How many of us are cord cutters? What streaming sources do you use?

[vi edit]

Hope I sufficiently answered your questions.

Absolutely, thank you. I was a huge user of XP's Media Center and used media extenders and Xboxes to replay stuff. It worked well enough, most of the time. I even took the time to do media hub plugins that did movie management and spruced up the interface. But it was still clunky and took time to load up and work.

For me now, my time is at such a premium I don't want to tinker with that stuff. Or try to explain it to a babysitter or my father in law. It's nice just to toss the tivo remote on the couch and they can do everything in a couple seconds of instructions. Plus no harmony remotes or IR blasters needed. Tivo controls my TV and it's RF based so I can have the tivo in another room if I wanted and it would still control it.

 

[slag]

Roku isn't a source. It's a tool used to watch streaming sources, but its not a source in and of itself.

KODI isn't a source either. It has plugins that are sources, but kodi by itself doesn't have any streaming media sources associated with it. You have to add them to it.

 

[FrankRamiro]

It's pretty commonly understood that cord cutting = cutting your TV package. You obviously need Internet. It's not a literal cord cutting...

I have Netflix all year round, and I get HBO Now whenever Game of Thrones is on.

Wrong; cord cutters from tv providers have nothing to do with INTERNET.
everybody that i know have TV providers and INTERNET and pay over 140 bucks a month for TV Packages and also have to pay 80 bucks for INTERNET,so,140+80=220 bucks,you may have a discount for some time but in the end your bill will be astronomic, if you like all good sports packages,you may switch providers but soon you run out of providers to make a good deal, then you have to end up paying a high bill.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Absolutely, thank you. I was a huge user of XP's Media Center and used media extenders and Xboxes to replay stuff. It worked well enough, most of the time. I even took the time to do media hub plugins that did movie management and spruced up the interface. But it was still clunky and took time to load up and work.

I feel you. I have been messing with it for 5 years and only recently is it "slick" enough to show people.

For me now, my time is at such a premium I don't want to tinker with that stuff. Or try to explain it to a babysitter or my father in law. It's nice just to toss the tivo remote on the couch and they can do everything in a couple seconds of instructions. Plus no harmony remotes or IR blasters needed. Tivo controls my TV and it's RF based so I can have the tivo in another room if I wanted and it would still control it.

RF is very nice, because IR can be a pain. I love the fact the new Harmonies use the IR blaster for that reason, I don't have to train family "where to point the remote." One less thing.

Have a great day!

 

[dullard]

RF is very nice, because IR can be a pain. I love the fact the new Harmonies use the IR blaster for that reason, I don't have to train family "where to point the remote." One less thing.

The Harmony remotes are fantastic, but IR is a major hurdle for extended family members. They don't understand that you have to point it at the TV and hold it there for a second no matter how many times I say it.

They always just come to me saying it doesn't work, the TV isn't on. I grab the remote and see the screen is asking if the TV is on. I click no and problem solved. That extra button press however is an insurmountable challenge for so many of my guests.

 

[poofyhairguy]

The Harmony remotes are fantastic, but IR is a major hurdle for extended family members. They don't understand that you have to point it at the TV and hold it there for a second no matter how many times I say it.

They always just come to me saying it doesn't work, the TV isn't on. I grab the remote and see the screen is asking if the TV is on. I click no and problem solved. That extra button press however is an insurmountable challenge for so many of my guests.

Yeah that is why I have switched almost everything to one of the new Harmonies that have the hub with IR blasters. Then there is no longer any need to point at anything specific. Its a lifesaver anytime someone new tries to use my setup.

Funny thing is my wife still holds up the new Harmony at the TV for a while everytime she does something. I tell her "you know you don't have to do that" and she says "I am used to it now." Humans are funny like that.

 

[Bird222]

Can you get caught watching movies on Kodi?

Can you guys offer some opinions on this? Surely it can't be legal to be watching these movies.

 

[Fritzo]

Can you guys offer some opinions on this? Surely it can't be legal to be watching these movies.

The streams are hosted off-shore, and since you're not holding the content, they're in a "gray" area of legality and there's not much that can be done. I use a VPN service myself (I work for an IT company and we set up a VPN piggy-back on one of our routers for employees to use). There's a lot of VPN services out there though.

My fear is Kodi and OSMC were geeks secrets until recently. Now Kodi boxes are showing up everywhere and the cat is out of the back. I think the same thing that happened to Black Friday sales is going to happen to our Kodi streams...they're going to get ruined by going mainstream.

