Cutting the cord

[nate82]

Turbo,

 

Cut the TV portion of Spectrum and just go with their internet service. It will probably cost you $75/mo or so, but then add on YouTube TV for $65/mo. With YouTube TV you get the local channels so you will still be able to watch all the Packers games (assuming you live in WI), and then add on MLB.TV if you want to watch a lot of Brewers games. Your total bill will be ~$140 before taxes/fees, but even with the additional MLB.TV subscription it sounds like that will be at least $60/mo less than what you are paying now.

 

YTTV has a good selection of standard sports channels - ESPN/2/News/U, BTN, MLB, NFL, NBA, Golf Channel, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, ACC Network, SEC Network. MLB.TV might be the only thing you would need to add on if you don't currently have any movie channels.

 

They let you try it free for a month, and right now they are charging $15 for the second month, so you can give it a two-month trial to see whether it works for you.

 

Good plan, except you can't watch Brewers games on mlbtv, in market that is.

 

Well may be not for 2022 but for 2023 it may be possible.

 

https://nypost.com/2021/10/17/mlb-in-talks-to-launch-nationwide-streaming-service-for-home-games/

[FVBrewerFan]

I'm well aware, but for anyone looking to make a change now, what MAY happen in 2023 doesn't really come into play. I may change providers 2 or 3 times by then.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Turbo,

 

Cut the TV portion of Spectrum and just go with their internet service. It will probably cost you $75/mo or so, but then add on YouTube TV for $65/mo. With YouTube TV you get the local channels so you will still be able to watch all the Packers games (assuming you live in WI), and then add on MLB.TV if you want to watch a lot of Brewers games. Your total bill will be ~$140 before taxes/fees, but even with the additional MLB.TV subscription it sounds like that will be at least $60/mo less than what you are paying now.

 

YTTV has a good selection of standard sports channels - ESPN/2/News/U, BTN, MLB, NFL, NBA, Golf Channel, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, ACC Network, SEC Network. MLB.TV might be the only thing you would need to add on if you don't currently have any movie channels.

 

They let you try it free for a month, and right now they are charging $15 for the second month, so you can give it a two-month trial to see whether it works for you.

 

Good plan, except you can't watch Brewers games on mlbtv, in market that is.

 

 

Or use a VPN.

[SeaBass]

Turbo,

 

Cut the TV portion of Spectrum and just go with their internet service. It will probably cost you $75/mo or so, but then add on YouTube TV for $65/mo. With YouTube TV you get the local channels so you will still be able to watch all the Packers games (assuming you live in WI), and then add on MLB.TV if you want to watch a lot of Brewers games. Your total bill will be ~$140 before taxes/fees, but even with the additional MLB.TV subscription it sounds like that will be at least $60/mo less than what you are paying now.

 

YTTV has a good selection of standard sports channels - ESPN/2/News/U, BTN, MLB, NFL, NBA, Golf Channel, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, ACC Network, SEC Network. MLB.TV might be the only thing you would need to add on if you don't currently have any movie channels.

 

They let you try it free for a month, and right now they are charging $15 for the second month, so you can give it a two-month trial to see whether it works for you.

 

Good plan, except you can't watch Brewers games on mlbtv, in market that is.

DirectTV Stream is $20 more than YouTubeTV, it might not have as full a lineup as YouTube's but does include Bally Sports Wisconsin and local channels. It seems to have the major cable networks including MLB Network too. It doesn't have NFL Network but honestly that doesn't feel as important as it might have been really few years ago when you could only watch Thursday night games there.

[bjkrautk]

DirectTV Stream is $20 more than YouTubeTV, it might not have as full a lineup as YouTube's but does include Bally Sports Wisconsin and local channels. It seems to have the major cable networks including MLB Network too. It doesn't have NFL Network but honestly that doesn't feel as important as it might have been really few years ago when you could only watch Thursday night games there.

 

Just made the switch to DTV Stream a few weeks ago. Will have to trade login credentials with a family member for access to NFL Network (with someone who has YTTV, so they can access Bally Sports WI during Brewers season), but I've been happy with it so far. I wish the interface (through Roku) were a bit more user-friendly, but it's functional.

