[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Buzman

DirecTV Stream. They sell it at the AT&T Store. You can get it with a set top box and voice remote. Yes, it is the most expensive of the streaming services, but it offers more, like local channels for ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox as well as the sports channels that carry Rays and Marlins baseball games. Using it is very similar to using a cable TV service. I also like the feature that provides access, through the “on-screen” DirecTV Guide, to streaming apps like HBO Max, Peacock, or Paramount+. If you want to drop cable, stop in at the AT&T store. It is definitely worth checking out DirecTV Stream.

Can you get DirectTV Stream without first getting DirectTV satellite service? (the answer used to be "no" but if things have changed I'll have to take a look at that)

[jsa]

Originally Posted by jrref

Most are probably not aware, but in speaking to some of the Quantum Fiber techs recently, they are working "overtime", connecting people to fiber internert. I'm not sure why the significant increase but a lot of it has to do with the new fiber being installed in the Bonita and Liberty Park areas and in new areas outside the Villages and the increase in cable bills and buffering with cable systems.

That said, I thought it would be useful to for those who have moved from traditional cable to streaming, no matter which internet provider they are using to give some experience, good or bad on which streaming service they have tried and are now using and why.

I know everyone likes to talk about the cheapest service but I want to focus on ease of transition and usability. Especially to gain some experience for those only used to using cable and now want to make the transition to streaming.

What I'm finding is "many" Villagers are using YouTube TV. This is all good but I find a lot of Villagers find it a huge transition to go with a service like this even though, at a high level, the interface is similar to what they had with cable. When I help someone "cut the cord" I usually recommend using a Roku 4K streaming stick with Voice and the long range wifi. Yesterday, I discovered while in YouTube TV you can use the Voice Remote on the Roku to search for channels.

Please post your experience and any "tips" you can share.

Our current "stack" is:

• Centric Fiber Internet
• Roku Ultra on Living room, MBR, and Lanai, Roku TV in garage & guest room
• YouTubeTV + NFL Sunday Ticket
• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video

Works flawlessly for us.

[biker1]

I cut the cord and went to streaming services and OTA antennas 15 years ago so I have only needed internet service, typically through the phone company. I have never used propane for heating and hot water, only a small amount for gas grill. Much of the cost today for cable TV is from programming charges; not much that can be done about that.

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

Cable TV and the propane industry are the last two barely-regulated, corruption-infused, scam-farms currently operating as legitimate industries. They should both be RICO'd for price-fixing and price-inflation.

[Snakster66]

We moved to TV in September. The only real high speed internet option in our Village is Xfinity, so that's what I have. I recognize that T-Mobile, verizon, and maybe AT&T have ota internet solutions available, but since I work remotely from home, I'm not entirely comfortable trusting them....yet. I sincerely hope that some day fiber will be placed in our village as well, but I won't be holding my breath.

We have been using youtubeTV (YTTV) for a number of years. I have tried other services as well, but I found YTTV to be the best option if you are looking for a cable tv type lineup without doing cable tv. I just this week canceled YTTV. The price increases just made it less and less cost effective for us. We will be streaming through several services; some are part of bundles. Can get local CBS channel as part of Paramount+ subscription. Can get other local news and weather though Tubi (and I suspect other free streaming services). I can watch baseball through MLB app (get free subscription as a T-Mobile customer). I will get the sunday ticket like last year to watch football (Amazon prime gets me thursday night games, and can subscribe annually to ESPN+ for 10/month to watch monday night football and college football). May also do a basic subscription to Peacock for sunday night football.

We use Apple TV. I find it much better to use than Roku. But it IS a lot more expensive to buy and the interface difference may not matter to many. I am ensconced in Apple ecosystem, so it's nice to have all my stuff Apple TV+, Music, photos, etc., on that platform in my living room.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Katheelee

I use a firestick on my TV's. For 10.99 a month, I have the Blitzen IPTV app. 6800 channels, all sports and PPV free. It has all premium channels ( HBO, STARZ, etc) as well as movies and series on demand. I pay monthly/ no contract, and have had it several years. I don't think the app downloads onto a smart TV- thus the firestick.

