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How to watch sports if I ditch cable/satellite?

PiratePenguin

PiratePenguin

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We've been talking about getting rid of our DirecTV as we just don't feel like we're getting $100 per month worth of value from it, and with baby on the way soon and daycare costing more than a new set of custom Mizuno's per month, it would also help out to pay for that.

We can stream Netflix through our Bluray, and I could get an Apple TV unit as well if necessary, but what about sports? Given our location and nearby houses and trees I don't think we'll get a strong enough over the air signal to watch local network feeds, though I'll certainly try. If that doesn't work, how can I watch golf and football, etc?

Any of you who've made the switch have any advice or tips?
 
Have you priced Dish? I switched a couple of years ago when I upgraded to HD and could not be happier plus I saved nearly $40 a month for the same package.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
Have you priced Dish? I switched a couple of years ago when I upgraded to digital and could not be happier plus I saved nearly $40 a month for the same package.
Click to expand...

It was also a thought/option. My parents switched last year and have been happy enough with Dish so far, but I've heard a lot of not great things about them overall - service, quality, etc. - over the years so I'm a little leery.

Comcast (Comcrap) is the only option we have for cable and had them in the past and had a slew of problems so they are a last resort no matter what Shack and Ben Stein might tell me in their commercials.
 
Here we just got a bunch of new competitors into the tv market and prices have gone way done if you start switching and price matching with your company. For my digital phone, internet, and tv I now pay less than $120 per month for all the services and thats with every channel I can really get my hands on. I'll say this with the baby on the way and the high costs of everything associated with that, tv is a cheap form of entertainment. We found that we were so tired and broke with my wife not working and the baby, all we had energy for was a movie then bed, or a show then bed. No more dinners out, or dates to nice places, so when the kid was young it was a very cheap form of entertainment for our 'date' time.
 
Add me to the list of people who refuse to pay for program television. I purchased a HDTV Antenna and also steam Netflix through my Wii. I also hook my laptop up to my television via a HDMI cable so I can watch other programming that way as well.

With the HDTV antenna I get all the major networks as well as several other channels. About 18 channels total which include all the weekend golf coverage and other sporting events. All in HD. Also keep in mind that HDTV antennas offer a higher quality HD signal than cable or satellite.

I've never been a huge television watcher anyway but I don't miss cable television at all.
 
littlepingman said:
Add me to the list of people who refuse to pay for program television. I purchased a HDTV Antenna and also steam Netflix through my Wii. I also hook my laptop up to my television via a HDMI cable so I can watch other programming that way as well.

With the HDTV antenna I get all the major networks as well as several other channels. About 18 channels total which include all the weekend golf coverage and other sporting events. All in HD. Also keep in mind that HDTV antennas offer a higher quality HD signal than cable or satellite.

I've never been a huge television watcher anyway but I don't miss cable television at all.
Click to expand...

What type of antennae do you have?
 
Penglynns said:
It was also a thought/option. My parents switched last year and have been happy enough with Dish so far, but I've heard a lot of not great things about them overall - service, quality, etc. - over the years so I'm a little leery.

Comcast (Comcrap) is the only option we have for cable and had them in the past and had a slew of problems so they are a last resort no matter what Shack and Ben Stein might tell me in their commercials.
Click to expand...

I can say to date after at least 2 full years I have no service issues with Dish, but I think littlepingman could be on to something worth thinking about. Not sure I could live without all the channels we have now (I know the wife couldn't) after having a dish for at least 8 years.
 
for those using netflix....what type of broadband service are you using? Our verizon DSL has gotten so slow I don't think this will work without going to a cable modem and that means I have to start my relationship with comcast again and promised myself I would never do that!!
 
HoosierGolfer said:
Have you priced Dish? I switched a couple of years ago when I upgraded to HD and could not be happier plus I saved nearly $40 a month for the same package.
Click to expand...

If you follow us on twitter, you might 2nd guess that...hehe

1 hour and 14 minutes on hold this morning to be hung up on.