[logan82]

$65-85 was why we cut the cord in the first place. I quit YTTV when they moved to $50/month.I would pay $150 for the season for MLB TV but there just isn't enough on any streaming service to convince me to pay much more than $35 a month.

[LouisEly]

DirectTV Stream is $20 more than YouTubeTV.

Plus an additional $10/mo for unlimited program storage, whereas with YouTube TV you can add unlimited programs to your library. Otherwise DTVS only gives you 20 hours of storage.

 

The only thing you can't do with YouTube TV is download shows to watch while offline (such as on an airplane) and sound is only in 2.1 surround, not 5.1 or 7.1.

[SeaBass]

DirectTV Stream is $20 more than YouTubeTV.

Plus an additional $10/mo for unlimited program storage, whereas with YouTube TV you can add unlimited programs to your library. Otherwise DTVS only gives you 20 hours of storage.

 

The only thing you can't do with YouTube TV is download shows to watch while offline (such as on an airplane) and sound is only in 2.1 surround, not 5.1 or 7.1.

100% I'm not claiming it's better than YTTV and the price definitely isn't but it's the only streaming option that gets you all Brewers/Bucks games. I used it for 5 months during the Brewers season, quit in early September as the Brewers could coast to the playoffs (and made things a bit tense doing so as it turned out) then I had a family password sharing option to watch YTTV for free for the playoffs.

 

Other than live sports I have zero use for any live TV streaming service, regular television programming holds no interest for me. So I have no need for extra DVR capabilities.

 

The Bucks 82 game schedule isn't enough to justify paying for the service so I don't bother. They have enough national games where I can still watch a fair amount of games w/o RSN access. The 162 game MLB season makes it easier to justify the expense.

[TURBO]

Man, you guys sure have to put a lot of effort into watching tv. You may be getting it cheaper, but geez, all that switching and tech savvy stuff just isn't for me.

 

Thanks for the ideas though.

 

It seems like it might be a good idea to try TDS for me if Spectrum won't come down in price when I tell them I'm leaving...

[SeaBass]

All the tech savvy that's required is having an email address, a credit card and rudimentary knowledge of how to use the internet. It's really not an excuse (though obviously personal preference matters).

 

Sure, if you don't have a smart tv you'd need to buy a Roku or other streaming device. That's not hard or expensive either. Plug the power brick in the wall and connect the Roku to your tv with an HDMI cable and you're done (exactly like that cable box you're probably using), rudimentary internet knowledge takes over from there.

 

If you use more than one tv you'd need to buy a streaming device for each one, just like you need a cable box for each tv you use. Difference is buying a Roku is a one time sunk cost whereas the cable company charges you monthly in perpetuity to rent each cable box you have.

[DHonks]

DirectTV Stream is $20 more than YouTubeTV, it might not have as full a lineup as YouTube's but does include Bally Sports Wisconsin and local channels. It seems to have the major cable networks including MLB Network too. It doesn't have NFL Network but honestly that doesn't feel as important as it might have been really few years ago when you could only watch Thursday night games there.

 

Just made the switch to DTV Stream a few weeks ago. Will have to trade login credentials with a family member for access to NFL Network (with someone who has YTTV, so they can access Bally Sports WI during Brewers season), but I've been happy with it so far. I wish the interface (through Roku) were a bit more user-friendly, but it's functional.

 

Just pay the $120 for a box or buy one for less off eBay. It provides a worthwhile experience, much better than Roku or Apple TV

[CheezWizHed]

if you have T-Mobile, they have offered MLB.tv for free the last couple years: https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/t-mobile-customers-can-get-mlb-tv-for-free-starting-today/

 

Seems that most of the moble phone carriers are providing included streaming services. Since I started with Sprint (bought out by Tmobile), I get Hulu for free or Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ for a reduced amount. Tmobile accounts get netflix for free.

[jerichoholicninja]

Man, you guys sure have to put a lot of effort into watching tv. You may be getting it cheaper, but geez, all that switching and tech savvy stuff just isn't for me.

