We've cut the cable (3 Viewers)

[tonydead]

So I keep seeing adds for the "Media cube". Is this just a small computer with Kodi build in?

I won't call it a "scam" but I've poked and prodded this thing a LOT and I smell "fishy".

Here is a quote I saved from a well-respected AVS board where guys with a LOT of knowledge live to dissect product like these:

I'm assuming that "easy to use web interface" includes links to fishy movie streaming sites that want you to complete a survey/offer for access. Maybe it comes with uTorrent preinstalled and an invite to IPTorrents. Not sure how else you're going to get "free" access to premium content other than breaking the law.

EDIT: I thought this piece of ####e looked familiar. This is an Amlogic S802 M8 Android TV Box that has been rebranded. This Media Cube Vendor obviously added XBMC with all the good piracy plugins.

Here's a link to the original product: LINK

Doing some more googling, it also appears that this media cube company was initially trying to use Ouya boxes as the base system but likely ran into some legal trouble. Or perhaps the M8 is just cheaper. Just grab it for $100 from the site above and add XBMC and the piracy plugins yourself.

XBMC/Kodi is open source. That allows companies like this to take the code and rebrand it for themselves and try to sell it for a profit. The real Kodi is maintained by the XBMC Foundation which is a non-profit technology consortium. It's regularly advanced, updated and it is free. It's simple enough for average users to install on a HTPC and since the firestick and fire tv came out it you can put it on an affordable streaming device. There is no reasons to pay for anything like this. Just buy a firestick for $25 and mess around with it to see if you like it and if it can be a part of your cutting the cable solution.

 

[matttyl]

What streamers allow for netflix user/profile selection (not sure if that's the correct term). I have some roku's from a few years back and they don't allow this. My MIL is staying with us during the week and I created a netflix profile for her full of Disney/animated movies and HGTV type shows - but the roku on the TC in her bedroom won't let us pick the user profile I made for her, so she has to go through all the stuff that my wife and I have added.

 

[KiddLattimer]

Next question. Multiple tvs. Do I need a box or stick for every tv?

One for each of them... its a chunk of change up front but works out cheaper than most cable box rental fees

Here is a comparison of the most common streamers with prices of each and links to buy:

http://www.cnet.com/topics/media-streamers/best-media-streamers/

If you can afford it I would recommend boxes over sticks, but sticks are fine if you are just looking for something to watch once in a while. They're a little slow for everyday use.

Roku is usually the best fit for most people unless you are a heavy iTunes content user (Apple TV) or power Amazon user (Fire TV).

 

[tonydead]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

 

[pollardsvision]

DirecTV ends at midnight tonight.

Costs to officially cut the cord were really high ($900) because we need access on 4 TV's (2 of which were old tube TV's 2). $360 of that $900 was the 2 new TV's. And I went with a Mohu Leaf 50 on every TV, which was probably overkill, but they work well. Really, the Roku's ($240 of that) might not be cordcutting costs, as I'd want them with or without cable.

Actually, make that $1040 if you count the new modem and router to upgrade from DSL to a better internet service to handle the extra streaming.

We're probably the worst cast scenario as far as costs to cut the cord, and we'll still make it all back within a year (and a huge chunk of the cost was buying/upgrading things that needed it with or without DirecTV).

 

[pollardsvision]

What streamers allow for netflix user/profile selection (not sure if that's the correct term). I have some roku's from a few years back and they don't allow this. My MIL is staying with us during the week and I created a netflix profile for her full of Disney/animated movies and HGTV type shows - but the roku on the TC in her bedroom won't let us pick the user profile I made for her, so she has to go through all the stuff that my wife and I have added.

Not sure about others, but Roku 3 and the Roku Stick both allow for multiple profiles.

 

[Aerial Assault]

Thanks to those who tolerated my silly questions.

Not sure what took me so long as such a voracious consumer of television, but we are finally set up. No cord-cutting here, as I have been a DirecTV subscriber since 1998 and doubt I will ever drop it, but I got a Roku 3 box and hooked it up. No problems at all with the setup with our audio, etc. I've been devouring Jessica Jones on Netflix.

 

[Rogi]

DirecTV ends at midnight tonight.

