Cable TV app
 

I am considering using my Cable provider App from up North , and installing an antenna for local channels during our stay this winter. Tired of paying start up fees and high cable bill here every season. Not that tech savy, has anyone used this method or have any other suggestions. Normally watch sports and stream movies miniseries etc

May want to consider YouTube TV........can use in both locations. Pay for internet at each location and then about $60/mth for YouTube TV.

:icon_wink:

I use YouTube TV (different from you tube). Pay for internet and log in from TV.
Only things you do need to log in from your home zip code once every 3 months OR you can change your home area - but you only can change it twice a year.

Agree. We switched over from Comcast to YouTube TV a couple of years ago. My only complaint is that the YouTubeTV app is not as mature as the cable ones and we run into glitches here and there. But, we save quite a bit.
If Comcast introduced a household wide plan, I might reconsider. We have 5 TVs (don't ask) and the "per connection" charge pushed the bill to $200-ish. With YouTubeTV the one monthly charge (I think it's $70 now) covers them all.

Xfinity has an app that you can run on your phone or tablet. Could you run the app and stream shows/movies from that device to the additional TVs (either wirelessly or by connecting the device to your TV with an HDMI cable?

kathy

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds too good to be true, but I will give it a try.

Get a Roku streaming stick Roku which has all the cable TV apps.

$71.35 to be precise

I switched from Directv to YouTube TV in June when we moved here. Been very happy with the change. Also ended up saving $175 a month which made me even more happy! LOL.

If you try, be cautious about those antennas you attach to the window. I bought what were supposed to be good ones but got no stations I’d want to watch, and from several directions none at all. It seems that The Villages are too far from the transmitting antennas.

Why not just put a window antenna in your window? That what I did and I get all the local channels for free!

By local channels, did you mean the ones up north or down here?

Suppose | Compare Cable, Satellite & Streaming TV Services to find the cheapest way to get local stations down here by streaming.

... Internet access and streaming FUNDAMENTALS...
 

Lot of folks need a basic knowledge of this stuff.
Been doing network installations for many years.
Here is the basic stuff.

1) You have to have access to the internet (i.e. an "ISP")
Example: Comcast "Basic" internet (No Tv, No Phone)
Basic speed is 60 Meg (they recently updated to this )
You do not need "BLAST" or 200Meg, etc; 60 meg easily
handles my 2 streaming Tv, 16 IP Cams, multiple Echo and
Hub devices (Insteon, Amazon, Google, Wyze).
Very few homes need more than Basic speed; regardless of
what they have been told otherwise. Basic internet is $30
introductory and $40 thereafter. Any "upgraded" services are NOT necessary.

Other carriers are available at variuous price points.
e.g. Century Link (God forbid old POTS DSL. Pigeons are faster)

Also, Cellular internet access is viable, e.g. "Hotspot" on phone. Or the up and coming 5G ISP plans now available from most Cellular services.

OK...2) Secondly you need a "Streaming" service (or 2, or 3 )
and, if your Tv is NOT of a Streaming variety ("smart), you will need a "stick" add-on dongle device thingy e.g. Fire (Amazon), Apple Tv (Apple), Roku, Smart" Android etc.

That's it done deal.
Example: Comcast Basic Internet only ($30/$40 @ mo),
Disney Bundle; w/Hulu+, ESPN+ ($13.99 @ mo)
ALL IN FOR $54.....
And, if you are an Amazon Prime member ($119 @ yr.) you get a lot of free Tv from their "Prime Video"
At that point you are all in at $64 @ mo.
AND number of TVs and devices is not even a factor.
Go Nuts!!
:a040::a040::welcome::welcome:

I’ve had CenturyLink (spent literally hours on the phone because my bill was always rising) and switched to XFinity (Comcast). When my initial contract was up I wanted to go to a steaming service and just get internet thru Xfinity. They quoted me $90! By the time I added the other services, ie, Netflix etc, my total cost far exceeded the $152 for everything with XF. Remember when tv was free? The good old days….

Very cool! (Looks like I made the right choice.)

Skip

I bought an expensive antenna, and it got no local TV stations! I was told that it may be because of the foil insulation (?) in the attic? I decided to get a SMART TV and purchased Internet through Comcast Infinity. I rent the modem ($14.95 per month) (you can buy your own modem) and the Internet costs $20 per month. This gives you free Peacock and I just use all the SMART TV apps and ones I pay for to watch televion shows or movies.

I pull in Orlando channels using relatively inconspicuous directional antenna mounted on roof. (Couldn’t mount in attic due to interference from radiative barrier in circa 2016 home.)

