Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Everything else!

Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k

Post Reply
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

"PlayStation Vue is shutting down! Sony announced that the live TV streaming service will no longer be available as of January 30, 2020. "

The DVR capability is a cloud service, not an actual device. I presume it can only record content from the service that offers it. So (for example) Hulu would let me record shows from the network affiliates, because those are included in the Hulu Live subscription; however, the DVR function in Sling would not record those, because I'd have to bring them in via antenna. Neither one of them would record shows from other streaming providers like Amazon Prime. Correct me if I'm misunderstanding how these "DVR" features work.
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

Well crap, I checked again and Hulu Live does NOT have AMC or BBC America. No Walking Dead? No Dr Who? Inconceivable! OK, so that's out.

Now YouTube has the advantage. Disadvantages -- too many sports channels, no A&E, no Comedy Central.

BTW, there's a handy channel table here. IDK how up-to-date it is but it seems legit.

Also: I need to add FX to my must-have channels. What We Do In the Shadows, yo.
User avatar
naednek
Posts: 10866
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:23 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by naednek »

by the way, there is a limit on Youtube TV. It's 9 months. You record as much as you want, but it will roll off 9 months after it records.

Out of the options I chose youtubetv, it had the best package overall.
hepcat - "I agree with Naednek"
Jeff V
Posts: 36414
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: Nowhere you want to be.

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Jeff V »

Sling made nice with Fox and football is back, so I'm not hating on them anymore. They have AMC, BBC America and FX.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

If I don't watch something in nine months, I didn't really want it in the first place. I rely on my DVR to slurp up new episodes of the various series that I follow so that I don't have to pay attention to when they air. I guess I'll miss Drunk History without Comedy Central. The internet tells me I can watch it on YouTube for $1.99 per episode. Hah, no thanks. If that's the only show I lose by going to YouTube, I will survive.
Jeff V
Posts: 36414
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: Nowhere you want to be.

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Jeff V »

On Sling, prior episodes in the season (and maybe some or all seasons) are available on demand. You can do a 30 day trial and see what availability of shows are for the ones you care about, as this seems rather inconsistent.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
McNutt
Posts: 12368
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:57 pm
Location: What's the opposite of the Twittersphere

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by McNutt »

naednek wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 4:27 pm by the way, there is a limit on Youtube TV. It's 9 months. You record as much as you want, but it will roll off 9 months after it records.
I thought YouTube didn't record anything for you, just add the library to your feed since it's already there on their servers. So if you "DVR" Seinfeld it automatically adds every Seinfeld to your list. Why would it be erased?
User avatar
LawBeefaroni
Forum Moderator
Posts: 55315
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: Urbs in Horto, outrageous taxes on everything

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by LawBeefaroni »

McNutt wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 6:02 pm
naednek wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 4:27 pm by the way, there is a limit on Youtube TV. It's 9 months. You record as much as you want, but it will roll off 9 months after it records.
I thought YouTube didn't record anything for you, just add the library to your feed since it's already there on their servers. So if you "DVR" Seinfeld it automatically adds every Seinfeld to your list. Why would it be erased?
It does both. Shows get added to "your" library/dvr. These are traditional "recordings" complete with skippable commercials and end credits from the previous show (or the end of a football game).

But some shows in your library are also available streamed. These are traditional streamed, with unskippable call commercials but the ability to watch whenever.

I'm sure the intricacies depend on licensing and whatnot. But everything is "dvr-able" and some shows are also streamable.
" Hey OP, listen to my advice alright." -Tha General
"No scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer." -Stigler's Law of Eponymy, discovered by Robert K. Merton

MYT
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

Physically hooking up the new TV was easier than expected. With no cable box to go through, I wound up needing a lot fewer cables than my old setup used.

Subscribing to YouTube TV and registering my TV was unexpectedly complicated, and I'm not thrilled with the interface (although it's starting to make some sense). Setting up Amazon Prime was a little easier; not thrilled with that interface, either. And I can't figure out how to customize the home screen so that the apps I actually use (just YouTube TV and Amazon so far, plus my DVD player) are front and center. There's a menu in the TV's Settings that lets me shuffle around app tiles, but moving them doesn't appear to actually change anything. There's a YouTube icon that goes to the internet YouTube; I'd like to move that way down, but it stays right at the top.