Costs to officially cut the cord were really high ($900) because we need access on 4 TV's (2 of which were old tube TV's 2). $360 of that $900 was the 2 new TV's. And I went with a Mohu Leaf 50 on every TV, which was probably overkill, but they work well. Really, the Roku's ($240 of that) might not be cordcutting costs, as I'd want them with or without cable.

Actually, make that $1040 if you count the new modem and router to upgrade from DSL to a better internet service to handle the extra streaming.

We're probably the worst cast scenario as far as costs to cut the cord, and we'll still make it all back within a year (and a huge chunk of the cost was buying/upgrading things that needed it with or without DirecTV).

Depending on how your place is wired with coaxial cable you might be able to connect your antenna to the main coax splitter in your house and only need one antenna to feed the OTA signal to your entire house.

 

[pollardsvision]

DirecTV ends at midnight tonight.

Costs to officially cut the cord were really high ($900) because we need access on 4 TV's (2 of which were old tube TV's 2). $360 of that $900 was the 2 new TV's. And I went with a Mohu Leaf 50 on every TV, which was probably overkill, but they work well. Really, the Roku's ($240 of that) might not be cordcutting costs, as I'd want them with or without cable.

Actually, make that $1040 if you count the new modem and router to upgrade from DSL to a better internet service to handle the extra streaming.

We're probably the worst cast scenario as far as costs to cut the cord, and we'll still make it all back within a year (and a huge chunk of the cost was buying/upgrading things that needed it with or without DirecTV).

Depending on how your place is wired with coaxial cable you might be able to connect your antenna to the main coax splitter in your house and only need one antenna to feed the OTA signal to your entire house.

I could probably try that now that that filthy DirecTV signal isn't running through those lines.

 

[BigJohn]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

 

[KiddLattimer]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

Make sure they dont charge for the modem too... you can buy your own modem/router combo (or buy them separately) for much less if you plan on keeping them for a while. (Although I heard that Charter charges you whether you buy your own router or not so be careful if they merge).

We had the Motorola SB6141 Surfboard modem for a while before I switched to FIOS (no compatible on there) and it was fine, the 6121 model is slightly cheaper but doesn't go above 50 MBPS I believe. It doesn't come with built in WiFi though so you'll need to add another ~$30-40 for a router too.

There are other models on the list though - http://www.timewarnercable.com/content/dam/residential/pdfs/support/internet/twc-compatible-modems.pdf

 

[Shutout]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

My setup is the Surfboard 6141 and nothing but good things to say about it and I can confirm it works flawlessly with TWC and my router.

My router is the ASUS RTAC87u (also referred to as the AC2400).

Friend, let me tell you, it will cost you a bit more but it is hands down the best router I've ever used and the ability to go behind the scenes and configure it in any way you can imagine is as good as it gets. This combo of modem/router has, for me, been rock solid. It just simply works and it has the dual bands, the guest dual bands, the VPN, the ability to assign percentages of bandwidth where you want it. On and on. It really has it all. The four big antennas can all be moved about to maximize an already massive range.

There are a couple of other routers in this family that are similar. I know the one everyone calls the "night wing" or "batman" router is popular. I am not sure of the differences but I know when I bought mine this router was as well-reviewed as it gets while keeping the price point under $250 or so. This router is also one of those "future proof" things I mentioned yesterday. It is set up to hold up for a long time with the ability to handle the latest frequency ranges, storage from 2 different USB points, etc,etc. In general, if you do a quick search of "best routers" or "top 10 routers", I guarantee you will find this router in the top 2-3 everywhere you look.

With all that being said, technology moves FAST and I bought my router almost a year ago and I know that my router model is now being replaced by the ASUS 3200 which is a tri-band router. For those that might not know, instead of having a 2.4 radio and a 5ghz radio, you will have two 5ghz radios, allowing you to further designate the use of your less crowded 5ghz. So, if you are a family that dedicates a 5ghz to your Netflix/Roku streaming and also want to designate another 5ghz to other heavy streaming of transferring, it might be a way to go. For me, since the PS4 can't be designated solely to a 5ghz radio, I didn't have that need (stupid Sony...really missed the boat on that one).

Of course, these routers are all using the newest AC class (which is important for a topic like this) and you're going to be able to get the most out of your newer MIMO capable phones and tablets.

I'll stop trying to sell you guys routers now but I will say, if you go with the ASUS, take the time to go behind the configuration screens and take advantage of how much you can customize that thing because it will make all the difference in the world in the dependability of your signal.

