|
Post by cwmcobra on Feb 28, 2018 23:08:24 GMT -5
How well does the “on demand” feature work for Directv now? It seems like the fine print says you have to have the highest tier package? Or does that mean that you only get on demand feature within the package you have? That would of course make sense...how soon are shows available to watch on demand? That's what I thought- streams only what your plan channels offer. I've been busy with the move to the lake. Big problem there- the internet options there suck- DSL, cellular or HughesNet, no cable or fios Looks like we're stuck with DTV or Dish. I saw a commercial for DHL Shipping that is proposing using aircraft with rf servers to offer internet service, interesting idea. Same here. Living in the country has its advantages, but Internet isn't one of them. Other than satellite, the only other Internet available is 384K DSL. That's not a typo..... So we're stuck with satellite Internet and TV. The TV is fine; my wife is the main user. Expensive, but works most of the time. I hate the data caps on the Dishnet, but have no other good alternatives. Cellular Internet is even more expensive and I question the reliability. If I could get good Internet service with reasonable or no data caps, I'd be streaming as well! Chuck
|
|
|
Post by kybourbon on Mar 1, 2018 8:08:33 GMT -5
That's what I thought- streams only what your plan channels offer. I've been busy with the move to the lake. Big problem there- the internet options there suck- DSL, cellular or HughesNet, no cable or fios Looks like we're stuck with DTV or Dish. I saw a commercial for DHL Shipping that is proposing using aircraft with rf servers to offer internet service, interesting idea. Same here. Living in the country has its advantages, but Internet isn't one of them. Other than satellite, the only other Internet available is 384K DSL. That's not a typo..... So we're stuck with satellite Internet and TV. The TV is fine; my wife is the main user. Expensive, but works most of the time. I hate the data caps on the Dishnet, but have no other good alternatives. Cellular Internet is even more expensive and I question the reliability. If I could get good Internet service with reasonable or no data caps, I'd be streaming as well! Chuck Can you get 4G cell internet? Where I live they have 100 GB a month for $55. It is about as fast as cable internet.
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 1, 2018 10:55:36 GMT -5
So running through all the scenarios, It seems like Directv Now is probably the first thing I will try. Next, brings me to WAF. I need to choose what device....ATV, Firestick, Roku etc. Do all these mesh with the Harmony/Logitech remotes. Any opinions on ease of use on the devices?
|
|
|
Post by davidl81 on Mar 1, 2018 11:15:10 GMT -5
So running through all the scenarios, It seems like Directv Now is probably the first thing I will try. Next, brings me to WAF. I need to choose what device....ATV, Firestick, Roku etc. Do all these mesh with the Harmony/Logitech remotes. Any opinions on ease of use on the devices? I use my Apple TV and it works great. If you are already in their ecosystem it is a no brainier IMO. Also it seems like the Apple TV get the most support (fastest app updates etc) from directv. I also think you can get a free Apple TV 4k if you sign up for 3 months(?) of Directv now.
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 1, 2018 11:56:24 GMT -5
So running through all the scenarios, It seems like Directv Now is probably the first thing I will try. Next, brings me to WAF. I need to choose what device....ATV, Firestick, Roku etc. Do all these mesh with the Harmony/Logitech remotes. Any opinions on ease of use on the devices? I use my Apple TV and it works great. If you are already in their ecosystem it is a no brainier IMO. Also it seems like the Apple TV get the most support (fastest app updates etc) from directv. I also think you can get a free Apple TV 4k if you sign up for 3 months(?) of Directv now. Yeah, ATV4k for free, and I am Apple everything, too a fault sometimes lol. Do you use a universal remote?
|
|
|
Post by davidl81 on Mar 1, 2018 12:32:36 GMT -5
I use my Apple TV and it works great. If you are already in their ecosystem it is a no brainier IMO. Also it seems like the Apple TV get the most support (fastest app updates etc) from directv. I also think you can get a free Apple TV 4k if you sign up for 3 months(?) of Directv now. Yeah, ATV4k for free, and I am Apple everything, too a fault sometimes lol. Do you use a universal remote? No I use the AppleTV remote actually. I run the AppleTV into my TV, then run an HDMI to the ARC input of my Denon AVR. Its works really smoothly, all I have to do is press any button on the Apple TV, then my Sony TV and Denon AVR turn on. My AVR volume is controlled from the AppleTV remote, and when I turn off the AppleTV it turns off it TV and the AVR. It makes the WAF very high. If you have other inputs (ie bluray player etc) it could get a little more complicated, but we never watch blurays in the living room anymore with most of our movie collection on the Apple cloud via iTunes.
