Posted on 05/09/2016 9:57:53 AM PDT by TigerClaws
I haven’t had cable for years; I use OTA. But then again I hardly ever watch television in real time. The handful of shows I do watch I will catch on a stream after the original broadcast.
We mostly use the TV to stream movies.
But if you’re a sports addict then you will miss it for sure. A lot of events (including the NCAA national championship game) require some sort of pay television subscription.
Get one of these with Kodi preinstalled.
If it doesn’t come with the addon Exodus preinstalled, you can easily install it.
That and a broadband connection is all you will ever need.
I have. Channel Master DVR+, with Sling TV (can watch but not record it), Apple TV with Hulu and Netflix, and I’m pretty happy with my content choices.
Since it’s kind of off-season, I don’t have a ton on the DVR, but I am recording about 1/2 of what I would during the new season.
Internet (24MB) plus phone is about $60/month, versus $150 with cable added.
Not really an option for me, here in the Pacific Northwest. Unlike a lot of the rest of the country, we are blessed with something called foothills, which are very effective in blocking TV antenna signals.
I’m probably less than 20 miles from the antennas, but have too many obstructions between me and them.
I cut it in ‘94.
Go for it. Do it.
You’ll be better for it.
I have an Amazon Fire stick and I will likely switch to Roku at some point soon.
I had Sling TV but I switched to Playstation Vue, which has WAY more channels available for slightly more money. I also have Hulu Plus. Netflix blows.
Watching the Stanley cup games now, could not do without cable.
I ditched cable 12 years ago...no Roku or anything like that. Just an amplified over the air antenna.
I really haven’t missed cable, and you watch tv in a completely different way without it. Its hard to explain, but the biggest thing I find is that I don’t have the tv on as background noise, grinding out the same headline news all day. And if you have kids, the mind rotting kids shows all go away - no more fighting over that, or coming home to zombies watching cartoon network in the middle of the day.
I do miss some sporting events, and have to find other ways to watch them. But its not a big deal.
I think its great to cut the cord - add on top of that the cost savings.
“My main concern is catching sports during football season. “
That’s essentially the only reason we haven’t cut the satellite “cord”, since pretty much all we watch now besides football is high quality UK and Canadian TV series via Roku.
I am considering getting rid of cable, too. There are only a handful of stations that I watch and the rest is a waste.
My sad story....
Plus, the advertisements are out of control and break into the show a lot more frequently and run longer than they used to. If I am going to be forced to watch the adds, then I should cable should be free.
And then we get the yearly or bi-yearly threats that our bundled package is going up in price and we have to spend time on the phone with the cable company to figure out which packages they offer so that our already expensive bundle package doesn't become unreasonable.
Desperate times, desperate measures.
I’m not here for a legal, ethical or moral discussion about unauthorized internet streams but the reality is that if a sporting even is being televised it’s likely available from multiple sites streaming it.
The streams vary in quality but have improved as technology improves. Many sites attempt to convince users to buy subscriptions for HD content or, God forbid, install software for such a purpose but those sales pitches are easily ignored.
A good ad blocker and/or extensions to control scripts etc. are necessary but that’s true for most of the internet.
I dropped my satellite service (Direct) in January. Put up a $90 antenna from Radio Shack and am enjoying television more than I have since I was a kid. Netflix and You Tube give me plenty of movies, videos and stuff. Over the air here, Pinal County, AZ gives me 47 channels. Old movies, old TV series, the Three alphabet and Fox networks, Spanish language stations, TV Preachers, shopping channels AND NewsMax. Really, over the air antenna is not much different from cable in my opinion. All that is missing really is the sports channels.
Smart TV, computers and pad give me sports I would never get on cable or satellite.
Coming up at 11:30 Mountain Standard time I will be watching
Elite League Speedway....Coventry vs Wolverhampton
Can;t do that with cable or Direct or Dish. So Yes sir Iam happy.
I have both Roku and Apple TV pucks. The Apple TV puck is much better and easier to use than Roku, especially the newer Apple TV with remote that takes voice commands and detects motion. I also use a roof digital antenna to pick up off-air broadcasts. Originally had bought an expensive $90 antenna that hardly picked up anything, then bought a cheap new one on eBay for $24 with a rotational motor controlled by a base station that picked up a lot of stations (yes, all for $24). So shop around for HD antennas to get what works. You won’t necessarily get all the stations you want from off the air. For better content you go to streaming from computers to your Apple TV or Roku. Create a RAID array hard drive setup to store digital movies, connect everything to a UPS battery system and you’re all set.
Cable s#cks. Get rid of it.
“Watching the Stanley cup games now, could not do without cable.”
Same. I have roku. It’s awful.
Roku with Hulu, netflix and Amazon subscriptions. I run it through my wifi. If you want 1080, you'll have to hardwire it. Occasional lags, decent programming - not a sports fan so I cant answer your question.
NO Commercials except Hulu and they are minimal
You will still need a wifi provider
Be prepared to be inundated with 30sec commercials, sometimes 5 in a row. Don’t be mislead by the free moniker; Sling is very bad as are other “free” and subscriber channels. You will pay a monthly fee up front, and then be expected to sit through the commercials. In addition, there is some content which requires you to have a cable provider. Oh, one more thing.....the headset on the Roku, most often does NOT work at all. On both of mine, it is intermittent at best and full of static.
I just looked at this listing, it doesn’t mention that Kodi is on it.
I have never had cable...I think it is a wasteland. When I go on vacation or to a hotel, I always surf cable, and think...”What the heck is this? Nothing to watch...”
My wife feels the same way.
I set my 55” LED TV up with a Yamaha Home Theater Receiver, an Apple TV, a Mac Mini as a computer (with a Bluetooth keyboard with built in track pad), a Bose soundbar, DVD/Blueray, DVD/VHS (just in case) and XBox One which I never use, and wireless headsets that I am going to swap out for some Bluetooth ones.
I use a Harmony remote to tie everything together and automate the whole thing, and ****that is one of the best purchases you can make****!
We have an HD antenna I put up, and with that, the Apple TV, and the computer, I can get just about anything I need.
I don’t watch network television at all except for NFL.
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