Streaming services (1 Viewer)

[decimal]

I have had cocmcast for about 25 years now. In the last 5, their internet service has gotten terrible and the connection from modem to the xfinity portal would reset several times a day. On top of these “reset” or “skip” events, dvr recordings and live tv would lose about every 10th word so it was difficult to even follow a convo. I have had 4 different techs, tier 1, 2 ,3 support evaluate and try to fix the problem to no avail so I dropped them. Took all my 5 cable boxes, the entire Cadillac entertainment package and sent it back. Got fiber optic internet and that’s stable.

Now I have an Apple TV box, every channel subscription blah blah and I was using youtubetv but that is pretty clunky and not very user friendly. I switched to Hulu live but I find I am watching more commercials than I used to since I often can’t fast forward even on recordings and defiantly not on demand. I am considering getting TiVo boxes or some dvr device and couple it with a local antenna just so I can record Lester, the local news and whatever allows me to skip ads.

Has anyone else cut the cord? What are you doing?

 

[Bullitt519]

I've been internet only for 4-5 years now. Currently have Starlink internet and works fine for me. Only thing I hate is they added a data cap this year so I also have T-mobile 5G Unlimited home internet but its not as stable at my house. We use all the typical stream services but I have no care for live TV or News so cant say how that is we don't have it. Only issue I have is when family comes over and wants to watch a sporting event.

 

[decimal]

I would have stayed with xfinity if their internet worked. Xfinity also don’t work well unless you have their internet. Almost all the apps and even the wireless boxes require xfinity internet.

 

[foos]

hd homerun and plex with a paid subscription has a dvr function that will cut out comercials.

You need a computer to run plex on that is decent enough to handle streaming to your appletv.

 

[decimal]

Nice, I will look into that. Right now Hulu live seems to be alright although even though I have an ad free plan, It seems I am watching more commercials then ever. Apparently the commercial breaks (frequency and length) are dictated by the channel itself. So sci-fi channel is loaded with ads that you can’t fast forward through while FX has no commercials at all on Hulu. Initially the recordings on Hulu where kind of wonky but that seems to have ironed itself out and the things we asked it to record are recording. In recordings you can fast forward through the commercials so that’s acceptable.

 

[dale333]

I had Xfinity internet and cell service. Internet was fine but cell service sucked. I just switched over to AT&T internet and cell. Cell service is definitely better, internet seems the same. I had Sling but IMO it sucked. Switched to YouTubeTV, and like it much better. Had a billing snafu and don't have it right now but will likely go back. I also have Amazon Prime, Paramount +, and Peacock.

 

[decimal]

It’s quite an adjustment going from browsing through channels to taking 6 different steps before actually getting to something. I think I am going to stick w/ Hulu live for now and just record whatever I want to watch.

 

[jrounding]

My experience with Xfinity internet is their modems are garbage. I have a Surfboard SB8200 that has been solid for 3 years now. It is hooked up to a UniFi dream machine for routing and I have two UniFi wireless access points for WiFi. We use an Amazon fire stick for streaming. It’s pretty good. The issue with streaming is the DVR functions are usually cloud based. Beware of Android streaming boxes on Amazon:

 

[Cody]

I have been internet only for about 7 years now and never looked back.

Historically, production companies would take the few good assets they had and bundle them together with a pile of stuff that no one wanted, but you had to buy it all for $200 per month to get the stuff you actually enjoyed. No one had another option, and they had you over the barrel (which is a bizarrely common metaphor that's describing...well, you figure it out), so you had to pay it. With the rise of the internet, you had an outlet for people to escape that situation. Pirating. Pirating soared, and the bloated production companies were on the hunt to shut it down. Then enters a curious character: Netflix. It was a new place where you could pay a reasonable fee and not have to worry about the inconvenience and risk of pirating. Just stream everything, the consumer is happy, companies are getting paid, and pirating plummets to a level so low that it was hard to steal anything anymore because no one is interested in seeding.

Then enters the same old regime. They started pulling their own IP behind their own paywalls, and flash forward to today and you have to pay the same $200 per month in subscriptions to get the same level of service you did before, but now it's just streaming and not cable. Innovation! Production companies have fought the market tooth and nail over the last ten years because, well, companies are not interested in free markets. Competition is bad for profits, and they found a way to eliminate the competition.

Point being, Hollywood isn't starving, they're producing less quality comic book movie after comic book movie, and a VPN only costs maybe $50 a year. Sample a show you're curious about, and if you like it, then pay for the subscription to watch it. If there's a movie you like from a particular studio, director, or cast, then see it in theater or pay to rent it at home. Support people making good art. The rest? See the gif below.






Edit: I have AT&T and the speed of my internet is less than half of what I pay for, plus it goes out regularly. I have recently thought about switching, but I also remember the 2-3 hour phone calls just to get them to fix something basic in my policy as they bounce me from salesperson to salesperson. I want to switch but I just dread that phone call and the possibility of switching to another company that will just do the same to me.

 

[decimal]

Fiber internet is solid. Everything works (knock on wood).. Hulu live seems to be a little more user friendly than youtubetv. And yes.. I remember using Napster to pirate content simply because there was no alternative. I also enjoyed access to content from Germany and other countries unhindered by “regions” and all that other BS. The first time i bought a movie cd for my kids on a trip and was greeted with “incompatible region” I lost all sympathy for content distributors. F them. I downloaded all sorts of stuff from when I was a kid to play for my kids. They didn’t know what they where listening to but enjoyed it nonetheless and learned along the way. now they have an ear for languages and know some of the same things from when I was a kid. As soon as some paid options popped up though, I switched to paid service. I loathe comcast and att too (have them for cell).

 

[thangbom4321]

I been internet only for the last 8 years. I don't care for live TV and everything can be found live stream if you search for it on the net. Like other have said, I do t care at all for the commercial hence who no live TV. I don't mind watching something a few days, week or months late. It will still be new to me.

 

[Cody]

I been internet only for the last 8 years. I don't care for live TV and everything can be found live stream if you search for it on the net. Like other have said, I do t care at all for the commercial hence who no live TV. I don't mind watching something a few days, week or months late. It will still be new to me.

Yeah that distinction between new to me versus new is important. Just let it set for am inute. Paying $200 a month to watch commercials is not cool.

 

[decimal]

that works for most shows etc. the news you kinda have to get at least current daily events lol.