Dish network $20 per month streaming package...

[smithrh]

ESPN is gimped - I'll be canceling

Thought I'd try this out.

Pros:
No-nonsense sign up
No contract
Reasonable price (at first glance)
Free trial (have to use valid CC)
Decent quality

Fatal Con:
ESPN channels are extremely limited:
• No pause ("not permitted")
• No rewind (ditto)
• No DVR like functionality (other channels in Sling offer this)
• Almost nonexistent choices on WatchESPN - this is the killer, really - EPSN takes content that originally aired on ESPN, ESPN2 etc and puts it into the EPSN3 category - which Sling users don't get access to

I'll be canceling - those restrictions are artificial and place the onus on me to plant myself in front of a screen at a certain time to watch sports. I haven't done that for more than 15 years, ever since the original Tivo came out, I'm not starting now.

I'm looking at other methods to get sports programming now; I'd prefer to pay for easy access but with my DirecTV bill at $140, it's extortion and I've had it.

Edited to add: Nice, they have a cancellation form on the website with only 1 active button "Keep my service" - typical. Had to call to cancel but no major pushback from the agent.

 

[Michael CM1]

Personally, I think the $20/month is steep for what it is at the moment when compared to Netflix or Hulu.

Currently I subscribe to Hulu Plus for the $8 month and don't mind the commercials. They are fairly short.

The issue I have with Sling is the 1 device limitation and not having the catalog of programming from each network they offer through the service. Live TV only stinks. I can understand live tv for ESPN, but the networks? I realize its networks and the agreements, but I am used to a back catalog with Hulu and having the live TV only option is an annoyance. Feels like a step back in time to have to catch a show live, not able to record, or view after it airs from the catalog.

Word! I chalk it up to baby steps, but I don't get why we can't watch anything from the past 24-48 hours on these networks. At least with WatchESPN you get some of that. But when AMC is added, am I going to have to start watching at exactly 8 pm or whatever for The Walking Dead?

 

[brentsg]

No pause and no rewind is a deal killer for a lot of people. Welcome to the past.

 

[oneMadRssn]

In case you need another reason not to pay $20/month to watch advertisements, these channels also mess with the speed at which they play back the content so they can shove even more advertisements down your throat while cashing your check.

"If you're still watching cable, it turns out that channels like TBS and TNT are now speeding up syndicated programs, classics films and other shows by as much as 7 percent. ... A Seinfeld episode that originally ran 25 minutes was nearly 22 after the process, letting the broadcaster fit in about six extra spots. As the WSJ pointed out, ads now run an average of 15.8 minutes per hour on cable, and one unnamed cable exec said that "it's a way to keep the revenue from going down as much as the ratings."


http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/19/cable-networks-speeding-up-shows/

 

[mic j]

Wow!!! That may be the best persuader I have seen on why not to sigh up. Not to keen on the washed out colors either.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Wow!!! That may be the best persuader I have seen on why not to sigh up. Not to keen on the washed out colors either.

The washed out colors are actually on the original. The original is the right, the new sped-up version is on the left. This gif isn't meant to represent the video quality of either version, it just shows how drastically sped-up the TBS version is.

Also, not really a reason to complain, but notice that the new version on the left is cropped in order to fit into a 16:9 screen.

 

[2010mini]

In case you need another reason not to pay $20/month to watch advertisements, these channels also mess with the speed at which they play back the content so they can shove even more advertisements down your throat while cashing your check.

Image

"If you're still watching cable, it turns out that channels like TBS and TNT are now speeding up syndicated programs, classics films and other shows by as much as 7 percent. ... A Seinfeld episode that originally ran 25 minutes was nearly 22 after the process, letting the broadcaster fit in about six extra spots. As the WSJ pointed out, ads now run an average of 15.8 minutes per hour on cable, and one unnamed cable exec said that "it's a way to keep the revenue from going down as much as the ratings."


http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/19/cable-networks-speeding-up-shows/

The sad fact is network and cable companies still have not figured out the customers would gladly pay more for quality. Instead they still use the quantity model. In my honest opinion, if cable companies gave Their customers the most advanced equipment on the market and better customer service, they would gladly pay more.

 

[mic j]

The washed out colors are actually on the original. The original is the right, the new sped-up version is on the left. This gif isn't meant to represent the video quality of either version, it just shows how drastically sped-up the TBS version is.

Also, not really a reason to complain, but notice that the new version on the left is cropped in order to fit into a 16:9 screen.

Thanks for clarifying that for me.

