Cable cutters (or partial cutters)

[jimbo2012]

Wondering what you use?

[dewilson58]

YouTube TV

[cndlou3]

Hulu, Philo, Netflix, Disney+ Espn+, Amazon

[Stu from NYC]

Xfinity plus Amazon

[Madelaine Amee]

YouTubeTV as a replacement for my cable channels

Prime

Curiosity

Acorn

TED

TYouTube

Various other free sites from ROKU

[drbales]

Youtube TV
Netflix
Prime Video
HBO Max

[Dana1963]

Wondering what you use?
Amazon Fire Stick sideloaded NVIDION.tv

[mopper]

Y tube tv

[FromDC]

Youtube TV

[Bilyclub]

An antenna in the attic + fire stick+ chrome stick, with the various apps.

[retiredguy123]

Wondering what you use?
I think some voters may misunderstand the options. Some of the selections, like Roku, are both a streaming service and a device. Are you asking if people subscribe to the Roku streaming service, or do they just use the device to access other streaming services?

[Bethwill]

Hulu with live TV and it has a DVR cloud, and Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Use a Firestick for access..

[jimbo2012]

I think some voters may misunderstand the options. Some of the selections, like Roku, are both a streaming service and a device. Are you asking if people subscribe to the Roku streaming service, or do they just use the device to access other streaming services?

great ?

streaming

[matandch]

I use an OTA antenna along with AirTV 2 and supplement with Sling for some cable channels. I bring in 63 channels OTA. The AirTV app then aggregates the OTA channels with the Sling channels in a cable like guide. The AirTV device then distributes the channels to 3 TVs using WiFi. I use Roku as my WiFi interface on the 3 TVs. You can also use Chromecast. You can use the AirTV device as a stand-alone for the OTA channels without Sling. Works great! I’m very pleased.

Plus we share accounts with our daughter on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Not to mention using Pluto, Crackle and Peacock among other free services available on Roku.

[Leadbone1]

Wondering what you use?

No matter what you use you still need Wi-Fi if you’re going to be streaming a service. In the end what you save is going to be negligible! I wish it were different!

[Astron]

I use a Roku device and primarily stream from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Acorn. I do occasionally stream from others free services that are available on Roku. I should say that I do not watch live sports, so cutting the cable was painless for me. I save very little over using basic cable, but I don’t miss cable at all.

[Foxtrot]

Netflix and Pluto TV only. Pay $20 a month for internet. Who needs cable when you have a smart tv?

[elevatorman]

Netflix, Prime, Tubi

[matandch]

Previously I paid monthly: $55 for internet, $93 for Direct TV and $5 for Ooma VOIP landline phone, Total $153. Now I pay $55 for internet, $43 for Sling TV, $5 phone, Total $103. Net savings $50/mo. Could save another $20/mo by buying rather than renting modem/ router and dropping 2 Sling add ons.

[JanetMM]

Right now I only have very old TVs that do not have USB ports. So I’m stuck with Cable. My big question is, on all these options, do any of them have a way for me to DVR my shows and watch them at a different time? I DVR most things I watch for another time and would like to know if any option has that available. Thank you.

[retiredguy123]

Right now I only have very old TVs that do not have USB ports. So I’m stuck with Cable. My big question is, on all these options, do any of them have a way for me to DVR my shows and watch them at a different time? I DVR most things I watch for another time and would like to know if any option has that available. Thank you.
You really need to buy new televisions with several HDMI ports, not USB. You could buy an HDMI converter box, and a streaming device for each TV. The streaming device would receive the internet signal and the HDMI converter box would interface with the old TV inputs, but this equipment may cost you more than a new TV. And, HDMI converter boxes do not always do a good job of converting the digital signal to analog. This also assumes that you are paying the cable company for internet service.

[mcwood4d]

YoutubeTV, Prime, Netflix. No antenna, no cable TV. Spectrum internet in both homes (Snowbird).

Had Hulu live TV option but cancelled & switched to YouTube TV since there is no limit on cloud dvr space. Also Hulu live limits viewing location. Youtube TV can be used in 2 locations (only 1 set of "local stations" allowed).

