports Nets and NBC/Comcast Sports channels. I can watch every Red Wings game if I wanted to for example. Obviously not all the RSNs are streaming but the vast majority of them are.


 My team is the NJ Devils, whose games are all shown on the MSG channels. MSG is owned by Cablevision, or perhaps it's vice versa. But either way, they don't provide access to any of the steaming services. They don't even allow AirPlay from their mobile app. I know there are people out there who buy the NHL all-access package, and then do some VPN voodoo to get around the blackout restrictions, but I'm not wild about the idea of breaking the law. Also, that's a pretty expensive package to buy if it turns out I can't make it work. I might just learn to live with the play-by-play on SiriusXM radio.


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

Dawghows said:


> My team is the NJ Devils, whose games are all shown on the MSG channels. MSG is owned by Cablevision, or perhaps it's vice versa. But either way, they don't provide access to any of the steaming services. They don't even allow AirPlay from their mobile app. I know there are people out there who buy the NHL all-access package, and then do some VPN voodoo to get around the blackout restrictions, but I'm not wild about the idea of breaking the law. Also, that's a pretty expensive package to buy if it turns out I can't make it work. I might just learn to live with the play-by-play on SiriusXM radio.


You'll be happy to know that MSG is now available streaming on Fubo TV, just announced it 2 days ago. 

fuboTV to Launch MSG Networks


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

Dawghows said:


> My team is the NJ Devils, whose games are all shown on the MSG channels. MSG is owned by Cablevision, or perhaps it's vice versa. But either way, they don't provide access to any of the steaming services. They don't even allow AirPlay from their mobile app. I know there are people out there who buy the NHL all-access package, and then do some VPN voodoo to get around the blackout restrictions, but I'm not wild about the idea of breaking the law. Also, that's a pretty expensive package to buy if it turns out I can't make it work. I might just learn to live with the play-by-play on SiriusXM radio.


uh, not certain that there is a law about viewing blacked out sports games. Also, sounds like your local channel is an A hole.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

bonscott87 said:


> You'll be happy to know that MSG is now available streaming on Fubo TV, just announced it 2 days ago.
> 
> fuboTV to Launch MSG Networks


Well, hopefully this bodes well for the future, but at those rates ($19.99 for the first two months, $44.99 after that) I may as well have kept my cable subscription.



b_scott said:


> uh, not certain that there is a law about viewing blacked out sports games. Also, sounds like your local channel is an A hole.


I'm no lawyer, and I don't claim to know what the penalties might be, but this is from the NHL.TV terms of service agreement:

IF YOU CIRCUMVENT OR ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT ANY BLACKOUT RESTRICTION OR OTHER USE RESTRICTION: YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE TERMINATION AND A CHARGE OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) FOR EARLY TERMINATION WILL BE APPLIED TO YOUR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD; YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL ACTION; AND THE NHL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REPORT SUCH MISCONDUCT TO APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

slowbiscuit said:


> Comcast rolling out IPTV based version of Limited Basic TV


This is the new Xfinity Instant TV service that I've posted a lot about in another thread here about Comcast's long-term conversion from QAM to IPTV. This service is noteworthy from a tech/business standpoint in that it represents the first time that you can subscribe to Comcast TV as a purely IP-based service, with no QAM involved.

But from a consumer standpoint, it's a little underwhelming. The cost is $18 and that gets you all your locals, in HD where available, along with their associated on-demand content, plus 20 hours of cloud DVR. The $18 already includes Comcast's hated "broadcast TV fee". Right now, you're required to rent Comcast's internet gateway (modem/wifi router) -- I'm pretty sure that's because their router can take multicast IP streams and change them to unicast streams accessible by any streaming device -- but that's a $10 rental fee. Of course, if you're already renting it anyway, no big deal.

Unfortunately, though, the service does NOT include HBO or Showtime as it had done in the previous two years when it was being beta tested in a couple markets (Chicago and Boston, I think). Given that HBO Now alone costs $15, the service would have been a great value if it continued to include HBO. But without it, it's just an OK deal. In comparison, here in Nashville, the price for "limited basic" traditional cable TV service -- the same bundle of channels offered in the Xfinity Instant TV base package -- has been a bit over $18 for a few years now. And that comes with only SD channels. If you want to add HD versions of local channels, that's another $10. If you want to add HD DVR service, I think it's something like $18.

I'm sure it'll gain some traction, especially if they bundle it with internet service at a low 12-month price for new subs. A lot of folks would be better served by spending that $18 on ad-free Hulu ($12) plus CBS All Access ($6).


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## CaliOrchid (Oct 2, 2017)

Nachtrafe said:


> So, I've finally reached the point where the cost of my cable subscription has become overshadowed by the ridiculous charges, confusing packages, and general craptastic-ness of all things cable. I've been doing some research and I _think_ I've finally figured out what I want to do and what equipment I want to do it with, but I'm having trouble getting the last few little ducks to line up. I've been doing some searching on the forums here, as well as many, many other places, and was able to get most of my questions answered, but I'd like to be 100% sure I have the info I need before I pull the trigger.
> 
> So...here's the sitch: I currently have an Amazon Prime subscription, as well as Netflix. To get most of the other stations I regularly watch (and cant get with an HD antenna), I'm also considering a Hulu Live subscription (mainly for Disney and various sports channels), as well as HBO Now (got to get my GoT fix). Hardware wise, I'm getting an HD antenna so I can get my local stations (the Big Four and PBS are most important to me, and all are available with a decent antenna).
> 
> ...


