# Cable TV Next



## silverfox103 (Jan 28, 2012)

I have been a pellet user for four years, we are nice and toasty.  Took a while, to get everything smoothed out; but this year the oil man hasn't come nor will he be coming.

Now for the next thing thing that is in the crosshairs:  Cable TV.  The bill has just got out of hand, I think it is $165 with phone and internet, $73 is for TV.  I'm sure you all know the story.  I am sick of shopping channels, food channels, CSPAN, MTV and all the other crap that they dish out and we pay.  Probably like most of us, I watch maybe 6 channels, my wife and youngest daughter have their few channels also.  Wife is sick of it also.  Ever say this "200 stationsn and nothing on".  

I went to the cable company and talked to them.  Right off the bat, I can save $50 by going to basic, which is just 20 stations.  They also have 4 flavors of internet speed, I am the second down. I will probably leave that alone.  We also have 2 lan lines and 2 cell phones.  That will be changing, one is a business phone, but probably only for another year.

Anyways, I keep hearing about alternatives to cable.  If anyone knows of any, please share.  We are in the mountains, so if you don't have cable, you have 1 station.  The only thing I will really miss is NESN which carries the Red Sox, but I have satellite radio, so I can listen.

thanks

Tom C.


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## JoeS (Jan 28, 2012)

Have you looked into Direct TV?


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## Lighting Up (Jan 28, 2012)

check this post out...
md

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/88549/


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## JDC1 (Jan 28, 2012)

We use a ROKU and aN antennas direct DTV antenna.  The ROKU give us the ability to stream Netflix and Hulu and the picture on the antenna is a lot better than our satellite dish.  We were sick of searching for something to watch on cable and did not want to purchase a DVr.  The only thing that I miss is not being able to watch sports center.  I think ROKU has an option for the MLB package.


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## PapaDave (Jan 28, 2012)

You could use a laptop or desktop near the big screen with a hookup to the tv and watch online shows. Most networks have an online presence and there's also Hulu and others as well. Many options for getting off cable/dish/sat tv, as long as you still have a decent web connection.


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## pen (Jan 28, 2012)

We are there with cable too but haven't decided a course of action yet.  

Depending on your cell phone usage, you may be able to save by getting away from a big carrier.  My wife and I have saved a ton since switching to tracfone a few years back.  Only thing with tracfone I don't like is the customer service.  Once the dip@#^s get the phone working past the initial setup, we haven't had a problem keeping it working.  Getting the old number transferred, and the voice mail working appropriately, and such can be a pain though.

pen


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## timfromohio (Jan 28, 2012)

Cancel ... do it now

We've actually never had cable.  Now for the real shocker ... I don't have a cell phone ...  we have one that is used for trips, etc.

We do get a lot of moves from the library and subscribe to Netflix.  There are also a remarkable number of excellents shows to watch for free on sites like youtube.


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## JDC1 (Jan 28, 2012)

timfromohio said:
			
		

> Cancel ... do it now
> 
> We've actually never had cable.  Now for the real shocker ... I don't have a cell phone ...  we have one that is used for trips, etc.
> 
> We do get a lot of moves from the library and subscribe to Netflix.  There are also a remarkable number of excellents shows to watch for free on sites like youtube.



Canceling was the hardest part.  If you are an Amazon user, for $80/year you can get an Amazon Prime membership which includes streaming video and free 2 day shipping.


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## silverfox103 (Jan 28, 2012)

JDC said:
			
		

> Canceling was the hardest part.



You are correct my friend, I haven't done it yet, but I think I have the courage to do it now.

Lot of good answers and alternatives,  I am sure it will be a process.

thanks

Tom C.


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## begreen (Jan 28, 2012)

No cable tv here. Used to have it but pulled the plug a few years back. Most of it was useless drek. We have a great library system for videos and there is a ton of stuff online, so we have a small computer as a second feed into the TV, which is also internet connected and can stream a bunch more useless drek. lol


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## PapaDave (Jan 28, 2012)

Gotta' agree with BeGreen on this, even though I find myself watching some of it, still.
Our son told us about Hulu about 3 years ago, we tried it, and that was the end of DirectTV for us. We've since found many other online sources of "drek", as BG calls it. :coolsmile: 
However, you won't find Hearth on TV, so it's all good.:lol:
The big screen sits idle on a power strip (turned off) until we decide to watch a movie or share a show. Otherwise, we both have laptops and watch things at our own pace. Or, we read a book. 
I just wish she'd stop trying to talk to me when I have the headphones on. She tells me I'm deaf. Sheesh. ;-P 
Summertime, not much activity in the house, since I'm outside most of the day and evening (as I'm sure a lot of us are).  
Tom, here's the process. Cancel cable, go online. Bada bing, bada boom. Use the saved money to buy some more firewood. Win, win. It's all gooder.


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## seige101 (Jan 28, 2012)

Regarding the phone lines look into Magic Jack. I bought when when i had moved to Oregon a couple years ago. I was able to select a local to home number friends and family could call me on. This saved me from eating up all my cell phone minutes. Call quality was good, but there was a noticeable drop off if i and my roommate were doing heavy downloading or streaming video.

My brother also has one, he lives with his father in Missouri.

I let my subscription expire when i got home, but you cannot beat the price $40 for the purchase of the unit and service for the first year after that 19.95 a year. At the time you could not port a number but they were working on it.

Standard disclaimer i have no hidden interest in them, was just a happy customer.


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## JDC1 (Jan 28, 2012)

Ooma is a pretty cool phone setup


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## stee6043 (Jan 29, 2012)

I canceled our cable two plus years ago and we've been living with antenna tv ever since.  Looking back I can't believe I waited to so long.  $100 a month for HD Directv was the biggest waste of money ever.  The HD is actually sharper on our antenna.  I don't think I'll ever pay for TV again.


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## heat seeker (Jan 29, 2012)

Sometimes I channel surf, and end up thinking "150 channels of crap!" GF likes the basketball games, so we continue to pay, since they're not broadcast around here. We're about $65/month. I called the satellite company and said they were too expensive. They ended up taking $10/month off the bill. Guess they're smart enough to know that some income is better than no income.


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## Hogwildz (Jan 30, 2012)

$165.00 a month for cable tv, internet & phone?  Be glad yo can get cable. Out here I can only get satellite internet & satellite TV, and Verizon land line(2 of em).

Monthly bill here:
$  89.95 satellite internet.
$229.00 For 2 phone land lines (Freedom- unlimited everything in the US only) & includes about $78.00 per month for Direct TV Satellite TV (through Verizon).
$318.95 PER MONTH. No Cable or DSL available back here.
I'll trade ya any day.


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## begreen (Jan 30, 2012)

Bummer. No 4G out of Wilkes-Barre yet?


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## gfreek (Jan 30, 2012)

Really I wish I had that problem.  Rural internet is a killer.  Satellite internet/TV   here. The speeds are pathetic and there are download/upload limits..  Really don't think I'll get rural broadband in my life time.  There is no profit in it for the mega corps.  And the blackouts from no contracts ( MSG and Time Warner)  (Dish and MSG).


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 30, 2012)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Bummer. No 4G out of Wilkes-Barre yet?



Yeah...we have 4G in Wilkes Barre BG.....but prolly not in hogzland....he's more in the stix..... :lol:


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## mayhem (Jan 30, 2012)

You guys with the big bills need to call your providerd every coupe years and at least try to renegotiate your terms.  The deals we all sign up for are typically 2 years in term and at the end the bill goes way up for no additional content...but most of the time you can call them up and change your plan "down" to a new plan that often offers more content than you're used to for less money.  Case in point, my Verizon land line was $54/mo with metered LD service and unlimited local calling.  No caller ID, no call waiting...no nothing but dial tone and touch tone service.  At the same time we had 768k Verizon DSL for $30 a month, so a combined total of $84 plus taxes and fees...call it $90 a month.

