I've started looking at streaming sites in terms of sports and it looks like the only ones that fit my needs would be DirectTV now and Sling. What is the consensus on both? It looks like Sling might be a decent service.
I passed on Sling because it didn't have BTN. DirectTV Now has BTN. I'm running Hulu Live, and I'll report back on how well it works. What I am hearing is that DirectTv has the best interface. Hulu's is a little goofy.
Hulu Live is their attempt at a live streaming TV-ish service. There's a bunch of channels that transmit live TV via a streaming device. It's a slow roll out and not a ton of devices run it right now. However, most of the major apps that require a TV provider subscription will accept Hulu Live log in. Right now, it's $44 for the standard Hulu (no commercials) plus the Live. It's $40 for the standard Hulu (with commercials) plus the Live. Since we were already paying for standard (no commercials), it was only about $32 more. So, we dropped a hundred bucks by ditching cable, and then added another $32. We're going to end up saving right around $69 per month. And get almost every media we watched before.
I have been reading comments, forgive me if I missed this concern. Most post list the app or service cost, but what of the internet service ...... This is a catch 22 scenario for many, where i live (with duopoly infrastructure) internet cost alone is more costly than cable + internet, by design of the provider... How do others navigate this?
I can't speak to sports, but for the rest of your TV needs, don't underestimate the usefulness of an antenna to get over-the-air channels. The majority of TV that I watch is on these channels, so it made no sense to continue with cable when I could get them for free. So that I don't have to watch live, I bought a Tivo a couple of years ago, with a lifetime subscription. It's pricey, but it's really a one-time investment that pays for itself quickly. Compared to what I was paying yearly for cable, it was minimal. I've loved having the Tivo, it's really well designed. I currently subscribe to Netflix and CBS All Access. I was signed up with Amazon Prime, but found myself never using their streaming services (just wasn't interested in the library), so I dumped it. Since I record shows on the major networks using my DVR, I haven't found a need for Hulu. However, if I lived in an area that didn't get great antenna reception, or I didn't want to buy a DVR, I would get Hulu instead. And it's no joke that the antenna HD picture looks way better than cable HD. It's great quality. I have found CBS All Access useful because I don't receive CBS that well sometimes, so I watch the live TV or their posted episodes. If Star Trek wasn't airing, and I could record their shows perfectly on my DVR, I wouldn't bother subscribing.
I do not have this issue with my internet provider. Internet is cheaper when bundled, but it's still significantly less. I'm saving right around $70 per month by only going with Internet and streaming media.
We have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and CBS All Access, which we watch using an Xbox One. An antenna for the local channels. And the most basic cable package that was available, but only because the bundle made the Internet connection we had to have anyway cheaper for some stupid reason. We only use it to watch channels we also get over the antenna, anyway - could easily do without it. We also have Kodi on a laptop connected to the TV - but even though it does have some... interesting... plug-ins, we only use it to watch a stream of France24 news in the mornings. Which is legal and free anyway - you can watch it on their website. It's just more convenient to get it on the TV that way.
Hockey is a selling point for me, and it looks like Sling and DirectTV Now are my only two options. I would love for NHL Network to get added to more channels, but it feels like they are too cheap and niche to do that.
My cable provider is my internet provider. When I look up local ISPs, it seems that my options are Comcast, or some operation whose ads make it look as though it's run out of somebody's garage. I found ONE place while looking at an online comparison sire that the site claimed was faster and cheaper than Comcast... but it only covers 1% of my town (definitely not my part.)
I'm lucky enough to live in an area with Verizon FiOS. Checking their coverage map, damn. People really do not have options in most of this country.
And Ajit Pai is now arguing that mobile Internet satisfies the FCC's requirement, under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act, to ensure that broadband is being deployed across the United States in a "reasonable and timely fashion," and that 10Mbps down / 1Mbps up is a perfectly acceptable standard. (The FCC's current standard for home broadband is 25 / 3.) Yeah, our Charter bill dropped from something like $150 to $68 when we dropped the television part. We get around 60 - 65 Mbps down, and our antennas get pretty much every station except WMTV clearly, so we're not missing anything by just sticking with Netflix, Hulu, Prime and the occasional Redbox rental.
No you can share your password with others. Also in my home we have 4 tv's and you can watch Hulu on any of them. Jason
We have SlingTV, and Netflix and Amazon. That covers all the channels we watched when we had cable, plus all the shows and movies we can keep up with. Roku Sticks on all the TVs in the house, and digital antennas for the local channels. Cable TV is dying a slow, pitiful death.