If all these premium channels have a legitimate contract with Blitzen to provide their content to you, then it's all good.

However, if Blitzen is providing copyrighted content to you, without permission of the content-creator to do so, then you're paying for illegally-acquired content.

No judgment here - I sometimes do it too (for free, I'd never PAY for illegally-acquired content). But it's something you need to be aware of. If Blitzen gets caught providing this content to you, it can be shut down, and you would have no recourse. In fact, if you're caught watching it, your internet provider can shut you down, and you'd have no recourse.

I hope you're using a VPN to access your TV.

[rsmurano]

Most people don’t need a good network? No, most people don’t know what they don’t know about networks. You can use 1 router and get no coverage or huge delays/dropouts, but why accept that? Most people use the 2 ssid’s that the isp router gives you because people don’t know better. Think about this, how many times have you had to change your wifi name everytime you changed network providers? Most people change them everytime. Also which wifi do you want to use: 2.4gjz or 5ghz? If you make both the same ssid you let the device use what it can.
Like I said, no isp or geek squad knows how to do internal networks, they will put bandaids on the LAN by using cheap extenders. Go for it, but for little money you can do so much better

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

Most people don’t need a good network? No, most people don’t know what they don’t know about networks. You can use 1 router and get no coverage or huge delays/dropouts, but why accept that?

286Mbps standing in the room with the router. 280Mbps standing in the garage in the opposite corner of my Designer home (as far away as I could get). I would call that very good coverage from one router. I'm certainly not going to pay for five mesh nodes and the configuration/maintenance issues to recover a 2% (6Mbps) loss.

Most people use the 2 ssid’s that the isp router gives you because people don’t know better. Think about this, how many times have you had to change your wifi name everytime you changed network providers? Most people change them everytime.

What was the sample size of the survey that showed most people did anything like that?

I've had to change my wifi name exactly zero times. Most people I have worked with change the configuration on their router to match their installation, not the other way around.

Also which wifi do you want to use: 2.4gjz or 5ghz? If you make both the same ssid you let the device use what it can.
Like I said, no isp or geek squad knows how to do internal networks, they will put bandaids on the LAN by using cheap extenders. Go for it, but for little money you can do so much better

Maybe others can comment on whether the installers (possibly themselves) offered to change the SSID. I suspect most of them did.

[goneil2024]

I designed my current home (in CT), as well as the media plan and cable/fiber and CAT 6 drops. And we just purchased a home in TV. WRT media platforms, I suggest thinking of the whole system as if it were a transportation system Interstate, MTA or other NY Subway.

Think of the fiber as a high speed interstate, that is, a toll road (internet access fee), it provides access to the region with few interruptions, stoplights etc. So compared to the legacy cable systems we were familiar with, you have more options. The cable system was akin to a train or bus line where you could only access or exit at scheduled stops/locations. You really didn’t have a lot of choices, it was public transport.

Now with fiber, you have full access to the interstate, and you decide what vehicle to drive, P/U, Sedan, SUV. You can add a ROKU, Apple TV, Peacock, Freevee, Cheddar, Pluto or other platform. Some streaming services charge a fee, some are for free and some are free with commercials and pay for none.

Also, now that your TV’s are in fact computers, they come with built in content platforms, e.g., LG has a suite of content as do other manufactures, take your choice. You can also add an OTA (over the air digital) antenna and pay nothing! If like me you want or mix it up however it depends on your TV and aptitude and depending on the vintage of your TV (smart or dum). So, really, no need for any cable box, or paid content (other than the internet access) unless you want it and - - - again after the initial access to the internet (modem/router) you are in control.