I suppose I'll figure this all out. Maybe it's the Android interface that I don't like -- this is all new and strange to me, so I'm not sure. How could I replace that with the Hulu interface? Would I need to buy a Hulu streaming stick? If I plugged one of those into an HDMI port, would it bypass the hard connection between my TV and router and make me use WiFi instead?
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

IDK if this will interest anyone, being a local story and all, but here's a piece on my ISP's exit from the cable biz. (BELD = Braintree Electric Light Department, founded in 1891 by Thomas A. Watson.)

Interesting that they were asking some of their 2,100 customers to return the equipment. When I rang them up and asked, they told me to trash it. I took it to Best Buy, which recycles old electronics. I also junked our VCR, which had been hooked up and blinking 12:00 for the past 13 years without ever being used once.
User avatar
Max Peck
Posts: 13682
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:09 pm
Location: Down the Rabbit-Hole

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Max Peck »

My cable company/ISP (Rogers) seems to be moving in that direction. If you go to their website and browse for TV packages, all that you see are their TVoIP packages, and the most prominent feature on the page is promoting Netflix. The actual cable service is now buried under a link to "Basic TV" way down at the bottom of the page, right beside a link to information about Amazon Prime Video.
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor

It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70098
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by LordMortis »

Kraken wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:47 pm Interesting that they were asking some of their 2,100 customers to return the equipment.
This is to justify having charged you $5 a month for years for equipment that cost them $20 at the time that they would then have to dispose of if you returned it.
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

LordMortis wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:34 am
Kraken wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 11:47 pm Interesting that they were asking some of their 2,100 customers to return the equipment.
This is to justify having charged you $5 a month for years for equipment that cost them $20 at the time that they would then have to dispose of if you returned it.
They must have return privileges with some of their vendors. They're collecting four specific cable box models -- but not mine, which is lucky since the phone lady didn't ask which one I have and I didn't give her my account info. It's also interesting that they had at least five different models in circulation. My dual-tuner HD box with DVR was costing me $17.50/mo, or $210/yr.
User avatar
stessier
Posts: 29816
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:30 pm
Location: SC

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by stessier »

Kraken wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:25 pm My dual-tuner HD box with DVR was costing me $17.50/mo, or $210/yr.
Egads! Water under the bridge, but you should totally have looked into alternatives. If you keep them for 2+ years, TiVos would save you a bunch (if you ever return to your pre-cord cutting days).
I require a reminder as to why raining arcane destruction is not an appropriate response to all of life's indignities. - Vaarsuvius
Global Steam Wishmaslist Tracking
Running____2014: 1300.55 miles____2015: 2036.13 miles____2016: 1012.75 miles____2017: 1105.82 miles____2018: 1318.91 miles__2019: 2000.00 miles
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

stessier wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:34 pm
Kraken wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:25 pm My dual-tuner HD box with DVR was costing me $17.50/mo, or $210/yr.
Egads! Water under the bridge, but you should totally have looked into alternatives. If you keep them for 2+ years, TiVos would save you a bunch (if you ever return to your pre-cord cutting days).
Path of least resistance. When I get all of my tech items playing nicely with each other, I'm loath to perturb them. Everything -- TV, VCR, DVD player, and stereo -- ran thru the cable box, and my Harmony remote had macros that controlled them all with one button. That is, I could push "Watch a DVD" and the DVD player would turn on, TV would turn on and switch to HDMI, stereo would turn on. I miss that, but the new setup is much simpler with no cable box. And, of course, it crept up to $17.50 gradually...classic frog in boiling water scenario.

Now that I've got the new TV and core streaming services set up, it would take a lot to make me revert to cable.
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70098
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by LordMortis »

stessier wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:34 pm
Kraken wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:25 pm My dual-tuner HD box with DVR was costing me $17.50/mo, or $210/yr.
Egads! Water under the bridge, but you should totally have looked into alternatives. If you keep them for 2+ years, TiVos would save you a bunch (if you ever return to your pre-cord cutting days).
Water continuing to flow under the bridge, when cable went totally digital my TiVo began requiring "a cable card" to work and the cable co charge monthly for a cheap ass PCMCIA card that looked 15 years old when they gave it to me. It's at least a $5 a month charge but might be more. That's where I was going with the cheaper to let me throw it away than to track returning it sentiment. (I assumed his equipment was just the tuner. the Cable Cos here give you DVRs when you sign up for 2 year agreements). Forcing you to rent tuner and modem equipment is a big part of the puppies that drives me to monitor this thread and will one day get me to cord cut. I would have done it last week but One Punch Man and Rick and Morty stayed my hand. Even then I'm like, really?, OPM and R&M are worth the cable bill at this point?
ManAboutNothing
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:42 am

