Author Topic: Watching TV off the 'grid'... (Read 9788 times)

VirginiaJim · « **on:** March 30, 2016, 06:58:10 AM »

I'm starting to think about watching more shows away from my satellite provider (Directv). My Internet access is through my cable provider. I'm interested in fee or free, but it has to be legal. Not quasi-legal, but totally legal. I may be limiting myself with that caveat but I would rather not watch it all than go through a less than legal means of access.

For instance, I do have Netflix and Amazon Prime with the Starz add-on. I am paying for both SBK and MotoGP through their streaming services. Both of them are now shown through BEIN Sports but it's ridiculous what you have to pay Directv to get this channel. It's cheaper for me to pay for direct streaming and video playback through SBK and MotoGP.

I'm hoping this thread will spur some interest in this as I'm hoping many of us are either thinking about doing this or actively watching shows using their Internet access.

gPink · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2016, 07:20:56 AM »

Trying to get the wife to abandon sat (Direct), ditch the land line, put up an antenna for local broadcast, run fiber to the house for internet fast enough to stream. It's like trying to cut the umbilical all over again. I might even upgrade the computer.

Conrad · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:28:22 AM »

I cut the Direct TV cord a while back and we've been watching 95% of the shows that we enjoy over the network. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Xfinity online (we have Comcast as our ISP). The remaining 5% comes from an antenna mounted on a 30' tower that I installed years ago. I stopped using the antenna when I had Direct TV but connected it all back up. I get a ton of Chicago broadcast stations in HD.

The only issue that I have with watching programs over the network is the commercials. My issue with the commercials is that they seem to screw up the streaming of programs from time to time. If I'm watching a show over a non-commercial network (HBO for example) the show will stream from start to finish without issue. But if I watch a show with commercials the commercials will sometimes screw things up. Sometimes after a commercial the damn show will reset and start from the beginning. Other times the commercial will start and stop, over and over. Once in a while the commercial will just lock up and I have to restart. I'm thinking that the way the programming/formatting is done for the commercials effects the player (either the laptop (connected to the TV via HDMI) or the BD player).

VirginiaJim · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:38:31 AM »

I had issues with Hulu sometime back with commercials on their pay service. Couldn't stand seeing the same ones over and over and over again. I understand that they may be doing something a bit different now but that really soured me on them.

Rhino · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:57:00 AM »

I cut the cord when I moved from Colorado to Texas. My ISP is Time Warner and use an Apple TV and a Roku. Currently paying for Netflix, HBO Now and Hulu Plus. Hardly ever watch Hulu due to commercials and was thinking of dropping that but Conrad intrigued me with 11-22-63 and will check that out before deciding on Hulu.

I also recently picked up a digital TV antenna at Best Buy for $29 and watched broadcast for the first time in almost 3 decades. Amazed at how good the digital quality is over the air. I used it to watch the Super Bowl and didn't mind the commercials.

I predict that in the near future everything other than live events will be on demand. I can only vaguely remember the bad old days of having to sit in front of the TV at the allotted time slot to watch something. Even when I had a Comcast TV with a DVR I had to remember to record the things I wanted and sometimes had to make a trade off on which shows to record. On occasion something would go wrong (cable out or power glitch) and something wouldn't get recorded. On demand streaming technology has completely made that obsolete.

Rhino · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:59:11 AM »

Quote from: VirginiaJim on March 30, 2016, 09:38:31 AM

I had issues with Hulu sometime back with commercials on their pay service. Couldn't stand seeing the same ones over and over and over again. I understand that they may be doing something a bit different now but that really soured me on them.

+1 Still see them. They are much shorter then regular TV and I like the little clock showing how much time still left in the commercial but now most of my watching is commercial free on Netflix or HBO.

freebird6 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2016, 01:06:07 PM »

I am using Skystream X . Bought the box and hooked it up. Good internet connection and away you go. Takes some time to get KODI the way you want it but once you are there it is free....if you got internet.

http://www.skystreamx.com/

petepro · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2016, 02:23:32 PM »

why is everyone jumping from direct tv?

i was thinking of going that way from cable.

jettawreck · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2016, 02:37:17 PM »

Quote from: gPink on March 30, 2016, 07:20:56 AM

Trying to get the wife to abandon sat (Direct), ditch the land line, put up an antenna for local broadcast, run fiber to the house for internet fast enough to stream. It's like trying to cut the umbilical all over again. I might even upgrade the computer.

Same here. Only issue (well, maybe not the "only" issue) is that our Internet options are very limited out in the northwoods and none of the options is very good/fast. Maybe fast enough or not don't know yet, but I think we are getting ready to find out.