Also, you might want to check out the inSSider software by Metageek (free) if you live in a high-traffic area. it is extremely reliable in showing you which channels are being used (shared) in your area and, of course, the ASUS allows you to completely customize which channels you want to use as well as how narrow or broad you want the range to be. Looking at inSSider for ten minutes will show you how valuable that 5ghz radio is.

 

[BigJohn]

Woah.

 

[MattFancy]

Question about Sling TV, have they changed it where you can watch on multiple devices at once yet?

 

[matttyl]

I've still got an old 6121 modem that I've had for around 7 years now (so it's paid for itself about 10x over) - and I can confirm it will work up to at least the ~90MBPS running to my house. I've also got an Asus rt-n66u router (used, refurbished - like half the price of a new one). If you're like me and don't have any AC wifi things, I couldn't justify the price of buying an AC router.

 

[matttyl]

Question about Sling TV, have they changed it where you can watch on multiple devices at once yet?

Sort of, but no (from what I've read, I don't have them). If you buy the HBO upgrade, then you can watch that on up to 3 TVs in addition to a 4th TV with some non-HBO stream. If you don't have that, then you're limited to 1 stream from all non-HBO feeds at a time.

 

[MattFancy]

Question about Sling TV, have they changed it where you can watch on multiple devices at once yet?

Sort of, but no (from what I've read, I don't have them). If you buy the HBO upgrade, then you can watch that on up to 3 TVs in addition to a 4th TV with some non-HBO stream. If you don't have that, then you're limited to 1 stream from all non-HBO feeds at a time.

Gotcha, so if you buy the HBO package, you get some extra perks it sounds like. My DTV deal is up in a few months, so just looking around at other options. Sling seems reasonable for the price, especially since we mostly watch the channels they offer.

 

[Shutout]

I've still got an old 6121 modem that I've had for around 7 years now (so it's paid for itself about 10x over) - and I can confirm it will work up to at least the ~90MBPS running to my house. I've also got an Asus rt-n66u router (used, refurbished - like half the price of a new one). If you're like me and don't have any AC wifi things, I couldn't justify the price of buying an AC router.

That's a very good router.

 

[Aerial Assault]

Didn't know ASUS made routers - all our computers are ASUS and we love them. I have an AT&T U-Verse router/modem; can I boost its performance (with which I'm pretty satisfied) with the ASUS router used in conjunction? We already have a range extender, which the new Roku uses.

 

[matttyl]

Didn't know ASUS made routers - all our computers are ASUS and we love them. I have an AT&T U-Verse router/modem; can I boost its performance (with which I'm pretty satisfied) with the ASUS router used in conjunction? We already have a range extender, which the new Roku uses.

Don't know if you can use another router with an existing router/modem combo. I've always used a separate device for each.

As for ASUS, I think they make the best routers on the market today.

 

[matttyl]

Question about Sling TV, have they changed it where you can watch on multiple devices at once yet?

Sort of, but no (from what I've read, I don't have them). If you buy the HBO upgrade, then you can watch that on up to 3 TVs in addition to a 4th TV with some non-HBO stream. If you don't have that, then you're limited to 1 stream from all non-HBO feeds at a time.

Gotcha, so if you buy the HBO package, you get some extra perks it sounds like. My DTV deal is up in a few months, so just looking around at other options. Sling seems reasonable for the price, especially since we mostly watch the channels they offer.

Well, you really only get the content that HBO has - but the ability to stream to more than 1 TV at a time, provided that the 2nd and all subsequent streams are of that HBO content.

 

[matttyl]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

 

[Shutout]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

 

[matttyl]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

 

[Shutout]

Didn't know ASUS made routers - all our computers are ASUS and we love them. I have an AT&T U-Verse router/modem; can I boost its performance (with which I'm pretty satisfied) with the ASUS router used in conjunction? We already have a range extender, which the new Roku uses.

I think in that case I would consider using the second router as a repeater in order to extend the range. Keep in mind that if your typical extender/booster/repeater is a single radio, you are cutting your throughput speed by as much as half (the dual bands get around this by sending on one radio and broadcasting on the other if you set it up that way).

I think if you had a good ASUS router as your primary and used the AT&T as the "slavE" repeater, you would probably maintain the strongest signal and throughput form points a-Z.

