Contributors to this thread:
Does anyone remember the thread about TV and streaming services? I'm thinking it was a few months back. Also, is there a way to search threads by title?
Thanks!
Yup. If anyone knows Mouse will.
Yeah...PM me with your questions. Been streaming for a long time. Beats cable and satellite hands down.
Please tell me how to stream when you live out in the country
Sent you a PM Jack. Got the AT&T bill yesterday and it went up, even though we had signed a contract through August. Already ditched 3 cable boxes and replaced them with Firesticks. Now I have till August to find a suitable replacement (really shouldn’t be that difficult with the massive amounts of crap spewed out daily). We really don’t “Watch” TV, it’s more, or less, on just for noise. Not really much on we care to watch anymore.
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I’m my mind, just keep internet, ditch the home phone and TV and just get another Firestick and then a Netflix subscription. Am I on the correct path?
Have to have satellite where I live, no cable, no dsl. So I started out with Dish internet and TV. Sucked, internet was slow and even though we were not streaming soon hit the data limits. After that contract was up replaced them with Hughes. Internet speed was better, supposed to be 100 gig of download data, well 50 of it was after 2 am to 8 am. So it sucked too. Excede started posting signs along the road about faster and more data, so I kicked Hughes to the curb, paid the disconnect fee and then got Excede. Had it for 6 months now and have not bumped the data limit once. Usually get a message that we have used 70% of our data a couple of days before it starts the next month. 150 gig is good enough for our needs. As we have no cell service Voice over IP is good too. Where you live makes a big difference with Excede, as not all areas are on the fastest satellites, so your mileage may vary.
Terry
We have DSL through Frontier out where we are, but it's pretty crappy sometimes. But, good enough to stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. We don't watch Pro Sports, so it's all we need for evening entertainment.
Answered PMs.
I am rural and am at the end of the DSL run out here. I have DSL through my local phone company (TDS). For those unfamiliar with DSL, speed of connection decreases the further one is away from the node. I pay for a little more bandwidth than I actually get. No data limits. Rarely do I ever see a buffering message.
At present, I am sitting in my office. The Squeezebox internet radio is playing Pandora, I have two computers on line, my phone, a tablet and the TV in my office is streaming a documentary. I use ROKUs on 3 TVs throughout the house.
I like the ROKUs (little experience with Chromcast, Firestick, Apple play) because of their vast numbers (and increasing) of streaming channels (free and fee) which offer a wide gamut of topics. Presently, I subscribe to Netflix (2 screens), Amazon Prime and Hulu. Adding VUDU which has free, rent and purchase options, my total bill is less than $40/month---a huge savings what I was paying for DISH (or similar Direct TV package). With DISH and Direct, you end up paying for a whole bunch of channels that you never watch or would watch.
For the best streaming experience, one needs a decent internet connection. Any satellite connected TV or internet service will always suffer from periodic pixelation due to storms, cloud coverage, or anything that will interfere with a satellite signal (or OTA since it has gone digital).
It is also possible to subscribe to channels like HBO and other channels provided by DISH and Direct...so you can get a la carte service. Those costs do add up and one could actually end up paying more than they had paid with the likes of DISH ;0)
jack
Youtube has a service for streaming a variety of channels at a reasonable price, but it is not offered in some locations, which doesn't make sense. I can't get it where I'm at, so I can't comment on how good it is.
I am rural but have an antenna on my roof that points at a tower about 1/2 mile away for my internet connect. I am supposed to get 5 Gbs most of the time but rarely do. I do occasionally have problems streaming when I'm not getting my full bandwidth. I have directv as well and wouldn't consider getting rid of it.....but I also use firestick and subscribe to Netflix and amazon prime. My son uses Hulu without cable/satellite like Jack and when I visit him the complaint for both of us is that there is some programming you just can't get streaming. Science Channel and a bunch of hunting programming is hard to get streaming....but there is also a ton of stuff to replace a lot of that as well. There is a ton of stuff to binge watch for sure......I just spent last sunday iced in and I spent all day in my basement prepping brass for reloading and making arrows while watching Godfather I & II and Patton.....it was great. I can't wait until the next ice storm!
Randy...there are some good hunting channels via Roku. Not sure about other streaming devices. A lot of older stuff from History and Science channel is also found... ROKU has started its own channel and has a lot of decent movies and programs.
Since most of my TV watching is background while doing other things (arrows, shooting in basement, etc.), I have little trouble finding something to watch.
One other plus that comes with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon is that you can stream to a phone, tablet or computer when away from home. Last time we had a long power outage, we watched a movie while "camping" out at Micky D's using their free WiFi.
Interesting, I was actually looking at one of these...Now, may reconsider!
Clearview HDTV Antenna...
Old analog antennas will work...poorly in picking up digital signals. The old analogy TV signals traveled much further than today's digital ones. And they were much less susceptible to atmospheric interference. The advantage of the digital signal is that it can carry more data, allowing for multiple programming and program information.
