Cable Alternatives

stocker08

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I finally cut ties (partially....still want internet) with cable tv. 100%. $150/month saved. Should have done it a very long time ago. Still picked the worst possible time of year to do it.....football season. So....wise cord cutters....what should I be looking into? I'm aware of the streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu) so those are not needed.

I am simply looking for something that will provide as many live sports networks as possible. BTN and FSN are obvious necessities....but I'd like to have CBSSN, FS1, ESPNU, and the rest of the channels that broadcast lower tier matchups. SEC and ACC Networks would be a nice.....but unnecessary addition.

I was out of my element yesterday....not being able to simply switch to any game that I pleased. I had to watch the Gophers on my laptop!!! Somebody!!! How did people in the 1970's survive!!?!?! :p
 

Youtube TV is the best I've found.

Disclaimer: I haven't cut the cord, I've just been looking into it.
 

Youtube TV is the best I've found.

Disclaimer: I haven't cut the cord, I've just been looking into it.

I'll look into it. I haven't subscribed (yet)....but I've really liked Youtube Music. And I tend to stick to my own music library. Still buy full physical copy albums. Not only do I like to have the actual disc....but I like to rip the music onto to computer and devices with my preferred encoder. Maybe the iTunes and Amazon single purchase downloads have gotten better....but even so....using LAME with VBR set around 230kbps blows away anything that you get from a digital download.

Oh....and getting rid of cable is a shellshock. Netflix hasn't been doing it for me.
 


Oh....and getting rid of cable is a shellshock. Netflix hasn't been doing it for me.

I honestly just have less and less time to watch TV that "I want to watch" now with a young kid who is interested in his shows and who has a bathtime and bedtime etc in the evening. I still haven't even caught up with netflix like the new season of mindhunter yet... The only reason I haven't cut the cord is basically because I'm lazy and thought I got my live sports better from comcast but then the gopher vs fresno st game was on Youtube tv but not my comcast...
 


I honestly just have less and less time to watch TV that "I want to watch" now with a young kid who is interested in his shows and who has a bathtime and bedtime etc in the evening. I still haven't even caught up with netflix like the new season of mindhunter yet... The only reason I haven't cut the cord is basically because I'm lazy and thought I got my live sports better from comcast but then the gopher vs fresno st game was on Youtube tv but not my comcast...

You have the same reason why I've been hesitant to get rid of cable. I can have everything at the click of a button. No worries. Problem is that Comcast and Charter divide the sports channels so that you are forced to subscribe to basically everything in order to get them all. I really hope that the overpaid goons over there understand why their cable packages are the equivalent of a bug zapper frying away their customers.
 

Have you tube tv, cut the cord almost a year ago. I will never go back

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YouTubeTV has been amazing, for me in Mpls.

Great stream quality. Very reliable. Lot of channels, every cable sport channel you could need/ask for, but also non-sports (if you can stand to watch live TV, with all the commercials).

Three simultaneous streams. I think it's $50/mo for like 60+ channels now. Locals included in MSP.
 

Have had Vue for nearly 2 years. Price had increased by 15 to 20 bucks a month in that time.

Brother just got you tube tv and likes it. 50 a month. I may go to it soon.
 



YouTube is perfect for me. You can have five people on an account so I have my kids in college and they can stream from their dorm/apt. My brother also is in the group so we split the cost and it basically comes to $30 for me and $20 for him. He's in another state, but because I'm the one signed up, he gets all the stations from the Twin Cities as well as the local FSN.
 


I live in a smaller city (4700 people) that has its own municipal tele-comm system. They will be discontinuing their traditional cable t-v system by next summer. cost of programming just keeps going up, and subscriber base is dropping.

In its place, they will offer a streaming video service. It's called 'Southern Fiber Net' and originates out of Georgia. another tele-comm company in the area already has it, and will be providing a feed to my local tele-comm.

I will probably sign up. Initial info suggests that my cost of TV will drop from about $90 a month to about $55 or $60. I will be able to get all the channels I want, plus a few we don't have on the current cable system. Plus, I'm currently paying a monthly fee for the HD cable package, and another fee to rent a HD DVR. With the streaming service, they have a cloud-based DVR with more capacity, and almost all the channels are in HD.

As far as other options, I have friends who have YouTube TV and they like it. I know another guy who has Direct TV Now. He says it's OK.

I have Netflix, but I'm going to drop it. I got Netflix mainly to watch the Marvel TV shows. Now that they've all been cancelled, I have no great need for Netflix. I think I will be signing up for the new Disney+ streaming service. They are offering a bundle where you can get Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (the cheaper version with commercials) for $12.99 a month total.
 

