Cable TV - Ahhh buh bye

[Matthew Strongin]

A revamped AppleTV (possibly with an app store) could make things even more interesting on this front...

We've been cable TV-free for a year+ now, it's great, other than trying to borrow logins to watch live sports on the web.

We should know more in a few hours what the revamped AppleTV will bring. I use an older one as my non-cable entertainment hub and the interface leaves a lot to be desired. I still generally like the integration with iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc...but the control and interface feels very early 2000s iPod.

[deadbeef]

We should know more in a few hours what the revamped AppleTV will bring. I use an older one as my non-cable entertainment hub and the interface leaves a lot to be desired. I still generally like the integration with iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc...but the control and interface feels very early 2000s iPod.

We have a couple of the little black hockey pucks. Airplay is the killer feature for us, but it'd be nice if the interface and "app" model would get an overhaul.

I don't mind paying for content, I'd *love* a model where I can buy an app for watching eurosport/college hoops/NBA/whatever right on the AppleTV. I know there's a lot of contractual red tape that makes this easier said than done, but I can dream.

[Matthew Strongin]

I don't mind paying for content, I'd *love* a model where I can buy an app for watching eurosport/college hoops/NBA/whatever right on the AppleTV. I know there's a lot of contractual red tape that makes this easier said than done, but I can dream.

Exactly. My cable bill (I haven't cut the cord yet) is huge so that I can get some of the channels to watch live events that I care about. I'd gladly redirect that money into pay per view services if I could manage all of it from the same device. I don't mind using Airplay from time to time, but more often than not I'm multitasking and don't want to rely on my laptop to stream content while also letting me surf the web/catch up on email/get work done.

[Too Tall]

Watching for details on the Apple product. ANXIOUSLY.

Agreed, airplay is excellent.

[deadbeef]

Definitely getting a new AppleTV once it's released. The MLB app demo they gave is how most sports "TV" should be.

[Too Tall]

Definitely getting a new AppleTV once it's released. The MLB app demo they gave is how most sports "TV" should be.

(cough) bet Amazon still won't be available (cough).

[deadbeef]

(cough) bet Amazon still won't be available (cough).

Maybe, maybe not. The Amazon prime app on iOS doesn't stop you from AirPlaying content to a big screen, so if Amazon was really concerned about locking stuff down and making people buy fire devices they would have disabled that.

We will see... I think Amazon is more concerned about keeping people subscribed and gathering as much data about what people watch as they can.

[Too Tall]

Word.
Airplay eh? I'm back.

Maybe, maybe not. The Amazon prime app on iOS doesn't stop you from AirPlaying content to a big screen, so if Amazon was really concerned about locking stuff down and making people buy fire devices they would have disabled that.

We will see... I think Amazon is more concerned about keeping people subscribed and gathering as much data about what people watch as they can.

[rec head]

Maybe, maybe not. The Amazon prime app on iOS doesn't stop you from AirPlaying content to a big screen, so if Amazon was really concerned about locking stuff down and making people buy fire devices they would have disabled that.

We will see... I think Amazon is more concerned about keeping people subscribed and gathering as much data about what people watch as they can.

It seems like it is in Amazon's best interest to have it available on every device possible. They can't be making much money on their devices. It is more about eyeballs than devices.

[rec head]

Does anybody else use a PC to stream? I don't use it much but we wanted to see the new Late Night with Colbert and I forgot to record it. I watched using CBS.com and it was a miserable experience. Really poor quality and the commercial brakes were LONG and repetitious. I won't do it again. I have fast internet and can't be bothered with poor streaming quality.

There are plenty of shows I have tried to watch that I stopped because of the crappy service. I have noticed that streaming to my wired PC is often worse than a dedicated device like the Chromecast. I think it has to do with copy protection. If you have it on your PC then you can pirate it. Streaming devices are safer. Anyone else notice this?

[rmplum]

Get a good amplifier.

That little RCA 751R does pretty well. I slung it up on the carport last night, aimed around 75-80 degrees (give or take). First scan pulled in 40 channels or so unamplified (amp arrives tomorrow). It's a lightweight unit, and installation/setup was super easy.

I was a bit surprised that it grabbed the Toledo stations to the SE and the Lansing channels to my NW even though I clearly have the thing biased to grab the Detroit metro stations.

Channel 9 (CBET-DT, CBC out of Windsor, ON) did not scan in last night.

TVfool chart.jpg

[EricKeller]

I think in the midwest you are likely to have good success with an antenna. I remember living in Wisconsin in the old analog days, we were getting channels from all over. I was feeling jealous of my sister in Virginia, since she can pick up all the DC channels, including BBC. I still want to try this, the bill is ridiculous considering how little we get out of it

[Too Tall]

With that antenna design you get channels off the front and back of your aim.

Well done mano.

[Saab2000]

Bringing this to the top again because I just got a Roku 2 device. So far it seems pretty cool.

Are there any less obvious things I should look for? I'm looking pretty much exclusively for free or nearly free content at this point. The whole point of this was to eliminate cable TV and save some money.

Anyway to get live cycling? Or relatively affordable cycling? What about other content?

Anyone else have one of these devices? What do you enjoy the most?

[davids]

I replaced Comcast "triple play" @ $210/month with Internet only for $60/month when we moved.

