Ted Stickles
Footballguy
Me as well. Going to start looking at other options, including possibly going back to some type of Crapcast Internet/TV bundle.eoMMan said:
So annoying that DirectTVNow started at $35/mo all in and it is now double.
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We've cut the cable (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Addai's Adidas
- Start date
So annoying that DirectTVNow started at $35/mo all in and it is now double.
JoeSteeler
Footballguy
Is anyone else having issues with YouTube on Roku?
Have a Roku TV and also a stick on another TV. For the past 12 hours neither one has been able to play YouTube. The videos come up but then they just don’t play.
Have a Roku TV and also a stick on another TV. For the past 12 hours neither one has been able to play YouTube. The videos come up but then they just don’t play.
Otis
Footballguy
Been happy with AT&T TV, but the packages are getting more expensive and service same or worse. Recently wanted to update packages and they said it would take 3 days to make the switch (!!), because I’m in the only AT&T TV Now plan or something.
Started looking at other options and it’s hard to find one that has everything I want. We watch a lot of CNN, the kids watch Nick, so we need those at a minimum, in addition to local channels, and I’d like MSG to watch the Knicks. The rest is pretty negotiable. But still hard to find one service with all this (other than AT&T).
PS, regarding wifi, we recently upgraded to Verizon Fios 1GB, and also updated our routers to the Orbi top level mesh network (cost me $1k). I get like 600MB in my bed and on the couch, 350 on the John. Insane speeds.
Started looking at other options and it’s hard to find one that has everything I want. We watch a lot of CNN, the kids watch Nick, so we need those at a minimum, in addition to local channels, and I’d like MSG to watch the Knicks. The rest is pretty negotiable. But still hard to find one service with all this (other than AT&T).
PS, regarding wifi, we recently upgraded to Verizon Fios 1GB, and also updated our routers to the Orbi top level mesh network (cost me $1k). I get like 600MB in my bed and on the couch, 350 on the John. Insane speeds.
Was happening for my son last night on his Amazon FireStick. Was working fine around 8:30PM. A little after 9 he asked me for help. Videos would preview but would not load. Seems to be working this morning.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
locast.org just opened in Cleveland. Not sure how wide the coverage area is. I know I am considered D.C. even though I'm 90 miles west.
Here's the e mail I got:
Locast Nation,
We are pleased to announce we’ve launched our streaming service into our 30th market – Cleveland.
Available today, and in time to watch the college championship basketball games beginning March 19, you can now stream local broadcast TV channels across 17 counties in Cleveland and the surrounding area, including the cities of Akron, Ashland, Ashtabula, Canton, Mansfield and Sandusky.
For the first time, residents will be able to watch all of their local TV stations via the Internet on their phones, tablets, laptops, or streaming media devices. We work hard to provide a public service by giving access to important local news, storm coverage, emergency information, election coverage, sports, and entertainment programming to internet-connected devices.
Find out more about Locast in Cleveland at www.locast.org or on our news page.
As a reminder, there are many ways to watch Locast – at www.locast.org, app stores, TiVo, streaming service providers Google Play, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon, and ROKU, and on DISH Hopper/Wally receivers or select DIRECTV receivers.
We hear your requests and are working hard to launch into more markets. Please help us spread the word and share this message with five friends and family members who live in one of our 30 Locast markets. We are a nonprofit and rely on your donations of just $5 per month to support the ongoing operations and expansion of our nonprofit service.
Thank you!
Here's the e mail I got:
Locast Nation,
We are pleased to announce we’ve launched our streaming service into our 30th market – Cleveland.
Available today, and in time to watch the college championship basketball games beginning March 19, you can now stream local broadcast TV channels across 17 counties in Cleveland and the surrounding area, including the cities of Akron, Ashland, Ashtabula, Canton, Mansfield and Sandusky.
