Computers & Electronics

Locked: Cord cutting - Thank you RFD!

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 29th, 2015 6:15 pm
Tags:
None
Deal Fanatic
Apr 23, 2009
5161 posts
708 upvotes
South of Ottawa

Cord cutting - Thank you RFD!

After getting rid of my cable subscription last year, I now have access to everything I want/need, including live tv. I'm by no means a tech expert (I know enough to be dangerous) but at the end of the day it was fairly easy to set up and the cost is minimal.


A big thank you to all the rfd users that have helped along the way :)
195 replies
Deal Guru
User avatar
Jul 5, 2001
10109 posts
12727 upvotes
Toronto
Beachdown wrote: After getting rid of my cable subscription last year, I now have access to everything I want/need, including live tv. I'm by no means a tech expert (I know enough to be dangerous) but at the end of the day it was fairly easy to set up and the cost is minimal.


A big thank you to all the rfd users that have helped along the way :)
We've been cable free for 2 years now and don't really miss anything...partly because we are limited in time nowadays. Sickbeard, Antenna and MLB.TV have pretty much everything covered.
Deal Addict
Dec 21, 2011
3518 posts
689 upvotes
Allenford
Can you give details on your set up? I don't even know enough to be dangerous but I know I hate our fricking Bell tv bill every month. Husbands condition will just be that whatever it is has to be hi def.

Good to know it's worked for you without being a techy person overly much, and that you can get live tv.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 11, 2008
3396 posts
648 upvotes
416 REAL T-D0T not 9…
I actually went BACK to Bell TV. Cutting the cord sounds (and is somewhat) inviting to do. Not even bring the legality of using torrents into the equation, I can't be arsed to deal with the hassles of downloading, streaming, or otherwise not being able to pick up a remote control and veg out, with my limited time. Not to mention sports. The 30 second delay and sometimes choppy faux high def from the streaming services were deal breakers for me. Especially now that I can get the French feeds for the Habs through Centre Ice from Bell.

Glad to see you are enjoying the cord free lifestyle o/p. Hope it works for you.
[Signature removed due to rule violation]
Deal Addict
Apr 22, 2014
4237 posts
1821 upvotes
, ON
Beachdown wrote: After getting rid of my cable subscription last year, I now have access to everything I want/need, including live tv. I'm by no means a tech expert (I know enough to be dangerous) but at the end of the day it was fairly easy to set up and the cost is minimal.


A big thank you to all the rfd users that have helped along the way :)
Please share your set up. I can't wait to divorce Bell....except for my internet.
Deal Addict
Dec 21, 2011
3518 posts
689 upvotes
Allenford
willdacanucker wrote: The 30 second delay and sometimes choppy faux high def from the streaming services were deal breakers for me.
Hmm, this will be my husbands issues as well...and like you said not having to torrent, he likes just a controller and go. I really want to get rid of that bloody bill though. $125/month for just television :o
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 11, 2008
3396 posts
648 upvotes
416 REAL T-D0T not 9…
snow00774 wrote: Hmm, this will be my husbands issues as well...and like you said not having to torrent, he likes just a controller and go. I really want to get rid of that bloody bill though. $125/month for just television :o
Yeah. I feel you. I hate the bill as well. The way I see it though, there is bugger else to do when it is nasty, cold, and wet out in the winter, so why not enjoy the being stuck inside no hassle tele experience? As soon as sports is over around June, I do cut the tele package back to the absolute lowest I can go. It is only 3 months, but savings are savings.
[Signature removed due to rule violation]
Deal Guru
User avatar
Oct 24, 2012
11641 posts
2620 upvotes
Montreal
Cable free for 6 years here

Frankly, it wasn't even an effort or a decision. I simply transitioned naturally to a point where I realized I hadn't watched cable TV in 6 months, and thus cancelled my account.

It isn't about getting your live TV stream from alternative sources, it's about watching TV differently.

