@Ciee83 I’m looking at Sling too. It seems like the best option. We’ll lose BTN and FSD but Mr R made a good point - we can always go to a bar or something if we need to to watch them.
Smart move Hulu, going up three days after D+ premieres? Oy vey.
For reference, I just quick compared: sling, fubo, philo, youtube, and att live (I think it’s called). Sling filled our needs the best. My parents really like their Roku but I want live TV.
@Knowsstuff fubo seemed the best for sports but it doesn’t seem that much cheaper than Hulu live.
Really “interesting” strategy to raise prices in the face of increased competition. Seems like a page out of the cable tv handbook - screw your loyal customers. How well will that work over time? Not well, I predict.
I got Disney plus with a discount when it was announced and Apple plus with purchase of a phone. But our 4 year old TV is too old for the apps so now we have to have a casting service to see them on the TV, but Apple plus does not use Chromecast so we need something else. Sigh. 4 years is not old for a TV!
My SlingTv pkg includes CNBC and costs $45 or so/month, total, full pkg, incl the cost for Sho and cable news. Good on the tv, tablet and cell. And, it’s mobile, so I can watch anywhere (wifi on the tablet.)
I could drop Sho, when Ray Donovan isn’t playing. But point is, saving so much over Verizon.
If your area pkg doesn’t include local channels, you can get an add-on (I use AirTv, not Roku.) There’s a link to check your availability.
I suppose a lot of these digital cut the cord offerings are similar and should look into YouTube and others.
Obviously some of these choices aren’t going to make it long term - too much competition. My S is 16 and signs us up for all the free trials. We’ve stuck with Netflix and have Amazon due to our prime account. We just signed up for the year free of Disney+ - this is an absolutely goldmine if you have young ones. So much on there I’m looking forward to watching. It reached 10 million subscribers in a day.
Ok I think sling blue + news+ antenna is our best option.
@lookingforward can you tell me if it’s fairly easy to navigate sling and apps? We have a man who lives with us who is significantly cognitively impaired. He can use Hulu fairly easily because it’s similar to regular cable, but struggled with Roku and all the apps. He’s why we need local channels. He needs his soaps lol.
Also does the airtv have an antenna or do you need a separate one?
@romanigypsyeyes
AirTV is like Roku, but with the coding to pick up local, if one goes that way. I think I only got the flat antenna for picking up local channels (under $20.) I only see Detroit (Ann Arbor not listed) showing Fox, not NBC, ABC, CBS. Maybe a cable channel offers the soaps? What antenna depends on how far you are from the network towers. You can look that up.
To me, it’s no harder to use than the other streamers. Eg, you click a channel and the show comes on, not some preview for something else. You can set up a personal guide, just the channels you favor, but also see all that’s “On Now,” look by type (sports vs news, eg,) etc, or use On Demand. The guide comes up as a listing or grid (your choice) and you can use the arrows to glide through. Under the current and next-up shows are the On Demand choices.
I’ve said before that mine is wonky. No one else ever mentioned this on other threads. Eg, sometimes it goes to a blank screen or back to the home page. Or a few other glitches. Ithink you’d need to try it, to see how it serves in your area.
Personally, I find customer service very responsive.
Some edits got lost. If local channels are offered, from the get go, no need for an antenna or AirTV box. I got my pieces at Best Buy, where the rep was knowledgeable.
Sling has a channel guide like you’d have with your cable provider. You navigate it the same way. We’ve had it for over 3 years and are pleased with the channel selections and price.
It will be interesting to see if the streaming services all just happen to raise their rates, or if there is actually enough competition to force them to keep their rates down. I hope Hulu loses a lot of business over this!
I’m really spoiled on commercials. I well recall the bait and switch way back when cable came out - you PAY for TV? - but no commercials! That didn’t last long.
We have Netflix, Hulu (on a friend’s account, no commercials) and Prime. S got Disney for the new Star Wars show but IDK if he will keep it after that. I’m not tempted by anything on it and I am way behind on shows I enjoy, as it is.
D pays for family Spotify. We just got a free Google Home speaker from that, and it has a physical switch to turn the microphone off so I can just use it as a speaker, no eavesdropping.
Well, got the Roku Express on sale at Amazon and it set up relatively easily. Both of my Plus channels are there and I’m now logged in on them so just the extra step of switching to Roku to get to them but they are working fine.
Career idea:
Streaming Services Expert:
Meet with homeowners, survey them on their television/media preferences and recommend top 3 options for switching from cable to streaming including price estimates for each of the options.
For added fee: help homeowner to purchase devices needed/set up streaming for all televisions in home.
I would pay some good $ for this! Also would pay a premium for this person to convince H to make the switch.