For the first time, residents will be able to watch all of their local TV stations via the Internet on their phones, tablets, laptops, or streaming media devices. We work hard to provide a public service by giving access to important local news, storm coverage, emergency information, election coverage, sports, and entertainment programming to internet-connected devices.
Find out more about Locast in Cleveland at www.locast.org or on our news page.
As a reminder, there are many ways to watch Locast – at www.locast.org, app stores, TiVo, streaming service providers Google Play, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon, and ROKU, and on DISH Hopper/Wally receivers or select DIRECTV receivers.
We hear your requests and are working hard to launch into more markets. Please help us spread the word and share this message with five friends and family members who live in one of our 30 Locast markets. We are a nonprofit and rely on your donations of just $5 per month to support the ongoing operations and expansion of our nonprofit service.
Thank you!
jamny
Footballguy
Is there a way to do a Hulu Live trial while being a regular Hulu subscriber? It seems like I would have to cancel, wait for my billing period to end and sign back up for a trial. Seems dumb. I just want to see if I like Hulu Live more than YTTV.
If I do cancel and go back, will all my favorites stay?
If I do cancel and go back, will all my favorites stay?
ChiefD
Footballguy
Just took a quick peek. From what I gather you basically buy the new chromecast and Google TV just gives you a place to park all the apps that you pay for already in one area?
Does that sound right?
Osaurus
Footballguy
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Osaurus
Footballguy
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
otb_lifer
Footballguy
Mobdro was a stand-alone apk, dunno how that qualifies as "associated" with kodi
anyone who was using Mobdro prolly bailed months prior to the crackdown, anyway ... to go ad free you were tasked with allowing your idle network to be used as a third party ISP superhighway, which turned a great deal of users away for good.
who knows what kinda #### was being rerouted through your own lil' space ... yeah, no thanks.
as far as Kodi goes - Venom with RD is golden.
still.
Steeler
Footballguy
I haven't been following this thread so I'm a total noob to streaming tv - but I'm done paying a huge monthly cable bill.
I think I'm going with youtube.tv and it looks like all my local channels are available so if I go that route I won't need an antenna, right? Any negatives with youtube.tv?
And it looks like a couple channels my daughter watches aren't available (Discovery Family and Boomerang). Do those channels have apps of their own that I can download?
I think I'm going with youtube.tv and it looks like all my local channels are available so if I go that route I won't need an antenna, right? Any negatives with youtube.tv?
And it looks like a couple channels my daughter watches aren't available (Discovery Family and Boomerang). Do those channels have apps of their own that I can download?
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Yes, if your locals are offered on youtubetv you are fine without an antenna.
It appears Boomerang has its own app for $5/month. They may be bundled with something else, but I didn't see it.
Discovery Family appears to be offered by Hulu Live, AT&T, and a few other streaming bundles but not youtubetv. That's just a cursory search, though - maybe there's another way to get it.
I've never used Youtube TV so can't speak directly about it, but have had Hulu Live & Sling at various times. Going off of my experience and comments here, they all seem to be about the same with their own plusses and minuses.
Be careful, though, you can "app" yourself up to the point where you're paying the same as a cable bill.
arrow1
Footballguy
We just started our free 14 day trail of Youtube TV. So far so good. We had an issue with Directv, in which there was a problem with satellite communication to our box. We are most likely going to cancel DTV all together.
Steeler
Footballguy
We started out 14 day trial over the weekend and I agree - so far so good. We didn't cut cable yet so the hardest part is getting everyone in the house to use youtube.tv and not falling into the old habits of watching TV on cable
Al Czervik
Not wearing pants
Try downloading the app and logging in via your cable tv account when it asks. For us, we have YouTube TV but still pay for internet through our old cable provider so we still have an account/log-in. I downloaded the Hallmark Channel for the wife and it asked for me to log in via my cable provider. Log-in worked perfectly. I've done that for other missing channels too.
ETA; bit of a pain to have a separate app vs having it available in your live guide. Gotta do what you gotta do.