 

I'm with you. Could I save money by constantly switching services to chase the lowest price? Sure. But I'm fine paying the extra for the convenience of not having to do that. Not to mention I have grandparents that come to my house to watch my kids. My mother in law needs me to show her how to turn the TV on whenever she's here. I'm not going to have to explain to her every couple weeks how the new streaming service works.

[FVBrewerFan]

Man, you guys sure have to put a lot of effort into watching tv. You may be getting it cheaper, but geez, all that switching and tech savvy stuff just isn't for me.

 

I'm with you. Could I save money by constantly switching services to chase the lowest price? Sure. But I'm fine paying the extra for the convenience of not having to do that. Not to mention I have grandparents that come to my house to watch my kids. My mother in law needs me to show her how to turn the TV on whenever she's here. I'm not going to have to explain to her every couple weeks how the new streaming service works.

 

I get the part about parents. Mine are 90 and I would never try to to introduce a streaming service.

 

That said, you guys act like downloading the YouTube TV app is like programming the space shuttle or something. Do you ever change cell service or shup auto/home insurance? Financial advisor? Shop for a car? I mean using a streaming app is easier by far than just about anything else you do in your life.

 

I actually take it one step further. I constantly download an app for a 7 or 30 day trial. Binge what I want, cancel. Or keep one for a couple months, like I did with hbo max. Takes 30 seconds.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Seriously, once you have youtubetv set up, which takes about 5 minutes of creating an account, it's just like watching "regular" tv. As far as not having as many channels as cable tv.... how many channels on cable do you all actually watch? Like legitimately go down the list and take a hard look at all the 200 channels and legitimately say "I for sure spend an appreciable amount of time watching The Hallmark Channel, the Shopping Network, the Cooking Channel (Diners DRIVE INS, and DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVES!), and for sure VH1, VH2, VH3, all the way up to like VH8, lololol. You're paying a buttload for a butt load of channels you NEVER watch.

 

You get a channel guide, all the Channels like ESPN, ESPN+ and the local channels FOX, CBS, NBC, etc, that are local to your market, SPIKE, all the turner and news channels, etc, etc. you lose some fluff that most people probably don't bother with. If it's THAT important, get Roku. Save some money.

 

As far as "all the tech stuff" it takes to set up a VPN to watch MLB in market, it honestly takes a few minutes and it's super simple. My neighbor took a trip to China about 4 years ago, and needed access to some stuff on his computer, via the internet, and it took me literally 5 minutes to show him how to use a VPN, and this guy is pretty darn tech un-savvy.

 

If someone just doesn't wanna do it ...... I get it. But it's *not hard*, and there's a lot of money to be saved. I used to pay for Spectrum and not only did I get raked over the coals with their billing, I got So, so, so, so tired of the bullcrap customer service, and frankly, the horrible up time. Youtube TV and AT&T internet and I pay 115 bucks a month instead of 250 bucks a month (and I find online streams for Brewer games) and there's simply no way it's not worth the, literally, few minutes I put into it.

[LouisEly]

And the two underrated things about YouTube TV - unlimited library storage, and the ability to rearrange the channels to whatever order you like. You can move the channels around so that the 20-25 you watch most often are at the top and the crap you don't watch is at the bottom and you don't have to scroll through them.

[FVBrewerFan]

And the two underrated things about YouTube TV - unlimited library storage, and the ability to rearrange the channels to whatever order you like. You can move the channels around so that the 20-25 you watch most often are at the top and the crap you don't watch is at the bottom and you don't have to scroll through them.

 

And it can easily be shared among 5 people, so an even bigger savings for those who are able to share.

[DuWayne Steurer]

And the two underrated things about YouTube TV - unlimited library storage, and the ability to rearrange the channels to whatever order you like. You can move the channels around so that the 20-25 you watch most often are at the top and the crap you don't watch is at the bottom and you don't have to scroll through them.

 

 

I like that once I have started watching a show or movie, I can go back and lick it up from the point I left off, or start over from the beginning. at any time, from any device.