I have the Same questions: We cut the Cable cord, got an HD antenna, I want to get a TiVo Roamio OTA because I love the Tivo Format. I also have a Amazon prime account so lots of good content there, my question is where can I get CNN or MSMBC or Fox? Plus could I use my future TiVo and tape content from those channels? The only additional channel we will miss is Showtime, Ok maybe AMC too.... Any ideas on how I can get News as well as Showtime, etc and use Tivo DVR with it? Thanks everyone really appreciate info.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

CaliOrchid said:


> I have the Same questions: We cut the Cable cord, got an HD antenna, I want to get a TiVo Roamio OTA because I love the Tivo Format. I also have a Amazon prime account so lots of good content there, my question is where can I get CNN or MSMBC or Fox? Plus could I use my future TiVo and tape content from those channels? The only additional channel we will miss is Showtime, Ok maybe AMC too.... Any ideas on how I can get News as well as Showtime, etc and use Tivo DVR with it? Thanks everyone really appreciate info.


1. If you want basic cable channels like CNN, MSNBC, Fox, AMC, ESPN, etc. you will need to subscribe to some kind of pay TV service that bundles live channels together. Whether that's cable or satellite or one of the new live streaming services, which include DirecTV Now, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, PS Vue, etc. Unfortunately, none of those streaming services have apps available on a TiVo box, so you'd need to use a separate streaming device like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, etc. Visit this website and choose which channels are your "must haves" and it will show you your options and the prices: Suppose... you could design your perfect TV service

2. Fortunately, the TiVo Roamio OTA does have an Amazon Video app, so you can enjoy Prime Video content there. You can also add Showtime (and HBO and Starz and Cinemax) to your Amazon Prime subscription and watch those services in the Amazon Video app. You cannot use the TiVo to record video from any streaming app though. Other streaming apps on the Roamio OTA include Netflix, Hulu (this version of their app also supports Showtime as an add-on subscription, but does not support Hulu with Live TV), VUDU and YouTube.

3. If you have a streaming device like Roku, etc., there are various free apps that offer live and recorded news, such as CBSN for national news and NewsOn for local news.

4. I should also add that there are a bunch of ways to subscribe to Showtime on any other streaming box besides TiVo. You can get it as a standalone service via the Showtime app and you can also add it to various live-streaming services, including Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV and PS Vue.


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## CaliOrchid (Oct 2, 2017)

Thank you the Suppose... you could design your perfect TV service is a great tool. We are looking at Sling Blue- but then couldn't use a Tivo....We have an older non-smart TV, so the challenges continue.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thank you the Suppose... you could design your perfect TV service is a great tool. We are looking at Sling Blue- but then couldn't use a Tivo....We have an older non-smart TV, so the challenges continue.


Yeah, there's no perfect solution right now for cord-cutters who want to combine streaming and OTA. The AirBox from Sling TV is cool because it integrates your local OTA channels into the Sling TV app but it doesn't allow you to record them, at least not yet.

Or you could buy an Nvidia Shield Android TV and a compatible OTA tuner. That one box would let you use most streaming services (including Sling TV) and also watch live and DVR OTA TV. How to Watch Live TV with NVIDIA SHIELD | SHIELD Blog

But it may be easier to just use a TiVo for OTA and another box for streaming.

For $35, DirecTV Now and YouTube TV offer the cable channels you care about, plus locals (although maybe not all the locals where you live yet). DirecTV Now is adding DVR service by year end and YouTube TV is supposed to be coming to more TV streaming devices besides Chromecast by year end. The options are improving but it's taking time...


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

I know everyone has different needs and preferences, but if you find the right streaming services for the channels you want, you may find that you don't need a DVR as much as you think. When we decided to cut the cord I was adamant about finding a cloud DVR that I liked, and I tried all the free trials to compare and contrast. But I found that because we are, in fact, streaming everything now, I don't need to record anything. It's all just sitting there on the various services' servers, waiting for me to watch. We have no live TV and no DVR, and have not missed a beat (other than NHL hockey, as discussed in previous posts).


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## CaliOrchid (Oct 2, 2017)

Thank you both, the no DVR is interesting its just the live news I feel we will miss, as well as the quick RR and fast forwarding commercials. Without a 'smart tv' can i try the free trials? (ours is a very old DELL hdmi, very expensive at the time & we arn't ready to buy new) I Really Appreciate all the ideas here!


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thank you both, the no DVR is interesting its just the live news I feel we will miss, as well as the quick RR and fast forwarding commercials. Without a 'smart tv' can i try the free trials? (ours is a very old DELL hdmi, very expensive at the time & we arn't ready to buy new) I Really Appreciate all the ideas here!


We don't have a smart TV; w're using an AppleTV as our streaming device. I'll admit I would have liked to have had live access to CNN during the breaking news of the Las Vegas shootings, but the Reuters app (via the AppleTV) gave us all the coverage we really needed.

As far as trick-play and skipping commercials, our setup is the no-commercials level of Hulu, Showtime (cheaper through Hulu), HBO, Netflix, and Amazon. None of these has commercials, and all of them allow FF, RW, and Pause.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thank you both, the no DVR is interesting its just the live news I feel we will miss, as well as the quick RR and fast forwarding commercials. Without a 'smart tv' can i try the free trials? (ours is a very old DELL hdmi, very expensive at the time & we arn't ready to buy new) I Really Appreciate all the ideas here!


