Cutting Directv's Cord

[wichshock65]

Several days ago we lost our local Channel 36 (MyTV) off of the local lineup. That kinda was irritated but not really a channel I watch. The yesterday morning I wake up to find out that KSN Channel 3 is also gone. Directv was kind enough to jack up my bill $50 toward the end of last year bringing it to over $210 per month. I've been a customer of theirs for 15 years, years of sitting through storms staring at a blank screen. I'm pissed and I'm done.

Now I'm looking for advise. We are a big DVR family and have stuck with satellite due to the ease of their system. The sports packages for following the shocks are also important. After some research, thinking Tablo for local stuff along with Roku. Started rying out Philo last night.

If any of you have any thoughts on the direction I should go, I would greatly appreciate the help.

[The Mad Hatter]

I'm using Playstation Vue and they have cloud DVR, but there are some licensing restrictions for certain shows on that system. Overall it is a solid experience, though.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/

As for the loss of KSN, that may be partially KSN's fault because I have live access to local Fox, CBS, and ABC, but only NBC on demand through Vue.

[ShoxFan7]

Call Directv and ask for customer loyalty rep. I have to do this every year but it works. Tell them the new going rate for you to switch to Cox/Dish/whatever company. And they’ll reduce it for me it’s by $90 per month for a year.

[Bluzrover]

Thanks for posting this, I’ll be interested in reading what I hope will be many suggested options as I’m in the same boat. I too have been a long time customer of DirecTV and can’t take it any longer.

[vbird53]

Anybody using DirecTV Now? Streaming through Roku or other device? Seems really reasonable, actually.

[wichshock65]

Anybody using DirecTV Now? Streaming through Roku or other device? Seems really reasonable, actually.

I've looked into the Directv Now service and this is what I found out:

Missing channels: A&E, AMC, BBC America, Animal Planet, Discovery, HGTV, History, Lifetime, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone.

The good: Includes HBO, typically a $15 add-on, in the $50 price; TV-like interface including the ability to swipe left or right to change channels; discounts for AT&T Wireless customers.

The bad: Expensive service with fewer top channels than any other service in its price range; DVR is limited; no family member profiles.

In March 2019, DirecTV Now became less appealing than it was previously. Not only did corporate owner AT&T jack the price from $40 to $50 per month, it cut numerous key channels, including AMC, Discovery and HGTV, from its base package. The upside is that HBO is included as part of the price. Getting a standalone HBO Now subscription costs $15 per month, so an increase of $10 to get HBO included is technically a $5 monthly discount. But it locks you into a bundle, just the kind of thing cord cutters want to avoid. On top of that, its DVR and app are a step behind most competitors.

[vbird53]

I'm intrigued...we have AT&T wireless, currently U-Verse, which is now past their introductory rate. So, like many, many others, am considering my options to make the cut.

[Dark Lord]

I have had a number of people talk about YouTube TV. $50 a month and unlimited DVR space. I do not know all of the channels they have but those I have talked to are very happy with it and they have access to all sports channels as well as locals.

[BOBB]

Using PS Vue now. After switching from Dish after switching from DirecTV after switching from cable. Haven't missed Dish at all. Going to try a few of the services (Hulu, Youtube) to see what is best. No contract ftw.

[AndShock]

I think every single service offers a free trial so you can try everything and see what you like. We settled on Hulu.

[Kung Wu]

Drop Cox and DirectTV television services like a bad habit -- will save yourselves over $1k per year, easily. You only need Internet, and you really don't need much bandwidth, by today's standards (unless you have a ton of kids).

Playstation Vue allows for streaming to 5 devices. So if you have less than 6 TVs in your home, you are good to go with a single $50ish/month subscription.

Buy one Roku for each TV that isn't a smart TV. If it's a Smart TV, then you don't even need a Roku for that TV.

On your Roku, install the Playstation Vue app, and follow the instructions to sign into your Playstation Vue account -- and you will have a nice TV lineup for $50ish/month plus whatever your Internet is. Don't get sucked into buying super large amounts of download speed -- you likely won't need it, but you can always upgrade if you do.

Substitute Playstation Vue with Youtube TV, if you prefer Youtube TV -- they are completely interchangeable and there are no contracts.

[wichshock65]

I bought a couple of Roku devices and am test driving the services now.

Tried Philo for a couple of days and have already moved on. Price was right but guide and recording functions just way too clunky for me.

Have now started my free week of Sling. The guide and record are very close to what I had with Directv. Even has the option to record series, new episodes only. Lots of channels, sports, etc., and am impressed so far. After trial is up it will cost per month:

$40 for Top channel package.
$5 for DVR (only 50 hours).
$10 for extra sports package.
I can stream 4 devices at once.

The price is a bit higher but a hell of a lot less than Directv. I still plan to try out other services until I decide on one. I'll report back.

[Ta Town Shocker]

wichshock65 Curious what you ended up landing on.

I cancelled Directv a couple of days back and am testing out Philo now. Since the price is right, I'm hoping myself and the family can deal with it's imperfections. Is there anyone using the Tablo recorder for local channels?

[Kung Wu]

SlingTV was laggy for me. Much more so than Playstation Vue. In fact, it wasnt even close. That was a couple years ago, so maybe they have improved, but I doubt it.