Cord cutting revisited

[MUfan12]

Closer to 30.

Yup. And I do enjoy having twitter up during games, which has been an adjustment. For baseball it's not a big deal, but I can see football being tough.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Rooftop ANT here, can't speak to cost because DirecTV gave us this one before they carried the locals but it's probably not much over $100, it almost looks like a lawn mower blade. Installation is simple, bought a pole and hardware at ACE, strapped it to the chimney and ran a ground wire to a 6 feet copper post I drove into the ground near the foundation. Have some one monitor the TV over your cellphone while you find the best position to aim for most channels.

Looks great next to the 80s satellite dish in the yard next to the double wide, aina?

[Benny B]

It bears repeating for those in search of an OTA solution:

DB-4 Antenna (or DB-8 if you're really far away). 

About 11 years ago, I made a DB-2 (half the size of a DB-4) out of old wire hangers, duct tape and an empty 20 oz. soda bottle, hung it inside the window of my 1st floor apt. in Buffalo Grove, and I was pulling in the NBC affiliate from South Bend despite my window facing out into a courtyard with some very tall shade trees.  100 miles away, and I was getting a stronger signal with a plastic bottle than any store-bought antenna.  Today, I face my antenna north... I get all of the Milwaukee stations, one of the Madison affiliates (WKOW maybe?), all of the Chicago stations, and on rare occasions I can even pull a very faint signal for WFRV.

You can buy the DB-4/-8 antennas from specialty retailers online or you can build your own with a scrap 2x4 and some copper wire.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

It bears repeating for those in search of an OTA solution:

DB-4 Antenna (or DB-8 if you're really far away). 

About 11 years ago, I made a DB-2 (half the size of a DB-4) out of old wire hangers, duct tape and an empty 20 oz. soda bottle, hung it inside the window of my 1st floor apt. in Buffalo Grove, and I was pulling in the NBC affiliate from South Bend despite my window facing out into a courtyard with some very tall shade trees.  100 miles away, and I was getting a stronger signal with a plastic bottle than any store-bought antenna.  Today, I face my antenna north... I get all of the Milwaukee stations, one of the Madison affiliates (WKOW maybe?), all of the Chicago stations, and on rare occasions I can even pull a very faint signal for WFRV.

You can buy the DB-4/-8 antennas from specialty retailers online or you can build your own with a scrap 2x4 and some copper wire.

Put that chit on your resume, eh?

[Benny B]

Put that chit on your resume, eh?

The words "South Bend" will never be placed on my resume.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Uh oh...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/at-t-hit-with-lawsuit-alleging-it-faked-directtv-now-customer-numbers/

[MU82]

Uh oh...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/at-t-hit-with-lawsuit-alleging-it-faked-directtv-now-customer-numbers/

Sounds similar to Wells Fargo signing up customers for accounts they didn't want or need without their knowledge. That, of course, involved more money for most victims, but it's the same kind of sleazy business practice.

[shoothoops]

I have a YouTube tv question, thanks.

If you have two homes in the same city, do you need two separate Youtube TV accounts? Or, could you use just one account for both locations? I know with Youtube tv, you can use up to 3 devices at the same time.

[drewm88]

I have a YouTube tv question, thanks.

If you have two homes in the same city, do you need two separate Youtube TV accounts? Or, could you use just one account for both locations? I know with Youtube tv, you can use up to 3 devices at the same time.

1 account. Follows you wherever you go.

[shoothoops]

1 account. Follows you wherever you go.

That's what I thought. Thank you very much.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Just had to sign up for Hulu, due to the FS Regionals/Sling dispute. 

Gotta say, Hulu's interface sucks the left nut.  But, the dvr/delayed start for sports is nice.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Sounds similar to Wells Fargo signing up customers for accounts they didn't want or need without their knowledge. That, of course, involved more money for most victims, but it's the same kind of sleazy business practice.

Looks like AT&T is looking to dump DTV...reason: Cord Cutting

https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-explores-parting-ways-with-directv-11568841544

[MU82]

Looks like AT&T is looking to dump DTV...reason: Cord Cutting

https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-explores-parting-ways-with-directv-11568841544

Agreed.

As a T shareholder, I would welcome the spinoff.

[Benny B]

Agreed.

As a T shareholder, I would welcome the spinoff.

As a holder of T's Jan 39 calls, I welcome anything 82 welcomes with a 100x multiplier.

[shoothoops]

Dish/Sling, without Fox Sports Regionals for months, now doesn't have Fox Sports 1 (MU games) and Big Ten Network. It also now doesn't have over the air Fox in many of the biggest markets (and some others) Nationally.

These are the over the air Fox markets affected:

[Cheeks]

Dish/Sling, without Fox Sports Regionals for months, now doesn't have Fox Sports 1 (MU games) and Big Ten Network. It also now doesn't have over the air Fox in many of the biggest markets (and some others) Nationally.

These are the over the air Fox markets affected:

Sinclair bought the Fox RSNs, this will continue for quite some time and they will not be the only ones if I were to make an educated guess

[shoothoops]

Sinclair bought the Fox RSNs, this will continue for quite some time and they will not be the only ones if I were to make an educated guess

Yep. Dish has not had HBO for almost a year and it does not appear likely to return. Sinclair has now owned Fox Sports Regionals for 5 weeks. No resolution in site. There have been periodic over the air network disputes recently (CBS, now resolved) and now Fox.