One HDTV antenna for $25 gets us about 30 ota stations. The roku connects us to Netflix, Amazon Prime, hbo, and Hulu (and a thousand other services we don't much use). Netflix is $10/month and totally worth it. Hbo, too. Prime pays for itself on free shipping. Hulu is pay as you go, usually $4-6 per movie.

I think nbc sports has a streaming subscription for the TdF for $20-30. I'll let you know. I've decided to save $1,800/year and see how that goes.

I don't miss the pots line or cable TV at all.

[Saab2000]

I replaced Comcast "triple play" @ $210/month with Internet only for $60/month when we moved.

One HDTV antenna for $25 gets us about 30 ota stations. The roku connects us to Netflix, Amazon Prime, hbo, and Hulu (and a thousand other services we don't much use). Netflix is $10/month and totally worth it. Hbo, too. Prime pays for itself on free shipping. Hulu is pay as you go, usually $4-6 per movie.

I think nbc sports has a streaming subscription for the TdF for $20-30. I'll let you know. I've decided to save $1,800/year and see how that goes.

I don't miss the pots line or cable TV at all.

I sort of miss "Morning Joe" and ESPN. But I'll survive without them too.

I too am trying to save a lot on cable but still have a few options. There is in fact a lot of free content and I'll just have to explore. So far it seems way easier to use than I expected. I've never used one of these devices in the past.

Last winter I asked my brother, who owns a Roku, what he thought of Apple TV. Next thing I know he bought me a Roku 2 for the holidays and I've been so swamped the past few months I didn't even take it out of the box. Today I went to Best Buy for the requisite HDMI cable (should be included but it's hardly a deal breaker that it's not) and set it up. Setup took 10 minutes and was very intuitive.

I also have a digital antenna for local OTA channels and some of their subchannels. PBS is the best of them with some occasionally great content. I love all the This Old House shows!

It will take some time to find everything. Supposedly there are like 2000 apps/channels available. Right now, for budget concerns, I'm trying to maximize my free content.

[roseyscot]

To watch euro cycling, you should get a chromecast and "cast" the cycling.tv feeds from your laptop or phone to the tv. We use Roku for Netflix and Amazon video.

[Nierman]

Got Fiber last fall then finally ditched TWC after the Royals won it. Netflix & Chromecast on 2 tvs seems to work for our family now. Watching The Wonder Years with the kids has been a Sunday eve staple we look forward to. Kids used to just watch Youtube anyway.

I search for a Eurosport feed like Rosey points out when I want to watch cycling. Steephill.tv will usually have a decent feed if I can't find one from some nice Russian.

[m_b_b]

I went with Apple TV, and minimum cable+internet, because it costs less to get the cable channels than internet alone. And the local channels get me enough football (american) in the fall. AppleTV is good if you exist in the apple ecosystem, and for me a big reason was to have my iTunes (and now apple music) libraries. Netflix, Hulu (ad-free for $12/month), HBO Go provide plenty of content. And tons of stuff to rent on iTunes if needed.

I'm doing the FuboTV Giro d'Italia thing, working great so far for $7 for the entire Giro. Last year did the TdF through the NBC app (had to stream from my iPad). Other stuff I can stream via steephill.tv on my Mac and then push over Airplay to the appleTV.

Not sure in the end I'm saving that much over cable once you add up all the services, but I haven't watched a commercial in months, and I watch what I want when I want to without having to remember to set the DVR.

[Saab2000]

I went with Apple TV, and minimum cable+internet, because it costs less to get the cable channels than internet alone. And the local channels get me enough football (american) in the fall. AppleTV is good if you exist in the apple ecosystem, and for me a big reason was to have my iTunes (and now apple music) libraries. Netflix, Hulu (ad-free for $12/month), HBO Go provide plenty of content. And tons of stuff to rent on iTunes if needed.

I'm doing the FuboTV Giro d'Italia thing, working great so far for $7 for the entire Giro. Last year did the TdF through the NBC app (had to stream from my iPad). Other stuff I can stream via steephill.tv on my Mac and then push over Airplay to the appleTV.

Not sure in the end I'm saving that much over cable once you add up all the services, but I haven't watched a commercial in months, and I watch what I want when I want to without having to remember to set the DVR.

I don't mind a one time fee for something like the TdF or Giro. It's the monthly fees for something I may or may not use much that will kill me. The monthly fees in our lives nickel and dime us to death and I'm trying to limit them. About the only 'luxury' monthly fee I have is my Verizon iPhone, which is a nearly 3-year old phone at this point and I get a corporate discount, keeping it under $70/month.

I'm just trying to avoid $20 here, $10 there per month that add up to, like you said, the same as the cable bill. Eventually I may choose one or two of these services.

I have added a few free news channels and the NASA channel and the Smithsonian and PBS. I'm just looking for free stuff at the moment and those all look great for now.

So far I'm pretty impressed with the ROKU. It works better than I thought it would with my internet connection, which is great near the router, but sucks like 30 feet away. It's fast and the picture is great. I don't mind a commercial here and there to pay for the free content I'm seeking. In fact, that was one of my biggest beefs with the cable I had. There were as many, if not more, commercials than there were on free network TV on the cable channels.

So far, this ROKU seems nicer than I expected. My only gripe, and it's trivial, is that they should include the HDMI cable. Minor whine and I'll have some cheese with it.....