Just about all the pay streaming services provide free trials (anywhere from 7 to 30 days) for any streaming device. Doesn't matter that you don't have a smart TV. Just get a streaming device, like the ones listed below, and attach it to an HDMI port on your TV. The Apple TV and the Nvidia Shield Android TV are both very nice boxes but relatively expensive. Given that you have a regular HD (not 4K UHD) TV, I'd suggest one of the following if you're looking for the best "bang for your buck".

Roku Express (make sure it's the more powerful, just-introduced 2017 model) - $30
Roku Streaming Stick (make sure it's the new 2017 model that has the advanced remote with voice search and TV power/volume control) - $50
Amazon Fire TV Stick (make sure it's the new 2017 model with the Alexa voice remote) - $40

Rewind and fast forward functions on streaming services aren't quite as responsive as on a TiVo with DVR recordings but they're generally good if you're using a modern streaming device like the ones listed above. Some services have restrictions about FF through ads in the recordings on your cloud DVR. (For instance, Hulu with Live TV makes you pay an extra $15 to be able to do that, but they also give you a lot of extra recording space too.) PS Vue is nice because you can always FF through ads in your recordings (I believe). Sling TV offers cloud DVR for an extra $5/month but it only works on some channels. DirecTV Now has yet to roll out their cloud DVR feature, so we don't know exactly how it will work yet.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Dawghows said:


> I know everyone has different needs and preferences, but if you find the right streaming services for the channels you want, you may find that you don't need a DVR as much as you think. When we decided to cut the cord I was adamant about finding a cloud DVR that I liked, and I tried all the free trials to compare and contrast. But I found that because we are, in fact, streaming everything now, I don't need to record anything. It's all just sitting there on the various services' servers, waiting for me to watch. We have no live TV and no DVR, and have not missed a beat (other than NHL hockey, as discussed in previous posts).


If you don't care about sports, maybe. And even then not all current season stuff is immediately available without extra cost and/or unskippable ads.

No thanks, ad-skipping is EXACTLY what DVRs are for.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

slowbiscuit said:


> If you don't care about sports, maybe. And even then not all current season stuff is immediately available without extra cost and/or unskippable ads.


Hence the part where I said "I know everyone has different needs and preferences, but...."



slowbiscuit said:


> No thanks, ad-skipping is EXACTLY what DVRs are for.


As I said in my subsequent post, I don't have to skip commercials because none of the services I'm using have commercials in the first place.


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thank you both, the no DVR is interesting its just the live news I feel we will miss, as well as the quick RR and fast forwarding commercials. Without a 'smart tv' can i try the free trials? (ours is a very old DELL hdmi, very expensive at the time & we arn't ready to buy new) I Really Appreciate all the ideas here!


Not sure why you think you need a "smart TV". I think having one is actually worse. Get a Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV or other streaming box that does it all. I personally prefer Roku since there are so many free apps out there. My TV is before there was a smart TV. All you need is the streaming box connected via HDMI and you're good. Many of the free trials will also give you free box if you sign up. For example if you pay for 2 months of Sling they will give you a free Roku Express or $50 off one of the more premium boxes. So far in the past 18 months I've gotten 3 free Roku's from these various services for trying them out.

I have a Tivo for OTA but I've deactivated it because I just don't need a DVR anymore. I can DVR pretty much any "cable" channel with Sling TV. What about locals you say? Plex Channels. I can stream any of the network shows (CBS, CW, NBC, etc.) and it strips out the commercials. It will stream whatever has been posted on the network websites so basically it acts as your web browser. Just run Plex server on your PC and then you can use Plex app on pretty much anything (even Tivo!)

But yea, don't need an actual physical DVR. I use Roku for *everything* and I'll tune to OTA for a live football game or two.

News...there are tons of live news all over streaming. Any of the main streaming services have several news channels (Sling TV has a "news" add-on for $5, but I get CNN with my main Blue package I believe). Vue has a bunch of news. LOTS of free live news streaming on Pluto.TV which is all free. And lots of free news stand alone apps like NewsOn and so forth. If someone says there is no news streaming they aren't looking very hard.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

slowbiscuit said:


> No thanks, ad-skipping is EXACTLY what DVRs are for.


I think more people are primarily concerned with time-shifting (i.e. being able to watch what they want when they want) than they are with ad-avoidance. However, a lot of people will find it worth paying more to being able to avoid ads, which is what Hulu does. Back in Feb., their CEO noted that the "vast majority" of their subscribers choose the $8 plan with ads instead of the $12 plan without them. I have the $12 plan and am happy with it.

Hulu CEO: Ad-Free Plan Hasn't Hurt Our Ad Business


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

slowbiscuit said:


> If you don't care about sports, maybe. And even then not all current season stuff is immediately available without extra cost and/or unskippable ads.
> 
> No thanks, ad-skipping is EXACTLY what DVRs are for.


actually DVRs were created as digital VCRs, so you could get rid of tapes and record more than one show at once.


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## allan (Oct 14, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> I think more people are primarily concerned with time-shifting (i.e. being able to watch what they want when they want) than they are with ad-avoidance. However, a lot of people will find it worth paying more to being able to avoid ads, which is what Hulu does. Back in Feb., their CEO noted that the "vast majority" of their subscribers choose the $8 plan with ads instead of the $12 plan without them. I have the $12 plan and am happy with it.
> 
> Hulu CEO: Ad-Free Plan Hasn't Hurt Our Ad Business


My original purpose was time-shifting, but my ad-tolerance was gone down in the last 15 years. I wouldn't even consider getting Hulu's $8 plan. The extra $ is well worth it.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

CaliOrchid said:


> I have the Same questions: We cut the Cable cord, got an HD antenna, I want to get a TiVo Roamio OTA because I love the Tivo Format. I also have a Amazon prime account so lots of good content there, my question is where can I get CNN or MSMBC or Fox? Plus could I use my future TiVo and tape content from those channels? The only additional channel we will miss is Showtime, Ok maybe AMC too.... Any ideas on how I can get News as well as Showtime, etc and use Tivo DVR with it? Thanks everyone really appreciate info.


