Need Cutting the Cable Advice

[dsnrbec]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!

[dewilson58]

First, you need to determine what internet service is available to your house. It varies.

If Spectrum in option...........this is the top provider (for price, speed and service).

As far as streaming services, I couldn't be happier with YouTubeTV.
The great thing is this can travel with you if you are away from home.

There will be lots of posts and other options...........but I don't think the number of options is very large.

Good Luck.

[retiredguy123]

Go to the website "suppose.tv". It is a free service where you can list all the channels that you want, and it will display which streaming services you need and the cost.

[Kahuna32162]

The VHA does cutting the cord programs.

[Tom52]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.

[retiredguy123]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.
What do you mean by one device? I thought you could access Amazon Music from any device connected to the internet.

[dsnrbec]

First, you need to determine what internet service is available to your house. It varies.

If Spectrum in option...........this is the top provider (for price, speed and service).

As far as streaming services, I couldn't be happier with YouTubeTV.
The great thing is this can travel with you if you are away from home.

There will be lots of posts and other options...........but I don't think the number of options is very large.

Good Luck.

Very helpful. Thanks!

[Keefelane66]

What do you mean by one device? I thought you could access Amazon Music from any device connected to the internet.
I believe it will only play on one device at a time

[EdFNJ]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.

While is DESPISE Xfinity/ComCrap for reasons other than QOS, Quantum fiber is probably NOT AVAILABLE in 60% of TV. Wish I had it but NORTH of 466A it's very scarce if available at all, kind of like natural gas for cooking. Around here, Xfinity is really the only FAST internet service option. I have Xfinity 1GIG service (yes, I don't need 1GIG , but I have it "because I can") and TV for less than the cost of Youtube TV, or ROKU and internet "ala carte". Xfinity also has Xfinity Stream included so I can also take it with me anywhere if I needed to but some channels are limited on stream. I have tried both Verizon and T-Mobile "5G internet service" just to test it but it is so location specific it's pretty useless for me due to highly variable and very low bandwidth.

[RobertScott]

Just switched to Spectrum and everything seems to be working fine, for less money.

[dewilson58]

Just switched to Spectrum and everything seems to be working fine, for less money.

Jus wondering............Who was your prior provider??

[MACH7SS]

We have Spectrum for Internet.

For streaming, we use Roku units on all 3 TVs. We also subscribe to Sling. We have been very happy with Sling. We will switch Sling to both of their channel packages for ESPN during college football and return to a single package after the season ends. Sling allows changes anytime and it takes about 30 seconds to make those changes. With Sling, everything is done over the Internet on their website.

[tuccillo]

Do you have something written that says those price are fixed for life? The reason I ask is that their webpage does not say that. Before the brand name change from CenturyLink to Quantum, Centurylink did offer a "one price for life", which is what I have had for several years.

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.

[JRcorvette]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.

Did you get the 200mps or 940mps?

[Mrs.Guy]

Do you have something written that says those price are fixed for life? The reason I ask is that their webpage does not say that. Before the brand name change from CenturyLink to Quantum, Centurylink did offer a "one price for life", which is what I have had for several years.

Will be waiting to see the answer too. We have had Centurylink 40MBPS for $45 total a month for life for awhile now. 200 Mbps for $30 per month sounds better. ;)

[tuccillo]

We are in the same boat. We have 80 megabits per second download for $45 per month. While this is more than sufficient for our streaming needs, $30 per month sounds better if I knew the price wasn't going to jump up after the first year.

Will be waiting to see the answer too. We have had Centurylink 40MBPS for $45 total a month for life for awhile now. 200 Mbps for $30 per month sounds better. ;)

[JRcorvette]

We are in the same boat. We have 80 megabits per second download for $45 per month. While this is more than sufficient for our streaming needs, $30 per month sounds better if I knew the price wasn't going to jump up after the first year.

If you are running several TV’s and Computers and other WiFi items 80 mgb is not very much. I would want at least 200

[tuccillo]

1080p Hi-Def streaming only uses approximately 5 megabits per second of download bandwidth per stream. 2160p (aka 4k) only uses approximately 20 megabits per second of download bandwidth per stream. Before retiring, I used to move around 50 gigabyte tar balls and the 80 megabits per second were useful for that. For streaming 2 TVs at the same time, 80 megabits per second is more than enough. I suspect most people pay for much more bandwidth than they can use.

If you are running several TV’s and Computers and other WiFi items 80 mgb is not very much. I would want at least 200

[Worldseries27]

just switched to spectrum and everything seems to be working fine, for less money.
check your bill. I like spectrum but they will hit you for $ 25 . After 1 yr. Be prepared to flee or negotiate

[Jewelz]

We have Xfinity for Internet -paid $30 a month for the first year and now it’s $40 a month. Just subscribed to YouTube TV and it has been great… The only drawback is no lifetime channel! $64.99 a month and you get up to six accounts (6 people can use it from the same house) And unlimited DVR.

