# Cutting the Cable Guide



## Huntn

*Cutting the Cable Guide,*
but preserving content.
A work in progress.
*UPDATE IN PROGRESS July 2021
some info maybe out of date*​


If you see something that is glaringly wrong or outdated, please post in a way that get’s my attention, and I’ll be happy to update the info.

*Updates:*

Jan 2022- Added link below to Fiber Optics install below.
Jul25- In Channel section added Acorn, Britbox, AppleTV, and Amazon Prime.
Jul24- Added links for websites devoted to cutting the cord):
Jul 2021- Added Olympics Note, and updated AppleTV vs Roku section. Added Philo, YouTube, and Hulu links under Sites. Updated Netflix under Sites.


*Links*
*Websites devoted to cutting the Cable (Automatic Apple post 10):








						Cut The Cord on Cable Today - Cord Cutting News and Guides
					

Cut the Cord is not JUST a Shinedown song. We're the best guide to cord cutting around! We give you the BEST options to cut the cord on cable and save money by streaming TV.




					www.cutthecord.com
				








						Cord Cutting Report: Guides to Hardware, Streaming & TV Antennas
					

A comprehensive resource for streaming, live TV options, and hands-on product reviews of Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku and OTA hardware.




					cordcuttingreport.com
				





*2022*

Dec 2021- We just cut our basic cable so now 100% streaming- Huntn. My impression is that if you are into NFL Football, Sone research is required as the bestvway to watch this. I’ve aske in the thread.
*Fiber Optics  for Internet install talk:*
https://talkedabout.com/threads/cutting-the-cable-guide.1710/post-85989

*2021
How are you watching the Olympics?*
I am currently watching it on SlingTV, NBC Sports Network.

*2021- Here are some advantages, of streaming and some observations:*

From what I can tell, the Cable company takes their cut, so you are paying a premium and paying for things you don’t want.
Sling TV (or maybe Hulu and the like) is cheaper and carries most if not all of the cable channels I’ve watched in the past, like AMC, FX, of SyFy, that are included in the higher tier cable packages. So I can watch these shows live like I did with my cable company.
Also for a case where you want to watch last year’s episodes, cable companies have the same limited access, most if not all older content will not be available in their on demand, as more networks try to monetize their old shows with _plus _streaming services.
...except I recorded most of them to watch later, many of the streaming services now include DVR which Suddenlink charged $20 a month just for that.
For original content from other providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV, you would be paying for these even with cable.
We only watched one show on broadcast TV, Modern Family (ABC) which has now ended and practically everything else we watch is streamed, much of it dumped into the streaming trough in it’s entirety and able to be bing watched from the start.
And finally with the skimpy seasons we have these days as short a 10 shows and sometimes less, if you don’t care when you watch a show, it’s easy to subscribe for 1 month, watch the season, and then unsubscribe. you’ll come out ahead versus paying the cable company for access all year long whether you are watching something or not.


*The Question: What is the Downside?
* Recording Shows-* You may be used to DVR/Tivo recording. I've not yet found a way to do this. My impression with this option you may be held hostage to how much On Demand content each network makes available.
**On Demand*- Seems to be reduced as compared to what can be found through your Cable provider. A good example is ABC shows. However this is offset by either the On Demand which can be found on individual streaming sources  (FX on SlingTV includes On Demand for current season) or by using a network streaming app found on Apple TV. See Apple TV vs Roku an the info provided on how to stream ABC shows.
*Update-* On demand, depending where you get it (without a cable company) can be just as limited either way. Sometimes you can find show that all ready been broadcast/seasons on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other like Hulu.
** You might have to watch commercials again-* that is if you are used to recording your shows and the some network shows won't let you fast forward through their streaming content.
** TVs in your bedrooms- *maybe yes maybe no. Smart TVs have the ability to connect to your internet via wireless. Many now have Netflix, but they don't have Roku or Apple TV. One of those may have to be purchased for each bedroom TV and it's been reported that you can only use one such device at a time. There is a Roku Stick, but I'm not sure if that works completely independently of a regular Roku box or works in conjunction it.

*Apple TV or Roku or Both? *(Updated Jul21)
June 2021- The answer is you don’t need both for content the other does not have.  There was a time when Apple had HBO Now, but Roku did not. Roku had Amazon Prime Video, but Apple TV did not. Now, both of those networks  are available on both and Roku includes the Apple TV channel.

*Is Your Smart TV the equivalent of having a Roku or Apple TV box?*
2019- Smart TVs have the ability to install network apps on them, but it depends on the TV how robust they are as a streaming hub.  Our new Visio 4k TV does not have access to all the network channel apps that dedicated Roku or Apple TV boxes have.

*Sites:
* Cutcabletoday:* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/
** Feeln-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.
** Hulu- *https://www.hulu.com/welcome plans from $6-65.
** Netflix-* https://www.netflix.com/ $9-$18 a month. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
** Philo.com-* https://www.philo.com/  60+channels $25 a month.
** Sling TV:* https://www.sling.com 40+ for $25 per month. AMC, CNN, Hist, NBC, FX, SyFy, NatGeo, MSNBC. Roku and Apple TV. Note: Sling TV requires a 4th gen Apple TV.
- *Sling TV Options*
- *How to access On Demand on Sling TV.*
https://whatson.sling.com/announcem...-to-access-sling-tvs-video-on-demand-library/
- Orange Package- $20
- Blue Package- $25 (includes all of Orange)
- MSNBC: World News Package: $5.
- Turner Classic Movies: Hollywood Package: $5.
**YouTube TV-* https://tv.youtube.com/

*Specific Channels *(there are hundreds, thousands of channels, not a comprehensive site listing)
*Note: *Some channels require that you have a Cable  Provider to sign in with before you can get access. However, the way around this, which cost $ is to subscribe to a channel streamer like SlingTV, Hulu, YouTubeTV or others.

*ABC- *get the latest version of Apple TV (4th generation) with App support to find current season episodes for streaming. A case where AppleTV > Roku. ABC on Roku has zero On Demand, just live streaming. There appears to be a limit on ATV in that you can't view an episode until it is a week old.

*Britbox and Acorn- *both specialize  in mainly British content and are available standalone, or can be bundled into packages such as AppleTV or Prime.

*Amazon Prime- *A side benefit of getting a shipping discount or vice a versa. Depending,ob your perspective. 
*AMC*- http://www.cutcabletoday.com/amc-live-stream/
* Note: AMC channel requires you to sign in to your Cable Provider to get access.
* How to Watch AMC Online without Cable
1. See which streaming services offer an AMC live stream — Sling TV and PlayStation Vue.
2. Compare their offerings to see which streaming service is a better fit for you.
3. Sign up for a free trial to test out the streaming service.
4. Download the app on your streaming device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox, iOS or Android phone/tablet, computer, etc.)
5. Open the streaming app and watch AMC online.
*AppleTV- *Now available as a channel on Roku. Apple would  be foolish not to.
*HBO- *It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.








						How To Get HBO | HBO Max Subscription Options | HBO
					

Get HBO your way, including HBO Max. Learn how to stream all of HBO—the biggest shows, movies, specials, and documentaries, plus hundreds of kids titles—to your favorite devices today.




					www.hbo.com
				



*NBC- *on Roku appears to have episodes for streaming, but have not yet tested then for availability.
*Hallmark-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.Apple TV, Roku.
*MSNBC-* Sling TV: http://www.cutcabletoday.com/msnbc-live-stream/
*PBS-* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/watch-pbs-online/ found on *Roku*.
* Added 11Aug17- *Grantchester *Seasons 1&2 are available on Amazon Prime. Season 2&3, maybe 1 are available on *Apple TV* , the *PBS App. *I'm not sure if local cable service is required to access PBS content on this app.
*12Aug17- I'm irritated at PBS because the third season of Grantchester ended in May, but the Local Station did not  carry it. Now maybe I could have watched it for free back then on the PBS app, but now on Apple TV there is a message that I must subscribe to PBS passport, a one year subscriotion for $60. I give PBS money during their fund raising drives, but don't subscribe, and have them listed as my charity in Amazon Smile.  So for now, I'm watching Season 2 on Amazon prime and will think about Season 3 later. Maybe eventually it will end up on Prine.
*TCM:* http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/. This site says it’s available on Sling TV? http://www.rokuguide.com/articles/sling-tv-adds-turner-classic-movies-ae-history-and-more

*What about TVs in Your Bedrooms?*
One of drawbacks of cutting the cable are those TVs in your and guest bedrooms. Our bedroom tv has wireless built-in Netflix but no Roku or Apple TV. I'm wondering if a Roku Streaming Stick would solve the issue?
Anyone using multiple Roku devices in one house with a single Roku account? I'd like to hear about it. 

MC6800 (Sept 2016)- I've had no problem using the Netflix app on more than one device, except that it will only let you view on one device at a time. That's for a normal account-- don't know about others.

*American Football On SlingTV:*
The SlingTV Blue package includes *Fox Sports*. *NBC (Blue Package)* which should cover Sunday Night football, but is in the process of being released in major markets for streaming, and Houston does not yet have it (Dallas Ft Worth, L.A. and some other cities have it.) The *NFL Network (Blue Package)* is supposed to carry Thursday Night Football. But unfortunately for Monday Night Football, *ESPN* is required, and that requires another $15 for the combined Blue+Orange package. As the Super Bowl in 2017 is being covered by Fox, I'll cancel the Orange package in Jan after the playoffs.

*Sling TV Support*
Sept 2016- After using SlingTV for a week, I'll report it works great, but it's customer service leaves much to be desired, not that they don't help, but the inefficient means they offer customer support about your questions. After you locate the place to send them a help request, you'll discover there is no troubleshooting web portal customer service ticket system and there is no way to talk to them on the phone. Guess that saves money. 

When you submit a question, you'll see a message that says "watch your in basket", no not any basket in their website, but your email in-basket. About 6-12 hrs later you'll get a response. The first one of these I got I was irritated because while they told me they were working diligently to answer my question, they did not bother to answer the question I had sent them, such as how to edit your MyTV list? The answer btw is to scroll the list to the far far far right and you'll see an edit button.

PS, if you plan on paying up front 3 months for either a Roku or an Apple TV (discounted price), do that before you sign up for the one week trial. However, even during or after the trial, you can still take advantage of the offer, by emailing them and offering to pay for 3 months in advance, and they will make it happen..

*How I did it Sept 2016:*
Update Sept 2016: Canceled Feel'n. The Hallmark shows my wife watches (like Frazier reruns) can be found on Netflix. Added the SlingTV Orange Option for the football season, will cancel that in February.

Turned off cable, upped my internet to the top speed (no data limits $75), and subscribed to SlingTV. I already had a *Roku* and and an older *AppleTV*, but I had to upgrade the Apple TV to 4th generation, with App support  (which I got through a discount via my Sling subscription $85).

*My June 2016 Suddenlink bill was $196.87.*
- That bill included- TV, Tivo, Internet, Home security.
* Upped my internet from 50Mbps (250GB data per month) to 200Mbps, (unlimited data).
* Kept monitored security system.

*New Price: $95.27*
That's a saving of approx $100 that will be offset by Sling TV 40+ channels per month for $25.00 an Feel'n (Hallmark Network) $36  for a year.

I've also got *TCM* on SlingTV (I think), and *PBS* is free on Roku. As far as I can tell all the tv shows are available on demand. Just checked The Strain in FX (SlingTV) and the episode that aired last Sunday is there for viewing.

*Total projected savings per month: $67*+ plus I'm really liking how SlingTV presents shows for watching, a SLEW of movies, which I had to dig for on Suddenlink, and my internet just got a big kick in the pants. 

