Streaming TV advice

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flatwaterfan

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I am a cord cutter but I am thinking about getting Youtube TV in August before football season starts.   I use to go to bars to watch the games but now I need to avoid bar food and drink due to health considerations.

So currently I have the cox starter package  which gives me 10 mbs.    I have a VOIP internet phone service basictalk  and 1 wifi connection to an OTA channelmaster DVR+ along with 1 desktop computer.  I am the only user in the house. 

The plan would be to buy a Roku device with WIFI  like the stick or ultra and plug it into the 3rd HDMI port on my 2006 sony bravio TV then subscribe to youtube TV.   This tv also has an over the air antenna attached to it as well as a channelmaster DVR+ with a wifi plugin for OTA tvguide info and an old DVD player.    I can do that right?  I don't need anything else?  I don't have to  cast anything from my desk computer? 

Also another big question I have ...does the cox starter package of 10mbs  give a consistent enough bandwidth to watch live Nebraska sports or will I have buffering issues during games?    Do I need to jump up to 20?    (I cannot hardwire)   

I am jobless right now so I am living on a budget and I hate cost creep/promotional shenanigans and the like due to experiences with DIRECT-TV.    The centurylink  1 gigabite for $60 lifetime sounds attractive but by the time you add the service fees and taxes I think that will be $70-$75.   I am at $45 total right now and would like to stay closer to that total.   Wouldn't mind feedback on centurylink speeds vs cox at 20  or 40 mbs and if they are consistent at the stated bandwidth. 

Also wouldn't mind any feedback on how  folks like Youtube TV.    

Thanks in advance!

 
I can't speak to all of it, but I can say that I have YouTube TV and Cox internet preferred.

I love YouTube TV. They recently increased the price to $50/month, but they added the Discovery network of channels which I was really happy about. The streaming quality is fantastic and I've never had problems. With all the networks, NBA TV, NBCSN, BTN and MLB Network, you get pretty much every major sporting event you could want. Plus I had access to every single Nebraska game last year regardless of channel (which was the main reason I got it).

I have a Smart TV with Chromecast so that's how I watch it, primarily.

 
I gotta think about what to do this fall too. We don't have cable or satellite, and the past few years we have been able to "borrow" the cable provider login and password from in-laws and  grandparents to watch ESPN and the B1G network online. In-laws cut the cord as well, and grandpa got moved to a nursing home. What are my best options? Not opposed to paying a monthly fee for the season, but just haven't done the research yet.

 
Ulty said:
I gotta think about what to do this fall too. We don't have cable or satellite, and the past few years we have been able to "borrow" the cable provider login and password from in-laws and  grandparents to watch ESPN and the B1G network online. In-laws cut the cord as well, and grandpa got moved to a nursing home. What are my best options? Not opposed to paying a monthly fee for the season, but just haven't done the research yet.
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Can you still have him sign up and use his password?  I kid...sort of.

 
I recently dropped DirecTV and switched to YouTube TV. Much like @Enhance I also have high-speed internet (Allo's 300 mbps service). So far, I've been a HUGE fan of the service. Amazing streaming quality, great channel selection, the ability to seamlessly switch from one platform to the next (TV app, Android app, Website, etc.), plus unlimited DVR. The only downside was that because of Google's longstanding Feud with Amazon, I couldn't install the YouTube TV app on my Fire TV Stick and had to buy a new Roku Stick (I don't have a smart TV,).

 
@flatwaterfan You might also consider Hulu Live and PlayStation Vue. Both are around the same price as YouTube TV (Hulu Live is $5 less), and have all the channels you'd need to watch Husker games. Your connection should be OK, you're not gonna be streaming 4K onto that old TV. You might also consider a Fire TV or Chromecast, instead of the Roku.

@schriznoeder They actually just announced that they're ending that, Amazon apps will be on Chromecast and Google apps will be on Fire TV soon.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/18/18412525/youtube-amazon-fire-tv-prime-video-chromecast-return-announcement

 
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OH HSKR FAN said:
I use Hulu Live with my Roku.
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I've grown to despise HULU, price gouging at it's finest

As for YouTube TV, I am going to switch over to that when I get the chance.  Currently using Hulu Live and Sling, TYTV will make both those unnecessary for less a month.  Problem is, I'm using Fire Sticks and it isn't available as an app on a Fire Stick.

 
Redux said:
I've grown to despise HULU, price gouging at it's finest

As for YouTube TV, I am going to switch over to that when I get the chance.  Currently using Hulu Live and Sling, TYTV will make both those unnecessary for less a month.  Problem is, I'm using Fire Sticks and it isn't available as an app on a Fire Stick.
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I've had the Roku 3 for years now and it's been great (actually I have 3 of them). I haven't used the newer ones, but I'll buy Roku again based on the good experience I've had.

 
I went ahead and bought a roku streaming stick+ today.   I have not subscribed to a service yet and will wait until  August to do so.  I will evaluate some of the other options as suggested.

So far I am happy with it.  It is working well on my old TV and was easy to install for an old fart like  me.  I tried to get the regular streaming stick but it was sold out in the 2 stores that I checked so I just went ahead and got the +.   It gives me a little stronger wifi & if I ever get a 4k tv I can use it there.

The 10mbs is working fine for streaming.  I can see that it does load a little slow and moving through the menu can be slow at times but I haven't experienced any buffering issues.  I suppose time will tell.

Again thanks to everyone for the feedback

 
I'm currently paying 38 for Sling Blue/DVR/Comedy Extra, and 49 for Hulu Live for a total of roughly $87 a month

Can anyone tell me what YouTubeTV costs per month after taxes, and if anyone is using Philo I would like to hear the price on that after taxes as well.  Looking at it, the combo of YTTv and Philo I would pay $70 +taxes a month so I think I'll be switching 

 
Redux said:
Can anyone tell me what YouTubeTV costs per month after taxes
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My most recent charge (after taxes) was $42.20 off a core plan price of $39.99, but the core plan price is increasing to $49.99 before taxes on May 30, 2019. So, I imagine it'll be somewhere between $52-$55.

As I mentioned above though, they added several good channels with the price increase (up to approximately 50), so I'm cool with it. It is starting to get interesting in the streaming world, though. If you take into consideration my internet bill, YouTubeTV, Netflix account, and Amazon Prime, I'm basically spending $171/month on all that stuff. Probably still a better value price than internet + cable, but it's not exactly cheap.

 
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The downside to YouTubeTV is the lack of some Viacom channels like NickJr and Comedy Central for example.  The NickJr is especially important for a household like mine that requires Paw Patrol, Blaze and the god forsaken Peppa Pig.  Philo is $20 a month +taxes and has essentially everything YouTubeTV appears to lack.  But since I have to order Roku's to replace my FireSticks to support YouTubeTV I'll probably stick with my cruddy Sling for another month.

 
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