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 1, 2018 13:06:49 GMT -5
I've got an Xbox and and Oppo hooked up but I think I could use the exact method you using for TV watching (%90) and only use the Harmony for movies (%10).
|
|
|
Post by cwmcobra on Mar 1, 2018 13:08:12 GMT -5
Same here. Living in the country has its advantages, but Internet isn't one of them. Other than satellite, the only other Internet available is 384K DSL. That's not a typo..... So we're stuck with satellite Internet and TV. The TV is fine; my wife is the main user. Expensive, but works most of the time. I hate the data caps on the Dishnet, but have no other good alternatives. Cellular Internet is even more expensive and I question the reliability. If I could get good Internet service with reasonable or no data caps, I'd be streaming as well! Chuck Can you get 4G cell internet? Where I live they have 100 GB a month for $55. It is about as fast as cable internet. Verizon used to offer 4G Home Fusion here, but it was more expensive than satellite and small data caps. I can't find that it's available anymore. I'm going to look into other 4G home providers that I've come across. We'll see what happens. Thanks for the tip! Chuck
|
|
|
Post by thrillcat on Mar 1, 2018 13:47:42 GMT -5
So running through all the scenarios, It seems like Directv Now is probably the first thing I will try. Next, brings me to WAF. I need to choose what device....ATV, Firestick, Roku etc. Do all these mesh with the Harmony/Logitech remotes. Any opinions on ease of use on the devices? I love the AppleTV (I'm in their ecosystem). It's a great little remote, and I use it on my TV upstairs. In the theater, I use a NEEO for all devices, which works fine with the AppleTV, but you don't get the swiping that you get on the AppleTV remote. No big deal, in that room having everything in one remote wins out over swiping.
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 1, 2018 15:45:21 GMT -5
I took the plunge. After having Directv for close to 20 yrs.... this is the last month. $150 bucks a month for a mid level package is just to much.waiting for ATV 4K to show up now.
|
|
|
Post by davidl81 on Mar 1, 2018 16:12:58 GMT -5
I took the plunge. After having Directv for close to 20 yrs.... this is the last month. $150 bucks a month for a mid level package is just to much.waiting for ATV 4K to show up now. Yeah, that's were I was with directv. The package cost was like $70, but then the $8 fee per receiver, then the $10 for HD, the $10 for dvr etc. At the end your actual bill was like $150 a month or so. My directv now bill is $37 a month after taxes. I was lucky because I got the go big package when they had a promo for $35 a month for life (I also got a free appleTV, but a Gen4 not the 4K version)
|
|
|
Post by thrillcat on Mar 2, 2018 10:40:17 GMT -5
I went OFF on DirecTV about this. How can they justify charging extra for HD, when their content is being produced in HD. If anything, they should charge extra for having to down convert content to SD for legacy customers. Why no charge for Color? Stereo? Also to note again, if you use AT&T Wireless, you can still get the $35/month rate that we got as early adopters.
|
|
cawgijoe
Emo VIPs
"We made too many of the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra
Posts: 4,896
|
Post by cawgijoe on Mar 2, 2018 10:55:16 GMT -5
I went OFF on DirecTV about this. How can they justify charging extra for HD, when their content is being produced in HD. If anything, they should charge extra for having to down convert content to SD for legacy customers. Why no charge for Color? Stereo? Also to note again, if you use AT&T Wireless, you can still get the $35/month rate that we got as early adopters. Yeah, that $10 for HD kills me. How stupid. I'm paying $117 for a mid tier Directv package after negotiating loyalty discounts. problem is I have to call them every time the discounts expire and fight with them to get the price down. It's a tiresome battle that sometimes I don't win. I have heard alot of bad things about Diretvnow, but I should at least check it out. Anybody have an opinion on Sony Playstation Vue?
|
|
KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,929
|
Post by KeithL on Mar 2, 2018 12:16:36 GMT -5
HD uses more bandwidth than SD..... Whether you're talking about streaming bandwidth, storage space, or satellite bandwidth. As some point it's costing somebody more... so they pass that on to you. I went OFF on DirecTV about this. How can they justify charging extra for HD, when their content is being produced in HD. If anything, they should charge extra for having to down convert content to SD for legacy customers. Why no charge for Color? Stereo? Also to note again, if you use AT&T Wireless, you can still get the $35/month rate that we got as early adopters.
|
|
|
Post by thrillcat on Mar 2, 2018 12:35:49 GMT -5
HD uses more bandwidth than SD..... Whether you're talking about streaming bandwidth, storage space, or satellite bandwidth. As some point it's costing somebody more... so they pass that on to you. I went OFF on DirecTV about this. How can they justify charging extra for HD, when their content is being produced in HD. If anything, they should charge extra for having to down convert content to SD for legacy customers. Why no charge for Color? Stereo? Also to note again, if you use AT&T Wireless, you can still get the $35/month rate that we got as early adopters. I disagree, because when they switched to HD, they also switched from mpeg-2 to mpeg-4, which ended up saving them bandwidth even with the increased picture quality.
