Getting rid of cableor Sat TV.

[carlton_fritz]

I have an older LCD and my brother has a Smart LED TV. Explain to me in a language an idiot can understand, what is the best way or how do I lose the ripoff Sat TV service?

[Cybercowboy]

Well, it depends. What channels do you absolutely want to keep? Locals? HBO? Sports channels? Give us a list of stuff you like or want to watch. Movies are easy, as is lots of great series of shows you've probably never heard of (NetFlix and Amazon have some really good content for streaming.)

Where the meat meets the bone is stuff like ESPN/locals/Golf Channel/cable news. What do you want to get?

Depending on your answer, we can guide you to something like an Amazon Fire, an Apple TV, a ChromeCast thing, etc. I don't suppose you have a USB port on your old LCD? Probably not. Also do you have high-speed internet? What kind of wifi signal do you get in that area of the house? Can you easily run Cat-5 from your router to that location? Do you have a wireless-N or equivalent wifi router?

[carlton_fritz]

Well, it depends. What channels do you absolutely want to keep? Locals? HBO? Sports channels? Give us a list of stuff you like or want to watch. Movies are easy, as is lots of great series of shows you've probably never heard of (NetFlix and Amazon have some really good content for streaming.)

Where the meat meets the bone is stuff like ESPN/locals/Golf Channel/cable news. What do you want to get?

Depending on your answer, we can guide you to something like an Amazon Fire, an Apple TV, a ChromeCast thing, etc. I don't suppose you have a USB port on your old LCD? Probably not. Also do you have high-speed internet? What kind of wifi signal do you get in that area of the house? Can you easily run Cat-5 from your router to that location? Do you have a wireless-N or equivalent wifi router?
We want local, ESPN, AMC, FX, TVLand, BBCA, TNT, GSN. The usual. Shows from HBO and Showtime would be nice. Big Ten sports wanted, but not required.

I have a Cat - 6 cable going to my computer. Wireless is good in my room on my laptop. We have 50MBPS internet. The router is built into the modem. Kerry doesn't know anything else about it. Would each TV need a device or just the non Smart TV?

[78SA]

Time Warner cable with the wireless built into the modem.

Fox Sports Ohio and Indiana. Gotta watch the Reds and Pacers. :lol:

[Cybercowboy]

We want local, ESPN, AMC, FX, TVLand, BBCA, TNT, GSN. The usual. Shows from HBO and Showtime would be nice. Big Ten sports wanted, but not required.

I have a Cat - 6 cable going to my computer. Wireless is good in my room on my laptop. We have 50MBPS internet. The router is built into the modem. Kerry doesn't know anything else about it. Would each TV need a device or just the non Smart TV?

And you would have to name off pretty much all the ones I'm not very familiar with. ESPN is difficult to stream because pretty much the only way to do it is with SlingTV. The good news is SlingTV will also get most of those other channels (AMC/FX/TNT etc). Your best bet is probably a SlingTV and Roku combo. (http://www.cutcabletoday.com/watch-espn-online/) This isn't free, but it will be pretty cheap.

Also AppleTV does ESPN and a bunch of other channels. You have to pay some, your Apple account will get billed. I like AppleTV, and there's nothing that says you can't have both. Really it's about looking at what each option has available and choosing one. For instance, currently AppleTV doesn't have the Amazon Prime video app. Most smart TVs do. I really like the content there too, especially as a Prime member.

Sling.TV
Roku
AppleTV
Amazon Fire
ChromeCast

Those are the main ones off the top of my head. Sling.TV is like basic cable. AppleTV is like getting an expanded cable package, like HBO and Showtime and MLB.TV. BTW, as a Cubs fan I've used the heck out of my MLB.TV subscription (just a single team, about $90 for the season.)

Others here will have some additional input. Note that streaming your content is not as simple as just clicking channels. You will, at some point, get pissed. But once you get all your accounts set up and working, your HBO-Go activated, and whatever else you need, it's really pretty straight-forward.

One other thing, if you have Apple devices (iPad/iPhone) and an AppleTV, you can easily stream video using your device right to your TV. So if you can currently stream ESPN on your iPad, you can just use that to watch TV by clicking the AirPlay icon. It gives you more content options.

If you don't have any Apple stuff, but have Amazon Prime, then you may want to look at the Kindle Fire.

[Jeff '79]

The womenz are gonna love you two!
Let's watch a movie on my computer monitor ! :wtf:

[Cybercowboy]

The womenz are gonna love you two!
Let's watch a movie on my computer monitor ! :wtf:

Nah, you watch it on your TV like a normal human being (Sling it to a Roku connected to the TV).

From looking at Sling.TV, if you get Orange+Blue (http://www.cutcabletoday.com/what-is-sling-tv/) (scroll down some) that's pretty much everything you'd ever want (Fox Sports, ESPN family, lots and lots of channels) but you still need to pay for HBO separate ($15/month.) So that would be $55/month.

