Kicking The Tires On A New TV...Advice Needed

[Sudz]

I have Hulu as some of their original content is solid. Did have YTTV for 30 days and liked their sports package much better. Mainly do to the ability to watch 4 games at once. I wish they'd all have it. Playstation Vue had that. Loved adding 4 different types of channels to a screen.

[Lancer]

I found some free movie channels on Roku that are pretty good.

Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV.

They have some really good movies on that are no edited for tv. All the killing and swearing. Saw Scarface and Reservoir Dogs on these and not scrubbed for tv.

Any other free movie channels?

[pk500]

I found some free movie channels on Roku that are pretty good.

Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV.

They have some really good movies on that are no edited for tv. All the killing and swearing. Saw Scarface and Reservoir Dogs on these and not scrubbed for tv.

Any other free movie channels?

Freevee.

[Sudz]

PlutoTV is great.

[Lancer]

I am thinking of getting rid of YOUTUBE TV.

Nothing wrong w/ the service, it's great, but I don't watch anything on there.

I've been watching NBA/NHL playoffs but just to pass the time. I like the old shows and movies but I can get a lot of those free with other apps like Tubi and Pluto TV.

Just like when I had comcast, so many channels but not much to watch. I like Smithsonian channel but that's about it. I can buy HBO separately when they have shows I am interested in. And I already have an MLB sub for baseball.

If they had a service for just sports + local channels I'd be in.

[Lancer]

So I see Youtube TV increased their sub rate. I'm now paying $100 a month since I sub to HBO too.

Now it's the same as when I had comcast. I don't want to pay $100 a month for a service that once cost me $70/mo (and earlier $35/$50).

I enjoy the service but all I watch are sports and local tv news. I do like the movies they offer but they're recorded off of TNT/TBS/IFC etc.. so nothing really premium. I'm at a point where it's like cable where I skim the menu to see what's on and 9/10 times nothing of interest is on.

I'm shopping around for a cheaper alternative. Any of you have some other service that's cheaper than Youtube TV but offers sports and local channels?

[sportdan30]

So I see Youtube TV increased their sub rate. I'm now paying $100 a month since I sub to HBO too.

Now it's the same as when I had comcast. I don't want to pay $100 a month for a service that once cost me $70/mo (and earlier $35/$50).

I enjoy the service but all I watch are sports and local tv news. I do like the movies they offer but they're recorded off of TNT/TBS/IFC etc.. so nothing really premium. I'm at a point where it's like cable where I skim the menu to see what's on and 9/10 times nothing of interest is on.

I'm shopping around for a cheaper alternative. Any of you have some other service that's cheaper than Youtube TV but offers sports and local channels?

If you can find something cheaper, let me know. I heard Fubu just raised their prices as well. With regards to YTTV, I am splitting the cost with my brother-in-law, who lives up the street from me. So, if you know someone within your proximity, it's possible to split the bill. Only thing you need to keep in mind is that you only get a certain number of screens you can watch at one time. Can't go over 3 I believe. However, if you up your package to the 4k, then you have unlimited screens.

Also, I'm signed in to my parent's Directv streaming service. They live a suburb over, but I've never had any problems accessing their account. I use theirs to access the regional sports in our area.

[wco81]

The Venu service was supposed to to be sports only and expected to cost $40-50.

But Fubo sued for antitrust and they settled by having Disney acquire Fubo. They will offer a Disney and Hulu bundle with Fubo, supposedly.

Venu isn’t going to happen and it was going to be weak because it wouldn’t have regional sports, meaning no local MLB, NBA, NHL games.

Supposedly, Disney plans to offer ESPN as standalone streaming but it’s not clear if that service would include all the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games or just their shows and Sportscenter.

[Lancer]

so if you try to cancel Youtube TV, before hitting the last confirm cancellation button, they offer $10 off the next 6 months. So it goes back to the 72 for the next 6 months. I may go ahead and do that and try to find an alternative in the next 6 mo. Or maybe something new will come along.

I also have disney plus annual that is going to expire. I saw they upped the yearly sub to $160!!! No way. I never use this service, it's for the rest of my family, but I'm not paying that much a year for these terrible shows they have on.

I did get rid of HBO from my youtubetv subscription. It was $17.99 a month. But I did see that HBO has a bundle of Disney Plus / HBO / Hulu for $16.99 a month. Also, some sports channels are included. So if the rest of my family really needs to see disney and if there is a series on hbo that I really want to watch, that bundle sounds like a good deal. They also have a bundle with Disney Plus/ Hulu / ESPN +. I hear ESPN + is pretty good if you want to watch NHL but I'm not really interested in that network.

I'd also like to get rid of Netflix but my wife watches it. Another service I never watch. They do have some good shows on it from time to time but they seem too far between.

[sportdan30]

I lowered my Netflix bill down to $6.99, or now $7.99 with ads. Yeah, the ads can be an inconvenience, but they're less than 30 seconds, and often only 15 second ads. I can live that versus paying $22 + per month.

[pk500]

Supposedly, Disney plans to offer ESPN as standalone streaming but it’s not clear if that service would include all the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games or just their shows and Sportscenter.

The ESPN standalone streamer reportedly will include everything. The price tag also will be large -- rumored to be anywhere from $25-$30 per month.

[pk500]

Greed drives all television, whether cable, streaming or satellite. If you think you're getting a sweetheart deal or bargain from ANY provider, I have oceanfront property in Saskatchewan to sell you.

