I recently dropped my cable for the second time. I got it back because it was just a little more than just internet. I mainly used it to watch AMC and sports. Once they decided to jump my price by over 50%, I dropped the cable and explored Sling. Pretty satisfied with Sling. I pay $35 for pretty much every channel I would ever need, and that includes a Spanish package so I can get BeIn Sports and Unimas for the occassional soccer game I want to watch that's not on NBCSN, Fox Sports, or whatnot. The only thing I don't get is ESPN and the local channels (I can get those free if I get an antenna). Watching from my Xbox, phone, or computer is great. Much more useful than needing to watch everything from my living room TV.

It's getting easier to be a college football fan without needing cable. Here are the current streaming services, what CFB channels they offer, and what devices they work on,

 

 

Sling Orange Sling Orange Sports add-on Sling Blue Sling Blue Sports add-on PS Vue Access PS Vue Core PS Vue Elite Hulu Live TV YouTube TV DirecTV Now Live a Little DirecTV Now Just Right DirecTV Now Go Big

Monthly cost $20 11 $5 $25 11 $10 $40 $45 $55 $40 $35 12 $35 $50 $60

Available US-wide yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no 8 yes yes yes

Annual contract no no no no no no no no no no no no

Simultaneous streams 1 3 5 9 5 9 5 9 2 10 3 2 2 2

Free trial 7 days no 7 days no 5 days 5 days 5 days 7 days 1 month 7 days 15 7 days 15 7 days 15

Channels

ESPN X X X X X X X X X

ESPN2 X X X X X X X X X

Watch ESPN X X X X X X X X X X

ESPNU X X X X X X X

ESPNews X X X X X X X

ESPN GoalLine X X 13 X 13

ABC 19 X 1 X 1 X 1 X 3 X X 6 X 6 X 6

NBC X 2 X 1 X 1 X 1 X 3 X X 6 X 6 X 6

CBS X 1 X 1 X 1 X 3 X

Fox X 1 X 1 X 1 X 3 X X 6 X 6 X 6

CBS Sports Network X X

Fox Sports Network X 5 X X X X

Fox Sports 1 X X X X X X

FS2 X X X X X X X

FOXS regional X 4 X 6 X 6

FOX Sports College Pacific/Central/Atlantic X 4 X

NBC Sports Network X X X X X X X X

NBC Sports Network regional X 6 X 6 X 6 X 6

beIN Sports X X

Campus Insiders 7 X

Big Ten Network X X X X X X

Pac-12 Network X X

Pac-12 Network regional X X 14

SEC Network X X X X X X X

SEC Network+ X

Longhorn Network X 5 X 5 X 5

Devices

PC app X X X X

Mac app X X X X

Web X X X X X 18 X 18 X 18

Xbox One X X X X X

Playstation 4 X X X

Playstation 3 X X X

iOS X X X X X X X X X X X X

Android X X X X X X X X X X X X

AppleTV 4th gen X X X X X X X X X X X

FireTV X X X X X X X X X X

Roku X X X X X X X X 16 X 16 X 16

Chromecast X X X X X X X X X X 17 X 17 X 17

To mobile users: I guess the table may not show correctly? If "Sling Orange" and "$20" don't line up, or if you don't see the rightmost column headed with "DirecTV Now Go Big" with the cell below it "$60", you're missing something. I wish I knew what was causing that, but apparently I'm bad at reddit tables. Sorry. :-/

Notes:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2017/06/13/netflix-is-now-bigger-than-cable-tv/#4865de6b158b

 

Netflix Is Now Bigger Than Cable TV

 

I subscribe to Netflix but have to admit I'm not terribly impressed with it.  SO I don't understand why its stock soared today.  We have 3 smart TVs but almost every time I search for films or shows available on Netflix they're not available for streaming!  Sheesh.  What's the problem?  I don't want to have to bother with a Blu-ray player or whatever, and mailing discs back.  Amazon Prime isn't much better, but in a different way -- it often charges me extra for stuff I want to watch.  I once went through almost its entire library and a huge portion of it was soft porn.  Having said that, at least I got to watch Manchester By The Sea for free.

 

Does anyone know why so little of the Netflix library is available for streaming?