 

[oneMadRssn]

The sad fact is network and cable companies still have not figured out the customers would gladly pay more for quality. Instead they still use the quantity model. In my honest opinion, if cable companies gave Their customers the most advanced equipment on the market and better customer service, they would gladly pay more.

I'm not sure I agree with that. I am not willing to pay more, at least not much more. The reason I got rid of the tv portion is because I felt I wasn't getting a good value for what I was paying, in terms of commercials, content, and technology.

If they offered cables boxes that were low energy consumption and high power, like the streaming boxes many of us have, and they offered the same channels I had as before but with full on-demand, no commercials on the non-OTA channels, and a promise to present content the way it was originally meant to be shown by the director, then I think I might be willing to resign for cable tv. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay much more than I had paid before - not more than $100/month.

 

[Hookemfins]

"If you're still watching cable, it turns out that channels like TBS and TNT are now speeding up syndicated programs, classics films and other shows by as much as 7 percent. ... A Seinfeld episode that originally ran 25 minutes was nearly 22 after the process, letting the broadcaster fit in about six extra spots. As the WSJ pointed out, ads now run an average of 15.8 minutes per hour on cable, and one unnamed cable exec said that "it's a way to keep the revenue from going down as much as the ratings."

On Nick at Night it's worse. They run shows in 36 minutes blocks just to get 6 more minutes of commercials. I've seen 5 minute commercial blocks with a total of 15 minutes of commercials per syndicated show.

This is process is nothing new. Its been happening since the 80's. At one point I could tell what scene they cut out of MASH reruns.

I watch nothing live, only from the DVR except for sports.

 

[BruiserB]

Wow!!! That may be the best persuader I have seen on why not to sigh up. Not to keen on the washed out colors either.

But the show is sped up whether you get your TBS from the cable company or from SlingTV, so how is this an argument against signing up for SlingTV?

 

[campyguy]

I didn't take the time to read the newer posts about the speeding up of programming but I did read about it on the interwebs. I did talk to my 77-year-old mom today and she told me she'd noticed more ads and that shows seemed to be "faster", like Jeopardy.

What I don't understand is why US networks don't adopt the metaphor of some Euro broadcasters - show the entire program (40-50 minutes long), then have a block of advertising. Some of the ads were more entertaining than the programming. My last trip to NI, Belgium, and the Czech Republic, my hosts set aside time just to watch the blocks of ads - and the ads were more entertaining than the original programming most of the time.

 

[2010mini]

I'm not sure I agree with that. I am not willing to pay more, at least not much more. The reason I got rid of the tv portion is because I felt I wasn't getting a good value for what I was paying, in terms of commercials, content, and technology.

If they offered cables boxes that were low energy consumption and high power, like the streaming boxes many of us have, and they offered the same channels I had as before but with full on-demand, no commercials on the non-OTA channels, and a promise to present content the way it was originally meant to be shown by the director, then I think I might be willing to resign for cable tv. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay much more than I had paid before - not more than $100/month.

Like I said before, consumers are willing to pay more for quality.

 

[beachmusic]

Anyone know when AMC is going to show up?

 

[westrock2000]

A few years ago I might've agreed but the presence of apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus contradict this assumption--both requiring paid subscriptions that allow access to content also available on iTunes.

There is still the curious omission of Amazon Prime from AppleTV. But who knows who's ultimate choice that is.

 

[dewthedru]

hmmm, Airplaying Sling TV to my Apple TV's do not work for me. I get an error saying it's unable to play this content.

update: strange, when I just select to Airplay (without mirroring) it gives me the error. When I tell it to Mirror, it doesn't actually mirror, but instead sends up just the video (like you'd want it to). Cool!

i had the same issue last night. i'll try mirroring again. we'll see...

 

[campyguy]

There is still the curious omission of Amazon Prime from AppleTV. But who knows who's ultimate choice that is.

I'm still holding out hope Prime Video appears on the ATV, in that I also own a base Tivo Roamio - after about 18 months of only the Amazon Video (not including Prime) and only a couple of months ago, Prime viewing was added via a software update. The Prime app is actually pretty decent on the Roamio. So, I'm good there - if Tivo can get it added maybe Apple can too!

FWIW, I just ordered a Winegard amplified antenna from Amazon and I'll try it out. Baby steps for me until March Madness and Justified run their course, but I'll be connecting the antenna to my old Bravia before connecting it to my Roamio. I know the Roamio comes with a monthly charge but it's paid for it would take 2-3 years to comp out a Channelmaster.