To Cordcutters: What is your setup?
 

I dropped cable and have been glued to Netflix lately, but I have a feeling that might get old soon.

So right now I have my PS3 and Xbox w/ Netflix and then I have an OTA antenna that gets CBS, Fox, and ABC.

I want to be able to get the best bang for my buck with the most content possible.

Thanks

I use/subscribe to playon ( http://playon.tv ) it works across all my devices pretty well - I use it to stream media I download as well.

GoogleTV in the bedroom, PS3 in the living room, xbox360 + tablets and smartphones and wii etc

all access netflix / playon - Amazon Video to download ad hoc

We recently got "cable" because it was cheaper when i established service with Comcast to get basic cable (20 channels) with the internet than it was to do internet alone - i get faster speeds too

Also my Slingbox at my parents house who has Dish - hooked it up to the basement TV and Have had no problems

I don't think I could ever watch everything on Netflix that I want to. My queue is like 150 deep and has been that way for years now. So many TV shows, foreign movies and documentaries to catch up on.

Though I haven't done it, I've had a few friends swear by Apple TV, or Hulu/Amazon/Netfilx etc via PS3 or other device.

My good buddy has done the latter for over a year now and doesn't regret a second of it.

I've been without cable for 2 years now, and don't miss it a bit. My setup consists of an AppleTV2 running XBMC. I have an OTA HD antenna, which gives me all the local channels. And I rely on Netflix and XBMC for all the rest.

If you're interested, I made a long drunken demo of my XBMC setup quite a while back. It has changed immensely since then, but it should give you an idea of what's possible. Suffice to say, XBMC and the plugins have made dramatic improvements since I recorded this video:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qOd_3Q-Ri8A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Right now though, AppleTV2s are very hard to find, and AppleTV3 can't run XBMC because it can't be jailbroken. So I'd recommend looking at one of the Android set top boxes for an XBMC solution.

One of my favorites right now, and likely my next solution, is the JynxBox HD.

What HD OTA antennas do you guys have?

Go outside>?

I just got a cheapie $25 powered antenna. From Target I think. But it picks up every OTA station available in KC.

Hmmm I'm moving into a new place next Friday and I was going to order one online.. Looking for recommendations.

Unless you need to pick up stations 50+ miles away, usually a cheapie will do just fine. Depending on your local topography at least. I'd try a cheap one from a local place first, and return it if it's not enough. My buddy bought a $200 one here in KC, and I get just as many stations, with just as good of quality, on my $25 unit.

Gotcha. Thanks

Playon to stream Hulu to my PS3, OTA local stations, and netflix streaming. If what I want isn't on one of those sources, I, ahem, find other means........

Mine is a 3 foot section of 2x4 with 6 wire hangers, 10 washers and screws, and a balun.

Cost me $10 to make.

So can you stream regular hulu through a PS3 or 360?

Or only Hulu+ ?

Is there anyway to do this with multiple TVs without having to do more than one setup?

I've got four TVs that I'd want to do this to.

I have an XBOX 360 and a ROKU. I tried Hulu+ but didn't think it was worth the money.

The one drawback is sports, as the ESPN3 app on the XBOX got neutered by Comcast down here. I can watch replays, but NOTHING live. Used to be able to watch almost everything they put on ESPN...

Must learn more about XBMC.

Either. I don't pay for Hulu+, I don't see the benefit.

I've got the AppleTV2 running the most recent version so it accesses iTunes Match directly and it's awesome...especially with the latest version of remote.app.

AirVideo works nicely, but I've recently started getting into using iFlicks to transcode (or put a new wrapper on) videos. It's also much faster to add metadata and grabs posters for you.

Does anyone in Lees Summit have the Clearstream C2 or the C2V? The old rabbit ears aren't cutting it anymore so I'm pondering an upgrade. I believe the only difference is the C2V picks up VHF as well as UHF, while the C2 only does UHF. All the local KC channels broadcast in UHF, but I'm wondering if there is any reason not to just get the C2V because why not? The price is similar.

This is for the living room TV, upstairs the cheapie antenna works fine, but downstairs the reception just sucks sometimes. Thinking of mounting it on the chimney.
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In addition to cheapies and powered cheapies, if you have the space and own your place Home Depot has an RCA [brand] full sized antenna for your attic or roof. I think mine was about $35 back in 2005 or so.

Properly aimed, connected and grounded, it will pick up any and everything around.

Does that Playon attempt to load a bunch of crap on your systems?

Mediacom is like that too with ESPN3. I think ESPN did it though.

Watched tons of MLB last year, this year, nothing.

http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Leaf-Pape...s=leaf+antenna

I get everything in HD, even NBC, which is hard to get OTA in Vegas unless you have an outdoor setup.

Still curious about that Playon thing. I can sign up for $9 and get all that shit without problems?

