Official Cutting The Cord Thread

I have these on each of my tvs. Amazon Fire TV

I got the boxes rather than the sticks hoping they would be faster. I have Amazon Prime already that programming is free. I also have Netflix($7.99 a month), Hulu Plus($7.99 a month), HBOGO(use my sister's login) and Espn(sister's login again). Oh and FX for the Simpsons(sister's login).

I also loaded Kodi on it which has all the TV shows and Movies you could want. I watched American Sniper and Unbroken this weekend using it.

Here is a video on how to load it and start it. On step 7 get the TVMC side apk. How to install Kodi Restart the fire tv once you are done.

I have one indoor antenna hooked up now for the locals but I plan to go to Radio Shack to get an outdoor antenna to plug into the coax that Directv had already run.

Also I have Fire TV hooked up on all my stuff through the hdmi just like Directv was, I even have it going through my receiver for surround sound like my Directv box was.

Does anyone have one of these?
LINK /

I have 3 ROKU's (2 LT b/c I'm cheap and an XS) they all probably need to be upgraded now but whatever...

I have an antenna that I installed in my Attic (not sure which one...I stole it from my mom when she realized she was too far out to get much use out of it)

To supplement my Roku I use PlayOn It has a lot of the same apps as the Roku does, but really shines with custom content. It allows me access to Project Free TV, One Channel, and VIPBox for sports. It isn't perfect and the streams (especially sports) aren't always HD quality, but it works great for my personal tastes. It does cost money though, $40 for lifetime currently.

I can also cast websites through PlayOn and access videos on my computer at any Roku, I can also share media folders through any of my Roku devices (I did this for streaming p90x3 videos I had downloaded on my computer and just streamed them to my workout room)

Another Bonus is for things like VuDu which have limited number of device connections. My mom shares her vudu account with my brother and I. All the device connections are taken up between the 3 of us and our multiple streaming devices. By entering her vudu stuff in to PlayOn I now have access to her vudu library on all of my devices instead of just the one I use the vudu app on.


Someone earlier asked if anyone had tried Tablo yet...I think my brother actually just got that installed recently, so I'll find out how that is working and update later.

Here is a diagram of my setup at the house. Please keep in mind that I'm an extremely cheap bastard and yes, you are correct, I technically just regrew my cord.



Cox Internet with Flex Watch - $71.21/month

I had a discount with Uverse internet and when it ended I tried to increase the speed and get a new 6 month discount but the 24 down that I had was the fastest they offered. When I was looking at Cox for internet I saw this deal and felt like I was pretty much getting free TV. Especially once I cancel in almost 2 years and can still watch TV.

The HD receiver is very old and very slow so I put it away and ran my existing coax directly to the TVs. I can't access on-demand or premium channels without the receiver but I can access the premium channels with my login information. The only channels that are in HD are the local networks (what you would already get with an antenna) but the kids love that they can watch live Disney and Animal Planet shows because we didn't have cable for almost 2 years.

I haven't had any issues with the internet. The speeds are advertised as 50 down / 5 up and this is fairly typical.



I'm under contract for 2 years. After the first year the cost increases by $10 and after my contract is up they get back to their usual garbage ($120+).

Netflix & Amazon Prime Instant Video - $20.25/month

I don't have Prime for the video service but I figured I'd throw it in anyway. I pay the extra $4 for Netflix because the kids use it a lot and I share my login with some family.

Outdoor Antenna - $60 - $65



I bought a generic outdoor antenna that's about 6' long from Radio Shack but you can get them a good bit cheaper. I installed it in the attic in a corner by bolting the pole to a ceiling joist with 2 U brackets.

Modem - ±$85



One of the white DOCSIS 3.0 Surfboards which is also the same one you can rent from Cox for like $8 a month or buy for $150.

HDHomerun Dual - $100



Again this is something you can probably find cheaper but if I had it to do it over I would probably buy one of the DLNA compatible devices with 4 tuners for another $50-$75. I've thought about a cable card version but I know I would probably only use it for one cable contract and never use it again.

HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer) - $400

I have a gateway I got from Newegg with windows 8.1 running Plex and WMC (Windows Media Center). Media Center configures the tuners on the HDHomerun and handles all of the dvr functions you'd expect from a dvr receiver for my local channels via the antenna. If you have an extender like an Xbox you can use it as a receiver to access the guide, watch live TV and set recordings. I also have remote couch potato server on this machine but don't use it because I never have the need. It is able to stream the tv channles from my tuners.
My family uses this machine as a standard pc on a regular basis and it's what I'm using to type this.