Sounds like Youtube TV and Vue are the two that I need to look into. Thanks for the input, fellas.

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I finally cut ties (partially....still want internet) with cable tv. 100%. $150/month saved. Should have done it a very long time ago. Still picked the worst possible time of year to do it.....football season. So....wise cord cutters....what should I be looking into? I'm aware of the streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu) so those are not needed.

I am simply looking for something that will provide as many live sports networks as possible. BTN and FSN are obvious necessities....but I'd like to have CBSSN, FS1, ESPNU, and the rest of the channels that broadcast lower tier matchups. SEC and ACC Networks would be a nice.....but unnecessary addition.

I was out of my element yesterday....not being able to simply switch to any game that I pleased. I had to watch the Gophers on my laptop!!! Somebody!!! How did people in the 1970's survive!!?!?! :p

https://www.suppose.tv/tv
 

JTF--that is what I have been looking for. Thanks!
 


I honestly just have less and less time to watch TV that "I want to watch" now with a young kid who is interested in his shows and who has a bathtime and bedtime etc in the evening. I still haven't even caught up with netflix like the new season of mindhunter yet... The only reason I haven't cut the cord is basically because I'm lazy and thought I got my live sports better from comcast but then the gopher vs fresno st game was on Youtube tv but not my comcast...

Mindhunter season 2 is excellent.
 


Only 4 episodes in, but I'm finding it much better than Season 1,which itself was good enough to bring me back for more
 

Only 4 episodes in, but I'm finding it much better than Season 1,which itself was good enough to bring me back for more

dumping the Holden's girlfriend from the show instantly made it more watchable. Now if we could just get rid of the Dr's relationship arc. We don't want romance, we want Ed Kemper! David Fincher has put out some awesome stuff.
 

Mindhunter season 2 is excellent.

I know! I just don’t have time and want to make sure I can watch it kind of consistently before I start it. Now it’s almost hunting season (deer archery already started though it’s been too hot for me) which will make it more difficult.
 

dumping the Holden's girlfriend from the show instantly made it more watchable. Now if we could just get rid of the Dr's relationship arc. We don't want romance, we want Ed Kemper! David Fincher has put out some awesome stuff.


Dude spoilers wtf?
 

I finally cut ties (partially....still want internet) with cable tv. 100%. $150/month saved. Should have done it a very long time ago. Still picked the worst possible time of year to do it.....football season. So....wise cord cutters....what should I be looking into? I'm aware of the streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu) so those are not needed.

I'll fifth YouTube TV. It's like it was designed for a sports fan. In the basic $50/mo package I get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, ESPN News, SEC Network, ACC Network, FS1, FS2, FS North, FS North Plus, NBC SN, NBA TV, MLB Network, BTN, CBS Sports Network, Golf, NBC Olympic & Tennis channel. Plus about 50 other channels, plus all local channels minus PBS.

The only main ones missing for sports are the NFL & Longhorn network, which is actually awesome. Other nice thing is unlimited DVR. Only downside for me so far is it's sort of a process to change channels.
 

Mindhunter season 2 is excellent.

Definitely on my list. I've heard nothing but good things. Mostly from the Power Trip Morning Show.

I'll fifth YouTube TV. It's like it was designed for a sports fan. In the basic $50/mo package I get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, ESPN News, SEC Network, ACC Network, FS1, FS2, FS North, FS North Plus, NBC SN, NBA TV, MLB Network, BTN, CBS Sports Network, Golf, NBC Olympic & Tennis channel. Plus about 50 other channels, plus all local channels minus PBS.

The only main ones missing for sports are the NFL & Longhorn network, which is actually awesome. Other nice thing is unlimited DVR. Only downside for me so far is it's sort of a process to change channels.

I think I can use streaming options to deal with the lack of the NFL Network. And I don't need the Longhorn Network. Definitely sounds like Youtube TV is exactly what I'm looking for.
 

DirecTV is on my last nerve. First the local Fox was off for months. Then CBS. Now it looks like ESPN/Disney. If that happens I will give YouTube a try and use an antenna for locals if I have to.
 

DirecTV is on my last nerve. First the local Fox was off for months. Then CBS. Now it looks like ESPN/Disney. If that happens I will give YouTube a try and use an antenna for locals if I have to.

You get locals with youtube tv
 

Sounds like Youtube TV and Vue are the two that I need to look into. Thanks for the input, fellas.

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I believe both allow you to do a free trial still so I would recommend doing that with at least one of them before cutting the cable.

We've had vue for a few years and like it. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
 

Dude spoilers wtf?

Those weren't spoilers. Holden's girlfriend was a terrible actress and their relationship was uninteresting. The Dr's relationship is as well, although more interesting. No spoiler.
 




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