Best streaming option?

[The Real BigGuy]

Forgot, I also use Roku for premium channels.


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[webmaster]

I have really tried it all while I attempt to find the best streaming solution that can hopefully allow me to cut the cord.

I have 3 Rokus running in my house: an Ultra, an Express and a Streaming Stick. I also have a new Apple TV and an Amazon Fire TV Stick (now on the shelf). The Roku Ultra is expensive ($88 on Amazon) but has more powerful and faster hardware. The Ultra also has a wired ethernet port and the ability to attach an external USB drive to use as a DVR. Switching channels and navigating is noticeably faster on the Ultra. The Express and Streaming Stick work fine too but they are more basic and not as robust as the Ultra. The Amazon Fire TV Stick was my least favorite player.

I have tried DTV, Youtube TV and Sling. I have settled on Youtube TV as the best service. Their UI is great and the video quality is fantastic. One test I've used to compare the services and media players is how fast you can "surf" from channel to channel.

I find that the Apple TV is the best media player for Youtube TV. I can switch channels almost instantly on the Apple TV while my other media players show a spinning circle for several seconds between channels. If you like to surf invest in a faster media player! The touchpad remote on the Apple TV is also much better than the others (once you get used to it!).

One area where Youtube TV is superior is the DVR (Library) function. It is unlimited although you can only store programs for 9 months. It is interesting how it works. When you tell it to record an episode it fills in your library with ALL the recent and future episodes. It won't just record a single episode unless it is a one-off show. Also, if you hit record in the middle of a show it automatically looks for a replay of the show and fills in the Library version from the beginning. I've seen complaints about the DVR service on other streaming services. Youtube TV really nailed it.

Starting last weekend I hid the Comcast remotes and we are only using Youtube TV. It's a test to see if it will work for us on a daily basis and to see if my wife can adjust to it and find her beloved HGTV, Lifetime, Sox games, etc. One thing about Youtube TV is that it doesn't have channel numbers. The navigation is more like Netflix and takes some adjusting to. After 3 days we've had no problem navigating Youtube TV, mostly on the Roku Ultra.

My advice is to not go cheap on the media player. A Roku Express is under $30 but if you are going to use it for years it would be best to invest a little more in a premium player like a Roku Ultra or an Apple TV if you can fit it into your budget.

This is just my opinion based on several months of testing various services and media players. Your results may vary.

[rick35]

You might consider using a laptop with an HDMI jack. There's a comcast app that works with the roku stick but it only works at home. If you connect a laptop you can use the comcast dvr as well as on demand. I'm not sure about live TV. And you can run other apps like Netflix as well. I thought about buying one of those small Windows pc devices but I have an older laptop that works fine.

[BroadHopper]

The OS has the software to stream through your LAN media content to another device that has streaming software. I use it daily to my Vizio TV that has a streaming app as well as the Roku stick on 'dum' TV.

If you don't have a LAN, you can connect the laptop directly to roku providing the laptop has access to the internet.

I had KODI on the Roku stick. It's not recommended because of the processing speed so KODI is on my laptop.

My son-in-law has the firestick. He says it has the same capability.

[Rich]

If you won't be "cutting the cord" at home, I can suggest a Slingbox (not SlingTv). www.slingbox.com. There is no monthly fee, cost of entry is just a one time purchase the required hardware adapter.

It allows you to stream your own cable box output anywhere in the world. The only downside is that both the remote viewer and anyone at home must watch the same content as it simply streams whatever channel your cable box is currently viewing.

The remote interface is a little clunky, but if your cable box has a remote control app, you can use that to surf of change channels, it's very usable (Comcast has this and it works well).

It's capable of streaming lower resolutions for bandwidth limited connectivity.

Most streaming adapters include a Slingbox app so it's easy to watch on a remote TV with a Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, etc. You can also watch on any phone or tablet without the need for a TV at all.

http://www.slingbox.com/BigCable.aspx

[BroadHopper]

Atlantic Broadband has a website that allows you to watch your prescribed channels on your laptop, desktop ,tablet. Comcast has a similar website as well as a phone app. I 'stream' the content from my device to my tv via mediacast.
This way I can choose the channel I want to watch at the moment.

[4 for Boating]

I too have a Slingbox back at my primary home (Xfinity) and when we visit our place in NH (Atlantic Broadband) we are able to view everything from home. Including DVR recordings. It works well as we are never at the same place at the same time.

Agreed the remote is a little slow/clunky (we used a Fire Stick attached to the TV) but for the cost of just unlimited high speed (Atlantic BB) service in NH we have fast Wifi/internet connection and all the TV we have at home.

To date, we have been able to always watch the TV stream in HD - and that's with two kids most likely streaming YouTube videos at the same time - joke.

[Orion]

I've tried most of the solutions over the years and have finally found my ideal solution for streaming my local OTA channels (28 channels in central MA) to my island house which has DSL.