[MSchad]

Fire Stick, YouTubeTv, Netflix, Amazon Prime, iWebTv

[Bkosloski]

YouTubeTV
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video

[Guitarman1951]

Xfinity 100MBS with You Tube TV, Amazon Prime, Net Flix and PBS streaming. You Tube TV gives you all you local channels and around 70+ channels. Works great!!

[JimmyDebbie]

We have Roku sticks or Roku televisions in our house. We stream mainly through using AT&T streaming service (previously called Direct TV Now). We also use Amazon Prime for streaming certain movies or TV series. We cut the cord several years ago and have saved over $100 per month by doing so.

[Malsua]

Right now I only have very old TVs that do not have USB ports. So I’m stuck with Cable. My big question is, on all these options, do any of them have a way for me to DVR my shows and watch them at a different time? I DVR most things I watch for another time and would like to know if any option has that available. Thank you.

If your TVs do not have HDMI ports, you can buy an HDMI to Svideo convertor for about $25. All the old TVs had Svideo. You can plug a ROKU Ultra with an HDMI cable into the converter, plug the converter into the TV and stream that way.

New TVs have Apps like Netflix, Roku, Prime, CBS all access, etc. They also look nicer because you don't have a bunch of cables all over. The power cord is hidden behind the TV and that's it.

Streaming means you watch it whenever you want. They may call it a "cloud DVR" but all you really are doing is saving favorites in one place. At our villa we have the HULU package that is called "HULU + LIVE TV" that gives you pretty much everything that cable gives you. We also have Netflix and Amazon Prime.

[cphague]

I previously had blast (200 MBPS) with Comcast and streamed cable channels through the Xfinity app on Roku. I also had Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, CBS All Access and, for a while, Hulu. I had a deal paying about $97 per month for broadband. You can look up the prices for Netflix, Hulu, etc. No 4k, just HD...which is fine with me. I have used my own cable modem for years so no monthly cost there.

Note: we tried YouTube TV. It's great, but they have raised the price so high, you might as well stick with cable, unless you travel and want to take it where ever you go. Same with Hulu TV and the other ones. Sling is reasonably priced unless you want sports.

As an experiment, since it is just my spouse and me, I dropped broadband speed to 25 MBPS (one year for $25 per month, then around $45 after that), dropped Hulu a while ago and recently dropped Netflix. We kept Amazon Prime Video as it is included with Amazon Prime.

So, for $25 per month plus one subscription to CBS All Access (around $70 per year), we use a Roku and watch shows on Amazon Prime, CBS All Access, the Roku Channel, Crackle, Pluto, CW Seed, Peacock (newly added to Roku - the NBS Universal service free to Xfinity broadband users) and the network TV apps (you have to wait a week before you can watch the show). We have more than we can possibly watch or want to. CBS All Access also gives you the live local TV channel.

My only issue is that I can't watch my Buckeyes beat up everyone in the Big Ten in football...sigh.

[Bill32]

I just checked with Xfinity and if I give up my cable tv service and just keep the rest
( internet and phone) my bill would go down from $ 145.00 to $107.00 not enough of a savings to induce me to change..

[BlackhawksFan]

I have a firestick and I use the apps on that plus I have two apk's one is free it has movies and TV shows to stream like a Hulu. One issue is not everything shown is actually available because it's like Plex you're reliant on others making the streams available. Some shows will have 25 streams to choose from, others only a few.

The other is a live tv apk 3,000 channels from all over the world including feeds of NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA plus all the pay movie networks and more. That's $5/month for one account slightly more for 3 or 5 accounts. I have had a few issues with buffering on certain networks but I believe that's my Internet service because I'm not getting the speed I should be getting but that's being corrected.

I still have cable, a minimum package, and I use the live tv apk to supplement it.

[meridian5850]

We have Roku on all our televisions. We have subscriptions for:

Hulu + Showtime (would be considered our "main" viewing service)
Sling Blue
Amazon Prime Video
CBS All Access
Disney+
NFL Game Pass (to watch the Packers at home)
Netflix

The combination of all the above services gives us all the regular programming we were watching with cable. The only channel we do not have is The Weather Channel, which my wife misses.