I don't want "TV" anymore, I watch movies and tv-shows. It seems subtle, but the difference is huge.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 14, 2009
16765 posts
8103 upvotes
$125/month? I'm paying about $40/month all in with Rogers for a basic package with a free PVR (retentions deal). I also have Netflix and I find that we always have plenty to watch. I watch at lot of sports and I find that TSN/Sportsnet has me fully covered.
Penalty Box
User avatar
Apr 25, 2013
7398 posts
1338 upvotes
SickBeast wrote: $125/month? I'm paying about $40/month all in with Rogers for a basic package with a free PVR (retentions deal). I also have Netflix and I find that we always have plenty to watch. I watch at lot of sports and I find that TSN/Sportsnet has me fully covered.
Have you tried IPTV Stalker or StreamStorm TV yet ?
It's basically $250/month DirectTV for free !
Member
Jun 8, 2015
281 posts
49 upvotes
funkland
willdacanucker wrote: I actually went BACK to Bell TV. Cutting the cord sounds (and is somewhat) inviting to do. Not even bring the legality of using torrents into the equation, I can't be arsed to deal with the hassles of downloading, streaming, or otherwise not being able to pick up a remote control and veg out, with my limited time. Not to mention sports. The 30 second delay and sometimes choppy faux high def from the streaming services were deal breakers for me. Especially now that I can get the French feeds for the Habs through Centre Ice from Bell.

Glad to see you are enjoying the cord free lifestyle o/p. Hope it works for you.
Isnt this what Netflix is for?
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 14, 2009
16765 posts
8103 upvotes
meowman9000 wrote: Isnt this what Netflix is for?
Netflix has sports?
Penalty Box
User avatar
Apr 25, 2013
7398 posts
1338 upvotes
meowman9000 wrote: Isnt this what Netflix is for?
"Especially now that I can get the French feeds for the Habs through Centre Ice from Bell. "

LoL ...720p HD for free vs 536p for pay ...some people have money to burn !
Deal Guru
User avatar
Oct 24, 2012
11641 posts
2620 upvotes
Montreal
EdT586 wrote: LoL ...720p HD for free vs 536p for pay ...some people have money to burn !
Center Ice isn't free.
Penalty Box
User avatar
Apr 25, 2013
7398 posts
1338 upvotes
alkizmo wrote: Center Ice isn't free.
WTF is Center Ice ...Don Cherry blabbing away ?
Deal Fanatic
Apr 23, 2009
5161 posts
708 upvotes
South of Ottawa
snow00774 wrote: Can you give details on your set up? I don't even know enough to be dangerous but I know I hate our fricking Bell tv bill every month. Husbands condition will just be that whatever it is has to be hi def.

Good to know it's worked for you without being a techy person overly much, and that you can get live tv.
anotherbargainhunter wrote: Please share your set up. I can't wait to divorce Bell....except for my internet.
I'm sure there are easier/better ways to do it, but short of getting someone in to set it up for me, this will do. It all sounds so simple to take so long to set up, but when you don't even know where to start, it can be daunting. I started out using a USB stick before realizing my network was showing up on my tv. When that happened I was so freaking happy I never looked into it further. Went to my neighbour's, the bar, or a friend's house to watch sports. I have login information for Bell, Rogers and Comcast from various friends and relatives so I could access ESPN and TSN online, but never found a way to get it to my tv without hooking up the laptop. Screen mirroring doesn't work very well either.

Firetv stick. Tried Apple TV and google chromecast but like the fire tv stick just because it's more user friendly for me, I already have an Amazon Prime account (US), and I won it so it cost me nothing.

I also have a synology NAS and use their DS video app. Don't really need it as my network is mapped to the tv and I can pick up any downloads directly. The interface is so much better through the app though. You don't need the NAS to do this, it's just something I have to share stuff with a few people and I wanted my own cloud.

There's a site that explains how to sideload to firetv here, in plain english. That seems to be a recurring problem for a lot of this stuff - instructions are everywhere but it's sounds so complicated that it made my brain freeze half the time. Was spending way too much time looking up stuff on google just so I would know wth people people were explaining.
http://sideloadfiretv.com/sideload-apps ... v-windows/

Saw a thread on here a couple days ago and someone mentioned 0-IPTV. Went looking for it and it's gold. Sideloaded that to the firetv and now have local channels and US channels (in HD). (I live in a rural area in no man's land so an antenna is useless.) So I can watch hockey, football and baseball when the mood strikes me :) . That was the hardest part when I dumped the cable, not being able to watch Monday night football or the US Open golf, or something like that. Here's a listing of the channels you have access to with 0-IPTV http://epg.ciphertv.com/

While setting up IPTV, I thought I needed Kodi so loaded that as well. Turns out I didn't need it but it is very useful as it acts as a hub for the apps that I have sideloaded. I know Kodi can do much more but I haven't had time to explore it yet.