|
|
|
Post by bobcel on Mar 8, 2018 11:25:13 GMT -5
Cut the cord recently. Very glad I did. My service went from Time Warner to "Speculum", they refused to deal with any requests to decrease or help with my climbing bill.( What do you expect for 20 years of faithful patronage) 250.00 a month.....bastards. So anyway I kept the internet service, which has always been good, got me a Google wifi for coverage and canceled the cable and LAN line phone service. As far as LiveTV goes the wifey wanted live TV for news and whatnot. Tried a few services and settled on PlayStation Vue. Good channel lineup, guide, cloud DVR works well, 5 devices and most importantly, she has adapted well to using it. Now at 39.99 month it is pricey but still a win from those previous thieves. I also use Amazon Firesticks and a Fire TV on the main Tv downstairs. This service with Netflix and Amazon Prime is plenty. Recently did a trial for a service called Xstreamingtv. It is awesome. Tons of channels and sports, great interface, quick and video quality is actually better than Playstation Vue. However for whatever reason it totally lags on my new Fire Tv. Firesticks no problem. At 25 dollars a month its worth a look if any of you guys are shopping this crapola out. Ciao
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 11, 2018 13:12:34 GMT -5
I've been busy. Directv is shut off all equipment is ready to be dropped off at the FedEx store. Family is getting used to Sling and DirectvNow. Using an AppleTv 4k and FireTV x 2. I also lowered my internet bill (and getting faster speeds). Current savings over $100 a month, although I did buy one FireTv and some accessories. But that will be easily paid for buy the credits that Directv and internet company owe me.
|
|
|
Post by millst on Mar 12, 2018 11:53:24 GMT -5
I've tried Vue twice and YouTube TV once, but still can't pull the trigger. The biggest issues:
1) Lower picture quality: mostly due to 30fps, but this is improving (Vue was not acceptable the first time, but I could live with it now) 2) Lower audio quality: all seem to be stereo only 3) Recordings sometimes get replaced with on-demand versions that force you to watch commercials
On top of that, we've got TiVos and the UI is still better on those. It's easier to navigate and things are snappier since the recordings are local. With multiple tuners, it's fairly easy to watch 2 or 3 shows (sports games) at once. YouTube TV came the closest for me, but didn't have enough 60fps channels.
We argue with Cox over pricing periodically so the cheapest streaming option with our channels only saves $20 a month. Not worth the hassle for that.
Need to check out Sling and Hulu, but I doubt they are the answer. Sling doesn't have all our local channels. Looks like Hulu wants another $15 a month for DVR with fast forward so I doubt that is even price competitive.
If I wasn't a long-time TiVo user, they'd probably be good enough. The ability to stream on any device is pretty cool. That pretty much never works with TiVo (and its painfully slow when it does). Also, I'd pick up a few channels I don't have now.
-tm
|
|
|
Post by broncsrule21 on Mar 17, 2018 9:35:01 GMT -5
So I have my new LG 65" 4k up and running. Just stunned how good the 4K Netflix and Prime look. Simply amazing. The family are starting to get a handle on where to find their shows. All is going well with satellite out of my life. Also as a bonus, via Sling, I am getting Bien sports (MotoGP season starts this weekend) and Pac12 Network (Go Buffs) which I didn't have through Directv. Life's good!
|
|
bootman
Emo VIPs
Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
|
Post by bootman on Mar 17, 2018 13:28:48 GMT -5
Cut the cord recently. Very glad I did. My service went from Time Warner to "Speculum", they refused to deal with any requests to decrease or help with my climbing bill.( What do you expect for 20 years of faithful patronage) 250.00 a month.....bastards. So anyway I kept the internet service, which has always been good, got me a Google wifi for coverage and canceled the cable and LAN line phone service. As far as LiveTV goes the wifey wanted live TV for news and whatnot. Tried a few services and settled on PlayStation Vue. Good channel lineup, guide, cloud DVR works well, 5 devices and most importantly, she has adapted well to using it. Now at 39.99 month it is pricey but still a win from those previous thieves. I also use Amazon Firesticks and a Fire TV on the main Tv downstairs. This service with Netflix and Amazon Prime is plenty. Recently did a trial for a service called Xstreamingtv. It is awesome. Tons of channels and sports, great interface, quick and video quality is actually better than Playstation Vue. However for whatever reason it totally lags on my new Fire Tv. Firesticks no problem. At 25 dollars a month its worth a look if any of you guys are shopping this crapola out. Ciao MSOs still HAVE to carry SD feeds. Believe it or not in 2018 not everyone has a HD TV. (and not every cable feed is in HD yet)
|
|