Dish's $20/month Sling TV streaming service (1 Viewer)

Discuss...http://m.about.dish.com/press-release/products-and-services/sling-tv-launch-live-over-top-service-20-month-watch-tvs-tablets

I'm looking forward to this, if it includes the right channels.

It includes CNN so I'm in. News is the only thing missing from cord cutting world. Will be interesting to see what service Apple responds with, especially considering a lot of the channels in this package are owned by Disney...

Customers will be able to pause, rewind and fast-forward most live channels and Video-On-Demand content. For certain channels, the service includes a 3-Day Replay feature that gives customers the ability to watch some shows that have aired in the past three days; no DVR is needed.

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It looks interesting but speaking for myself, without full featured DVR capabilities to go with the "live channels" the service is near useless.


-Keith

Keith Plucker said:

It looks interesting but speaking for myself, without full featured DVR capabilities to go with the "live channels" the service is near useless.

-Keith

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I have a feeling the future will bring the ability to watch any show you want at any time (like Netflix or Hulu) making the idea of recording them moot

This would be perfect for someone like me, with a Netflix/Amazon subscription and getting CBS/FOX/ABC/NBC/CW/PBS/etc for free OTA, to subscribe to a package of major cable channels for a modest $20/mo., assuming I want what's being offered. I've found the responses on the web to this announcement interesting. The major criticisms mostly fall into two buckets:


"They didn't include [insert channel name], and I have to have it."

I know everybody has their favorites, and there's no accounting for taste, but some of the missing channels that get rattled off are prime examples of everything that went wrong with cable, because they're typically the channels that have shamelessly devolved from original or themed niche programming to worthless phony low-budget throw-away reality programming. You HAVE to have History? Really? You know there isn't any actual history on it any more right? Just some dorks driving around buying other people's garbage. Talk about entertainment. VH1? A&E? Discovery? Seriously? There are other's like Comedy Central that have a few cult shows, I get it. But in my mind this package is basically ESPN and ESPN2, TBS and TNT, some of the major sports venues that keep so many tethered to cable, for only $20, plus a few bonus channels. All that other junk will soon be available through those $5 add-on packages anyway.


"They only allow a single stream at a time. I'm out!"

Well boo-hoo. Two or three decades ago having a single shared television in each home still was not uncommon. You'll get over it. We have become technology and entertainment gluttons. This is a first of it's kind service, it's not going to perfectly please everyone in every detail, and the industry as a whole is cautious about streaming over the top. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine they may eventually open this up to allow 2 or more streams. For a fee perhaps. For a single person or even a couple it probably wouldn't matter.


DVR capability would be nice, but not critical. I have that capability with the OTA channels, but looks like it would be missing initially from this package.

The one stream only thing DOES kind of stink. Different sexes, different generations, heck even different families (roommates?). I don't think wanting multiple streams is gluttony at all...

Patrick Donahue said:

I have a feeling the future will bring the ability to watch any show you want at any time (like Netflix or Hulu) making the idea of recording them moot

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Well, when/if that happens, it would eliminate having to watch programming on someone else's schedule. It wouldn't necessarily solve the bigger problem of having to watch commercials on content that I would have to pay for. I don't mind paying extra for advertisement free programming but I won't be forced into watching commercials for content that I have to pay to get access to, free content would be another matter. For example, I use Hulu but not Hulu Plus (except for the occasional free trial). I might make an exception to this if the advertisement didn't interrupt the programming. In other words, something like a pre-roll ad.


It is a great start but I have the feeling part of the reason Dish is able to offer it is because they have, at least to some degree, eliminated commercial skipping on some of the channels. I have no doubt that many consumers are willing to pay that price to get the content but I am not.


If they want me to watch commercials they are going to have to provide the content for free. Probably an unrealistic attitude but no more so then the content providers trying to maintain an outdated business model. IMHO


-Keith

Keith Plucker said:

It wouldn't necessarily solve the bigger problem of having to watch commercials on content that I would have to pay for. I don't mind paying extra for advertisement free programming but I won't be forced into watching commercials for content that I have to pay to get access to...

If they want me to watch commercials they are going to have to provide the content for free. Probably an unrealistic attitude but no more so then the content providers trying to maintain an outdated business model. IMHO

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I totally agree but realistically it will never happen. Look at cable - you pay a lot to have access for that yet practically all channels still have commercials. You buy a magazine or newspaper and still need to flip past ads. That's just the way the economics of it work. A world without advertising would unfortunately be VERY expensive...

Its 20 dollars ( for now) and very very few channels. Not worth it in my opinion.

Does anyone know when this will be out and also the Razer forge?

bjballar41 said:

Does anyone know when this will be out and also the Razer forge?

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Speaking of Razer...

The Google Nexus TV "sucked on arrival"...

Is that any better?

Cause if Android TV hasn't caught Roku, ATV or Amazon Fire...

The Forge(even with the cool tricks) is a non-starter...

I really like the interface of android tv. Roku3 is a good choice but first two for me are nexus and forge

The price on this isn't all that great and the nation media has honed in on it.


Cable Cord Cutting doesn't always mean cost cutting too

You can cut the cord, but don't necessarily expect to cut your budget too.

Dish (NASDAQ: DISH) announced its groundbreaking Sling service on Monday, joining the cavalcade of streaming-television services with a bang: Access to ESPN without a cable subscription.

But just as cable haters celebrated the closure of a major hole in the cord-cutting concept — live sports — we're also getting a dose of reality: The quickly escalating cost of all these non-cable alternatives. Sure, $20 a month for Sling seems reasonable. But that's almost certainly not the only subscription you're buying. To get the same programming you're getting from cable, you're looking at a hodgepodge of monthly subscriptions that, together, are looking very cable-esque, cost-wise.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/blog/techflash/2015/01/cable-cord-cutting-doesnt-always-mean-cost-cutting.html?page=all

I figured up and in would save over 40 to 50 dollars a month compared to cable if I did sling internet hulu and Netflix

It really depends on what you are looking for. That article assumes you want every channel. For myself all I want that I can't get now is CNN, otherwise Netflix, my UV collection, and my subscription to MLB TV (which is a yearly cost) is all the couch time I use. $28/month gets me everything I need. I'm thrilled having the option.

I hope this ultimately leads to ala carte service. That is the only way I can see myself going back to satellite.

Cost could only compare to cable if you try to subscribe to everything service out there. Most people don't necessarily need/want them all. If I did this SlingTV at $20 and Netflix for $8 or $9 I'm WAY ahead of cable. Even adding one or two other services like Hulu+ its not a big deal. I don't count Amazon at all because the cost is for the gobs of 2-day shipping I get and all the free streaming/books/music is just icing on the cake. All the major broadcast networks come in over OTA free. Most NFL games, including play-offs and Super Bowl in the best HD quality: FREE. Downton Abbey: FREE. Agent Carter: FREE. Whatever other network dramas or comedies you like: FREE, again in better quality HD, and there's still a lot more broadcast sports besides. If you gotta have the new HBO streaming service then that can add up a little but still not bad, but this is a reasonable way to come out ahead of or probably at least no worse than the black hole of ever rising cable costs.

I just know after this month it will go up to lime 160 or more so I'm totally coming out good in my scenario. Others may not be. Only thing I hate is only one person can stream and no dvr

Not going to pay ANYTHING for channels that show commercials. I get enough of those for free.