[retiredguy123]

We have Xfinity for Internet -paid $30 a month for the first year and now it’s $40 a month. Just subscribed to YouTube TV and it has been great… The only drawback is no lifetime channel! $64.99 a month and you get up to six accounts (6 people can use it from the same house) And unlimited DVR.
You can get the Lifetime channel (and 35 other channels) by subscribing to the streaming service, "FRNDLY" for $6.99 per month.

But, if you just want movies, you can join the Lifetime Movie Club for $4.99 per month or less if you pay annually. You can watch any movie anytime on demand, and there are no commercials.

[MikeVillages]

Have you considered getting a television antenna?

[midiwiz]

What do you mean by one device? I thought you could access Amazon Music from any device connected to the internet.

You can the information is inaccurate

[westernrider75]

We originally tried Verizon but ran out of data very quickly as it was hurricane time and we watched a lot of tv around then. We switched to spectrum and have had no issues.

[swiftwego]

YouTube Tv is best for streaming. Spectrum was not working many times for TV so avoid them for TV.

[retiredguy123]

You can the information is inaccurate
I can listen to Amazon Music on any device that I have. But, I tried to listen to it on my smart phone while playing it on a smart TV, and I got a message that I could not stream the music on both devices simultaneously. Is there another way?

[Blackbird45]

I'm in the process of cutting the cord. I have 5 TVs, with 5 boxes, that and their modem comes to $1,410 a year. I purchased 5 Google Chrome Cast at $40 each = $200, a standalone modem for $144 and a mesh router for $169 the whole package $513. That a $897for the first year. If you don't mind investing $40, I suggest you buy 1 Google Chrome Cast hood it up to your TV, then sign up for the free trial from Youtube TV. This way you'll know if this is the way you want to go. I did run into one problem with my router, I have a number of smart plugs that run on 2.4ghz and my new router signal is 5ghz. But you can purchase another type of router and avoid that problem.

[Janie123]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!
I use CenturyLink/Quantum 1GB service. I am a geek and got 1GB because I can. I also use Roku sticks on the televisions and predominately use YouTube TV with their 100+ channels and unlimited DVR space. In the fall I add the sports package to watch NFL RedZone for a few months.

I like Roku sticks ($30 when on sale at Target) as they are always updating and adding more and more other streaming channels but a smart TV might be all you need. I use BritBox and Acorn to get lots of British shows as IMHO, the US shows have gotten out of control. I can take my YouTube TV and a spare Roku stick with me when traveling around the US and get the local channels in the new location.

[tuccillo]

I have never heard of a contemporary router that isn't at least dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz support).

I'm in the process of cutting the cord. I have 5 TVs, with 5 boxes, that and their modem comes to $1,410 a year. I purchased 5 Google Chrome Cast at $40 each = $200, a standalone modem for $144 and a mesh router for $169 the whole package $513. That a $897for the first year. If you don't mind investing $40, I suggest you buy 1 Google Chrome Cast hood it up to your TV, then sign up for the free trial from Youtube TV. This way you'll know if this is the way you want to go. I did run into one problem with my router, I have a number of smart plugs that run on 2.4ghz and my new router signal is 5ghz. But you can purchase another type of router and avoid that problem.

[KeithD]

We switched to quantum 900 speed with Hulu +++. Very happy with service and channel selection. Great for Big10 fans. Saved about $70 per month from Comcast.

[retiredguy123]

I'm in the process of cutting the cord. I have 5 TVs, with 5 boxes, that and their modem comes to $1,410 a year. I purchased 5 Google Chrome Cast at $40 each = $200, a standalone modem for $144 and a mesh router for $169 the whole package $513. That a $897for the first year. If you don't mind investing $40, I suggest you buy 1 Google Chrome Cast hood it up to your TV, then sign up for the free trial from Youtube TV. This way you'll know if this is the way you want to go. I did run into one problem with my router, I have a number of smart plugs that run on 2.4ghz and my new router signal is 5ghz. But you can purchase another type of router and avoid that problem.
This may not apply, but are you sure your modem is not a dual frequency modem? I understand that, even if you have a dual frequency modem, some 2.4 ghz devices will not connect to it unless you move the device far enough away from the modem to cancel out the shorter distence 5 ghz signal. The 2.4 ghz signal has a longer range. If that works, you can then move the device closer to the modem and it will stay connected. I have never actually tried this, so I don't know if it works. I think that this is not an issue with most modern devices, and most newer modems are dual frequency.

[airstreamingypsy]

I cut cable TV in April. Went with YouTubeTV. Best thing ever. I have Spectrum Internet.

[Travelhunter123]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.

I have quantum’s 1 gig fast internet, extremely happy with it
I had an antenna installed on my roof and get 70 channels, with a better picture than cable for free. I get all the local channels abc, cbs etc.
Hulu and you tube without the local channels is $12 a month or less
My TV and internet is less than $80 a month with more channels than I had with cable

[Blackbird45]

This may not apply, but are you sure your modem is not a dual frequency modem? I understand that, even if you have a dual frequency modem, some 2.4 ghz devices will not connect to it unless you move the device far enough away from the modem to cancel out the shorter distence 5 ghz signal. The 2.4 ghz signal has a longer range. If that works, you can then move the device closer to the modem and it will stay connected. I have never actually tried this, so I don't know if it works. I think that this is not an issue with most modern devices, and most newer modems are dual frequency.

