I'm in uncharted territory...streaming TV

[DirtySteve]

So I just moved to a new apartment in a new city and decided to ditch the dish/cable and stream TV this time. I'm not tech savvy and it's really weird, but I'm slowly figuring it out.

I have Youtube TV, Paramount +, Hulu and I think I have Prime because I have a Amazon Prime account, but I haven tried it yet. I'm missing being able to hit the "last channel" button to switch back and forth between shows, but really that's the only thing that's annoying me right now. I suppose I'll get used to it before long. I'm thinking about getting Netflix too, but damn the cost are adding up.

I bought a new LG smart TV just for this. My previous TV was a regular (dumb) LG and I loved it, but I'm starting to think the LG smart TV wasn't my best choice.

Anyway, just wondering what you guys do, am I behind the times, is everybody streaming now or do you prefer your dish/cable TV? Just fishing here, not really asking a question. Just hoping to learn something. Right now I feel like...

 

[StrummerJoe]

We recently got a smart TV with streaming, youtube, etc...

And still nothing to watch.

I do like being able to call up backing tracks on YouTube though...and old concerts etc...

I'm nor a tech guy either.

I think it's a trick by women to get the remote.

 

[Far Rider]

Apple+, NetFlix, Prime, and Max are all we watch anymore. Thinking about dumping Verizon.

 

[DirtySteve]

Really the main reason I have Youtube TV (which is expensive) is for the live local news channels and that's really just for the weather reports, which I can get online, so I'm thinking about ditching that. Then I can subscribe to Netflix and a few others and still come out cheaper.

 

[10kDA]

OTA only for me. I watch you toob on my desktop or laptop. I don't think I'm missing anything TBH.

 

[DirtySteve]

OTA only for me. I watch you toob on my desktop or laptop. I don't think I'm missing anything TBH.

I had to have a translator for this post.

 

[JohnH]

I live in Australia, but had 5 years in LA in the 90's. I remember the cable, like Springsteen sang: "57 channels and nothing on!"

Cable and satellite TV, although available, hasn't been a huge big thing here over the years. Most people come from a background of free-to-air broadcast. We still watch a lot of that, and the 5 tradional networks each have a handful of free to air channels. But I'm old-ish, and I think many people just stream these days. The networks also have their streaming services, which are handy. You can watch what's live, and also catch up on old shows.

We also get the big streaming services, Netflix, Prime, Disney etc We just use Netflix and the free ones. But one frustration is that the shows we used to watch free-to-air, are now all spread across many different services each with a fee.

Most Aussies can get adequate unlimited broadband to support all that. But for us, we are a bit remote and in a technically awkward place, so our only options for reliable communications are by satellite, and cell phone when it behaves. We have only just been able to get a plan versatile enough for our needs. It works fine using a fixed satellite, for streaming, VPN, video conference and internet. Many in our position are changing to Elon's Starlink Seems great, but it's much more expensive and, I dont really trust that guy!

 

[TheKman76]

@JohnH I didn't realise you're a local. Must pay more attention.

We're in a metro so everything JohnH said applies with the exception of Internet access. When we moved into this home five years ago we arranged the main lounge differently to the previous owner and didn't have free-to-air for a few months. Even after I moved the antenna connection point we only ever watched the news during COVID lockdowns.

I hate that you need three or more services to get a good array of content (we have Netflix, Disney and Prime) but I still don't think I'd go back to the old way.

 

[10kDA]

I had to have a translator for this post.

LOL - Streaming, Netflx, Prime etc - I don't know what those are either. I mean, I've heard of them, but I just don't GAF.

I do know a little about Hulu. Many years ago a co-worker was bellyaching about spending something like $400/month on all kinds of channels feeding SIX TVs in his house, yet most of the time his kids were watching "I Dream Of Jeannie" or "Gilligan's Island" on Hulu which was free at the time.

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

I ditched DISH a few months ago after being a customer one week short of 17 years. I now use DirectTV Stream via AppleTV boxes. The AppleTV remote is wonky, but you can used to it, or buy a third party remote for the functions you'd miss from a cable/satellite remote. Cut my bill way down, I have all the channels I watched before. I watch lots of live TV, and so many streaming services suck at live TV.

