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Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

Yeah, the days of cutting the cord to get a big savings are over. I have Altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell) and the Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu streaming package and I get all those stations. Really the only thing you can do to cut your cost is to vigorously negotiate with your provider whenever they raise your bill. They'll acquiesce, but you have to basically go up 2-3 levels of people and hold firm that you aren't paying anything more than your current rate. I've gotten my way doing this for 5-6 years now.

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

I pay $149 per month for Directv and Youtubetv says its $64.99 so it should be a fairly big savings for me.

I like to watch the Reds and I don't see FoxSports Ohio or FoxSports Cincinnati on the list. Are you able to watch Reds games?

(01-04-2023 01:24 PM)nachoman91 Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

I pay $149 per month for Directv and Youtubetv says its $64.99 so it should be a fairly big savings for me.

I like to watch the Reds and I don't see FoxSports Ohio or FoxSports Cincinnati on the list. Are you able to watch Reds games?

I don't think there is a streaming deal for local reds games anywhere. I think that would be a separate purchase, but I can't tell you for sure.

(01-04-2023 01:32 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 01:24 PM)nachoman91 Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

I pay $149 per month for Directv and Youtubetv says its $64.99 so it should be a fairly big savings for me.

I like to watch the Reds and I don't see FoxSports Ohio or FoxSports Cincinnati on the list. Are you able to watch Reds games?

I don't think there is a streaming deal for local reds games anywhere. I think that would be a separate purchase, but I can't tell you for sure.

I'm coming in half cocked, but I believe all of those Fox regional/Bally stations are all in bankruptcy at the moment. It might take some time to sort all of that out.

(01-04-2023 01:24 PM)nachoman91 Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

I pay $149 per month for Directv and Youtubetv says its $64.99 so it should be a fairly big savings for me.

I like to watch the Reds and I don't see FoxSports Ohio or FoxSports Cincinnati on the list. Are you able to watch Reds games?

I’m betting your $149 also includes internet. You are still going to have to buy internet which will bring the total cost over $100.

(01-04-2023 03:49 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 01:24 PM)nachoman91 Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-04-2023 10:43 AM)nachoman91 Wrote:  Looking for suggestions on an alternative to Spectrum or Directv. I'd like to cut cost but I also want to keep the ability to watch local stations and a handful of others like ESPN, Discovery, Comedy, FX, HGTV, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

I pay $149 per month for Directv and Youtubetv says its $64.99 so it should be a fairly big savings for me.

I like to watch the Reds and I don't see FoxSports Ohio or FoxSports Cincinnati on the list. Are you able to watch Reds games?

I’m betting your $149 also includes internet. You are still going to have to buy internet which will bring the total cost over $100.

My $149 is for Directv only. $106 for the plan plus add on cost for 5 tv's, DVR, and some protection fee they lump on. Financially that price has never been a real big concern for me which is why I never worried about trying to lower it. But at this point I watch so little TV that it just feels wasteful paying that much.

My brother is very happy with Hulu+Live TV (I think that's what it's called).

That's different from the Hulu+ that is included in the Disney+/ESPN+ bundle.

Hulu+Live TV includes both ESPN+ and the regular ESPN channels. I think that's the only service that gives you both within the same package.

(01-04-2023 10:47 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  I love youtubetv. But honestly by the time you get internet the price isn't much different than cable these days. I just like the flexibility of youtubetv.

(01-04-2023 04:30 PM)nachoman91 Wrote:  My $149 is for Directv only. $106 for the plan plus add on cost for 5 tv's, DVR, and some protection fee they lump on. Financially that price has never been a real big concern for me which is why I never worried about trying to lower it. But at this point I watch so little TV that it just feels wasteful paying that much.

As a former DirecTV customer who cut it in 2016 and have been with YouTubeTV for a long time after a brief PS Vue stint I'm still 2/3 of the cost I was for a single box 6 1/2 years ago and as Mark mentioned it's a substantially better product. I share it and can have 3 simultaneous streams and it's a much better user experience as when I open it it gives me suggestions of programs I like to watch or use the guide. I wouldn't switch back to satellite/cable unless it were significantly less than Youtube TV (or Hulu Live with I've heard is great). And DirecTV just lost the one thing that was keeping them alive so they seem to be on their last legs.

I've never had bundled internet so that has never affected my price with either live TV service