So I have netflix, and Amazon prime streaming for movies and a few shows, 0-IPTV for regular channels to catch sports, and all the downloads I can find. (I don't really use Netflix or Amazon much as everything is available fairly quickly to download somewhere.)

I went from paying Cogeco $175 a month for tv/internet, to $85 (needed to upgrade internet package for speed and capacity).
$3/month for VPN. And that's about it. The Amazon Prime is there regardless of the streaming so I don't really count that in the cost ($99 USD a year). The netflix is my friend's account so I don't pay for that. Everything else is free.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 14, 2009
16765 posts
8103 upvotes
EdT586 wrote: Have you tried IPTV Stalker or StreamStorm TV yet ?
It's basically $250/month DirectTV for free !
No, but I will have to check them out, thanks! :)
Sr. Member
Oct 1, 2009
662 posts
325 upvotes
West coast
That aounds like a lot of hurt setting it up.

I've been cable free for 8 years and before that those satellite boxes which costed an arm and a leg everytime you have to change boxes. Then i went to diy antenna which i enjoyed building and pick up all local channels.

I have a boxee box with netflix, youtube, movies and a shaw login to watch all shows online. One day i'll upgrade my imac vy adding a bigger tv connected to it but its still chugging along. I'm too cheap so i won't if i don't need to.

So cheers to you for joining the cord cutters club
Deal Expert
User avatar
Aug 2, 2010
15196 posts
5016 upvotes
Here 'n There
willdacanucker wrote: I actually went BACK to Bell TV. Cutting the cord sounds (and is somewhat) inviting to do. Not even bring the legality of using torrents into the equation, I can't be arsed to deal with the hassles of downloading, streaming, or otherwise not being able to pick up a remote control and veg out, with my limited time. Not to mention sports. The 30 second delay and sometimes choppy faux high def from the streaming services were deal breakers for me. Especially now that I can get the French feeds for the Habs through Centre Ice from Bell.

Glad to see you are enjoying the cord free lifestyle o/p. Hope it works for you.
I would never cut the cord. There are a lot of sacrifices that have to be made in what you can watch, how you watch it, the visual quality of it and the convenience of it all. My set up is such that I can watch any show, pause it and start it again from any of the same or different four TVs throughout the house which are all connected to a single Rogers PVR which I own (via cat 5e and video component balens). I don't have to ever fiddle with anything as I would if I cut the cord and no one who cuts the cord can do what I can do. I pay $52 a month with my 30% discount. Using a TiVo to record the shows OTA would be $15 a month for the programming capability for less than a third the content, not to mention subject to the vagaries of the weather. On top of that I would have to get all new hardware. $37/mos is not worth the savings for me for a much crippled viewing experience. I will save my money elsewhere.

Everyone who cuts the cord gives a lot up. The fact you may have not needed what you had before or whether you substituted different programs for what you watched before is a separate issue. I simply could not have the same experience in programming capability, recording capability, quality and ease-of-use with cutting the cord. Anyone who cuts the cord doesn't either. They give a lot up.
Deal Fanatic
Apr 23, 2009
5161 posts
708 upvotes
South of Ottawa
eonibm wrote: I would never cut the cord. There are a lot of sacrifices that have to be made in what you can watch, how you watch it, the visual quality of it and the convenience of it all. My set up is such that I can watch any show, pause it and start it again from any of the same or different four TVs throughout the house which are all connected to a single Rogers PVR which I own (via cat 5e and video component balens). I don't have to ever fiddle with anything as I would if I cut the cord and no one who cuts the cord can do what I can do. I pay $52 a month with my 30% discount. Using a TiVo to record the shows OTA would be $15 a month for the programming capability for less than a third the content, not to mention subject to the vagaries of the weather. On top of that I would have to get all new hardware. $37/mos is not worth the savings for me for a much crippled viewing experience. I will save my money elsewhere.

Everyone who cuts the cord gives a lot up. The fact you may have not needed what you had before or whether you substituted different programs for what you watched before is a separate issue. I simply could not have the same experience in programming capability, recording capability, quality and ease-of-use with cutting the cord. Anyone who cuts the cord doesn't either. They give a lot up.
You're absolutely right on that. It's all about expectations and really how much you watch and how much you care. I was never much of a channel surfer and the tv was never on just to pass time, so while I have moments that I miss having the convenience of cable, I don't typically watch enough tv on a regular basis to contemplate going back to it.

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)