Now many of us really don’t want to go the hassle, or have the interest in figuring this all out, so the cable/internet providers offer to make it easy for us. Many packages of content are available (for a fee), or we can subscribe to paid streaming content (for a fee e.g., YouTubeTV, etc.). So, what I’m saying is, that it’s up to each of us to decide, do we want to stay in our comfort zone, take the train or buss and pay the conductor for a ‘ticket’. No fuss no muss easy, and what were used to for so many years. On the other hand just be aware that we have a range of options. No right or wrong simply different approaches. It’s not a pure DIY activity, however does require doing some research and being willing to move out of our comfort zone.

To each their own, just understand that there are options and it’s a decision for each to make.

[drbales]

Have been using Youtube TV since it was introduced with Fire sticks on my 4 TV's. If you are an Amazon prime member they integrate well with the fire sticks. Just upgraded to the latest Quantum fiber WiFi 7 technology released this June. Far superior to the 4 pod mesh WiFi6 that I had previously. Now getting about 500 Mbps all over the house with only 1 additional WiFi 7 pod for $50 month.

[rsmurano]

I know dozens of people that don’t know what the router is and sure didn’t know how to change the configuration. I’m going to say 99% of users don’t. Ask the homeowner what ghz network does the ecobee or nest use? Or MyQ, Meross, camp chef grills, almost all other devices in your home. Most people don’t know and don’t care. They go with what the isp installer says the router has as the default and they have to look at the bottom of the router to get the password.
I have friends (and myself) that didn’t have enough signal for outdoor cameras, or myQ or the smart irrigation controllers that I’ve had for many years. We needed to put a 5th mesh router in my buddies garage to get his outdoor cameras to work. My whole house is automated, and my outdoor grill needs wifi outside of the lanai. My buddy couldn’t get a signal for his outdoor tv or a reliable signal without pixelation or delays until I built his network.
200Mb is very slow, I get over 800Mb in my bedroom closet or outside in my birdcage.
Most people don’t know that when they connect to the internet, you are dealing with 2 different networks: WAN and a LAN. Saying you have 200Mb is snail mail for a LAN, it should be close to 1G if you do it right. The wan part of it gets measured by connecting a device to the routers port (not wifi) to determine if they are getting the speed you are paying for. So for somebody telling me they are getting 200Mb, I’m guessing it’s a wan test and if you are paying for 500Mb or say 1Gb speeds, your speeds are terrible.
Like I said, most people don’t know how to implement a network

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

I know dozens of people that don’t know what the router is and sure didn’t know how to change the configuration. I’m going to say 99% of users don’t. Ask the homeowner what ghz network does the ecobee or nest use? Or MyQ, Meross, camp chef grills, almost all other devices in your home. Most people don’t know and don’t care. They go with what the isp installer says the router has as the default and they have to look at the bottom of the router to get the password.
I have friends (and myself) that didn’t have enough signal for outdoor cameras, or myQ or the smart irrigation controllers that I’ve had for many years. We needed to put a 5th mesh router in my buddies garage to get his outdoor cameras to work. My whole house is automated, and my outdoor grill needs wifi outside of the lanai. My buddy couldn’t get a signal for his outdoor tv or a reliable signal without pixelation or delays until I built his network.
200Mb is very slow, I get over 800Mb in my bedroom closet or outside in my birdcage.
Most people don’t know that when they connect to the internet, you are dealing with 2 different networks: WAN and a LAN. Saying you have 200Mb is snail mail for a LAN, it should be close to 1G if you do it right. The wan part of it gets measured by connecting a device to the routers port (not wifi) to determine if they are getting the speed you are paying for. So for somebody telling me they are getting 200Mb, I’m guessing it’s a wan test and if you are paying for 500Mb or say 1Gb speeds, your speeds are terrible.
Like I said, most people don’t know how to implement a network

As someone else wrote, you seem to have some specific needs that 99% of us do not.