 

[Shutout]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

 

[matttyl]

A few bits of possible good news for cord cutters, from CES.

Looks like Sling is getting a few enhancements (I didn't even know they had any VOD) including ESPN3 (which I didn't know simulcasts any sports from ABC).

 

[matttyl]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

The big thing for me would be the locals. I'm willing to pay an extra 10-20 a month if I can get my CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox feeds from DC (maybe PBS as well) and any of their VOD content would just be icing. This way I don't have to deal with a ~$100-150 antenna and likely another $100 in hardware to mount it high enough to pull in any channels were I live - and then have to deal with likely redoing the coax cabling in my house. Their entering the market also means more competition - with up to 3 players doing nearly the same thing with tons more people looking at this as an option for their primary content.

 

[Shutout]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

The big thing for me would be the locals. I'm willing to pay an extra 10-20 a month if I can get my CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox feeds from DC (maybe PBS as well) and any of their VOD content would just be icing. This way I don't have to deal with a ~$100-150 antenna and likely another $100 in hardware to mount it high enough to pull in any channels were I live - and then have to deal with likely redoing the coax cabling in my house. Their entering the market also means more competition - with up to 3 players doing nearly the same thing with tons more people looking at this as an option for their primary content.

I am finding it interesting that Vidgo is laying the "over the top" labeling on very heavily.

By definition, that leaves the ISP as a packet transporter only with no say so in the copyrights or distribution.

To me, that screams that what we get from the 3rd party source may or may not be above the board (I'm sure this could be nothing more than them capitalizing on the phrase that is interesting people or a way to protect themselves from liability...I just hope its not the line being drawn in the sand of what will be the wild west).

 

[Aerial Assault]

Didn't know ASUS made routers - all our computers are ASUS and we love them. I have an AT&T U-Verse router/modem; can I boost its performance (with which I'm pretty satisfied) with the ASUS router used in conjunction? We already have a range extender, which the new Roku uses.

I think in that case I would consider using the second router as a repeater in order to extend the range. Keep in mind that if your typical extender/booster/repeater is a single radio, you are cutting your throughput speed by as much as half (the dual bands get around this by sending on one radio and broadcasting on the other if you set it up that way).

I think if you had a good ASUS router as your primary and used the AT&T as the "slavE" repeater, you would probably maintain the strongest signal and throughput form points a-Z.

Hmmm, great; thanks (and to mattyl for his thoughts as well). I could try that. I'll price some ASUS routers, and if I buy one, check in here for tips on how to make the AT&T the slave as you suggested.

 

[matttyl]

Didn't know ASUS made routers - all our computers are ASUS and we love them. I have an AT&T U-Verse router/modem; can I boost its performance (with which I'm pretty satisfied) with the ASUS router used in conjunction? We already have a range extender, which the new Roku uses.

I think in that case I would consider using the second router as a repeater in order to extend the range. Keep in mind that if your typical extender/booster/repeater is a single radio, you are cutting your throughput speed by as much as half (the dual bands get around this by sending on one radio and broadcasting on the other if you set it up that way).

I think if you had a good ASUS router as your primary and used the AT&T as the "slavE" repeater, you would probably maintain the strongest signal and throughput form points a-Z.

Hmmm, great; thanks (and to mattyl for his thoughts as well). I could try that. I'll price some ASUS routers, and if I buy one, check in here for tips on how to make the AT&T the slave as you suggested.

Occasionally you can find a refurbished one from Newegg (or similar) for much cheaper if you're ok with buying an "N" rather than "AC" router - which is what I did. I think mine was like $50. I think the only device that I have that even has AC wifi capability is my iphone, and I don't do much streaming or anything with it. For now "N" wireless rates are just fine for me.

 

[BigJohn]

So, first run on a price out.

Up front:

Netgear C3000-100nas - $95.78

Roku 3(refurb) - $73.95

Sling TV(+ kids extra) 3 months includes free Roku 2 - $75.00

Time Warner Setup($64.99 first month + $39.99 install) - $104.98

Mohu Leaf 50(refurb) - $41.99

Total - $391.70

New monthly charges would be:

Sling - $25.00

Netflix - $8.57

Hulu - $7.99

TWC - $54.99(+ tax)

Total - $96.55

Saving me $71.45 per month. I would recoup initial costs in about 5 months.