I don't understand it either. I have the eero mesh router when I ran into the problem about the 5ghz signal I went online and they said there was a process you had to go through to get a 2.4ghz signal, but it was only a temporary fix. Instead of driving myself crazy I order some 5ghz smart plugs on Amazon.

[bjswist]

I use CenturyLink/Quantum 1GB service. I am a geek and got 1GB because I can. I also use Roku sticks on the televisions and predominately use YouTube TV with their 100+ channels and unlimited DVR space. In the fall I add the sports package to watch NFL RedZone for a few months.

I like Roku sticks ($30 when on sale at Target) as they are always updating and adding more and more other streaming channels but a smart TV might be all you need. I use BritBox and Acorn to get lots of British shows as IMHO, the US shows have gotten out of control. I can take my YouTube TV and a spare Roku stick with me when traveling around the US and get the local channels in the new location.

Do you have to pay for a service with the Roku stick? Does it give you the local channels for free?

[jrref]

If you can get it then get Quantum Fiber. You will get a free router and they offer a very good mesh wifi system for an additional $10/month. 1Gbs service, bi-directional is $65/month, no tax, no contract. The service is all fiber optic so it's the most reliable. If you add a battery backup to power the router in the garage you can even use it in a power outage.

If you can't get Quantum get Spectrum internet.

Either way YouTube TV will give you everything you may want. If it's too much just get a couple of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix, etc.. Regular free YouTube gives you a lot of content as well.

As far as a streaming device, if you have a newer smart TV it should be able to stream everything i mentioned with additional free apps to give you some of the local channels. You can also get a Ruku, Amazon Fire Stick or an Apple TV. The new Apple TV boxes came down in price so they are more affordable.

As someone mentioned, there is a cut the cord club that gives presentations on the topic but the process is very simple. If you already have cable return all the boxes and just get internet service. If you can get Quantum fiber internet. Then once the internet is running, try using the apps on your smart TVs and the ones that are older get an external streaming device and it will walk you through the setup. I prefer the AppleTV since it gives you the best Picture Quality and the most functionality especially if you have an iPhone. If you have an Android phone use the Ruku or Fire Stick. Either way you can't go wrong.

Forget about antenna's and cable TV boxes.

[retiredguy123]

Do you have to pay for a service with the Roku stick? Does it give you the local channels for free?
When you buy a Roku stick, there is no service charge to use it. The Roku will give you a lot of free content, but not the local channels. You can download almost any available streaming app from the internet to the Roku stick and subscribe to the streaming services.

[GATORBILL66]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!
I use spectrum for the internet and I have DIRECT TV STREAMING. It works great!

[Battlebasset]

Have you considered getting a television antenna?

I put an antenna in my garage attic, and I pull in about 25 viewable channels. Live down in Fenny, and I'm fortunate that the SE orientation of my garage works for the attic antenna to point towards Orlando.

I initially was using a UHF antenna (no VHF channels in our area) with a built in pre-amp. However, that one died, and I suspect part of the reason might be the extreme attic heat that killed the electronics. I just ordered another UHF antenna without a pre-amp that I will mount in the attic, and attach a pre-amp once the cable is back in the main garage, and out of the attic. Hopefully that will keep the temp at an acceptable level, even though our garages do get hot in the summer!

Otherwise, I have 100 mb internet service from Xfinity, which works fine to stream Amazon, Netflix, Britbox and ESPN3 and ESPN+. I don't use a cable alternative like YouTube TV. Xfinity also will give you a free streaming box, and I get their premium Peacock app for free. Alot of live sports and shows/movies that come with that.

If anyone would like to know how my new antenna set up works, just respond to this post, and I will respond with the results once I set it up, which will probably be next week. Got to have everything in place for Thanksgiving football viewing!

[chuckpedrey]

I have YouTube TV too. Really great. All the channels I want

[Peazoup]

Does anyone know anything about Omnivision for $365 a year?

[maistocars]

You might consider Quantum Fiber which has a fixed price for life. Quantum has two packages: Up to 940 Mbps for $65 per month and up to 200 Mbps for $30 per month. We have had Quantum for a year now and it has been very reliable. The Wifi works everywhere in the house and lanai including a TV in the garage.

We stream using ROKU devices on the TVs. We stream primarily through YouTubeTV. It seems O.K. except we have some problems with recorded shows/movies. Sometimes the recorded movies will not play. I like YouTubeTV because you get local channels plus a good variety of streaming channels. We also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so there is a lot of programming thru that. You can also get Amazon Music for free with your Amazon Prime subscription but it will only work on one device.
It might work, but as far as I know, they don't offer service in the new sections?