I got a PlayOn lifetime license when I bought my Roku. You still have to pay for anything the requires subscription, but it will deliver whatever you subscribe to as a channel.

Just buy the lifetime subscription when it goes on sale. They also now have a feature called playmark that allows you to stream a video from your browser to your tv. I use it and Plex to stream to my roku.

So the only changes I've made since posting this almost 8 months ago are that I bought a different antenna which can pickup NBC and I paid for a VPN to stream NFL.

I like my setup but wish I knew a way to utilize the VPN to watch College Sports and NBA in HD like I can with the NFL.

Fish - what's your XBMC setup now, in terms of plugins? I'm going to pull the trigger on this, but I'll definitely need some advice on a good setup to have.

roku 3 streaming netflix ($8), aero ($8, great for getting local fox/nbc/cbs on a high quality feed), and playon (one time, $50)

playon lets users create scripts/plugins, which are just aggregations of streams...you can find - literally - anything

i get any channel on the globe, and pretty much every tv show and movie made in the last 30 years from just a few scripts...right up to movies being released this week

$16 a month

used to pay $80+...the only catch is you have to put with lower quality feeds sometimes, and lots of searching for streams that work, there is no easy to use channel guide or search function

Roku and similar machines are starting to offer some decent programming. If you can connect your PC/Laptop to your TV there are a metric ****-ton of sites to stream movies/TV from for free...

Using many of the same ones that I demonstrated in that video. WTFurk is still my most popular one. And it's improved dramatically since that video too. Watching that is a blast from the past.

My go to plugins:

What the Furk (requires $7/month subscription for unlimited media)
1Channel (free unlimited movies/TV)
Mash Up (free all-in-one providing movies/TV/Kids section/Live Streaming TV)
Free Cable (Hulu for cable shows that aren't on Hulu)
Hulu
Sportsdevil (streaming sports)
Justin.TV
Icefilms (HD movies/TV)

Good Lord this all sounds complicated...you guys is energetic...

I have a mac and I'm fighting between AppleTV and Roku III (which I have nothing but praise for.)

We already have a Roku III in the house and my PS3 just went tits up.

I called Apple and they're VERY vague about my ability to stream from the iMAC to AppleTV.

If I can't I'll just by Roku and be done with it. The only thing holding me up is the goofy fuggs that can't decide if I can or can't stream from my iMac to the AppleTV device...

Best current solution for cord cutting: http://www.amazon.com/G-Box-Midnight.../dp/B00CH643A8

Does everything Roku or AppleTV does, plus more.

Again: can I stream both audio/video from my iMac to the unit?...

I would pay if I could get HD sports streams. I would cut for sure then.

NFL Sunday Ticket -- i.e., the ability to watch every Chiefs game -- is the only thing keeping me connected.

Sports or GTFO.


If they started streaming HD on the net it would be easy to cut the cord.

This is android based, so you should be able to install sopcast for android and stream sports in HD. May have to check this out.

I would only add you are missing out on the giddyup network. Basically, it is a lot of channels that are dedicated to a single tv show. So like running marathons of the simpsons, fresh prince. etc.



I read on reddit that if you subscribe to nfl gamepass and use a VPN to spoof your location to europe, you get HD streaming from NFL.com for live games. Anyone do that?

I will be your best friend:

Found a workaround:
Install FoxyProxy or a similar addon and search for free proxies in the Netherlands (or Argentina or New Zealand). I like to use ProxyNova[http://www.proxynova.com/proxy-server-list/country-nl/ ].
Copy IP-Address and Port into FoxyProxy and activate it, then click This link[http://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/console.jsp ].
Choose a game to watch, click on it and when it starts to buffer, deactivate FoxyProxy. In this way, you can stream the game with your own bandwith and not the super-lame proxy.
Note that if you want to watch another game, before switching, you have to activate FoxyProxy again.
I cleared my cache and cookies and followed these instructions and it's working again. Apparently they caught on to people using Hola Unblocker and just redirected all that traffic to their subscription page. Maybe update your post with the new directions so people can see. :) Credit goes to u/thiezzz

I was just watching the Raiders game LIVE in HD doing this.

also watched the chiefs giants game again in HD

A certain metal plating based browser is much more conducive and there is no need to restart V to that P to tha N post console.

Live game, live Network, live RZ, all archived stuff, just click and go, post logeen.

Where can you buy private sop cast hd streams?

For the NHL fans:

http://imgur.com/a/u5j22

:clap:

Thank you!

Ordered one and just set it up today. Not impressed at all. Could be that the terrain where my house is located sucks but out of 17 channels available I only can get 9. No NBC, Fox or CBS.

I'm pulling the trigger this month. There are many new options available since 2013.

Ideally, I'd like to have the Chromecast for apps and sign up for mlb.tv for Royals games. But I am sure they are blacked out in Springfield.