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JoeSteeler
Footballguy
[repost}
If you don’t mind ad supported content, los of free content out there.
Peacock
Vudu
Tubi
IMDB TV ( there is now a Roku app)
YouTube
Roku Channel
Hoopla
kanopy
Crackle
Redbox
...and many more
here is a pretty comprehensive article from Consumer Reports https://www.consumerreports.org/streaming-video-services/guide-to-free-streaming-video-services/
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JoeSteeler
Footballguy
currently have...
HBO Max $15
Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle $20
Netflix $15
Paramount +/Showtime bundle $9.99 (bought thru Apple Tv last year)
Prime Video $0 (buy quite a bit of household goods from amazon, so count this as $0)
Apple TV $0 (free trial supposedly ends 7/31...will most likely cancel when i have to pay)
Internet $60
total $120
free apps we use quite bit...
VUDU (free, add supported movies and own a couple hundred movies here and at Moviesanywhere.com))
Youtube (subscribe to 50+ channels. Mostly sports/FF, cooking, and crime channels)
"80 mile" OTA antenna (use for Steeler games)
Roku Channel (free, add supported movies)
Investigation Discovery app (free, ad supported shows)
Peacock (free ad supported TV and movies...haven't found a lot of free stuff to watch here)
HBO Max $15
Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle $20
Netflix $15
Paramount +/Showtime bundle $9.99 (bought thru Apple Tv last year)
Prime Video $0 (buy quite a bit of household goods from amazon, so count this as $0)
Apple TV $0 (free trial supposedly ends 7/31...will most likely cancel when i have to pay)
Internet $60
total $120
free apps we use quite bit...
VUDU (free, add supported movies and own a couple hundred movies here and at Moviesanywhere.com))
Youtube (subscribe to 50+ channels. Mostly sports/FF, cooking, and crime channels)
"80 mile" OTA antenna (use for Steeler games)
Roku Channel (free, add supported movies)
Investigation Discovery app (free, ad supported shows)
Peacock (free ad supported TV and movies...haven't found a lot of free stuff to watch here)
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FairWarning
Footballguy
PlayaHata
Footballguy
This is not good. We are currently all-in on the Roku ecosystem and YTTV is our cable/local channels replacement. 
I may have to look at Hulu Live or something as an alternative, at least short-term.
Dear Roku Customer,
We are sending this email to update you on the possibility that Google may take away your access to the YouTube TV channel on Roku. Recent negotiations with Google to carry YouTube TV have broken down because Roku cannot accept Google’s unfair terms as we believe they could harm our users.
I may have to look at Hulu Live or something as an alternative, at least short-term.Dear Roku Customer,
We are sending this email to update you on the possibility that Google may take away your access to the YouTube TV channel on Roku. Recent negotiations with Google to carry YouTube TV have broken down because Roku cannot accept Google’s unfair terms as we believe they could harm our users.
boilerdave
Footballguy
That is good news. I’d go to Hulu. I like it a lot and honestly, I’m becoming less and less of a fan of Google. I can see why Congress is targeting them. Just using Chrome and their search and every article has a Google wrapper around it so you have to click a button to go to the site to not copy the Google version of the URL. Also, they make it harder for you to go to a restaurant web site and order online without going through them. That’s a whole lot worse IMHO than when Microsoft got slapped on the wrist for defaulting Windows browsers to IE.PlayaHata said:This is not good. We are currently all-in on the Roku ecosystem and YTTV is our cable/local channels replacement.
Dear Roku Customer,
We are sending this email to update you on the possibility that Google may take away your access to the YouTube TV channel on Roku. Recent negotiations with Google to carry YouTube TV have broken down because Roku cannot accept Google’s unfair terms as we believe they could harm our users.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
I just read the following about streaming on an actual AppleTV device versus the app on a third party. Has anyone a/b'd the difference themselves and is it noticeable?
