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Like I'm 5: ditching cable for hulu/netflix/roku matrix?
We are considering this but I have loads of questions.
We watch HGTV, TLC, ESPN and Nick JR. and I'd like to be able to access shows on these channels if possible.
We have a PS3 and can get Netflix streaming through there, but the movie selection BLOWS for the grown-ups purposes (has Nick Jr stuff). We now get 2 DVDs out at a time w/o streaming but could add streaming back on if needed. I've heard that PS3 "could be use as a Roku box" too - whatever that means??
W/o the TV part of cable, we'd still pay for cable internet, so right now our bill is just under $40/month for the TV half. This doesn't include our netflix package, about $13/month, so $53/month total. I dunno how much I'd care to switch to some combo of packages w/o a savings of $15/month or more, kwim?
Thanks for any advice!
Re: Like I'm 5: ditching cable for hulu/netflix/roku matrix?
I think Hulu is overrated. We tried it, and I don't really get what the fuss is about. And there are commercials that you can't fast forward through. The navigation through Hulu on the Roku is horrible too, which just compounds my disdain for the service.
I don't really know if those channels are on Hulu, but the website has a way to search for shows.
If you get rid of cable completely, the only way you'll have access to current cable shows is either through iTunes or by going to the network's website and hoping they've uploaded episodes.
The PS3 is like the Roku in that it has Netflix, Crackle, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Videos.
The only services that offer commercial-free entertainment are Netflix and Amazon.
Cable channels, and esp ESPN, are going to be the hardest to replace w/o cable. There's a descent amount of network shows (Hulu plus), older movies (Netflix, crackle, and amazon), and newer movies a la carte via Amazon on Roku, but we haven't ditched yet because of sports and cable (HGTV, FX).
Honestly, your cable package is pretty cheap. We pay $90/mo for Directv, and I think it was up to about $105 when we had Comcast. If it were $40, I wouldn't consider cutting.
The cable companies make their money by bundling the expensive channels everyone wants to watch (ESPN) with a zillionty other channels they can charge you for. Customers are getting sick of paying $$$ for 400 channels when thy only watch 10. Something's going to have to give, and it probably involves ESPN giving up the 5x every other cable channel that they demand.
I have a roku. I use my roku box to stream netflix, amazon instant video & hbo go programming. I think i get epix too.
But there is no way that a roku box replaces cable, because the stuff I am getting from netflix and amazon are just the standard stuff that they have for streaming customers, which isn't really full episodes of new tv shows.
I had hulu plus for like a month but I cancelled b/c I didn't think it was worth it. There were a bunch of shows on hulu plus that I couldn't watch through the roku - it would say "web only." WTF is the point of that, then?
Trains Across America
Would you like to buy my condo in Salem?
???
I have Hulu Plus and have access to current shows. I think they normally go up the day after, but they're up.
"You don't get to be all puke-face about your kid shooting your undead baby daddy when all you had to do was KEEP HIM IN THE FLUCKING HOUSE, LORI!" - doctorwho
For real. I don't have trouble getting any shows. There are 1 or 2 that we buy from iTunes or download elsewhere, but we never go without.
I too got rid of cable when we moved and we have hulu+ and netflix. Hulu+ makes all network shows available the day after, which often is about 3-7 days more quickly than the network itself or Hulu (not +). Netflix streaming has older episodes of TV shows and not recent ones.
That being said, ESPN games are almost impossible to get without a seperate ESPN online package (they have one for each sport) and things like bike racing that is on OLN is really tough to get online.
Netflix has a lot of NickJr shows and if your kids are young, there are tons of shows on there for them to watch. We pretty much keep Netflix for the kids (oh and I watched all the past seasons of Mad Men on there).
TLC and HGTV are a little tougher - you have to go to their websites not to Hulu/Netflix and see what they make available. Both usually have quite a few recent-type episodes available.
But Bravo (if you watch Top Chef) doesn't make much available at all. We ended up buying the Top Chef season from Amazon (the i-tunes one was terrible for sound/quality for some reason and we were refunded, plus amazon was cheaper). But I was able to watch Top Chef the day after it aired every week.
Sorry that was long, but basically, we've been able to cut down from $100+ dollars a month on internet/cable to about $55/month on internet and hulu+/Netflix. Plus the occasional night at the bar to watch a sports event. I could probably go without Netflix this summer though. But that's only another $8 per month.
ETA: Oh and we don't have roku...we use the i-pad and an HDMI cable adapter to stream most everything onto our regular TV. My dad has something similar with his Acer tablet and an HDMI adapter for his TV. The kids, however, end up usually watching kid shows on the older laptop since I don't usually put their shows on the big TV unless it's a movie night.
Are you united with the CCOKCs?
They don't have cable shows like ESPN and HGTV and The Food Network, andplusalso I hate the commercials. AND Hulu's quality has always sucked for me.
Trains Across America
Would you like to buy my condo in Salem?
Once you cut the cable, even with hulu/netflix/amazon, I am sure your overall TV consumption with simply decline so I wouldn't worry so much about how to find every single show you currently watch.
I've gone now just over a year without cable, but still having broadcast channels and netflix and I rarely turn on the TV at all. I consider this a very good thing.