Called Verizon to add called ID (because my wife insisted).  After talking to the rep for a minute I opted to change over to the Verizon Freedom plan.  unlimited local and long distance, caller ID, voicemail (which I shut off), call waiting, and a bunch of other features that I'm not even sure what they are...plus I stepped up to 3.0Mb DSL at the same time.  Drum roll...$50 a month total.  So I added a lot of new services, quadrupled my internet speed and cut my bill by close to 50%.

And my DISH with 2 room DVR is only $29 a month.


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## raygard (Jan 30, 2012)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

> $165.00 a month for cable tv, internet & phone?  Be glad yo can get cable. Out here I can only get satellite internet & satellite TV, and Verizon land line(2 of em).
> 
> Monthly bill here:
> $  89.95 satellite internet.
> ...




Hooley Dooley !  Collaterly we are all able to finance Liberias deficit.

If you have Internet you may want to consider a Skype phone.  Calls are either on subscriptions ~$3/mo or per minute (2c/min).

That would do away with the land line.

Other than that.  Roku


Ray


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## JustWood (Jan 30, 2012)

mayhem said:
			
		

> You guys with the big bills need to call your providerd every coupe years and at least try to renegotiate your terms.  The deals we all sign up for are typically 2 years in term and at the end the bill goes way up for no additional content...but most of the time you can call them up and change your plan "down" to a new plan that often offers more content than you're used to for less money.  Case in point, my Verizon land line was $54/mo with metered LD service and unlimited local calling.  No caller ID, no call waiting...no nothing but dial tone and touch tone service.  At the same time we had 768k Verizon DSL for $30 a month, so a combined total of $84 plus taxes and fees...call it $90 a month.
> 
> Called Verizon to add called ID (because my wife insisted).  After talking to the rep for a minute I opted to change over to the Verizon Freedom plan.  unlimited local and long distance, caller ID, voicemail (which I shut off), call waiting, and a bunch of other features that I'm not even sure what they are...plus I stepped up to 3.0Mb DSL at the same time.  Drum roll...$50 a month total.  So I added a lot of new services, quadrupled my internet speed and cut my bill by close to 50%.
> 
> And my DISH with 2 room DVR is only $29 a month.



I tried doing that with a Time Warner all in one bundle that was costing me $163/month and they were taking NEW customers only at $99/month at the time. I tried getting the same deal and they told me NO WAY ! I told them to slow my internet and drop some channel and it saved my $40/month. Actually see no difference in net speed.
I'm considering separating the landline and going remote call forwarding which is around $20 and then setting up the iPhone for internet on the laptop, and maybe Direct TV . I think you get $10 off/month for AAA membership.
Has anyone tethered there iPhone to a laptop??


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## bluedogz (Jan 30, 2012)

[quote author="fortunateLEE" date="1327959719]Has anyone tethered there iPhone to a laptop??[/quote]

Yes.  Before you do that check your usual data usage.  You cannot get unlimited data AND tethering, so tethering can get expensive real fast because it's real easy to go over the data limit.

We have 2 iphones for US phone svc., plus Skype on both for calls from the family in Europe.  This means we're chained to Comcast for internet, but we killed off the Verizon home phone 2 years ago. Hasn't changed a thing.

The cable TV will be next to go... I am rarely home and the Mrs. watches mostly European stuff she downloads & borrows from the library.


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## Hogwildz (Jan 30, 2012)

BG: Out where I am, is the end of the world when it comes to wireless. The neighbors kid had it and said it was no better or maybe worse then satellite. Plus the bandwidth cap is much less than satellite.
I work from home and use the internet a great deal when sending reports etc. I cannot do what I need to do with the lower bandwidth caps that wireless providers allow.

Mayhem: There is negotiations with the satellite internet providers. They know they have us over a barrel, and the only other game in town id Dial up, NO WAY, or wireless, no improvement.
At the end of my road is cable, but they will not run the line back here for one or two customers. I have petitioned Verizon for DSL and had a few neighbors also petition Verizon. I sent them all in in a package. Have not hear back from them yet. Not real hopeful. I do have the Freedom plan which is $49.99 + $7.95 inside wire maintenance plan(used that 2x already) + tax, x2 lines. Need 2 for business, office/home line & fax line. The only thing I can really trim out or down is the Direct TV. I don't watch tons of tv, but do like my football and the FX channel shows.
This is why I am envious of cable users(which I used to have and love before I moved). I would simply get basic cable and their internet. For phone I would simply get Magic Jack or even Vonage. WOuld be about 1/3 of my bill I pay now. I would love to pay $165.00 per month for all 3, that is cheap!


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## begreen (Jan 30, 2012)

I feel for you man. That is the situation I was in a decade ago. When cable internet happened it was like manna from heaven.


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## raygard (Jan 30, 2012)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

> BG: Out where I am, is the end of the world when it comes to wireless. The neighbors kid had it and said it was no better or maybe worse then satellite. Plus the bandwidth cap is much less than satellite.
> I work from home and use the internet a great deal when sending reports etc. I cannot do what I need to do with the lower bandwidth caps that wireless providers allow.
> 
> Mayhem: There is negotiations with the satellite internet providers. They know they have us over a barrel, and the only other game in town id Dial up, NO WAY, or wireless, no improvement.
> ...




Instead of contacting verizon, talk to the State Obudsmans office there in PA.  It's kinda like having a big brother sometimes.  Let them talk to Verizon.  You may be surprised.

http://www.locate-a-ombudsman.com/PennsylvaniaOmbudsman.html

Ray


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## silverfox103 (Jan 30, 2012)

fortunateLEE said:
			
		

> I tried doing that with a Time Warner all in one bundle that was costing me $163/month and they were taking NEW customers only at $99/month at the time. I tried getting the same deal and they told me NO WAY ! I told them to slow my internet and drop some channel and it saved my $40/month. Actually see no difference in net speed.
> I'm considering separating the landline and going remote call forwarding which is around $20 and then setting up the iPhone for internet on the laptop, and maybe Direct TV . I think you get $10 off/month for AAA membership.
> Has anyone tethered there iPhone to a laptop??



I have the same plan as you.  I called up last Friday and pleaded my case.  There response was, "Oh we can do something for you".  So he transferred me to another person and they did--$7!  Big deal.  I think I will call up again today.  

Tom C.


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Jan 30, 2012)

silverfox103 said:
			
		

> I have been a pellet user for four years, we are nice and toasty.  Took a while, to get everything smoothed out; but this year the oil man hasn't come nor will he be coming.
> 
> Now for the next thing thing that is in the crosshairs:  Cable TV.  The bill has just got out of hand, I think it is $165 with phone and internet, $73 is for TV.  I'm sure you all know the story.  I am sick of shopping channels, food channels, CSPAN, MTV and all the other crap that they dish out and we pay.  Probably like most of us, I watch maybe 6 channels, my wife and youngest daughter have their few channels also.  Wife is sick of it also.  Ever say this "200 stationsn and nothing on".
> 
> ...



It's a huge amount of money to spend for something so non-essential. I'm psyched we got Verizon fios, about $110 a month.

I'd like to give Hollywood as little money as possible, personally.


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## begreen (Jan 30, 2012)

Weird tolienish figure said:
			
		

> It's a huge amount of money to spend for something so non-essential. I'm psyched we got Verizon fios, about $110 a month.
> 
> I'd like to give Hollywood as little money as possible, personally.



Not sure that I follow. Why? Is giving money to Verizon better?


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Jan 30, 2012)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Not sure that I follow. Why? Is giving money to Verizon better?



Well it's *less* money, which I can live with.


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## mayhem (Jan 31, 2012)

rayg said:
			
		

> Hogwildz said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Bingo.  I live in the middle of nowhere too.  Only options for the longest time were dialup or satelite, but satellite sucks for latency and (at the time) was a $500 bill out my pocket for the equipment and $100 a month for the service.  In MA the Gov signed into legistlation a number of years ago that all public libraries MUST be hooked to high speed internet.  Verizon complied and was good enough to extend their demarc from the hut down in the nearby town about 4-5 miles away up to the green box thats smack in the middle between my house and the library.  It took 6 months of persistent phone calls on my part to finally convince Verizon that I now lived in an area that qualified for DSL service, but eventually the public utility install records caught up with residential provisioning and I was the first resident in town to get DSL...now about 70% of the houses in town are hooked up.

