streaming tv

[Deb]

I recently moved and cxled my old direct tv subscription with the intention of "cutting the cord" but there are so many things I don't understand.
At this point I most want to know I'll have access to the networks and Food network and HGTV (and MLB next season I guess) what service do you suggest?
Can someone explain the point of a cloud dvr? I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that I could essentially watch what I wanted to when I wanted to, why the need for a cloud dvr? I'm sure I'm missing something.
Also, since I moved I've been using my new Roku to watch some of the free options. With commercials. Are the commercials still there once I'm paying? Can you skip them?
What else do I need to know?

 

[disneychrista]

It really depends on what your needs/wants are. I am okay with standard Hulu, $5.99 a month. YES. There are still commercials. You can pay more and get the commercial free version (which still has some ads on certain shows) but it is not worth the extra cost. There is no way to skip the commercials.

No clue what a cloud DVR is.

I have not seen a way to get Food Network or HGTV without having a paid service (Dish, DirecTV, Cable).

 

[LuvOrlando]

Do you know anyone, related I mean, who would share their paid service info for those accounts? I share mine with my kids and it moves with us as we travel around allowing access. Check Reddit for Roku and such.

 

[Powerline13]

Sling TV is pretty impressive with DVR options and On Demand content. They just don't offer local channels but you can get a digital antenna and get at least a couple local stations.

 

[cobright]

At this point I most want to know I'll have access to the networks and Food network and HGTV (and MLB next season I guess) what service do you suggest?
Can someone explain the point of a cloud dvr? I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that I could essentially watch what I wanted to when I wanted to, why the need for a cloud dvr? I'm sure I'm missing something.

There's a few approaches to keeping your shows after cutting the cord and most people need a mix of them to truly get everything they once had. It's a headache, strap in.

1. You can get access to most of your favorite shows with a Video on Demand streaming service like Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, etc...
2. To get all the shows played by a CATV network, you'll need a streaming TV provider like (among others) Sling, Philo, YoutubeTV, or adding the Live TV option to Hulu. These will play the network shows when they air (and usually offer them as an on-demand option a day or two later) and most of them also offer some amount of cloud based DVR storage.
3. You can get your local channels with an antennae but to watch your shows on your own time you will need a DVR device like TIVO or AirTV or you can choose a TV streaming service from #2 that includes your local TV channels and a cloud based DVR.

It seems like an endless variety of options ... until you said MLB. Oof. To stream MLB games gets complicated because they tie themselves very tightly to CATV providers. There are two systems for streaming the games. The first requires is included with a CATV subscription, the second costs money and only gets you out-of-market games. The only streaming TV service provider that caries MLB games directly is YouTubeTV.

But... Any streaming TV provider that carries you local TV channels will get you the games as they air, and if there is a cloud based DVR then you can set it to record those games along with your other favorite shows. YoutubeTV seems to have the best coverage of local tv and traditional 'catv' network channels (check yourself because not all markets get all local networks) and maybe the best cloud based DVR, but it's $50 a month. For months that you can do without the local channels (or get by with using an antennae) the service Philo is a good and cheap ($20/mo) option for the rest of the 'catv' shows you need.

It's a quagmire to be sure. I love some good TV but really for the last 10 years or so none of the really good TV ihas been coming out of the airwave networks (nbc, cbs, abc), and on the rare occasion that it does, we wait a season and pick it up on Netflix or Hulu. The closes we came to needing a TV stream was when SyFy was producing the Expanse.

 

[sam_gordon]

Can someone explain the point of a cloud dvr?

In case you don't know what a DVR is... "digital video recorder". Basically it records what it's programmed to, whether it be a specific time/channel, or a specific show. Like a VCR, but there's no tape to rewind, and a lot more storage.

A "cloud" DVR is one that stores the shows in the "cloud" (ie: internet) instead of a box in your home. So, let's say you record "This Is Us" and watch it on the weekend. But one weekend, you're out of town. Thanks to the "cloud", you can still watch the show when you want (provided you have internet access).

 

[Deb]

There's a few approaches to keeping your shows after cutting the cord and most people need a mix of them to truly get everything they once had. It's a headache, strap in.

1. You can get access to most of your favorite shows with a Video on Demand streaming service like Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, etc...
2. To get all the shows played by a CATV network, you'll need a streaming TV provider like (among others) Sling, Philo, YoutubeTV, or adding the Live TV option to Hulu. These will play the network shows when they air (and usually offer them as an on-demand option a day or two later) and most of them also offer some amount of cloud based DVR storage.
3. You can get your local channels with an antennae but to watch your shows on your own time you will need a DVR device like TIVO or AirTV or you can choose a TV streaming service from #2 that includes your local TV channels and a cloud based DVR.

It seems like an endless variety of options ... until you said MLB. Oof. To stream MLB games gets complicated because they tie themselves very tightly to CATV providers. There are two systems for streaming the games. The first requires is included with a CATV subscription, the second costs money and only gets you out-of-market games. The only streaming TV service provider that caries MLB games directly is YouTubeTV.