*Misc Info-* My bedroom has a Roku- Internet Wifi capable Blue Ray player hooked to the TV.  I'm set I think.


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## Renzatic

I was recommended Philo recently, and it seems to be a pretty solid deal if you want all the basic cable channels without any of the fluff that drives up the price. $25 for 60 channels, including the likes of Sci-fi, AMC, Discovery, and whatnot.

...and the Hallmark Channel, which I'm sure some of you watch, though you won't admit to it.









						$25 TV Subscription: Live & On-Demand TV Streaming Service | Philo
					

Philo's TV streaming service is available for only $25 a month! Enjoy live and on-demand TV, unlimited DVR and 60+ channels with Epix and Starz add-on options. A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Hallmark, VH1, Food Network, HGTV, MTV, TLC, AXS.




					www.philo.com


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## Huntn

Renzatic said:


> I was recommended Philo recently, and it seems to be a pretty solid deal if you want all the basic cable channels without any of the fluff that drives up the price. $25 for 60 channels, including the likes of Sci-fi, AMC, Discovery, and whatnot.
> 
> ...and the Hallmark Channel, which I'm sure some of you watch, though you won't admit to it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> $25 TV Subscription: Live & On-Demand TV Streaming Service | Philo
> 
> 
> Philo's TV streaming service is available for only $25 a month! Enjoy live and on-demand TV, unlimited DVR and 60+ channels with Epix and Starz add-on options. A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Hallmark, VH1, Food Network, HGTV, MTV, TLC, AXS.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.philo.com



i added Philo to the site list. I’ll have to compare with SlingTV (Blue) our cable substitute streamer to Philo and YouTubeTV. AMC used to be a must, but I’ve not watched  it forever,  Turner Classic Movies, MSNBC, others I’d have to think about to name, and yes Hallmark for my wife.


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## SuperMatt

I didn’t see much mention of OTA television. You can actually get 4K over-the-air in some areas. Companies like SiliconDust are selling tuners and DVRs for this new ATSC 3.0 standard. Plex has a live TV feature that works with these.









						ATSC 3.0: All you need to know about broadcast TV's next step | Digital Trends
					

ATSC 3.0 is increasing its footprint on the world of digital broadcasting. What exactly is ATSC 3.0, and how can you experience it? We've got the answers.




					www.digitaltrends.com


----------



## Huntn

SuperMatt said:


> I didn’t see much mention of OTA television. You can actually get 4K over-the-air in some areas. Companies like SiliconDust are selling tuners and DVRs for this new ATSC 3.0 standard. Plex has a live TV feature that works with these.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ATSC 3.0: All you need to know about broadcast TV's next step | Digital Trends
> 
> 
> ATSC 3.0 is increasing its footprint on the world of digital broadcasting. What exactly is ATSC 3.0, and how can you experience it? We've got the answers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.digitaltrends.com



Happy to add this to post 1.  This is improved reception, but still has the limitations of broadcast TV?


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## B S Magnet

Huntn said:


> *Cutting the Cable Guide,*
> but preserving content.
> A work in progress.
> *UPDATE IN PROGRESS July 2021
> some info maybe out of date*​
> 
> 
> If you see something that is glaringly wrong or outdated, please post in a way that get’s my attention, and I’ll be happy to update the info.
> 
> *Updates:*
> * Jul 2021- Added Olympics Note, and updated AppleTV vs Roku section. Added Philo, YouTube, and Hulu links under Sites. Updated Netflix under Sites.
> 
> *2021
> How are you watching the Olympics?*
> I am currently watching it on SlingTV, NBC Sports Network.
> 
> *2021- Here are some advantages, of streaming and some observations:*
> 
> From what I can tell, the Cable company takes their cut, so you are paying a premium and paying for things you don’t want.
> Sling TV (or maybe Hulu and the like) is cheaper and carries most if not all of the cable channels I’ve watched in the past, like AMC, FX, of SyFy, that are included in the higher tier cable packages. So I can watch these shows live like I did with my cable company.
> Also for a case where you want to watch last year’s episodes, cable companies have the same limited access, most if not all older content will not be available in their on demand, as more networks try to monetize their old shows with _plus _streaming services.
> ...except I recorded most of them to watch later, many of the streaming services now include DVR which Suddenlink charged $20 a month just for that.
> For original content from other providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV, you would be paying for these even with cable.
> We only watched one show on broadcast TV, Modern Family (ABC) which has now ended and practically everything else we watch is streamed, much of it dumped into the streaming trough in it’s entirety and able to be bing watched from the start.
> And finally with the skimpy seasons we have these days as short a 10 shows and sometimes less, if you don’t care when you watch a show, it’s easy to subscribe for 1 month, watch the season, and then unsubscribe. you’ll come out ahead versus paying the cable company for access all year long whether you are watching something or not.
> 
> 
> *The Question: What is the Downside?
> * Recording Shows-* You may be used to DVR/Tivo recording. I've not yet found a way to do this. My impression with this option you may be held hostage to how much On Demand content each network makes available.
> **On Demand*- Seems to be reduced as compared to what can be found through your Cable provider. A good example is ABC shows. However this is offset by either the On Demand which can be found on individual streaming sources  (FX on SlingTV includes On Demand for current season) or by using a network streaming app found on Apple TV. See Apple TV vs Roku an the info provided on how to stream ABC shows.
> *Update-* On demand, depending where you get it (without a cable company) can be just as limited either way. Sometimes you can find show that all ready been broadcast/seasons on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other like Hulu.
> ** You might have to watch commercials again-* that is if you are used to recording your shows and the some network shows won't let you fast forward through their streaming content.
> ** TVs in your bedrooms- *maybe yes maybe no. Smart TVs have the ability to connect to your internet via wireless. Many now have Netflix, but they don't have Roku or Apple TV. One of those may have to be purchased for each bedroom TV and it's been reported that you can only use one such device at a time. There is a Roku Stick, but I'm not sure if that works completely independently of a regular Roku box or works in conjunction it.
> 
> *Apple TV or Roku or Both? *(Updated Jul21)
> June 2021- The answer is you don’t need both for content the other does not have.  There was a time when Apple had HBO Now, but Roku did not. Roku had Amazon Prime Video, but Apple TV did not. Now, both of those networks  are available on both and Roku includes the Apple TV channel.
> 
> *Is Your Smart TV the equivalent of having a Roku or Apple TV box?*
> 2019- Smart TVs have the ability to install network apps on them, but it depends on the TV how robust they are as a streaming hub.  Our new Visio 4k TV does not have access to all the network channel apps that dedicated Roku or Apple TV boxes have.
> 
> *Sites:
> * Cutcabletoday:* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/
> ** Feeln-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.
> ** Hulu- *https://www.hulu.com/welcome plans from $6-65.
> ** Netflix-* https://www.netflix.com/ $9-$18 a month. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
> ** Philo.com-* https://www.philo.com/  60+channels $25 a month.
> ** Sling TV:* https://www.sling.com 40+ for $25 per month. AMC, CNN, Hist, NBC, FX, SyFy, NatGeo, MSNBC. Roku and Apple TV. Note: Sling TV requires a 4th gen Apple TV.
> - *Sling TV Options*
> - *How to access On Demand on Sling TV.*
> https://whatson.sling.com/announcem...-to-access-sling-tvs-video-on-demand-library/
> - Orange Package- $20
> - Blue Package- $25 (includes all of Orange)
> - MSNBC: World News Package: $5.
> - Turner Classic Movies: Hollywood Package: $5.
> **YouTube TV-* https://tv.youtube.com/
> 
> *Specific Channels:
> AMC*- http://www.cutcabletoday.com/amc-live-stream/
> How to Watch AMC Online without Cable
> 1. See which streaming services offer an AMC live stream — Sling TV and PlayStation Vue.
> 2. Compare their offerings to see which streaming service is a better fit for you.
> 3. Sign up for a free trial to test out the streaming service.
> 4. Download the app on your streaming device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox, iOS or Android phone/tablet, computer, etc.)
> 5. Open the streaming app and watch AMC online.
> 
> *ABC- *get the latest version of Apple TV (4th generation) with App support to find current season episodes for streaming. A case where AppleTV > Roku. ABC on Roku has zero On Demand, just live streaming. There appears to be a limit on ATV in that you can't view an episode until it is a week old.
> *HBO- *It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How To Get HBO | HBO Max Subscription Options | HBO
> 
> 
> Get HBO your way, including HBO Max. Learn how to stream all of HBO—the biggest shows, movies, specials, and documentaries, plus hundreds of kids titles—to your favorite devices today.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hbo.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *NBC- *on Roku appears to have episodes for streaming, but have not yet tested then for availability.
> *Hallmark-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.Apple TV, Roku.
> *MSNBC-* Sling TV: http://www.cutcabletoday.com/msnbc-live-stream/
> *PBS-* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/watch-pbs-online/ found on *Roku*.
> * Added 11Aug17- *Grantchester *Seasons 1&2 are available on Amazon Prime. Season 2&3, maybe 1 are available on *Apple TV* , the *PBS App. *I'm not sure if local cable service is required to access PBS content on this app.
> *12Aug17- I'm irritated at PBS because the third season of Grantchester ended in May, but the Local Station did not  carry it. Now maybe I could have watched it for free back then on the PBS app, but now on Apple TV there is a message that I must subscribe to PBS passport, a one year subscriotion for $60. I give PBS money during their fund raising drives, but don't subscribe, and have them listed as my charity in Amazon Smile.  So for now, I'm watching Season 2 on Amazon prime and will think about Season 3 later. Maybe eventually it will end up on Prine.
> *TCM:* http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/. This site says it’s available on Sling TV? http://www.rokuguide.com/articles/sling-tv-adds-turner-classic-movies-ae-history-and-more
> 
> *What about TVs in Your Bedrooms?*
> One of drawbacks of cutting the cable are those TVs in your and guest bedrooms. Our bedroom tv has wireless built-in Netflix but no Roku or Apple TV. I'm wondering if a Roku Streaming Stick would solve the issue?
> Anyone using multiple Roku devices in one house with a single Roku account? I'd like to hear about it.
> 
> MC6800 (Sept 2016)- I've had no problem using the Netflix app on more than one device, except that it will only let you view on one device at a time. That's for a normal account-- don't know about others.
> 
> *American Football On SlingTV:*
> The SlingTV Blue package includes *Fox Sports*. *NBC (Blue Package)* which should cover Sunday Night football, but is in the process of being released in major markets for streaming, and Houston does not yet have it (Dallas Ft Worth, L.A. and some other cities have it.) The *NFL Network (Blue Package)* is supposed to carry Thursday Night Football. But unfortunately for Monday Night Football, *ESPN* is required, and that requires another $15 for the combined Blue+Orange package. As the Super Bowl in 2017 is being covered by Fox, I'll cancel the Orange package in Jan after the playoffs.
> 
> *Sling TV Support*
> Sept 2016- After using SlingTV for a week, I'll report it works great, but it's customer service leaves much to be desired, not that they don't help, but the inefficient means they offer customer support about your questions. After you locate the place to send them a help request, you'll discover there is no troubleshooting web portal customer service ticket system and there is no way to talk to them on the phone. Guess that saves money.
> 
> When you submit a question, you'll see a message that says "watch your in basket", no not any basket in their website, but your email in-basket. About 6-12 hrs later you'll get a response. The first one of these I got I was irritated because while they told me they were working diligently to answer my question, they did not bother to answer the question I had sent them, such as how to edit your MyTV list? The answer btw is to scroll the list to the far far far right and you'll see an edit button.
> 
> PS, if you plan on paying up front 3 months for either a Roku or an Apple TV (discounted price), do that before you sign up for the one week trial. However, even during or after the trial, you can still take advantage of the offer, by emailing them and offering to pay for 3 months in advance, and they will make it happen..
> 
> *How I did it Sept 2016:*
> Update Sept 2016: Canceled Feel'n. The Hallmark shows my wife watches (like Frazier reruns) can be found on Netflix. Added the SlingTV Orange Option for the football season, will cancel that in February.
> 
> Turned off cable, upped my internet to the top speed (no data limits $75), and subscribed to SlingTV. I already had a *Roku* and and an older *AppleTV*, but I had to upgrade the Apple TV to 4th generation, with App support  (which I got through a discount via my Sling subscription $85).
> 
> *My June 2016 Suddenlink bill was $196.87.*
> - That bill included- TV, Tivo, Internet, Home security.
> * Upped my internet from 50Mbps (250GB data per month) to 200Mbps, (unlimited data).
> * Kept monitored security system.
> 
> *New Price: $95.27*
> That's a saving of approx $100 that will be offset by Sling TV 40+ channels per month for $25.00 an Feel'n (Hallmark Network) $36  for a year.
> 
> I've also got *TCM* on SlingTV (I think), and *PBS* is free on Roku. As far as I can tell all the tv shows are available on demand. Just checked The Strain in FX (SlingTV) and the episode that aired last Sunday is there for viewing.
> 
> *Total projected savings per month: $67*+ plus I'm really liking how SlingTV presents shows for watching, a SLEW of movies, which I had to dig for on Suddenlink, and my internet just got a big kick in the pants.
> 
> *Misc Info-* My bedroom has a Roku- Internet Wifi capable Blue Ray player hooked to the TV.  I'm set I think.