Get the state on your side.  You're near a nuclear power plant so there is infrastructure nearby your home to support residential provisioning.  Make your officials work for you for a change.


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## Mainely Saws (Jan 31, 2012)

I put up an outside antenna , got the local channels & more in a better quality HD & at the same time bought a Netflix / YouTube / Pandora ready bluRay DVD player for $120,  ( now you can get them on sale from Best Buy for around $85 ) & after mild withdrawal symptoms , I am very happy !! Netflix streaming is $8 per month , the local library not only has up to 4 DVD's at a time free for a week , BUT you can request & receive specific DVD's from around the country at no charge .  I miss some sports but Fox carries a lot . Add to all of this , more & more free internet TV & satellite TV becomes very expensive . At $65 per month , I'm saving a little under $800 per year & not missing it .


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## Mainely Saws (Jan 31, 2012)

I might add one other thought able Direct TV . Customers can put their service on "hold " for up to 6 months without any monthly charges or fee's & without any disconnect/install costs involved . This might be a good idea to see how you like being without satellite service & see if you like the results of your outside antenna reception .


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## silverfox103 (May 15, 2018)

Update!

Six years later, I finally cut the cable.  Big step, but once I did it, I haven't looked back (only been a week).  I was a Spectrum customer, one night a couple of weeks I spun up and down the channels........Nothing.  For $153 a month for the bundle, I had, had it.  Sick of being force fed programs like the My 600 Pound Life and H oarders.

So, bought an Apple TV box and signed up for YouTubeTV, which has most of the stations that I watch and plenty more between the two.  We are also hung onto my daughter's Netflix account.  YouTube gives you 50 stations for $40.  It has many live stations:  all the national networks, all sport stations including NESN and some decent cable stations.  I can watch the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, Bruins and Nascar.....live.  I miss the Velocity channel but can watch on the computer.

I also cut the land phone.  So my bill went from $153 down to $63.  Not bad.  I have to pay $40 for YouTube TV so, I save $50 every month.  I live that!!  I made a spreadsheet of all the TV options and YouTube was the best for needs.

I'm glad I did it.

Tom

Littleton NH


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## lml999 (May 15, 2018)

JDC1 said:


> Ooma is a pretty cool phone setup



We've been on Ooma for a long time. Love the ability to block telemarketers.


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## peakbagger (May 15, 2018)

I was going to cut the cable at one point but switched to the basic cable service that most cable providers are loathe to admit exists. Our cable company doesn't require a cable box to get basic service. They have a band filter up on the pole that blocks the upper channels. I got my basic cable in a business bundle and had some quality issues with my internet and phone. The business tech came by and tested my equipment and said "I know what it is", he went to the pole, removed the filter and my problems went way and my cable channels expanded substantially. The residential side of the business audits the services on occasion but the business side doesn't and has a bright red tag on my service to tell the residential folks to leave it alone. If the price ever goes up from $21 a month I will probably go your route.

I programmed out all the channels I don't watch on my remote and its amazing how many are gone. Reportedly half the cost of standard cable is the cost for the sports channels. I have them programmed out.


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## begreen (May 15, 2018)

Our issue with going with cable is there is only one act in town, Comcast. In the event of a outage, they are often the last ones up and running. The telephone wires are mostly underground and much more reliable.


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## zrock (May 16, 2018)

i was toying with the idea of loosing my cable. But i hate searching through netflix and other sources even more..


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## begreen (May 16, 2018)

We said no years ago. Our library system is fantastic so we get most movies and series from there. We may be 6 months to a year behind but that is no big deal to us. More current stuff we get via Netflix DVDs or at the theater or on air from PBS and MHZ network.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 16, 2018)

Plenty of internet based systems for $20 a month or less. We have had these for at least 10 yrs now. An even better deal is freeintertv.com. Absolutely free. I get the travel channel here that i dont even get on the pay service. I use this while on the computer or exercising, often watching 3 separate shows at once,2 news and the Travel channel . I just key the sound in on the one i want to view. I could buy a Brand New 75 in LED TV every year for what some of my friends pay for programming. I do the same with my cell phone ,I pay less for the service AND a NEW samsung Note 8 cell phone than my wife pays for AT&T service alone. Update: She is canning AT&T as she needs a new phone too.


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## begreen (May 16, 2018)

I have the original Apple TV if we want to use it, but my wife is not happy with it because the brightness is lower, the sound is weaker and no closed captioning. Not sure if Apple has fixed this or not. 

I had a Windows PC linked to the TV, but it was a bit of a PITA to maintain, the dvr in particular was pretty bad and upgrading it to Windows 10 was a big mistake. 

Netflix costs us $8.99/month, the library is free. I will look into freeinternetv.com. Most of the others don't interest me. Like cable they have a ton of stuff we're not interested in or just don't have the time to watch.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 16, 2018)

begreen said:


> Netflix costs us $8.99/month, the library is free. I will look into freeintertv.com. Most of the others don't interest me. Like cable they have a ton of stuff we're not interested in or just don't have the time to watch.



I could access freeintertv.com ,not freeinternetv.com from the TV without a computer but its a PIA to get to that way. So i use that while im working on my computer which spend many hours working from, for my profession. I have a 34IN LED and a 23 screen going on the same computer so makes it easy. The TV programming i get thru an android box which has its own remote same as the TV.  The freeintertv works so well im contemplating cancelling my pay service.I would assume a new smart tv has easier access to the internet,but my visio is getting pretty old. I have netflix too cuz the kids use it and i like the programming ,movies and series and the closed caption as my hearing is shot.


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## begreen (May 16, 2018)

Our tv is not that old. I should update the channels and see if that is now listed.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 16, 2018)

http://www.freeintertv.com/view/id-2716


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## moey (May 16, 2018)

$55 Internet
$2 ( landline basically 911 for my kids in a emergency )
$9 Netflix
$10-20 for some form of cable tv ( I alternate between sling, directvgo, hulu ) They continually let you sign up for their promotions if you drop service for a couple months. So its pretty cheap. 

About $85 a month. 

I have an old T-mobile plan that is pay as you go. But it has free web access so I can browse the web on it. No apps work that use internet though. Clearly a plan that was made for a flip phone years ago but works on a smart phone somewhat.


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## sportbikerider78 (May 17, 2018)

I have a DSL from my home and work from a wifi hotspot (work pays for), that gets 4G LTE.  I do bounce back and forth between connections.  I also have the ability to hotspot my phone if needed, but never have needed to. 

I have a long driveway, but the cable company would not let me hook up.  They are getting sued for lack of providing advertised bandwith and will not add any more new customers till they add new lines.

I'm hoping they do FIOS.  The next few years will tell.  I would love to have broadband of some kind.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 17, 2018)

Cellphone plans have come way down (unless your still with the top companies) Unlimited talk and test can be had for $15-$20(plus tax) for awhile now from several competitors.
I swore off AT&T about a year ago and actually get broader coverage now and the same unlimited service for less than half the price. Up until that my cell phone bill was as much as our electric bill for 2 lines.


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## zrock (May 17, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Cellphone plans have come way down (unless your still with the top companies) Unlimited talk and test can be had for $15-$20(plus tax) for awhile now from several competitors.
> I swore off AT&T about a year ago and actually get broader coverage now nad the same unlimited service for less than half the price. Up until that my cell phone bill was as much as out electric bill for 2 lines.



Cell phone plans are not that cheap everyware. Especially in canada in places that are not in a major city


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## Seasoned Oak (May 17, 2018)

zrock said:


> Cell phone plans are not that cheap everyware. Especially in canada in places that are not in a major city


Internet access is one area where we still have only a few expensive choices and poor service. cant seem tpo find anything any good for less than $60 to $70 a month.


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## sportbikerider78 (May 17, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Cellphone plans have come way down (unless your still with the top companies) Unlimited talk and test can be had for $15-$20(plus tax) for awhile now from several competitors.
> I swore off AT&T about a year ago and actually get broader coverage now and the same unlimited service for less than half the price. Up until that my cell phone bill was as much as our electric bill for 2 lines.