[rsmurano]

Not only do you have to look at how your husband uses the internet for work, you have to look at the TV service you get to see how much bandwidth it uses, both upload and download.
Consider these options:
ALL of your slower speed networks (600 or less) have a data cap and it can either get expensive or the provider will cut back on your speed until the end of the month. All of these COPPER networks (all except fiber) have decent download speeds (up to 1Gb) but have terrible upload speeds. 600Mb or less have 10-20Mb upload speeds while my 1Gb speed has up to 40Mb, which is very slow.

When looking at any streaming service, consider who many concurrent tv shows will you be recording because each 1 will eat away at your upload bandwidth. So if you are recording 2 or 3 hi def channels at once and your husband wants to upload a file to the office, your husband will be waiting. When I look at all the streaming services that are out there, none of them meet our needs. Most can record many at once but they eat up bandwidth on the network and the recordings either have a short life (up to 6 or 9 months then they are deleted), or there are caps like only able to record x amount of shows. On my system, I have 1 off recordings that I have had for a decade still on my dvr.
Plus, these streaming companies never have everything you want so you end up getting multiple streaming companies.

I also stream hi resolution music that I can route to every room in my house. We use Apple 4k TV devices that allows us to download apps to access many different channels like YouTube, Selkirk Pickleball, Peacock, HBO, Paramount+, Netflix, disney, and many more.
Plus I can stream music thru the Apple TV boxes.

We get Netflix, paramount+, and Apple TV+ services for free from out cell phone provider, we have Peacock thru the Xfinity provider, and then I pay for my regular TV which gives us 250 channels for sports, shows, and primetime shows.

[wamley]

I have moved to Internet only, $75 a month, bought a ROKU$50 (one time purchase) signed up for Sling $35 a mo. that gives me many of the main channels and allr programming goes with you.ows you to record 200 hours of shows. I had Netflix that wasn't included in my Xfinity plan $15 a mo. Then you can signup for Streamers that you have some interest in their programing. Stay with them until your interest is satisfied and shut it down. Also the Roku can follow you wherever you go as longa s you have internet and all you. Staying with Family for a few weeks or so you can install on the bedroom tv if you like. I save at least $60 a month in two locations $120 a month. You can signup and cancel any of the streamers when you want. good luck.

[Blackbird45]

Right now, cable is the prominent player in the field. But more people are cutting the cord every day. It's not that hard to do. Spend a day on Youtube there are endless videos explaining the benefits and how to go about it. If you have a smart TV, you're 1/2 the way there, if you don't you buy a Roku or a Google Chrome and connect to your TV. The saving on equipment rental alone will shock you. As far as streaming services are concern cnet.com rates Youtube TV as one of the best.

[tuccillo]

Doubtful. I can't speak for all streaming services but YouTubeTV doesn't work that way. Their DVR is in the cloud and "recording" a show is essentially setting a pointer in their cloud storage. There is no download and then upload of data.



When looking at any streaming service, consider who many concurrent tv shows will you be recording because each 1 will eat away at your upload bandwidth. So if you are recording 2 or 3 hi def channels at once and your husband wants to upload a file to the office, your husband will be waiting. When I look at all the streaming services that are out there, none of them meet our needs. Most can record many at once but they eat up bandwidth on the network and the recordings either have a short life (up to 6 or 9 months then they are deleted), or there are caps like only able to record x amount of shows. On my system, I have 1 off recordings that I have had for a decade still on my dvr.
Plus, these streaming companies never have everything you want so you end up getting multiple streaming companies.

[JRcorvette]

I don't understand it either. I have the eero mesh router when I ran into the problem about the 5ghz signal I went online and they said there was a process you had to go through to get a 2.4ghz signal, but it was only a temporary fix. Instead of driving myself crazy I order some 5ghz smart plugs on Amazon.

We have had the Eero mesh router for quite some time and have not had an issue connecting to devices with 2.4 ghz. We do not have the latest model so maybe that is why?

[bp243]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!

Many people have responded to your question. However, it seems to me that you're asking if there's someone who could be hired to problem-solve without you having to think through all of these ideas. SO, I'd like to know as well. Is there someone in The Villages who could be hired and likewise paid to act as a consultant to meet with you, figure out your goals and walk you through the process of how to set everything up.

[Jhnidy]

I have never heard of a contemporary router that isn't at least dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz support).

If there is a way to get a 2.4G SSID from my xfinity PIECE OF **** I have not found it. Adding to my smart home has become very difficult.

Have added a range extender that produces 2.4G sometimes if it feels like it.

Going to walk into an xfinity office and see if they have any ideas.

[FastAndCurious]

Here is what I do.
I have just internet only with xfinity. The regular price is $79 per month before any promotional discounts.
I just checked and it is giving us 200 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up through a wireless router.
We bought our own router to save from the ridiculous Xfinity rental charges. It's an Arris Surfboard SBG 10.
We have no problem streaming videos.

