Posted on 03/13/2021 7:00:50 AM PST by Dad was my hero
I'm considering dropping cable, cutting the cord so to speak. My cable provider (Spectrum) has been to my house 3 times over the issue of dropped audio and pixelation. The issues have been so pronounced that it can make some shows almost unwatchable. They are coming again today but I spoke with a neighbor that also has Spectrum and he said they have the same issue, so I am sure it is somewhere in their lines feeding my development.
I'm not much interested in going to a satellite dish, I've had both dish and direct TV before. I dropped dish eventually because of loss of signal and they wanted to charge me to fix it. It later turned out the issue was the base mounting came loose d/t poor installation. But I went to Direct and had the pixelation issue with them and any storms. Being in FL, we have a lot of storms during the afternoon and I don't want to have shows I'm watching interrupted with pixelation again.
I have 3 TVs and 3 DVRs (probably only need one DVR now). What I am looking to replace is the channel lineup AND the recording function I had with the DVRs. I bought a Roku streaming stick plus and got that functioning last night. It appears that I can get almost all of the channel lineup if I download the AT&T app within Roku. My questions are:
Can I record (to a cloud maybe) shows I want to see? How? Can I record one show while watching a second or record two shows while watching something else I recorded or a third show live? How?
I still having 3 TVs, do I need to get two more Rokus to use the other TVs? Only one TV in the house is a "smart" TV, the other two are older flat screens but not "smart". The Roku is currently on the smart TV. Do I need to buy two more Roku sticks to use on those TVs? Do I also need to get two more AT&T subscriptions?
So how does this work, I'm not a highly technical person.
I dropped cable for Youtubetv. Having a dvr was the deciding factor.
YTTV allows you to record an unlimited number of shows but they drop off after 9 months. For most of my needs that is not a problem, but you won’t be able to “archive” anything offline in perpetuity.
I use the spectrum app on roku. May want to look into that.
Amy TV you want a stream on will need a stick or some sort of streaming device to control it if it is not smart. I don't like Amazon as a company I think their stick is the best.
Recording won't matter as you can usually stream whatever you want whenever.
Have you tried to see if you can stream Spectrum TV over your wireless connection? I use spectrum internet service, 200mb, and use their standard TV package without their DVR box. I use ROKU with the Spectrum app loaded. It’s not as convenient as the DVR box. You can also put the spectrum app on your phone and other wireless devices. No boxes, no hard wire except for your router.
bttt
This answer is probably not what you’re looking for, but I did the math. By cutting cable (and not replacing it but with anything) I was able to buy DVDs of all the old shows I want to watch - no commercials, and they’re ready whenever I want.
I did get a good over-the-air antenna from Amazon ($60) that gives me all my local channels for free. I pretty much use that only for the local news.
The pixilation is more often due to the uplink-downlink transmission, not your box,just a FWIW. Good luck with streaming.
I think you need a Roku device for every TV. I have a Roku desktop, about 4x4x1, and a Roku stick which plugs directly into the TV. The desktop Roku is better.
You’ll need a fairly high speed internet connection for good Roku service, say 20Mbps. Even so, there is at times some splotches that come and goes. Usually this is when you’re watching a football game or something and there are 10 zillion others watching.
Some of the streaming channels allow you to record live shows and watch them later. Usually, these are not cheap though.
Spectrum has ghastly service and they don’t care either
Go to the Internet only, which usually provides much better service as far as downloads go, and is less subject to the occasional (?) cutouts and poor video.
Then select a broad-range app (this probably requires a “Smart” TV or something like Roku or Amazon Fire) which receives wireless signal directly from your internet connection. Pluto, AT&T-tv, Sling or any of a number of other apps then provide a full range and variety of entertainment, news, opinion and educational programming, which is in many instances much more comprehensive (and possibly less expensive) than bundling the TV with your Internet and maybe phone-over-internet service, which can be both dicey and pricey.
We went with Youtubetv about a year ago. Unlimited DVR. I think having very good internet helps, and older TVs will need their own Roku. I watch Pluto in the mornings, stream podcasts after that, and we generally watch series at night on another streaming service. We could probably do without Youtubetv now that sportsball teams and leagues don’t respect this country.
Watching the Denver channels talking about the big snowstorm that's coming. Not here yet.
Other than that, I can usually find a show or movie I want to watch somewhere online. I had Hulu for a while, but there wasn't much there that held my interest, so I got rid of that.
Guess it depends on what you want to pay.
Cable TV is right up there with escalating college tuitions as the worst investment in the marketplace.
One of the things you need to remember is that ALL of your Spectrum channels are transmitted over the internet system. So...the pixilation you are experiencing comes from dropped data. My guess is you have a bad amp in your neighborhood. This might corrupt the data coming to your home.
Keeping Spectrum data and moving to Rocky or any of the other streaming services is going to have the same issues—because the problem is your data, not the “cable programming.”
I used to build CATV systems. What you describe is not a “home issue” it is a “last mile” issue.
I recommend talking to a tech supervisor and explain that this is happening all over the neighborhood. Not a customer service rep—but someone responsible for the “lines.” They are usually different departments.
Just a thought.
well, Hulu is an option on the Roku stick. It lists a 65/mo subscription price. I’ll have to explore it further. Thanks.
I don’t know what reception is like where you are, but free TV is still out there. You may be able to get all you need with an antenna.
we got rid of the cable bundle about 10 years ago. We bought a smart TV and use Service electric as our internet provider. No stations included....and the bill is about 68.00/month for unlimited internet service.
We subscribe to Hulu 12.70, Netflix 19.07, CBS All Access 6.35, Klowd TV 2.50.
The trick is to have a good internet provider. We finally dropped Verizon - they kept promising FIOS. 10 years later, we were still waiting. Service Electric has been amazingly good in our area - NE PA.
“TRYING TO CUT THE CABLE”
trying?
Try to touch your nose...trying
Do
Or do not
There is no try
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