I have 15gb shared, data rollover, with 4 phones, (2 I am still paying on) and the bill is $220/month.
ATT coverage is really good in this area.


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## moey (May 17, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Internet access is one area where we still have only a few expensive choices and poor service. cant seem tpo find anything any good for less than $60 to $70 a month.



Ive had decent success pulling the old can you disconnect my service Im not willing to pay that much. Eventually I can get my bill lowered close to the introductory price. It takes a tremendous amount of patience though. Ive had to follow through on the threat once where I setup a cancellation date. Had to call back the day before the date and cancel my cancellation. Eventually I got my bill lowered a couple weeks later.


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## firefighterjake (May 19, 2018)

moey said:


> Ive had decent success pulling the old can you disconnect my service Im not willing to pay that much. Eventually I can get my bill lowered close to the introductory price. It takes a tremendous amount of patience though. Ive had to follow through on the threat once where I setup a cancellation date. Had to call back the day before the date and cancel my cancellation. Eventually I got my bill lowered a couple weeks later.



I tried that trick the last time. The first time they kept me at the introductory price for another six months or year and then when I received a notice it was going back up I went back to tell them to cancel my service due to the high cost . . . and this time they did . . . Oops . . . but it actually worked out fine anyways since we now get all of our TV OTA or through Netflix. Telephone service is provided through Ooma.


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## moey (May 19, 2018)

firefighterjake said:


> I tried that trick the last time. The first time they kept me at the introductory price for another six months or year and then when I received a notice it was going back up I went back to tell them to cancel my service due to the high cost . . . and this time they did . . . Oops . . . but it actually worked out fine anyways since we now get all of our TV OTA or through Netflix. Telephone service is provided through Ooma.



At least for me in Maine Time Warner/Spectrum does not block/encypt the OTA channels. So you get them for free if you pay for internet service. You can get them by scanning for new channels with a tuner on a TV. If you have Spectrum for internet its worth a try you may get a couple more stations.


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## firefighterjake (May 19, 2018)

moey said:


> At least for me in Maine Time Warner/Spectrum does not block/encypt the OTA channels. So you get them for free if you pay for internet service. You can get them by scanning for new channels with a tuner on a TV. If you have Spectrum for internet its worth a try you may get a couple more stations.



Hmmm . . . we actually do get TWC internet. Please describe in more detail how you would scan for these channels since we do not have any TWC devices hooked up to our TV or do we in fact need some device from TWC hooked to the TV?


----------



## moey (May 19, 2018)

firefighterjake said:


> Hmmm . . . we actually do get TWC internet. Please describe in more detail how you would scan for these channels since we do not have any TWC devices hooked up to our TV or do we in fact need some device from TWC hooked to the TV?



You hook the coax cable directly to your TV. Your tv most likely has a QAM tuner on it. There should be a menu on the TV that says "scan for channels" somewhere on it. 

If it does find some stations youd have to get a splitter so you can use your internet still and perhaps a a/b switch so you can still get OTA stations.


----------



## SlyFerret (May 19, 2018)

Most providers are changing over from QAM to switched digital requiring some sort of a converter box.  It hasn’t happened in all areas yet, but the day is coming that you can’t just plug in your tv and tune in digital signals off the cable even for basic service.
-SF


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## fbelec (May 21, 2018)

SlyFerret said:


> Most providers are changing over from QAM to switched digital requiring some sort of a converter box.  It hasn’t happened in all areas yet, but the day is coming that you can’t just plug in your tv and tune in digital signals off the cable even for basic service.
> -SF
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro



that is the way comcast or xfinity has it here in mass. no box no tv. and it's 10 dollars a box rental every month


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 21, 2018)

fbelec said:


> that is the way comcast or xfinity has it here in mass. no box no tv. and it's 10 dollars a box rental every month


There are so many cheaper internet based services available everywhere theres internet. You do need at least 5Mbs though  for HD.


----------



## fbelec (May 22, 2018)

been thinkin bout these roku boxes. how does it work? don't know anyone with it so i can't ask. after the purchase is there any charges? does it take a lot of gig from internet service?


----------



## BrotherBart (May 22, 2018)

fbelec said:


> been thinkin bout these roku boxes. how does it work? don't know anyone with it so i can't ask. after the purchase is there any charges? does it take a lot of gig from internet service?



Just dumped Directv after 20 years and am saving $1,200 a year for just the basic package. Went with Amazon Fire Stick TV, like ROKU, for $35 one time each for three TVs. What you don't get is live TV, you pay extra for that, but yesterday is fine with me for the savings. Using it for youtube a lot of broadcast stuff is up there in two hours.


----------



## fbelec (May 22, 2018)

how's the stick work remote with a menu?


----------



## moey (May 22, 2018)

fbelec said:


> how's the stick work remote with a menu?



You navigate with arrow buttons clicking on icons or show names with a select button. At least with the roku ones youll have a better experience with the more expensive models that have faster processors it navigates much faster. I have several of the latest cheap roku sticks and unless you know what you want to watch and dont plan on changing it the experience is not great. I have one of the more expensive models with a faster processor and it works much better to move around between shows/apps.


----------



## Ashful (May 22, 2018)

sportbikerider78 said:


> I'm hoping they do FIOS.  The next few years will tell.  I would love to have broadband of some kind.


FIOS is great in a few ways:

1.  Excellent speed
2.  Doesn’t go down very often, almost always continues working thru power outages.
3.  Better channel line-up than our other local CATV sources.

However, I’m paying $250/mo for a mid-grade triple-play plan.  I’ve always had thoughts of moving away from this, but have not put the required energy into researching the options.  Reading this thread is giving me some inspiration to get moving, on that front.


----------



## begreen (May 22, 2018)

The house vote on the Net Neutrality bill will impact these services. The senate passed the CRA, now it's up to the house to follow through.
https://sandiegofreepress.org/2018/...use-of-representatives-needs-a-push-from-you/


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 22, 2018)

fbelec said:


> been thinkin bout these roku boxes. how does it work? don't know anyone with it so i can't ask. after the purchase is there any charges? does it take a lot of gig from internet service?


NO charges as long as you dont opt for the pay services. I graduated from ROKU about a year ago. Have an android box ,a lot better selection of programming.  I basically only watch the news and movies so it was roku and netflix ,now its android and netflix. Get just about everything .$35 a month all together.


----------



## begreen (May 22, 2018)

What is an Android box? Our TV set and DVD players have network channels available, but it is limited to those that contract with the set mfg. We have Amazon, Netflix and a bunch of other, but no Hulu or YouTube at least on the TV. I need to check the DVD player.

PS: Am I the only one that thinks Netflix has the crappiest user interface ever? We only watch it occasionally because it is such a PITA to locate movies.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 22, 2018)

An android box vs a roku is sort of like windows vs Apple. Android is more open source,sort of a universal platform.  My internet based providers dont use roku anymore and specify Android only.
Br Bart is right about You Tube .Freeintertv.com uses You Tube to bring you a lot of channels ,a few minutes delayed but nicely done .


----------



## Ashful (May 22, 2018)

begreen said:


> PS: Am I the only one that thinks Netflix has the crappiest user interface ever? We only watch it occasionally because it is such a PITA to locate movies.


No, you are not the only one.  And it seems to get worse each year.

Sometimes your watch list comes right up, just as often it's nowhere to be found.  I don't mind the way they like to throw up "Popular on Netflix", and "Because you watched...", but the randomly changing (and I mean almost hourly changing) interface is beyond frustrating.  I can't believe this isn't costing them users, or maybe it is.


----------



## begreen (May 23, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> An android box vs a roku is sort of like windows vs Apple. Android is more open source,sort of a universal platform.  My internet based providers dont use roku anymore and specify Android only.
> Br Bart is right about You Tube .Freeintertv.com uses You Tube to bring you a lot of channels ,a few minutes delayed but nicely done .


What android box do you have? Can it connect and display stuff from your phone?


----------



## sportbikerider78 (May 23, 2018)

Ashful said:


> FIOS is great in a few ways:
> 
> 1.  Excellent speed
> 2.  Doesn’t go down very often, almost always continues working thru power outages.
> ...


