We are into the Apple ecosystem with iPhones, iPad, Apple services, etc. and I choose to get an Apple TV 4K box for each of our three televisions rather than something else like Amazon firestick or Roku box. Apple TV 4K boxes are indeed more costly than firesticks, Roku boxes, etc. but my wife was already comfortable with the Apple interface on her iPad. The interface of ann Apple TV 4K box is similar to an iPad interface. Paying a bit more up front for Apple TV 4K boxes was worth it for me as I don’t need to be her personal help desk as often. :laugh:

Also, my Apple TV 4K boxes fit nicely into the Apple ecosystem with services such as Apple Music and Photos, and other Apple devices such as easily casting from my iPad.

Apple TV 4K boxes have access to the major TV content providers such as YouTube TV and Amazon Prime. Similar to an iPad, download the third-party app from Apple’s App Store onto each Apple TV 4K box.

We had Xfinity for everything, except cell phone, and combined bills were over $500 a month! We kept Xfinity internet, dropped Xfinity cable, dropped Verizon cell phone after twenty years and joined it with Xfinity internet. Bought Firesticks for each TV and joined YouTube TV. Monthly bill for everything (internet, cell phone, home security thru Xfinity; YouTube TV including adding several streaming services) is now $165.

I had similar problem. My wife and I bought a “Chrome” stick (Google) and signed up for You Tube TV. You still need Internet (at least 50 MB/sec) to stream the content. You Tube TV costs ~$70/month. Still costs us~$120/month. We get all the channels we want plus apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. You do need one Chrome stick for each TV.

XFINITY/SPECTRUM certified Modem for sale
 

If you are keeping Xfinity/Spectrum and would like to save a few $$ each month, I have a high end Motorola modem/router (MG8702) for sale. It is certified by Xfinity and Spectrum for use on their network. I've switch to Quantum Fiber and can no longer use the modem.

Amazon $225, $110 OBO. PM me.

Amazon.com

Until your “special” price expires and doubles.

I had the same problem with Comcast with the bill going up. I now stream and won't go back. A woman came and set everything up and showed me how to use it. Her name is Sue and you can reach her at 860-946-9110. She will explain everything and if you like it she will install it.

Dropping Comcast (and AT&T) is in the top 10 list of best things I've done.

I pay 136 per month for Comcast internet and basic TV. I have a charge card that gives me Hulu, Disney, ESPN, Paramount, free plus I have Amazon Prime, and several other free TV apps. I get everything I'd want or need for 136.00 per month. Many charge cards offer free channels. I'm very happy with Comcast.

We have smart TVs, so no Firestick or Roku device needed. We stream YouTube TV for around $70/mo and pay only for internet.

Really? I guess that would work if your spouse lived at a different address.

Almost all TVs today are smart TVs. I have 3 smart TVs, but I have a Roku stick connected to each one because they work much better than the built in television streaming functions.

Agreed. Except I use Firesticks, since that's the interface I've used forever and I'm comfortable with it...

Depending on what you want to watch on a regular basis, it may be similarly priced. If you decide to switch to Firestick or another streaming service, you’ll still have to pay for channels like Hulu, Netflix, Discovery, HGTV, ESPN, etc

Ok, first I would make list of channels you have to have. With this list you search for the right streaming that has your channel priority. I’ve done all three or 4. Had Comcash, ditched it for dish, ditched dish for streaming utube and Roku. All had the advantage and disadvantages.

Some didn’t have all of my priority channels, some wasn’t live it was recorded. It you don’t have priority channels that you have to have rhen streaming might be good. Streaming right now cheapest way go if you are willing to put up antenna to get live local broadcasts which comes in handy when storms are approaching or don’t care about live local TV.

Here why I didn’t like comcash to expensive for channels I wanted due to different rate programming.

Dish, I didn’t like every time storm approached with severe or moderate lightning dish would go off line plus with package I wanted it was 3/4 cost of comcash. No I didn’t misspell comcash cas you have to have lots of cash to watch what you want if particular?

Streaming I found most programs especially sports was recorded, no live local channels. Currently comcash offered me deal on channel packages I want. At about 1/3 or cost more than streaming and paying extra for channels I want.

Bottom line for me there was no prefect package no matter what I choose. I currently have comcash, Roku, and paramount plus. Which has all programming I want watching TV.

When comcash guaranteed rate expired I will probably either be too old to care what I watch or moved by then. So probably settle for Roku (if they don’t create charge by them, which I think coming?) and put up antenna.

We switched to T-Mobile, we pay $166 for internet and phones. I also get free Netflix. I have Apple TV so I get lots of channels

I get lots channels also. But 90% don’t interest me. I have to buy 90% to get 10% I want.