I simply hook up my computer (any computer with an HDMI output connection)to an HDMI input connection on my TV.
You can get a very small computer (about the size of your hand) and set it under yout TV for about $200 on amazon (search for "small pc")

In addition to the computer, I also purchased a USB wireless keyboard and mouse (about $30 Walmart), which is attached to the computer.
This turns my big TV into a big web browser where I can sign in to any of my streaming services and a lot more right from my recliner! It gives me the convenience of a full keyboard to use for typing in searches and writing emails, not hunt and peck one letter at a time from a tiny TV remote.
I can check my email and browse the web, watch the free youtube and do anything else you already do on your computer.
No need for the TV to be smart (turn all that stuff off) and you are not limited to apps.
A side benefit if you buy the small pc is that you can take it anywhere and just hook it up to any TV as long as you have internet access.

As far as services, there are many choices depending on your tastes.
Youtube TV has a lot of channels for $65 per month. These channels can be viewed live just like broadcast TV. You can also set it to record (unlimited, no downloading) each new episode of your favorite show automatically for later viewing. It also gives you live TV of local channels for news etc at your home area by zip code. It has a family plan included that you can share it with a limited number of others who have their own login names and passwords. Each will need a gmail account to set this up.

We also have HBO max, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ and Acorn TV and sometimes I still can't find anything to watch!!
Hope this helps.

If you currently have a laptop with an HDMI output, you can try this without any commitments and little money spent. Just get an HDMI cable at walmart and plug it in. Then set your TV input to the correct HDMI port.

[dewilson58]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!

Lot'sa posts and some information for you.
Let us know what you decide.
Jus make sure, no contract so you can jump if you need to jump.

:super:

[Indy-Guy]

Perhaps the links below may answer some questions that some of you may have.

How To Cut the Cord and Never Pay for Cable TV Again (https://clark.com/technology/tvsatellite-cable/cord-cutting-cable-tv-alternatives/)

Cable vs. Streaming: Does Cutting the Cord Really Save You Money? (https://clark.com/technology/tvsatellite-cable/cable-streaming-price-comparison/)

[tuccillo]

There is typically a webpage built into routers to configure them. The IP address would be something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.

If there is a way to get a 2.4G SSID from my xfinity PIECE OF **** I have not found it. Adding to my smart home has become very difficult.

Have added a range extender that produces 2.4G sometimes if it feels like it.

Going to walk into an xfinity office and see if they have any ideas.

[Professor]

We recently ditched cable. We chose Xfinity (comcast) for internet and switched our cell service to Xfinity as well. Wifi was $80 by itself but by switching our cell service from Verizon to Xfinity (both use Verizon Towers) we were able to get a $30 per month credit for 2 years on our Wifi cost, bringing it down to $50 per month. Our cell bill is $30 per lines X 2 for two phones so $60 plus tax. Internet (940mbs) plus cell service for $50 + $60 = $110 plus tax. We use Roku for streaming. Have not selected another streaming service. BTW before the switch we were paying $184 per month for Xfinity internet (slower speed) and cable plus $75 per month to Verizon for cell service for two phones. Saved $149 per month with the switch. We have money to play with to determine which, if any, streaming service we want to choose (Hulu, YouTube, etc).

Good Luck.

[Triker]

I’m curious if Spectrum has to go into the house thru the outside wall or if they can connect to the wires that TV has run outside the house. I read someplace that they had too which i thought was odd.

[DONS999]

With 4 pages of comments only one person mentioned data limits.

I run 2 trading desktops, 3 laptops, 6 trading monitors, 3 TV's all with roku's . These all suck up streaming market data and streaming tv programs.

I think xfinity is the only one to offer unlimited data option for just $30. Directv Streaming gives you all local Orlando stations plus most of the cable channels and the sports channels. Unlimited recording of its content is also included for $69.

So speed is one thing , but please tell us how much data is included in those wonderful packages with Spectrum and all the others that have been mentioned

[tuccillo]

CenturyLink has a monthly number of 1 terabyte on their webpage but I'm not sure they actually enforce it. I typical run about 700 gigabytes per month so I haven't tested it.

With 4 pages of comments only one person mentioned data limits.

I run 2 trading desktops, 3 laptops, 6 trading monitors, 3 TV's all with roku's . These all suck up streaming market data and streaming tv programs.

I think xfinity is the only one to offer unlimited data option for just $30. Directv Streaming gives you all local Orlando stations plus most of the cable channels and the sports channels. Unlimited recording of its content is also included for $69.

So speed is one thing , but please tell us how much data is included in those wonderful packages with Spectrum and all the others that have been mentioned

[Blackbird45]

This is for anyone who told me that the Eero mesh does transmit at 2.4ghz and 5ghz, you were absolutely correct. I did not realize that when I tried to link my old smart plus which run on 2.4ghz my phone had been set to 5ghz. Thank you for your help.

[mazbarth]

One advice of my kids I cut my cords in Feb 2012 & have never looked back. When something is happening "live" I use YouTube & the rest is just up to what you prefer to watch. At the moment I have Xfinity & streaming Netflix, Amazon & HBO is enough "entertainment" but there is also Hulu, for even more programs that you normally see on cable. I use Roku & some people use a device called a "Fire Stick"which is similar. But the Smart T.V.s now have many of the apps built into them.
Probably the two biggest drawbacks are you'll have to search for live sports games (i.e. Super Bowl) but I believe there are ways to get those too for a reasonable fee. Also you may to wait a few hours to view a program that played that day on cable, which is no problem for me.