Youtube live streams almost always have all of the news services up. Technical they are bootleg streams but they never seam to get shut down like sports streams so I assume that cnn,fox etc aren't to concerned about them. I watch Fox news almost every night via Youtube for free.


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## Saturn_V (Jun 2, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> Not sure why you think you need a "smart TV". I think having one is actually worse. Get a Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV or other streaming box that does it all. I personally prefer Roku since there are so many free apps out there. My TV is before there was a smart TV. All you need is the streaming box connected via HDMI and you're good


Some people loathe changing inputs on their TVs. (or hate multiple remotes, or don't have learning remotes or AVRs to keep things manageable)

I don't trust any Smart TV manufacturer to keep their software up to date- so it's set top boxes for me. I Rokus over five years old that still work and are still supported, and I have BluRay players that don't talk to Netflix anymore.


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## allan (Oct 14, 2002)

Saturn_V said:


> Some people loathe changing inputs on their TVs. (or hate multiple remotes, or don't have learning remotes or AVRs to keep things manageable)
> 
> I don't trust any Smart TV manufacturer to keep their software up to date- so it's set top boxes for me. I Rokus over five years old that still work and are still supported, and I have BluRay players that don't talk to Netflix anymore.


Yeah, I grumble about having 3 remotes. For some reason, my Time-Spectrum remote doesn't switch inputs, so I have that for regular TV, my Roku remote for Netflix/Hulu, and my old remote that came with the TV to switch between them.


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

allan said:


> Yeah, I grumble about having 3 remotes. For some reason, my Time-Spectrum remote doesn't switch inputs, so I have that for regular TV, my Roku remote for Netflix/Hulu, and my old remote that came with the TV to switch between them.


Just get a Side Click.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

I find the function that get's used the most is volume, so i just map it on multiple remotes. Grab anything and boom you got it.


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## bonscott87 (Oct 3, 2000)

allan said:


> Yeah, I grumble about having 3 remotes. For some reason, my Time-Spectrum remote doesn't switch inputs, so I have that for regular TV, my Roku remote for Netflix/Hulu, and my old remote that came with the TV to switch between them.


$15 universal remote can do this for you. I got this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RNCK60/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Looks like just $10 now.

One button power macro turns on my TV and AVR (as well as off).
Volume for the AVR.
No need to change TV input since the AVR switches devices (but you could use this to change TV input easily).
I actually mapped my AVR "up/down" crazy input selection to the Channel up/down buttons.
I could have this for Roku as well but I just use the Roku remote as I like it.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

bonscott87 said:


> $15 universal remote can do this for you. I got this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RNCK60/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> Looks like just $10 now.
> 
> One button power macro turns on my TV and AVR (as well as off).
> ...


Thanks for the recommendation (and for the great price!).


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

https://www.amazon.com/Sideclick-Un...UTF8&qid=1507172743&sr=8-1&keywords=sideclick

Learning remote that snaps on the Roku remote.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

b_scott said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Sideclick-Un...UTF8&qid=1507172743&sr=8-1&keywords=sideclick
> 
> Learning remote that snaps on the Roku remote.


As much as I like the TiVo peanut remotes, I wish that there was a _TiVo_ Sideclick remote attachment, having user-programmable options. And also, _that TiVo itself had included 4-6 or so user programmable buttons on the Slide Pro remote_--there is virtually no reason not to do so (and yes, there is real estate for it).


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

bonscott87 said:


> $15 universal remote can do this for you. I got this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RNCK60/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> Looks like just $10 now.


Thanks for this. I'm down to 3 remotes --one of which I only rarely need-- after paring down my system. My TV remote is supposed to function as a universal, but I could never get it to learn my A/V receiver -- which has made me leery of investing in a third party universal. But at this price, who cares? Hopefully at the very worst I'll be able to get down to two.



bonscott87 said:


> You'll be happy to know that MSG is now available streaming on Fubo TV, just announced it 2 days ago.
> 
> fuboTV to Launch MSG Networks


And thanks for this, too. Despite my initial reaction, this turns out to be my best hockey option overall. After crunching the numbers I see that, spread out over the season, fuboTV does cost a few dollars more per month compared to the cost of the NHL.TV package in conjunction with a smartDNS service. But more importantly a) it doesn't require monkeying around with the AppleTV settings and b) it's completely legal/legit. And it includes a handful of other channels I might watch in the meantime. All good.


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## radtechy (Aug 16, 2008)

Dawghows said:


> Thanks for this. I'm down to 3 remotes --one of which I only rarely need-- after paring down my system. My TV remote is supposed to function as a universal, but I could never get it to learn my A/V receiver -- which has made me leery of investing in a third party universal. But at this price, who cares? Hopefully at the very worst I'll be able to get down to two.
> 
> And thanks for this, too. Despite my initial reaction, this turns out to be my best hockey option overall. After crunching the numbers I see that, spread out over the season, fuboTV does cost a few dollars more per month compared to the cost of the NHL.TV package in conjunction with a smartDNS service. But more importantly a) it doesn't require monkeying around with the AppleTV settings and b) it's completely legal/legit. And it includes a handful of other channels I might watch in the meantime. All good.


