Looking to "cut the cord" Tivo a good option? (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

I too am considering dumping DTV. In the past they’ve been willing to give me promotional discounts to get around their high prices. Now they are playing hardball and my wife and I are ready to dump DTV, even though we’ve been with them for about 20 years.

Trouble is I’d like to duplicate the way I watched DTV to some degree. Stuff like movies and series I’m ok streaming on demand. But I’ve been using my DVR buffer a LOT to watch live programs like news and sports. I’ll build up a buffer on CNN and use it to bypass their very excessive commercials.

Is there a way to duplicate this? Cable and a DVR? Streaming only? I do have an Apple TV. We’re considering a TIVO. Back when DTV used Tivo’s, we brought their lifetime service and it still shows on our bill as something like “Advanced DVR Lifetime Subscription” for 0 dollars. I wonder if TiVo will remember us?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I too am considering dumping DTV. In the past they’ve been willing to give me promotional discounts to get around their high prices. Now they are playing hardball and my wife and I are ready to dump DTV, even though we’ve been with them for about 20 years.

Trouble is I’d like to duplicate the way I watched DTV to some degree. Stuff like movies and series I’m ok streaming on demand. But I’ve been using my DVR buffer a LOT to watch live programs like news and sports. I’ll build up a buffer on CNN and use it to bypass their very excessive commercials.

Is there a way to duplicate this? Cable and a DVR? Streaming only? I do have an Apple TV. We’re considering a TIVO. Back when DTV used Tivo’s, we brought their lifetime service and it still shows on our bill as something like “Advanced DVR Lifetime Subscription” for 0 dollars. I wonder if TiVo will remember us?

Tivo lifetime service is tied to the unit. It cannot be transferred to another unit.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Tivo lifetime service is tied to the unit. It cannot be transferred to another unit.

If that’s true, then there’s no such thing as lifetime service. The way electronics change, jeez, 2 years from now there’s going to be something so fantastic. I’ll be calling to ask.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

If that’s true, then there’s no such thing as lifetime service. The way electronics change, jeez, 2 years from now there’s going to be something so fantastic. I’ll be calling to ask.

All lifetime services are tied to a particular product's lifetime -- NOT yours.

This is completely normal.

It's just like when Sirius was offering a lifetime subscription on their radio service. It was tied to ONE device and for the lifetime of THAT device.

 

[DaveF]

Is there a way to duplicate this?

I’m not sure what the sticking point is...the way to duplicate a TiVo experience is a TiVo. Or a DVR if you’re not picky. You can go OTA or cable.

Another option might be Hulu live which gives a streaming dvr service.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I’m not sure what the sticking point is...the way to duplicate a TiVo experience is a TiVo. Or a DVR if you’re not picky. You can go OTA or cable.

Another option might be Hulu live which gives a streaming dvr service.

What I’m getting at is mostly the buffer issue that DVRs give you. if I’m streaming a life program like news or sports can I have a buffer in order to bypass commercials? Basically, with life streaming, can I fast forward?

 

[Todd Erwin]

I'm working up a proposal right now for cutting the cord when our DTV contract expires in three weeks. The more drastic of the two is to go with what @Adam Gregorich (the OP) has done and go with the Amazon Fire TV Recast (1TB) and a good antenna for OTA broadcasts, using Hulu and possibly CBS All Access as our on-demand broadcast network backups should "TV Hill" go down for some reason. I hooked up a 50-mile indoor antenna to one of my TVs, pointing the antenna towards TV Hill, and was able to pick up everything with some very minor and infrequent pixilation, which I suspect will lessen even more when I can get a more direct line of sight to the re-transmission towers. This would be the more expensive outlay at first, but the more cost-saving in the long run.

My other option is to go with Spectrum's TV Streaming service, which I can use my existing Roku devices. It would be roughly $35/month, including cloud DVR, and we could keep many of the channels my wife likes to watch (Hallmark, Lifetime, etc). I just need to test it, and they offer a 7-day free trial. No one at Spectrum can give me a straight answer as to what resolution and audio format that service offers. Their answer of "standard" audio and "HD" video just doesn't cut it, and my complaints with PS Vue (which does not offer local channels in my market) was max resolution of 720p and stereo audio was mostly kept me away from that service in Southern California. I'll report back on what my findings on Spectrum are.

 

[DaveF]

What I’m getting at is mostly the buffer issue that DVRs give you. if I’m streaming a life program like news or sports can I have a buffer in order to bypass commercials? Basically, with life streaming, can I fast forward?

If you pay for ad-free service, it’s moot I expect. If you pay for ad-supported service, I don’t think so.

I’ll try to check with friends that have Hulu live.

 

[Johnny Angell]

If you pay for ad-free service, it’s moot I expect. If you pay for ad-supported service, I don’t think so.

I’ll try to check with friends that have Hulu live.

I don’t know how I’d get Ad-free with something live like news or sports. I subscribe to CBSAA with ad-free. I’ll have to try watching the news there.

 

[DaveF]

https://www.hulu.com/live-tv

Give it a free go to see? I have a friend that's gone this route, but I'm still cable + TiVo for networks and Netflix and Amazon and trial Hulu for streaming content.

 

[Johnny Angell]

https://www.hulu.com/live-tv

Give it a free go to see? I have a friend that's gone this route, but I'm still cable + TiVo for networks and Netflix and Amazon and trial Hulu for streaming content.

Which TiVo do you have?

 

[DaveF]

Roamio, with a DIY upgraded hard drive for 3TB storage. (I used all of that the first couple years. Now I'm at 10% usage.)