Fish, what's the latest and greatest?

MLB.tv is a waste of time if you are anywhere close to the team you want to watch. Here is the blackout map.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...kout_Areas.png

I know it is. Hard to understand the logic in it being blacked out for Springfield, MO when Springfield, MO does not have FSKC.

Where is the best sight to stream movies on a mobile? I'll pay occaisionally going to the theater, but I'd like to stream some from my phone to my chrome cast.

Google Play.

Or are you talking free pirated stuff?

Which is why you would use one of the available options for Chrome that make it look like you are somewhere else.

There's quite a few good solutions right now. Depends on how much you want to spend.

<$50:

FireTV Stick: $39.
Specs: Dual core, 1GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi(No Ethernet), Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc.

It's better than Chromecast in many ways. Mainly because it's a stand alone device and doesn't require you to "Cast" video from another device. It's got a nice little remote. It does everything Chromecast does, and much more.

Cons: Not quite beefy enough to serve as a main home theater setup, but super for a bedroom/extra room setup. Wifi only. Has its own power adapter.

~$100:

Fire TV: $99.
Specs: Quad core, 2GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi, Ethernet, USB(No support for external hard drives unless rooted), Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games.

Cons: No support for USB external drives without root. Root is only possible on units that come with older firmware, so root is not guaranteed. Limited hard drive space if you install many Android games(~5GB usable free space). Sideloaded apps require several navigation clicks to open without some tweaking.

Pros: With root, this device really shines. Very dependable. Very powerful. This is the device I use for all my home theater needs. But wouldn't satisfy me without root, since I depend on external USB capabilities. Requires some tweaking, but if you're capable of the necessary tweaking this can be an amazing device.


Nexus Player: $99.

Specs: Quad core, 1GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi, USB support for external hard drives, Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games.

Cons: Only 1GB RAM. No Ethernet. Limited hard drive space if you install many Android games(~5GB usable free space), but does allow USB external devices with a microUSB->USB cable. Wifi only is a deal breaker for me though.

Pros: Very open Android environment. Easy to configure and customize.

~$150:

Minix Neo X8-H: $150

Specs: Quad core Amlogic S802-H with 8 core Mali-450 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB hard drive, SD card slot, USB, microUSB, dual-band dual antenna wifi(2.4Ghz + 5Ghz), Ethernet, Bluetooth, remote included with 6-axis gyro "Airmouse" capability. True Dolby and DTS.

Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games. 4K2K UHD decoding.

Cons: Fairly new device.

Pros: Incredible specs for the price. Vanilla Android 4.4 OS provides the ultimate customization opportunity. No manufacturer BS restrictions. Capable of decoding nearly any video format. Guaranteed capable of root access. full USB access. This is the device I'd get if I were buying right now.


Ouya: $150.

Specs: Quad core Tegra3, 1GB RAM, 8GB hard drive, USB, microUSB, dual-band dual antenna wifi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, gamepad remote included.

Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv(via browser and Flash), NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Game controller as a remote.

Cons: The game controller is your remote for everything. Limited apps. Wifi performance isn't great. Personally I'm not a fan, but many people use it for their home theater setup.

Pros: Gaming centric device. Open environment, no root required. Very easy to configure and use. Just works.


> $200:

Intel NUC: $200-500.

There are many different "Kits" you can get, ranging from barebones to fully loaded.

Specs: Beast Mode. The NUC is a full-functional PC in a 4X4X2 form factor. Most come with no RAM or HD, and you would buy your choice of SO-DIMM RAM and 2.5" hard drive. Most are Core i3 3217U CPUs. Will run Windows. Or OpenELEC, etc.

Cons: Cost.

Pros: Everything else.

I'm really not a fan of the Rokus. They're incredibly limited in what you can do. The lack of XBMC is an absolute dealbreaker. When you see what XBMC is capable of on one of the listed devices above, you'll never consider a Roku. It's good for people with zero technical capabilities, but you'll never be completely satisfied with just using Roku for cord cutting. Chromecast works well and is very reliable. But it depends on having another device to cast from. Which is just unnecessary when you have other devices that do the same thing in addition to the many other capabilities of a stand alone device. Apple TV is too old and too restricted for anything other than iTunes rentals and Netflix.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have questions.

FYI... There are options to get around the MLB.tv blackout rule on just about any device.

Requiring a root on the device?

No. If you wanted to, you could even make a small DNS change on your router, and avoid the blackout restriction without doing anything to your device(s).

How long do you generally have to wait for current TV shows to come out?

Gotcha, easy enough.

What do you do if you want to catch a live sporting event (on the bigscreen) on say, Fox Sports Midwest? No app for it...do you cast it?

Depends on the show and what time zone you are located in. 0-12 hours in most cases.

My family's setup is very basic. We have three Rokus (2 boxes and one stick), Netflix, and a small OTA antenna. I'll re-evaluate paying for TV again when we get Google Fiber in the spring.

