Cancelled DTV. Don't care to pay for a streaming subscription and nah, I'm not going to pirate. I have Prime and a couple of firesticks (and a chromecast somehwere...). How I do dis? English holmes, we're not all computer whizzes. For now the request is simple: what are the best platforms / apps for free online streaming? No specific demands / channels needed, just looking for the breadth of availability.

Other than AmPrime, on the firestick I use PlutoTV, Crackle, and a few news network apps. I can have a PC hooked up to the TC if needed, though not preferred.

7/30/2019 11:58:54 AM

Quote :

"not going to pirate"

Quote :

"a couple of firesticks"

7/30/2019 1:04:29 PM

Similar to PlutoTV, there's also Tubi. It's mostly movies and TV series.

7/30/2019 1:19:58 PM

I'm setting the over/under on how long this old man I'M REALLY FED UP AND I'M GONNA SHOW THEM cold turkey approach lasts at 3 months.

[Edited on July 30, 2019 at 1:26 PM. Reason : ITT I learned firesticks can only be used for pirating content]

7/30/2019 1:26:21 PM

^^^wat
^^thanks
^eh, maybe, maybe not. The wife / kid will likely be the driver of that decision. It's less about showing them and more about tired of high and ever increasing fees; I'm sure I'll eventually end up with something in the lower cost range.

7/30/2019 3:47:47 PM

Quote :

" I'm sure I'll eventually end up with something in the lower cost range"

You get Hulu
Your friend gets Netflix
Your family member gets HBO
...
Profit

7/30/2019 5:53:30 PM

ITT i learn using someone else's login info isn't pirating

7/30/2019 9:23:40 PM

^ who said it wasn't?

7/30/2019 10:54:45 PM

the OP said he wasn't going to pirate, so your advice for him doesn't seem very relevant

7/30/2019 11:38:50 PM

yes, and I predicted him changing his approach in the coming months.

he agreed that there is a strong possibility on making such a change.

such a change will require deviations to the ethos he elucidated in the OP.

i offered that proposal based on those potential ethos modifications.

7/31/2019 12:12:27 AM

We cut the cord 6 years ago. Our plan at the time was to:

- Build an HTPC
- Use Netflix and Prime (we were already subscribed)
- Use Hulu and pay for a subscription if necessary
- Receive local channels using an HDHomeRun and the unscrambled channels on the internet cable
- I don't recall the numbers, but we priced out buying X number of shows a year on Amazon before exceeding our cable costs where X was greater than the number of shows we regularly watched

Now, 6 years later:

- Have the same HTPC; mostly use it to listen to music and watch movies from the NAS
- Still have Netflix; occasionally stream and frequently watch DVDs
- Still have Prime; seldom stream and we've purchased 2-3 shows (maybe)
- Can't remember the last time I watch Hulu. We never subscribed.
- Ended up subscribing to MLB.tv
- The unscrambled local channels are now scrambled. I tried going OTA with the HDHomeRun and a Mohu Leaf, but the reception sucked and I gave up. We haven't had OTA channels in several (4?) years.

7/31/2019 1:44:17 AM

Quote :

"You get Hulu Your friend gets Netflix Your family member gets HBO"

Eh, I've had friends / family over that wanted to watch something on their streaming accounts and logged in via my Firestick. I know that I still have access to at least one account. Don't use any of them. I'm seriously not interested in this method. I get paying for a service. I just got tired of high and increasing bills to watch a bunch of commercials, deal with technical issues, etc.

Quote :

"he agreed that there is a strong possibility on making such a change. such a change will require deviations to the ethos he elucidated in the OP."

the ideal scenario is that I can figure out how to keep the family happy on what we have now (Prime + OTA, etc) and not pay for a subscription If I get forced into stepping up, Netflix or Hulu or whatever is the next obvious step, but that's not really changing my ethos .

^thanks. forgot about my Leaf... gotta dig it out from storage. yikes.

[Edited on July 31, 2019 at 7:21 AM. Reason : .]