^There are probably a million reasons. Studios want to sell DVDs/downloads/Blu-ray etc, so they don't want all of their movies on Netflix at the same time. Also, when you think a movie or TV show might only be on Netflix for a few months, it gets you to actually watch it instead of putting it off. Netflix has also started creating a lot of original programming, and by keeping only some of the really good movies/shows from other studios, they can promote their own work and get people to watch that instead.

Netflix is allowed to buy DVD/Bluray discs and rent them out the same way that Blockbuster or Redbox is allowed to. In other words, they don't need permission from the studios to rent out discs. However they have to get the studios' permission to make a movie available for streaming. A few years back, Netflix gained a huge streaming catalog because they bought the streaming rights from some cable channel, I believe it was Cinemax.

 

Hulu was started as a joint venture by several media companies including ABC and Fox, so they have rights to a lot more recent content. I think Hulu is distributing almost all of the major network's content except for CBS, which continues to insist on doing their own thing.

I was a cord cutter until recently because I was able to get a bundle deal of of ATT Internet and Directv for less than I was paying for internet only through Cox.  I'm locked in for two years and saving $10 per month.  Same internet speed I had before. 

they have to get the studios' permission to make a movie available for streaming.

 

Studios want to sell DVDs/downloads/Blu-ray etc

 

 

Thanks for the replies.  I suspected something of the sort but it's good to know for certain why so [relatively] little is available for streaming.  Smart TV functions are rendered nearly useless if content can't be streamed though... 

 

Oh well.  I'm old and there aren't that many films that interest me nowadays anyway.  I'm also not interested in most of the major networks' fare either.  I would mainly like to be able to stream Independent movies, older movies, and some TV shows.  BTW we haven't "cut the cord" and still subscribe to Spectrum.  I may be wrong but I doubt we'd get very decent reception from an antenna, here in the CBD.  We couldn't before, way back when -- that's a big reason why we were glad when cable was finally installed.  In fact we had to FIGHT for it -- TWC tried to weasel out of its obligation to connect the CBD and there were hearings at City Hall about it. 

 

Yeah, Spectrum is expensive but it's a luxury we're willing to indulge in so far.  It would be different if we were younger and not at home so much.  I don't want to have to go through any bother or jump through any hoops for sports or video entertainment.  But good luck to the rest of you -- you're definitely saving a lot of money.  We pay about $130-$140/mo for TV and internet -- and that's AFTER my husband called recently to try to get the price down, and prevailed -- once he threatened to have Fioptics installed in our building.  Before that, our bill was over $160/mo. and steadily rising.  So cutting the cord is very tempting, and if TV fare gets much worse we just may do it.

^ I dropped Netflix a few months ago when I came to the realization that they were too dedicated to their own original content, which for the most part is not good, at the expense of quality movies and shows produced by others. I've found myself going to the library for DVD's a lot more often now, like I used to do years ago. Cincinnati's library has a great selection of older movies and independent movies.

 

If you're primarily interested in older movies, check out FilmStruck. I had it for awhile and enjoyed it, but I just don't spend much time watching TV/movies so I got rid of it. I mostly just watch Amazon Prime now as I have that for the shipping benefits, anyways, so the streaming is almost a free bonus.

^Yes, I have contemplated going back to the library and working through their DVD music and documentary collection, all of which is free to borrow.  But I'd have to get a TV first. 

 

Believe it or not, the "Free HBO" offered at the Budget Host on Central Parkway attracted Game of Thrones fans last weekend.  I guess these people paid the hourly rate just to watch the show. 

^^Yup Ram23,  I agree.  I may drop Netflix too.  We initially subscribed to watch House of Cards, which gets worse every season.

 

Cord cutters are signing up in large numbers right now though.

 

 

^Yes, I have contemplated going back to the library and working through their DVD music and documentary collection, all of which is free to borrow.  But I'd have to get a TV first. 

 

Believe it or not, the "Free HBO" offered at the Budget Host on Central Parkway attracted Game of Thrones fans last weekend.  I guess these people paid the hourly rate just to watch the show. 

 

I used to go to the bar there to be "adventurous" in my 20s. It wasn't really that good of a decision. But a "Bad 20s Decision" for me is going to that bar and having 2 beers whereas the same thing for other people is knocking up a teenager or hitting someone with a car during a street race.

