Cutting the cable, lets talk options and media setups (5 Viewers)

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I use a Chromecast along with Plex Media Server to stream all my local content and PlayOn media server to stream lots of other content straight to my T.V. I also use the TV Portal app for Android which I can also stream through my Chromecast. TV Portal has a huge library of T.V. shows and movies.
 
guidomerkinsrules said:
We have roku downstairs and chromecast upstairs if I had to pick one def chromecast - haven't looked at Amazon fire stick yet and I lf I rented/bought a lot of movies if probably go that way
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Interesting you're going with Chromecast. CNet did the following breakdown recently and thought ROKU 3 was the better choice.
Chromecast vs. Apple TV vs. Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV - CNET

I've been looking into the whole cable cutting thing myself lately, but I'm such a nubie about all this I can't come to a decision. A complicating factor for me is I don't have a smartphone, just a desktop and a Google Nexus tablet with WiFi. I expect Chromecast would work with my tablet, but the review has me intrigued with the ROKU 3.
 
The consumer demands to pay just for what he wants to watch, not all of the excess garbage. Most movies and tv shows have come around to meet this demand. Sports programming is slowly getting there I think. Football, unfortunately, seems to be one of the slowest to get to it.

Cable monopolies (and, really, media monopolies in general) are an ugly *****.
 
We dropped our Cox cable subscription several months ago. In its place we have Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime, which works out to around $24/month instead of $105/month. I miss some programming - like BPL in HD - but basically anything we want to watch we do. If HBO would finally offer a streaming service we'd probably jettison Amazon Prime.

My wife fretted the most about losing cable, but since she discovered the wealth of complete series available streaming she is chewing through shows like Sons of Anarchy, Doc Martin, Bones, The Walking Dead, etc.

I don't miss cable and its too-high bill at all. As a bonus with the money we saved we upgraded our router and modem.
 
andregurov said:
We dropped our Cox cable subscription several months ago. In its place we have Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime, which works out to around $24/month instead of $105/month. I miss some programming - like BPL in HD - but basically anything we want to watch we do. If HBO would finally offer a streaming service we'd probably jettison Amazon Prime.

My wife fretted the most about losing cable, but since she discovered the wealth of complete series available streaming she is chewing through shows like Sons of Anarchy, Doc Martin, Bones, The Walking Dead, etc.

I don't miss cable and its too-high bill at all. As a bonus with the money we saved we upgraded our router and modem.
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This is pretty much what I hope to accomplish.

So between Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon and an HD antenna, I shouldn't be missing much in the way of hit series shows or non-ESPN NFL for >$30/month.

Seems that between Netflix, HuluPlus and Amazon there would be a lot of crossover, wouldn't one be the odd man out?

Also my kids seem to be fussing about missing out in Nick and Disney on their bedroom TVs. I need a solution for this.
 
Another way to do this is to cut the cable/satellite from some tv's and leave it for the main viewing area. That's what I'm doing.
 
andregurov said:
We dropped our Cox cable subscription several months ago. In its place we have Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime, which works out to around $24/month instead of $105/month. I miss some programming - like BPL in HD - but basically anything we want to watch we do. If HBO would finally offer a streaming service we'd probably jettison Amazon Prime.

My wife fretted the most about losing cable, but since she discovered the wealth of complete series available streaming she is chewing through shows like Sons of Anarchy, Doc Martin, Bones, The Walking Dead, etc.

I don't miss cable and its too-high bill at all. As a bonus with the money we saved we upgraded our router and modem.
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word is HBO is going ala carte before the new season of Game of Thrones
BUT everyone should listen to the above posters - i just checked out Show Box and it looks like you can get a LOT of current shows and movies (fwiw it has the newest season of SoA, Orphan Black, Agents of Shield, Justified)
kinda makes Netflix/Amazon superfluous
caveat - i JUST started and clicked on the 1st episode of the new SoA season and it worked - ie, haven't checked the others, just assuming they work the same way

also, i've only tried it on android/kindle - haven't tried it on iphone yet

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oh and to the Roku query, i have the 2 downstairs and it works fine but the interface (even on the phone) is clunky - if 3 has made those improvements AND can sling from laptop then maybe (but chromecast and firestick are 1/2 roku $$ no?)
 
Hey Beerman said:
Seems that between Netflix, HuluPlus and Amazon there would be a lot of crossover, wouldn't one be the odd man out?
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Definitely there is some crossover between Netflix and Hulu Plus; but she wants to watch some ABC shows like Scandal that we evidently "need" Hulu Plus for. I never watched much tv (outside of soccer, which I can generally find streaming someplace on the planet) so it didn't bother me to lose cable. Hulu does have the Criterion movie collection, so I like that part of it; my kids like all the older shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which has replaced most modern Disney shows on our tv.

Amazon is great for the old HBO titles, but if HBO goes streaming we'll drop it. I've also looked into Acorn TV, which streams classic BBC shows for about $4.99 a month. THOSE are the shows I love.
 
I cut cable for the last three years. But I finally gave in and got cable back for one reason. To watch the pelicans.
 
TC Baby said:
I cut cable for the last three years. But I finally gave in and got cable back for one reason. To watch the pelicans.
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Exactly. I have no issues with giving up all that reality TV nonsense, something most all cable channels seem to have sunk to.

I just shudder at the thought of giving up the 'Cans, CNN, ESPN, and maybe one or two other things.
 
IrishChannel said:
Exactly. I have no issues with giving up all that reality TV nonsense, something most all cable channels seem to have sunk to.

I just shudder at the thought of giving up the 'Cans, CNN, ESPN, and maybe one or two other things.
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Yeah I feel ya. Luckily I had another persons log in info so I would watch live espn on my Apple TV. But now I'm basically paying an extra $45 a month to watch the pelicans....
 
i would be fine with a nice antenna (around $60) and either roku or chromecast
 

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