I work from home...so my employer pays my internet package.  If it costs $150 or so....so be it.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 23, 2018)

begreen said:


> What android box do you have? Can it connect and display stuff from your phone?


Smart TV Box Android 7.1 OS,2017 OTTBOX Z Turbo Amlogic S912 Octa Core 3GB RAM 16GB ROM 3D 4K HD 2.4G 5G Dual Band Wifi BT4.1 1000M Lan Ethernet 

I dont use it for phone apps,only for my TV pay service.


----------



## begreen (May 23, 2018)

Brand & model? U2C, KUD, or?


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 23, 2018)

begreen said:


> Brand & model? U2C, KUD, or?


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072X8VRLQ/?tag=hearthamazon-20


----------



## begreen (May 23, 2018)

OK, looks like no longer available, though the spec and design is very similar to this box
https://troypoint.com/u2c-z-turbo-android-tv-box-review/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072XK3ZQ4/?tag=hearthamazon-20


----------



## sportbikerider78 (May 23, 2018)

I'm actually looking at a mobile hotspot router by Verizon for all my home internet needs.  They have an unlimited plan for about $100 per month plus device cost.
In the fine print...you loose priority on the 4G LTE after 22gb but that doesn't always mean it will slow down...depends on the area.


----------



## begreen (May 23, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Smart TV Box Android 7.1 OS,2017 OTTBOX Z Turbo Amlogic S912 Octa Core 3GB RAM 16GB ROM 3D 4K HD 2.4G 5G Dual Band Wifi BT4.1 1000M Lan Ethernet
> 
> I dont use it for phone apps,only for my TV pay service.


Have you checked out Kodi for it?
https://kodi.tv/about


----------



## BrotherBart (May 24, 2018)

Kodi is a real pain in the tukus to navigate. And stuff disappears a lot.

Or maybe it is just me.


----------



## begreen (May 24, 2018)

BrotherBart said:


> Kodi is a real pain in the tukus to navigate. And stuff disappears a lot.
> 
> Or maybe it is just me.


Good to know. This is often true of open source stuff. It helps to get on their forums sometimes to solve these issues, but sometimes it's just a matter of waiting until the bug becomes a priority for someone with the time to fix it.


----------



## BrotherBart (May 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> Good to know. This is often true of open source stuff. It helps to get on their forums sometimes to solve these issues, but sometimes it's just a matter of waiting until the bug becomes a priority for someone with the time to fix it.



The cable guys spend a lot of resources trying to kill off Kodi.


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 24, 2018)

We fired the cable guys. We have 2 TV's. We have 2 Roku boxes and 1 Apple box. On the Roku's we have Sling TV allowing us to watch live TV. For our local channels (NBC, CBS, PBS etc.) we use an indoor antenna (Mohu) with much better picture quality than Comcast. On the Roku boxes we have Hulu and Netflix as well. That's all we need. Saved a lot of money cancelling Comcast. I work from home, so our second phone line and our internet (both Comcast) are paid by my employer.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 24, 2018)

I haven't had cable or dish type TV since the early 90s . Never paid more than $20 for a monthly service since then. Used to be "stay away form lawyers and insurance salesmen" both trying to pick your pocket. Now its "Cable,Cell service, and the heating fuel delivery guy.


----------



## begreen (May 24, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> I haven't had cable or dish type TV since the early 90s . Never paid more than $20 for a monthly service since then. Used to be "stay away form lawyers and insurance salesmen" both trying to pick your pocket. Now its "Cable,Cell service, and the heating fuel delivery guy.


What are you using for internet service?


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> What are you using for internet service?


 His neighbor I guess.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> What are you using for internet service?


DSL from verizon. Internet service is the most expensive part of the deal. Paying about $60 a month for that. And you need at least 5Mb a second to get HD so it cant be slow. But there are 4 people on ours with 4 HD TVs .Game boxes ,computers ect..


----------



## begreen (May 24, 2018)

OK, only have Century Tel and we are a long ways from the nearest switch. I think we'd be lucky to get 5 mbps. For a little more a month we have Comcast at something ridiculous like 155 mbps. Our cell signal is also weak whether Verizon or AT&T, so that is a poor option unless 5G improvements change things. Hate to be tied to comcrap, but they have a monopoly out here on the internet highway.


----------



## Ashful (May 24, 2018)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> We fired the cable guys. We have 2 TV's. We have 2 Roku boxes and 1 Apple box. On the Roku's we have Sling TV allowing us to watch live TV. For our local channels (NBC, CBS, PBS etc.) we use an indoor antenna (Mohu) with much better picture quality than Comcast. On the Roku boxes we have Hulu and Netflix as well. That's all we need. Saved a lot of money cancelling Comcast. I work from home, so our second phone line and our internet (both Comcast) are paid by my employer.



I admire your ambition here, but it sounds like an awful lot of work going toward what’s supposed to be your mindless relaxation time.  I get peeved when I can’t remember whether a movie I’ve paused the evening before is on Amazon Prime, Netflix, or Fios on-demand.  I can’t even imagine negotiating the realm of services you employ, to find some programming when I want to sit and relax.


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 24, 2018)

Ashful said:


> I admire your ambition here, but it sounds like an awful lot of work going toward what’s supposed to be your mindless relaxation time.  I get peeved when I can’t remember whether a movie I’ve paused the evening before is on Amazon Prime, Netflix, or Fios on-demand.  I can’t even imagine negotiating the realm of services you employ, to find some programming when I want to sit and relax.



It's all plug and play. No programming involved what so ever. The only thing is we have too many remote controls now.


----------



## Ashful (May 24, 2018)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> It's all plug and play. No programming involved what so ever. The only thing is we have too many remote controls now.



Programming is the old word for what the kids call “content,” today.  I didn’t mean coding.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 24, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Programming is the old word for what the kids call “content,” today.  I didn’t mean coding.



I must be getting too old for this. We watch TV very selectively. A few channels on Sling (BBC, CNN, HGTV, Food Network). The lady uses the Apple TV every now and then. In weekends we use Hulu for some series she follows.


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## Ashful (May 24, 2018)

Im probably younger than most on this forum, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be just as cantankerous.  [emoji14]


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 24, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Im probably younger than most on this forum, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be just as cantankerous.  [emoji14]


I don't even know what that weird word means. 59.


----------



## firefighterjake (May 24, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Im probably younger than most on this forum, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be just as cantankerous.  [emoji14]



Get off my lawn you kids!


----------



## begreen (May 24, 2018)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> I don't even know what that weird word means. 59.


Cantankerous means  someone is grumpy because they can't find a place to tie up their boat.


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## begreen (May 26, 2018)

I got lost yesterday evening looking at IPTV options and reading forum reviews. There are tons of options, but a lot sound like unreliable basement servers in lord knows what country. Wandering through them is like going through a carpet bazar in Tunisia. One needs to exercise a lot of caution for deals that sound good, but with poor service or dubious payment schemes. That said there do appear to be some reliable options. Unfortunately a lot are targeting specific devices like SmartTVs or the Mag 254 box.

Has anyone gone the IPTV route?


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> I got lost yesterday evening looking at IPTV options and reading forum reviews. There are tons of options, but a lot sound like unreliable basement servers in lord knows what country. Wandering through them is like going through a carpet bazar in Tunisia. One needs to exercise a lot of caution for deals that sound good, but with poor service or dubious payment schemes. That said there do appear to be some reliable options. Unfortunately a lot are targeting specific devices like SmartTVs or the Mag 254 box.
> 
> Has anyone gone the IPTV route?



My wife looked into it recently. She spent days researching it. She downloaded some of the apps on the Apple TV as well as on our Smart TV. Well, it was disappointing. Indeed very poor service, very slow, poor quality.


----------



## begreen (May 26, 2018)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> My wife looked into it recently. She spent days researching it. She downloaded some of the apps on the Apple TV as well as on our Smart TV. Well, it was disappointing. Indeed very poor service, very slow, poor quality.