There is a lot of stuff you can watch on NetFlix/AppleTV/Amazon for basically free other than the basic subscription cost (which is actually zero base sub with Apple) so that's what makes it sorta hard for people to cut the cord when they want pretty much what they had before, just a lot cheaper. It may not be.

And then for additional TV's you are just out the small cost of another streaming device, no additional monthly cost. It's the initial setup and getting it just right that can be frustrating, and you may want someone you know who has done it before to help out initially. Or, if you're like me, you'll just power through it like our hero Hillary.

[78SA]

The womenz are gonna love you two!
Let's watch a movie on my computer monitor ! :wtf:

I don't know where you got computer monitor from. :99pewtercoupe:

[Jeff '79]

I don't know where you got computer monitor from. :99pewtercoupe:

Pics of gf's!

[Cybercowboy]

Sling.TV doesn't have a streaming device, it's true that it runs directly on a computer. It may not be your best option because you'll have to either control it from a laptop connected to your TV, or some other means.

So, you may want to just go with an AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire, or ChromeCast. Honestly it's just a matter of looking what all channels they get and what you can live with. The price on streaming content that you have to pay for isn't really a big difference between them on average. ESPN is going cost you X. HBO is going to cost you Y. If you don't want to pay for locals, use an antenna.

So my final recommendation is this:

You can get the Sling.TV app on an AppleTV (https://www.sling.com/devices/appletv?AID=12685118&PID=7779591&SID=appletv&cvosrc=affiliate.cj.7779591&adid=12685118). Now that would be a very attractive little setup. You pay for your Sling.TV subscription, you can watch TV on your computers or tablets, and on your TV using the AppleTV Sling.TV app. Personally that's what I would do in your shoes. I'd get either the $25 or $40 Sling subscription, and then get HBO-Go on AppleTV, MLB-TV if you are an out-of-market baseball fan of a specific team, and there is also a Showtime app you can pay for. Then you just need an AppleID/iTunes to manage it or just their website I guess. Give Sling.TV and Apple your CC info, and you're in business within minutes.

[Cybercowboy]

Oh, and I'm typing all this up as the DirecTV guy upgrades my equipment. I'm guessing that when my two years is up on this latest upgrade I'll be totally pulling the plug too. The NFL is likely to be on my shitlist by then, and the only overriding reason I have them is for Sunday Ticket, and then only for Bears games and Red Zone Channel.

[78SA]

Oh, and I'm typing all this up as the DirecTV guy upgrades my equipment. I'm guessing that when my two years is up on this latest upgrade I'll be totally pulling the plug too. The NFL is likely to be on my shitlist by then, and the only overriding reason I have them is for Sunday Ticket, and then only for Bears games and Red Zone Channel.

:rofl:

[78SA]

Pics of gf's!

http://poliklinika-arcadia.hr/en/images/stories/plastic/hand-v.jpg

[NeedSpeed]

Then there's Kodi on one of those streaming sticks you can get everything free with some hack.

I haven't got any farther than that, but a guy I know sells the fire sticks with the hack for like a $150.

:leaving:

[carlton_fritz]

The womenz are gonna love you two!
Let's watch a movie on my computer monitor ! :wtf:
Why would I do that? I have a TV.:confused5:

[carlton_fritz]

I don't have anything Apple and probably never will.

[Cybercowboy]

I don't have anything Apple and probably never will.

Then your choice is Roku! No problem at all sir. Roku has a Sling.TV app too. You'll get all the cable channels you want plus access to HBO and Showtime. I'm just not familiar with Roku but it is the other choice.

[HellCat]

Many people find that by the time they individually pay for the channels they want to see, their bill is as much as, or more than, it was before, PLUS it is much more complicated to use a streaming device than a cable box. Since you wanted a simple explanation I assume you are not at ease working with routers, different streaming devices, how to plug them in and set them up, etc. If you want simple get a low cost cable, or satellite service.

[snide]

I have an older LCD

I have a Cat - 6 cable going to my computer.

I don't know where you got computer monitor from. :99pewtercoupe:

:shrug:

[snide]

Pics of gf's!

http://poliklinika-arcadia.hr/en/images/stories/plastic/hand-v.jpg

You share the same girlfriend?

[carlton_fritz]

:shrug:
I was asked if I can run a Cat-5 cable to my room. My response was to show that since I have a cat-6 then I can run a cat-5. Actually the Cat-5 cable is still going from the router to my room from when I replaced it with Cat-6.:leaving:

[CubSmurf]

Get a Roku. It's the most user friendly streaming option.

There are channels for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, ESPN, MLB, and most of the major networks.

[Mike Mercury]

The womenz are gonna love you two!
Let's watch a movie on my computer monitor !

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/30576870.jpg