Get the harmony hub remote. The new one even does lighting


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## CaliOrchid (Oct 2, 2017)

OK so here it is more than a month later and we still are nowhere closer to figuring this all out except to say that I think a DVR w/ FF & skip mode is one thing we do want. I have been looking at Tivo Romiao OTA w streaming on Ebay with lifetime ( which i am confused about because I read somewhere that a subscription is no longer necessary) - though does that mean we won't have RR & Skip modes? i also hear there is a new TiVo in the works...its all so confusing!


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

CaliOrchid said:


> OK so here it is more than a month later and we still are nowhere closer to figuring this all out except to say that I think a DVR w/ FF & skip mode is one thing we do want. I have been looking at Tivo Romiao OTA w streaming on Ebay with lifetime ( which i am confused about because I read somewhere that a subscription is no longer necessary) - though does that mean we won't have RR & Skip modes? i also hear there is a new TiVo in the works...its all so confusing!


EVERYTHING is on the OTA and more ... MUCH more than you'll ever see on cable or satellite subscription TV.

You just have to play with it a bit and fine tune it.

Total cost including tax and shipping should not exceed $399.

I'd add a 3Tb drive later. The 1tb is fine to start out.


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

CaliOrchid said:


> OK so here it is more than a month later and we still are nowhere closer to figuring this all out except to say that I think a DVR w/ FF & skip mode is one thing we do want. I have been looking at Tivo Romiao OTA w streaming on Ebay with lifetime ( which i am confused about because I read somewhere that a subscription is no longer necessary) - though does that mean we won't have RR & Skip modes? i also hear there is a new TiVo in the works...its all so confusing!


There's nothing particularly confusing about it...

Don't buy anything from eBay. That makes no sense. Buy from Tivo.com or Bestbuy or Amazon, or some other legitimate store.

The "new TiVo" is already out-the TiVo Bolt Vox, which is the same hardware as the Bolt, just with the new voice remote.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-r...-video-recorder-black/5114600.p?skuId=5114600

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-bolt-vox-1tb-dvr-streaming-player-black/6115412.p?skuId=6115412

Basically the Bolt includes a hardware transcoder so you can stream and/or download recordings directly from the TiVo to like an iPad/iPhone, etc. Without that, you can still manually transcode stuff on a PC for a mobile device. That + a cablecard slot are basically the two reasons to go with a Bolt over the Romio OTA. If you don't need those, or can live without them, the Romio OTA is a lot cheaper as it includes service.


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## CaliOrchid (Oct 2, 2017)

Thanks @Karyn & @Puppy76 - Maybe this is a silly question ( really hope there are no silly questions!) but what if we just got a Roku devise for now and streamed with our amazon prime account? I see we would get 2 weeks of SlingTV for free, so we could just see how it goes? - should we get the 'stick' as well as the remote?


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thanks @Karyn & @Puppy76 - Maybe this is a silly question ( really hope there are no silly questions!) but what if we just got a Roku devise for now and streamed with our amazon prime account? I see we would get 2 weeks of SlingTV for free, so we could just see how it goes? - should we get the 'stick' as well as the remote?


Rokus are great. They're simple, cheap and let you stream through a lot of different apps. But, just so you understand, they cannot receive or record your local over-the-air channels with an antenna. To do that, you'd need something like the TiVo Roamio OTA (on sale for $360 now at Amazon, no additional fees ever required). It always allows you to FF and rewind, even though commercials. Most primetime shows offer the SkipMode feature on TiVo, allowing you to skip over the entire commercial break with a single button press when watching the recording. You can record/watch up to four different local channels at the same time.

But you may want to try out just streaming services and not bother with a TiVo, and see how that goes. If you have a regular HD TV (not a 4K TV), I'd suggest the Roku Streaming Stick (new 2017 model), which now includes buttons to control your TV power and volume, plus voice input for doing searches. It's $50 but will probably be on sale for Black Friday soon. If you want a cheaper model, there's the Roku Express (new 2017 model), which works about the same as the stick but with a cheaper remote (no TV controls, no voice input). It's regularly $30.

Any new Roku purchased right now comes with a free month of DirecTV Now, which is a streaming cable TV service. You get their most expensive $70 package free for a month. (Be sure to cancel before the month is up to avoid paying for the next month.) Their cheapest package is $35/month. To see which, if any, of your local channels they offer, enter your zip code here: att_cms_local_channels

There are lots of other streaming cable TV services you can try out on Roku too, most of them with a one-week free trial. These include Sling TV (starting at $20/mo), PS Vue (starting at $40/mo), and Hulu with Live TV (starting at $40/mo).

Roku also offers apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube, HBO, Showtime, Starz, CBS All Access, and tons more, all of which can be subscribed to directly, without going through a cable/satellite TV provider. Of course, keep in mind that to use any apps/services on a Roku, you do need home internet service. The Roku will connect to your internet through wi-fi.


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

They cost more too, but I also can't replace TV with those streaming cable services because they either don't have DVRs at all, or the DVRs they have are terrible. They don't have local channels/the big 6 networks most places either, so they're not a replacement for me for much of anything.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

Karyn said:


> EVERYTHING is on the OTA and more ... MUCH more than you'll ever see on cable or satellite subscription TV.
> 
> You just have to play with it a bit and fine tune it.


I must be reading this wrong because on the face of it, it seems like you are making the outlandish comment that all content is available OTA.