I have an large antenna in my attic in my MA home that I installed 30 years ago and am using a 4-channel DVR from Tablo which I'm finding is pretty much flawless in operation. I can record up to 4 channels simultaneously and play everything on it back via streaming to anywhere in the house (any smart TV or AppleTV) or stream over the web to the island with full control of the DVR remotely. I can even stream live channels from the Tablo.

With this I have all Boston and Providence channels available to me at the lake for free (hardware cost and small optional guide fee). I HAVE CUT THE CORD. I also use AppleTV for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime so it makes a nice integrated solution with all my recorded shows no matter where I am. Requires about minimum 3Mbps stream.

[trfour]

Also; https://www.zdnet.com/article/10-bes...-cord-cutters/

[Geneva Point]

We just called and received wifi and steaming for $77/month with Spectrum. Local channels included plus long list of other channels. No contract. No cable.

[fatlazyless]

Spectrum says it is not available in Meredith.

[Purplehayes]

For the folks with Slingbox. I have read a bunch of reviews that say they are forcing advertisements and pop up ads while streaming. Are you not experiencing this? This option, absent the advertisements seems to me to be a decent one.

However, I recently got Spectrum internet for a house in Moultonborough. There is no required contract and the same for cable service. I was considering simply getting the cable box from them with no contract and can turn off and on by day if wanted for cable service. I confirmed (multiple times now) that they will prorate the bill daily. I am primarily interested in getting NESN for the Red Sox games. Cost was $1.35 or so per day for the package I wanted.

Streaming from my phone through mirrorcast or other always seems to present some challenges.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Geneva Point

We just called and received wifi and steaming for $77/month with Spectrum. Local channels included plus long list of other channels. No contract. No cable.

What do they give you for a streaming box? Is it just like a cable box?

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[4 for Boating]

We don't see any advertisements when we watch (we see exactly what we would see at home on each station) but the setup may have something to do with that:

> Atlantic Broadband in NH - Unlimited and very fast - $52 per month
> Slingbox back home - Unlimited Xfintiy (also fast) with DVR box (Cost a fortune!!!!)
> Firestick attached to TV via HDMI in NH - $39

We use the fire stick and it's remote to stream directly into the TV.
No PC, tablet or casting to Apple TV...

Works well for us but again, every situation is different.

[Purplehayes]

Which Slingbox model are you using? There a few options available.

[4 for Boating]

We are using the 500 at home - I cannot really recall why we picked that over the others.

One aspect (there is always something) that I will say/recall is many of the movie channels like HBO and Showtime block this type of solution on the HDMI channel even though it's legal. Slingbox recommends the use of Component (HD) in between your cable box and the sling box as it has no restrictions and will not/cannot be blocked by any HDMI security protocol. This also requires your cable box to have Component (the green / blue / red) output.

You can find many articles on this online and I think it's best to do a little homework on the hookup before purchase to assure everything will connect together as desired.

Once it's going, it has been flawless for us - over 1.5 years now

[webmaster]

I've had a Slingbox for years and use it frequently. They have added ads to their Slingplayer but I haven't seen any ads on the stream itself yet. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if they added them.

I also use the component input so I haven't seen any of the HDMI blocking mentioned.

Even with some ads sneaking in I'm still a big fan of the Slingbox.

[Rich]

I think it would be hard for them to add advertising to the stream, as it's basically a live stream of your source.

Additional content such as an advertisement in the stream would bugger up the rest of the stream. It's not like a recording that they can simply append advertising and make one particular show run longer.

I don't think that the Slingbox hardware has enough storage to support this, it has enough for buffering, but probably not enough for extending content.

I could be wrong of course.

If there was any advertising, it could be a one time thing as you first go to start a stream, or perhaps as you switch a channel, or as any rebuffering occurs, but probably not during a live stream.

Of course they could force it to occur, but then customers would loose content at that time and it would be so annoying people would stop using it! Imagine if it occurred right as a touchdown was to occur, how happy would you be?!?!? Probably won't happen!

[SachemIslander]

Is anyone aware of upgrades or options other than Fairpoint DSL on the islands. We are on Mink and stuck at just a few MBPS. We have two pipes because they could only get us something like 3 or 4 MBPS. I now have too slow pipes instead of one. Any better options out there? TIA

[ApS]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Atlantic Broadband has a website that allows you to watch your prescribed channels on your laptop, desktop ,tablet. Comcast has a similar website as well as a phone app. I 'stream' the content from my device to my tv via mediacast.
This way I can choose the channel I want to watch at the moment.

I was just checking the countless, multiple, terrible, 1-star reviews of my nearest factory AT&T store.

One reviewer says, "AT&T needs a new slogan. I propose, 'AT&T isn't the best, but we're not Comcast'"