Sling TV vs Cable?

[Hockley]

So I need to get some kind of plan in place. Was a U-verse guy before, but was thinking about going the Direct TV route this time around. I keep hearing about sling TV though. What is the deal with it? I pretty much watch anything that isn’t sports on the DVR, but I do want to make sure I have ESPN, History Channel etc.

Also need an internet provider. This is in Katy.

What’s the green screen’s thoughts?

[justintyme8303]

I have internet and use a Roku box to stream TV. I have "DirectTV Now" service that i can stream on my Roku or watch on my phone or laptop. Its just an app so no dish on my house and no cutting out in the rain but same chaneels. The Roku has tons of app to watch like HULU, Netflix, Amazon prime, HBO Go. I have the basic DirectTV Now line up which has all the channels we wanted. You can see them on demand too not just live.

I had the U450 and was paying a ton now paying about $100 total and half of that is internet.

[texan4ut]

I am the opposite of justintyme all I watch is sports, mainly football, NASCAR, and college BB during March madness. Nearly all of the apps, sling tv, netflix etc. are mostly movies which I care nothing about watching. Wish they had a good sports app to get all of my sports channels and the few other shows I watch.

[aggie2000tx]

PlayStation Vue. Enough said and it is great

[buckfan50]

Set

You need to check out SetTV. As long as your internet is fast enough. It has everything for $20 a month even the NFL ticket.

[gingib]

I need to look into something. Directv and internet bundled it getting way too expensive. Even with them reducing the bill

[TEX_hunt_AS]

We are pretty happy with DirectTv Now as well, we watch through our apple tv, so we switch between DirectTv Now, Netflix, youtube, etc.

[backwoods]

We went from cable to streaming services and I kind of regret it.

The #1 problem is that there is no way (that I've found) to be able to skip commercials. With cable, you have a DVR that you can fast forward through commercials. DVR's are available on some streaming platforms, but they only allow you to record and not fast forward. Having to watch commercials has cut my TV viewing in half so maybe it is a good thing.

The second problem is the added complexity and cost. We have Sling. Started with the Orange + Blue package and have been slowly adding packages. I dont watch a ton of TV, but it seems like any show that interests me I have to add a package to pick up that channel. To watch the "Waco" show on the "Paramount Network" I had to add the "Comedy" package. To watch "Meateater" and other outdoor shows I had to add the "heartland" package. There is no way to watch some shows like "Lone Star Law" unless you have cable. I started watching History Channels "Men Who Built America" but they conveniently excluded the final episode #4 so I had to go to Amazon Prime to buy the last episode.
On top of all of that, we also pay monthly for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and CBS (the only way to stream their shows like Survivor is to pay for a subscription)
Watching TV has become a sort of game that involves research and planning.

All of this may still be cheaper than cable, but it is certainly more complex and I miss cable.

[jshouse]

PlayStation Vue. Enough said and it is great

this with netflix and amazon prime are about $70 cheaper than directv was for us. plus amazon prime gives me free shipping when i go crazy buying stuff online.

[antonlsu]

You need to check out SetTV. As long as your internet is fast enough. It has everything for $20 a month even the NFL ticket.

Never heard of SET.. I use Sling TV & pay about 50 a month.. Will need to look into this

[Cajun Blake]

You need to check out SetTV. As long as your internet is fast enough. It has everything for $20 a month even the NFL ticket.

looks very promising ... do you buy 1 black box (set top box - $149 ) that will broadcast to 3 TV's, or do you need 3 of the set top boxes ... 1 for each TV ?

[texan4ut]

Looks like set tv works with a Firestick, no box needed. Going to check it out today.

[stickbowcoop]

The problem with all the streaming apps and packages is they require reliable internet. In PA most everybody had actual cable run to their houses from the pole, not a dish on the house with cable from the dish to the box. I find the internet here frustrating at times. Even having a good line of sight to the tower (no trees) we have issues with varying speeds or going out altogether. We have a 50mbs plan, thankfully my wife's work pays for it because she works from home, but it slows WAY down quite often. That is the only thing keeping us from going to an internet only setup. I worry those fluctuating speeds will lead to lag and a frustrating viewing experience.

[Mike D]

I am the opposite of justintyme all I watch is sports, mainly football, NASCAR, and college BB during March madness. Nearly all of the apps, sling tv, netflix etc. are mostly movies which I care nothing about watching. Wish they had a good sports app to get all of my sports channels and the few other shows I watch.

Sling has plenty of sports channels available.

I have ESPN 1,2,3
I have 6 Fox Sports network channels
I have FS1 & 2

Plus some I’m sure I’m missing. The problem is local blackouts that you will get from time to time.

It’s only a matter of time before the cable/sat companies will have to adjust because lots of folks are going to streaming TV.

That or the broadcasters will have to release blackouts for local games.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Jtrage]

Before you jump into Settv, make sure you understand what it is. Depending on how you feel about it, it's definitely a grey area. It is an IPTV service. It doesn't bother me a lot. I use another IPTV service. With these services the reliability is not always there. Streams and quality can vary.

With the legit services make sure you know what your getting with the package. How many streams can you have simultaneously? Do they have on demand? Do they have commercials and if so can you skip?