 

[Shutout]

So, first run on a price out.

Up front:

Netgear C3000-100nas - $95.78

Roku 3(refurb) - $73.95

Sling TV(+ kids extra) 3 months includes free Roku 2 - $75.00

Time Warner Setup($64.99 first month + $39.99 install) - $104.98

Mohu Leaf 50(refurb) - $41.99

Total - $391.70

New monthly charges would be:

Sling - $25.00

Netflix - $8.57

Hulu - $7.99

TWC - $54.99(+ tax)

Total - $96.55

Saving me $71.45 per month. I would recoup initial costs in about 5 months.

What kind of Internet speed are you getting with TWC at that price? If you are a new customer, it seems I see all the time that they have a $35.99 deal for a year. Might be worth checking to see if you qualify to save that extra $20/month.

Welcome to the "I just got an extra grand in my pocket" club

 

[BigJohn]

So, first run on a price out.

Up front:

Netgear C3000-100nas - $95.78

Roku 3(refurb) - $73.95

Sling TV(+ kids extra) 3 months includes free Roku 2 - $75.00

Time Warner Setup($64.99 first month + $39.99 install) - $104.98

Mohu Leaf 50(refurb) - $41.99

Total - $391.70

New monthly charges would be:

Sling - $25.00

Netflix - $8.57

Hulu - $7.99

TWC - $54.99(+ tax)

Total - $96.55

Saving me $71.45 per month. I would recoup initial costs in about 5 months.

What kind of Internet speed are you getting with TWC at that price? If you are a new customer, it seems I see all the time that they have a $35.99 deal for a year. Might be worth checking to see if you qualify to save that extra $20/month. Welcome to the "I just got an extra grand in my pocket" club

$54.99 gets me 30Mbps. $10 more would be 50Mbps.

 

[pollardsvision]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

I use the Arris Surboard SB6183 modem with a cheap TP-Link Dual Band router. Works fine with Comcast. I don't really know a good router/modem from a bad one though.

If you plan on using TWC for your phone as well, you might want to make sure you'll be able to BYO Modem. I've heard it's sometimes not possible if you are using the phone service too.

 

[BigJohn]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

I use the Arris Surboard SB6183 modem with a cheap TP-Link Dual Band router. Works fine with Comcast. I don't really know a good router/modem from a bad one though.

If you plan on using TWC for your phone as well, you might want to make sure you'll be able to BYO Modem. I've heard it's sometimes not possible if you are using the phone service too.

No phone. Havent had a landline in 6 years.

 

[tonydead]

Sling has a deal for a free Roku 2 with 3 months paid. Setup is starting to form...

Living room - Roku 3/PS4

Master bedroom - Roku 2

Bedroom 1 - Wii

Bedroom 2 - PS3

Now, I'm looking at my internet.

Existing AT&T is $57 for 15Mbps.

Time Warner Cable is $64 for 50Mbps. They offer free in-home wifi, but it would be $10/month for their router. Does anyone have a good reco for a router?

I use the Arris Surboard SB6183 modem with a cheap TP-Link Dual Band router. Works fine with Comcast. I don't really know a good router/modem from a bad one though.

If you plan on using TWC for your phone as well, you might want to make sure you'll be able to BYO Modem. I've heard it's sometimes not possible if you are using the phone service too.

No phone. Havent had a landline in 6 years.

No problemos with Arris Surfboard here. Great modem, you can get them refurbished on Amazon for around $40 if you look and wait a little.

 

[Politician Spock]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

The big thing for me would be the locals. I'm willing to pay an extra 10-20 a month if I can get my CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox feeds from DC (maybe PBS as well) and any of their VOD content would just be icing. This way I don't have to deal with a ~$100-150 antenna and likely another $100 in hardware to mount it high enough to pull in any channels were I live - and then have to deal with likely redoing the coax cabling in my house. Their entering the market also means more competition - with up to 3 players doing nearly the same thing with tons more people looking at this as an option for their primary content.

I looked at the antenna costs as a multi-year investment. If I thought I'd be moving soon, then my numbers would be different. But given I expect to live here 10 years from now (and probably longer), buying the antenna and mounting it my attic will save me many years of having to pay for those channels. Ten years at $10 to $20 per month is $1200 to $2400. In other words the return on investment is $1100 to $2300 over ten years. In fact, it pays for itself in 5 to 10 months.