Can't stream from your phone in your secondary location but you can stream from a PC. I tried the app and that is what I found.

Yup....that's what we do. Easiest on a smart TV. Vs using roku, although can be done, just more steps in start up.

Ps...we run it on 3 tvs in FL and 3 up north...all at same time.

90 a month for internet only from comcast. Another post indicates they are getting it for 34.95 dollars renting the modem and router? How is that possible?

"I bought an expensive antenna, and it got no local TV stations! I was told that it may be because of the foil insulation (?) in the attic? I decided to get a SMART TV and purchased Internet through Comcast Infinity. I rent the modem ($14.95 per month) (you can buy your own modem) and the Internet costs $20 per month. This gives you free Peacock and I just use all the SMART TV apps and ones I pay for to watch televion shows or movies."

Xfinity & You Tube TV
 

I agree with those who use You Tube TV. It was the perfect fit for us to have local channels and a great channel lineup for both our locations. I also agree with RoadToad that basic internet/speed is ample for security cameras and streaming. Gamers might want more speed, but we've had no problem with Xfinity basic internet.

$25 a month article I just read
 

How to Replace Cable TV for Only $25 a Month - Consumer Reports
This was just posted on Consumer Reports. I have not checked it out, but will give it a shot. I currently subscribe to youtube.tv and appletv, and lots of add ons. I use t-mobile for internet, $50 a month, unlimited 5G, they provide the modem. They give a discount for vets and auto payment. Never had a problem with them, unlike Xfinity. It will probably cost you $60 - discount.

I have multiple Roku streaming devices for my TVs and you can add the Xfinity Beta app. You can watch live TV as well as any recorded shows that you might have. You do have to be in your home location to use them. If you are out of town you do have the ability to watch anything that you might have in your recorded list. I can’t recall if I had to use my tablet to do that or if I was able to use my Roku.

Your can put the xfinity app on Roku TV. The one kicker is you can't watch something while it's being recorded, like football games when you're not on you home network. We have Xfinity in both homes and put it on seasonal hold while in one place or the other. This is the second year we have done this and I have heard you can only do seasonal hold once a year so we may end up dropping their TV subscription. There are 20 dollars in fees, IE: broadcast, sports that still have to be paid even while on seasonal hold. If you want partial internet connectivity for security system then that's another 27 bucks, or was. It adds up. I have
not priced their internet only service in our village .

We have Xfinity in TV and spend the winter up North. We can watch some things up North on the Xfinity Streaming app, but there are MANY things that we get a message stating "you must sign into your home wifi in order to watch". Since we are not on our "home wifi" at that point, we don't get to watch that particular show or channel. Network TV is fine most of the time though.

What does your antenna look like?

THANKS! Great information for someone that doesn't have a clue.

We get Orlando local tv. All free

Cable
 

Xfinity has that app. Maybe call them and see if you stream from phone or computer to television.

Wow a lot of great info

We’ve had YouTubeTV for several years and love it. Just moved to TV last November, hooked up to WiFi, logged into the app, changed our address, and it worked beautifully. If only Xfinity internet would perform as good. 😬

On HULU, you must first log on with the device at your home. After that you can use it to stream anywhere.

Not sure if Xfinity has the same policy.

you tube tv
 

I live in Marsh Bend in the Winter 7 months. I have you you Tube TV. We got to RI on the first of June and it worked fine until the end of August. Apparently you can only use it three months away from your home at which point they shut us down although they took payment for September. The message that I got on the screen was that they would record shows so we could watch them when we return to Florida.
When I return to Florida October 1st, I will look for another alternative.

You have a window antenna in The Villages and receive a signal from the Orlando transmitters which are roughly 60 miles away?

This article addresses watching your homes local channels while on vacation. It is complicated and every streaming service has different policies.

Streaming TV on vacation: What cord-cutters need to know | TechHive..

If anyone can view local channels while away using a cable company app, please let us know. I don't think it can be done.

Which internet providers are available in de Laguna west?
 

I have Spectrum internet in the midwest, but Spectrum said they can't service my address. Neighbor 50ft away has Spectrum? Any information is appreciated. I got rid if Direct TV & need to find an internet provider asap. Thanks

We just go with Comcast for tv and internet. We have it up North at $300 a month and in Florida for $130 a month. For the summer it was $34 and we just updated our turn on date to come off vacation mode.

YouTube TV may lose NBC and other channels tomorrow.

Can’t stream from Xfinity app. ☹️