[Lancer]

I lowered my Netflix bill down to $6.99, or now $7.99 with ads. Yeah, the ads can be an inconvenience, but they're less than 30 seconds, and often only 15 second ads. I can live that versus paying $22 + per month.

I'll do that. $25/mo is too much for what Netflix offers. When they cut out sharing that was b.s. too. Not like I give my account to anyone, it was more for my kids to use who are in college out of my area. But now they have to buy their own individual accounts. They should have had some kind of family plan.

[Lancer]

Supposedly, Disney plans to offer ESPN as standalone streaming but it’s not clear if that service would include all the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games or just their shows and Sportscenter.

The ESPN standalone streamer reportedly will include everything. The price tag also will be large -- rumored to be anywhere from $25-$30 per month.

that's much cheaper than youtube tv and cable. If they have a channel with just sports and local channels I'm all in.

[pk500]

Supposedly, Disney plans to offer ESPN as standalone streaming but it’s not clear if that service would include all the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games or just their shows and Sportscenter.

The ESPN standalone streamer reportedly will include everything. The price tag also will be large -- rumored to be anywhere from $25-$30 per month.

that's much cheaper than youtube tv and cable. If they have a channel with just sports and local channels I'm all in.

You won't get that. ESPN only has jurisdiction over ... ESPN.

If you want just sports and local channels, you'll need to pay full boat or close to it for a streaming service, cable or satellite. At least for now.

Current "skinny bundles" usually don't include sports channels because those have the highest carriage fees paid by cable/satellite/streaming operators. That's the only way operators can make "skinny bundles" work economically for their bottom line.

ESPN's carriage fee is almost $10 per subscriber -- among the highest in the industry. Cable, streaming and satellite providers must pay that much PER MONTH for EVERY ONE of its subscribers, not just those whom metrics show are watching those channels. Let's say Cable Company X has 1 million subscribers. That company is paying ESPN almost $10 million EVERY month, regardless of how many of its customers watch ESPN channels.

That's why ESPN was SO flush with cash in the 2000s and early 2010s at peak cable, before people started cutting the cord. ESPN was paid every month for people who didn't even watch its channels. What a business model!

[wco81]

I lowered my Netflix bill down to $6.99, or now $7.99 with ads. Yeah, the ads can be an inconvenience, but they're less than 30 seconds, and often only 15 second ads. I can live that versus paying $22 + per month.

For some of their 4K HDR content, I might buy for a month or two.

[dbdynsty25]

Netflix, ESPN, etc. are all going to keep raising rates on their premium tiers until everyone switches to ad based plans. Way more money in it for them. So if you like to stream ad-free, you're gonna pay an ever-increasing price.

[pk500]

Netflix, ESPN, etc. are all going to keep raising rates on their premium tiers until everyone switches to ad based plans. Way more money in it for them. So if you like to stream ad-free, you're gonna pay an ever-increasing price.

Yep. And they'll keep raising prices on ad-supported tiers, too. Probably just not as rapidly or frequently as ad-supported.

[sportdan30]

I lowered my Netflix bill down to $6.99, or now $7.99 with ads. Yeah, the ads can be an inconvenience, but they're less than 30 seconds, and often only 15 second ads. I can live that versus paying $22 + per month.

For some of their 4K HDR content, I might buy for a month or two.

That is definitely the downside of the lower tier package. I do miss the 4K HDR content.

[TheTruth]

Supposedly, Disney plans to offer ESPN as standalone streaming but it’s not clear if that service would include all the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games or just their shows and Sportscenter.

The ESPN standalone streamer reportedly will include everything. The price tag also will be large -- rumored to be anywhere from $25-$30 per month.

that's much cheaper than youtube tv and cable. If they have a channel with just sports and local channels I'm all in.

Is a HD antenna to get local channels ota for free an option for you?

[Lancer]

The ESPN standalone streamer reportedly will include everything. The price tag also will be large -- rumored to be anywhere from $25-$30 per month.

that's much cheaper than youtube tv and cable. If they have a channel with just sports and local channels I'm all in.

Is a HD antenna to get local channels ota for free an option for you?

I tried but I live in a very hilly area and never can get a good signal. The OTA website shows that I can get like 70 channels but I only get like 20. And of those 20, one is a local news channel - ABC, another is ME TV, and the rest are foreign language channels or home shopping type channels.

[Lancer]

my 8 year old Vizio tv has gone bad on me. it's emitting this odor when it's on and goes black screen from time to time. it's 1080p so i was thinking of upgrading to a 4K anyway.

I don't want to spend much, probably $300 max. I have a TCL from a few years ago I bought at costco for under $300 and it's been a great gaming tv for me.

What are some tv brands you recommend for 4K TVs? I plan on hooking up PS5 to it. probably will try to buy from Costco.

[wco81]

$300?

So probably limited to 50-55 inches?

Vizio was bought by Walmart so Costco probably wouldn't have them.

Maybe some cheap Chinese brands, TCL or obscure brands.

[Lancer]

Ya I’m just looking for a PS5 4k tv.

What do you think about this one

https://www.tcl.com/us/en/products/home ... tv-58s571f

Went to costco today and they had it for $250. 58 inch

[wco81]

I’ve personally never seen TCL TVs.

They’ve made some waves in recent years touting mini LED TVs with thousands of zones which may make the picture quality competitive with OLeD.

But those TVs would be more in the $1500-2000 and above range.

Costco has a great return policy so you can try it. At least they used to have a general policy.

For gaming though you might check reviews, see what they measure for response times in gaming modes.