But... Any streaming TV provider that carries you local TV channels will get you the games as they air, and if there is a cloud based DVR then you can set it to record those games along with your other favorite shows. YoutubeTV seems to have the best coverage of local tv and traditional 'catv' network channels (check yourself because not all markets get all local networks) and maybe the best cloud based DVR, but it's $50 a month. For months that you can do without the local channels (or get by with using an antennae) the service Philo is a good and cheap ($20/mo) option for the rest of the 'catv' shows you need.

It's a quagmire to be sure. I love some good TV but really for the last 10 years or so none of the really good TV ihas been coming out of the airwave networks (nbc, cbs, abc), and on the rare occasion that it does, we wait a season and pick it up on Netflix or Hulu. The closes we came to needing a TV stream was when SyFy was producing the Expanse.

I no longer live in the market my team is in, in fact I'm not sure my new home is considered in market for any MLB teams since they have no major league team of their own. Charlotte. And my team is the Mets.

 

[candy0730]

Since we have cut the cord in our house I found that Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime are my main streaming apps for a total cost of around $25 a month. Hulu shows alot of current shows from the main broadcasters except CBS. I have learned to live without CBS. Another app to check out is Locast. They offer free streaming of local stations in select markets. You can go on their site Locast.org to see if they offer it in your area.

 

[HashberryOTG]

Our main is Hulu (a package with Disney+). They offer a Hulu + Live TV that allows us to watch our local channels. It's basically basic cable. We added HBO. Still have Netflix but don't really use it anymore. It was a great feeling to cut the cord on the cable completely. No regrets! Saved a ton of $ too!

 

[disneychrista]

I have learned to live without CBS.

Me too. Hulu does air some SOME CBS shows but not current seasons. Right now they have something like 39 seasons of Survivor. I caught up on Mom, which I had actually stopped watching a couple seasons ago.

 

[candy0730]

Me too. Hulu does air some SOME CBS shows but not current seasons. Right now they have something like 39 seasons of Survivor. I caught up on Mom, which I had actually stopped watching a couple seasons ago.

My family is binge watching Survivor! I only watched the first season years ago so we are having a ball.

 

[Lynne M]

I no longer live in the market my team is in, in fact I'm not sure my new home is considered in market for any MLB teams since they have no major league team of their own. Charlotte. And my team is the Mets.

I also follow an out of market team, and I get an MLB.TV subscription for that. I think it’s something like $120 a season? But that gets you every televised MLB game, full access to their excellent app, the ability to watch games on just about any device, and all of the live radio broadcasts. For example, I can listen to live or recorded games on the radio in my car, just by plugging my iPhone in and using Apple’s CarPlay.

 

[megsters]

We pick up MLB.TV every year for baseball.

unfortunately, it looks like Charlotte has 4 teams on blackout. Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals. Following the Mets, that adds up! You can listen to the audio, but you can’t watch video of the above teams until 3 hours after completion.

 

[cobright]

I no longer live in the market my team is in, in fact I'm not sure my new home is considered in market for any MLB teams since they have no major league team of their own. Charlotte. And my team is the Mets.

Ah yes. When we moved to Brooklyn for a couple years back in 2000 I found out I'm a Mets fan. Easy enough transition, Detroit hadn't had a team since the '80s. they got close a few times since but ... sigh...

 

[Deb]

We pick up MLB.TV every year for baseball.

unfortunately, it looks like Charlotte has 4 teams on blackout. Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals. Following the Mets, that adds up! You can listen to the audio, but you can’t watch video of the above teams until 3 hours after completion.

oh that stinks

 

[Deb]

I assume there is no way to pick up fox sports new York if you are not in the NY market?

 

[Planogirl]

I'll be watching this thread with interest. I'd like to cut Directv and just use Hulu and Amazon. I would add HBO (easy) and the Discovery channels (waiting). Maybe somehow the Weather Channel and WTBS and its channels and I'm good.

Sports are hard. I like MLB too but I had about given up on that.

 

[tvguy]

We pick up MLB.TV every year for baseball.

unfortunately, it looks like Charlotte has 4 teams on blackout. Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals. Following the Mets, that adds up! You can listen to the audio, but you can’t watch video of the above teams until 3 hours after completion.

MLB blackouts are nuts. A friend moved to Eugene, Oregon and is an Oakland A's fan. He has games blacked out because he is considered within the home market......even though he is 525 miles away!

 

[tvguy]

My family is binge watching Survivor! I only watched the first season years ago so we are having a ball.

I used to work at at CBS affiliate. We briefly did Internet polls on who people wanted voted off........we stopped because Jeff Probst always was the top votegetter to get the boot!

 

[dina444444]

I assume there is no way to pick up fox sports new York if you are not in the NY market?

No, MLB is the hard one which is why even with a cable package my dad pays for the MLB.TV I’m addition to watch the other teams he wants to watch that are not in the local market. Watching baseball is also one of the reasons I still have directv attached to my internet subscription. When you look at the steaming costs to add on the live television component with an Internet only subscription it’s almost comparable to what I pay for Internet plus Directv.