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Cord cutters face a sea of streaming options
LA Times ^ | 1-2-16 | Meg James and Yvonne Villarreal

Posted on 01/02/2016 12:29:51 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion

Like millions of other consumers, Evan Hartstein was fed up with pay TV.

The 40-year-old father of two was paying nearly $250 a month for a bundle of phone, high-speed Internet and hundreds of cable channels that he and his family barely watched.

So Hartstein and his wife recently ditched their standard cable TV subscription and instead signed up for Sling TV, Netflix and a few other streaming services. Their monthly bill was cut in half.

"I got to the end of my rope," said Hartstein, of Scottsdale, Ariz. "I just wasn't getting the value out of it. We'd watch maybe 10 channels total. Why do that when there's this whole world out there where you can pick and choose just the stuff you want?"

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: cordcutters
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To: cyclotic

The benefit of not being a NASCAR fan is
I don’t have to watch cars driving in circles. ;)


41 posted on 01/02/2016 1:47:49 PM PST by sparklite2 ( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
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To: goldstategop

As you say it’s not anywhere as good a deal as it is for urbans and suburbanites.
I’m in a rural mountainous area and only get 4 channels and 9 sub-channels with my $100 outdoor antenna and booster.
But I also only get DSL so streaming is iffy too though.

Of course those 4 channels I get are HD and NFL is about all I watch so I got my money’s worth over the 5 years so far.


42 posted on 01/02/2016 1:50:07 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: JPX2011

I need to be better educated about all of this. I don’t know what a Roku stick is or what to do with it. I have heard of the cloud but don’t understand why you want your DVD collection there if you have the actual DVDs to stick in the DVD player.

I guess I’m just behind the times........


43 posted on 01/02/2016 1:52:59 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Company Man
I keep forgetting that Youtube has movies and TV programs.

Their system is atrocious to try to find anything.

44 posted on 01/02/2016 1:53:21 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: mrsmith

Is big dish satellites still used?


45 posted on 01/02/2016 1:55:36 PM PST by ncpatriot
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To: goldstategop

Netflix and Amazon Prime also have movies and TV series programs from other countries.

I like to watch some from Australia, New Zealand, and UK that are not shown elsewhere on my cable.

I subscribed to the cable tier for BBC America and have been very disappointed. I hoped it would have many of the BBC dramas, etc. Instead, it is mostly the StarTrek:NG Reruns channel. PBS shows more British programs than BBCA does.


46 posted on 01/02/2016 2:01:30 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: TomGuy
Their system is atrocious to try to find anything.

I have to agree. In the past it was even worse :^>

Gotta use those filters. It often helps to filter by view count, or date uploaded. Also, after you have watched a number of videos of a certain type (subject), Youtube picks up on this and starts recommending similar stuff.

47 posted on 01/02/2016 2:02:49 PM PST by Company Man (Honestly awful beats dishonestly wonderful --Opus endorses Trump)
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To: grania

I cut the cord 6 years ago. Come on in, the water’s great.


48 posted on 01/02/2016 2:02:49 PM PST by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: ncpatriot

No, all the good stuff is encrypted I’ve been told. There are two old unused ones in yards a couple of houses from me.


49 posted on 01/02/2016 2:03:45 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: USNBandit

I recently moved to a more populated area with HD broadcast. Any suggestions for an external mount antenna?


50 posted on 01/02/2016 2:05:17 PM PST by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: ncpatriot

Most programming on big dish is encrypted now, requiring specialized (read:expensive) equipment and related fees, so there’s really no point in going that route any more.


51 posted on 01/02/2016 2:07:20 PM PST by Company Man (Honestly awful beats dishonestly wonderful --Opus endorses Trump over Hillary)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

If I could watch my home team in Texas without Directv...I would do it in a second. How long of a deal does Directv have with the NFL?


52 posted on 01/02/2016 2:08:18 PM PST by carjic (Media and GOPe are making the only people I trust not electable)
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To: USNBandit

I would suggest going to you tube and looking for HD antenna videos.

I made one and it worked well I improved on it in a next iteration

I take it in my van when we travel. it easily picks up the Savannah stations from Hunting Island State Park in SC. At fort worth it received 53 HD channels.


53 posted on 01/02/2016 2:13:57 PM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: cyclotic

Slingtv
$20/mo no contract, cancel or turn back on as you wish. Has ESPN 1 &2, tnt, tbs, amc, a&e, hist 1 & 2 and several more. That and an antenna to pick up local HD channels is all you’d need


54 posted on 01/02/2016 2:14:03 PM PST by Axeslinger (Where has my country gone?)
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To: USNBandit

send me your e mail and I’ll send you a photo of the one I take camping.

I sent a note on the thread

they are easy to make. they work best if mounted high and with a compass, directed toward the distant city with the broad cast stations


55 posted on 01/02/2016 2:17:12 PM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: USNBandit
It depends on where the broadcast towers are located in respect to your home. If you don't know check out the Antenna Web links below.
You might be able to go to the nearest Home Depot or Lowes and they can tell you what people are using in your area.
I have a ClearStream 4 Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna. It is a good reliable brand but might not be the best fit for your situation.

http://www.antennaweb.org/default.aspx

56 posted on 01/02/2016 2:39:40 PM PST by Kid Shelleen (Beat your plowshares into swords. Let the weak say I am strong)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

I am on Time Warner’s 89.99 plan plus second tuner and Gateway for cable/30 mps Internet/Wired phone. We need the phone because both my wife and her sister who talk weekly on are in borderline cell phone reception areas. Time Warner threw in free Showtime starting in December.


57 posted on 01/02/2016 2:58:28 PM PST by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
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To: Company Man

I’d go cable. A standard package plus a set top box costs $50 and if you’re a new customer, they will usually throw in the box for free for a year.

Its cheaper to get premium channels through Amazon, Netflix and HBO GO if you want them.


58 posted on 01/02/2016 3:04:57 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: matt04

What shows. I can probably tell you where to get them.


59 posted on 01/02/2016 3:06:26 PM PST by sheana
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To: Axeslinger

Amazon has Showtime and Starz and HBO offers its GO service. You can add premium channels to your TV list for $20 a month.

That’s less than what they go for on a high end cable package deal.


60 posted on 01/02/2016 3:10:29 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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