Cutting the Cable Cord (vanity)

Vanity

[TigerClaws]

I'm considering doing this. Roku, Sling, and HD cable antenna with 50 mile radius.

Anyone here already cut the cable cord?

My main concern is catching sports during football season.

Thanks for any tips.

[jagusafr]

We just re-upped with Sling when the NBA post-season started (paid 90 days ahead and picked up a free Roku in the bargain), I get most of the Spurs games. We’ll probably drop it after 90 days, between Hulu and Netflix (and moderate OTA channel selection), we get most of what we want. Only thing we don’t get, which is miss a bit but not as much as I thought I would, is Fox News live.

[alexander_busek]

My main concern is catching sports during football season.

Doesn't the newspaper you subscribe to provide sufficient sports coverage? Is it actually necessary to watch the football games on television?

I watched part of a football game on t.v. once - I think that you could save a lot of time by just waiting for the final scores to be published in the paper.

Regards,

[vetvetdoug]

I cut cable and dish and learned to listen to college football on the radio. I stream movies when I can. One adjusts and manages and have been happier for it. FR gives me news and local papers keeps me informed. When I found out Comcast was all in for Obama and the CEO golfs with Obama weekly I knew I didn't need to send another dollar their way.

[farming pharmer]

Nice. Thank you!

[vooch]

cut the cord

this will be the results

1) you’ll suddenly have excess free time

2) you’ll actually play sports instead of watching them

3) You’ll instantly recognize people who get their information fromTeeVee, because their ideas are so obviously manipulated.

[grania]

I cut the cable cord last autumn. There are old TV shows on some of those over-the-air networks; a lot of them are better than the obscene violence in most current programming. I read more. I have a DVD library of films that were cheap from a discount store. CBS, CW, and NBC come in perfectly around here, so there's always something to watch.

Unless you're really intense about having all choices available, being flexible works just fine.

[truth_seeker]

later

[equaviator]

I have DirecTV, Roku 3 and a 50” HD 1080i flat screen and when I look at a YouTube video that was uploaded as an HD video, I don’t see the same picture quality that I do when I watch a live HD broadcast such as news, weather or sports. My TV and SAT box settings are correct for optimal picture quality but I still see a big difference between the Roku stream and the DirecTV signal.

[Mears]

bfl

[lucky american]

Cut the cord when primestar went under. Never looked back. You won’t believe what you won’t miss.

[Organic Panic]

Sports ain’t worth it. Just go to a sports pub if there is a game you MUST watch.

I haven’t had a TV in over 20 years. I just watch the occasional netflix show or youtube.

[TomGuy]

Over-the-air depends on how far you live from broadcast sources.

I live far enough away that I can only pick up 2 channels even with an ‘booster’ antenna.

Regarding sports, more are putting games on cable channels beyond the basic o-t-a channels. Thus, unless you watch them via Internet, you will not receive them with an antenna.

Right now, most of the hockey playoffs are on sub-channels. Occasionally the main NBC broadcast channel will broadcast a game. When the actual Cup play begins, I think it will be entirely on the NBC broadcast stations.

Some of these gadget sources such as SlingTV have tiers to get various stations. That is the same tactic cable/satellite use. To get certain types of entertainment, you have to pay for another tier.

Many TV network websites require one to sign in with a cable or satellite log-in in order to watch streaming TV programs/sports events. No cable/satellite? No access via the Network’s Internet website.

It becomes a matter of give and get. What are you willing to give up. What do you want to get.

I found, even though I hate the monthly bills, the tiers, and frequent price increases, I cannot get a better Internet service via cable. I have checked satellite/mobile and they cost much more for the same I get with cable.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

One good thing about the NFL, and a lot of NCAA schools is that they still broadcast on the major networks and local channels.

There are a few games each week on ESPN and the NFL network, and the NFL Red Zone is pretty good during the season, though.

But I'm also a baseball fan, and it's a very rare game that's on broadcast TV. The overwhelming majority are on Fox Sports cable channel, and even if I subscribed to MLB.tv , I'd be black-outed for my team, the Cardinals.

[kitchen]

Self ping

[minnesota_bound]

You always have the over the air channels so you get the sports on cbs, nbc, abc, FOX.

Sling TV upgraded recently. I emailed them and was switched to the new Best of Live TV-Beta Multi-stream channels within a few hours. Same $20 price. I pay an extra $5 for 4 Epix movie channels and TCM.

They have most of what you would watch but for a lot lower price then cable. Click on the Best of Live TV tab. It shows for $5 extra some ESPN sports channels.

Click on the tab: Best of Live TV-Beta Multi-stream that includes a couple of FOX Sports channels.
https://www.sling.com/service

[minnesota_bound]

Watching the Stanley cup games now, could not do without cable.

---

Here is how all hockey games end. The fighting stops....... : )

[cornfedcowboy]

I only have about 5mps internet speed. Will this do?

[roadcat]

I don't remember the name, but here is one on eBay just like it (although higher at $38). Chinese sellers are always trying to undercut competitors on price, so prices vary - don't jump for the first listing you see because there may be cheaper listed items. I do recall that the Chinese seller shipped from Southern California, they commonly stock items and sell from here.

ebay look up description: HDTV 1080P Outdoor Amplified Antenna Digital HD TV 150 Mile 360 Rotor UHF/VHF/FM

(The first antenna that didn't work for me was a Clearstream antenna. Totally useless for me, as I didn't have a line of sight to the broadcaster antennas and it didn't capture any signal very well. I installed it at my brother-in-law's house and it worked for him as he has a line-of-sight to the broadcaster antenna arrays.)

[farming pharmer]

Thank you! I have to get our local channels, per the wife. Thanks for the advice.

[lucky american]

A good DVD player works wonders for those nights when you feel you gotta watch a movie. Netflix is my choice.