We had Amazon Prime, Netflix, and NFL Game Pass before we quit cable. I start and stop Showtime, CBS All Access and Disney+ subscriptions after we've watched the season of our program(s).

[meridian5850]

Right now I only have very old TVs that do not have USB ports. So I’m stuck with Cable. My big question is, on all these options, do any of them have a way for me to DVR my shows and watch them at a different time? I DVR most things I watch for another time and would like to know if any option has that available. Thank you.

You get 50 hours of recording with Hulu and 50 with Sling. We have found it to be adequate.

[august2959]

Cut the cable a few month ago. We have UTubeTV which gives us the live local channels, golf, espn, movie chanels, tnt, etc, etc. We also have Netflix and Amazon firestick. We feel we are saving money and no longer have the hassle every year when your promo bundle runs out. More tv than we need but we really enjoy it all.

[PaulinTV]

Amazon Prime Video
NFL Sunday Ticket
Netflix
YouTubeTV
Peacock - Right now just for Yellowstone
Stream through smart TVs and a Roku on older set

[DIver0258]

We use Amazon, Netflix, and Philo. We save about $130 per month over when we had Xfinity cable. We continue to use Xfinity WiFi & lease their modem with unlimited data $118 per month for 600mbs. We are still looking at a OTA antenna installer so we can get local channels. We have firestick & roku. There are several free services if you jailbreak your fire stick. A great source for info is Troy Point TV.

[ldj1938]

Netflix and Pluto TV only. Pay $20 a month for internet. Who needs cable when you have a smart tv?
Where/how do you get internet access for $20 month?

[toeser]

I use an OTA antenna along with AirTV 2 and supplement with Sling for some cable channels. I bring in 63 channels OTA. The AirTV app then aggregates the OTA channels with the Sling channels in a cable like guide. The AirTV device then distributes the channels to 3 TVs using WiFi. I use Roku as my WiFi interface on the 3 TVs. You can also use Chromecast. You can use the AirTV device as a stand-alone for the OTA channels without Sling. Works great! I’m very pleased.

Plus we share accounts with our daughter on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Not to mention using Pluto, Crackle and Peacock among other free services available on Roku.


You could do this as a business. Few people know how to put this all together. I had an antenna "expert" come to my house in the northern Villages, and with a roof antenna, he could pull in only one station. We do have a lot of trees.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Im amazed at all the services that people are streaming and subscribing , where do you get the time to watch all these channels? I have direct tv because the only thing I’ve ever bought is NFL ticket , my TV never goes on before 7 pm except for football , I listen to music and read newspapers in morning and then I’m out to gym . , , I I watch taped network news and some PBS news maybe a couple of shows if I’m home, and a movie from TCM after 12 at night . I just can’t figure out how you all are watching all these sites , for me as long as I have TCM I’ll always have enough to watch

[toeser]

Right now I only have very old TVs that do not have USB ports. So I’m stuck with Cable. My big question is, on all these options, do any of them have a way for me to DVR my shows and watch them at a different time? I DVR most things I watch for another time and would like to know if any option has that available. Thank you.

Watch for sales on Black Friday and Christmas. Nice, smart, flat-screened TV's are now dirt cheap. You can easily pay for them with the money you save on cable.

YouTube TV has a pretty workable DVR function, but only for shows through them.

[retiredguy123]

We have Roku on all our televisions. We have subscriptions for:

Hulu + Showtime (would be considered our "main" viewing service)
Sling Blue
Amazon Prime Video
CBS All Access
Disney+
NFL Game Pass (to watch the Packers at home)
Netflix

The combination of all the above services gives us all the regular programming we were watching with cable. The only channel we do not have is The Weather Channel, which my wife misses.

We had Amazon Prime, Netflix, and NFL Game Pass before we quit cable. I start and stop Showtime, CBS All Access and Disney+ subscriptions after we've watched the season of our program(s).
You could add "Frndly" for $5.99 per month. It includes "The Weather Channel" and 14 other channels.