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by ManAboutNothing »

Kraken wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:20 pm Now that I've got the new TV and core streaming services set up, it would take a lot to make me revert to cable.
100% yes. Not only is streaming cheaper, but with Netflix, Hulu and Prime together you'll have more choices than cable, and you dictate when and what stuff plays, when to stop it, and the quality will probably be better too. I'd never even consider cable again. I think maybe cable services are beginning to finally realize their days are numbered too. My local ISP barely offers TV service anymore (buried on their back pages).
Derek
Very part-time indie developer and full time internet business tinkerer/failure/blunderer
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70098
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by LordMortis »

Max Peck wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:45 am My cable company/ISP (Rogers) seems to be moving in that direction. If you go to their website and browse for TV packages, all that you see are their TVoIP packages, and the most prominent feature on the page is promoting Netflix. The actual cable service is now buried under a link to "Basic TV" way down at the bottom of the page, right beside a link to information about Amazon Prime Video.
ManAboutNothing wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:48 pm 100% yes. Not only is streaming cheaper, but with Netflix, Hulu and Prime together you'll have more choices than cable, and you dictate when and what stuff plays, when to stop it, and the quality will probably be better too. I'd never even consider cable again. I think maybe cable services are beginning to finally realize their days are numbered too. My local ISP barely offers TV service anymore (buried on their back pages).
Like most "disruptions" Cable Cos kinda brought it on themselves. They should have been re-calibrating the day NetFlix became a thing you could subscribe to while standing in line at Best Buy (when Best Buy was still relevant... We're talking 2003?) Instead they went all actuarial and calculated price increases to reflect a small loss of customers. They should have overhauled when BlockBuster went under (what, 2010?) Instead they went all actuarial and calculated price increases to reflect a small loss of customers. They should have panicked when NetFlix and Amazon announce original content (forgetting even slingbox or Hulu were directly trying to compete), (2012?). Instead they went all actuarial and calculated price increases to reflect a small loss of customers. Now their screwed and they only thing they know how to do is raise prices to compensate. They are going to be a case of last person to leave, turn off the lights and it's their fault. Their only saving grace, is most of them are ISPs now. I don't know if morphing from cable to ISP was their plan but now it's their only alternative and it makes little sense. You have the architecture and infrastructure but it's becoming increasingly expensive to provide the service because you stuck it to the customers so for so long that you've shrunk the market.

Literally the first link I could find

https://www.marketingcharts.com/televis ... ing-107961

The population grows while cable users shrink at an ever expanding rate while cable channels increase their subscription rates to providers. The math ain't good.

Enlarge Image
User avatar
gilraen
Posts: 4312
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Broomfield, CO

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by gilraen »

I kept Comcast cable mostly because of Altitude TV (the only station to carry Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games). Other stuff was mainly a bonus that I could get through Sling or YTTV or whatever, but Altitude was the deal breaker. Fast forward to this August, and Comcast stopped carrying Altitude because of a contract dispute. I'd be ditching them now in favor of an internet-only package, but I still have over a year left on the contract (this time around it was a 2-year contract instead of a usual 1-year contract...figures). Oh well, I'll be considering my options in about 13 months.
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Isgrimnur »

Take a look at the cancellation terms. It might be prorated.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
Hrdina
Posts: 2913
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:18 pm
Location: Warren Cromartie Secondary School

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Hrdina »

This thread looks like a good place to ask for advice. :D

My problem: I have an older HD rear-projection TV (Hitachi 57F510), with only one HDMI input port.

Up until a week ago, we've had a setup which included our FiOS box and our Amazon Fire Stick. I bought an HDMI 2-to-1 port from Amazon, but found that the Fire Stick did not like using that, so we removed it. I've been manually swapping since then, although TBH we rarely use FiOS anymore for anything but sports. My kids are all older (youngest is 16, middle in college, oldest just graduated) so our TV demands are much reduced. We'll probably get rid of the FiOS TV service, but I'm kinda lazy and haven't looked into it yet.

For this year's Annual Gift Day, we picked up a Switch, which of course also connect to the TV via HDMI. So, now we have 2 or 3 HDMI devices that we want to use.