 

[Miramonti]

Is there a such thing as cord cutting when the ISP, who also owns the tv cord, is charging way too much for way too little bandwidth?

 

[purbeast0]

ive always wondered why cord cutters "brag" about doing it. i mean you're paying for services with different/less features than if you had a cable service, so it makes sense you would be paying the same or LESS.

EDIT:

sorry i meant same or LESS not same or more as I had!

 

[1sikbITCH]

Netflix (Friend's account)
Prime (Bonus to my shipping)
HBO (Friends's account)
Showtime (Friend's account)

I'm good

Well you're a good moocher

 

[dullard]

ive always wondered why cord cutters "brag" about doing it. i mean you're paying for services with different/less features than if you had a cable service, so it makes sense you would be paying the same or more.

We "brag" to (1) encourage people to realize that they have a choice and might be just fine with different features or less features (often at well over $1000 a year savings so this isn't just chump change) and (2) with enough of us we can change the cable companies to go a-la-carte. HBO was the first to cave; hopefully more will come.

To have HBO before cable cutters, you needed to pay ~$100 a month because you were forced to pay ~$85/month for channels you often don't want. Now, $15/month will do it. That is a major reason to keep wanting this change.

 

[TwiceOver]

ive always wondered why cord cutters "brag" about doing it. i mean you're paying for services with different/less features than if you had a cable service, so it makes sense you would be paying the same or more.

Sigh. You're bagging a chick from the cable company aren't you.

Last I checked my $65 cable cutting experience is cheaper than my $225 cable having experience.

 

[nakedfrog]

ive always wondered why cord cutters "brag" about doing it. i mean you're paying for services with different/less features than if you had a cable service, so it makes sense you would be paying the same or more.

I'm yet to figure out what you're trying to say here. Are you implying cord cutters are paying more than they were when they had cable?

 

[thedarkwolf]

ive always wondered why cord cutters "brag" about doing it. i mean you're paying for services with different/less features than if you had a cable service, so it makes sense you would be paying the same or more.

Before yesterday I was paying $165 for basic cable and internet with no equipment rental fees. As of today I'm paying $75 for internet and Playstaion Vue. That is a pretty big savings and I'm not really losing anything that matters to me and actually gaining some neat features with Vue. I am getting a special deal on my internet and after 12 months my total cost will go to $90 which is still as nice savings over $165. Vue makes cutting the cord a hell of a lot easier than before since it basically is cable tv and operates a lot like your standard cable Tv just a bit clunkier.

I was already paying for Netflix and Amazon with cable.

 

[nakedfrog]

That's where I'm at, already had Netflix & Amazon Prime, and have not added any services since cancelling satellite service.

 

[purbeast0]

wow i fucked that up. totally meant paying same or less, not same or more. lol my statement makes no sense with what i originally had.

 

[TwiceOver]

wow i fucked that up. totally meant paying same or less, not same or more. lol my statement makes no sense with what i originally had.

Still, why would I "brag" that I'm paying less for less or same service (assuming that what you meant)? I think that answers itself, right?

 

[purbeast0]

Still, why would I "brag" that I'm paying less for less or same service (assuming that what you meant)? I think that answers itself, right?

no i asked why you would be "bragging" that you are paying less for less/different service.

 

[nakedfrog]

Me personally, I feel like I'm deriving the same amount of enjoyment and paying a lot less.

 

[zinfamous]

no i asked why you would be "bragging" that you are paying less for less/different service.

I wouldn't call it bragging. It's just an acknowledgement that you are paying less for a service that you barely use anyway.

The point is basically to ask those that still pay hundreds+ per month if they are actually watching those 300 or so channels constantly to justify those costs.

Getting rid of and living without cable is far easier than most realize. The world is a big place with plenty of things to do to fill that dead time....and far better things to spend that money on.

 

[TwiceOver]

Me personally, I feel like I'm deriving the same amount of enjoyment and paying a lot less.

There we go. That's the perfect statement.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Can you guys offer some opinions on this? Surely it can't be legal to be watching these movies.

If you are really concerned about this I assume that free forum legal advice isn't good enough anyway. Piracy is not for the risk averse.

 

[soulcougher73]

I hadnt heard of this Playstation Vue before. Sounds interesting. Shows its only $30 for the 55+ channel line up. I will have to see if any of those channels have shows id actually be interested in.

 

[TallBill]

Netflix and spotify premium. Kinda forced into spotify, choices in Germany are weak and don't feel like running a vpn, plus I use on mine and my wife's phones.

Steam too I guess? Digital download. And rent movies on amazon or xbox.