Possibly the final straw with Cox Cable

[Messing About]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

It's not as easy as people think. I looked at nearly every option and there are catches with each one.

1. Online streaming services like Sling, Vue etc. have unreliable service (in my opinion). I've often experienced frozen screens and having to restart a program. I've experienced poor resolution during times where it looks like the older non-HD channels.

2. Most online streaming services make you pay per television. Yes, that's a big catch that most aren't aware of. When you pay for Sling, you don't have the option to stream it to every tv in your house with that one low monthly fee that they advertise. That fee is per television. If you have one TV in your house so be it but for most of us, we have 2-3 televisions if not more.

3. HD antennae requires one of the more expensive antennas. Also, to get the best resolution, you have to install the antenna on top of the roof and then wire it to your respective television. That's per television. So you have to pay for multiple antennas and wire each attenna to each television. Also, you don't have the option of a DVR recorder unless you purchase one for each television. That adds up. You don't get the same volume of channels.

4. Satellite options like Direct TV sound inexpensive with their initial prices they advertise. But again, those advertised prices don't account for multiple televisions, multiple receivers, multiple DVR's. It adds up and is comparable to Cox. The difference is satellite can lose service during bad weather. Many don't like the delay when using the remote control.

In short, I'm not suggesting there is one service that is better than another. But you don't really save money like you think. They all get you one way or the other. I am hopeful the streaming services improve the speed and quality of their data stream and allow you to stream as many televisions in your house as possible. Then I think that would be the best solution.

Netflix is one fee for the whole house. In fact, you can also share it amongst family members in two different homes, further reducing the fee.

If you live in a newer home, built 2004 or newer, most were built with the On-Q panel. This tech box is where all of the phone, TV and data cables come together before being distributed to your wall connections in each room. I installed 1 single Leaf OTA antenna in my attic and fished the coax own thru the wall to my On-Q box. I removed the original cable coax and connected the OTA antenna. Now, every TV in every room of my home gets free over the air HDTV from one antenna.

Finally, for cable channels and programs you can buy an Amazon Fire Stick for $40 and follow the instructions on You Tube to install Kodi. You'll get all of the content you formerly paid for. Not that I would do that (looking around, peaking out blinds). But I've "heard" it works pretty well. As was stated above, if you also set up a VPN (virtual private network) for about $60 a year, you can stream in complete anonymity. You can also point your VPN at England and watch the real BBC network, not BBC America.

If you don't understand, ask your teenage grand kids or the youngest person you know. They can set you up in an hour. Or so "I've heard." Oops, there's the bell. Time to go watch the Walking Dead...oh darn, I don't have cable or satellite. I think watch it anyway.

VPN = one minute you're in Los Angeles, the next you're in Seattle, the next you're in Manchester England.
Now just where IS that guy streaming from?

#cutthecord

[autism360]

Originally Posted by cactusland

Buy the box or rent it. I bought mine. Its about 80 bucks.

Inside you will find a regular phone cable (I believe its green) and an ethernet cable. (I believe it is yellow. I'm using my own cables because mine are longer.) Plug the phone cable (green) into the phone jack and then into their box. Plug your computer with the ethernet cable into the box. Log into the router. Log in your account. (after setting up with CL.) Click the connect button. Wait a minute. Enjoy.

Can give out referral links to any long-members who are serious.

Thanks sounds very simple

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

It's not as easy as people think. I looked at nearly every option and there are catches with each one.

1. Online streaming services like Sling, Vue etc. have unreliable service (in my opinion). I've often experienced frozen screens and having to restart a program. I've experienced poor resolution during times where it looks like the older non-HD channels.

2. Most online streaming services make you pay per television. Yes, that's a big catch that most aren't aware of. When you pay for Sling, you don't have the option to stream it to every tv in your house with that one low monthly fee that they advertise. That fee is per television. If you have one TV in your house so be it but for most of us, we have 2-3 televisions if not more.

3. HD antennae requires one of the more expensive antennas. Also, to get the best resolution, you have to install the antenna on top of the roof and then wire it to your respective television. That's per television. So you have to pay for multiple antennas and wire each attenna to each television. Also, you don't have the option of a DVR recorder unless you purchase one for each television. That adds up. You don't get the same volume of channels.

