[mythtv-users] What are my options for getting TV shows after leaving comcast?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 8/2/2016 6:56 AM, Brendan Kearney wrote:
> On 08/02/2016 02:19 AM, Marc MERLIN wrote:
>> Howdy,
>>
>> After 10+ years of happy times with mythtv, it may be time to retire my
>> setup.
>> I just got tired of paying comcast so much money for so few channels I
>> was watching and 10 things I was recording at most, and got tired of
>> ever changing channel numbers so I would miss sometimes entire seasons
>> of programs.
>>
>> I know I could go back to OTA HD antenna, but that won't bring me some
>> of the shows that are cable only.
>>
>> What are my options for getting/watching the shows below as simply as
>> possible, and preferably without stupid unskippable ads, some of which
>> are the same 3 ads over and over again:
>>
>> Broadcast channels:
>> 60 minutes
>> SNL
>> Simpsons
>>
>> Cable:
>> Nova

Nova isn't a cable TV show.  It's a show from PBS, which is probably one 
of the best supporters of OTA television in the US.  It and the 
broadcast shows you list above are available OTA if you have a properly 
sized/placed antenna (and can be recorded with MythTV using a supported 
ATSC capture device).

>> the daily show
>> south park
>> better call saul
>>
>> Actually, I'm even interested in something that would tell me that there
>> is a new version of that show that has aired, and that I should go get
>> it/watch it somehow.
>> For instance I missed the entire last season of mythbusters before I
>> found out it was airing and that for yet another reason, my mythtv
>> wasn't able to record it anymore.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Marc
> i cut cable, and went the Roku+app route.  i have Sling and Hulu as 
> monthly subscriptons.  with some research you can find which apps you 
> need to get the content you want.

But remember there's no recording with Sling unless you rig up a clumsy 
HD-PVR with Roku 1 (only one with Component out) solution--and even 
then, you can only use Sling on a single system at a time (only one Roku 
or iPad or Android or ... per Sling account), meaning you couldn't 
record from multiple channels. Therefore, Sling is only really live TV 
viewing and VOD (some channels offer some of their shows VOD)--with 
unskippable commercials in the VOD streams (that also make it really 
annoying to jump around in the show--often punishing a 30-sec skip back 
with another round of (the same) 5 commercials).  They also offer 
pay-per-view streaming rentals for movies and such, just like Amazon 
Instant or whatever.

Also, there wouldn't be recording with Hulu--but as I understand it you 
could just stream and re-stream any of the Hulu Plus shows you want once 
you get the Hulu Plus subscription, so there's no need to record.

For me, I have OTA recording (6 physical ATSC tuners in MythTV with a 
nice TV antenna and properly distributed signal) and Sling. However I 
find Sling is only useful for ESPN as everything else I like to watch I 
don't want to watch with commercials.  So, even though Sling has AMC and 
AMC on Sling makes The Walking Dead available via VOD (so I could watch 
it on my schedule), I choose not to so I don't have to sit through the 
commercials.  Instead, I buy seasons of TWD on Amazon and stream them 
commercial-free when my wife and I are ready to watch.  I do the same 
for other cable TV shows I like, whether they're on Sling channels or 
not--The Last Ship, Fear the Walking Dead (OK, not so much that I like 
that one, but I feel I have to watch it because I really like TWD), The 
Expanse, ...

While it seems it would be expensive to buy the cable TV shows I want to 
watch individually, I find it's *significantly* cheaper than a cable TV 
subscription.  Previously, I had the local cable company's $99/mo 
high-speed internet and TV bundle special (first year pricing, goes up 
to "normal" price--whatever that would have been--after a year, but 
since I dropped cable before the year was up, I don't know what the 
normal price was).  With the $99/mo special, I was paying >$130/mo after 
taxes, fees, equipment charges, etc. (the cost was increased a little 
bit at a time a few times during the 8mos or so I had it and the last 
month I had it was $135).  After dropping the package, I got high speed 
internet for $39.99/mo (including all taxes and fees and there are no 
equipment charges since I bought my own cable modem) and Sling is $20/mo 
(and I have it only for my wife's ESPN).  So I'm now paying $60/mo.  
That means I have >$70/mo I can spend on buying TV series or movies on 
Amazon before I hit the cost of the cable TV package.  Since most series 
are about $20-40/season on Amazon, I can buy more than 21 seasons of TV 
per year before I hit the cost of cable TV.  Since I don't have nearly 
the time to watch 21 seasons of TV shows (and since I have Amazon Prime, 
giving me Amazon Instant Prime--which provides many good shows for free 
on Amazon Instant, including The Americans and Falling Skies and ...), I 
never buy nearly that much.

Note, too, that this only works if you can get high-speed internet at a 
good price even without bundling it with a cable TV subscription (which 
is not possible in some areas of the country, depending on the 
entrenched monopoly provider for the area).  I'm wondering if my current 
solution will still be possible when Charter finishes their take over of 
the Brighthouse Networks properties that were serving my area.

Mike