Lol, wouldn’t surprise me at all for Apple to throttle their service on non-Apple devices. If this was true, it has nothing to do with the hardware it would have everything to do with their content servers. That speed isn’t a limitation to any of these devices.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Seems only fair after Apple got pummeled for years by MSFT doing the same type of stuff.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
So finally took the step and put my cancellation date in for DirecTV after 20 years, making the move to YouTubeTV and various streaming services. Here is my only question and dilemma, I've got a mix mash of TV's and all are at least 2 years old so each one is different what it can access and how. Fine for me but it will drive the wife nuts. My first thought was get Roku's as I had heard good things about them but now I read they are having a fight with Google and don't support YouTubeTV. I have an older firestick (series 2) on my main TV now, and it is junk, you always have to reboot it which in and of itself is a pain to get to. Are the new ones any better. I have a FireTV in our camper and that works great.
These TV companies and not providing updates so they can sell new TV's is annoying. I have an LG, maybe 4 years old in my living room. Last new app the added was Disney, they don't have the Paramount or Peacock apps available hence I need to use the firestick. Bedroom has a Vizio, 2 years old, it has Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and a couple other services I don't use but has no way to add any new apps that I can find.
These TV companies and not providing updates so they can sell new TV's is annoying. I have an LG, maybe 4 years old in my living room. Last new app the added was Disney, they don't have the Paramount or Peacock apps available hence I need to use the firestick. Bedroom has a Vizio, 2 years old, it has Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and a couple other services I don't use but has no way to add any new apps that I can find.
ChiefD
Footballguy
For me, the easiest thing was to buy Google Chromecasts for all my TV's. They cost around $30 and they are easy as heck to set up.
Then my phone or ipad is basically my remote so I can carry it anywhere and stream to whatever TV happens to be available.
gianmarco
Footballguy
The 4K Firesticks are fantastic. That's we use and have them for each of our TVs. They should be going on sale soon and you can get 2 for $50. Normal price is $50 for one.
I have YouTubeTV, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, Disney, Peacock, Paramount.... They all work.
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cheeseypoof
Footballguy
This is the direction I'd like to go. Just slow pulling the trigger. I either have firesticks for the TV or have firestick enabled TV's. Not sure what I'm waiting for.
Yeah, I love mine. Only app that gives me a little trouble here and there is Hulu. Netflix, Prime, Disney+ and HBOMax never have an issue. I’ve used Paramount and Peacock.
The other thing to note is that it’s nice to do the other services via Amazon because I can turn them on and off on one page in my account. Makes it really easy and all billing is through Amazon.
Also, make sure you get the newer remote that has the volume and TV on/off. That way you have the one remote and that’s all you need. I also highly recommend newer sound bars. I got a Vizio one with a new TV (LG TV) a few months ago and it uses the HDMI Arc input so changing the TV volume controls the sound bar. It’s awesome with one little remote.
Personally, I do like having the Firesticks and don’t use the smart TV feature. My oldest is at college and I just gave him one and if we go to a hotel for tournaments, sometimes they don’t have the smart TVs. It’s less of an issue now because my other two boys play the same sport and are in the same travel program. Before one son was just traveling with us so it was nice for him to stay occupied if he didn’t want to sit at the field. Even on a longer vacation we rent houses so you never know the TV situation so nice to have just in case.
PlayaHata
Footballguy
You are correct in that Roku is fighting with Google with regards to YouTube TV at the moment, but you can definitely still watch it on Roku. If you don't already have the YTTV app installed (it's currently unavailable to installed due to the disagreement), then the workaround for now at least is to install the YouTube app instead, and then once you open the YouTube app, there's a big button right on the main screen to select YouTube TV and then it will open and run just like normal.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I have a RF remote that does this. It has a little display that lists what I want to do. If I want to watch a DVD, I hit "play movie" on the remote display and it fires up the components needed. If I want to watch something through my Roku (which is all of my TV viewing), I just hit "play roku". I had a friend program it because I'm an idiot, but he did it in maybe 15-20 minutes. You have to make sure you have enough component inputs on whatever device you're running it through (TV, receiver, etc..). I only have two inputs and didn't feel like adding a receiver. I didn't have enough to use my Chromecast (which I rarely used anyway), but I can just unplug the DVD or Roku HDMI, put the Chromecast in there, and use the display for whichever unit I unplugged if I ever want to use it.