It has saved me at least 90% of what cable cost which really adds up!

AND the very best thing - almost NO ADS to sit thru!
Good luck & have fun!

[dsnrbec]

Many people have responded to your question. However, it seems to me that you're asking if there's someone who could be hired to problem-solve without you having to think through all of these ideas. SO, I'd like to know as well. Is there someone in The Villages who could be hired and likewise paid to act as a consultant to meet with you, figure out your goals and walk you through the process of how to set everything up.

Yes! While I appreciate all the input from other’s experience, I have to admit I’m a little overwhelmed by it all. Yes, I still hope to find someone to consult with since there’s more at stake than getting the channels I want. Working from home necessitates we make the right decision.

[rsmurano]

If you go to any business or person out there, they will biased and try to sell you what they carry, good or bad. Just like a number of these threads, there is a lot of inaccuracies which could have impacts on your husbands ability to work from home.

When someone says that if you backup to the cloud only pointers are set and internet bandwidth is not used is overall false. Most if not all cloud backups actually backup the data and take up space and bandwidth. Maybe there is an exception but overall this could impact your husbands internet needs because of data caps and speed.
Most if not all routers (not modems) have dual frequency ranges 2.4ghz and 5ghz, and I have the new routers that have 6ghz. Most of all your home devices like the ecobee, nest, door locks, Irobot, sprinkler controllers, garage door smart hubs are all 2.4ghz.

If you stream, the way you setup your network (wired or wireless) is critical. I use multiple routers and get up to 800Mb speeds on my iPads and iPhones. Most people get 300Mb in their homes, and this doesn’t matter what speed your internet carrier provides, the wifi is your internal network in your house. I also use wired bridges, wireless mesh bridge, switches throughout the house, again pretty easy when you have done this for decades.

[Petersweeney]

Forget tv it’s a waste of time
Read a book, take a walk, get a hobby or go to the bar….,

[Bill14564]

...

When someone says that if you backup to the cloud only pointers are set and internet bandwidth is not used is overall false. Most if not all cloud backups actually backup the data and take up space and bandwidth. Maybe there is an exception but overall this could impact your husbands internet needs because of data caps and speed.
...

There is a big difference between backing up to the cloud and using a streaming service DVR. The streaming service DVR does NOT use upload bandwidth. The data never comes to your home, it is recorded directly to the provider's equipment.

I have asked several times: What streaming service are you using that requires upload bandwidth?

[JRcorvette]

If you go to any business or person out there, they will biased and try to sell you what they carry, good or bad. Just like a number of these threads, there is a lot of inaccuracies which could have impacts on your husbands ability to work from home.

When someone says that if you backup to the cloud only pointers are set and internet bandwidth is not used is overall false. Most if not all cloud backups actually backup the data and take up space and bandwidth. Maybe there is an exception but overall this could impact your husbands internet needs because of data caps and speed.
Most if not all routers (not modems) have dual frequency ranges 2.4ghz and 5ghz, and I have the new routers that have 6ghz. Most of all your home devices like the ecobee, nest, door locks, Irobot, sprinkler controllers, garage door smart hubs are all 2.4ghz.

If you stream, the way you setup your network (wired or wireless) is critical. I use multiple routers and get up to 800Mb speeds on my iPads and iPhones. Most people get 300Mb in their homes, and this doesn’t matter what speed your internet carrier provides, the wifi is your internal network in your house. I also use wired bridges, wireless mesh bridge, switches throughout the house, again pretty easy when you have done this for decades.

You should offer a consulting service t give people honest advice without trying to sell them anything. That would be a huge benefit to most of us who are old enough to have missed the digital age.

[JRcorvette]

If there is a way to get a 2.4G SSID from my xfinity PIECE OF **** I have not found it. Adding to my smart home has become very difficult.

Have added a range extender that produces 2.4G sometimes if it feels like it.

Going to walk into an xfinity office and see if they have any ideas.

Don’t use the Xfinity equipment. You are paying a ton of money to rent it every month. Buy your own Modem and Wireless router. We have never paid to rent cable company equipment. We use Erro Mesh Router and get service all over the house including out at the pool.

[tuccillo]

You are conflating backups to the cloud from a home system (which requires uploads) with a DVR capability from a streaming service such as YouTubeTV (which doesn't require uploads). They are not the same.

If you go to any business or person out there, they will biased and try to sell you what they carry, good or bad. Just like a number of these threads, there is a lot of inaccuracies which could have impacts on your husbands ability to work from home.