 

also. the billing. it's 65 bucks plus tax. there's not 28 extra charges for fees, extra fees, fees for the envelope they sent you the bill in, extra fees for the library fund, fees for the time it took to figure out all the extra things they could charge you for, etc etc etc

 

my us cellular bill had a line on it once with no attached fee, just ...... 98 cents. no fee or explanation, just 98 cents. I went to the us cellular store and asked what it was for. they had no clue. I asked them to take it off. they said they couldn't. lol. it took me 2 phone calls and 45 minutes to get rid of a 98 cent recurring charge for nothing at all I'm not paying a fee for literally nothing. telecom companies will literally charge you a fee for nothing if you don't watch your bill. (us cell is owned by TDS, btw...)

[nodakfan17]

For the more technologically inclined BF posters:

 

I don’t have cable and have been getting along just fine with network TV and a TiVo (love my TiVo, BTW). We’ve also purchased Apple TVs to enable streaming on our older TV sets. The only streaming service we’ve had regularly is Disney+, but I’d like to add a second one so I can watch new content while exercising in my basement. I’ve been re-watching the same series over and over again on DVD each morning and I’m ready to splurge on a cheap smart TV and second streaming service.

 

Silly Question: If I buy a TV advertised as a smart TV with Roku, do I need any additional equipment to stream (besides a reliable internet connection)?

 

This is one TV I have in mind:

https://www.target.com/p/tcl-32-34-class-3-series-hd-smart-roku-tv-8211-32s325/-/A-50480431#lnk=sametab

 

Thank you.

-Nodakfan

[patrickgpe]

you do not.

[nodakfan17]

Thanks, Patrick.

 

More silly questions:

 

1) The TV in my basement is 20 years old and still works great for playing DVDs. What are the odds I can enable streaming on that TV with an inexpensive devise like a Roku or Amazon Fire stick? It would probably need to have a USB hookup, right?

 

2) Can I enable streaming on a spare computer monitor by plugging in a Roku or Amazon Fire stick? (probably not, right?)

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Thanks, Patrick.

 

More silly questions:

 

1) The TV in my basement is 20 years old and still works great for playing DVDs. What are the odds I can enable streaming on that TV with an inexpensive devise like a Roku or Amazon Fire stick? It would probably need to have a USB hookup, right?

 

2) Can I enable streaming on a spare computer monitor by plugging in a Roku or Amazon Fire stick? (probably not, right?)

 

1) You should be able to do that if the TV has an HDMI hookup. Otherwise you'd need to by a cheap converter such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Eanetf-Connector-Adapter-Transmitter/dp/B097QRSH31/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hdmi+to+av+cable&qid=1638546872&sr=8-3

 

2) Probably not, as most monitors do not have audio functionality. Not sure if you'd be able to use an adapter for an external speaker system. There might be a way to do that.

[nodakfan17]

1) You should be able to do that if the TV has an HDMI hookup. Otherwise you'd need to by a cheap converter such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Eanetf-Connector-Adapter-Transmitter/dp/B097QRSH31/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hdmi+to+av+cable&qid=1638546872&sr=8-3

Thank you for that suggestion. For $9, I may give it a try.

 

My wife is an Apple loyalist (hence, the two Apple TVs upstairs). I’m more inclined to go the cheapest route since we’re talking about a Frankenstein basement setup. Any recommendations? Roku? Amazon? Something else?

[TURBO]

I'm also still running a tube tv in my basement for the treadmill. It's 19 years old.

 

We just play DVDs on that tv, so not a big deal. The TV still works perfectly, so I'm just going to remain stubborn on that TV set up. lol

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

1) You should be able to do that if the TV has an HDMI hookup. Otherwise you'd need to by a cheap converter such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Eanetf-Connector-Adapter-Transmitter/dp/B097QRSH31/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hdmi+to+av+cable&qid=1638546872&sr=8-3

Thank you for that suggestion. For $9, I may give it a try.

 

My wife is an Apple loyalist (hence, the two Apple TVs upstairs). I’m more inclined to go the cheapest route since we’re talking about a Frankenstein basement setup. Any recommendations? Roku? Amazon? Something else?

 

I run Roku Express units on all my TVs. They are cheap (under $30) and super easy to use. Amazon Fire Sticks are pretty comparable. I've used both, and IMO the Rokus are a little easier to navigate.