 

[Rogi]

So, first run on a price out.

Up front:

Netgear C3000-100nas - $95.78

Roku 3(refurb) - $73.95

Sling TV(+ kids extra) 3 months includes free Roku 2 - $75.00

Time Warner Setup($64.99 first month + $39.99 install) - $104.98

Mohu Leaf 50(refurb) - $41.99

Total - $391.70

New monthly charges would be:

Sling - $25.00

Netflix - $8.57

Hulu - $7.99

TWC - $54.99(+ tax)

Total - $96.55

Saving me $71.45 per month. I would recoup initial costs in about 5 months.

An interesting exercise to do is to calculate how many hours you'd have to work to earn (after taxes) the $71.45 you'd be saving. It may not be much but it's X amount hours of your life you get back not working for TV channels.

 

[matttyl]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

The big thing for me would be the locals. I'm willing to pay an extra 10-20 a month if I can get my CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox feeds from DC (maybe PBS as well) and any of their VOD content would just be icing. This way I don't have to deal with a ~$100-150 antenna and likely another $100 in hardware to mount it high enough to pull in any channels were I live - and then have to deal with likely redoing the coax cabling in my house. Their entering the market also means more competition - with up to 3 players doing nearly the same thing with tons more people looking at this as an option for their primary content.

I looked at the antenna costs as a multi-year investment. If I thought I'd be moving soon, then my numbers would be different. But given I expect to live here 10 years from now (and probably longer), buying the antenna and mounting it my attic will save me many years of having to pay for those channels. Ten years at $10 to $20 per month is $1200 to $2400. In other words the return on investment is $1100 to $2300 over ten years. In fact, it pays for itself in 5 to 10 months.

If I could mount one in my attic and get all my locals, I would. I'd have to mount it outside the house (and I don't want it on the roof). That means mounting it behind a few large cedar trees on a 40 foot or so pole, for which I'd have to pour cement for to properly anchor it to the ground - then have to worry about the thing getting damaged via wind or ice. Not to mention the additional coax cabling to be run, and likely a signal booster and such as well. I'll pay $10 a month more to prevent all that - as for all I know all my locals will just start streaming themselves in a few years anyway.

Actually, since these channels broadcast themselves for free to anyone with an antenna, why wouldn't they live stream themselves over the internet?

 

[Shutout]

Vidgo announced at CES 2016 is promising to be to 2016 what Slingtv was to 2015. AND IT HAS LOCAL CHANNELS. Channel line up and costs still to be released. 15 cities coming by mid 2016 and all markets by Q4.

Potential game changer for me. If this has the same channels as Sling as well as my locals, I'm done with comcast (TV, still need them for internet) when my deal is up later this year. Also, in tht link it says that they offer MULTIPLE STREAMS. Will wait to see their pricing - but if it has the channels of sling, along with my locals, and multiple simultaneous streaming capabilities, and under lets say $30 or so a month, I'm in.

What you are describing sounds a lot like what the Sony VUE has offered in three large cities. Just for reference, their price point is $50 so I'm guessing (totally) that any multiple view options is going to have to clock in closer to $45 or $50 than $30.

Maybe, but in that they will be in 15 cities rather than just 3 initially, and "all markets" later this year, they may be able to scale better than offer better pricing.

True. And maybe Sony will price more in line as they roll out to other markets. Either way, the signs of an offering like Vidgo is a great thing because more competitive players in the market will benefit the consumer in the prices and growth and evolution of the products.

The big thing for me would be the locals. I'm willing to pay an extra 10-20 a month if I can get my CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox feeds from DC (maybe PBS as well) and any of their VOD content would just be icing. This way I don't have to deal with a ~$100-150 antenna and likely another $100 in hardware to mount it high enough to pull in any channels were I live - and then have to deal with likely redoing the coax cabling in my house. Their entering the market also means more competition - with up to 3 players doing nearly the same thing with tons more people looking at this as an option for their primary content.

I looked at the antenna costs as a multi-year investment. If I thought I'd be moving soon, then my numbers would be different. But given I expect to live here 10 years from now (and probably longer), buying the antenna and mounting it my attic will save me many years of having to pay for those channels. Ten years at $10 to $20 per month is $1200 to $2400. In other words the return on investment is $1100 to $2300 over ten years. In fact, it pays for itself in 5 to 10 months.