2TB External Hard Drive - ±$100

Fire TV Stick - $40

I recently sideloaded TVMC and I'm really loving this thing and everything we have access to. I like the fact that you can play some somewhat good games on this little thing but the cost of game controllers is $40.

Rokus - $50-$100



For sports that aren't on the local channels I use a family member's login for WatchESPN and Kodi for everything else.




Whew. Now I'm gonna go have a drink.





















j/k I was drunk the whole the time.

Ok, so in the very near future I am going to Cut my U-Verse out. Im guessing switching to Cox for Internet is my best bet ? As U-Verse only offers to 20 in my area. I have a Fire TV set up and in use already as well as an Old Logitech Revue for the Bedroom. We use laptops, computers, tablets and phones on the WiFi. They boast that they have a good in home wifi setup for muliple devices, is it adequate and do I need higher than the 50 plan ?

Are there any precautions I can take if I loaded TVMC/Kodi on my FireTV? New to streaming, and don't know if there are any steps to protect myself. Is it a bad idea to watch moves in the "In Theaters Now" section, or are you just as likely to get caught watching anything else?

I've been thinking about this for a long time and the time has come. Our Dish service will be disconnected on April 4.

We are minimizing transition shock and getting in the new habit by watching as much tv through the new setup. This is why I paid for Dish service until April 4.

Total Dish bill $107

Internet (existing): ATT Xtreme 6.0 - 6Mbps

Set Up #1 - Living Room
Samsung 46" Smart TV (no internal wifi)

Add-Ons: GE Flat Panel Amplified TV Antenna - $11.79 (target online)
Google Chromecast - $32.49 (target online)

Set Up #2 - Master bedroom
Vizio" Smart TV (internal wifi)

Add-Ons: GE Flat Panel Amplified TV Antenna - $11.79 (target online)


The Plan
I don't watch much television outside of live sporting events which can be caught on local channels, WatchESPN, or SECN+.

The wife watches all of her shows on DVR being she can never catch them at their normal times due to work and the kids. All of her shows can be watched via the antenna, Huluplus (a day later which isn't a problem), or CBS All Access.

During the early evenings the main television in the living room is usually airing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, PawPatrol, or some other kid friendly movie. These are all available via Amazon Prime Instant Video and being they don't mind re-runs we'll just buy the current or past season for the same price we currently pay to purchase a DVD. So this cost is a wash.

The plan will be to get the kids in the habit of watching their shows in the master bedroom when one of us has something we'd like to watch in the living room but in the end it really doesn't matter because we'll be able to access any of our shows, at any time, on either TV.

Operation
Main tv will be controlled with the television remote for the over-the-air channels
Shows which require HuluPlus, WatchESPN, or SECN+ will be cast from either the laptop or one of our phones to the TV via the wi-fi and Google ChromeCast.

Master bedroom TV will be controlled entirely with the TV remote being it has internal Wi-Fi.

Cost Savings

Equipment Purchase: $11.79 x 2 + $32.49 = $56.07


Current Dish: $107
CBS All Access $5.99 / month
HuluPlus: $7.99 / month

1st Month Savings:
$107 - $11.79 - $11.79 - $32.49 - $5.99 - $7.99 = $36.95

2nd Month - Forever Savings:
$107 - $13.98 = $93.02

Cons
Channel surfing is not the same. No more stumbling upon those cool shows on Discovery Investigation, NATGEO, History, etc.

Most of my hunting shows are not available online. I can get over this and just stick to reading the magazines.

All shows will be available while on the go...kids can watch their shows while we travel.

Pros
$1,116.24 in yearly savings

I officially cut the cord today. We have a couple of Apple TVs, Xbox One, and a PS4 to watch all content one.

We subscribed to Netflix and Hulu plus and now pay $17/ month instead of $105. I have an HD antenna in the attic for local channels and will borrow a login for Watch ESPN for football and baseball.

Today is a good day.

This could have already been discussed, but I'm too lazy to ready every post.

Can I cut the cord and still get football games? I NEED to watch college football on Saturdays and Saints games on Sundays.

Sling TV and Rabbit ears for about 35 good channels

Amazon and Netflix for movies

I pay about $35 a month