May I offer that you convert this post to a WikiPost?


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## lizkat

Huntn said:


> *HBO- *It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.




I don't have a TV set or a cable provider, just the ad-free HBO Max subscription at $15/mo that includes HBO, Max (current and past shows), plus same day access to new Warner movies when they open in theatres,  option to download stuff for offline viewing.


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## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> Happy to add this to post 1.  This is improved reception, but still has the limitations of broadcast TV?



It can be used on mobile devices (if they get the tuner chip), it has some features that integrate with your internet connection, it can deliver data since it uses IP data to send its signal… there are some interesting possibilities with it.


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## User.45

I deeply despise ads..they are like meme cancer. 

With HBOs deal with Studio Ghibli, MGM, Warner, I consider the best deal of all for $15. I have Prime anyway that I rarely use.
Netflix vs. Hulu+AppleTV, should be rotated. Though I have a lot of qualms about Netflix's way to make you spend more time digging for stuff to view than enjoying content. Hulu's interface is much cleaner and thus comes with a much nicer experience despite the smaller portfolio.


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## User 189

Huntn said:


> *Cutting the Cable Guide,*
> but preserving content.
> A work in progress.
> *UPDATE IN PROGRESS July 2021
> some info maybe out of date*​
> 
> 
> If you see something that is glaringly wrong or outdated, please post in a way that get’s my attention, and I’ll be happy to update the info.
> 
> *Updates:*
> * Jul 2021- Added Olympics Note, and updated AppleTV vs Roku section. Added Philo, YouTube, and Hulu links under Sites. Updated Netflix under Sites.
> 
> *2021
> How are you watching the Olympics?*
> I am currently watching it on SlingTV, NBC Sports Network.
> 
> *2021- Here are some advantages, of streaming and some observations:*
> 
> From what I can tell, the Cable company takes their cut, so you are paying a premium and paying for things you don’t want.
> Sling TV (or maybe Hulu and the like) is cheaper and carries most if not all of the cable channels I’ve watched in the past, like AMC, FX, of SyFy, that are included in the higher tier cable packages. So I can watch these shows live like I did with my cable company.
> Also for a case where you want to watch last year’s episodes, cable companies have the same limited access, most if not all older content will not be available in their on demand, as more networks try to monetize their old shows with _plus _streaming services.
> ...except I recorded most of them to watch later, many of the streaming services now include DVR which Suddenlink charged $20 a month just for that.
> For original content from other providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV, you would be paying for these even with cable.
> We only watched one show on broadcast TV, Modern Family (ABC) which has now ended and practically everything else we watch is streamed, much of it dumped into the streaming trough in it’s entirety and able to be bing watched from the start.
> And finally with the skimpy seasons we have these days as short a 10 shows and sometimes less, if you don’t care when you watch a show, it’s easy to subscribe for 1 month, watch the season, and then unsubscribe. you’ll come out ahead versus paying the cable company for access all year long whether you are watching something or not.
> 
> 
> *The Question: What is the Downside?
> * Recording Shows-* You may be used to DVR/Tivo recording. I've not yet found a way to do this. My impression with this option you may be held hostage to how much On Demand content each network makes available.
> **On Demand*- Seems to be reduced as compared to what can be found through your Cable provider. A good example is ABC shows. However this is offset by either the On Demand which can be found on individual streaming sources  (FX on SlingTV includes On Demand for current season) or by using a network streaming app found on Apple TV. See Apple TV vs Roku an the info provided on how to stream ABC shows.
> *Update-* On demand, depending where you get it (without a cable company) can be just as limited either way. Sometimes you can find show that all ready been broadcast/seasons on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other like Hulu.
> ** You might have to watch commercials again-* that is if you are used to recording your shows and the some network shows won't let you fast forward through their streaming content.
> ** TVs in your bedrooms- *maybe yes maybe no. Smart TVs have the ability to connect to your internet via wireless. Many now have Netflix, but they don't have Roku or Apple TV. One of those may have to be purchased for each bedroom TV and it's been reported that you can only use one such device at a time. There is a Roku Stick, but I'm not sure if that works completely independently of a regular Roku box or works in conjunction it.
> 
> *Apple TV or Roku or Both? *(Updated Jul21)
> June 2021- The answer is you don’t need both for content the other does not have.  There was a time when Apple had HBO Now, but Roku did not. Roku had Amazon Prime Video, but Apple TV did not. Now, both of those networks  are available on both and Roku includes the Apple TV channel.
> 
> *Is Your Smart TV the equivalent of having a Roku or Apple TV box?*
> 2019- Smart TVs have the ability to install network apps on them, but it depends on the TV how robust they are as a streaming hub.  Our new Visio 4k TV does not have access to all the network channel apps that dedicated Roku or Apple TV boxes have.
> 
> *Sites:
> * Cutcabletoday:* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/
> ** Feeln-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.
> ** Hulu- *https://www.hulu.com/welcome plans from $6-65.
> ** Netflix-* https://www.netflix.com/ $9-$18 a month. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
> ** Philo.com-* https://www.philo.com/  60+channels $25 a month.
> ** Sling TV:* https://www.sling.com 40+ for $25 per month. AMC, CNN, Hist, NBC, FX, SyFy, NatGeo, MSNBC. Roku and Apple TV. Note: Sling TV requires a 4th gen Apple TV.
> - *Sling TV Options*
> - *How to access On Demand on Sling TV.*
> https://whatson.sling.com/announcem...-to-access-sling-tvs-video-on-demand-library/
> - Orange Package- $20
> - Blue Package- $25 (includes all of Orange)
> - MSNBC: World News Package: $5.
> - Turner Classic Movies: Hollywood Package: $5.
> **YouTube TV-* https://tv.youtube.com/
> 
> *Specific Channels:
> AMC*- http://www.cutcabletoday.com/amc-live-stream/
> How to Watch AMC Online without Cable
> 1. See which streaming services offer an AMC live stream — Sling TV and PlayStation Vue.
> 2. Compare their offerings to see which streaming service is a better fit for you.
> 3. Sign up for a free trial to test out the streaming service.
> 4. Download the app on your streaming device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox, iOS or Android phone/tablet, computer, etc.)
> 5. Open the streaming app and watch AMC online.
> 
> *ABC- *get the latest version of Apple TV (4th generation) with App support to find current season episodes for streaming. A case where AppleTV > Roku. ABC on Roku has zero On Demand, just live streaming. There appears to be a limit on ATV in that you can't view an episode until it is a week old.
> *HBO- *It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How To Get HBO | HBO Max Subscription Options | HBO
> 
> 
> Get HBO your way, including HBO Max. Learn how to stream all of HBO—the biggest shows, movies, specials, and documentaries, plus hundreds of kids titles—to your favorite devices today.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hbo.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *NBC- *on Roku appears to have episodes for streaming, but have not yet tested then for availability.
> *Hallmark-* https://www.feeln.com/supported-devices.Apple TV, Roku.
> *MSNBC-* Sling TV: http://www.cutcabletoday.com/msnbc-live-stream/
> *PBS-* http://www.cutcabletoday.com/watch-pbs-online/ found on *Roku*.
> * Added 11Aug17- *Grantchester *Seasons 1&2 are available on Amazon Prime. Season 2&3, maybe 1 are available on *Apple TV* , the *PBS App. *I'm not sure if local cable service is required to access PBS content on this app.
> *12Aug17- I'm irritated at PBS because the third season of Grantchester ended in May, but the Local Station did not  carry it. Now maybe I could have watched it for free back then on the PBS app, but now on Apple TV there is a message that I must subscribe to PBS passport, a one year subscriotion for $60. I give PBS money during their fund raising drives, but don't subscribe, and have them listed as my charity in Amazon Smile.  So for now, I'm watching Season 2 on Amazon prime and will think about Season 3 later. Maybe eventually it will end up on Prine.
> *TCM:* http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/. This site says it’s available on Sling TV? http://www.rokuguide.com/articles/sling-tv-adds-turner-classic-movies-ae-history-and-more
> 
> *What about TVs in Your Bedrooms?*
> One of drawbacks of cutting the cable are those TVs in your and guest bedrooms. Our bedroom tv has wireless built-in Netflix but no Roku or Apple TV. I'm wondering if a Roku Streaming Stick would solve the issue?
> Anyone using multiple Roku devices in one house with a single Roku account? I'd like to hear about it.
> 
> MC6800 (Sept 2016)- I've had no problem using the Netflix app on more than one device, except that it will only let you view on one device at a time. That's for a normal account-- don't know about others.
> 
> *American Football On SlingTV:*
> The SlingTV Blue package includes *Fox Sports*. *NBC (Blue Package)* which should cover Sunday Night football, but is in the process of being released in major markets for streaming, and Houston does not yet have it (Dallas Ft Worth, L.A. and some other cities have it.) The *NFL Network (Blue Package)* is supposed to carry Thursday Night Football. But unfortunately for Monday Night Football, *ESPN* is required, and that requires another $15 for the combined Blue+Orange package. As the Super Bowl in 2017 is being covered by Fox, I'll cancel the Orange package in Jan after the playoffs.
> 
> *Sling TV Support*
> Sept 2016- After using SlingTV for a week, I'll report it works great, but it's customer service leaves much to be desired, not that they don't help, but the inefficient means they offer customer support about your questions. After you locate the place to send them a help request, you'll discover there is no troubleshooting web portal customer service ticket system and there is no way to talk to them on the phone. Guess that saves money.
> 
> When you submit a question, you'll see a message that says "watch your in basket", no not any basket in their website, but your email in-basket. About 6-12 hrs later you'll get a response. The first one of these I got I was irritated because while they told me they were working diligently to answer my question, they did not bother to answer the question I had sent them, such as how to edit your MyTV list? The answer btw is to scroll the list to the far far far right and you'll see an edit button.
> 
> PS, if you plan on paying up front 3 months for either a Roku or an Apple TV (discounted price), do that before you sign up for the one week trial. However, even during or after the trial, you can still take advantage of the offer, by emailing them and offering to pay for 3 months in advance, and they will make it happen..
> 
> *How I did it Sept 2016:*
> Update Sept 2016: Canceled Feel'n. The Hallmark shows my wife watches (like Frazier reruns) can be found on Netflix. Added the SlingTV Orange Option for the football season, will cancel that in February.
> 
> Turned off cable, upped my internet to the top speed (no data limits $75), and subscribed to SlingTV. I already had a *Roku* and and an older *AppleTV*, but I had to upgrade the Apple TV to 4th generation, with App support  (which I got through a discount via my Sling subscription $85).
> 
> *My June 2016 Suddenlink bill was $196.87.*
> - That bill included- TV, Tivo, Internet, Home security.
> * Upped my internet from 50Mbps (250GB data per month) to 200Mbps, (unlimited data).
> * Kept monitored security system.
> 
> *New Price: $95.27*
> That's a saving of approx $100 that will be offset by Sling TV 40+ channels per month for $25.00 an Feel'n (Hallmark Network) $36  for a year.
> 
> I've also got *TCM* on SlingTV (I think), and *PBS* is free on Roku. As far as I can tell all the tv shows are available on demand. Just checked The Strain in FX (SlingTV) and the episode that aired last Sunday is there for viewing.
> 
> *Total projected savings per month: $67*+ plus I'm really liking how SlingTV presents shows for watching, a SLEW of movies, which I had to dig for on Suddenlink, and my internet just got a big kick in the pants.
> 
> *Misc Info-* My bedroom has a Roku- Internet Wifi capable Blue Ray player hooked to the TV.  I'm set I think.