If I could mount one in my attic and get all my locals, I would. I'd have to mount it outside the house (and I don't want it on the roof). That means mounting it behind a few large cedar trees on a 40 foot or so pole, for which I'd have to pour cement for to properly anchor it to the ground - then have to worry about the thing getting damaged via wind or ice. Not to mention the additional coax cabling to be run, and likely a signal booster and such as well. I'll pay $10 a month more to prevent all that - as for all I know all my locals will just start streaming themselves in a few years anyway.

Actually, since these channels broadcast themselves for free to anyone with an antenna, why wouldn't they live stream themselves over the internet?

Have you ever checked on the availability of an antenna that might send the signal wirelessly?

I'm not sure if that is an option but it would seem that it would be out there, somewhere.

 

[Politician Spock]

Thanks for the heads up on Pluto.

Having access to a 24-hour news program is probably almost as important to me as sports/ESPN (personally, I can get by just fine with OTA channels and the MLB package). Sling has CNN, but if they ever start losing channels for some reason, it'd be nice to have the option of cutting it out if it came down to it.

Pluto has a pretty impressive lineup of news channels.

CBS has created a new 24-hour news channel specifically for streamers. It's called CBSN, and is available on most streaming devices.

 

[Buckychudd]

I haven't cut the cord yet, but I bought an antenna and am messing around with it today. Plugged it in, had the TV scan the channels....32 free channels OTA!

 

[Politician Spock]

I haven't cut the cord yet, but I bought an antenna and am messing around with it today. Plugged it in, had the TV scan the channels....32 free channels OTA!

Sweet! Hook up a DVR to that and you'll always have something to watch.

 

[Moe.]

Does HBO now have any sort of minimum subscription period? Is there anything stopping me from paying for one month is June and just watching all of GOT in one month?

 

[Moe.]

Thanks for the heads up on Pluto.

Having access to a 24-hour news program is probably almost as important to me as sports/ESPN (personally, I can get by just fine with OTA channels and the MLB package). Sling has CNN, but if they ever start losing channels for some reason, it'd be nice to have the option of cutting it out if it came down to it.

Pluto has a pretty impressive lineup of news channels.

CBS has created a new 24-hour news channel specifically for streamers. It's called CBSN, and is available on most streaming devices.

Do you know if it has the segments from 60 Minutes?

 

[Rirruto]

Thanks for the heads up on Pluto.

Having access to a 24-hour news program is probably almost as important to me as sports/ESPN (personally, I can get by just fine with OTA channels and the MLB package). Sling has CNN, but if they ever start losing channels for some reason, it'd be nice to have the option of cutting it out if it came down to it.

Pluto has a pretty impressive lineup of news channels.

CBS has created a new 24-hour news channel specifically for streamers. It's called CBSN, and is available on most streaming devices.

Do you know if it has the segments from 60 Minutes?

It does.

 

[pollardsvision]

IONLife is a pretty cool OTA channel. It appears to be a blend of HGTV, Travel Channel, Food Network, Animal Planet type stuff with some health and wellness crap mixed in. If you live in an area that gets it, and have a wife you are trying to convince to cut the cord, I could see it being pretty helpful.

My other favorite subchannel is Decades. I don't care much about the old TV shows (but they have a lot of good ones), but I like the documentary type of stuff ("Through the Decades")

 

[pollardsvision]

Thanks for the heads up on Pluto.

Having access to a 24-hour news program is probably almost as important to me as sports/ESPN (personally, I can get by just fine with OTA channels and the MLB package). Sling has CNN, but if they ever start losing channels for some reason, it'd be nice to have the option of cutting it out if it came down to it.

Pluto has a pretty impressive lineup of news channels.

CBS has created a new 24-hour news channel specifically for streamers. It's called CBSN, and is available on most streaming devices.

I've tried it out a few times on the Roku. A little commercial heavy, but a pretty good channel.

 

[KiddLattimer]

I haven't cut the cord yet, but I bought an antenna and am messing around with it today. Plugged it in, had the TV scan the channels....32 free channels OTA!

I tested it before I cut too... Was amazed how clearly the channels came in for free. I was expecting rabbit ears static or something but it was clearer that cable.