OT: Sports Fans without Cable

[bbobbo]

What makes Amazon Firestick better than any android box/stick?

i don't have any others, so i can't comment on how it compares, but if you already have amazon prime it works well. they even ship it to you already set up with your account information so all you have to do is configure networking. the netflix, hbo, showtime etc. apps all work fine.

i guess one advantage it might have is that it includes alexa on the remote (you have to push a button instead of it always being awake listening for the wake word). you can press the voice button on the remote and say "play top gun" or "play man in the high castle" and it will start playing the movie or the next episode of a show you're watching, rather than you having to search for it manually.

 

[BTTA]

I've stopped paying my power bill... I would like suggestions on where to get free electricity.

 

[BTTA]

Perspective | I gave up TV, then qualified for Olympic marathon trials and got my PhD

 

[wizwor]

Sicilian, MLB, the NBA, and the NHL are primarily cable products. There are streaming services, but they tend to black out local games. If you are a Boston fan living in Florida, this works out, but, for most of us, this is a problem.

I see a lot of people recommending illegal streams. These are, of course, illegal. People who use them are necessarily adventurous as they tend to be unreliable as well. If you want to watch local sports, consider TRIMMING rather than cutting the cord. Get a Dish package on one television with sports. Go to that room to watch sports. If you feel like watching in another room, take the box with you.

Good luck!

Hi guys,

Looking for some insight from some fellow sports fans. I've recently made the decision to cut the cord, and go without cable. I don't think I've watched live TV (outside of sports) in over a month. Almost all of my media is streaming nowadays.

This causes a conundrum with sports though. The Patriots (which are the most important) I'm not worried about, because the majority of the games are on CBS, Fox, or NBC, and I can get those channels with an HD Antenna, which I've had success with. The odd Monday night game I can either go to a bar or a friend's house.

But for baseball or hockey, I'm stumped. There are streaming subscriptions you can get, but they blackout anything that's televised locally. I'm not actually a Bruins fan (don't ask), so that one's fine during the regular season, but that means no playoff hockey, or any Red Sox.

Anyone else have experience with this? Any tips or tricks for getting the local teams or tricking the streaming services into thinking you're not local?

Thanks in advance!

 

[denverpatsfan]

We just cut DTV in the past 4-months. HD antenna and a ROKU which doesn't offer much that is free without commercials as we are finding out. I pay for TWD on Amazon at $3.22 a pop with tax. Still cheaper than before. Internets cost me about $45 per month.

Living here in Denver I have been lucky to catch the Pats on free TV most of the time. Last season was not a good one for that however. Lots of conflict with the local team. It is not cheaper to go to the bar but usually more fun.

Good luck and let us know what you decide trying.

 

[Tunescribe]

This is a great thread. I'm totally into life hacks that save money, especially those involving utilities. My cable bill bundled with Internet and landline phone (which I need for business) is about $240/month. Anyone know how far away we're supposed to be from all TV content streaming via Internet? I imagine cable companies are doing all they can to prevent that.

 

[Gwedd]

How far are you from the nearest city/broadcast towers? I've found that the Mohu LEAF is about the best HD Omni-Directional HD antenna you can buy..

Home of the #1 rated Indoor HDTV Antenna - Mohu

If you need to go with an outdoor Antenna, there are numerous sites if you do a search for:
best outdoor hd antenna rural areas

Top 7 Outdoor Antennas of 2017 | Video Review

Best TV Antenna For Rural Areas – Long Range Reception

Thanks for that. Looks like I have some reading to do. I am 50+ miles from any of the regular stations. Sigh.

 

[Gwedd]

This is a great thread. I'm totally into life hacks that save money, especially those involving utilities. My cable bill bundled with Internet and landline phone (which I need for business) is about $240/month. Anyone know how far away we're supposed to be from all TV content streaming via Internet? I imagine cable companies are doing all they can to prevent that.

What I, and millions of others want, is what may never happen: Ala Carte cable/satellite TV subscriptions. The ability to select and pay for only those channels you want. Unfortunately, it's all the Spanglish and shopping channels that are letting the providers rake in cash.

I have Amazon Fire and love it, coupled with Amazon prime. Again, if I could find a way to get the local broadcast channels without having to pay for cable or satellite I would do so in a heartbeat.

 

[wizwor]

This is a great thread. I'm totally into life hacks that save money, especially those involving utilities. My cable bill bundled with Internet and landline phone (which I need for business) is about $240/month. Anyone know how far away we're supposed to be from all TV content streaming via Internet? I imagine cable companies are doing all they can to prevent that.

We left Comcast seven years ago. At the time, we had already 'trimmed' premium channels in favor of Netflix. We've also subscribed to Prime. Right now, we pay $35/month for DirecTV Now. Vudu and Crackle have ad supported programming. Just the same, we watch broadcast or OTA about 90% of the time. My monthly bill runs $80.

Our second trim replaced Comcast's VOIP with an OOMA Scout and Hub. The hardware was $205, but there were no monthly or annual charges. Zero complaints. When my millennial moved out, he got an OOMA (he pays taxes on his).

If you want to learn more about cord cutting, click 1-5 here.

 

[wizwor]

Thanks for that. Looks like I have some reading to do. I am 50+ miles from any of the regular stations. Sigh.