Centurylink prices are for life and include tax. 200m/b or 1000m/b

We put up an antenna, have Roku and a Firestick. We used xfinity/comcast. Never got the speed we were paying for.
But still much less expensive than cable.

I have a Roku. Never tried a firestick. Is one better than the other?

flex dropped peacock
 

I have the comcast wifi FLEX box , it works well, and the remote is backlit, it used to get the Peacock Channel, but it doesn't apply anymore unless you pay an extra fee.
If purchasing a fire stick instead, you might want to choose the one that has a backlit remote control, you can buy the backlit remote separately or as a bundle with the fire stick, Just Google the following:
Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro, includes remote finder, TV controls, backlit buttons,

Roku is in the business of providing streaming devices that give their customers a top notch streaming experience regardless of the content source. The other devices are from Companies that have a much larger agenda, including Amazon, Google, and Apple.

I have a firestick and like it.

Others who have used Roku like that interface better.

As far as I have heard, there is little or no difference in capabilities.

AirTV Anywhere
 

I suggest you use SlingTV Free stream along with an AirTV Anywhere (check out on Amazon) which you add an inexpensive digital antenna. The AirTV has a 1tb hard drive for recording programs and it incorporates the local channels seamlessly into the SlingTV program guide with all of the free channels they offer.
Works great with whatever internet service you have for WIFI.

Cutting the cord.
 

One of the reasons Comcast is so high is is the charges for the equipment like cable boxes and remotes, and a lot of junk fees. The actual monthly fee for tv and internet was $130 but after all the rental fees and such the bill came in at over $250 per month (2 tv’s). Go to a streaming service and all you need is internet and modem. UTube is $72 a month and you get almost everything you probably watch on Comcast. Plus if you are a big NFL fan you can get the Sunday ticket, for a fee, and watch all out of market teams and don’t need to go to a bar to watch.

Yes... :p

Try a antenna for a while, you may like it, we got 50 channels. We went to comcast because I wanted to see my favorite football team. The antenna only let me see 2 games. If you’re not peticular what you see you might like it. I had my Antenna in my attic with a booster hooked up to it. But don’t know if you can put antenna on outside yet but mine worked perfect in attic, antenna & booster both were less than $60. I pointed mine towards Orlando!

The local channels are included on YouTube TV, no need for antenna.

The local channels via antenna have sub-channels that show great reruns of shows. Examples include All in the Family, Cheers, Hogans Hero’s, Sanford and Sons, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Andy Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Green Acres, The Jefferson’s, The Munsters, The Adams Family, Tim the Tool Man, Taxi, Rosanne, and many more.

A lot of these shows are available if you get the app 'PlutoTV', which is available for free on your Roku or Firestick.

Help
 

Is there someone in the villages who could help with setting this up for us to go do not understand all this

Comcast
 

My husband passed and I went to them I felt they didn’t really care if I left or not. Still paying to much for to little

T-mobile throttles your speed up and down all the time. I found it to be unacceptable because of this.

I switched to streaming tv with YouTube tv and Philo and a few free apps that are good. I get all the locals too! It’s about 93.00 a month! It was best thing I ever did! I get great service and love it! Comcast will charge you 80.00 a month for Internet after you drop their tv so you need to go with another internet service too! I am going to T-mobile Internet for 50.00 a month soon.

How long ago was this and was this with their 5G internet service or was it with service to your phone? Also, was this in the Villages or elsewhere?

I have two relatives using T-Mobile 5G internet who are having no problems at all. Neither are in this area and are 40 miles away from each other. However, neither is a heavy user so the max speed that they actually use might be fairly low.

Most TVs come with Roku built in now

That’s with everything so why not pay least price? Streaming is cheaper

If you have a internet prob you call your provider as they need to be involved to reset your signal in the end anyway! Nobody here can fix that! You pay for that service so use it!

Not exactly. Best Buy offers 699 flat screen televisions. Only 46 of them use the Roku streaming platform.

NO.

Many TVs come with internet (Smart TV) capability built in which means they can run apps to support streaming. Roku and Firestick (and others) are proprietary devices that also run the apps. *Some* TVs are FireTVs or RokuTVs and have the Firestick or Roku capability built in.

Not all TVs are smart TVs. Not all smart TVs are RokuTV or FireTV.

I have a smart TV but I don't use those features. I plug in my Firestick and use that instead due to its better performance.

You came so close to answering my question, but not quite. Can you stream using Roku or Firestick with a dumb tv? (is that the correct terminology for 'non-smart'?). Also, Roku and Firestick -- are these hardware products or software products? And do you just buy them once or need a subscription? Thank you.