My wife suggested getting a new TV, but the current one works OK despite its age, so I'm not ready yet to either spend that much more or create more electronic waste just to get more HDMI ports. :D Then again, the thought of having a wall-mounted flat-screen TV instead of the current rear-projection until does have its appeal!

So, to solve my short-term problem, does anyone have recommendations for a decent 3-input-to-1-output HDMI switch?

For the longer term, I guess I'll have to dig back through this thread to sort out my options if we decide to ditch FiOS TV and/or upgrade our TV itself.
Conform or be cast out!
User avatar
gilraen
Posts: 4312
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Broomfield, CO

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by gilraen »

I've been using this FosPower 3 x 1 HDMI Switch for almost 3 years, and it works beautifully. It has a Roku stick, a Chromecast and a blu-ray player plugged in. Unfortunately, doesn't seem like Amazon sells it anymore, but they have a 5x1 switch from the same brand.
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Smoove_B »

I have the same problem. The house we purchased came with a wall-mounted Sony Bravia ~46". It too has a single HDMI input and I found a spitter, but it's not enough. It's a wire nightmare and I'm guessing I'd need to hire an AV specialist to come in and figure it all out. Between the location of the power (adjacent wall) and the various cords (Roku, Switch, DirecTV, Xbox360) it's a rat's nest of wiring.

I suspect the prior home owner left it for me because it weighs like 500 lbs (I had to dismount it to even connect the HDMI wire, it was behind steel mounting plate) and it's like 10+ years old (I think).

Anyway, thanks for the 5 port link. I figured something was out there.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

Hrdina wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 7:13 pm My problem: I have an older HD rear-projection TV (Hitachi 57F510), with only one HDMI input port.
"Weight 205.03 lbs" :o :lol:

I'll just say that I was reluctant to replace our 13-year-old LCD TV for the same reasons -- it still worked fine, and all I really needed was an HDMI port to plug a Roku thingie into. In fact, if I'd just moved the DVD player from HDMI to component, I would've only needed the stick. But now that I see how much the picture quality has improved over those years, I'm really happy with the new TV. Colors are more vivid, blacks are blacker, and it's much sharper, even when playing old low-rez DVDs. As for creating electronic waste...we gave away the old one for free on Craigslist, and some kid hauled it away for use as a game system monitor. I hope it'll keep making pictures for years to come.
JCC
Posts: 2191
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:07 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by JCC »

Hrdina, I would suggest it's time for a new TV. Probably any of among the cheapest LEDs will have a drastically better picture than your rear projection screen. It's at least worth going to a shop and looking at them.
Black Lives Matter

"You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts; they alter the facts to fit their views." - The 4th Doctor
User avatar
Hrdina
Posts: 2913
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:18 pm
Location: Warren Cromartie Secondary School

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Hrdina »

Thanks everyone for the responses.
gilraen wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 7:52 pm I've been using this FosPower 3 x 1 HDMI Switch for almost 3 years, and it works beautifully. It has a Roku stick, a Chromecast and a blu-ray player plugged in. Unfortunately, doesn't seem like Amazon sells it anymore, but they have a 5x1 switch from the same brand.
The FosPower 5x1 switch is is one of the items I saw where I didn't recognize the brand name, so figured it was just another cheap import being sold by an Amazon reseller (like the 2-way I previously bought). The 3.5-star rating didn't help with that, although looking at their site they're in Minnesota. They're also selling the same part for $60 (it's $26 at Amazon).

Kraken wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:33 pm
Hrdina wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 7:13 pm My problem: I have an older HD rear-projection TV (Hitachi 57F510), with only one HDMI input port.
"Weight 205.03 lbs" :o :lol:
I'm surprised it's that light. :D At least it has wheels!

Kraken wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:33 pm I'll just say that I was reluctant to replace our 13-year-old LCD TV for the same reasons -- it still worked fine, and all I really needed was an HDMI port to plug a Roku thingie into. In fact, if I'd just moved the DVD player from HDMI to component, I would've only needed the stick. But now that I see how much the picture quality has improved over those years, I'm really happy with the new TV. Colors are more vivid, blacks are blacker, and it's much sharper, even when playing old low-rez DVDs. As for creating electronic waste...we gave away the old one for free on Craigslist, and some kid hauled it away for use as a game system monitor. I hope it'll keep making pictures for years to come.
Funny, one of the reasons my daughter wants a new TV is because she doesn't like to use it as a monitor because overscan was causing the screen edges to get lost. She seemed almost disappointed when I found that the Switch has a menu that let me scale it down to 89% so that the whole screen was visible.