When someone says that if you backup to the cloud only pointers are set and internet bandwidth is not used is overall false. Most if not all cloud backups actually backup the data and take up space and bandwidth. Maybe there is an exception but overall this could impact your husbands internet needs because of data caps and speed.
Most if not all routers (not modems) have dual frequency ranges 2.4ghz and 5ghz, and I have the new routers that have 6ghz. Most of all your home devices like the ecobee, nest, door locks, Irobot, sprinkler controllers, garage door smart hubs are all 2.4ghz.

If you stream, the way you setup your network (wired or wireless) is critical. I use multiple routers and get up to 800Mb speeds on my iPads and iPhones. Most people get 300Mb in their homes, and this doesn’t matter what speed your internet carrier provides, the wifi is your internal network in your house. I also use wired bridges, wireless mesh bridge, switches throughout the house, again pretty easy when you have done this for decades.

[nhtexasrn]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!
We dumped DirectTV and now use YouTubeTV. Love it! Local channels plus tons of other channels. You can set up a library and record any shows you want. It also keeps track of what you watch most and puts it at the top of your screen when you turn it on. A tiny bit of a learning curve but no more than any other service. You can get a weeks free trial I think.

[retiredguy123]

You are conflating backups to the cloud from a home system (which requires uploads) with a DVR capability from a streaming service such as YouTubeTV (which doesn't require uploads). They are not the same.
Yes. If there are 1,000 streaming customers who want to record an episode of "Law and Order", it doesn't make sense for the streaming service to store 1,000 digital copies of one episode on their equipment. They only need enough copies to be able to stream the show when a customer wants to watch it.

[billethkid]

As I look at options I am narrowing down to Apple TV and Roku for devices.

I look at how we currently access our television entertainment....Xfinity internet and television programming/recording.....costs me $180 per month. 100% convenient for ALL my devices. Easy recording of programs regimen (we rarely watch live broadcasting, record and watch at leisure).

The options "seem" to save a few dollars over the Xfinity pricing.

Internet around $50-$70/month....Youtube TV $70/month......maybe another $10 for whatever might not be available on Youtube TV and other free streaming apps.

Winding up at approximately $140/month.

What I dislike thus far about the options is the fact that there is no one place to get all we would like. And the no one place availability affects how we like to "program" recording/watch later. Also the hunting and pecking from app to app to sort out what to watch where. and so on.

So for me at this point the convenience (of Xfinity) has a price.....and I am leaning toward staying with Xfinity. We have been with them for the past 18 years.....internet and broadcast interruptions over the period....almost none. Technical quality, no complaints.
Dealing with customer service requires patience. Pricing negotiations from time to time.

But conveniently packaged and accessible.

However, still looking at options to try to save a few dollars.

The convenience factor is weighing heavily!

[jrref]

So you have got all the different options.
The simplest thing for you to do is get Quantum Fiber if you can get it and get YouTube TV, Netflix, etc. Quantum has not data caps, no contract, no tax, and they set you up with a mesh wifi network and you are done. 1GB bidirectional you won’t run out of bandwidth. Cable Tv with set top boxes is out dated and you are always going to pay more after your promo period is over. The big problem with cable is you get good download speed but terrible upload speed so if you work from home you need to understand this. Fiber does away with all these limitations and is the best.

[tuccillo]

Run out of bandwidth? I would suspect not since 1080p only uses about 5 megabits per second. We used to stream 1080p to two different sets without buffering with a 10 megabit per second nominal download service. One of the things I like about fiber-to-the-house is that you get a dynamic IP address at an RJ-45 ethernet jack in the wall and can plug any computer or router into the jack. The "modem" is the ONT on the outside of the house. You don't need a specific "modem/router".

So you have got all the different options.
The simplest thing for you to do is get Quantum Fiber if you can get it and get YouTube TV, Netflix, etc. Quantum has not data caps, no contract, no tax, and they set you up with a mesh wifi network and you are done. 1GB bidirectional you won’t run out of bandwidth. Cable Tv with set top boxes is out dated and you are always going to pay more after your promo period is over. The big problem with cable is you get good download speed but terrible upload speed so if you work from home you need to understand this. Fiber does away with all these limitations and is the best.

[retiredguy123]

As I look at options I am narrowing down to Apple TV and Roku for devices.

I look at how we currently access our television entertainment....Xfinity internet and television programming/recording.....costs me $180 per month. 100% convenient for ALL my devices. Easy recording of programs regimen (we rarely watch live broadcasting, record and watch at leisure).

The options "seem" to save a few dollars over the Xfinity pricing.

Internet around $50-$70/month....Youtube TV $70/month......maybe another $10 for whatever might not be available on Youtube TV and other free streaming apps.

Winding up at approximately $140/month.

What I dislike thus far about the options is the fact that there is no one place to get all we would like. And the no one place availability affects how we like to "program" recording/watch later. Also the hunting and pecking from app to app to sort out what to watch where. and so on.

So for me at this point the convenience (of Xfinity) has a price.....and I am leaning toward staying with Xfinity. We have been with them for the past 18 years.....internet and broadcast interruptions over the period....almost none. Technical quality, no complaints.
Dealing with customer service requires patience. Pricing negotiations from time to time.

