Post season streaming TV assessment

[okeefe4prez]

I haven't noticed that yet, but I was wondering if that would be an issue.

I still think the 5g rollout will clear a lot of that congestion up. My guess is the cable internet companies are beefing up their internet speeds to try and compete with the upcoming 5g towers. Its likely your average internet user will drop their internet package once 5g is mainstream.

It's an existential threat to them. I lived under a Comcast monopoly for years and they were the biggest pricks you can imagine. My neighborhood has Spectrum and AT&T. I called AT&T 2 days before I closed on my house just to get their prices and they cut the price twice just to keep me from calling Spectrum. It's amazing how those companies behave with a competitor in the mix.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

No streaming service has TVJapan and if Ma can't watch her daily NHK drama and my boy loses Anpanman, they'll murder me. I have suggested that we run sling off of her parents' satellite receiver in Japan and one of our friends here actually does that, but I have been vetoed.

I don't remember TVJapan when I had cable or DirecTV.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I don't remember TVJapan when I had cable or DirecTV.

They just got on DirectTV. $25 a month add-on. It's a total effin' scam.

 

[mopkins]

You don't think there will be even more throughout the years? Years to figure out? Hell, you'll be $3,600 less rich by the time you hop on board.

Nah I think like most everything else, the market will stabilize and competitors will eat each other alive through mergers, buyouts and hostile takeovers. After all the dust settles there will be 2 or 3 main streaming services.

 

[mopkins]

You don't think there will be even more throughout the years? Years to figure out? Hell, you'll be $3,600 less rich by the time you hop on board.

dont get me wrong, I pay a lot for DTV, but I game the hell out of their system. I cancel my DTV service every 2 years and immediately sign back up for DTV by swapping the account owner between myself and my wife. So every other year I get free Sunday Ticket, 6 free months of all the movie channels, and like a year of massively discounted channel packages.

 

[Fryowa]

No streaming service has TVJapan and if Ma can't watch her daily NHK drama and my boy loses Anpanman, they'll murder me. I have suggested that we run sling off of her parents' satellite receiver in Japan and one of our friends here actually does that, but I have been vetoed.

Just wanted to throw this out there.

When I read your post I immediately thought of you as Gordon from Dodgeball with the mail order Asian wife who hates him. I'd apologize, but I'm not really sorry and it's funny.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

They just got on DirectTV. $25 a month add-on. It's a total effin' scam.

Really. Who knew. Good for your wifey, though.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

dont get me wrong, I pay a lot for DTV, but I game the hell out of their system. I cancel my DTV service every 2 years and immediately sign back up for DTV by swapping the account owner between myself and my wife. So every other year I get free Sunday Ticket, 6 free months of all the movie channels, and like a year of massively discounted channel packages.

Nicely played. Next the dog!

 

[DenverHawk94]

I have DirecTV Now. I do not recommend it. Although the price is cheap - I signed on during their promo last year - it crashes a lot and customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. Seems that most customers are left with a user forum where we can resolve our problems, IM Chat with a rep which crashes or Twitter.

I wouldn’t care too much about the crashing but DTVN does NOT have an agreement with all providers. So that’s an ongoing problem.

The quality of the picture is typically quite good.

 

[Omaherky]

I have DirecTV Now. I do not recommend it. Although the price is cheap - I signed on during their promo last year - it crashes a lot and customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. Seems that most customers are left with a user forum where we can resolve our problems, IM Chat with a rep which crashes or Twitter.

I wouldn’t care too much about the crashing but DTVN does NOT have an agreement with all providers. So that’s an ongoing problem.

The quality of the picture is typically quite good.

I have tried the following;

• Youtube TV
• Hulu Live
• FuboTV
• DTV Now

I have to say my two favorite by far are DTV Now and Hulu Live, with Youtube TV a close 3rd. I use Apple 4K TV for my main television and Amazon Firesticks for the other sets (or built in app).

I would agree that DTV Now customer service seems to be lacking. There is no chat or phone support, so if you have a question you have to go to the forum or twitter (I mean how f'n stupid). This baffles me, as it is AT&T and they can't have a call / chat center? Other then that I find the interface to be good, sometimes slow, the quality is by far the best of all I tried, with about zero buffering or drops in quality. They have a good selection of content as well for all package levels.

Hulu was great but I can attest that they did not carry the BTN alternative games, at least in Des Moines. I had to log on to the BTN2go to watch a game which ticked me off. I don't like the interface as much and the quality has more dips for live content. So we have Hulu (not live) for other content, but I dropped the "live" for now.

Youtube TV is pretty great from a user interface and quality stream standpoint, but the thing I found the most frustrating is that the YoutubeTV app is not on amazon fire devices.

FuboTV is only if you want alternative BTN / FOX channels or LOVE SOCCER (I do not).

All in all, I don't think any of them are perfect, but it won't be long until someone will knock it out of the park with content, quality and cost ALONG with having their app available on EVERY device.

Have fun, and do what I did. Abuse the free trails on all of them and judge for yourselves!

 

[homes]

Yep. Hulu has a DVR function. Doesn't store it on your device, but allows you to go back and watch it later. You can also rewind live games or pause them, but it does make you watch the commercials (only when fast forwarding through the portion you haven't watched yet). There is another tier of pricing that allows you to bypass that I believe.

Thanks to you and MH.

Other than simple procrastination, it seems foolish to keep shelling out $$$ for Cable or Satellite.

 

[Fryowa]

Thanks to you and MH.