This thread is relevant.








						Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
					

Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...




					talkedabout.com
				



I made a few posts in that thread.








						Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
					

Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...




					talkedabout.com
				











						Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
					

Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...




					talkedabout.com
				











						Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
					

Not a cord cutter. I use cable for about half what I watch. The rest, however, in order of use:  HBOMax (by far) Netflix Hulu Prime Video




					talkedabout.com
				




There are also a few websites out there that are entirely dedicated to cutting the cord.








						Cut The Cord on Cable Today - Cord Cutting News and Guides
					

Cut the Cord is not JUST a Shinedown song. We're the best guide to cord cutting around! We give you the BEST options to cut the cord on cable and save money by streaming TV.




					www.cutthecord.com
				








						Cord Cutting Report: Guides to Hardware, Streaming & TV Antennas
					

A comprehensive resource for streaming, live TV options, and hands-on product reviews of Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku and OTA hardware.




					cordcuttingreport.com
				




I really want to try YouTube TV... 








						YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News
					

Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks in English and Spanish. Record without DVR storage space limits. Try it free. Cancel anytime.




					tv.youtube.com


----------



## User 189

P_X said:


> I deeply despise ads..they are like meme cancer.



You have to make money somehow!


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## User.45

AutomaticApple said:


> You have to make money somehow!



Sure. But why should I pay for them poisoning my mind?


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## B S Magnet

AutomaticApple said:


> You have to make money somehow!




Whatever happened to doing labour to earn money?


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## User 189

P_X said:


> Sure. But why should I pay for them poisoning my mind?





B S Magnet said:


> Whatever happened to doing labour to earn money?



What kind of labor should companies be doing?


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## B S Magnet

AutomaticApple said:


> What kind of labor should companies be doing?




It depends on the company. If they’re an entertainment production company, then labour of their workers would be in the production of that entertainment. If they’re a food service company, then the labour of their workers are providing the products which will be consumed by buyers. If they’re an engineering firm, then their workers provide their skilled and specialized labour to the development of engineering solutions.

My first career was in marketing communications and advertising. I left after heavy burnout and a fulsome jadedness developed by the industry’s motive of psychological and material exploitation which made up the very foundation of its _raison d’être_. It is an industry which deserves to be abolished.

Mind you, I also don’t regard companies as legal “people” with comparable rights as people. To consider a company as such is to diminish the worth of people. So if a company cannot make a good product or provide a good service, or both, on those merits alone, then they should shut down.


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## SuperMatt

B S Magnet said:


> Whatever happened to doing labour to earn money?



In America, if you work for your money, you pay more taxes. If you inherit it and live off the interest or investment gains, you pay fewer taxes. Companies pay lower taxes than laborers.

This is what Americans have voted for. If they want to change it, they need to vote for the left.

They can also form unions.

America can only blame itself for this situation. They let the GOP snooker them with culture wars and social issues, not realizing the Republicans were systematically redistributing wealth to the rich and removing rights from workers.


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## Renzatic

P_X said:


> Sure. But why should I pay for them poisoning my mind?




To this day, I still catch myself singing along to the Chef Boyardee's Dinosaurs song.


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## B S Magnet

SuperMatt said:


> America can only blame itself for this situation.




Americans with structural power, with the unfettered power to vote — with a foundational, ancestral, inherited history of that unfettered vote — can only blame themselves for this phase of their American experiment. And, as always, they will blame anyone else.


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## lizkat

P_X said:


> I deeply despise ads..they are like meme cancer.
> 
> With HBOs deal with Studio Ghibli, MGM, Warner, I consider the best deal of all for $15. I have Prime anyway that I rarely use.
> Netflix vs. Hulu+AppleTV, should be rotated. Though I have a lot of qualms about Netflix's way to make you spend more time digging for stuff to view than enjoying content. Hulu's interface is much cleaner and thus comes with a much nicer experience despite the smaller portfolio.




I largely agree with almost everything you've said here.



B S Magnet said:


> Americans with structural power, with the unfettered power to vote — with a foundational, ancestral, inherited history of that unfettered vote — can only blame themselves for this phase of their American experiment. And, as always, they will blame anyone else.




I blame everything on high fructose corn syrup.


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## B S Magnet

lizkat said:


> I blame everything on high fructose corn syrup.




I blame everything on Christopher Columbus.


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## User.45

lizkat said:


> I largely agree with almost everything you've said here.



What I don't get is how TF is it profitable for Netflix to have an interface that frustrates people on purpose.
It really does and it really does it on purpose, and they've had a superb interface up to 2016.


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## lizkat

P_X said:


> What I don't get is how TF is it profitable for Netflix to have an interface that frustrates people on purpose.
> It really does and it really does it on purpose, and they've had a superb interface up to 2016.




I hate having to avoid triggering a mini-preview just trying to scroll through what's on the screen when browsing the offerings.


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## Renzatic

lizkat said:


> I hate having to avoid triggering a mini-preview just trying to scroll through what's on the screen when browsing the offerings.




This. This. A million times this.


----------



## Eric

I use the Amazon Firestick and their latest interface is terrible, you get like 5% of the screen to house 6 of your apps and the other 95% is total bullshit ads and spam. It was enough to make me drop them until I learned about the Wolf Launcher, it's the coolest thing since sliced bread, now I only see the apps I want on a black background with zero spam. It's a bit of work to install but totally worth it.


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## Huntn

B S Magnet said:


> May I offer that you convert this post to a WikiPost?



Let me think about this, as this was discussed for another post, but  I do like control for my posts and final editing authority. And as is I’m more than happy to add pertinent info that anyone posts And give the person credit Via the post number

And if I open it up, I expect any additions to include updates, and at some level  I fear that someone will go to town editing or adding non pertinent info or end up in a situation where it turns into dueling editing.


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## SuperMatt

lizkat said:


> I hate having to avoid triggering a mini-preview just trying to scroll through what's on the screen when browsing the offerings.



You can turn that off. I did and I am happy with the results.






						How to turn autoplay previews on or off
					

Choose whether to automatically play previews of TV shows and movies when you browse Netflix.




					help.netflix.com


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> I use the Amazon Firestick and their latest interface is terrible, you get like 5% of the screen to house 6 of your apps and the other 95% is total bullshit ads and spam. It was enough to make me drop them until I learned about the Wolf Launcher, it's the coolest thing since sliced bread, now I only see the apps I want on a black background with zero spam. It's a bit of work to install but totally worth it.



Btw I did not mean to take away from your thread Favorite Streaming, which is a valid topic. My intent is to discuss streaming vs cabling and the options/choices  available. Even though my desire was to cut the cable, I ended up keeping basic cable because of package discount and easier to get streaming of local channels.


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## Huntn

SuperMatt said:


> You can turn that off. I did and I am happy with the results.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How to turn autoplay previews on or off
> 
> 
> Choose whether to automatically play previews of TV shows and movies when you browse Netflix.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> help.netflix.com



Me too, turned it off a while back.


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## Huntn

AutomaticApple said:


> This thread is relevant.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
> 
> 
> Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> talkedabout.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I made a few posts in that thread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
> 
> 
> Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> talkedabout.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
> 
> 
> Here's my lineup:  YoutubeTV for all my main content Disney+ HBO Max Discovery+ (no ads) Netflix Hulu (no ads)  Very happy with this for the most part, the only one I'm considering dropping is Disney+, their shows barely keep me interested enough to keep it and all other content is limited. They...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> talkedabout.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cord cutters - What's your favorite streaming services?
> 
> 
> Not a cord cutter. I use cable for about half what I watch. The rest, however, in order of use:  HBOMax (by far) Netflix Hulu Prime Video
> 
> 
> 
> 
> talkedabout.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are also a few websites out there that are entirely dedicated to cutting the cord.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cut The Cord on Cable Today - Cord Cutting News and Guides
> 
> 
> Cut the Cord is not JUST a Shinedown song. We're the best guide to cord cutting around! We give you the BEST options to cut the cord on cable and save money by streaming TV.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.cutthecord.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cord Cutting Report: Guides to Hardware, Streaming & TV Antennas
> 
> 
> A comprehensive resource for streaming, live TV options, and hands-on product reviews of Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku and OTA hardware.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cordcuttingreport.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I really want to try YouTube TV...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News
> 
> 
> Stream live TV from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & popular cable networks in English and Spanish. Record without DVR storage space limits. Try it free. Cancel anytime.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tv.youtube.com



I’ll add these cable cutting links to post 1.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> Btw I did not mean to take away from your thread Favorite Streaming, which is a valid topic. My intent is to discuss streaming vs cabling and the options/choices  available. Even though my desire was to cut the cable, I ended up keeping basic cable because of package discount and easier to get streaming of local channels.



All good, there's plenty of room for both.


----------



## Edd

SuperMatt said:


> You can turn that off. I did and I am happy with the results.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How to turn autoplay previews on or off
> 
> 
> Choose whether to automatically play previews of TV shows and movies when you browse Netflix.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> help.netflix.com



I turned that off immediately when the option became available. It was a true performance issue where the scrolling stuttered like crazy because the fucking trailers were obviously sucking the app resources, sometimes crippling it while scrolling. At the time I was running an Apple TV 4th gen. Turning it off solved the problem 100%.


----------



## User.191

Huntn said:


> *HBO- *It looks like HBO Go has been replace with HBO Max. If I understand it correctly, HBO requires a cable provider.



Yes it’s been replaced, but HBO is also available as a standalone package. 
There’s also SHowtime, Peacock, Paramount+ and Starz.

Britbox and Acorn both specialize  in mainly British content and are available standalone, or can be bundled into packages such as AppleTV or Prime.

Speaking - AppleTV+ and Amazon’s Prime are missing!


----------



## Huntn

MissNomer said:


> Yes it’s been replaced, but HBO is also available as a standalone package.
> There’s also SHowtime, Peacock, Paramount+ and Starz.
> 
> Britbox and Acorn both specialize  in mainly British content and are available standalone, or can be bundled into packages such as AppleTV or Prime.
> 
> Speaking - AppleTV+ and Amazon’s Prime are missing!



The goal of this guide and channel  section is not to list every channel out there (hundreds, maybe thousands?) only to mention them if there is something specifically of interest. I did add Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Britbox, and Acorn.