4. Satellite options like Direct TV sound inexpensive with their initial prices they advertise. But again, those advertised prices don't account for multiple televisions, multiple receivers, multiple DVR's. It adds up and is comparable to Cox. The difference is satellite can lose service during bad weather. Many don't like the delay when using the remote control.

In short, I'm not suggesting there is one service that is better than another. But you don't really save money like you think. They all get you one way or the other. I am hopeful the streaming services improve the speed and quality of their data stream and allow you to stream as many televisions in your house as possible. Then I think that would be the best solution.

I use playstation vue and it's flawless I never have and streaming issues but I also don't use an aoytdated modem and router. I have a netgear nighthawk triband router and RRIS SURFboard SB6190 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem. I'm able to stream playstation vue at the same time on 2 tv, download torrents on my laptop and use 2 samsung s7's at the same time. As for an antenna I got a cheap one off amazon and works perfect 1byone HDTV Antenna. **** Cox and directv they priced themselves out.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

It's not as easy as people think. I looked at nearly every option and there are catches with each one.

1. Online streaming services like Sling, Vue etc. have unreliable service (in my opinion). I've often experienced frozen screens and having to restart a program. I've experienced poor resolution during times where it looks like the older non-HD channels.

2. Most online streaming services make you pay per television. Yes, that's a big catch that most aren't aware of. When you pay for Sling, you don't have the option to stream it to every tv in your house with that one low monthly fee that they advertise. That fee is per television. If you have one TV in your house so be it but for most of us, we have 2-3 televisions if not more.

3. HD antennae requires one of the more expensive antennas. Also, to get the best resolution, you have to install the antenna on top of the roof and then wire it to your respective television. That's per television. So you have to pay for multiple antennas and wire each attenna to each television. Also, you don't have the option of a DVR recorder unless you purchase one for each television. That adds up. You don't get the same volume of channels.

4. Satellite options like Direct TV sound inexpensive with their initial prices they advertise. But again, those advertised prices don't account for multiple televisions, multiple receivers, multiple DVR's. It adds up and is comparable to Cox. The difference is satellite can lose service during bad weather. Many don't like the delay when using the remote control.

In short, I'm not suggesting there is one service that is better than another. But you don't really save money like you think. They all get you one way or the other. I am hopeful the streaming services improve the speed and quality of their data stream and allow you to stream as many televisions in your house as possible. Then I think that would be the best solution.

You bring up good points. Here are a few possible workarounds.

I've had slingtv for a while and now DirecTV Now and they both stream flawless with HD quality/been very reliable. I think what you're referring to is more of a slow, unreliable internet connection and/or a wireless matter more than anything, not the stream live tv services based on my experience. I'd play around with different wireless channels, try different bands(ie try 5Ghz vs the very crowded 2.4, etc.), buy a higher end wireless router with better throughput, make sure you have a DOCSIS 3 modem, etc. There are some apps that can tell you what the most crowded wireless router internet channels are in your vicinity and you can adjust accordingly. Another route is to direct connect your tv/device to the router if wireless is the issue/one doesn't feel like messing around with it.

Limits of number of viewing accounts certainly can be an issue for some but some services like Playstation Vue service I've read has a 5 stream limit which I think is ample for the vast majority of people. Another way around that is to get 2 accounts which I think is often still cheaper/much cheaper/more flexible than buying from a cable company. For example, Directv Now has a limited time/grandfathered in price 100+ live stream channels for $35 a month. Each account can stream 2 at once. So buying 2 accounts, for 4 streams, I think is often still cheaper than mainstream cable/satellite tv service with all the expenses as you illustrate with satellite tv with receivers and such.

For OTA TV, often a cheap antenna, perhaps even indoors, will suffice, based on my experience here though it all depends on one's location in the valley. For example when we lived in the NW valley, I had a < $100 small antenna that I mounted on an old satellite tv dish outside 4 feet from the ground/facing directly into the house next door and I got all the HD channels no problem. Where we are now in the SW valley behind the Estrella mountains blocking a direct view of south mountain, I have to mount the same TV antenna on the roof, with an amplifier, and I can get a fair amount of channels but not all if I mount it in the right spot. I think most of those in the valley won't have this issue if they live in the valley/not behind a mountain based on my previous experience.