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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 13:27:15 GMT -5
Interested in info on what you folks are using (software & hardware) if you've cut the cord on cable, DTV etc I've had DTV and after nearly 25 yrs, ready to wave bye bye. My goal is a DVR, over air programming & streaming. I have a Kodi Zotac mini-pc, Dell Optiplex Vortexbox and a new Ryzen 1400 pc with Radeon RX570 video that I'm considering using for a do all HTPC. I have an Integra receiver that can play all my music from USB or network, so my music is covered What's working well and what to avoid. (Hauppauge, SiliconDust, etc addon cards) Suggestions?
Jeff
btw- willing to reformat HDD with Linux, whatever.
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Post by Perpendicular on Feb 25, 2018 13:58:36 GMT -5
For the past year, I’ve used DirecTV Now with mostly an Apple TV. Cloud DVR is in beta right now and is coming soon. For music, I use mostly an attached HD to my new Denon AVR-X4400H with occasional streaming via HEOS.
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Post by MusicHead on Feb 25, 2018 14:39:15 GMT -5
Never had cable 😁. For many years just lived off over the air analog broadcast TV.
Then we started with Netflix streamed through a Nintendo Wii and later settled on a Roku combined with a Hauppauge HDTV tuner card in our main PC.
The Roku (got Verizon 50/50 FIOS) gets content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and occasionally Sling TV, plus all other sources of free or "a la carte" paid content.
Through Plex on both the PC and the Roku we stream to the TV whatever OTA programs we record on the PC.
I have an indoor amplified antenna for real time TV watching and another passive antenna in the attic for the Hauppauge TV tuner in the PC.
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 25, 2018 14:57:56 GMT -5
In Australia nothing else comes close to pay TV for Sports coverage, so I use a full mix of platforms. FTA TV is becoming less of an alternative for us these days, we hardly watch it at all. We are allowed multiple cable boxes so I share that cost with my son and daughter in law. I also share Netflix and Stan subscriptions with my daughter and her fiancée. One of the main reasons we chose this area to live in was the 100 mbs Internet connection and I have unlimited data so I suspect that eventually everything we watch will be streamed. But not yet, it's quite a few years away because of the spread of content.
Cheers Gary
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 16:11:20 GMT -5
For the past year, I’ve used DirecTV Now with mostly an Apple TV. Cloud DVR is in beta right now and is coming soon. For music, I use mostly an attached HD to my new Denon AVR-X4400H with occasional streaming via HEOS. Perpendicular, I've heard about DirecTV Now, but never looked into it. Thx
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Post by davidl81 on Feb 25, 2018 16:13:03 GMT -5
Interested in info on what you folks are using (software & hardware) if you've cut the cord on cable, DTV etc I've had DTV and after nearly 25 yrs, ready to wave bye bye. My goal is a DVR, over air programming & streaming. I have a Kodi Zotac mini-pc, Dell Optiplex Vortexbox and a new Ryzen 1400 pc with Radeon RX570 video that I'm considering using for a do all HTPC. I have an Integra receiver that can play all my music from USB or network, so my music is covered What's working well and what to avoid. (Hauppauge, SiliconDust, etc addon cards) Suggestions? Jeff btw- willing to reformat HDD with Linux, whatever. I had directv for about 15 years and last year I switched to directvnow when they had the $35 promo. It’s a great service and I miss very little from have regular directv at $140ish a month. I use Apple TV’s and on some of the bedroom TVs that have older Apple TVs I just used the network apps (ESPN, abc, etc) and login with my directvnow user Id. They are launching dvr service but I did not beta test it. I never use DVR anyway.
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Post by 405x5 on Feb 25, 2018 16:35:30 GMT -5
Interested in info on what you folks are using (software & hardware) if you've cut the cord on cable, DTV etc I've had DTV and after nearly 25 yrs, ready to wave bye bye. My goal is a DVR, over air programming & streaming. I have a Kodi Zotac mini-pc, Dell Optiplex Vortexbox and a new Ryzen 1400 pc with Radeon RX570 video that I'm considering using for a do all HTPC. I have an Integra receiver that can play all my music from USB or network, so my music is covered What's working well and what to avoid. (Hauppauge, SiliconDust, etc addon cards) Suggestions? Jeff btw- willing to reformat HDD with Linux, whatever. Internet is the ONLY reason we haven’t cut the cable. We have the cheapest possible package that maintains our “medium high speed” access and use an Amazon fire stick with that. Additionally we are one of the pioneer Netflix subscribers, being a member since 2000! I just checked our rental history and we have rented nearly 2100 dvd 📀 ‘s....(that doesn’t include streaming which came later! Bill
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Post by RichGuy on Feb 25, 2018 17:39:42 GMT -5
Cut the cable for TV years ago. I use my HTPC with two Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250 cards (four tuners for DVR) I use a very modified version of Windows Media Center to watch and record TV and as a TV guide, with the custom mods I've made this is a very nice guide for TV the best I have used. I also have Amazon Prime and use Prime video for streaming and sometimes use it for things like HBO (like when Game of Thrones season is playing new shows). Lots of good movies and series are on Amazon and it's a great bonus with Amazon Prime. I absolutely love my HTPC for TV and I also love it for music for music I use Jriver software.
