Streaming TV Anyone?

[tsptalk]

I've been using YouTubeTV instead of DirecTV for the last year but they just increased their prices again to $65 so just started looking into alternatives like SlingTV, Hulu + Live TV, etc., as another option.

Some have free and DVR capabilities, different channels available, some with local channel options, etc.

There are so many options now. Does anybody have any insight on which they like and why?

 

[Bullitt]

I haven't been able to find a one stop shop that covers all the needs of cable + DVR, but it can be done. The killer is internet. Once you un-bundle that from the cable provider, you'll likely pay more for it. If you pay $60 for internet and then $60 for Youtube Live, you're already at $120, likely where you would have been before. Then you tack on NFLX or another service, and things start to add up.

If I was to go with a streaming service I'd go with Hulu Live TV since we have the low tier for watching shows and movies and it suits our needs.

For live sports I use an antenna. You might get lucky with locast.org if it is available in your region.

There's always some give and take. Disney at $4.99 a month is a much better deal than CBS for $4.99 a month. You have to be careful what services you pick a la carte, as you can easily find yourself paying more for streaming than you were with cable. Sounds like many of these services are due to start increasing rates soon too.

 

[Stoplight]

I've been using YouTubeTV instead of DirecTV for the last year but they just increased their prices again to $65 so just started looking into alternatives like SlingTV, Hulu + Live TV, etc., as another option.

Some have free and DVR capabilities, different channels available, some with local channel options, etc.

There are so many options now. Does anybody have any insight on which they like and why?

Darn good question, Tom !!! Picking your best streaming TV is harder than picking a good stock buy !!!

A lot of people recommend starting with the question : "What channels do I actually WATCH ?" If you haven't seen it, here's an interesting site, where you enter all that info, even prioritize it, and then it supposedly gives you the various options and costs of the "best fit" ! STILL can be overwhelming, especially if you're into local/regional pro and college sports teams...

Costs and "deals" may or may not be accurate, because it seems like offers change daily...but I found it to be a great starting point !

https://www.suppose.tv/


HTH !


Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

Tom,

FYI...For me ? I'm "Old School" with cable TV ! Long time customer of (now) ATT's satellite DirecTV, too...also, they are my VOIP phone and fiber Internet provider...

A year ago, added a 4K TV to my home mix...when I started looking into reducing my TV costs, by streaming, I approached them...they offered some good deals that made me stay with DTV !

I gotta admit...we LIKE surfing through the DTV channels and finding some weird stuff, on channels that we'd never normally watch !!! ATT is giving me a NFL Network package, too...(assuming they'll play !!!)

Upgraded my DTV and DVR receiver to handle 4K (but be careful...hardware is picky, and DTV doesn't have much 4K content...also had to re-up DTV for 2 years !) They also dropped the cost of my VOIP phone, and increased my Inet speed to 100 Mbps, at a reduced cost...all those discounts/credits have now lapsed, so it's time to threaten them, again !!! :smile:

We're NOT big movie watchers...so Netflix had no appeal...I DID add an Amazon 4K Firestick...already a Prime member, so that was a no-brainer...paying for Prime Video, anyway !!! They have some cool stuff, several in 4K, AND you can access your DTV channels from the Stick, when the satellite craps out, in bad weather, like it does often, here in FL !!!

As a sci fi /sports fan, I added the Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu bundle...~$15/month.
The sports have been a wash, with the covid...but I've been surprised at how many old series I've watched, on Hulu ! Gotta put up with ads...no worse than OTA TV, though... :smile:


Stoplight...

 

[weatherweenie]

We're NOT big movie watchers...so Netflix had no appeal..

Netflix is WAY more than movies!

 

[Stoplight]

Netflix is WAY more than movies!

WW,

Heard !!!

But :

$9 : SD ; 1 screen
$13 : HD ; 2 screens
$16 : HD/some 4K (if available) ; 4 screens

...based on a quick net search !!!

Not my "cup of tea"...haven't seen any ads for content that say "Oh Man !!! I wanna see THAT !!!"

...but that's just me !


Stoplight...

 

[Rfee]

A Tivo ota dvr with lifetime service for locals and sling tv that has built in dvr functionality has worked perfect for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[tsptalk]

I noticed with Sling TV, CNBC was extra, as was getting 50 (vs. the 10 free) DVR recording hours. They also didn't allow pausing / recording of some channels.

Currently I'm leaning toward Hulu + live TV in my free trial period with them and Sling.

YoutubeTV has been good and I've had it for about a year now. Going from $39.99 to $64.99 so quickly was a turnoff, but not a deal breaker. The other thing I didn't like about them was their recommended shows list for me. I always had to hunt for the shows that I watched regularly for some reason. Kind of like Google. "Don't watch that. Here's what we want you to see." So, they're probably going to be replaced with sling or hulu.

As bullitt said, with internet, and adding Prime and Netflix, it adds up.