Yes, there is a lot of crap out there from what I can tell. Has she tried torpedo iptv out of Canada? Some others that came up that are reported stable are dabbletv.com, rocketstream, Eternal TV and Crown TV. If she tries or has tried these can you let me know?


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Yes, there is a lot of crap out there from what I can tell. Has she tried torpedo iptv out of Canada? Some others that came up that are reported stable are dabbletv.com, rocketstream, Eternal TV and Crown TV. If she tries or has tried these can you let me know?



I will ask. Stay tuned.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (May 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Yes, there is a lot of crap out there from what I can tell. Has she tried torpedo iptv out of Canada? Some others that came up that are reported stable are dabbletv.com, rocketstream, Eternal TV and Crown TV. If she tries or has tried these can you let me know?


Iv had PIX tv for about a year now with the android box. Very few problems.  I get everything except the travel channel but now i get that from freeintertv.com.  There are forums that deal with this ,same way we talk about woodstoves. If freeintertv.com sticks around i wouldnt need anything else. Time will tell. Like i said before a lot depends on your internet speed ,slow or erratic speed and you will get freeze ups and poor quality picture.


----------



## Jan Pijpelink (May 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Yes, there is a lot of crap out there from what I can tell. Has she tried torpedo iptv out of Canada? Some others that came up that are reported stable are dabbletv.com, rocketstream, Eternal TV and Crown TV. If she tries or has tried these can you let me know?



The one she had most success with is www.kodi.tv


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## begreen (May 26, 2018)

Not sure, but I think kodi is an iptv app, like stalker.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Not sure, but I think kodi is an iptv app, like stalker.



Don't know, I did not get in to it.


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## mass_burner (Jun 2, 2018)

Kodi is the media player. It is basically the structure for your pictures, videos, music, etc. It works via addons. Anyone can write an addon and install it. I have an IPTV service that has it's own addon, I installed it, entered then id and pw, and I was good to go. It has a customizable channel guide. Kodi provides no content. I also use it to manage/play my music and home videos, it's video player is very good! We also use IPTV via Amazon firestick in another room., the firestick is superior to roku, you can directly download any app with it easily. 

Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Jun 2, 2018)

What IPTV service are you using? Does the firestick include a browser for the internet?


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## mass_burner (Jun 2, 2018)

begreen said:


> What IPTV service are you using? Does the firestick include a browser for the internet?


Reloaded TV for kodi; gearstv for firestick. Same company, different names. The firestick has a built in app downloaded. You enter the URL and it gets and installs it.  

Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


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## mass_burner (Jun 2, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> Reloaded TV for kodi; gearstv for firestick. Same company, different names. The firestick has a built in app downloaded. You enter the URL and it gets and installs it.
> 
> Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


Sorry,  I meant, firestick has a built in downloader app. 

Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


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## moey (Jun 2, 2018)

As Ive gotten older 40s. Ive slowed down in my desire to have the latest technology and just pay for some type of "cable" that works out of the box. I currently have directvgo ( $10 a month for 3 months ). After that I will probably switch to slingtv. After that I may try our cable companies pick so many stations. Usually once you cancel one you get a promotion via email to try again. 

I can remember building my own "tivo" with mythtv when I was in my 20s. My mom thought I was stealing something and I should be paying for it when she would visit. Now I just get pissed if I have to reboot something. Although now I clip coupons and look for groceries on sale continually Im pretty sure that money saved is more then trying to save on cable tv and takes less time. Yet almost no one does it.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jun 2, 2018)

Network TV is such a rip-off. Commercials paid for the programming in the past. NOW not only do you have to sit through 15 minutes of commercials for half hour show you have to pay a cable company for the privilege. I think this is why Netflix is so successful,no commercials EVER! Just about everything worth watching these days is available online free or very low cost(PIX $20 Month) for those willing to look for it. Just my 2c.


----------



## Ashful (Jun 2, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Network TV is such a rip-off. Commercials paid for the programming in the past. NOW not only do you have to sit through 15 minutes of commercials for half hour show you have to pay a cable company for the privilege. I think this is why Netflix is so successful,no commercials EVER! Just about everything worth watching these days is available online free or very low cost(PIX $20 Month) for those willing to look for it. Just my 2c.



I think shows are still 26 minutes on the half hour, same as they’ve been for a few decades now.  Movies on TV are a different story, but it’s a good excuse to take a leak, freshen your drink, or check in on hearth.com from your i.thing.

Also, with dvr, you can just skip commercials.


----------



## BrotherBart (Jun 2, 2018)

begreen said:


> What IPTV service are you using? Does the firestick include a browser for the internet?



Firestick has Firefox and Silk browsers. They put Firefox on it to get around Google blocking Fire access to youtube. You can also use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.


----------



## begreen (Jun 2, 2018)

BrotherBart said:


> Firestick has Firefox and Silk browsers. They put Firefox on it to get around Google blocking Fire access to youtube. You can also use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.


Cool, cheap and versatile.


----------



## BrotherBart (Jun 2, 2018)

Yeah when they were on sale for $25 apiece shipped I put one on all three TVs and cancelled that $90 a month Directv basic package that cost us $19.99 a month when we first got it. Now I am inundated with email, mail and phone calls wanting me to come back for $19.99 a month for a year. Too late.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jun 2, 2018)

This was in a CNN story in march:
"The trend toward fewer commercials isn't that popular within the industry, though. Brian Wieser, a senior advertising analyst at Pivotal Research Group, told CNN last week that some networks run as much as* 20 minutes of commercials per hour of programming*."
News channels (which is about the only network TV i watch) seem to really go overboard. I feel like i have sat through the My pillow,and Flex tape ones a thousand times. Its like sitting in traffic.


----------



## begreen (Jun 2, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> This was in a CNN story in march:
> "The trend toward fewer commercials isn't that popular within the industry, though. Brian Wieser, a senior advertising analyst at Pivotal Research Group, told CNN last week that some networks run as much as* 20 minutes of commercials per hour of programming*."
> News channels (which is about he only network TV i watch) seem to really go overboard. I feel like i have sat through the My pillow,and Flex tape ones a thousand times. Its like sitting in traffic.


I believe it. And if it's a special event they seem to have about 50/50 blend of content vs commercials. I have no tolerance for that. Why the first thing on our sets that wore out was the mute button. Since around 2000 we stopped watching commercial television all together. I may be the only one that has never seen the apprentice, survivor, etc..


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jun 2, 2018)

begreen said:


> I may be the only one that has never seen the apprentice, survivor, etc..


I never saw either one, no sitcoms,no idol shows. Outside of the News, I prefer documentaries to all that,travel channel,Dis.science, or a good movie.


----------



## begreen (Jun 2, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> I never saw either one, no sitcoms,no idol shows. Outside of the News, I prefer documentaries to all that,travel channel,Dis.science, or a good movie.


Likewise. Lately we have been watching a lot of Scandinavian who done it's via mHz.


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## mass_burner (Jun 3, 2018)

BrotherBart said:


> Firestick has Firefox and Silk browsers. They put Firefox on it to get around Google blocking Fire access to youtube. You can also use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.


I don't use a browser on my TVs, kodi has a YouTube addon if I need it, but i rarely do. Gears TV via firestck has a sweet channel guide that works with the fierstick remote. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Jun 3, 2018)

Any streaming issues, lag or breakup? Can you get a different remote for the fire stick? I have no desire to have Alexa in the house.


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## mass_burner (Jun 3, 2018)

begreen said:


> Any streaming issues, lag or breakup? Can you get a different remote for the fire stick? I have no desire to have Alexa in the house.


No lag/breakup  to speak of. We even use both streaming at the same time with issues. You don't need to use voice commands, the buttons work just fine. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Jun 3, 2018)

Is Gears TV just US channels? We are interested in international channels too.


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## mass_burner (Jun 3, 2018)

US, CAN, European, HBO, showtime, lots of EU sports channels. 





begreen said:


> Is Gears TV just US channels? We are interested in international channels too.



Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## mass_burner (Jun 3, 2018)

Channel guide PDF here.

https://gearsiptvnow.com/#features

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Jun 3, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> Channel guide PDF here.
> 
> https://gearsiptvnow.com/#features


Yes, I checked that out already. Only US stations listed. I found another location that showed UK and Canadian channels and some hispanic channels, but nothing from Germany, France, Japan, India, etc.. Looks like that may take another source. Not a big deal, looks like there are many options.


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## mass_burner (Jun 6, 2018)

I know there are EU sports, Bein, etc. I remember France 24, but that may be through kodi repository, I'm at the cape house now so I can't check.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Jun 22, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> Reloaded TV for kodi; gearstv for firestick. Same company, different names. The firestick has a built in app downloaded. You enter the URL and it gets and installs it.


Firestick has arrived and is working. Next will be to explore gearstv. I see some discount codes via some you tube channels for this. Legit?


----------



## fbelec (Jun 23, 2018)

i'm going to need a stupid answer to the stupid question i'am about to ask and i hope someone will accommodate.
i see the list of channels on gears tv. that whole list is available but not given unless bought like HBO showtime A&E


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## Seasoned Oak (Jun 23, 2018)

Iv found some of my favorite news programs on the parent network website. Full hour shows with only a small fraction of the commercials aired on the original cable broadcast. Plus you can watch previous shows you may have missed. And watch the show at your convenience,not necessarily when its broadcast. After waiting years for A la Carte TV this is even better as its free.


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## mass_burner (Jun 23, 2018)

begreen said:


> Firestick has arrived and is working. Next will be to explore gearstv. I see some discount codes via some you tube channels for this. Legit?



from Firestick, use fireDL, it makes install much easier. all you need is the 6 digit # provided by the app developer to install. i did use a promo code but it was only $2.


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## mass_burner (Jun 23, 2018)

fbelec said:


> i'm going to need a stupid answer to the stupid question i'am about to ask and i hope someone will accommodate.
> i see the list of channels on gears tv. that whole list is available but not given unless bought like HBO showtime A&E



it's all included. 6 or 7 HBO channels, A&E, 7 or so showtime channels, 8 or so SKY movie channels. They don't have special packages.


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## mass_burner (Jun 23, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> from Firestick, use fireDL, it makes install much easier. all you need is the 6 digit # provided by the app developer to install. i did use a promo code but it was only $2.



oh, the Mayfair guide comes w/gears, install separately, it's pretty cool.


----------



## begreen (Jun 23, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> oh, the Mayfair guide comes w/gears, install separately, it's pretty cool.


Good to know, I just installed Firefox and Pluto TV last night to see how things work. So far very good, no glitches dropouts. One thing the little Amazon primer mentioned was mirroring or pairing with your Android or Apple device. Not sure how that works. Is it just for remote functions or also for easier locating and streaming content? I'm thinking for example of using an iPad which has pictures and movies on it + an easier to use keyboard than the single click option with the remote control.


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## begreen (Jun 24, 2018)

Installed FireDL, then Gears TV and Mayfair. So far ok, though my wife doesn't like the lack of sub-titles and onerous navigation. I'm not fond of having to log in every time Gears TV is launched. Is there a way to save the login info?


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## mass_burner (Jun 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> Installed FireDL, then Gears TV and Mayfair. So far ok, though my wife doesn't like the lack of sub-titles and onerous navigation. I'm not fond of having to log in every time Gears TV is launched. Is there a way to save the login info?



when you open the mayfair guide, it should ask you to activate gearstv. then enter your gearstv id/password. from there just open mayfair, i never open gears tv directly.


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## mass_burner (Jun 24, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> when you open the mayfair guide, it should ask you to activate gearstv. then enter your gearstv id/password. from there just open mayfair, i never open gears tv directly.



if you press the button with the 4 horizontal lines, then exit your channel. the mayfair menu comes up. I like "favorites builder". Let's you create your own guide.


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## begreen (Jun 24, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> when you open the mayfair guide, it should ask you to activate gearstv. then enter your gearstv id/password. from there just open mayfair, i never open gears tv directly.


Yes, that is the way I set it up. We are still trying to figure out navigation there. Like how to see the entire days's options not just the current few hours.  Is there an online equivalent where one can look at the next week's programming?


mass_burner said:


> if you press the button with the 4 horizontal lines, then exit your channel. the mayfair menu comes up. I like "favorites builder". Let's you create your own guide.


Good tip, thanks. Also, let's say you are watching a moving, but then step into the guide to see what is coming next of when the show ends. Mayfair puts the current movie in the upper left corner and displays the guide in the rest of the area. How does one return back to the movie after previewing the guide? Seeking a good online resource for mayfair today.

PS: Amazon is pushing Sling. Anyone subscribed to that?


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## mass_burner (Jun 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> Yes, that is the way I set it up. We are still trying to figure out navigation there. Like how to see the entire days's options not just the current few hours.  Is there an online equivalent where one can look at the next week's programming?
> 
> Good tip, thanks. Also, let's say you are watching a moving, but then step into the guide to see what is coming next of when the show ends. Mayfair puts the current movie in the upper left corner and displays the guide in the rest of the area. How does one return back to the movie after previewing the guide? Seeking a good online resource for mayfair today.
> 
> PS: Amazon is pushing Sling. Anyone subscribed to that?



How does one return back to the movie after previewing the guide?>

2 ways, either select the channel again (middle of the circle) or button with 4 lines then return to channel.


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## begreen (Jun 24, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> How does one return back to the movie after previewing the guide?>
> 
> 2 ways, either select the channel again (middle of the circle) or button with 4 lines then return to channel.


I kept going to the next selected movie in the menu when I clicked the middle of the circle. I will try to deselect first if that is possible.


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## mass_burner (Jun 24, 2018)

begreen said:


> I kept going to the next selected movie in the menu when I clicked the middle of the circle. I will try to deselect first if that is possible.



the circle in the middle is in effect enter, 12,3,6,9 pm are up,right,down,left respectively. if you press up/down while a channel is playing, it will cycle through the guide while still viewing your current channel. if you want to switch, just enter. if not, press the return arrow to cancel.


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## mass_burner (Jun 24, 2018)

mass_burner said:


> the circle in the middle is in effect enter, 12,3,6,9 pm are up,right,down,left respectively. if you press up/down while a channel is playing, it will cycle through the guide while still viewing your current channel. if you want to switch, just enter. if not, press the return arrow to cancel.



if you press left/right while a channel is playing, it will cycle through the guide for that channel you're watching, while still viewing your current channel. press the return arrow to cancel.


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## begreen (Jun 25, 2018)

Thanks for the help mass_burner, I'm starting to get the hang of it now. It's just like cable, 500 channels of which most have old stuff,  or garbage. I'll have to work on setting up a favorites menu to screen out all the crap, but I need to know more about the channel schedules. Does the programming match current programming for your region or is it all old taped stuff? For example, we started watching John Oliver on HBO and it turned out to be a program from last Christmas.


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## mass_burner (Jun 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Thanks for the help mass_burner, I'm starting to get the hang of it now. It's just like cable, 500 channels of which most have old stuff,  or garbage. I'll have to work on setting up a favorites menu to screen out all the crap, but I need to know more about the channel schedules. Does the programming match current programming for your region or is it all old taped stuff? For example, we started watching John Oliver on HBO and it turned out to be a program from last Christmas.


 it seems accurate, i do most of my viewing on reloaded tv via kodi. but then again, i watch movies mainly, so there are very few shows i watch sequentially.

Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


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## mass_burner (Jul 7, 2018)

not really a big fan, but i have been able to watch all the WC football (can't get used to saying that) matches. they even have replays later if you missed it live.

Sent from my V11 using Tapatalk


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## grayson05 (Jul 8, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Network TV is such a rip-off. Commercials paid for the programming in the past. NOW not only do you have to sit through 15 minutes of commercials for half hour show you have to pay a cable company for the privilege. I think this is why Netflix is so successful,no commercials EVER! Just about everything worth watching these days is available online free or very low cost(PIX $20 Month) for those willing to look for it. Just my 2c.



