Best (and Worst) Cable-Replacement Services 2021

GoldMan27

Prominent
May 19, 2017
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Great suggestions, if you're an American. PS Vue, Sling, Hulu, etc. all are American-only, nothing for us Canucks.

Another viable alternative that my parents and I have found is to simply get an Android Box and use the Exodus add-on on Kodi. The box, with setup and such, cost us $120, but after that, it's all free (just gotta pay the Internet bill after that). :)
 

Jorani

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Feb 15, 2017
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I don't think that full blown home theaters and just general HiFi people, can say goodbye to cables just yet and tbh, I'd still much rather use XLR cables that rely on wireless hardware and expect it to deliver an equally clear sound and image.
 

Jorani

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Feb 15, 2017
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I don't think that full blown home theaters and HiFi people can say goodbye to cables just yet and tbh, I'd personally still use XLR cables, than rely on wireless hard- and software to deliver equally clear image and sound.
 

electricianjoel

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May 19, 2017
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As a first day adopter of DTVN it has in fact had it's issues. But, I did lock in the $35/month plus free AppleTV gen 4. DTVN has all of the channels I need. As far as DVR goes, I could care less. Remember not having it? I'm good without it. Especially now that alot of the network apps have access to past episodes. Video quality has had some issues. Personally, I think it's very good. I catch myself thinking, this isn't Dish Network or cable tv but streaming. I had Dish for 12 years, great service, but I am saving $70/month.
 

mcbutters

Honorable
Jul 26, 2013
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@Margie I have PS Vue and I get all major live local news. I believe almost all markets have this. Look at PlayStation website to confirm it's available in your zip code.
 

Kristine_6

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May 20, 2017
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I've found Sling TV to not offer competitive package. I was an early user and subscriber for a couple of years. However, I felt that I was able to get a basic cable package with what Sling offered. I also had major buffering issues with Sling, especially when a season premiere or big episode of a popular show was being shown. This year, I searched my options for alternative streaming options. I tried Playstation Vue, but, I found them price-y and did not offer Viacom channels. With a majority of channel apps offering episodes of new tv shows within 24 hours, I do not feel it is really necessarily to have a DVR option. Currently, I am with Directv Now and I've been extremely happy with them. I have not had the buffering issues other people have had. I only had buffering when watching NBC. Other than that, I save money on the cheapest package and a movie channel (Live a Little package and HBO) with more channels than what's out there for $40. I was fortunate to sign up when they were offering free, latest Apple TV. Looking forward to when there is an app on Roku so I can watch tv in bed! Btw, in case anyone is wondering, I do use Comcast for internet services on the cheapest option available with no buffering issues.
 
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GTrahald

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May 20, 2017
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Having bundles, also helps. While with DTV and AT&T, you still get access to DTVN streaming content, but also 15 channels of HBO and HBO GO. After the bundle rebates, the cost is $50/mo, for the lowest tier. Certainly not cable, and your money is going to the same company, but you do get the best of both, full 5 tuner DVR whole home DVR service, plus on the go streaming. What I am trying to say, Satellite service isn't Cable or Streaming. They traditionally were the rebels against Cable TV prices. However after some time they turned into nothing under $110/mo, a lot like cable. But while there's a lot of customer churn, the prices and business modeling has changed. I am liking it, while it lasts.
 

Dennis21646

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May 21, 2017
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I saw somewhere online that there is a free streaming service that offered nearly 200 channels for free. Why do You not include that service in Your overview? You are right about Direct T.V. That's what I have now and it is EXPENSIVE and a terrible service. I am hell bent on getting rid of it. I just can't decide whether to go with streaming or a cable service. How dependable are the steaming services?
 

carlsteve

Commendable
Oct 12, 2016
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Dependability and other quality issues related to the streaming Internet TV services are all over the board. Internet speed, type of Internet connection (wired vs. wireless), and platform (game console vs. computer vs. other devices) are among the things to consider. I chose PlayStation Vue because it has the widest choice of channels at a price I couldn't pass up. Its feature set is considered by many to be superior to the alternatives. Buffering of streaming content is more noticeable on certain platforms, with Roku often cited as one of the worst. When considering how much you'll save over traditional cable/satellite, you need to factor in the cost of Internet service. That wasn't an issue for me. As a heavy computer user, I would have Internet access to pay for anyway, regardless of my TV usage. If you have a family with several members using your Internet connection all at the same time, streaming TV service performance will take a hit, as it requires a fair amount of horsepower. If more than one person in the home is watching PS Vue at the same time, they each need to be on a different platform, with some exceptions. Sony's PS Vue website explains those limitations in more detail.
 

deebrown921

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May 23, 2017
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I've tried all the formentioned services except Hulu Live so far. Found the $35 DTVN package to be the perfect channel line up (especially that $5 HBO!) and user interface for me. However the technical issues cause me to long for something better. I had such high hopes for YouTube TV but the limited channel and device selection is a deal breaker. I'll be trying Hulu Live very soon (when my YouTube TV trial is over). This process of finding the best deal on high speed internet and the best streaming service is hard work. I also have a couple of Mohu antennas as my security net. Having choices is great!
 

