OP, you've already made your move here, so new advice may not be as important. So for (probably mostly) others who view this thread, the key thing to do is not lean too hard on opinions, as everyone has different reasons for switching. For many, the lone driver seems to revolve around how much they can claim they "saved" but compromises are being made in such savings no matter what options are chosen. Reasons for switching may be good-to-know info... but you may not share the same perceived value in those decisions.
My opinions on this topic:
Like OP, I had traditional SATT service- but through DISH. I explored ALL of the options but was not interested in saving $20 or even $50 per month if it meant losing DD5.1 and full DVR functionality. So I expected to play a game of hopping back and forth between the 4 traditional options in my area: DISH, DirecTV (satt), Comcast and AT&T Uverse.
- To manage the cost of the traditional, flex your consumer power by first threatening cancellation departments with switching to see if they'll give you something like the "newbie" discount deal... and then switching if they call your bluff. Traditional typically has switching options of at least 1+ cable provider, DirecTV satt and Dish TV satt. Flex as consumer to make the power of competition work.
- The traditional options are generally "full featured" refined. The new streaming options involve tradeoffs that can be surprising and can matter. For example, does one care about DD5.1 audio? NONE of the streaming options have better than stereo sound and some are mono. If you've set up a home theater system (which people have been doing as far back as the 1990's), sound can REALLY matter, but some only discover they don't have 5.1 anymore AFTER they've made the move. Example #2: The name "DVR" attached to virtual DVRs is typically far from the same experience: saved shows can be "on the clock" (self deleting after a period of time), some programming can be recorded and some can't, skipping commercials is not always an option, etc. And so on.
- Anyone shopping for such an option needs to do the homework. Remember, the shopping typically involves looking at what marketers are presenting. Channel lists that show locals don't always mean you get your actual local channels- sometimes it's just access to some shows from those networks. If you care about local news, weather and other programming, you better dig in and see if you are going to get your local channels or just network shows.
- Does "cutting the cord" actually save money? For every story one reads about old cable/satt bill vs. new bill, most only share the savings in the video part of the bill. What they tend to leave out is how switching from a double or triple play deal affects the new broadband-only price. The cord is rarely actually cut as the very companies which cutters are "beating" here are typically also the broadband provider on which the chosen alternative completely depends. If one "saves" $50 on video programming but then find themselves paying up to $50+ for now higher-priced broadband (and/or broadband cap overages), was there really any consumer savings "win"... especially considered against the tradeoffs of sound, full DVR functionality, actual locals, perhaps some favored channels, etc.
What I really wanted was a way to keep ALL of the traditional model benefits without feeling like I'm giving up a lot (IMO) to save(?) the equivalent of a couple of Starbuck's coffees each month. And since OTA locals tend to be the highest quality incarnation of the big 5 networks, I definitely wanted a way to tap into all that free, highest quality versions of those channels, rather than accepting more compressed, audio-compromised versions of the same (if available).
Ultimately, here's what I did as a kind of "best of both worlds" solution (for me anyway):
Did I "cut the cord" per the general definition? No, but almost no one is really cutting their cord either (because they still need broadband to make even a Netflix-only option work). What this does do is cut the price without some big compromises while still working great through an
- HDHomeRun boxes from Silicon Dust. These are boxes you can plug into your home network and stream either OTA (local) channels and/or cable to any TVs and now Amazon Fire in the home. I picked up both their Prime box (for Comcast cable programming) and their Extends (for OTA local channels & subchannels). Now they have a Quad that I'd probably buy instead of the Extends for 4 OTA tuners in a single box.
- The $25 Channels App. Most people look right over it because they can't imagine paying $25 for an app but it brings ALL of the programming from those HDHomeRun boxes together in an attractive (cable TV-like) UNIFIED, on-screen guide, merging OTA locals with Cable channels. This app allows you to put your channels in any order, set up a FAV channel list, hide any channels you don't want, etc.
- The $8/month Channels App DVR- a full-featured, traditional hardware-like DVR that brings all of those key features NOT available on virtual DVRs to any TV in the house. Your DVR capacity is then NOT limited to ANY size- just add hard drives- and the recorded programming is accessible on ANY TV or computer or mobile device.
TV. I encourage ANYONE thinking about cord cutting moves to consider this option too. All things considered, it seems to be a great alternative to any of the streaming services (and their compromises).
In short: some of the worst culprits in making the traditional expensive- box leases tethered to each TV- are eliminated. I retain the flexibility to hop back to DISH or other options if Comcast ever decides to make this approach more expensive. This makes my
Is it for everyone? No, nothing is. But all things considered on my end, it seems like the ideal mix of best of the traditional niceties with some sense of money cord-cutter savings too.
I appreciate the post! Nothing is final for me as I just payed for 3 months, even if I just get the Apple TV out of it I am happy. I just suspended my directv service so I’ll have an etf to pay if we switch. I’ve been considering all options basically. I don’t care if I call it ‘cutting the cord’ Or not. Either way my internet comes from spectrum. I have no bundle option as we used satellite for TV. The first year ‘introductory’ offer puts us at $80 for satellite, next year will be more. I’ve looked into the hd homerun stuff but have read mixed reviews. Trying directv now because we would get the $15 discount for having att. Options considered so far.
Directv now - $20 plus taxes and fees. Would need an OTA antenna for full locals, would need HDHR for DVR. Free HBO.
YouTube TV - $40 plus taxes and fees. Included all locals and DVR.
Hulu live - $40 plus taxes and fees. Half locals. DVR
Spectrum choice - $22 plus taxes and fees. No DVR.
Tons of options, just trying to see what works best for our family. Getting set up with streaming devices on all of our TV’s gets us out of needing their equipment and we can move to whatever we decide we like best. Plus it is a slightly cheaper option even at intro rates.