That is so demonstrably false the you couldn't have meant your comment that way.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Puppy76 said:


> They cost more too, but I also can't replace TV with those streaming cable services because they either don't have DVRs at all, or the DVRs they have are terrible. They don't have local channels/the big 6 networks most places either, so they're not a replacement for me for much of anything.


Fair enough. I don't use any of those streaming cable services either.

If I were suggesting to someone the cheapest way to get by, I'd say just watch local OTA TV live with an antenna (and no DVR), and then supplement that with one or two streaming on-demand services like Hulu, Netflix, and/or Amazon Prime, using an inexpensive Roku.

For a lot of folks, Hulu ($8/mo with ads or $12/mo without ads) sort of takes the place of an OTA DVR, since it lets you watch at least the last five episodes of every current series from ABC, Fox and NBC. Episodes are available the next-day after they air on live TV. And some series have all episodes back to the first season available. (Hulu also offers lots of other stuff too, like their own original series, uncut Hollywood movies, past seasons of cable series, etc.) However, Hulu doesn't offer current episodes of shows from CBS, The CW or PBS. But you can watch current stuff from The CW and PBS on their own apps for free. If you need access to CBS shows on-demand, you could subscribe to CBS All Access ($6/mo with ads).

It's not the same thing as having a TiVo Roamio OTA, but then it also doesn't require as much of an upfront expense as buying a TiVo.


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

NashGuy said:


> Fair enough. I don't use any of those streaming cable services either.
> 
> If I were suggesting to someone the cheapest way to get by, I'd say just watch local OTA TV live with an antenna (and no DVR), and then supplement that with one or two streaming on-demand services like Hulu, Netflix, and/or Amazon Prime, using an inexpensive Roku.
> 
> ...


Yeah, but Hulu is missing literally half of the big 6 networks...you can kind of subscribe to two others as well (for yet more money) but it's cheaper and way less of a hassle to just buy a Romeo OTA if the goal is saving money. Supplement that with Netflix disc or the various streaming services as needed.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Puppy76 said:


> Yeah, but Hulu is missing literally half of the big 6 networks...you can kind of subscribe to two others as well (for yet more money) but it's cheaper and way less of a hassle to just buy a Romeo OTA if the goal is saving money. Supplement that with Netflix disc or the various streaming services as needed.


Eh, I'd say Hulu has 3 of the "big 4" (it has ABC, NBC, and Fox but not CBS) but neither of the "smaller 2" (The CW and PBS). But, as I say above, you can watch all recent in-season episodes (with ads) for free in The CW app. And PBS lets you watch a lot of their recent stuff for free (without ads, of course) in the PBS app. (If you want access to a whole lot more recent and older PBS content in their app, you can get the Passport feature with a minimum $5/mo or $60/yr contribution to your local PBS station.)

In the long run, yes, it's cheaper to buy the Roamio OTA because, after the initial cost, there are no ongoing fees to use it to watch and record your local OTA channels. It would take you 45 months (nearly 4 years) of basic Hulu with ads to pay out $360, which is how much the Roamio OTA is on sale for right now. (It's normally $400.) Or 30 months (2.5 years) of ad-free Hulu to pay out that same $360.

But you also have to factor in all the other stuff that Hulu gives you too, stuff that isn't available on any local OTA channel, including originals like The Handmaiden's Tale, movies like Daddy's Home and Arrival, and past seasons of cable series like Homeland, Fixer Upper, and Fargo. Plus, to my eyes, Hulu offers better picture HD quality than some of my local OTA stations. And I don't have to worry about OTA reception problems, which is an issue for me on ABC sometimes.


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## Puppy76 (Oct 7, 2004)

Okay, it's THREE services you need to subscribe to, not 1, and then it's a giant pain to try to juggle them, figure out when shows will disappear, etc. It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and cheaper too to just get a TiVo. Then just supplement with other services as you like on a month to month basis. 

Comcast's Instant TV might be a plausible alternative, though it's more than just buying a TiVo, limited to only 20 hours for some reason, and limited to two "tuners" for some reason...but at least it gets all 6 major networks with one service.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Puppy76 said:


> Okay, it's THREE services you need to subscribe to, not 1, and then it's a giant pain to try to juggle them, figure out when shows will disappear, etc. It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier and cheaper too to just get a TiVo. Then just supplement with other services as you like on a month to month basis.
> 
> Comcast's Instant TV might be a plausible alternative, though it's more than just buying a TiVo, limited to only 20 hours for some reason, and limited to two "tuners" for some reason...but at least it gets all 6 major networks with one service.


All depends on your preferences, budget, etc. <shrug> I have a TiVo Roamio OTA and I also have ad-free Hulu. But I will say this, I guarantee you there are a heck of a lot more Americans with a Hulu subscription than there are using all brands of OTA DVRs combined.


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## allan (Oct 14, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Eh, I'd say Hulu has 3 of the "big 4" (it has ABC, NBC, and Fox but not CBS) but neither of the "smaller 2" (The CW and PBS). But, as I say above, you can watch all recent in-season episodes (with ads) for free in The CW app. And PBS lets you watch a lot of their recent stuff for free (without ads, of course) in the PBS app. (If you want access to a whole lot more recent and older PBS content in their app, you can get the Passport feature with a minimum $5/mo or $60/yr contribution to your local PBS station.)
> 
> In the long run, yes, it's cheaper to buy the Roamio OTA because, after the initial cost, there are no ongoing fees to use it to watch and record your local OTA channels. It would take you 45 months (nearly 4 years) of basic Hulu with ads to pay out $360, which is how much the Roamio OTA is on sale for right now. (It's normally $400.) Or 30 months (2.5 years) of ad-free Hulu to pay out that same $360.
> 
> But you also have to factor in all the other stuff that Hulu gives you too, stuff that isn't available on any local OTA channel, including originals like The Handmaiden's Tale, movies like Daddy's Home and Arrival, and past seasons of cable series like Homeland, Fixer Upper, and Fargo. Plus, to my eyes, Hulu offers better picture HD quality than some of my local OTA stations. And I don't have to worry about OTA reception problems, which is an issue for me on ABC sometimes.