Still, I figured that if we decide to get a new TV, I'll either go the CraigsList route, or maybe drop it at our city's "FreeCycle" event (although that might not be until the fall; edit: they have it April 25 and May 2 2020). As you noted, it's a bit heavy (and also bulky), so finding someone who wants it and is capable of hauling it away might be a challenge. :D I would rather not keep it, but I definitely won't toss it into a landfill.
JCC wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:53 pm Hrdina, I would suggest it's time for a new TV. Probably any of among the cheapest LEDs will have a drastically better picture than your rear projection screen. It's at least worth going to a shop and looking at them.
You might be right. Most of the other people in my house think so. My wife forwarded a MicroCenter ad to me. I'm absolutely sure that the picture would be drastically better, anyway. My current TV tops out at 1080i (not that newfangled 1080p).

I've also been reading through Kraken's "Let's argue about televisions (again)!" thread, so ATM I feel overwhelmed with information. I might have to post some questions over there, eventually.
Conform or be cast out!
User avatar
McNutt
Posts: 12368
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:57 pm
Location: What's the opposite of the Twittersphere

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by McNutt »

I signed up for YouTube TV and I love it except for one problem. I recorded a few movies off of TCM. I started watching one the day after I recorded it. I got about halfway through and turned it off. When I went back the next day, it was no longer available. Damen thing happened to another TCM movie I recorded.

I thought these shows stayed active for nine months. Any ideas?
User avatar
dbt1949
Posts: 25687
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:34 am
Location: Hogeye Arkansas

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by dbt1949 »

Watch them sooner.
Ye Olde Farte
Double Ought Forty
aka dbt1949
Jeff V
Posts: 36414
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: Nowhere you want to be.

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Jeff V »

dbt1949 wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:32 pm Watch them sooner.
Yeah, when it comes to this, I live the here and now. When Tivo was still a thing, mine filled with shit I'd never get around to watching (because hey, something else is on now that I want to see and I can watch the Tivo recordings anytime...). It was the same reason I liquidated my mostly unwatched DVD collection years ago. I never have a problem finding something I want to watch just by browsing what's available at the moment.
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

Like McNutt, I like to have a stable of great old movies at my fingertips, and I used to record a lot of TCM to get that. I haven't done that since we went streaming because there's so much other content I want to catch up on that I haven't reached the point of "let's see what's on the DVR" yet. I did browse TCM's lineup a couple of times and mark several movies for recording...but I haven't checked if they're there or not.

Sorry I can't help, and do let us know what you find out. I'm a big classic movie fan with a DVR mindset, and I would not appreciate a disturbance in my TCM.
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Isgrimnur »

If you're into westerns, there's a free streaming service called Tubi (Wiki) available. I discovered them while looking for Big Jake the other day.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
dbt1949
Posts: 25687
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:34 am
Location: Hogeye Arkansas

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by dbt1949 »

Jeff V wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:42 pm
dbt1949 wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:32 pm Watch them sooner.
Yeah, when it comes to this, I live the here and now. When Tivo was still a thing, mine filled with shit I'd never get around to watching (because hey, something else is on now that I want to see and I can watch the Tivo recordings anytime...). It was the same reason I liquidated my mostly unwatched DVD collection years ago. I never have a problem finding something I want to watch just by browsing what's available at the moment.
I had that same problem with porn.
Ye Olde Farte
Double Ought Forty
aka dbt1949
User avatar
naednek
Posts: 10866
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:23 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by naednek »

McNutt wrote:I signed up for YouTube TV and I love it except for one problem. I recorded a few movies off of TCM. I started watching one the day after I recorded it. I got about halfway through and turned it off. When I went back the next day, it was no longer available. Damen thing happened to another TCM movie I recorded.

I thought these shows stayed active for nine months. Any ideas?
Were you watching the DVR version or VOD version? DVR version lasts 9months but VOD can come and go

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

hepcat - "I agree with Naednek"
User avatar
gilraen
Posts: 4312
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Broomfield, CO

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by gilraen »

naednek wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2020 3:21 am
McNutt wrote:I signed up for YouTube TV and I love it except for one problem. I recorded a few movies off of TCM. I started watching one the day after I recorded it. I got about halfway through and turned it off. When I went back the next day, it was no longer available. Damen thing happened to another TCM movie I recorded.