[Kilmacowen]

Netflix and Pluto TV only. Pay $20 a month for internet. Who needs cable when you have a smart tv?

What internet do you use for $20 a month?

[lmack]

Hulu for main stations, Netflix and Amazon for series and movies. If not using a smart tv, we access using an Amazon firestick (so we can utilize our Amazon prime tv account).
We just did this a couple months ago and the TV farthest from the router does occasionally experiences brief pauses. If anyone else has experienced this, please advise if you upgraded wifi or if a booster/extender solved the issue. I haven't tried either yet.

[dadoiron]

Netflix, Amazon and many other free apps CW ABC and others news etc - as long as it's free through Roku or Amazon.

[dadoiron]

Stopped using fire stick. When the cable company (Spectrum) modulates the quoted speed from 100mbps to 10 or less it circles the drain and doesn't work sometimes not at all. Of course the company says they don't do this but every time I call it gets resolved for about a month until the next automatic company down throatle

[jimjamuser]

Wondering what you use?
I tend to use diagonal cutting pliars.

[NJMike]

I quit comcast when my bill reached $312,00 a month. A Comcast representative said that all of my discounts had expired. I purchased my own cable modem and seperate router, boughtr a Roku ultimate and signed on with YouTube TV. I still pay comcast $73.00 a month for the line to the modum but after three months, I broke even. Now I save every month (about $125.00). I chose to have all of the premium channels and the comcast modem line averages out to 72 Mbps. I have a better picture and sound than before. I was reluctant to cut the cable but am glad that I did so.

[dewilson58]

45 using YouTube.................wonder how many mean YouTube TV. Much Different.

[dtennent]

We have an use NShosting.com ($70/3 months). The actual app on the TV is "SOPlayer". Comes out of Canada so US news is based in Detroit. Tons of US and Canada channels though the ads are usually Canada based. Since this is internet based, we use an Amazon Firestick which allows us the portability and use it here or in upstate NY.

[Indy-Guy]

I use Youtube TV and enjoy it very much. I also watch a lot of Youtube (different from Youtube TV)
If you have a problem with buffering my problems went away when I purchased my own modem and took back my rental modem. Big difference and it pays for itself in a few months.

Youtube TV will give you your local channels and most major cable networks plus unlimited cloud recording that keeps recordings for one year. Also can operate on 5 devices(TV, Smart Phone, Computer & pad) at the same time both regular programing and recorded programing.

Youtube is loaded with all sorts of videos ---- How to videos, sports information videos follow your favorite teams, concert videos, old TV videos and current TV videos. No matter what your interest is all you need to do is search it and learn things of interest. If you are interested in cutting the cord there is a ton of information on this topic. I have learned a lot about cleaning up my firestick and how to maintain my modem to get the maximum performance for my streaming.

[UpNorth]

Have Comcast for internet only. Use a Amazon Firestick with Amazon Prime. Run YouTube TV and YouTube Premium through the Firestick. Both are great. Upgrade YouTube to Premium is a must, since they started to interrupt and jam commercials into the program every 10 minutes or so. Plus, you get added programming with Premium. I also have a roof antenna for those days when nothing else works, or when I'm just in the mood for some bible thumping or need to brush up on my Spanish. :icon_wink:

[tlampela@comcast.net]

I use Century Link for internet ($45/mo) and AATV (ALL Access TV) which has Everything!! Including the sports channels, movies, all my channels, etc for $45/mo (after purchasing box). Couldn't be happier!

[neikenberry]

No matter what you use you still need Wi-Fi if you’re going to be streaming a service. In the end what you save is going to be negligible! I wish it were different!

Respectfully, I disagree. We have Centurylink internet, YouTube TV, HULU, Netflix, and Amazon Prime free (because we are prime members for shopping). Our monthly bill is under $110 including internet. That's much cheaper than cable, and I don't have to deal with customer service or annual hassles of price increases. It works like a charm. FYI, to those who spend $$ on high speed internet, all you need to stream movies and TV is 25mbs. Internet companies rarely tell you that, but that's all we have and zero problems.