That’s like my 3rd floor. I have all of my HDMI inputs plugged into my Yamaha receiver and it does sound for everything and the TV only has one HDMI cable in it and you switch inputs on the receiver. My boys aren’t good with the Harmony remote so they forget to put it on the charger, etc. so most times they use the stereo receiver and either the Firestick remote or the PS4 controller. It’s like an adventure every time I go up there trying to find remotes. All other TVs are just the Firestick remote.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I used to run it all through a receiver like you, but I got rid of it when I reconfigured everything. It was older and I didn't like the speakers/wire running through my living room. I had bought a sound bar, but it was clashing with the receiver - receiver kept trying to send sound to the non-existent speakers instead of the sound bar. Instead of buying another receiver, we just ran everything to the TV, but it only had 3 inputs for 4 items, so I took the chromecast out of active duty.
All of that is only for my living room TV. The rest are just Roku remote-only. I live by myself, so don't have the remote issues you do with your kids. I love that Harmony remote, though.
One thing that's weird with the sound bar (it's a Bose) is that, if I go direct to Roku, I sometimes get no sound. It powers up and is not on mute, but no sound. If I then switch to the DVD player, the sound works. Then back to Roku afterwards, the sound works - every time. It probably happens like that 2 out of every 5 times I power up. I'm sure I must have fat-fingered something somewhere along the line - I'll get my friend to look at it next time he's around.
Back to the main subject of this thread, here's my current viewing cost:
Internet - $80/month. I'd have this no matter what.
Prime - $10/month(?) and I'd have that anyway.
Locast.org for the DC local channels - $5/month. I'm in the mountains of western VA and an antenna won't do it here. I get like 30 channels.
Frndly TV - $8/month so I can get the Weather Channel
PBS Passport - $6/month. Gives me more on-demand stuff than I could possibly watch. Plus, my zip code gives me a different live stream of PBS than I get on locast.org.
That's it. I don't get ESPN, NFLN, HBO, HGTV, TNT, any of those. And I don't miss them. For live sports, I watch whatever the networks show. But, again, I'm by myself and don't have a family here with diverse viewing wishes.
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I was an anti-smart tv guy for a long time using a HTPC, but, the new Samsung smart tvs are amazing. Any device you throw at it - sets up automatically. Comes with 200+ channels (Samsung TV Plus) and auto programs OTA right into one TV guide. Smart sound, smart picture. The technology is amazing.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Crap. Locast.org just suspended operations. A judge ruled against them in the suit brought by the Big 4 networks (&/or their parent companies), which paved the way for the case to go to trial. I suspect Locast would have lost that trial, since their end-around of using "donations" seemed kind of flimsy to me. But, I thought they'd stay in business until the trial.
Guess I'll go back to Hulu Live so I can get my locals.
Guess I'll go back to Hulu Live so I can get my locals.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Ended up getting the 4K Firesticks, reprogrammed the home menu so all it has on it is YouTubeTV, Netflix, Prime, Disney+. Paramount and Peacock so all our TV's appear the same when you turn them on and all options are services we have. Remote works power and volume. On the TV the Paramount app would freeze up every third commercial and you would have to back out. Watched 3 episodes of Star Trek Discovery last night and had one freeze up that lasted like 10 seconds and then right back into it.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Al Czervik
Not wearing pants
Getting stuck in the middle of these negotiations is annoying. I can do without USA, Telemundo, Universo, Bravo, E!, SyFy, Oxygen, CNBC and MSNBC. But having a service that does not have the main NBC network will be a problem. Especially with Sunday Night Football.