7/31/2019 7:19:31 AM

you're already using the best free streaming - PlutoTV

PlutoTV is decent, but some of the channels only have a few shows/episodes so if you watch for any amount of time you'll see the same episodes over and over. the commercial breaks are also automatic and not always where the tv show intended them to be, but it doesn't bother me much.

i think the only thing you're missing is an antenna and maybe a DVR for the antenna. I use Plex for DVR (as a DVR it's not the best option, but it has improved since they launched the feature), but there are other options that have firestick apps including amazon having the fire tv recast CVR. I have a ClearStream 4Max 70 mile mounted in my attic and get all of the local stations and usually also get the triad and greenville stations but those are iffy in the rain. WTVD is VHF so get an antenna that has good VHF and UHF coverage, sometimes the leaf and similar antennas struggle with VHF.

7/31/2019 9:59:57 AM

^^ how are you gonna watch sportsball?

[Edited on July 31, 2019 at 10:02 AM. Reason : ]

7/31/2019 10:02:43 AM

I've had the cord cut for like 8-10 years now. Here is how we roll:

1) I got a NAS and run Plex for TV/movies that I've downloaded, mostly Rifftrax.
2) Subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu with the $.99/month Christmas special last December.
3) Mohu Leaf for OTA on living room and bedroom TV's. Both pick up all local channels just fine and even some Greensboro channels.
4) Stream primarily with Roku (bedrooms) and Xbox One S (living room).

I basically gave up on optical media a while back, so I never upgraded my Blu-Ray player to 4K. Every once in a blue moon we pop in a disc to watch, but almost never.

7/31/2019 10:40:16 AM

Quote :

"you're already using the best free streaming - PlutoTV"

Thanks; wasn't sure where Pluto ranked.

Quote :

"i think the only thing you're missing is an antenna and maybe a DVR for the antenna."

Have a Mohu Leaf that picked up all the local channels in the Raleigh area that I care to watch. But it's currently packed away somewhere (moving soon.... maybe). Am lacking DVR, which will be the next TV consideration after moving.

Quote :

"^^ how are you gonna watch sportsball?"

DON'T ASK ME THAT.

Quote :

" the $.99/month Christmas special last December."

BOLO TIME

7/31/2019 12:16:26 PM

Second Pluto TV, Actually surprisingly good (although no new stuff). Tons of channels to fill the bored voids. Their Roku app works great, haven't tried the others. You can check it out online too.

And its also legal.

https://pluto.tv

[Edited on July 31, 2019 at 3:31 PM. Reason : ]

7/31/2019 3:30:51 PM

Thanks, decibel.

8/1/2019 11:08:44 AM

Been happy with the Hulu Live TV, not the cheapest or most channels probably but low fuss and it works.

8/1/2019 12:05:38 PM

my kids are always pissed when they get to a hotel and have to live by the channel system until i log their tablets into the network

8/1/2019 10:54:02 PM

-ask around for a plex server with a ton of movies on it. Get an invite.
-OTA channells for news/local sports if your lucky
-Netflix

I bite the bullet and do youtubeTV during the football season. I cancel right after the superbowl.

8/2/2019 5:42:53 AM

i usually get through about half a season on free 7 or 14 day trials of various streaming services to get sports (although that may not be strictly any more ethical than pirating or using someone's login info?)

8/2/2019 12:33:01 PM

jimmydeals if you want to take the low road on account sharing..

8/2/2019 2:17:25 PM

How do you pirate stuff with a fire stick? I’ve been out of the piracy loop way too long.

8/2/2019 10:54:52 PM

It used to be Kodi, but the quality sucked from what I saw.

8/2/2019 11:20:58 PM

kodi has worked well for us.

I have an antenna hooked up a hdhomerun that is connected to our home network. I use nextpvr as the dvr for the antenna that is running on a desktop, and my wife records and watches a ton of stuff. NextPVR is accessed through kodi on firesticks or mini computers attached to all of our tvs.

I have amazon prime for some shows, but primarily so the kids can do pbs on demand. Since I didn't get basketball tickets last year, I got youtubetv during the basketball season to watch all the games. I don't watch hardly any tv, but my wife watches tv most nights and doesn't complain. The kids/wife might use kodi to stream the very occasional show. I used to use kodi to watch walking dead or game of thrones (but I paid for hbo for the final season and caught up on walking dead when I had youtubetv).