Fifty miles is not necessarily bad. I pulled in a Maine station 67 miles away before Heroes and Icons landed on 38. Go to tvfool.com and run a report for your address (gps coordinates is more precise, but, at 50 miles, shouldn't be necessary).

 

[wizwor]

What I, and millions of others want, is what may never happen: Ala Carte cable/satellite TV subscriptions. The ability to select and pay for only those channels you want. Unfortunately, it's all the Spanglish and shopping channels that are letting the providers rake in cash.

I have Amazon Fire and love it, coupled with Amazon prime. Again, if I could find a way to get the local broadcast channels without having to pay for cable or satellite I would do so in a heartbeat.

People always say this without saying how much they would pay for the individual channels. CBS wants $6 for ad supported programming and $10 for ad free. Add $50 for high speed internet. A La Carte gets expensive quickly.

 

[Tony2046]

We left Comcast seven years ago. At the time, we had already 'trimmed' premium channels in favor of Netflix. We've also subscribed to Prime. Right now, we pay $35/month for DirecTV Now. Vudu and Crackle have ad supported programming. Just the same, we watch broadcast or OTA about 90% of the time. My monthly bill runs $80.

Our second trim replaced Comcast's VOIP with an OOMA Scout and Hub. The hardware was $205, but there were no monthly or annual charges. Zero complaints. When my millennial moved out, he got an OOMA (he pays taxes on his).

If you want to learn more about cord cutting, click 1-5 here.

Hey man. This is a great site. Thanks.

 

[Gwedd]

People always say this without saying how much they would pay for the individual channels. CBS wants $6 for ad supported programming and $10 for ad free. Add $50 for high speed internet. A La Carte gets expensive quickly.

True, but I get the satisfaction of paying for what I want, and not see my menu clogged up with a hundred channels I will never watch.

 

[Deus Irae]

People always say this without saying how much they would pay for the individual channels. CBS wants $6 for ad supported programming and $10 for ad free. Add $50 for high speed internet. A La Carte gets expensive quickly.

A la carte would work for people who just want limited channels, which is the whole point. Most people aren't going to be watching 300 channels. If you like Bravo, Grit is probably not going to be your cup of tea. Add in a coax a/b switch, and you gain all the over the air channels, as well.

 

[Batman]

People always say this without saying how much they would pay for the individual channels. CBS wants $6 for ad supported programming and $10 for ad free. Add $50 for high speed internet. A La Carte gets expensive quickly.

What I really want is bundled deals x number of channels for y price and lots of price points to pick from, some additional premium channels available to pick and choose. rather than the cookie cutter you can have all these channels and its costs this much approach. I have two different channel bundles where so I can get the 8 channels we actually watch. Even though each bundle has around 30 channels to it.
I am quite fortunate, here in the UK I am paying £85($105) for my satellite, licence fee, streaming subscriptions and internet package. I get all sports using a sports subscription, I am likely going to pick up an android box and cut a further £25($30)

 

[wizwor]

A la carte would work for people who just want limited channels, which is the whole point. Most people aren't going to be watching 300 channels. If you like Bravo, Grit is probably not going to be your cup of tea. Add in a coax a/b switch, and you gain all the over the air channels, as well.

Generally, you will not need a coax a/b switch. Most cable providers require a box which could be coax or hdmi. If you are going to really love OTA, you are going to want some kind of set top box which will be hdmi. The least expensive DVRs go for $30 and support recording, trick play (pause, rewind, fast forward), an electronic program guide. These features take you a LONG way towards the cable experience. I installed a Channel Master DVR+ on my in-laws television (no internet or phone required). My niece thought they got cable.

 

[SaCaCh]

Playstation Vue has a $35 a month package that has CSN and NESN. That is online TV. (Which is where all television will be based in the next 10 years) Most Streamers (Roku, Fire TV etc...) have an app to play it on any TV with an HDMI. Any other games then it off to Reddit streams for me. They are a tiny bit annoying to get going but much easier with an ad blocker.

 

[wizwor]

What I really want is bundled deals x number of channels for y price and lots of price points to pick from, some additional premium channels available to pick and choose. rather than the cookie cutter you can have all these channels and its costs this much approach. I have two different channel bundles where so I can get the 8 channels we actually watch. Even though each bundle has around 30 channels to it.
I am quite fortunate, here in the UK I am paying £85($105) for my satellite, licence fee, streaming subscriptions and internet package. I get all sports using a sports subscription, I am likely going to pick up an android box and cut a further £25($30)

I don't know how things work in the UK, but in the US, many premium providers offer such options, but use 'bundling' to compel users to add channels they do not want. We have DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and Sony Vue which have smaller bundles for less money with limited concurrent connections. This works well for antenna-first cord cutters who want to add sports or 'cable news'.

 

[wizwor]

Hey man. This is a great site. Thanks.

thank you.

 

[wizwor]

What makes Amazon Firestick better than any android box/stick?

Price, ease of use, and support. YMMV, of course. My FTV devices are first gen, so the problems may be less on the current products, but I strongly prefer the Fire TV to the Fire TV Stick for performance. For most things, Apple TV is great (though I hate the touchpad remote). What matters most is that the device supports the apps that support the programming you want to watch.