When I write that I have 286Mbps, that is usable speed not marketing speed. Did you somehow think I grabbed a very long network cable that would reach into the garage? No! That is speed I measured using wifi while standing as far away from my router as I could get. That is being limited somewhere and it's likely on the WAN side but it's more than I need and more than I paid for so I have no complaints.

200Mbps is very slow compared to what, the bandwidth I need, the bandwidth that is available, or what the Jones' have next door? A 1Gbps fiber WAN or 800Mbps in the bedroom is great to brag about but if a user is only using 40Mbps to stream to a TV then 960Mbps of that WAN is going entirely unused. I can brag that my Maserati does 185 but that only means I am paying for and maintaining a lot more car than I will ever use.

If you care about what ghz network your ecobee or nest or MyQ or Meross or camp chef grill or irrigation controller uses then either you have specific needs that most of us don't have or you're doing it wrong. I don't know and don't care whether my devices are using the 2.4GHz or 5GhHz bands because I know my router supports both. If I choose to turn one band off or use different SSIDs or passwords then shame on me for fixing something that wasn't broken and causing a problem.

Many of us will do just fine with 200Mbps and the single modem/router provided at installation. Some of us will need more hardware to recover signal loss going through the house or out to the yard (I'm fortunate that I don't). But few of us will need (or want) five mesh nodes to have a perfectly usable in-home network.

[MX rider]

We have DirecTV satellite. Started with them in 1996. Overall we're happy with it. It costs a bit more than streaming, but we like the convenience of not having to search different places to find what we want to watch. And to get the channels we want, streaming isn't going to save us a lot.

Streaming prices have steadily increased the last few years. They all started out very low to attract subscribers.
So keep in mind, streaming is cheaper...for now. But the prices will continue to rise due to the increasing cost of programming. As they add content it increases their costs.
Many are struggling to be profitable.

If we do switch it will probably be DirecTV streaming or Youtube tv. But they lack a few channels we really like. So for now we're happy with our choice.

One good thing about streaming though, if you don't want all the channels like us you can pick and choose what works for you. That does save money.

Do your research!

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by MX rider

One good thing about streaming though, if you don't want all the channels like us you can pick and choose what works for you. That does save money.

Do your research!

The best thing about streaming is that if you split your time between two homes, most streaming services will work at both locations. With cable, you need to subscribe, and pay for, the same service at both locations. We now have Xfinity internet only at both homes. Peacock is free with Xfinity internet and we pay for Netflix, Prime, and YouTube TV. Our total cost with this setup is substantially less than what we were paying Xfinity for both internet and cable TV up north, and we could only use the service at that single location. With streaming, we pay less and now have service at both homes. The streaming learning curve was surprisingly easy using Roku devices on all our televisions and we love the cloud based DVR service that comes with YouTube TV.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I can brag that my Maserati does 185 but that only means I am paying for and maintaining a lot more car than I will ever use.

This is really the whole point. But you're pretty old now, you might lose your license and then you won't drive.

Just sayin...

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

I know dozens of people that don’t know what the router is and sure didn’t know how to change the configuration. I’m going to say 99% of users don’t. . .
Like I said, most people don’t know how to implement a network

. . .

Most of us don't NEED to know how to "implement a network." Most of us are just people who want to stream videos, browse the web, use our printers, watch TV, maybe pay bills with our bank's online banking system.

It doesn't matter if we know what gHz we're running on our network, or from our router. You don't have to know that, to plug in a cable and turn on a machine and see that everything is running smoothly.

My ISP didn't tell me anything, I did my own connecting with my own router and modem that I bought at Staples. I still don't know what gHz I'm running, and I don't care. It's irrelevant, as long as the network does what the user needs it to do. If it's not, I can always figure it out. But chances are, whatever goes wrong won't be the result of a low gHz. It'd probably be a loose cable, or an old modem burning out, or a computer virus, or running too many devices at the same time. Y'know, the common things that can cause a LAN to slow down.