This is actually true even in our house. Kids prefer streaming Netflix than Cable TV because they literally choose whatever show they want to watch and how much time they want to spend on it (usually binge). Sometimes, we even use Apple TV just to rent recent movies not available on Netflix.


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## begreen (Jul 9, 2018)

grayson05 said:


> This is actually true even in our house. Kids prefer streaming Netflix than Cable TV because they literally choose whatever show they want to watch and how much time they want to spend on it (usually binge). Sometimes, we even use Apple TV just to rent recent movies not available on Netflix.


Watched a chapter of Blue Planet II the other night on BBC America. I was very surprised that there were regular commercial interruptions.


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## begreen (Nov 4, 2018)

Well, we've given it a few months and truth be told our impression is meh. We have been getting buffering issues that always come at the worst times. It's odd because for the programs following there is no issue. This has happened for a couple weeks now and drives my wife crazy. The other issue is the out of sync scheduling and difficulty finding view worthy content.


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## sportbikerider78 (Nov 5, 2018)

I despise regular tv so much that even when I'm in a hotel room with 100 channels and 2 50" tv's, I'm on my laptop watching what I want.


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## Ashful (Nov 5, 2018)

sportbikerider78 said:


> I despise regular tv so much that even when I'm in a hotel room with 100 channels and 2 50" tv's, I'm on my laptop watching what I want.



I’m usually on hearth.com.  TV is just background noise, usually an old episode of MASH, Cheers, or All in the Family, if I can find it.


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## fbelec (Nov 6, 2018)

those shows were funny todays shows just don't have it


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## begreen (Nov 6, 2018)

No argument there. We haven't watched broadcast tv for a couple decades and 90% of what is on cable tv is often boring crap.


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## Ashful (Nov 6, 2018)

fbelec said:


> those shows were funny todays shows just don't have it


Those shows were great, but there are some new ones that have been very good, too.  In the last five or ten years I’ve enjoyed:

Big Bang Theory
Last Man Standing
Mike & Molly

If we have to find something between then and now, there’s Third Rock from the Sun and Frasier.  Heck, even All in the Family and Cheers were almost 20 years apart... it’s not like TV was full of great stuff back then.


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## sportbikerider78 (Nov 9, 2018)

Ashful said:


> I’m usually on hearth.com.  TV is just background noise, usually an old episode of MASH, Cheers, or All in the Family, if I can find it.


Yep.

I pick what I want from netflix and prime.  That is really all I watch.


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## mass_burner (Nov 11, 2018)

That's odd, I was thinking the other day that the service was getting better, I rarely, if ever,  have any buffering. The only buffering we get is when the microwave is run on the same circuit as the TV. The guide, were you using the Mayfair guide? It's not 100% accurate, but pretty close. 





begreen said:


> Well, we've given it a few months and truth be told our impression is meh. We have been getting buffering issues that always come at the worst times. It's odd because for the programs following there is no issue. This has happened for a couple weeks now and drives my wife crazy. The other issue is the out of sync scheduling and difficulty finding view worthy content.



Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Nov 11, 2018)

It might just be that Friday night is a heavy load? This has happened a few times now. Yet we watched Outlander last night and it was fine.

Yes, we use Mayfair, but what we need is something we can view a week ahead of time so that we can plan around the off-synch scheduling. Is there a way to preview the schedule, ideally on a computer, so that I can print up a schedule in advance for the upcoming week?


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## mass_burner (Nov 11, 2018)

begreen said:


> It might just be that Friday night is a heavy load? This has happened a few times now. Yet we watched Outlander last night and it was fine.
> 
> Yes, we use Mayfair, but what we need is something we can view a week ahead of time so that we can plan around the off-synch scheduling. Is there a way to preview the schedule, ideally on a computer, so that I can print up a schedule in advance for the upcoming week?


You should be able to either print a listing from a cable provider for national channels, since they're all the same. Or from a local provider for local channels. My listing appears to be ~1.5 days into the future. There is a website for users to ask questions, report issues. Do you have that link?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## begreen (Nov 11, 2018)

That was my first thought. However, the Gears TV schedule on the West coast at least does not jibe with cable provider schedules that I have looked at. And sometimes they start programs at odd hours like 8:45pm so you miss part if you tune in at 9pm. I haven't been on any forums for this yet. We're not diehard tv watchers so I just grumble and wonder if it's worth it.


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## mass_burner (Nov 11, 2018)

Now that think about it more, it might not be possible to get 100% accurate. Gears TV aggregates streams from many cable providers and satellite providers nation wide, for US channels for example. Getting the time/programming differences across all the various streams is next to impossible for them, Google they ain't!

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## begreen (Nov 11, 2018)

I would rather they just time shifted equally for mainstream US cable channels. Say 1 hr after normal. The randomness without a weekly program guide (even online) is what's frustrating.


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## SlyFerret (Mar 3, 2019)

I’ve been using PhiloTV lately.  $16/mo for a bunch of networks, but no sports channels.  Slling is the next best deal if ESPN is a requirement.

-SF




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## begreen (Mar 3, 2019)

I had been subscribing to GearsTV but just pulled the plug. It has a bazillion channels but we actually only watched a few. The scheduling was erratic for us on the west coast and the Mayfair guide was poor. They recently did an upgrade to the guide which crashed a lot, forgot our account, lost favorites settings, etc.. We usually only watched on Friday night and weekends. It would often take 5-15 minutes before the program we wanted to watch just to get through updates, locating the channel and actually being able to watch. Just not worth it.

Looked at Philo, but again, we don't watch most of these channels. May just end up individually subscribing to something like Netflix, HBO or Starz. Or maybe none. We don't need the latest programming and have an excellent library system that we can get DVDs through. The online live broadcasting we watch is local news, MHz and some PBS programs.


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## Seasoned Oak (Mar 3, 2019)

The savings from eliminating the high cost of TV programming is now being spent on Internet access. My internet is $96 a month. Just under my electric bill. TV programming is $20 or nothing. Depending. These days the Internet runs everything so its not like theres a substitute. Kids are in Cyber school so they pay $50 of it. Cant get squat that works or a decent speed for $50.


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## begreen (Mar 3, 2019)

We're fortunate I guess. Up until about 15 yrs ago our options sucked. I had to work over ISDN and it was painful, but then Comcast strung cable and it was a world of difference. The speed steadily gets faster. I think we pay about $70/month. 

Signed up for Hulu today. At $5.99/month we'll try it for a bit and see if we like it.


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## Seasoned Oak (Mar 3, 2019)

begreen said:


> Comcast strung cable and it was a world of difference. The speed steadily gets faster. I think we pay about $70/month.
> 
> .


I had lousy service and low speed from verizon for yrs. And high cost for what you got 3 to 7 MBS for $73 . Finally for a bit more $96 we get 150Mbs and 2 terabytes of data a month from Cable Internet.  Was $86 for 1 Terabyte but going over the data was way too costly, so had to go up to the next tier.


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## moey (Mar 3, 2019)

The last 6 months I have used directv now. Its $40 a month but your allowed 2 streams. I split it with my mother ( different house ) we each use one stream ( well I pay for it but at least she is saving on cable ). Directv now has posted on their forums its ok to share they really dont care. Although they only give you the local channels where your billing address is so if the person you share with is outside your billing area they dont get any local channels. 

Something to consider if you have someone to split it with its a really good deal.


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## CaptSpiff (Mar 4, 2019)

moey said:


> The last 6 months I have used directv now. Its $40 a month but your allowed 2 streams. I split it with my mother ( different house ) we each use one stream ( well I pay for it but at least she is saving on cable ). Directv now has posted on their forums its ok to share they really dont care. Although they only give you the local channels where your billing address is so if the person you share with is outside your billing area they dont get any local channels.
> 
> Something to consider if you have someone to split it with its a really good deal.



Does DirectTV give you 2 sat antenna and receiver boxes, or is this internet based?


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## moey (Mar 4, 2019)

CaptSpiff said:


> Does DirectTV give you 2 sat antenna and receiver boxes, or is this internet based?



https://www.directvnow.com/ is internet based. You need to buy a roku or sometype of streaming device that supports it to connect to your Tv. They range in price from $20 to $60.


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