^Yeah that bar looked like bad news.  But that was back when Cincinnati was loaded with rough bars in high profile locations like The Phoenix Cafe and Robert A's Curve Cafe. 

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/why-still-cant-ditch-cable-box-101133005.html

 

LOL  silly author

^Yeah, that article is weird. It doesn't bring up fire stick or roku... just the apps big cable are working on their own streaming services.

It completely misses the point. I don't know anyone who has actively signed up for cable in over a decade.

 

I remember the days of cable-ready TVs and analog-only cable fondly. Full cable came free with dorm tuition so you just plugged in your TV and went. Then you set your TV to block out all the Jesus and home shopping channels so that you could shred through the rest of them for the good stuff. The programming wasn't all reality TV and hillbilly crap either.

Yeah we didn't have cable at all when I went to college.  There wasn't even a lounge with a TV.  So people occasionally played Ping-Pong but mostly drank and got high in their dorm rooms.  And listened to music.  It's amazing how all of this free access to music has caused people to listen to it less and less intently because the internet is generally such a gigantic distraction. 

^this is true. I didn't have a tv in my dorm room my freshman year, and as a result I spent most of my down time either listening to music or reading (when I wasn't out with friends, etc.).

 

I have looked into cord cutting, but my biggest holdup is that I can't get Fox or CBS on my antenna where I live. Both have sh!tty signals (CBS especially). I suppose I could find another alternative, but I really liked the idea of going with the antenna.

 

And yes, I watch some CBS shows, and no I'm not 90.

^this is true. I didn't have a tv in my dorm room my freshman year, and as a result I spent most of my down time either listening to music or reading (when I wasn't out with friends, etc.).

 

I have looked into cord cutting, but my biggest holdup is that I can't get Fox or CBS on my antenna where I live. Both have sh!tty signals (CBS especially). I suppose I could find another alternative, but I really liked the idea of going with the antenna.

 

And yes, I watch some CBS shows, and no I'm not 90.

 

The only two local channels PlayStation Vue offers in Cleveland are actually Fox and CBS, so you'd be all set if you used that service (which I highly recommend).

CBS and Fox are the most difficult signals in the Cleveland market.  That's been my experience.  It's worth it for me to have Directv just for that alone.  Plus I have a bundle that's slightly cheaper than my Internet only service.

Yeah we didn't have cable at all when I went to college.  There wasn't even a lounge with a TV.  So people occasionally played Ping-Pong but mostly drank and got high in their dorm rooms.  And listened to music.  It's amazing how all of this free access to music has caused people to listen to it less and less intently because the internet is generally such a gigantic distraction. 

 

Indeed. They listen to the first minute and a half of the song then open up the Wikipedia page for the band and read that aloud to each other.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-doesnt-need-netflix-143517599.html

 

Disney is going to break off and start up their own streaming service it appears.

This is going to wind up like the al a carte TV everyone fantasizes about except every channel will be $10 a month.

One thing I recently noticed with my cable (spectrum) is most of the channels I watch have their shows on demand. So now I'm seriously questioning the need for the DVR service. Right now I'm leaning toward bare bones cable while subscribing to a streaming service for short periods of time.

 

I have Amazon Prime free for 6 months thanks to a Sprint offer(along with Tidal for another 6 months for music streaming). Just finished a show called Patriot that was pleasantly very good but I don't think there's too many Prime must watch shows and will drop it after the 6 months.

 

I currently have DirectTV Now free for a month including HBO(for GOT). I'll pay for one month to finish up GOT and catch up on some VOD shows(The Young Pope and Leftovers) then I'll drop it. DirectTV Now is interesting but initially I had serious connection issues but it has settled down substantially.

 

I kept my eyes on Netflix for any shows that interest me but right I don't have to subscribe. And around it goes.

 

This all reminds me of Energy Choice Ohio. If you want the lowest rate on your electric you have to keep switching providers every 3 months or sooner. It's a game I've gotten pretty good at, but you can get burn.

This is going to wind up like the al a carte TV everyone fantasizes about except every channel will be $10 a month.

I pay $20 a month and get more channels than I need, Sling. I bump the sports package for football season, $25 all ESPN channels included.