[Cranford61]

No matter what you use you still need Wi-Fi if you’re going to be streaming a service. In the end what you save is going to be negligible! I wish it were different!
Kinda like driving around town looking for the gas station which is a penny cheaper. Your tank holds 18 gallons and you’ve saved 18 cents. But the game is fun to some.
Just don’t do it with healthcare

[jedalton]

Wondering what you use?
4K firestick

[jedalton]

4K firestick
further info.
4K firestick with sportztv subscription at $9.95/mth. gives me 5,000 channels (all local, all sports and many more). Use Cinema app on firestick for all movie and TV. Gives me movies now playing in theaters plus many others and, VOD tv shows. Also have Netflix at $12.99/mth. Must have high speed internet for this all to work, 200 Mbps,(xfinity at $80/mth). Saved $75/mth. Bought own router for one time payment of $150.

[jedalton]

I am The Villages firestick guy. If you want to cut cable let me know

[Out&Proud]

I have Apple TV to connect to my Xfinity WiFi and then mostly use YouTube TV for frequently watched Shows. Did I overspend? Can I connect to my WiFi with just YouTube TV?

[Earlride]

Where/how do you get internet access for $20 month?
I am single and use the lowest bandwidth and committed to 1 year. I have five devices but only one on at a time. You will need more bandwidth if you have more than one tv running at the same time. I get 4K movies with no problem.

[jedalton]

yes, you can connect to you tube with your wi fi and just use you tube

[matandch]

the comcast modem line averages out to 72 Mbps

Do you think that you really need 72 mbs? I have 25 mbs and can comfortably stream on 2 TVs while texting or browsing the web among other things. Each stream averages 6 mbs so I could probably run 3 streams with room to spare. You could possibly save some money by going with a plan with a bit less speed.

[retiredguy123]

yes, you can connect to you tube with your wi fi and just use you tube
Only if you have a smart TV that has the YouTubeTV app. Otherwise, you will need a streaming device like Apple TV. But, I would have preferred buying a Roku streaming device , which I think is the best device for streaming.

[retiredguy123]

I have Apple TV to connect to my Xfinity WiFi and then mostly use YouTube TV for frequently watched Shows. Did I overspend? Can I connect to my WiFi with just YouTube TV?
Apple TV is a streaming device like a Roku streaming stick. If your TV is a smart tv, then it has built in streaming apps. If one of those apps is YouTube TV, or the tv allows you to add the app, then you would not need a streaming device. If not, you will need a streaming device to access the app. I think Apple TV will work for you, but, I wouldn't be paying a monthly subscription fee to use the Apple TV. Also, if you buy another streaming device, I would recommend a Roku device, which I think is superior to Apple TV.

[jmills]

Youtube TV. $55 permonth and you get 70 plus channels. HGTV, Golf channel, ESPN all local channels. Love it. 40 bucks for internet and we have netflix and prime. All in $120. No rrgrets in dumping Direct TV

[bragones]

I just checked with Xfinity and if I give up my cable tv service and just keep the rest
( internet and phone) my bill would go down from $ 145.00 to $107.00 not enough of a savings to induce me to change..

Give up the phone and you can get Xfinity internet for about $40 - $50 per month. If you don't already have a mobile phone, you can add that through Xfinity for $15/month which includes unlimited voice/talk and 1GB data.

[JCoth1972]

You really need to buy new televisions with several HDMI ports, not USB. You could buy an HDMI converter box, and a streaming device for each TV. The streaming device would receive the internet signal and the HDMI converter box would interface with the old TV inputs, but this equipment may cost you more than a new TV. And, HDMI converter boxes do not always do a good job of converting the digital signal to analog. This also assumes that you are paying the cable company for internet service.
If you don't have a Smart TV just get a AirTV Mini from SlingTV and it uses your HDMI port to give access to YouTube, Sling TV, etc., and your local channels (if you have AirTV 2 or 3 on your WIFI).