I'm watching a lot of older stuff on Hulu, so for quantity, there are more shows I want on Hulu than on the networks. I might miss specific CW shows, but the price difference should be worth it. The main thing holding me back from actually cutting the cord, other than being a lazy procrastinator, is the local news. I'm not sure how good antennas are, and my Roku's local news is very glitchy at best (didn't work at all last time I tried it).


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

Obviously it depends on the shows you watch, but FWIW, we have add-free Hulu, Showtime (cheaper thru Hulu), HBO, in addition to Netflix and Amazon (which we were already paying for on top of cable), and I have not missed a single episode of any show that we watched when we had full-on cable. No live TV of any kind.* Saving ~$100/mo.

*For TV shows, that is. We _are_ subscribing to FuboTV during hockey season, but only for the games. (Which reduces our monthly savings to ~$60, but we will cancel when the season is over.)


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

allan said:


> I'm watching a lot of older stuff on Hulu, so for quantity, there are more shows I want on Hulu than on the networks. I might miss specific CW shows, but the price difference should be worth it. The main thing holding me back from actually cutting the cord, other than being a lazy procrastinator, is the local news. I'm not sure how good antennas are, and my Roku's local news is very glitchy at best (didn't work at all last time I tried it).


Yeah, as I say, it's all about your specific viewing preferences. It's great that we have more options now than we used to. I too find the additional content from Hulu to be more valuable than the current stuff it's missing from CBS.

For CW shows, as I say above, check out The CW app on Roku. It offers the most recent five episodes of their current series (with forced ads). Or you can just wait about a week after a season is over and the entire season will appear on Netflix, ad-free, with better HD picture quality.

For local news, try the NewsON app on Roku. It offers up the most recent newscasts from lots of local stations across the country. Two of my four local stations here in Nashville have their newscasts available in that app. (And a third one offers their own separate app on Roku.)


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## allan (Oct 14, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Yeah, as I say, it's all about your specific viewing preferences. It's great that we have more options now than we used to. I too find the additional content from Hulu to be more valuable than the current stuff it's missing from CBS.
> 
> For CW shows, as I say above, check out The CW app on Roku. It offers the most recent five episodes of their current series (with forced ads). Or you can just wait about a week after a season is over and the entire season will appear on Netflix, ad-free, with better HD picture quality.
> 
> For local news, try the NewsON app on Roku. It offers up the most recent newscasts from lots of local stations across the country. Two of my four local stations here in Nashville have their newscasts available in that app. (And a third one offers their own separate app on Roku.)


For CW, I'd probably rather wait, as my commercial tolerance is very low, and getting lower all the time.

I think the NewsON app is the one I tried. The last time it sort of worked, the picture went blank and I got sound only. I tried it again recently and it wouldn't even start the news.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

I think the cost and functionality of a TiVo Roamio OTA is the best investment you can make if you're looking to cut the cord and save $ on TV (assuming you have decent reception at your location). It gives you a heck of a lot of free programming with a great interface and even incorporates Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime if you chose to subscribe to those. We went for close to 7 years with just OTA & Netflix and found plenty to watch. Roamio OTA is well worth the one time cost to purchase. And if you watch for the TiVo White Out sale that's coming up quickly there may be a great deal on Roamio OTA refurb units but you'd have to strike fast! As others have said though, beyond getting the free OTA channels what you want to use to supplement OTA is a personal preference thing. The nice thing is that none of the current over the top streaming services have contracts. So just buy a $40 Roku or Fire Stick and try some of them out. Most have free trials as well. See what works best for you as you only pay for 1 month at a time after the trial and can drop a service and change to a different one easily.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

ah30k said:


> I must be reading this wrong because on the face of it, it seems like you are making the outlandish comment that all content is available OTA.
> 
> That is so demonstrably false the you couldn't have meant your comment that way.


Everything requested is there...FF, skip, etc., that was mentioned are there.
Outlandish? Um...nope


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

allan said:


> For CW, I'd probably rather wait, as my commercial tolerance is very low, and getting lower all the time.
> 
> I think the NewsON app is the one I tried. The last time it sort of worked, the picture went blank and I got sound only. I tried it again recently and it wouldn't even start the news.


You can skip right through all commercials on recorded OTA. On Hulu it costs $3 a month more for no commercials.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

allan said:


> I'm watching a lot of older stuff on Hulu, so for quantity, there are more shows I want on Hulu than on the networks. I might miss specific CW shows, but the price difference should be worth it. The main thing holding me back from actually cutting the cord, other than being a lazy procrastinator, is the local news. I'm not sure how good antennas are, and my Roku's local news is very glitchy at best (didn't work at all last time I tried it).


I wasn't fond of the Roku either. I got fire TV now. For antenna, Mohu is fantastiquè!


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

NashGuy said:


> Fair enough. I don't use any of those streaming cable services either.
> 
> If I were suggesting to someone the cheapest way to get by, I'd say just watch local OTA TV live with an antenna (and no DVR), and then supplement that with one or two streaming on-demand services like Hulu, Netflix, and/or Amazon Prime, using an inexpensive Roku.
> 
> ...