I have an OTA antenna for stuff on normal channels. Anything else, I search in several plugins I have installed within XBMC for a live stream. Either the Sportsdevil or NaviX plugins always has the games I want to watch. Quality can vary depending on the popularity of the game.

There are some paid options available. They're essentially pirated streams that you pay a monthly fee for. But normally HD quality.

Without a doubt, live sports is the main drawback with this setup. Sometimes it will require you to try 10-15 different streams before finding one that works great. It can be frustrating. But it will work. Technology and bandwidth has improved a lot in the last few years, so online streams are improving all the time.

My Current setup is like this:

Basic Cable with HBO - Cheaper to have internet with this than it is to have internet by itself (I too might go back to full cable once Google Fiber is in my hood - but maybe not) - We never watch it.



1 Chromecast
1 Roku
1 Family PC
1 Personal PC (also plex server)
1 Work Laptop
5 Tablets
2 Cell Phones
1 OTA DVR - We watch more than Basic cable
1 Slingbox at my Parents house in their basement who has Full Dish Network - Where I get my live sports.

Between netflix / amazon prime instant video / youtube and PLEX - I am never lacking in content - Programs I DVR on the OTA DVR can be copied to PCs/Tablets to be watched later as well

Another option that most people aren't even aware of, is going with a device capable of accepting a Cable card(M-Card). Cable companies don't advertise it. It's not necessarily cutting the cord, but you can cut quite a bit of money off your bill by essentially using your own equipment.

You can get a device like an HDHomerun Prime, and then get a cable card from your local cable company. It's much much cheaper and you can still get almost all the same cable channels. You pay a small fee for renting the cable card. Last I heard it was ~$10/mth. And you pay for whatever cable package you want. The HDHomerun acts as your DVR. It also allows you to broadcast that cable connection through your home network so you can also stream that cable from other computers/tablets/phones/set top boxes like the ones above/etc. You could then optionally open up your home network to also have that cable available from away from home.

For some it's a nice way to drastically cut your bill without actually cutting the cord.

free stuff, I get nervous that I'll click on the wrong link and a thousand popups will happen giving me a virus or something.

One of the best attributes of XBMC is that it provides you with all of the free stuff you want to watch in that regard, with none of the risks of popups or malware. You can run XBMC on any platform, and it provides an organized, easily managed front end with automatic download of movie covers/metadata/fan art. There's no chance of clicking on the wrong link and something bad happening. It's a breeze to set up. It will give you links for media from several dozen different sites at the same time. And because it's not running in a browser, there's zero risk of any type of popup or virus.

If you have any questions, I could point you in the right direction.

Fish. Best source for repositories?

Get a VPN and torrent any****ingthing you want.

Easiest method is to use Addon Installer. Complete instructions here: http://www.tvaddons.ag/addon-installer-kodi/

I also use a few things from SuperRepo too: Instructions: https://superrepo.org/get-started/

BTW Fish.

Posted this in the other cablecutter thread http://www.iflscience.com/technology...sktop-computer

Thoughts? I'm thinking the Ouya is too limited for me. Mostly b/c of how clunky it is to use.

Meh. Adding Windows 8 to an HDMI stick seems like a terrible idea.

The Linux version sounds interesting, as I'm sure there's some OpenELEC capabilities there. But the hardware specs are so much weaker that you'd be better off getting one of the established OpenELEC solutions. The FireTV Stick has the same specs with arguably better capabilities and much easier config.

We'll see once the device comes out...

Hell I wish Cox was like that. It is cheaper for me to have DirecTV's base (For Sunday Ticket) and Cox internet than to go with cox for everything and pay for Sunday Ticket Separately.

That is why I am really interested to see Dish Sling TV in action.

Fish - I know we've talked about this before, but could you maybe highlight some of your most used/favorite addons for XBMC and what you use each other for specifically?

I'll answer a few:

1Channel - this is my goto for watching just about everything.
Icefilms - I use this if I'm having trouble with 1Channel.
Sportsdevil - this gives me all my sports streams. The quality isn't the best, but I can also watch things that aren't even on network TV. Soccer, cricket, billiars, darts, UFC... if it's a major sport that's happening somewhere on the globe, there's probably a stream for it.


That's pretty much all I use. I think that Fish uses What the Furk as well. It's basically a pay service that does similar things to what 1channel does. You pay them. You subscribe to or request shows. They then grab those shows to put them on their server. You then have direct access to stream or download those shows at a fast, reliable speed.

Why not use Genesis? It displays both of those, plus other sites in its search results.

I'm and idiot - Fish answered these questions a few pages back in this very thread. Jesus.

Genesis has never indexed properly for me for some reason. Not sure why. When I search or look at categories, it just shows me a bunch of old black and white movies and such. It's really weird.