Sat Dec 29, 2018
10:03 am:
LU 57 wrote:Any thoughts on switching to Sling or other live streaming service?
Sat Dec 29, 2018
12:48 pm
LU 57 wrote:In the end, I decided to re-up with a Verizon
Didn't wait very long, huh?
My 2¢
If you are thinking about "cord cutting" you have to break down all of the components first. Here is what it looks like for us:
Internet: We have 7mbs unlimited DSL. That is good for us <most> of the time. The issue for us is metered internet. We originally spent about $40/mo for this service, but it has gone up. Unfortunately our options for cable have been very expensive and metered... we can't (choose not to) afford to spend $100+/mo. for internet. Recently Shentel has gone to a more reasonable fee for "unlimited" internet. When our contract is up I will re-evaluate.
TV Provider: We originally went with DirecTV Now. We recieved a free Apple TV, and had the "Go Big" package for $40/mo. We were grandfathered in to that GREAT price. However, we dropped it a few months ago because the service never worked for us. NOTE: Paying for these services often provide you access to the various channel apps. For example, you can watch ESPN on the DirecTV Now app OR on the ESPN app. In our case, with our relatively slow internet, the DirecTV Now app NEVER worked right for many channels. For the most part we didn't care because the ESPN app worked well most of the time and there was the promise of access to more apps "coming soon." The latter never materialized.
We ended up switching to HULU With Live TV. We were already subscribing to HULU ($8/mo) so switching over to the full service made economic sense (Only paying for one service instead of two). When I said that the ESPN app worked most of the time, today is an example of when it didn't work for us as we would like. Too many people trying to watch the same game. (The national championship game will be better, because there will be like 8 different streams going all at once). My wife wanted to watch Michigan today, and the ESPN app was sluggish, so I switched over to HULU... it is playing flawlessly.
You really do have to research the various service providers. Your needs will be different than someone else's. Each of them have advantages. The one that is interesting to me is YouTube TV, which allows multiple users.
Other Services: We have subscribed to Netflix for years and is great for our family. They are continuing to lose rights to shows (especially disney/marval/pixar), but they are spending BILLIONS on "original programming." We also subscribe to Amazon Prime... not originally for video, but that has become a great perk.
I will sometimes subscribe to a service for a month to binge a show. I love Star Trek and just binged the new show on CBS All Access. I will wait until the end of season 2 and subscribe for another month. I'd be more inclined to subscribe regularly if they had access to some shows like Big Bang Theory (which I have never seen, but would be interested in seeing what it is about).
Phone Service: Phone service isn't related to TV for us, but it is for many of you. I think the cell providers picking up "free netflix" or "free hulu" is interesting... but so far, not at the price (or in some cases the coverage in our area).
A fellow forum member is co-owner of a wireless provider (reseller). At the time, he gave me a great deal on service. We have been mostly happy with it and I would recommend it to others. I currently pay $40/mo/line for 5GB service. Bring Your Own Phone. We are on Verizon towers.
https://www.boom.us/plans-page-2