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Post by thrillcat on Feb 25, 2018 19:53:19 GMT -5
I had directv for about 15 years and last year I switched to directvnow when they had the $35 promo. It’s a great service and I miss very little from have regular directv at $140ish a month. I use Apple TV’s and on some of the bedroom TVs that have older Apple TVs I just used the network apps (ESPN, abc, etc) and login with my directvnow user Id. They are launching dvr service but I did not beta test it. I never use DVR anyway. I had DirecTV back when it was $1300 to buy the hardware. Cancelled it in 2010. Lived with just a TiVo and antenna plus Netflix until about a year ago when I too got in on the $35/month deal. (By the way, if you use ATT mobile for cel service, you can also still get the $35/mo deal) I rarely open the DTVNOW app. I use the provider apps and the AppleTV's "TV" app, which is fantastic - it acts like the cloud DVR that DTVNOW is working on. The TiVo and antenna allow me to save a little bandwidth and pick up locals plus their sub channels, and it's been a solid setup. I have been beta testing the new version of the DTVNOW app. The guide is much, MUCH improved, but the cloud DVR is basically non-functional at this point. I have wholeheartedly recommended DTVNOW and the AppleTV "TV" solution to many people. I don't know if I would be as excited about it if I wasn't getting it for $35/mo, but that's a great price, in my opinion.
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 25, 2018 19:57:22 GMT -5
Maybe the question should be "Have you ditched the TV antenna?" Because that will be the first thing that gets "cut" at my place. FTA TV is next to useless, hardly anything decent to watch and packed with advertising. Once I can stream, at a reasonable cost, the sports that I want to watch then the cable TV will be next. But that's years away here.
Cheers Gary
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cawgijoe
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"We made too many of the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra
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Post by cawgijoe on Feb 26, 2018 8:22:56 GMT -5
I've had Directv since 1995. They have always worked with me to keep costs down and to give me discounts even if there really were not any to give. But, since AT&T bought them, it's been a real struggle to maintain those costs. Prices keep going up and I have to battle with them to get any kind of relief.
Switching to another provider can give me temporary relief, but after the hassle of switching and the introductory offer, the price skyrockets again.
I have been thinking about cutting the cord. My locals I can get off my rooftop antenna. No issue there.
The two must haves however for me are some sort of DVR recording capability. We have become used to that. The other is quality of picture.
In terms of the streaming services, who has the best picture quality and recording capability?
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Post by thrillcat on Feb 26, 2018 9:38:34 GMT -5
The two must haves however for me are some sort of DVR recording capability. We have become used to that. The other is quality of picture. In terms of the streaming services, who has the best picture quality and recording capability? Streaming doesn't require recording. It's already "on-demand". What do you want to record on a DVR? All the sports networks already provide recent games on-demand. All the providers offer their content on-demand within their apps. When you go to streaming, there's really no need for a DVR. If you have a provider like DirecTV Now, you'll have access to the ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS apps, so for the main content, again, you don't need a DVR. The DVR is needed for your locally produced antenna content, and that's about it. I have a TiVo, which is fantastic, but has a small monthly charge if you don't buy lifetime service. The fee pays for development of their GUI and the guide, which is really the best I've seen. Channel Master also has an antenna DVR with no fee, but with a less glorious GUI. And then there's the HTPC options, if you want to maintain drivers and firmware. I choose to no do that. It all sounds like a pain, but the AppleTV app really has been the killer app for me. It brings all your content into one app (except Netflix), just like going to your recordings menu on a DVR. It shows content across all your provider apps, and gives you the option of what app you want to use to stream the content you selected (if available via multiple, like FX vs. Hulu vs. iTunes). It syncs your progress across all your Apple devices as well, so all my AppleTVs plus my iPhone always know what I've been watching, what episode I'm on, etc. I'm not sure if Roku et al have a similar app. My Android TV attempts it on its home menu, but it's nowhere near as complete and slick as the AppleTV version. Quality depends on what device you're streaming with. Vudu has long been considered the best audio and video quality for rentals, though Amazon Prime has made significant improvements and rivals anything out there, however, it's still only 2.0 audio via AppleTV (though they say an update will improve it). iTunes is now offering UHD versions at the same cost as 1080p. Netflix's quality on its original content is excellent. DirecTV Now's app quality was dismal from the start, though streaming quality and reliability has been addressed. If you're looking at reviews for that, make sure you ignore the first 6 months of reviews. They received a much greater response than they predicted, and were overwhelmed, plus they just weren't ready for prime time. It's pretty solid now, and the quality is great (though like I said, I rarely open that app).