bpballr04

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Nov 6, 2017
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I thought the whole point in cutting the cord was to save money? I'm not sure how PS Vue is attacking this issue with their prices...I'm also not sure why you would pay extra for local channels, when you can get them for free with an antenna? We tried almost all of the free trials to see which one we liked best and I ended up choosing DirectTVNow. It just had the most channels we wanted to watch. I thought the SlingTV Blue and Orange things were inconvenient and confusing. I do hope they get the DVR and On Demand updated though. DirectTVNow was like the only one that had a normal "Guide" that you are used to with a cable package. This was another reason we chose them.
 

carlsteve

Commendable
Oct 12, 2016
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Whether the price is worth it is in the eyes of the beholder. Vue may not be the cheapest, but many users feel it is the best value according to anecdotal reports in various forums. That assessment is based on features, channel selection, user interface, DVR, etc. Regardless of which streaming service is chosen, the vast majority of cord cutters claim they are saving a bundle compared to traditional cable/satellite. As for Vue's competitors, by the time you include add-ons (e.g., sports and/or movie packages) and premium channels, are you really saving much? Some of the competition also charges extra for DVR usage, but not with Vue.

As for over-the-air TV, reception in many areas ranges from limited to terrible. If you live in rental property, you normally don't have the option of installing a powerful outdoor antenna. If you live near mountains, even the best outdoor antenna won't do much. A streaming service can solve that problem. Another advantage to getting local channels via streaming is that you can record those programs with the DVR feature. The FCC requires cable and satellite companies to include locals. Even if that rule doesn't apply to streaming services, they are in the midst of adding locals in order to provide the most complete service. Since the streaming services' prices are generally lower, the full channel line-up also gives them a competitive edge over cable and satellite operators.



 

kevinaraki

Prominent
Sep 11, 2017
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Dear Marshall,
While I would agree that PlayStation Vue is a very good streaming option for many people, the current lowest price is $39.99 ($40) for the "Access" plan. The SLIM package is no longer available anywhere in the US. It was discontinued July 2017. I spoke with a PS Vue rep, and she said the Slim package was always intended to be a temporary (tempting) package to just get people to try.

Also, a little note, because my family uses ATT Unlimited for their cell phone service. I only pay $10/month for DirecTV Now. And every other package that I may want to try is $25 less than the general public (e.g. the "Just Right" package for me would cost $25, vs. $50 for the general public; the "Go Big" package is $35 for me, $60 for most others). Also, the premium channel HBO only costs me and anyone else just $5 more per month. I haven't experienced the "inconsistent video quality [and] a suboptimal interface" that you describe, but then again, I have 1 Gbit speed for my Internet connection. Even if I didn't have that speed, I think for the price of $15/month with live TV, and HBO to boot, it's a great deal, and DTV Now is getting better month-by-month. Yes, DVR is in beta, but it is going to happen.

PS: Fubo TV and Philo TV are now players in the live streaming market. You may want to update this article to give both services tacit mention.

A nice article, nonetheless. Thank you.
 
Dec 26, 2017
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Beware of the trial period for Sling, they charge you on the very minute your trial expires and will not refund your money. I just called because there was a 12 hour delay from the time my trial expired and I was charged and when I cancelled (my fault, I know). Thought I'd call and explain the mixup thinking the trial was for the full day and I cancelled at 8am the next day, they will not refund my money. I mentioned that seemed like big cable company treatment and the rep didn't seem to care, company policy is not to refund any partial months. Seems to me like a great way to sucker a bunch of potential new customers into paying for a month, not a fan of that type of business practice.
 

carlsteve

Commendable
Oct 12, 2016
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1,580
Free trial periods have been turned into a racket. You're required to provide credit card info at sign up, even if you already know that you won't continue on with a paid subscription. I'm very uneasy about giving out payment info under these circumstances, as I fear there will be some glitch causing me to get stuck with a bill.



 
Feb 10, 2018
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Why these reviews never take into account several other streaming services that as per what can be watched in youtube, include a lot more options of US and international TV channels, like Nitro, XStreaming TV, etc, at a very good price. If somebody wants to watch movies all the time, Netflix is the best. But for people who wants to see TV channels from many different countries, in english, spanish, french, portuguese, etc, most of the services in this review have very little to offer.
 

arpanet1981

Prominent
Jun 1, 2017
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Already mentioned in another thread, but, SlingTV has good sports coverage -- otherwise, we use OTA for, e.g. PBS -- but, beware that the SlingTV WebOS client (runs on LG 4K TVs) is unreliable with some sports channels. (With others, it works fine ?!) The SlingTV WebOS client needs to be robustified. SlingTV works fine via web/chrome/Windows10 and on IOS.