All because what they promised us and what they are delivering are not the same thing. Wrong boxes, wrong hardware wiring etc.
 
Penglynns said:
What type of antennae do you have?
Click to expand...

I've used an indoor amplified antenna for the past year or so when I refused to sign a contract with any big dish/cable company. I used one from Antennas Direct that had a 25 mile radius for signal. There are other versions that will stretch that distance if necessary.
 
I too switched to Dish and got a better price, more channels, HD, and locals and saved almost 50 bucks a month. Plus some free premiums for 3 months, although starz is free for a year.
 
JB said:
If you follow us on twitter, you might 2nd guess that...hehe

1 hour and 14 minutes on hold this morning to be hung up on.

All because what they promised us and what they are delivering are not the same thing. Wrong boxes, wrong hardware wiring etc.
Click to expand...

All I can report on is my personal experience and it has been great with Dish (so far). There are problems with every company or products. Even Rolex's stop working from time to time.
 
After some chatting with Crutchfield it looks like we can get the antenna we need, a mounting arm, coax, etc for less than $50. Another $300 and we can get a DVR to go with it. Three-and-a-half months worth of DirecTV and we'd have zero ongoing TV costs minus our Netflix subscription, etc. (which we'd have anyway). Think I may have to do it.
 
Penglynns said:
After some chatting with Crutchfield it looks like we can get the antenna we need, a mounting arm, coax, etc for less than $50. Another $300 and we can get a DVR to go with it. Three-and-a-half months worth of DirecTV and we'd have zero ongoing TV costs minus our Netflix subscription, etc. (which we'd have anyway). Think I may have to do it.
Click to expand...

If you do, be sure to post here on how it works out. Sounds interesting.
 
channelsurf.eu

but i didn't tell you that.....:angel:
 
Recently, I ditched Directv. It was not worth the price. I picked up my first HDTV. I used antennaweb.org to find my locals in relation to my address. I am close to the towers so I bought an indoor amplified antenna. I receive all my locals with strong signal. It is fantastic watching golf in 1080p. The 360 looks great. Also, I connected my computer to the tv to use as a monitor. I can stream Hulu, Netflix, and ESPN 3. I feel like I'm getting a lot of quality for less money.
 
My tv is also my Computer monitor. I stream/download so much stuff it's rediculous. I still pay for cable though simply because of sports..............

Plus I don't know if you guys have to deal with this, but out here in Nevada/California, you CANNOT pay for cable modem/internet WITHOUT paying for basic cable tv Service. That drives me crazy. What if I don't want tv but I do want cable internet service? sorry, you're sh_t of Luck. it's costing me an extra $30 bucks a month I think.
 
Really, that is insane. We don't have that problem here.
 
I have just basic cable, so I dont get much more than the local channels.
I watch sports on ESPN3.com and I have a subscription to NHL Gamecenter Live for watching hockey.
 
Here's an even cheaper alternative..

Do you have to "watch" sports? If you like to listen to them on the radio, then iheartradio is a great smartphone app that you can listen to MLB and NHL games on (the NFL games blocked though- just another way they hate their fans). Not much into basketball, so I couldn't tell you if the NBA games are on or not.
 
Ready to make a change been with TW. for five yrs. now and yet another price increase paying $158.00 for cable/internet.. Just don't know were to go from here? Have not herd good things about any of the dish, att, direct??Looking for some thp help already streaming netflex ready to cancel them also as they only stream movies from the 70s,80s,90s.WTH???
 
I would think just an over the air antenna for locals and then here I have comcast and just sign into golf channel or espn3 and watch a lot of things. Right now in stuck having to stream longhorn network on my iPad because Comcast doesn't carry it at all, I just know someone who set me up an sub email account on his service where he gets longhorn network and that in turn allows me to stream it. So, if your folks have some sort of cable or satellite service just have them add you as a sub account and you should be able to stream basically anything.
 
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