I thought these shows stayed active for nine months. Any ideas?
Were you watching the DVR version or VOD version? DVR version lasts 9months but VOD can come and go

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I saw people on Reddit complain that YTTV would replace more and more of their recorded stuff with VOD stuff (because once the network makes VOD available, it has unskippable commercials). And then if the VOD availability was a limited-time thing, the video goes away and you lose both the VOD and the one that you recorded.
User avatar
McNutt
Posts: 12368
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:57 pm
Location: What's the opposite of the Twittersphere

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by McNutt »

It probably was VOD. Good call.
User avatar
naednek
Posts: 10866
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:23 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by naednek »

gilraen wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:25 pm
naednek wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2020 3:21 am
McNutt wrote:I signed up for YouTube TV and I love it except for one problem. I recorded a few movies off of TCM. I started watching one the day after I recorded it. I got about halfway through and turned it off. When I went back the next day, it was no longer available. Damen thing happened to another TCM movie I recorded.

I thought these shows stayed active for nine months. Any ideas?
Were you watching the DVR version or VOD version? DVR version lasts 9months but VOD can come and go

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I saw people on Reddit complain that YTTV would replace more and more of their recorded stuff with VOD stuff (because once the network makes VOD available, it has unskippable commercials). And then if the VOD availability was a limited-time thing, the video goes away and you lose both the VOD and the one that you recorded.
That was probably CBS related shows. CBS removed that and most shows on youtubetv have DVR options and VOD options. DVR lasts 9 months, VOD comes and goes like everything else
hepcat - "I agree with Naednek"
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70098
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by LordMortis »

Cable bill went up again this month. It's finally crossed the threshold to where it's cheaper to get Internet services than it is to have cable that I rarely watch. I called Xfinity to get details on cutting over and cancelling WOW but rather than answering my questions and getting me to sign up on the spot they gave me a run around, tried to upsell me, and then advised that two of my questions would only be answered after I placed my order. (which were, what is timing like for installation window after I order, and what is the process for purchasing and configuring my own cable modem, rather than renting one).

They are still likely to get my business as I am fed up with WOW, even knowing I'm going to have to deal with my credit being frozen, but lord knows they don't make it easy.

I may just kill WOW and suffer from home Internet and TV withdraw for a while. It might not do this addict some good... Well after I make sure enough of my steam and now epic games work when the Internet doesn't. :oops: I'm not a savage...
User avatar
hitbyambulance
Posts: 10233
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:51 am
Location: Map Ref 47.6°N 122.35°W
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by hitbyambulance »

LordMortis wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:44 pm and what is the process for purchasing and configuring my own cable modem, rather than renting one).
there isn't much of one. buy your DOCSYS 3.1 cable modem for ~$120, do basic configuration by swapping in the new modem and letting it autoconfig, access the modem via your PC to fill in some info and it's working. then call xfinity to set up the rental modem return.

https://www.xfinity.com/support/article ... ble-modems
User avatar
gilraen
Posts: 4312
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Broomfield, CO

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by gilraen »

hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:42 pm
LordMortis wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:44 pm and what is the process for purchasing and configuring my own cable modem, rather than renting one).
there isn't much of one. buy your DOCSYS 3.1 cable modem for ~$120, do basic configuration by swapping in the new modem and letting it autoconfig, access the modem via your PC to fill in some info and it's working. then call xfinity to set up the rental modem return.

https://www.xfinity.com/support/article ... ble-modems
I use this Motorola MB8600 with Xfinity. It's a bit on the pricey side but I wanted to future proof it (now that I look at my Amazon order - I bought it in November of 2017, and it's still the exact same price).
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43688
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Thinking of ditching cable tv, thoughts

Post by Kraken »

hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:42 pm
LordMortis wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:44 pm and what is the process for purchasing and configuring my own cable modem, rather than renting one).
there isn't much of one. buy your DOCSYS 3.1 cable modem for ~$120, do basic configuration by swapping in the new modem and letting it autoconfig, access the modem via your PC to fill in some info and it's working. then call xfinity to set up the rental modem return.

https://www.xfinity.com/support/article ... ble-modems
My local ISP requires a phone call to "provision" the new modem. They only support one modem MAC address per account, and they add/delete those manually. It's a small company with only a few thousand accounts.
Post Reply