----------



## Huntn

Yesterday I noticed my internet is out. On my Arris Surfboard SBG7400AC2 Cable Modem/Router the middle blue “online” light is out. I own, instead of rent my modem.

So I try to reset it myself. Unplug, replug. No help
Check The Suddenlink account for outages- no outages listed.
Call the 800 number and think I end up talking to someone in Eastern Europe. They walk me though a reset again.
I ask them if they can communicate with my cable modem, they say no.
I ask them if there is an outage, they so no. Note, I’m signed up for text alerts when there is an outage, no alert. Also note that feature has never worked.
So I say SHIT as they make an an appointment for a techie to stop by the house on Saturday!  So now I am wondering, is my privately owned cable modem screwed up and should I order a replacement I can get tomorrow from Amazon that includes a free return to eliminate the issue of a bad modem? The issue with this is you have to call the cable company and register the modem for it to work.

While I’m pondering this, I go back to Suddenlink (on my phone) and there it is, an outage effecting my area. &$#@!!! Bastards!  So I have to call Suddenlink and cancel my appointment. Here in the Houston suburbs with Suddenlink it’s not that unusual to lose service, where in Minnesota, we hardly ever lost service. At least I don’t have to wait till Sat to maybe get my service back.

Then I walk outside and the 811 people are marking my front yard for buried utilities. ”What’s up guys?” I ask. They are marking the entire street for a new fiber optic line to go in, buried in our front lawn by  a new company, some name I don’t recognize or can remember, “Teshie“ “Techue” something like that*. I wonder when they sink a line in, they must include a junction on front of each house for future hookups?

* Looked it up:



Anyone heard of them?​
 I have no clue how long before this cable/internet line can accept customers, but there is a very good chance it will be adios Suddenlink, if the price is reasonable. And as a new service trying to steal customers, my guess is that prices will be good.


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## Huntn

Fiber Optics  just got run  through our neighborhood, the company is TACHUS, their pricing is:

100 MBPs- $65/month, symmetrical speeds.
500 MBPs- $80/month, symmetrical speeds.
1000 MBPs- $90/month, symmetrical speeds.
Update: Anyone familiar with TACHUS? I’m fed up with my cable company Sudden link that has been providing haphazard internet for the last 10 years.

I’m currently paying $65/month for 400 MBPS, but, this is with about a 50MBPS upload, so this switch would be a significant upgrade for online backups. Competitive?

Thoughts?
Thanks!


----------



## User.45

Huntn said:


> Fiber Optics  just got run  through our neighborhood, the company is TACHUS, their pricing is:
> 
> 100 MBPs- $65/month, symmetrical speeds.
> 500 MBPs- $80/month, symmetrical speeds.
> 1000 MBPs- $90/month, symmetrical speeds.
> Update: Anyone familiar with TACHUS? I’m fed up with my cable company Sudden link that has been providing haphazard internet for the last 10 years.
> 
> I’m currently paying $65/month for 400 MBPS, but, this is with about a 50MBPS upload, so this switch would be a significant upgrade for online backups. Competitive?
> 
> Thoughts?
> Thanks!



Never heard of this company, but I'll say I've had FiOS for a year and that was hands down the best internet I've ever had in the USA.


----------



## Eric

P_X said:


> Never heard of this company, but I'll say I've had FiOS for a year and that was hands down the best internet I've ever had in the USA.



Seconded, I've had FIOS for a year before moving out of Oregon and it was a great experience.


----------



## User.45

Eric said:


> Seconded, I've had FIOS for a year before moving out of Oregon and it was a great experience.



I'll say in Eastern Europe you can get cheaper internet for higher reliability (at least in cities) and 2-3x the options for ISPs, because it's not a cartel there.


----------



## Renzatic

I'm on local fiber, and it's been nothing but smooth sailing since I began subscribing. 

I'd go with the 500Mb connection, personally. It's what I've been using for the past 5 years, and I've yet to come close to saturating the line. You'd have to be a really, REALLY heavy user to justify a full gigabit in my opinion.


----------



## Huntn

How’s the price you guys are paying for fiber?


----------



## Huntn

There is


P_X said:


> I'll say in Eastern Europe you can get cheaper internet for higher reliability (at least in cities) and 2-3x the options for ISPs, because it's not a cartel there.



There is really not a cartel, except maybe fir price? Where I am living in Houston, now that the Fiber is here, I’d say 4 options for internet.


----------



## Renzatic

Huntn said:


> How’s the price you guys are paying for fiber?




I'm paying $65 for my connection. Your options are more expensive, but not outrageously so.


----------



## Huntn

After spending the weekend watching virtually everything on a 77” 4K, arrived home to watch some  Game of Thrones and was alarmed that I was watching an image on HBOMax that seemed less than HD, but then it seemed to recover. I realize there are different factors that may effect image quality.

So I am wondering, I have 2 streaming boxes  4K capable Roku and Apple TV and internet service that rated at 400Mib. Should I expect 4K for a viewing of GoT? Part of me is suspecting my cable service of manipulating or unable to control its internet speeds based on a variety of factors.

In addition I noticed on Roku Disney+ a Marvel movie was listed as HD but the same movie on AppleTV Disney+ was listed as Dolby Vision. Is this because… Apple TV offers a higher quality product? 

I’m thinking that I should give the new 500MiB fiber optic service a shot and see how it does.


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> After spending the weekend watching virtually everything on a 77” 4K, arrived home to watch some  Game of Thrones and was alarmed that I was watching an image on HBOMax that seemed less than HD, but then it seemed to recover. I realize there are different factors that may effect image quality.
> 
> So I am wondering, I have 2 streaming boxes  4K capable Roku and Apple TV and internet service that rated at 400Mib. Should I expect 4K for a viewing of GoT? Part of me is suspecting my cable service of manipulating or unable to control its internet speeds based on a variety of factors.
> 
> In addition I noticed on Roku Disney+ a Marvel movie was listed as HD but the same movie on AppleTV Disney+ was listed as Dolby Vision. Is this because… Apple TV offers a higher quality product?
> 
> I’m thinking that I should give the new 500MiB fiber optic service a shot and see how it does.



Your units are all over the place. I assume you mean Mbps (megabit per second), also frequently written as Mb/s or Mbit/s.

According to the HBOMax help center a download speed of at least 25 Mbps is required to stream 4K HDR. Unless your ISP is shitty/your home network sucks/you have too much going on, 4K should be a breeze.

I am so not a fan of how HBOMax starts out with extremely shitty quality. I’d rather wait a second or two and get the maximum sustainable quality from the first frame than have a blocky stream start immediately.


----------



## DT

@Huntn

You should be able to get some kind of signal info on the TV that indicates the resolution and the HDR spec.  There's a few variables:

Your ISP/internet, the bandwidth and how well it sustains the requirement for the expected stream

The streaming service, whether it provides 4K/HDR, the quality/compression - and if you've subscribed to the 4K option (i.e., HBOMax, Netflix, both have HD and 4K tiers)

The streaming device, if it supports 4K and HDR10 and Dolby Vision and how well it decodes

The TV, again, what it supports, as well as how well it's calibrated


----------



## Citysnaps

Huntn said:


> How’s the price you guys are paying for fiber?




In the San Francisco Bay Area I'm currently paying $51.88 per month (including taxes and a voip number) for Sonic's 1 Gbit/sec 1 year promotion service. In a couple months the normal price kicks in at around $62 per month.

It has been super reliable with no outages that I've detected. Much better than my previous provider that seemed to have  10-15 minute outages almost every day.


----------



## Joe

I have AT&T Fiber. My bill is $45 a month for a year.


----------



## sgtaylor5

JagRunner said:


> I have AT&T Fiber. My bill is $45 a month for a year.



<<squeal>> My Lord, that's a good price. I'm paying $106/month for 20d/1.8u on CenturyLink.


----------



## Edd

The internet bill is the only one my wife deals with. I’d bet we’re paying $120/month for Comcast. She never mentions it because she knows I’d fly off the handle. Fuck me.


----------



## Pumbaa

Thanks folks. Makes me really appreciate my around $26/month for 1Gbps up/down ethernet (and cable TV I don’t use) even more.


----------



## DT

Pumbaa said:


> Thanks folks. Makes me really appreciate my around $26/month for 1Gbps up/down ethernet (and cable TV I don’t use) even more.




Goddammit.


----------



## Huntn

I'm probably going to jump on TACHUS service, a relatively small fiber network internet provider based in the Woodlands, Texas that was recently purchased by a grain company because it was financially struggling. They want $65 for 100MB and $80 for 500MB.

I was told over at MR's that I probably don't need more than 100MB internet speeds. What do you all think? I have been using 400MB primarily because there are no data caps associated with this tier with my current internet provider. Is there a way to test?
At any one time:

there could be a TV streaming a movie.
my PC playing an online game (more infrequent these days as I have soured on online gaming)
a couple of iOS devices connected to the net.
Thoughts?


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> I'm probably going to jump on TACHUS service, a relatively small fiber network internet provider based in the Woodlands, Texas that was recently purchased by a grain company because it was financially struggling. They want $65 for 100MB and $80 for 500MB.
> 
> I was told over at MR's that I probably don't need more than 100MB internet speeds. What do you all think? I have been using 400MB primarily because there are no data caps associated with this tier with my current internet provider. Is there a way to test?
> At any one time:
> 
> there could be a TV streaming a movie.
> my PC playing an online game (more infrequent these days as I have soured on online gaming)
> a couple of iOS devices connected to the net.
> Thoughts?



100 Mbps should be good. I had no problems with that speed before getting upgraded to 1000 Mbps for free, but I wouldn’t want to go back. 

Faster is nicer. Less time waiting for things to happen in front of the computer for example, things are more instant. Headroom for more concurrent streams. Faster downloads for updates to games and software. With 1000 Mbps the three or so gigabytes of updates to Big Sur just downloaded in half a minute instead of five minutes.


----------



## Joe

Edd said:


> The internet bill is the only one my wife deals with. I’d bet we’re paying $120/month for Comcast. She never mentions it because she knows I’d fly off the handle. Fuck me.




A friend of mine told me her cable/internet bill is over $200 - but she won't cancel cable because she loves all her channels. I told her to call them and at least negotiate a better promotion/deal.


----------



## Edd

JagRunner said:


> A friend of mine told me her cable/internet bill is over $200 - but she won't cancel cable because she loves all her channels. I told her to call them and at least negotiate a better promotion/deal.



I used to do that stuff when I had cable and the account was in my name. Here, Comcast is the only option for internet so not sure if that would work. I should probably start sticking my nose into that bill.


----------



## Joe

Edd said:


> I used to do that stuff when I had cable and the account was in my name. Here, Comcast is the only option for internet so not sure if that would work. I should probably start sticking my nose into that bill.




Yeah I call every year when my promotion ends and just get another promotion lol


----------



## SuperMatt

I have starry Internet - $50 a month for 200/200. They have a 100/100 plan for $30 that I might switch to.


----------



## Huntn

JagRunner said:


> A friend of mine told me her cable/internet bill is over $200 - but she won't cancel cable because she loves all her channels. I told her to call them and at least negotiate a better promotion/deal.



Several times I’ve called Suddenlink in the past and threatened to quit them. They send me over “retention“ and cut a deal. This time, I predict  I’ll be dropping their interenet but keeing their “basic” cable and home security services.


----------



## Huntn

After some more thought, and concurrence with the wife, I have scheduled 29 Dec as the install date for Tachus 100% fiber internet. I spoke with them today and I can switch from 100MB to 500MB with no fees, no service call at the house, so I am going to start with the 100 service @$60 to see if I can live with it.

