twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you've done this, have you figured out a way to record tv? Right now we have Comcast (whom we hate). Customer service is awful and rates are just getting higher and higher.... so we're looking at At&t for internet/phone and then using the following for tv: Outside antennaNetflixHuluSlingAmazon Prime We already pay for Amazon and Netflix... so I am familiar with those services. What I need advise on is HuluSling Outside antenna If you've used Hulu or Sling, any feedback would be appreciated. If you have any antenna, we would love to hear the brand and feedback. Then on recording tv (without cable or a satellite)...is this possible? We're hoping to save about $50/month making this change. Not a huge, huge amount...but because we're looking at purchasing a different TV, we need every dime we can get. Thoughts??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 We cut the chord probably close to 10 years ago and have never looked back. For a TV antenna the same rules apply as they did for analog TV. The choice depends upon your location in regards to the TV station. The FCC has a website where you can plug in your zip code and get a color coded list of TV stations in your area. You can also search on "tv antenna locator" to get some non-profit and commercial websites some of which go down to the street level for antenna recommendations. The color is standardized and corresponds to the range of the antenna you need to buy to pickup the station.FCC website: http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/dtvmaps/ We happen to be close enough to our stations and at the top of a hill so all we need is an inexpensive amplified indoor antenna. With the right orientation it will even pick up some weak stations that are about seventy miles away but that is due to our location as other folks in the neighborhood can't. We haven't used the Hulu paid service but have used the free one. We really don't use it anymore for most of the over the air stuff as we either watch shows in real time or can find them on other sources (network website, Netflix,etc). For the most part the majority of our watching is on Netflix and Amazon although we watch Amazon less now that they have dropped the BBC stuff. I can't speak to sling. I don't have a DVR but from my perspective I don't see it being used very often after cutting the chord. A lot of shows are available on the networks website or other provider sites after being broadcast so we go there if we miss something we want to see. For Tivo I think you need to buy a new box my guess is that it will be the same for most other DVRs as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 We cut the cord and switched to Hulu. We have 2 TVs in our house they're both super old. I bought a Roku device for one of them and we used our Wii for the other (we eventually bought a Roku for that one, also). Hulu had more current things than what we found from Netflix and later Amazon Prime. We were able to carry over most of the shows that we watched. Be aware, most of what you watch on Hulu has forced commercials. They're generally silly but usually short. It works just like Netflix- you make a queue of shows. If you add a series to the queue, it adds new shows as they become available. As for recording, if you have a computer that's always running- you can run a software called PlayOn:http://www.playon.tv/ It is supposed to help you record from various services so that you can skip ads and watch later (without Internet access). As for OTA TV and recording, it seems like you need a device. There are a few on the market that seem to do it:http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/20/diary-of-a-cord-cutter-in-2015-part-3-using-an-over-the-air-dvr/#.n2q1nb:4Taf We never cracked that nut as Hulu carried what we needed and we only used it at home where we needed need to record + play anything later (plus, I don't have any machines that are always on). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red...Susan 37 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 We also do not have cable. We use a ruku, PlayStation, wii or smart tv to get to Hulu for current shows or Netflix for anything else. We live in an isolated area but get a few channels with a 30 inch indoor(supposed to be outdoor but it is mostly plastic) anntena. Neither of my kids have cable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Unless I start watching sports- I honestly don't see me getting cable again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Unless I start watching sports- I honestly don't see me getting cable again. That's the main hang-up for us. I think he has figured out a way to get (most of) his sports, but recording them may be an issue (which is kind-of a pain b/c there is so much "junk" on a live game). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Cut cable 9 years ago. One of the best decision we ever made. I do not miss it one bit. If we want to watch a movie we use vudu, library or video store. Antenna gets us sports if we want them. We also live steam games where available. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Do you have real video stores or do you mean redbox? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Like a family video store. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Like a family video store.Must be the last one in the US Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Just curious but how much does , Netflix, roku, Hulu, etc cost? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Must be the last one in the US Sadly... probably so. Kind-of miss those small mom/pop places, but I also really appreciate the price of Redbox! Just curious but how much does , Netflix, roku, Hulu, etc cost? We pay $7.99/month for Netflix. I really like this company as you can separate the kids channels so (for example) our daughter is 8 and when it's time for her to watch a video, she knows how to turn the tv on and get into the "kids" Netflix. What's nice about this, is you can feel comfortable that their little eyes won't see anything completely inappropriate. I think Hulu is also around $7.99/month. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Like a family video store.Wow. I can't remember the last timeI saw one !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 We are stuck. Comcast is a stinking monopoly here. If I drop my cable it's saves like $3 on my bill because my internet and phone are with them. Comcast is my only option for internet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red...Susan 37 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Roku is a streaming device. They start around $55. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DinDavie 37 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Before you drop your internet with Comcast and go to ATT for it you should check what their real download speed is. That is the only reason I have a bundle with Comcast because Att download speeds are limited by the phone lines. I kept my antenna up for over the air broadcasts because when picture quality is important it doesn't get any better with full 1080i. Both Comcast and ATT only provide 720i in my neighborhood. I also have all of your complaints about cable but I'm going to leave it alone until I move and then re figure the whole thing. I've seen other peoples RUKU and apple tv and was not impressed with the picture quality. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Before you drop your internet with Comcast and go to ATT for it you should check what their real download speed is. That is the only reason I have a bundle with Comcast because Att download speeds are limited by the phone lines. I kept my antenna up for over the air broadcasts because when picture quality is important it doesn't get any better with full 1080i. Both Comcast and ATT only provide 720i in my neighborhood. I also have all of your complaints about cable but I'm going to leave it alone until I move and then re figure the whole thing. I've seen other peoples RUKU and apple tv and was not impressed with the picture quality. Yes...speeds with be slower with At&t however, Comcast has really pushed us to the edge so... we may deal with the slower speeds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 We ditched Comcast cable and internet even though the internet was faster, and Jason is in the IT business. Their customer service was awful, and our internet would go down for DAYS. It's faster... when it works. I honestly haven't noticed a difference with AT&T. Maybe Jason has, but not enough to mention. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PGHFiend 140 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 We cut in October (Dave Ramsey) and are doing ok. Internet only and a winegaurd freevision antenna on the roof- does pretty good. Got hulu and netflix instant, and a Roku 1. Now I also bought my own modem on ebay ($17) so I don't have t pay a rental fee anymore. The first few weeks were hard, now I'm pumped when I don't send Comcast $100 extra a month to pump commercials into our house. And the 1200 annual savings is about the cost of 2 AP's! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Before you drop your internet with Comcast and go to ATT for it you should check what their real download speed is. That is the only reason I have a bundle with Comcast because Att download speeds are limited by the phone lines. I kept my antenna up for over the air broadcasts because when picture quality is important it doesn't get any better with full 1080i. Both Comcast and ATT only provide 720i in my neighborhood. I also have all of your complaints about cable but I'm going to leave it alone until I move and then re figure the whole thing. I've seen other peoples RUKU and apple tv and was not impressed with the picture quality. I would also ask AT&T what all of their fees are. I know in my area CenturyLink costs more than Time-Warner Cable after you factor in the "Internet access" fee they don't tell you about during the sales signup ($19/mo as I recall). Since they are a phone company they still charge the long distance access fee even though they are both the local and long distance company. The only way I was able to get the cost information was by forcing my way to the billing department as the sales number claimed they didn't know what they were. When all was said and done with the extra fees the $34.95/mo DSL service ended up costing more than my 15 mbps cable at $41.95/mo with no fees/taxes other than mandated ones. Even though I don't like TWC I kept them for internet access and got a voip provider for my land line at $5/mo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 When we cut cable it was really hard. After 6 months we visited my mother-in-law and turned on her tv. We were shocked at what we saw. We had become so desensitized to all the sex, violence and hatred that is streaming into our homes. I do miss HGTV but at the same time find I am much more content with my home and surroundings. Pinterest has become my go to decor/remodeling needs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 When we cut cable it was really hard. After 6 months we visited my mother-in-law and turned on her tv. We were shocked at what we saw. We had become so desensitized to all the sex, violence and hatred that is streaming into our homes. I do miss HGTV but at the same time find I am much more content with my home and surroundings. Pinterest has become my go to decor/remodeling needs.Great perspective. .. thanks :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Retired and Happy (Ken) 101 Posted June 14, 2015 Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 We recently changed from AT&T phone service and AT&T DSL to AT&T Uverse for phone and internet. Higher speeds and cheaper prices. A couple weeks later we changed from DISH to DirecTV, billed through AT&T. Uverse is not yet available for TV in our neighborhood. Saved some more money by switching, but we have five TVs on satellite, so we did not save as much as we might have. I like the sports stations, news, and DIY stations, and DW likes games shows and food shows, and that dumb dance thing where the instructor yells at everybody, all of which only seem to be available on higher program bundles. One night I noticed a red light on the modem and both internet and phone quit working. By the time I called from my cell phone and got someone knowledgeable of the line, it was rebooting itself. And of course neither DISH nor DirecTV can stand to get the antenna wet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 We recently changed from AT&T phone service and AT&T DSL to AT&T Uverse for phone and internet. Higher speeds and cheaper prices. A couple weeks later we changed from DISH to DirecTV, billed through AT&T. Uverse is not yet available for TV in our neighborhood. Saved some more money by switching, but we have five TVs on satellite, so we did not save as much as we might have. I like the sports stations, news, and DIY stations, and DW likes games shows and food shows, and that dumb dance thing where the instructor yells at everybody, all of which only seem to be available on higher program bundles. One night I noticed a red light on the modem and both internet and phone quit working. By the time I called from my cell phone and got someone knowledgeable of the line, it was rebooting itself. And of course neither DISH nor DirecTV can stand to get the antenna wet. Yeah.... Uverse is not an option in our neighborhood either, which I find funny because their internet service is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Santa ... Shannon 160 Posted June 14, 2015 Report Share Posted June 14, 2015 We use TiVo to dvr ota shows, we are in good coverage area. Works great, barely miss satellite. I've tried Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, and would only consider returning to the latter. Sling.tv looks promising but they have technical and CS bugs to work out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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