I purchased my Roamio OTA from Walmart who is provided by WeakKnees. Cost was $399 spread over 6 months no interest SO cutting off Comcast and reallocating the monthly payment MORE than paid for my TiVo.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

CaliOrchid said:


> Thanks @Karyn & @Puppy76 - Maybe this is a silly question ( really hope there are no silly questions!) but what if we just got a Roku devise for now and streamed with our amazon prime account? I see we would get 2 weeks of SlingTV for free, so we could just see how it goes? - should we get the 'stick' as well as the remote?


I'd avoid Roku with Amazon Prime and go for a Fire TV...Roku doesn't like Amazon much. The TiVo DOES though! It's built it.

I'm not a fan of ANY streaming providers...I've tried ALL of them. Waste if money, imo.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

CaliOrchid said:


> ... what if we just got a Roku devise for now and streamed with our amazon prime account?


You should probably familiarize yourself with TabloTV if looking at Rokus, since Tablo can use Rokus as client devices.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

allan said:


> For CW, I'd probably rather wait, as my commercial tolerance is very low, and getting lower all the time.
> 
> I think the NewsON app is the one I tried. The last time it sort of worked, the picture went blank and I got sound only. I tried it again recently and it wouldn't even start the news.


Yeah. There's only one show I was watching on The CW, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The new season is recording on my TiVo but I haven't started it yet. I may just wait until next spring when it all hits Netflix.

That's weird about NewsON. I tried it just today and it worked fine. That said, I have a new Roku Express, so maybe that app works better on newer model Rokus. The Express is their cheap low-end unit but it can definitely handle complex apps better than the old Roku I used to have. I got the Express because it fills in the gaps for apps not offered on my LG smart TV (which I use for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, and Plex) and because I can use my Logitech Harmony universal remote with it. Unfortunately, lots of streaming boxes and sticks now don't use IR remotes, so they're not compatible with universal remotes. I love my Harmony, it controls all my devices and turns on everything to the right inputs.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

Karyn said:


> Everything requested is there...FF, skip, etc., that was mentioned are there.
> Outlandish? Um...nope


I thought you were referring to content, not features.


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## Saturn_V (Jun 2, 2007)

Karyn said:


> I'm not a fan of ANY streaming providers...I've tried ALL of them. Waste if money, imo.


Interesting you'd provide advice in a cordcutting thread- not being a fan or current user of any streaming services. That's what cordcutting is primarily about, replacing cable with OTA and OTT.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Saturn_V said:


> Interesting you'd provide advice in a cordcutting thread- not being a fan or current user of any streaming services. That's what cordcutting is primarily about, replacing cable with OTA and OTT.


Nope. Sorry. That is NOT what cord cutting is about. I did NOT dump pay TV to purchase another pay service.

The GOAL of cord cutting is to get rid of bills and control your options rather than have them dictated to you. I accomplished my goal. I pay NOTHING except internet. Absolutely NOTHING and I'm thrilled!

Perhaps some person's idea of cord cutting is reallocation of funds from a cable provider to a streaming services provider...it's certainly not mine!

I thought the title of the thred is "Cutting the cord, need some advice", not "Want to stop paying cable and start paying someone else".


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

ah30k said:


> I thought you were referring to content, not features.


I was addressing the concerns about features but yes, PLENTY of content once one learns their way around the apps.


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## Saturn_V (Jun 2, 2007)

Karyn said:


> Perhaps some person's idea of cord cutting is reallocation of funds from a cable provider to a streaming services provider...it's certainly not mine!


How you define cord-cutting is your business.

From Wikipedia:
_In broadcast television, cord-cutting refers to the pattern of viewers, referred to as cord cutters, cancelling their subscriptions to multichannel subscription television services available over cable, dropping expensive pay television channels or reducing the number of hours of subscription TV viewed *in response to competition from rival media available over the Internet such as Amazon Video, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube. *This Internet content is either *free or significantly cheaper* than the same content provided via cable.
_
Cordcutting didn't start because people said- hey I can live with OTA and 30 or so local channels. (if you live in a major metro area and are within 20-40mi of broadcast towers) Less than 20% of the US television audience is OTA only, and that's due to income.

Cordcutting started because people were asking why am I paying $100/month for 190 channels when I'm only watching 17. Cordcutting started because OTT services like Amazon Video, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube were cheaper and viable options to cable.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Saturn_V said:


> Cordcutting started because people were asking why am I paying $100/month for 190 channels when I'm only watching 17. Cordcutting started because OTT services like Amazon Video, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube were cheaper and viable options to cable.


Yep. Check out "cordcutting" sites like /r/CordCutters and Cord Cutters News. While some of the articles/links are about OTA TV, the great majority are about OTT streaming services and devices.


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## Karyn (Jul 19, 2017)

Saturn_V said:


> How you define cord-cutting is your business.
> 
> From Wikipedia:
> _In broadcast television, cord-cutting refers to the pattern of viewers, referred to as cord cutters, cancelling their subscriptions to multichannel subscription television services available over cable, dropping expensive pay television channels or reducing the number of hours of subscription TV viewed *in response to competition from rival media available over the Internet such as Amazon Video, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube. *This Internet content is either *free or significantly cheaper* than the same content provided via cable.
> ...


I'm sorry...I don't solicit business on this site. Everything I do is for existing clients only. I apologize if anyone got the impression I solicit clientele in this forum. I don't think that's even allowed.


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