This tier will double my upload speed and I’ll get a chance to evaluate just how good 100MB service with Fiber as a comparison to what I had with Suddenlink coaxial listed as 400 down, 40 up.

Most significantly we are cutting Suddenlink cable and internet completely, but will be keeping their security service. But if they jack  the prices on that which is currently $17 a month for monitored with cellular backup, I’ll be open to reconsider that too.

Quite frequently with Suddenlink, we are streaming  a show, and we get a freeze, along with a spinning circle for a minute or two. Either this is a mini-outage, or the network is bogged down. Fingers crossed, this service is better.


----------



## Huntn

We got fiber internet today and so far so good. I could swear the image we are getting on our TV is better, noticeably better! I’m starting out with the 100Mbit service and see how it goes. What I have is $65 per month.

Of possible interest, fiber cable can’t be spliced, it comes in premade sections. So they figured how much they needed and chose the appropriate length, which to run outside up the wall, inside our attic from one side to the other, was 100’. I assume this was more than needed, but the next shortest length was not long enough. The fiber which is a tiny cable, the quarter the size of coaxial, below the junction box outside is in a rigid pvc conduit as well as the fiber in the ground which is in a flexible conduit, that could withstand a hit with a shovel, but maybe not standing on the shovel.


----------



## Herdfan

Edd said:


> The internet bill is the only one my wife deals with. I’d bet we’re paying $120/month for Comcast. She never mentions it because she knows I’d fly off the handle. Fuck me.




$100.95 here for Comcast Business Internet 100 package.  Same as the residential package but separate CS number. 

I am lucky.  About 20 years ago Adephia took over our cable company.  It was a mess which is why I had DirecTV.  They spent some money and installed fiber to the node.  So my neighborhood basically has a fiber connection with the last mile new copper.  Comcast got it when Adelphia went bankrupt and there were some growing pains in the way the system was split (TW got the old headend), but now it is rock solid.  

I could probably get faster, but it is plenty fast enough to stream HD on a couple of TV's.


----------



## Huntn

So officially my cable is cut once again. Had it  disconnected yesterday.

For local channels, is anyone using Air TV, a device with a HD antenna that looks like it fits on a window? Just curious. My wife said she does not care about NFL Football, but I don’t know if I  can trust her. 






						Stream Local TV in HD | AirTV
					

Watch the local channels you love, like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and more without a monthly bill. Stream your local channels to your mobile device with AirTV.




					airtv.net


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> So officially my cable is cut once again. Had it  disconnected yesterday.
> 
> For local channels, is anyone using Air TV, a device with a HD antenna that looks like it fits on a window? Just curious. My wife said she does not care about NFL Football, but I don’t know if I  can trust her.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Stream Local TV in HD | AirTV
> 
> 
> Watch the local channels you love, like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and more without a monthly bill. Stream your local channels to your mobile device with AirTV.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> airtv.net




So that appears to be a regular "leaf" style antenna, then the AirTV is the box that distributes the signal into the your local network - however, it appears to be proprietary and require a SlingTV sub.

The more open option for something like this is HDHomeRun:






						HDHomeRun - Watch TV anywhere in your home
					

Stop overpaying for TV. HDHomeRun is TV viewing on your terms. Watch what you want, when you want – including HD content – all around your home.




					www.silicondust.com
				




Basically you plug any antenna into one of their boxes and it distributes it into your local IP network.  Then you can use a few different apps to access it, a couple are available for AppleTV (as in, the box ...)


----------



## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> So officially my cable is cut once again. Had it  disconnected yesterday.
> 
> For local channels, is anyone using Air TV, a device with a HD antenna that looks like it fits on a window? Just curious. My wife said she does not care about NFL Football, but I don’t know if I  can trust her.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Stream Local TV in HD | AirTV
> 
> 
> Watch the local channels you love, like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and more without a monthly bill. Stream your local channels to your mobile device with AirTV.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> airtv.net



There are many indoor antennas to choose from. I got a GE one with an amplifier that I put on the windowsill. Some can be taped to walls too.

You can also get an HD HomeRun box that allows you to stream your local channels on your local network. I used it with a Plex server to watch live and record shows and movies.


----------



## DT

Oh yeah, Plex makes a nice DVR option.   Maybe @SuperMatt can cross check me about that system requiring a SlingTV sub, I'm 99% sure that's the case, it says "no subscription required" because it piggybacks on your existing Sling service.  I'm sure the integration is nice, like you get a unified TV guide.

We just use a freebie app since we very rarely watch any locals.


----------



## SuperMatt

DT said:


> Oh yeah, Plex makes a nice DVR option.   Maybe @SuperMatt can cross check me about that system requiring a SlingTV sub, I'm 99% sure that's the case, it says "no subscription required" because it piggybacks on your existing Sling service.  I'm sure the integration is nice, like you get a unified TV guide.
> 
> We just use a freebie app since we very rarely watch any locals.



I don’t use Sling. But Plex is a one-time lifetime membership, OTA channels are free, you have to buy the HD Homerun tuner, and of course have a PC or Mac around to install Plex on (some “cloud” hard drives from WD and maybe other manufacturers can run a Plex server too).


----------



## Huntn

A question for anyone who is tech savvy, I have a LinkSys AX3200 dual band router (2.4 and 5Ghz) that I purchased for use with my new fiber optic service.

My question, does it reduce load on the router to split the load of devices between the 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands or can they all be on 5 With no difference in load? What I noticed with this new router is that the 5Ghz band carries much farther than my previous cable modem/router, so my inclination would be to put everything on 5 if it makes no difference.


----------



## DT

Put everything that can use 5GHz on that network. FWIW, while 5GHz is faster it has less range vs. the 2.4GHz. The latter I tend to use for a fallback for legacy devices, or if I need better range (like when we were using an AppleTV in the driveway to show spooky movies during Halloween and it was kind of pushing the range limits of the 5GHz network  )

And go with ethernet where you can, sometimes it's super simple, but people just immediately use the WiFi.  You'd be surprised how many devices might have ethernet ports that are sitting 2-3 feet away from a router/AP.

For example, downstairs the TV, AVR, AppleTV and XBOX are all on ethernet (aka, "hard wired"), in our bedroom the AppleTV is on ethernet, the PS4P in the guest room is on ethernet.  Heck, I'd have my Mini on ethernet too, but my current office setup made teh wiring a bit of a PITA .

So our only WiFi devices around here - with the exception of my Mini - are mobile devices.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Put everything that can use 5GHz on that network. FWIW, while 5GHz is faster it has less range vs. the 2.4GHz. The latter I tend to use for a fallback for legacy devices, or if I need better range (like when we were using an AppleTV in the driveway to show spooky movies during Halloween and it was kind of pushing the range limits of the 5GHz network  )
> 
> And go with ethernet where you can, sometimes it's super simple, but people just immediately use the WiFi.  You'd be surprised how many devices might have ethernet ports that are sitting 2-3 feet away from a router/AP.
> 
> For example, downstairs the TV, AVR, AppleTV and XBOX are all on ethernet (aka, "hard wired"), in our bedroom the AppleTV is on ethernet, the PS4P in the guest room is on ethernet.  Heck, I'd have my Mini on ethernet too, but my current office setup made teh wiring a bit of a PITA .
> 
> So our only WiFi devices around here - with the exception of my Mini - are mobile devices.



Thanks! So it makes no difference on the wifi load on the router?
The problem is that there are not enough ethernet connectors on the back of this router, as with the one before it, only 4, plus the input. So even though I have the Apple TV directly hooked to router and directly hooked to the TV, the Roku is using Wifi off the router, and connected to the TV via HDMI, I’m anticipating soon that I will be dumping our VOI Phone, which also currently takes up a slot on the router. Actually I need to check and see if this Roku has an Ethernet connection.


----------



## Renzatic

Huntn said:


> Actually I need to check and see if this Roku has an Ethernet connection.




I use my two Roku's over wifi, and haven't had a single problem out of them. So long as your router is providing enough coverage to all your boxes, that's not something I'd concern myself with too much.


----------



## DT

FWIW, you can always hang a switch off a port and get more ports, something like this:

NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS308)

8 port, so you'd use a port on the router, and a port on the switch, and wind up with 7 free ports 

That's actually what I do here:  I've got a drop from the second floor equipment closet, and that's connected to an 8 port switch sitting on the AV rack (ethernet to TV/ATV/AVR/XBOX), and one of the ports I have a second AirPort that works as an Access Point (so we have more WiFi coverage, especially over in my corner down here  )


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> FWIW, you can always hang a switch off a port and get more ports, something like this:
> 
> NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS308)
> 
> 8 port, so you'd use a port on the router, and a port on the switch, and wind up with 7 free ports
> 
> That's actually what I do here:  I've got a drop from the second floor equipment closet, and that's connected to an 8 port switch sitting on the AV rack (ethernet to TV/ATV/AVR/XBOX), and one of the ports I have a second AirPort that works as an Access Point (so we have more WiFi coverage, especially over in my corner down here  )



This looks brilliant. I will consider this if I think it might help performance but so far it’s not needed..


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> This looks brilliant. I will consider this if I think it might help performance but so far it’s not needed..




Yeah, @Renzatic is right on, very most likely not needed, just another option.  We have a ton of devices, so I use ethernet when it's easy and makes sense  (i.e., simple cabling, ports built in to device, "fixed" location).


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Yeah, @Renzatic is right on, very most likely not needed, just another option.  We have a ton of devices, so I use ethernet when it's easy and makes sense  (i.e., simple cabling, ports built in to device, "fixed" location).



I'm still wondering if you reduce the load on your router by splitting up the load between 2.4 Ghz and 5, or if it makes absolutely no difference to the router's performance? Some things you definitely want 5G, but the things I would want top have 5G like our TV and my computer are both wired in. Now there is a TV in our bedroom via Roku box wifi and I would want that on 5G, but our phones and tablets, I think do perfectly fine on 2.4Ghz.

Regarding the Fiber 100Mbit service, so far, not a hiccup (knock on wood), I downloaded a 8GB file and that took about 10 minutes or so. I don't do that often. This was a graphics package of 3D trees and bushes, and I have no idea how fast the sending source was.


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> Regarding the Fiber 100Mbit service, so far, not a hiccup (knock on wood), I downloaded a 8Gbit file and that took about 10 minutes or so. I don't do that often. This was a graphics package of 3D trees and bushes, and I have no idea how fast the sending source was.



Ignoring overhead, a 100 Mbit/s (megabit/s) connection gives you 12.5 megabyte per second. An 8 GB (gigabyte) file is 8000 MB (megabyte), so it transfers in around 640 seconds (10 minutes 40 seconds) @ 100 Mbit/s if there are no bottlenecks.

An 8 Gbit (gigabit) file on the other hand would be 80 seconds.


----------



## Huntn

Pumbaa said:


> Ignoring overhead, a 100 Mbit/s (megabit/s) connection gives you 12.5 megabyte per second. An 8 GB (gigabyte) file is 8000 MB (megabyte), so it transfers in around 640 seconds (10 minutes 40 seconds) @ 100 Mbit/s if there are no bottlenecks.
> 
> An 8 Gbit (gigabit) file on the other hand would be 80 seconds.



Sorry, typo, fixed.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I'm still wondering if you reduce the load on your router by splitting up the load between 2.4 Ghz and 5, or if it makes absolutely no difference to the router's performance?




No - see my original post above - use 5GHz when you can unless you have a specific case for the 2.4GHz (i.e., range, older equipment).


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> Sorry, typo, fixed.



Great! That means your download pretty much maxed out your connection. You got what you pay for (and the other end could keep up).