 

[paul-e-mann]

So I just moved to a new apartment in a new city and decided to ditch the dish/cable and stream TV this time. I'm not tech savvy and it's really weird, but I'm slowly figuring it out.

I have Youtube TV, Paramount +, Hulu and I think I have Prime because I have a Amazon Prime account, but I haven tried it yet. I'm missing being able to hit the "last channel" button to switch back and forth between shows, but really that's the only thing that's annoying me right now. I suppose I'll get used to it before long. I'm thinking about getting Netflix too, but damn the cost are adding up.

I bought a new LG smart TV just for this. My previous TV was a regular (dumb) LG and I loved it, but I'm starting to think the LG smart TV wasn't my best choice.

Anyway, just wondering what you guys do, am I behind the times, is everybody streaming now or do you prefer your dish/cable TV? Just fishing here, not really asking a question. Just hoping to learn something. Right now I feel like...

Check out Roku, thousands of free channels.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

Does LG allow you to download a bunch of app's?

I have Samsung TV & it allows some of the basic app's. I have a Firestick 4K. It allows a bunch of app's - many free w/o subscription.

One thing for all you guys using the TV & loading app's into it. One thing I read & it applies to many TV's is, that, the ethernet input is limited to around 125Mb/s, which in theory should be good enough to handle most streaming, but it can & does get bottlenecked.

You can buy a simple USB to ethernet adapter & get 2x's the speed... (there's articles on that)

One thing too, but, the TV is limited on USB ports, is... I run a gaming SSD drive direct into the USB input. I have many of my rock/music videos on it & can watch them anytime... You can do that w/ most video types, depending on what your TV is compatible w/...

 

[tubes]

Apple+, NetFlix, Prime, and Max are all we watch anymore. Thinking about dumping Verizon.

Very nice to see you FR.

> Apple+, NetFlix, Prime, and Max...
> ... Verizon

I don't really know what those are.
Well, I know what NetFlix is but I have never actually seen one.
I just hope that the next time I want to get a 'large display' there will still be something available that's not a TV wanting an internet connection.

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

after 2 years with Xfinity Comcast (Cable TV & Internet), we decided that its costing us too much (after our 2 year promotion is up), so we decided to switch to Astound/RCN, and for the first time ever, we have ditched Cable TV completely, and are just watching TV via Internet (Amazon Fire Stick)... we've been doing it for about a month and a half, and so far, we have no complaints at all whatsoever... we are doing about 70 to 80% of our TV & movie watching through the YouTube TV app... outside of that, we pay extra for subscriptions for Disney+ and Netflix. all things considered, compared to what we would've been paying with Xfinity Comcast, for Internet and Cable TV, we are saving somewhere around 70 to 80 bucks per month.

 

[tubes]

I had to have a translator for this post.

Did the translator work? I'm none the wiser. I think OTA is 'over the air'.
But there are a lot of transmissions over the air: I'm not sure what is included and excluded.
It sounds healthy.
My home is a Farraday cage so it might not work for me.

 

[DirtySteve]

Did the translator work? I'm none the wiser. I think OTA is 'over the air'.
But there are a lot of transmissions over the air: I'm not sure what is included and excluded.
It sounds healthy.
My home is a Farraday cage so it might not work for me.

That's what I came up with. OTA - Over The Air, and TBH - To Be Honest.

 

[tubes]

That's what I came up with. OTA - Over The Air, and TBH - To Be Honest.

I didn't even notice 'TBH'. I suppose I have become accustomed to that one.

But OTA seems like a mixed bag. On one hand, it's about good ol' fashioned AM and FM radio, analogue TV.

On the other hand... the entire cellular network is 'OTA'.

 

[10kDA]

LOL Didn't mean to throw a curve. TBH (interpretation was correct) I was originally considering typing "broadcast" but the industry such as it is has stopped using that term and I figured MF'ers are WAY too hep for "broadcast". Maybe I should have used "Antenna TV". Except there is an Over-The-Air network called Antenna TV and I don't want anyone to think I'm a paid shill.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I want to put an antenna on my roof, 30 free channels, and cancel everything.

 

[Alter]

Last time I had a TV in the house.. must have been around 1990.. Sometimes I watch at relatives houses and the news I read on the net start to make sense