 

[Johnny Angell]

Roamio, with a DIY upgraded hard drive for 3TB storage. (I used all of that the first couple years. Now I'm at 10% usage.)

What does TiVo think of upgraded hard drives? Was it internal?

 

[DaveF]

Yes. Internal. Pretty easy upgrade. It just works.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I too am considering dumping DTV. In the past they’ve been willing to give me promotional discounts to get around their high prices. Now they are playing hardball and my wife and I are ready to dump DTV, even though we’ve been with them for about 20 years.

Trouble is I’d like to duplicate the way I watched DTV to some degree. Stuff like movies and series I’m ok streaming on demand. But I’ve been using my DVR buffer a LOT to watch live programs like news and sports. I’ll build up a buffer on CNN and use it to bypass their very excessive commercials.

Is there a way to duplicate this? Cable and a DVR? Streaming only? I do have an Apple TV. We’re considering a TIVO. Back when DTV used Tivo’s, we brought their lifetime service and it still shows on our bill as something like “Advanced DVR Lifetime Subscription” for 0 dollars. I wonder if TiVo will remember us?

I have Comcast's Xfinity service and do not have a DVR. However, Xfinity allows you to pause, rewind and fast forward the program you are watching. There are times I will pause a program when it begins, go do something else for 10-15 minutes, and then come back to watch the program, fast forwarding through the commercials.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I have Comcast's Xfinity service and do not have a DVR. However, Xfinity allows you to pause, rewind and fast forward the program you are watching. There are times I will pause a program when it begins, go do something else for 10-15 minutes, and then come back to watch the program, fast forwarding through the commercials.

How do you like Xfinity? I ask because we just signed up for Xfinity and have purchased the TiVo Edge and the smaller extender for the bedroom.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

How do you like Xfinity? I ask because we just signed up for Xfinity and have purchased the TiVo Edge and the smaller extender for the bedroom.

Our service has been fine, and we get the channels we are interested in. My main frustration is with their Xfinity Stream app. Most of the channels are only available while on our home network, and not when we are away. I wanted to watch the Montreal - Toronto hockey game on my phone last Saturday evening while we were attending the USA Hockey - Northern Michigan University hockey game. Since the game was being shown on the NHL Network, it was blacked out on the NHL.tv streaming service I subscribe to. Trying to access the NHL Network from the Xfinity Streaming app on my phone resulted in the message "you must be on your home network to access this channel". I got the same thing Sunday afternoon attempting to catch the end of the Steelers - Ravens football game on the local CBS affiliate through the app (we were at the USA Hockey - Notre Dame hockey game). I couldn't get CBS, but could get the Raiders - Bears game on the Fox affiliate.

I was looking at Hulu Live, but they do not carry the NHL Network. I do have to do the "price dance" with them every two years when our contract term is up and the price increases, though. I am sure one of these times they will not drop the price back to our previous level and I will have to switch to something else. For now, however, they have always reduced the price when I call.

We have fiber optic cable from Comcast, Wide Open West and AT&T running through our back yard, so I have choices for either cable TV or just Internet + streaming. It also helps with the price negotiations.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I too am considering dumping DTV. In the past they’ve been willing to give me promotional discounts to get around their high prices. Now they are playing hardball and my wife and I are ready to dump DTV, even though we’ve been with them for about 20 years.

Trouble is I’d like to duplicate the way I watched DTV to some degree. Stuff like movies and series I’m ok streaming on demand. But I’ve been using my DVR buffer a LOT to watch live programs like news and sports. I’ll build up a buffer on CNN and use it to bypass their very excessive commercials.

Is there a way to duplicate this? Cable and a DVR? Streaming only? I do have an Apple TV. We’re considering a TIVO. Back when DTV used Tivo’s, we brought their lifetime service and it still shows on our bill as something like “Advanced DVR Lifetime Subscription” for 0 dollars. I wonder if TiVo will remember us?

Any DVR should be able to buffer your live TV so you can skip commercials (until you get caught up). Cable and even our Firecast Antenna DVR does this for live TV.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

We have fiber optic cable from Comcast, Wide Open West and AT&T running through our back yard, so I have choices for either cable TV or just Internet + streaming. It also helps with the price negotiations.

You are so fortunate to have a choice!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Our service has been fine, and we get the channels we are interested in. My main frustration is with their Xfinity Stream app. Most of the channels are only available while on our home network, and not when we are away. I wanted to watch the Montreal - Toronto hockey game on my phone last Saturday evening while we were attending the USA Hockey - Northern Michigan University hockey game. Since the game was being shown on the NHL Network, it was blacked out on the NHL.tv streaming service I subscribe to. Trying to access the NHL Network from the Xfinity Streaming app on my phone resulted in the message "you must be on your home network to access this channel". I got the same thing Sunday afternoon attempting to catch the end of the Steelers - Ravens football game on the local CBS affiliate through the app (we were at the USA Hockey - Notre Dame hockey game). I couldn't get CBS, but could get the Raiders - Bears game on the Fox affiliate.

I was looking at Hulu Live, but they do not carry the NHL Network. I do have to do the "price dance" with them every two years when our contract term is up and the price increases, though. I am sure one of these times they will not drop the price back to our previous level and I will have to switch to something else. For now, however, they have always reduced the price when I call.

We have fiber optic cable from Comcast, Wide Open West and AT&T running through our back yard, so I have choices for either cable TV or just Internet + streaming. It also helps with the price negotiations.

I’ve never streamed outside my home yet, so that shortcoming will not be an issue with me. It’s good to read Xfinity is ok.