Rhino · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2016, 03:00:13 PM »

Quote from: petepro on March 30, 2016, 02:23:32 PM

why is everyone jumping from direct tv?

i was thinking of going that way from cable.

I didn't jump from Direct TV but from cable TV. Same thing getting the signal different ways. My main reasons are cost and watching commercial free on demand.

freebird6 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2016, 03:56:54 PM »

Quote from: petepro on March 30, 2016, 02:23:32 PM

why is everyone jumping from direct tv?

i was thinking of going that way from cable.

I had Primestar before DirecTV bought them. Now ATT bought them. I still love my direct but I am not enamoured of the cost. Now I love my Skystream X

Jim H · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2016, 04:19:12 PM »

Been off cable for almost 4 years. Use Roku (just got a roku 3). Only thing I pay for
is Netflix. I watch regular shows using the Plex app downloaded to my laptop to act as the server. I then click on the plex app on my roku and all my channels I put in there come right up. ABC, CBS, NBC, HGTV, CW, etc. I have absolutely no commercials this way. I wait a day or so after the new show premiers and it is available on Plex. Also all my pics on my laptop can be viewed as well as all my music.....all on the big screen.

I watch the nightly news (sometimes), and that is a channel called NoWhere Tv. So much available.....any questions PM me......

I do not have a NFL package (but that is available for a fee), but it seems as though they were streaming the playoffs and the SuperBowl.

Jim

Conrad · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:42:10 AM »

Quote from: petepro on March 30, 2016, 02:23:32 PM

why is everyone jumping from direct tv?

i was thinking of going that way from cable.

For me it was the cost (I was with DTV for 15 years) and the fact that I never watch THAT much TV. There's hundreds of channels on DTV but only a certain number of hours in the day to watch. I cut my bill down to a fraction of what it was but I still have more than enough stuff to watch.

gPink · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:48:52 AM »

same here. Looking to save 1200-1500 a year.

Rhino · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2016, 07:20:57 AM »

Quote from: Jim H on March 30, 2016, 04:19:12 PM

Been off cable for almost 4 years. Use Roku (just got a roku 3). Only thing I pay for
is Netflix. I watch regular shows using the Plex app downloaded to my laptop to act as the server. I then click on the plex app on my roku and all my channels I put in there come right up. ABC, CBS, NBC, HGTV, CW, etc. I have absolutely no commercials this way. I wait a day or so after the new show premiers and it is available on Plex. Also all my pics on my laptop can be viewed as well as all my music.....all on the big screen.

I watch the nightly news (sometimes), and that is a channel called NoWhere Tv. So much available.....any questions PM me......

I do not have a NFL package (but that is available for a fee), but it seems as though they were streaming the playoffs and the SuperBowl.

Jim

I'm going to have to check out this Plex app. Thanks for the info.

just gone · « **Reply #15 on:** March 31, 2016, 09:19:03 AM »

I love seeing all these options, but I doubt I could get the S.O. off of Directv. It would also take some adjustment on my part to go from the DVR to the on demand thing. Currently we also use Netflix and Amazon Prime as well so that would help make the switch. We did manage to cut the phone line and went with magicJack and cable internet. Our price went from over $90 per month to $60 and our speed went from 1meg to 60+meg. The magicJack problems are somewhat of a pain, the caller ID is number only so the only time we see a name is if another magicJack customer calls us. The time stamp on the calls is wrong by an hour for half of the year (during standard time). The tones used for phone menus don't work either. We can hear them but the computer on the other end never responds so if we absolutely need to go through those we have to hang up and then recall on the cell phone. I still get "the look" from the S.O. when ever that happens as she goes to get her cell phone and start all over again. I'm not sure it would be worth it to get "the look" every time she couldn't find a show or live broadcast she wanted to see if we got rid of DirecTv.

Conrad · « **Reply #16 on:** March 31, 2016, 09:48:06 AM »

"the look"

Gary and Marty,

Why do you still have that landline? Cut that cord man! You'll be ok with just that cell I promise.

Rhino · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2016, 10:08:07 AM »

Quote from: Conrad on March 31, 2016, 09:48:06 AM

"the look"

Gary and Marty,

Why do you still have that landline? Cut that cord man! You'll be ok with just that cell I promise.

+1

Deziner · « **Reply #18 on:** March 31, 2016, 10:37:45 AM »

gPink · « **Reply #19 on:** March 31, 2016, 11:37:08 AM »

Quote from: Conrad on March 31, 2016, 09:48:06 AM

"the look"

Gary and Marty,

Why do you still have that landline? Cut that cord man! You'll be ok with just that cell I promise.

Gotta keep the land line for the dsl til I can get the fiber connection.

News:

Author Topic: Watching TV off the 'grid'... (Read 9788 times)