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Post by RichGuy on Feb 26, 2018 9:39:31 GMT -5
As far as picture quality my antenna has a better quality than the cable had which is very good quality. I also have liked the picture quality I get with Amazon Prime Video for streaming and I like the player Amazon Prime video provides, it has definitely been my favorite streaming experience so far. Streaming HBO through Amazon was even better than when I streamed HBO directly from HBO.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2018 13:07:59 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone. Surprising (somewhat) that Roku wasn't named more. I like Apple products and have never heard people complain about Apple TV. The only reason I ignored Apple was lack of FLAC music, not an issue now. We tried Spectrum Cable DVR (free trial) with new internet service. It was terrible- bad tv guide & hi-def P.Q. was less than OTA & DTV. I just found this deal- www.theverge.com/2018/2/26/17053188/apple-tv-4k-sale-deal-directv-now-promotionAnything we want not on Apple can be app'd with Kodi. Have not tried Plex or Emby yet. Looks like a great way to try DTV Now and get an AppleTV cheap. Thx again.
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Post by wilburthegoose on Feb 26, 2018 13:51:05 GMT -5
One big warning for cord cutters - the end of net neutrality could mean your ISP could charge you $$$ if you don't use their internet streaming service.
For example - Verizon FiOS could charge you $10/month for Netflix, $5 for ESPN streaming, $25 for DirecTVNow, $7.50 for Hulu, etc.
Trust me, it's coming.
---------------------- PS - I have AppleTV and Roku. I much prefer Roku. I've grown quite weary of the Apple ecosystem.
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Post by davidl81 on Feb 26, 2018 15:35:48 GMT -5
One big warning for cord cutters - the end of net neutrality could mean your ISP could charge you $$$ if you don't use their internet streaming service. For example - Verizon FiOS could charge you $10/month for Netflix, $5 for ESPN streaming, $25 for DirecTVNow, $7.50 for Hulu, etc. Trust me, it's coming. ---------------------- PS - I have AppleTV and Roku. I much prefer Roku. I've grown quite weary of the Apple ecosystem. That's not exactly true, but I do agree with the general jist of what you are saying. What net neutrality does it it makes ISP treat all data the same and not "funnel" certain packets of data before others. In theory FIOS could make your Netflix slower by making Netflix data be less of a priority on its network than say Yahoo data (Since Verizon now owns Yahoo). They won't be able to block access to Netflix, but they could make their data less of a priority on their network. All and all though ending net neutrality will end up being a huge harm to consumers unless ISP's actually show restraint (which is unlikely). The idea that was floated around is that competition will force ISPs to treat data fairly, but most ISPs operate in a virtual monopoly.
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Post by LuisV on Feb 26, 2018 16:10:20 GMT -5
When I had my FIOS TV and internet bundled plan I was a Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriber, so when I cut the "cord" last year I left those services in place. When I cut the "cord", I upgraded to the FIOS 1GB internet plan as it was actually cheaper than keeping my existing 75 / 75 plan, I added an antenna in my attic for local channels, picked up an HDHomeRun Duo to stream local channels throughout the house and subscribed to SlingTV to satisfy some channels my wife couldn't live without. I was already outgrowing my NAS, so I built a NAS / media server that runs unRAID for the OS and I run Plex as a docker for my digital media as well as DVR functionality for those local channels. I don't have a high end video card in my server as it's not needed to satisfy my requirements. I use Nvidia Shields as clients at the main and master bedroom TVs with an Amazon FireTV in the guest room. My son uses the Plex client and Netflix app on his Xbox 1 to stream in his room. You can find more info here: emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/50483/htpc-media-server-discussionHDHomeRun Connect Duo: amzn.to/2HO9r0PAntennas Direct Antenna: amzn.to/2CIPBQLTo be honest, I wish I cut the cord sooner... no regrets. Any questions, feel free to PM me or ask here.