----------



## rdrr

Pumbaa said:


> Ignoring overhead, a 100 Mbit/s (megabit/s) connection gives you 12.5 megabyte per second. An 8 GB (gigabyte) file is 8000 MB (megabyte), so it transfers in around 640 seconds (10 minutes 40 seconds) @ 100 Mbit/s if there are no bottlenecks.
> 
> An 8 Gbit (gigabit) file on the other hand would be 80 seconds.



FWIW file size are always reported in Bytes, and Network speeds should always be repoted in bits.    When you represent Gigabyte or Gigabit, it should be B for byte and b for bit, e.g. GB and Gb.


----------



## rdrr

Huntn said:


> I'm still wondering if you reduce the load on your router by splitting up the load between 2.4 Ghz and 5, or if it makes absolutely no difference to the router's performance? Some things you definitely want 5G, but the things I would want top have 5G like our TV and my computer are both wired in. Now there is a TV in our bedroom via Roku box wifi and I would want that on 5G, but our phones and tablets, I think do perfectly fine on 2.4Ghz.
> 
> Regarding the Fiber 100Mbit service, so far, not a hiccup (knock on wood), I downloaded a 8GB file and that took about 10 minutes or so. I don't do that often. This was a graphics package of 3D trees and bushes, and I have no idea how fast the sending source was.



For home use, usually not unless you have a lot of IoT (Internet of things) on your network, smart plugs, lights, alexa, door locks, washer/dryer, roomba, etc.  I usually put those on the 2.4 Ghz range, and my computers, gaming, smartTV, and phones/tablets on the 5 Ghz range.

WiFi is a lot like the old walkie talkies, where only one person can talk at a time.   A lot of the more modern wifi access points have multiple antennas in them to handle more connections, and you typically only see congestion in large venues.


----------



## Pumbaa

rdrr said:


> FWIW file size are always reported in Bytes, and Network speeds should always be repoted in bits.    When you represent Gigabyte or Gigabit, it should be B for byte and b for bit, e.g. GB and Gb.



So I keep telling people…

Sometimes it is safer to be explicit regarding the unit, though, writing for example Gbit/s rather than Gbps or Gb/s. We should really adopt the French octet, it would be so much easier differentiating then.

Regarding network speeds, don’t forget that they should always be reported per second.


----------



## rdrr

Pumbaa said:


> So I keep telling people…
> 
> Sometimes it is safer to be explicit regarding the unit, though, writing for example Gbit/s rather than Gbps or Gb/s. We should really adopt the French octet, it would be so much easier differentiating then.
> 
> Regarding network speeds, don’t forget that they should always be reported per second.



Yes and don't get me started on how a 100 GB is not actually a 100 Gigabytes in storage.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

After several months of going completely cable-free and me hooking them up with the best streaming options I can think of for them, my parents are seriously considering bringing cable back with the most minimal package.  Part of it is they miss their dosage of daily local news (couldn't find an option that made sense, worked, or would be cheaper than just having cable), but I also think my mom has an affinity for channel surfing and doesn't want to have to make a proactive decisive choice every time she turns on the TV.  She gets some enjoyment out of participating in proving there's nothing good to watch on live TV.  Plus I think she's kind of old-school hipster and likes knowing the shows she likes are going to be on at a certain time and day...nevermind that she DVRs most of them which essentially replicates on-demand streaming services, but I also know it removes a level of complexity when you just have to pick a channel to enjoy your morning coffee with...not find the streaming app, find the show, and then find the episode.       

But I commend their experiment effort in going cable-free.  Many people their age (70+) couldn't imagine living in a cable-free world, much less attempt it.


----------



## Huntn

rdrr said:


> For home use, usually not unless you have a lot of IoT (Internet of things) on your network, smart plugs, lights, alexa, door locks, washer/dryer, roomba, etc.  I usually put those on the 2.4 Ghz range, and my computers, gaming, smartTV, and phones/tablets on the 5 Ghz range.
> 
> WiFi is a lot like the old walkie talkies, where only one person can talk at a time.   A lot of the more modern wifi access points have multiple antennas in them to handle more connections, and you typically only see congestion in large venues.



I‘ve put the low demand stuff on 2.4, iPhones, iPads, Ring Doorbell. 5Ghz for streaming although our main TV is hard wired to Apple TV and Roku.


----------



## SuperMatt

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> After several months of going completely cable-free and me hooking them up with the best streaming options I can think of for them, my parents are seriously considering bringing cable back with the most minimal package.  Part of it is they miss their dosage of daily local news (couldn't find an option that made sense, worked, or would be cheaper than just having cable), but I also think my mom has an affinity for channel surfing and doesn't want to have to make a proactive decisive choice every time she turns on the TV.  She gets some enjoyment out of participating in proving there's nothing good to watch on live TV.  Plus I think she's kind of old-school hipster and likes knowing the shows she likes are going to be on at a certain time and day...nevermind that she DVRs most of them which essentially replicates on-demand streaming services, but I also know it removes a level of complexity when you just have to pick a channel to enjoy your morning coffee with...not find the streaming app, find the show, and then find the episode.
> 
> But I commend their experiment effort in going cable-free.  Many people their age (70+) couldn't imagine living in a cable-free world, much less attempt it.



Just wondering - why would an antenna not work for local channels? Bad reception?


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

SuperMatt said:


> Just wondering - why would an antenna not work for local channels? Bad reception?





I tried one.  Running the antenna outside under the open sky worked ok, but when I brought it back in, not so much.  None of us were interested in drilling a hole in the house to run it outside.  Their house is flat on the ground on concrete slabs, no crawl space.  So that kills the usual option of running a wire through the floor and to the outside via the crawl space.  Running up the other way through the attic was kind of a nonstarter too.


----------



## DT

rdrr said:


> For home use, usually not unless you have a lot of IoT (Internet of things) on your network, smart plugs, lights, alexa, door locks, washer/dryer, roomba, etc.  I usually put those on the 2.4 Ghz range, and my computers, gaming, smartTV, and phones/tablets on the 5 Ghz range.
> 
> WiFi is a lot like the old walkie talkies, where only one person can talk at a time.   A lot of the more modern wifi access points have multiple antennas in them to handle more connections, and you typically only see congestion in large venues.




Yeah, I've got 22 or so devices/computers around here, I put everything on 5GHz that will support it (by way of range and WiFi spec). Though as I mentioned above a goodly amount of equipment connected via ethernet.


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## DT

For our antenna, I went with a larger one, designed for an interior mount in an attic.  It even has a controller to rotate it.  There's a couple of major networks that we could never get, I used all sorts of signal mapping resources, adjusted it, I mean, it's in an attic in a two story house so it's pretty high, and the site lines seem pretty clear (it's pretty flat here).

At some point, there was a cable mishap, and instead of spelunking back into the attic (ours is partially finished, so it's "outside" the enclosed area, i.e., a PITA), I just tossed an old leaf-style onto the HDHomeRun, stuck it on the north wall of the 2nd floor gear closet, and hell, it works as good (and as bad) as the other setup.

Our network TV use is so light, it's more than fine.

But yeah, I believe we could probably get all the stations with a large exterior antenna, just no interest in cabling, having it sticking off the side of the house, etc.


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## Eric

DT said:


> For our antenna, I went with a larger one, designed for an interior mount in an attic.  It even has a controller to rotate it.  There's a couple of major networks that we could never get, I used all sorts of signal mapping resources, adjusted it, I mean, it's in an attic in a two story house so it's pretty high, and the site lines seem pretty clear (it's pretty flat here).
> 
> At some point, there was a cable mishap, and instead of spelunking back into the attic (ours is partially finished, so it's "outside" the enclosed area, i.e., a PITA), I just tossed an old leaf-style onto the HDHomeRun, stuck it on the north wall of the 2nd floor gear closet, and hell, it works as good (and as bad) as the other setup.
> 
> Our network TV use is so light, it's more than fine.
> 
> But yeah, I believe we could probably get all the stations with a large exterior antenna, just no interest in cabling, having it sticking off the side of the house, etc.



Wondering what (if any) others are using for OTA DVR, I have been using the Amazon Recast for the last couple of years and love that thing, I have it up in the attic and access it wirelessly from any of my Amazon Fire devices.


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## SuperMatt

Eric said:


> Wondering what (if any) others are using for OTA DVR, I have been using the Amazon Recast for the last couple of years and love that thing, I have it up in the attic and access it wirelessly from any of my Amazon Fire devices.



HD HomeRun for the tuner, and Plex as the DVR. HD HomeRun has their own DVR system, but I like Plex.


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## Huntn

*HBO* is running a special 30% off their subscription for 12 month, but you are not obligated to keep it for the year. Although I am subscribed for the wife,   I have to think about it, If anything is on the horizon that would make it worth keeping?


*Age of the Dragon* does not show up for 2+ months.
*West World*, I became disenchanted with it last season.
Watched one episode of *Station Eleven* and that is a go to continue even though it only lasted for one season.
*Succession* watched 3.5 episodes of this before deciding it was not for me (sorry @DT), virtually zero characters that I liked. How is that possible? 
What else? Throw me some possibilities!


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## Huntn

Eric said:


> Wondering what (if any) others are using for OTA DVR, I have been using the Amazon Recast for the last couple of years and love that thing, I have it up in the attic and access it wirelessly from any of my Amazon Fire devices.



What does OTA DVR work for? How is it hooked into your setup?


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## DT

Netflix is bumping up their sub price $1-2, depending on your current plan.

I may drop back to HD from 4K since the latter is limited and you're also paying for more concurrent streams, which we don't need.  The net result will be them losing $1.50/month from me.


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## DT

Huntn said:


> *HBO* is running a special 30% off their subscription for 12 month, but you are not obligated to keep it for the year. Although I am subscribed for the wife,   I have to think about it, If anything is on the horizon that would make it worth keeping?
> 
> 
> *Age of the Dragon* does not show up for 2+ months.
> *West World*, I became disenchanted with it last season.
> Watched one episode of *Station Eleven* and that is a go to continue even though it only lasted for one season.
> *Succession* watched 3.5 episodes of this before deciding it was not for me (sorry @DT), virtually zero characters that I liked. How is that possible?
> What else? Throw me some possibilities!





I could just about do HBOMax as our only service, there's so much good content, especially now they're a hub for TMC, WB, the HBO originals, their incredible library of back content (both film and series).  Dang, we recently did a year, got a good discount via an AMEX promo, but 30% is fantastic.

As far as series, have you watched:

Barry
The Sopranos
Deadwood (and the movie)
The Wire
Veep
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
True Detective (1st Season only)
Raised by Wolves
I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
Doom Patrol
Eastbound and Down
Luther
Silicon Valley

Some of these are old and done, some are new and still in production for another season (or more), some are single season "mini-series", etc.

BTW, if you didn't like the characters on Succession - good, they did their job   You might feel sorry for at best case, and despise them at the worst.


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## Huntn

DT said:


> Netflix is bumping up their sub price $1-2, depending on your current plan.
> 
> I may drop back to HD from 4K since the latter is limited and you're also paying for more concurrent streams, which we don't need.  The net result will be them losing $1.50/month from me.



Is that the difference in subscription price? Last time I looked it seemed like there was a larger $ difference between HD and 4k


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## Huntn

DT said:


> I could just about do HBOMax as our only service, there's so much good content, especially now they're a hub for TMC, WB, the HBO originals, their incredible library of back content (both film and series).  Dang, we recently did a year, got a good discount via an AMEX promo, but 30% is fantastic.
> 
> As far as series, have you watched:
> 
> Barry
> The Sopranos
> Deadwood (and the movie)
> The Wire
> Veep
> Curb Your Enthusiasm
> Hacks
> The Flight Attendant
> True Detective (1st Season only)
> Raised by Wolves
> I May Destroy You
> Mare of Easttown
> Doom Patrol
> Eastbound and Down
> Luther
> Silicon Valley
> 
> Some of these are old and done, some are new and still in production for another season (or more), some are single season "mini-series", etc.
> 
> BTW, if you didn't like the characters on *Succession* - good, they did their job   You might feel sorry for at best case, and despise them at the worst.