These new digital antennas are designed for the digital signals. The benefit from the mandated switch to digital is that most OTA stations can now broadcast a number of subchannels on the same frequency. One of my local OTAs has 6 different channels: X.1, X.2, X.3, etc. Usually the subchannels carry old programming (old TV series), sales, etc. That is why that advertised antenna claims 100's of channels...not what you get from cable or satellite providers.
These antennas can be found at most stores...some have amplification giving a little stronger signal. These digital antennas are somewhat directional...you may have to move it to get a specific station. My neighbor has an omnidirectional digital antenna mounted on a mast on his house which provides a much better signal than the one I have in my office.
Unless your home is wired so that all TVs can share the same antenna, you will need a digital antenna for each TV. The indoor ones are pretty much the equivalent of the old rabbit ears.
Ike...thats interesting! Have you actually researched it yet? I'm curious what channels it'll bring down!
Bryan...those antennas will capture only the OTA channels (which now being digital, carry a number of sub channels)...not the ones found on cable or satellite providers. Those you have to subscribe to. A combination of ABC,FOX, CBS, NBC and PBS will probably give you 25-30 channels to watch. You won't get STARS, HBO, Discovery, etc.
Read the advertising blurb...note that there is no description of what actual channels one is supposed to receive. None of the comments either. The picture of the antenna looks just like the Leaf one I have hooked to my TV at present. IMHO, that advertisement is pretty misleading. You will not get the same programming found on cable or satellite...or streaming.
Look at your TV guide and you can get a good idea of what OTA channels you can receive.
Jack, I was a bit skeptical. I figured it had to be a crap shoot. So how does one know which the best streaming device is? Roku, Fire TV, Apple, etc...
Jack answered it Bryan, just what was in the add...
I have Fire TV (Amazon) and you can watch anything you want for free (some legal...some not) with the right downloadable apps if you have a fast enough internet. I only get 1.5 - 2.5 Mbps where I live out in the country so streaming live TV like FS1 is really not watchable on Fire TV because of the constant buffering it has to do. Even with my slow internet, Fire TV doesn't have the buffering problems with movies and other shows for some reason (Jumanji and Dunkirk played fine) so it might be useful for some. I bought it to watch Supercross on FS1 so it didn't turn out to be much use for me because of the long buffering it does when streaming live TV.
Pay for add-on streaming channels are available for most streaming devices. YouTube offers a collection of channels for $35 per month. Adding HBO and other subscriptions add up to the point where you are again paying cable/satellite prices.
A simple search on the internet can let you compare devices and see the pros and cons. Last time I looked the ROKU had the biggest universe of channels. There are a lot of private channels available and ROKU has a weekly newsletter of new channels added.
Binge watching WWII in color now on Netflix...great documentary.
"I have Fire TV (Amazon) and you can watch anything you want for free (some legal...some not) with the right downloadable apps if you have a fast enough internet."
Timberlake, can you elaborate a bit on that comment? Thanks!
Do any of the streaming services offer local channels? Where I am in CO we don’t get any channels with a HD antenna. I have great internet though.
Some local stations do stream. But that is station dependent. Do an Internet search on the stations near you to see if they do. If your streaming device doesn't connect to those that do, you can most likely cast if from a computer to your TV.
The major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc.) have started streaming their programming, but one must $ubscribe to get their streams.
70 - the antennas for OTA channels can be great if you are near to the broadcasting tower. I have an indoor one and pick up 30-40 channels wonderfully - unfortunately, I have to live in the suburbs of Minneapolis to do it.
Interestingly, the TV also has something to do with it. I had a 10 year old Samsung and it would be hit/miss on the OTA TV. Some days pixilated (sp?) and some days clear. That one finally died and I got a cheap new Visio and all the OTA channels are great. The antenna and wiring are the same so I am not sure why the TV would have made such a difference?
Anyway, if you are like Jack and live far from a tower, I can see why he isn't high on the digital antennas. It might still be worth trying for yourself.
I do have an indoor antenna that comes in handy when weather affects the satellite dish. It gets about 10 channels and works in a pinch for news, weather etc.
We moved to Idaho about 6 months ago and we're desperately searching for a new home as we speak. At this point in time I just don't know if we'll get our way and live out in the country or if we'll be forced to stay near town. This is why I'm looking for the best streaming option. I just don't know where we will be in a year.
Link is to the weekly Roku guide. Some good info about watching via stream. Example, the Olympics. Also, some of the new channels that came on line and notes about how the YouTube channel is now available.
Note: the benefit of digital signals for OTA is that more data can be included in the signal...sub channels, programming info, etc. The downside of digital OTA is that the signal does not travel as far as analog and are much more susceptible to disturbance by atmospheric conditions (clouds, storms, etc.) High end digital OTA antennas are often amplified which may improve weak signals. Outside antennas on masts will get better reception than indoor ones...just like the outside antennas provided better reception than rabbit ears.