8/2/2019 11:41:30 PM

plex has DVR built in, setup is about 3 mouse clicks

8/3/2019 11:07:57 AM

Quote :

"It used to be Kodi"

For pirating?

8/3/2019 11:38:38 AM

Yeah, that's what everyone used (uses?) for illegal streaming with various plugins. People even sold pre-programmed flashed fire tvs and other devices that had it all set up, not sure if that's still a thing or not.

8/3/2019 1:24:27 PM

the thing with kodi now is shit gets nuked so quick. You need to keep up on your addons and reinstall everything with hte latest about every 2 or 3 months to stay current.

8/3/2019 3:56:01 PM

Droid Life: YouTube TV Adding ACC Network for Your Sports Ball Viewing Pleasure.
https://www.droid-life.com/2019/08/07/youtube-tv-acc-network/

8/7/2019 4:10:03 PM

hmm, the new Disney bundle may cause me to start paying again.

Disney + ESPN + Hulu

Depends on the ESPN+ offerings though. I know nothing of them.

8/8/2019 7:00:57 AM

Unless Disney+ has more offerings for a middle-aged man than I imagine it does, and the package comes with Hulu without ads (or they offer one for a few dollars more), I'll pass.

8/8/2019 8:40:30 AM

Eh, I'm sure the kid would appreciate Disney...

8/8/2019 8:54:25 AM

fwiw youtubeTV has alllllll the sportsballs, especially NCSU but in general.

8/8/2019 9:17:37 AM

I don't watch $50/month worth of sportsy things

8/8/2019 9:39:17 AM

Quote :

"ITT i learn using someone else's login info isn't pirating"

I know this isn't helpful, but using someone's elses account for Netflix and hbo is 100% not pirating (not sure about Hulu). Hbo encourages sharing, and netflix allows you to setup other users and has prices ranges for "# of concurrent active users".

8/8/2019 9:56:42 AM

that's only for people inside your household, it seems ethically the same as pirating if you are sharing outside of the household

8/8/2019 10:20:27 AM

I Googled, I guess it is against their terms of use. But the CEO basically shrugged about it, so like hbo they don't care that much.

But your point stands

8/8/2019 10:59:56 AM

they've also pretty much stopped going after people for downloading illegal rips, but that also doesn't make that not pirating

8/8/2019 11:28:11 AM

how's it going wdprice3?

8/22/2019 3:04:40 PM

fine for me, I don't miss it much.

But the coming months will probably bring along the shakes due to football withdrawal.

The only feedback I've gotten is the wife wants puppy dog pals back for the kid. So far, my defenses have held strong.

8/22/2019 3:15:10 PM

Is streaming pirated content pirating?

Asking for a friend.

8/22/2019 4:09:51 PM

^^ not bad so far if that's the only complaint you've heard

8/22/2019 4:55:35 PM

wdprice do you happen to have at&t internet? If so, I get free ESPN because (I assume) it recognizes my at&t and the app authenticates even though I dont have uverse or any kind of tv plan. It shows the at&t logo but it doesnt nake me login or anything. I'm using the ESPN app on an android TV device.

8/22/2019 5:55:49 PM

^ did you used to have uverse and cancelled it?

8/22/2019 5:58:56 PM

Other than perhaps $10 too high per month(in my opinion), and no South Park, can’t say enough good things about Playstation Vue.

8/22/2019 10:48:21 PM

How is it better than YouTube TV?

8/22/2019 11:46:58 PM

The DVR, guide, and channels.

Although I have never had youtube TV, I seem to recall a few stations missing that PS Vue had? Also I read that youtube TV is $5 more for iOS? I watch much on my iPhone, and sometimes on cellular when others require to be on home network.

Lastly, I am jealous I never got onto one of those Youtuve TV groups that people share.

8/23/2019 12:04:02 AM

Quote :

" ^ did you used to have uverse and cancelled it? "

Nope, never had anything with at&t except fiber internet and ESPN shows the at&t logo and let's me watch all the normal live programming

8/23/2019 6:57:14 AM