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Post by LuisV on Feb 26, 2018 16:29:50 GMT -5
One big warning for cord cutters - the end of net neutrality could mean your ISP could charge you $$$ if you don't use their internet streaming service. For example - Verizon FiOS could charge you $10/month for Netflix, $5 for ESPN streaming, $25 for DirecTVNow, $7.50 for Hulu, etc. Trust me, it's coming. ---------------------- PS - I have AppleTV and Roku. I much prefer Roku. I've grown quite weary of the Apple ecosystem. That's not exactly true, but I do agree with the general jist of what you are saying. What net neutrality does it it makes ISP treat all data the same and not "funnel" certain packets of data before others. In theory FIOS could make your Netflix slower by making Netflix data be less of a priority on its network than say Yahoo data (Since Verizon now owns Yahoo). They won't be able to block access to Netflix, but they could make their data less of a priority on their network. All and all though ending net neutrality will end up being a huge harm to consumers unless ISP's actually show restraint (which is unlikely). The idea that was floated around is that competition will force ISPs to treat data fairly, but most ISPs operate in a virtual monopoly. Exactly and if providers go down that path, services like Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, Hulu, etc. will be forced to pay more for different quality of service. If it's gets ugly, I'm sure more will flock to solutions like Plex, Embly and Kodi with antennas for local channels until the big boys can play nicely together. Or better yet, Amazon will threaten to get into the ISP business and cause more chaos... lol
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 26, 2018 17:27:31 GMT -5
I'm sorry, but I have to chime in here. Note that this is my PERSONAL opinion; Emotiva does not have an official opinion on Net Neutrality.
That said, I have NEVER believed that "Net Neutrality" made any sense. I simply do not see it as a tragedy that people and companies may be forced to pay for the bandwidth they use. At the moment I don't have a NetFlix subscription. Why should I have to pay more to my ISP to subsidize the bandwidth used by people who do? I have little doubt that my ISP holds me up for just as much as they possibly can... which is called "supply and demand". I fail to see a legitimate reason why companies like Netflix should be protected from the exact same market forces. And, yes, that is precisely what we're talking about. My ISP isn't going to throttle Netflix just to be mean. If they do so, it will be in order to provide the leverage they need to force Netflix to pay them to UN-throttle Netflix. In turn, in order to protect their profit margin, Netflix will then raise their rates to their paying customers. Then, at least in principle, my ISP can charge me less - or at least delay the next rate increase a little longer. Therefore, in the end, the people who USE Netflix will end up paying extra, rather than MY having to pay extra to subsidize their service. And, maybe, if my ISP decides to throttle Netflix, but some other ISP does not, and I use Netflix by then, I might decide to change ISPs. And that might encourage my ISP NOT to throttle Netflix. Either way, the market will in fact sort it out. The way people talk you might actually be deluded into thinking that "Net Neutrality" actually limits our ISP or cable bill - which it does NOT. In fact, it doesn't even protect you if Netflix decides to raise their rates. (The PR department deserves a bonus.... "neutrality" is such a "happy" and "fair" word that it discourages further thought or opposition... like fluffy little kittens.) And, no, much as I do or don't like either one, I am not any more inclined to protect Netflix's profit margin than I am to protect my ISP's profit margin. Deals between ISPs and service providers like Netflix have been around for decades.... This is all simply "political maneuvering" to try and win an advantage for businesses like Netflix over businesses like ISPs. The real question is just whether you really believe that "people who are willing to pay more should get more" is actually in any way unfair. Personally, I do not. One big warning for cord cutters - the end of net neutrality could mean your ISP could charge you $$$ if you don't use their internet streaming service. For example - Verizon FiOS could charge you $10/month for Netflix, $5 for ESPN streaming, $25 for DirecTVNow, $7.50 for Hulu, etc. Trust me, it's coming. ---------------------- PS - I have AppleTV and Roku. I much prefer Roku. I've grown quite weary of the Apple ecosystem. That's not exactly true, but I do agree with the general jist of what you are saying. What net neutrality does it it makes ISP treat all data the same and not "funnel" certain packets of data before others. In theory FIOS could make your Netflix slower by making Netflix data be less of a priority on its network than say Yahoo data (Since Verizon now owns Yahoo). They won't be able to block access to Netflix, but they could make their data less of a priority on their network. All and all though ending net neutrality will end up being a huge harm to consumers unless ISP's actually show restraint (which is unlikely). The idea that was floated around is that competition will force ISPs to treat data fairly, but most ISPs operate in a virtual monopoly.
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Post by sheetmetalworker on Feb 26, 2018 18:25:51 GMT -5
Oh hell yeah! Years ago, and am very happy without it. I've been utilizing Netflix and Amazon and over the air TV. DVDs and blue Ray's every once in awhile.
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