Too good of a job… 
Of the first ten on your list, I’ve seen 2, and HBO has had some excellent series, but now I’d say not enough to subscribe full time. Basically back in the day it was HBO and Showtime. Now there are many paths to entertainment.

Did you start *Station Eleven*? I’m up through episode 4. Wife has already bailed. This series has a great post-apocalyptic vibe, but to follow what appears to be the main plot, _the prophet, _you have to relieve lots of extraneous story telling. Honestly, it’s not the type of story telling I would gravitate too or even tolerate, but I’m hanging in there, because I like the flow, and  the vibe, and at the end of episode 4 a significant event occurs, so high hopes for episode 5.

Post-apocalyptic is a wide open genre from the best of mankind to the worst, usually some mutants are thrown in to make it more challenging. Ok, forget the best, it’s usually the worst with the questionable potential for a happy ending.  There have been some good to outstanding post-apocalyptic stories out there.

Omega-man- good,  better when I was younger and more impressionable. 
The Post Man- good
Book of Eli- wonderful
Fallout 4 (video game)- an incredible story.
Water World- ok
Matrix- wonderful
Planet of the Apes- wonderful
Mad Max Fury Road- wonderful
28 Days Later- excellent


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## DT

re:  Post-apocalypse Films

Good list, below are some others, though some of them as this genre may be up for debate.  There's a bit of overlap into the zombie genre and I suppose even disaster movies to a degree, though I guess the latter is kind of the event as it happens vs. post-apocalypse which is a movie that sort of picks up after the event.

Mad Max
The Road Warrior (aka, Mad Max 2)
The Road
Snowpiercer
Twelve Monkeys
Children of Men
A Boy and His Dog
Soylent Green

All these are terrific, A Boy and His Dog is super low budget, Twelve Monkeys is both pre and post, Snowpiercer is a fantastic, sometimes absurd commentary on class (by Bong Joon-ho), if you want a serious, dark, nasty one, check out The Road.


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## Huntn

DT said:


> re:  Post-apocalypse Films
> 
> Good list, below are some others, though some of them as this genre may be up for debate.  There's a bit of overlap into the zombie genre and I suppose even disaster movies to a degree, though I guess the latter is kind of the event as it happens vs. post-apocalypse which is a movie that sort of picks up after the event.
> 
> Mad Max
> The Road Warrior (aka, Mad Max 2)
> The Road
> Snowpiercer
> Twelve Monkeys
> Children of Men
> A Boy and His Dog
> Soylent Green
> 
> All these are terrific, A Boy and His Dog is super low budget, Twelve Monkeys is both pre and post, Snowpiercer is a fantastic, sometimes absurd commentary on class (by Bong Joon-ho), if you want a serious, dark, nasty one, check out The Road.



Twelve Monkeys was an intriguing time travel story too!


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## Huntn

*Fiber Optics Internet Install talk Dec2021-* We just got Fiber Optics for internet (North Houston Suburbs).To install it in the neighborhood, the entire neighborhood, they had a fancy drill machine that could tunnel the wire across the yard while remaining on the edge of the yard, across the utilities, the sprinkler system, and the driveway, even across and under the street. For every house there are two access boxes in the ground on each side of the yard that sits on the property line.

To run it to the house it was my option, my preference was the side with less obstacles, so they went up the driveway side with just special 6” shovels. The line is 6” under the surface. Good to make note of where it is. The outside internet line has a bright green conduit covering that maybe could withstand a couple of hits with a shovel, not sure if you stood on the shovel. 

Back adjacent to the garage, they came out of the ground to a junction box. The portion under the box has 1/2” pvc pipe for protection. Above the box, it’s just a little black fiber optic cable (1/4 the size of coaxial cable) that runs up the side of the brick to the overhang and then into the attic. We have a single story house. The cable is not very noticeable.

The neighbors ran it to the same place but went straight into the wall horizontally to a room and placed the modem there, using an extender, wireless nodes that expand the network around to all portions of the house. They have a 2 story house. Ours is single story.

In our house the wire went though the attic, down  through the top of the wall in our family room, where our current modem and router sat. This is a good central location. The installer had to use a 4’ drill bit to drill a hole through the fire stop in the wall (while in the attic).

The company is Tachus. They provide a modum but not a router, so previously I was using a combo, Surfbord modem/router so I did not have to pay rent to Suddenlink for that. Fir this service I bought a new Linksys Wifi 6 Dualband router (about $150). One month later so far so good!

I learned that fiber optic cables are not spliceable. They come manufactured in set lengths like 30’ or 100’. They used a 100’ length to get from the outside ix to our family room.

We’ve had it for a month and so far service has been dependable. I’m paying $65/month for 100Mbps service.  For 2 people, it’s fine for streaming. The thing I notice is that for large downloads that I do not do every day, it takes longer, but my upload speed is twice as fast (old service 400Mbps down, 50MBPS up).


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## Huntn

*NFL Football-* Is there anyone who exclusively streams NFL Football (no cable service)? I’d like to hear about it, what streaming hub and channels?


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## DT

Huntn said:


> *NFL Football-* Is there anyone who exclusively streams NFL Football (no cable service)? I’d like to hear about it, what streaming hub and channels?




We're doing NBC via Peacock, and CBS/FOX via the antenna


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## Huntn

DT said:


> We're doing NBC via Peacock, and CBS/FOX via the antenna



I discovered on Superbowl Sunday that my wife could watch it on the NBC app on her iOS device without a subscription If she wanted to. But Airplay was not available to transfer it over to the TV.


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## Huntn

4 months later and zero complaints regarding my Fiber optics cable by Tachus (Houston).


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## gollum

Huntn said:


> 4 months later and zero complaints regarding my Fiber optics cable by Tachus (Houston).



is it just internet or are you getting content through them as well?


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## Huntn

gollum said:


> is it just internet or are you getting content through them as well?



Everything is coming through internet.


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## MEJHarrison

I cut the cable a few years back.  The problem now is I'm starting to get too many subscriptions.  If it was just me, I could have 1-2 services at a time, then cancel and move on to the next when I'm ready.  But with 5 people in the house I've found that it's easy to pick up a new cheap streaming service, but a lot harder to dump it.  Just because I'm done with Service A, doesn't means others are ready to see it go.  Or I want to see content on Service B, while someone else wants Service C (Star Trek vs Star Wars for example).


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## gollum

MEJHarrison said:


> The problem now is I'm starting to get too many subscriptions



Yeah, every channel or network sees dollars signs and creates its own streaming channel.


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## Huntn

MEJHarrison said:


> I cut the cable a few years back.  The problem now is I'm starting to get too many subscriptions.  If it was just me, I could have 1-2 services at a time, then cancel and move on to the next when I'm ready.  But with 5 people in the house I've found that it's easy to pick up a new cheap streaming service, but a lot harder to dump it.  Just because I'm done with Service A, doesn't means others are ready to see it go.  Or I want to see content on Service B, while someone else wants Service C (Star Trek vs Star Wars for example).



Hit and run subscribing. I’m trying to talk my wife out of Disney, I got a deal on HBO for a year at $10/month but will mostly likely drop it. Ted Lasso on Apple, have not seen it, but I might subscribe to Apple for a month with the intent of watching 3 seasons.


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## DT

Huntn said:


> I got a deal on HBO for a year at $10/month but will mostly likely drop it.




Ad free?  Great deal, I'd hop on that for a year for sure.


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## Huntn

DT said:


> Ad free?  Great deal, I'd hop on that for a year for sure.



Ad free. Maybe I should keep it?


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## Citysnaps

Huntn said:


> 4 months later and zero complaints regarding my Fiber optics cable by Tachus (Houston).




In the San Francisco Bay Area after having Comcast/Xfinity for two years, we switched to 1Gb/sec fiber through Sonic, a much smaller localish company. It's much faster and costs less. And more reliable;  Comcast would have daily 10-15 minute dropouts; with Sonic I haven't encountered any.


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## Cmaier

citypix said:


> In the San Francisco Bay Area after having Comcast/Xfinity for two years, we switched to 1Gb/sec fiber through Sonic, a much smaller localish company. It's much faster and costs less. And more reliable;  Comcast would have daily 10-15 minute dropouts; with Sonic I haven't encountered any.





I hear good things about sonic, but they’ve never been available at full speed at my address for some reason.


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## Citysnaps

Cmaier said:


> I hear good things about sonic, but they’ve never been available at full speed at my address for some reason.




My sense is they're working their way south with fiber. And relying on partnering with AT&T to backstop with Uverse-cable/DSL until that happens.

Speaking of AT&T DSL... before moving to where we are now from five miles away, the best AT&T could do for us with DSL was around 1.5 Mb/sec. So jumping to fiber (after enduring a year with Comcast) has been huge.


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## Cmaier

citypix said:


> My sense is they're working their way south with fiber. And relying on partnering with AT&T to backstop with Uverse-cable/DSL until that happens.
> 
> Speaking of AT&T DSL... before moving to where we are now from five miles away, the best AT&T could do for us with DSL was around 1.5 Mb/sec. So jumping to fiber has been huge.



A few months ago AT&T showed up and got ready to tear up our cul-de-sac.  We put a stop to it - private property and they don’t have an easement and had no permission from the HOA.  We asked them what they were doing, and they said they wanted to install fiber. They wouldn’t guarantee the HOA a price or a speed, so we told them to go away.  Service is pretty good via other means here, so having AT&T dig up the drive we just paid $14,000 to have paved and repaired was not something the 7 homeowners here were willing to put up with. 

That said, I’m on the corner, so I’m guessing I could probably get service without them tearing up the drive if I was willing to pay.


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## Huntn

Suddenlink the company who has been owned by someone else for a long time (Altice I think) whose cable and internet I dumped says they will be back as Otpimum will be offering fiber in the near future in the N. Houston suburbs.


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## Citysnaps

Cmaier said:


> A few months ago AT&T showed up and got ready to tear up our cul-de-sac.  We put a stop to it - private property and they don’t have an easement and had no permission from the HOA.  We asked them what they were doing, and they said they wanted to install fiber. They wouldn’t guarantee the HOA a price or a speed, so we told them to go away.  Service is pretty good via other means here, so having AT&T dig up the drive we just paid $14,000 to have paved and repaired was not something the 7 homeowners here were willing to put up with.
> 
> That said, I’m on the corner, so I’m guessing I could probably get service without them tearing up the drive if I was willing to pay.




For service, it's my understanding Sonic taps into AT&T's fiber network with some kind of infrastructure/device/whatever, that then distributes fiber throughout a city, in most cases sharing telephone poles with other utilities. Not sure what happens in newer developments where all utilities are underground.

We get our fiber drop from a pole across the street. Installation was fast and without a hitch.   Hooked my laptop directly into an RJ45 port on my router and was getting 980 Mb/sec - guessing the router's rules/inefficiencies, or the source or my laptop caused the small hit.  That was mice-nuts after enduring 20 years of 1.5 Mb/sec AT&T DSL at our previous home.


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## Roller

We've had AT&T U-verse for many years, most recently their 1Gb fiber service in two locations. It's been reliable, with very few outages or other problems in almost four years. Our last move was to a new development with all cables underground, though it was unclear whether AT&T, Spectrum, or both would be available. We chose AT&T because Spectrum had a poor reputation around here and because of our good experience with AT&T.


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