Dish said it isn't going to bundle all of the Fox products together. They no longer will pay they $9 type costs per subscriber for sports networks. They want a new a la carte business model from these companies that sports fans only pay for. Dish has been open saying it's a better financial deal for them to drop these networks a while knowing they will lose some subscribers/sports fans.

Did DirecTV work out a deal with ESPN and Tennis Channel?

I just tried to switch a couple of my accounts to DirecTV but had issues with some old giant trees at one location, and they said they couldn't do it if it didn't face Southwest. (Dish didn't require that) .....so now sharing Youtube TV seems the best way to go as cable isn't offering a strong deal. I understand all of these deals and prices are subject to change at any time. But television has become month to month at this point as opposed to the old days of years with same carrier. Frustrating but oh well.

I feel bad for older people and disabled people etc....that can't get their games and programs. Many of those people out there.

[Cheeks]

Yep. Dish has not had HBO for almost a year and it does not appear likely to return. Sinclair has now owned Fox Sports Regionals for 5 weeks. No resolution in site. There have been periodic over the air network disputes recently (CBS, now resolved) and now Fox.

Dish said it isn't going to bundle all of the Fox products together. They no longer will pay they $9 type costs per subscriber for sports networks. They want a new a la carte business model from these companies that sports fans only pay for. Dish has been open saying it's a better financial deal for them to drop these networks a while knowing they will lose some subscribers/sports fans.

Did DirecTV work out a deal with ESPN and Tennis Channel?

I just tried to switch a couple of my accounts to DirecTV but had issues with some old giant trees at one location, and they said they couldn't do it if it didn't face Southwest. (Dish didn't require that) .....so now sharing Youtube TV seems the best way to go as cable isn't offering a strong deal. I understand all of these deals and prices are subject to change at any time. But television has become month to month at this point as opposed to the old days of years with same carrier. Frustrating but oh well.

I feel bad for older people and disabled people etc....that can't get their games and programs. Many of those people out there.

At&T did a deal with Disney (espn) a few weeks ago. 

Distributors are caught in an impossible position.  Don't give in to massive price increases from studios and programmers....lose subs.  Give in, and costs have to be passed on this raising prices to consumers.  Unlike products where scale lowers cost by making widgets cheaper, that is not the case with entertainment.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

NBC sports and Dish now too?  (At least nbc sports chicago)

[hairy worthen]

Just had to sign up for Hulu, due to the FS Regionals/Sling dispute. 

Gotta say, Hulu's interface sucks the left nut.  But, the dvr/delayed start for sports is nice.

agree. except it sucks my right one. at least i have fox regional back. Couldnt live without that

[shoothoops]

NBC sports and Dish now too?  (At least nbc sports chicago)

There are 7 NBC Sports Regional Networks. One is NBC Sports Chicago. One of its owners is the Cubs/Ricketts family. (Their stake is 20%....20% NBC, 20% Bulls, 20% White Sox,
20% Blackhawks) That will no longer be the case beginning October 1st as the Cubs will no longer be on the channel.  So there is a new deal for a new version of the channel and some carriers have not yet completed deals. This is a recent Chicago Tribune article about it below. So, yes, it is only a thing with NBC Sports Chicago and that network making new deals with all of its carriers. It does not affect the national NBC Sports Network or the other 6 regionals. With Dish, in a non Chicago market one must get their sports package to get the channel. But even then, many games are blacked out to out of town markets.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-nbc-sports-chicago-cubs-bulls-blackhawks-20190912-a2krtpmyi5bs7gedy7sra5pfte-story.html%3foutputType=amp

[Jay Bee]

Cord cutting has gone well for me. Still concerned for when bball season starts and I want real time. Fortunately I can go up several floors or down several floors and have xfinity connected TVs to watch on. Without that option, might be a little more difficult.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Lookin at going to hulu.  8 teles in the 5 bedroom house but 3 kids in college so dont see the only 3 tvs at a time being an issue.  I see hulu offers cbs sportnet, fs1 and fs2,  is one able to pick up a sports pack that would incude the fox regionals? A few times a year the mu games ate only on a fox regional.  Tyia
Additionally, do they have a pack that includes bein?  Would hate to lose out on la liga

[shoothoops]

Had a couple of updates that may help anyone out there. I know tv is seemingly a monthly frustrating thing.

1) Youtube TV. Had a free 3 week trial. I needed it a few more days than that. So, if you go on their website, follow prompts, you can request a phone call. I received one in 30 seconds from Silicon Valley location. They immediately gave me an additional free month without me asking or saying much at all. I also like that you can cancel any time but still receive the full trial and it simply ends at the end of the trial. Previously I was concerned about being able to speak with someone if need be. I know they have raised their prices as they have added some channels. But their prices are still better than Satellite/cable and being able to have multiple people on an account makes the savings pretty significant per month.  I have had both Dish and DirecTV a long time. I was surprised there really was no competitive promotional price for Cable.

2) I wish I had known about some of the discounted internet earlier. I have a disabled relative that lives on their own, and Spectrum offers $15 permanent pricing internet per month for low income people. It's more than plenty to stream video, watch games, etc...for them. I believe it is called Spectrum assist for them I'm sure other places have something similar. Saves a few bucks.

[Cheeks]

I made this prediction awhile ago, finally came true today.  Sony Vue is shutting down.  In the end, there will only be 3 or 4 that will stand and the video world will be similar to what it was a few years ago....just a matter of time as consolidation and market forces solidify. 

https://thestreamable.com/news/scoop-playstation-is-shutting-down-in-january