[retiredguy123]

If you don't have a Smart TV just get a AirTV Mini from SlingTV and it uses your HDMI port to give access to YouTube, Sling TV, etc., and your local channels (if you have AirTV 2 or 3 on your WIFI).
But, apparently, she doesn't have any HDMI ports.

[UpNorth]

Do you think that you really need 72 mbs? I have 25 mbs and can comfortably stream on 2 TVs while texting or browsing the web among other things. Each stream averages 6 mbs so I could probably run 3 streams with room to spare. You could possibly save some money by going with a plan with a bit less speed.

True. Many people are sold more internet speed than they need. More profit for the internet provider. The only time you require faster speed is if you are streaming a lot of 4K content, or if you have multiple devices on line at the same time, or if you are a on-line video gamer. A size 12 running shoe will not make you run faster if you only need a size 10.

[NJMike]

The problem with Comcast is that you always get less than you pay for. I could probably pay $10.00 a month less but I would get less. I am paying for a 100 Mbps and get 72. I can run three TVs, three compuers, 2 phones , an Echo and a firestick without any problems; and additional devices simultaneously when I have overnight guests. I think that 30 Mbps would be fine for most households.

[Malsua]

I think that 30 Mbps would be fine for most households.

Yup. I'm a networking professional and have been for 30+ years. Most people drastically overestimate their bandwidth needs.

4k streams require about 25mbits. Anyone paying for this here in TV because it costs extra? I bet it's negligible. Every other 1080p stream is 4-8mbits.

Our NJ house was 15mbits until last year and we've been streaming for a long time. Our TV house was 25mbits for the first year, $20/month on the intro plan and everything worked just fine. Now it's 100mbit for $40 only because they don't offer something cheaper.

[askcarl]

I cut the cord years ago with local antenna. When youtube.tv showed up, I signed up. Have Centurylink for 80 mbps cost $45.00 all in.

However, youtbue.tv increased to $65. combined with internet cost, I'm right back, $ wise, where I was with Infinity $110.

No real advantage today.

[PugMom]

Xfinity plus Amazon

we use that too. i have a smart tv that has built in settings for so many free tv channels, but my fave is Pluto-TV. i'm currently hooked on the carol burnett channel...:coolsmiley:

[paulat585]

Hi, couldn't figure out where to ask this. Am moving back to TV to a new house. Want to cut cable cord. Looks like best internet deal for me is Xfinity's $25/mo. deal. To do this without their equipment do I need both my own router and own modem? If so, which do you recommend. I will arrive on Thursday night, so plan on ordering their service to start Friday if possible. I already have Netflix, Prime and a chromecast device. Thanks.

[retiredguy123]

Hi, couldn't figure out where to ask this. Am moving back to TV to a new house. Want to cut cable cord. Looks like best internet deal for me is Xfinity's $25/mo. deal. To do this without their equipment do I need both my own router and own modem? If so, which do you recommend. I will arrive on Thursday night, so plan on ordering their service to start Friday if possible. I already have Netflix, Prime and a chromecast device. Thanks.
You need both a modem and a router. But, the best way to go is to buy a combination device, sometimes called a "gateway" device. It is one device that functions as a modem and a router. Also, if you are going to get the Xfinity "landline" phone service, the modem will need to have a phone plug port on it. If not, you can save money by buying a cheaper modem.

You should also consider the Xfinity Mobile cell phone service that is a great deal and uses the Verizon network. My cell phone bill is only $13.64 per month, with unlimited talk and text and up to 1gb of mobile data. Way cheaper than the regular Verizon cell phone plans.

[jedalton]

Do you think that you really need 72 mbs? I have 25 mbs and can comfortably stream on 2 TVs while texting or browsing the web among other things. Each stream averages 6 mbs so I could probably run 3 streams with room to spare. You could possibly save some money by going with a plan with a bit less speed.

buy Netgear n 7000 V2, need minimum of 100 Mbs for streaming devices. I install them all the time
Eddie "The Villages Firestick Guy".
Dalton Consulting Services - Home | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/daltonconsultingservices)

[paulat585]

Thank you!