Other than simple procrastination, it seems foolish to keep shelling out $$$ for Cable or Satellite.

One other thing, if you already have a device capable of streaming like a Roku, PlayStation, smart tv, etc., you can try it free to see if you like it before you take the step of disconnecting what you have now. Check it out with no risk.

 

[NCHawker]

As I write this I am streaming the BasketBall game on Hulu on my laptop

TIP - If youre watching a recorded game...just before the commercial break fast forward through the commercial and through the next commercial. Then go back and press play. It will put you just before the 2nd commercial...then you can rewind back to where you really want to be. All this is quicker than sitting through the commercial. Use the joystick round key on roku rather than the FF arrow

 

[hawkeyebob62]

100% satisfied with Hulu live.

I would never, ever go back to dish or cable. Especially since it’s $40 a month with no tax or bullshit nickel and dime fees. Straight up $39.99 auto debited.

Instead of having to use the ESPN app on my Roku to find out of market games, the Hulu channel guide just adds ten or twelve different ESPN "channels" to the guide and you select which one you want to watch. For example, if you were, say, an SMU fan and your game wasn't on in your market, you'd normally have to switch to the ESPN app to watch it. Hulu Live avoids that by just listing all the games available, which is a shit ton. When football is over for the day it goes back to just listing the main ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, and ESPN News channels.

Same thing with BTN and Fox channels. If Penn State is playing on your normal BTN channel but the Hawks are the alternate, it lists them both so you don't have to switch over to the BTN app.

Able to watch all games on my phone on one app, don’t need all the network-specific apps. Can also DVR from my phone in case I’m out of the house and forget.

Has the SEC Network which, I don’t care what anyone says, has the best non-game shows about their sports, period. It also adds another option for games that you can’t normally see if you’re interested in them.

Also get all the local Sioux City and Sioux Falls channels.

Last but not least, and the most important thing for me, it supports 60 fps. Anyone who has ever watched any kind of sports at 30 fps knows exactly what I mean. It's completely unwatchable. Hulu live's channels are all 60 fps for sports.

Of course Dish and DTV does a lot of this stuff, but it’s sure as hell not $40 a month, free of contract, free of equipment, and free of equipment fees. My internet also doesn't go wonky or go out altogether during bad weather.

For disclosure, I have 75M down and 3M up. If your internet is on the slow side or gets unreliable at times, ymmv. Hulu live includes 2 devices at a time; my son and I can both watch HD, 60fps broadcasts at the same time without a hiccup at 75M down and my WiFi manager shows that while doing that, we’re only using 20-25M.

Basically, the most important thing in a household these days is high-speed internet. With it, the choice of stream providers is nothing more than personal taste and channel choices on the "live" portion. Essentially, once football ends, if the b-ball team sucks I can cancel live until football is back. I usually don't, but outside sports, "live" TV is almost pointless.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I still think the streaming stuff needs a few years to figure things out and even consolidate a little bit. Right now there's just way too many options, to many apps, too many dongles (firestick, roku, chromecast, etc) too many issues (DVR, guides, channel disputes, etc). Streaming tv is definitely the future, but seems we're still a bit in the wild west phase.

Not even. Week one Hulu wasn't up to speed on the "alt" BTN channels (I used BTN2Go app). Fixed the very next week. Think cable or satellite providers would fix it that quickly? Not even on Ted Turner's life.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Nah I think like most everything else, the market will stabilize and competitors will eat each other alive through mergers, buyouts and hostile takeovers. After all the dust settles there will be 2 or 3 main streaming services.

And let's not forget Amazon, who only have their feet a quarter inch deep in the "live" market. Once those boys, and Apple and Microsoft, et. al. decide they are "in" for TV full bore, it's gonna be unbelievable. You won't even buy a TV. You'll wire up your house, put special paint on the walls, then watch wherever and in what ratio, format, etc. that strikes your fancy.

 

[pekurhawk]

Rabbit ears and tin foil

 

[Chickenlounge]

Won't ever go back to satellite. I like YouTubeTV for the most part. It doesn't have any BTN overflow channels, which is one knock against it, but it has ever ESPN, tons of regional Fox Sports channels, and in general a pretty good interface. DVR function is fine, but I wish it told me what I've already watched in a series. I can never remember where I left off. And you can't "delete" things from the cloud DVR. They just roll off after 9 months I believe.

I may try PlayStation VUE just for the hell of it.

I do like the Roku though, because I can have the ESPN and BTN apps on there for games that aren't televised.

 

[tailgater371]

Good info, thanks

I haven't been able to break away from DTV yet. I love Sunday Ticket and I love the functionality. My wife and I absolutely loathe the customer service and price though.

Spot on!

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Won't ever go back to satellite. I like YouTubeTV for the most part. It doesn't have any BTN overflow channels, which is one knock against it, but it has ever ESPN, tons of regional Fox Sports channels, and in general a pretty good interface. DVR function is fine, but I wish it told me what I've already watched in a series. I can never remember where I left off. And you can't "delete" things from the cloud DVR. They just roll off after 9 months I believe.

I may try PlayStation VUE just for the hell of it.

I do like the Roku though, because I can have the ESPN and BTN apps on there for games that aren't televised.

My setup is both YouTubTV, PSVue and Rokus. Love the interface of.YouTube the best. Have PSVue to cover a few obscure channels we like. Completely covered channelsise with all including all local. This all still cheaper than cable with no equipment, cables cluster and IS MORE STABLE!