But conveniently packaged and accessible.

However, still looking at options to try to save a few dollars.

The convenience factor is weighing heavily!
I agree. That is why I have stayed with Xfinity.

I would choose Roku over Apple TV.

[Bill14564]

As I look at options I am narrowing down to Apple TV and Roku for devices.

I look at how we currently access our television entertainment....Xfinity internet and television programming/recording.....costs me $180 per month. 100% convenient for ALL my devices. Easy recording of programs regimen (we rarely watch live broadcasting, record and watch at leisure).

The options "seem" to save a few dollars over the Xfinity pricing.

Internet around $50-$70/month....Youtube TV $70/month......maybe another $10 for whatever might not be available on Youtube TV and other free streaming apps.

Winding up at approximately $140/month.

What I dislike thus far about the options is the fact that there is no one place to get all we would like. And the no one place availability affects how we like to "program" recording/watch later. Also the hunting and pecking from app to app to sort out what to watch where. and so on.

So for me at this point the convenience (of Xfinity) has a price.....and I am leaning toward staying with Xfinity. We have been with them for the past 18 years.....internet and broadcast interruptions over the period....almost none. Technical quality, no complaints.
Dealing with customer service requires patience. Pricing negotiations from time to time.

But conveniently packaged and accessible.

However, still looking at options to try to save a few dollars.

The convenience factor is weighing heavily!

If you like what you have then there is no reason to change.

We like the movies and shows on Netflix and the ability to watch wherever we are (not tied to a cable or dvr in our home). Also, I can learn to run a new system if it saves $500 but I understand sticking with what you are comfortable with.

[Quixote]

(Oops, can't correct the typo in the title, sorry. S/B GOOD FOLKS!)

For us, building a bundle in the past was a challenge with only two components—land line phone and lnternet—little interest in commercial television. We finally gave up on CenturyLink and—kicking and screaming—went to Xfinity. We have to eat our words, as they've worked very well for us. We had magicJack service for traveling, and it had always worked well for us, so we set them up as a VoIP system at home, and we added a ROKU stick to the televisions.

It all works—and works well.—and costs us considerably less than CenturyLink had. Xfinity is far cheaper, the ROKU stick is a one-time purchase, and magicJack service costs under $50 for the YEAR! We could not have done this without guidance from fellow ToTVers; many thanks again!

[Jhnidy]

This may not apply, but are you sure your modem is not a dual frequency modem? I understand that, even if you have a dual frequency modem, some 2.4 ghz devices will not connect to it unless you move the device far enough away from the modem to cancel out the shorter distence 5 ghz signal. The 2.4 ghz signal has a longer range. If that works, you can then move the device closer to the modem and it will stay connected. I have never actually tried this, so I don't know if it works. I think that this is not an issue with most modern devices, and most newer modems are dual frequency.

That is what Xfinity says I have. And I HAVE NOT TRIED moving the new smart home item further away. In fact, I have been doing the opposite and I can testify that does not help. Next time I have a new switch or bulb or garage door, I will sure try that. Past smart home items got set up by fits and starts and I can't remember if location was a factor.

The old 192.0.0.1 and such worked when we first got Xfinity. Now Xfinity says to use 10.0.0.1. That shows me the router set up but does not allow any changes because the modem is smarter than I am. Monday I am going to connect with cat5 wire and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the lead.

[xkeowner]

Does anyone know anything about Omnivision for $365 a year?

We ditched DirecTV 10 days ago and went with YouTube TV for the recording capability and Omnivision for the things we wanted that are not available on YouTube TV. So far we are very pleased with the decision and savings. The programming offered by Omnivision is almost overwhelming, but unfortunately there is no real-time DVR/recording option.

[drbobw123]

After a recent thread on here about options for TV/internet other than Xfinity, my husband and I are interested in gathering more information but need help. My husband works from home and needs reliable high speed internet but we’re also sick of paying ridiculously high cable bills. Is there someone locally that we can hire to advise us of all the pros and cons of the various streaming services? It seems overwhelming to us and we want/need to keep our internet service intact but choose the best TV streaming option for us. Thanks!

WE have had comcast for years and recently Q Fiber is available for the villages. 300 mbs for $65/month or 900mbs/sec for $85!!! Super happy and super speed with fiber! We also put an antennae on our roof and get 70 HD channels including all the locals By by comcast... Have a firestick and roku for any subscriptions and 1000 or more free options to view!!! Cut the cord! Been that way for 20 years in Atlanta, and now in the Villages too. Also Daryl Bruce from Marion Market has a fabulous Android box that consolidates EVERYTHING 3523005436 rslorider@yahoo.com

[UHH47]

I have T-Mobile phone &internet for a year now with the 55 package (no contract)with good service. No problem streaming movies also never interrupted by weather. Good internet speed, I’m located by 466a & Buenavista.

[jandkindy]

We are located in the village of Caroline, a couple of blocks from the pool & mailboxes. Does anyone know if Century Link/Quantum is available in our location? How about using T-Mobile 5G Home Internet in our area? Thanks