New ATV4 owner

[maflynn]

I'm looking to cut the cord and the next step in that master plan is to buy a ATV, which I just did on my lunch hour.

I'll probably be peppering this forum with questions as time goes on, but I'm really happy to have this. I'll be disconnecting my DirectTV DVR from my TV tonight to hook up the the ATV. Right now DirectTV is costing me 150 bucks and the PS Vue will only run me 35 (plus tax). I'll probably pick up another streaming service to round out what's being offered, but the savings will be significiant.

The downsides is that the DVR options in the PS Vue seem less robust, less channels, though looking at my famliy's viewing habits, PS Vue offers 99% of what we typically watch.

Network channels, like ABC and Fox are not live and I need to see what I can do about them, I'm sure there may be other downsides but I'm giving this a shot

Btw, thanks to the information here, I opted for the 32GB flavor and saved some money without buying something that I didn't need

 

[Closingracer]

Honestly I would of waited for a sale but it's a good device. Got mine last black Friday and got the 64gb mode because it was the same price as the 32 at bestbuy. I like it with the exception that it doesn't have any Ultra violet apps on it be it vudu or any other one. I have a pretty big collection of titles on it and while I know I can airplay it from my phone it's just another step. Otherwise it's just an overpriced roku box. I like it and only bought this over a roku or using my PS4 is the fact I have alot of iTunes movies and want to watch it on my TV

 

[Jimbo Asprilla]

I'm a fellow Apple TV cord cutter, I highly recommend checking out the new Hulu Live service, whilst its not perfect it does give you the benefit of live TV and a cloud DVR, you can get start a free trial to see if its right for you but I certainly give it two thumbs up.

 

[maflynn]

Honestly I would of waited for a sale but it's a good device. Got mine last black Friday

I didn't want to wait until November to buy it, and since the name of the game is cancelling my 150 dollar month satellite tv, waiting a month or two would actually cost me more money, so I'm happy to get it now.

highly recommend checking out the new Hulu Live service,

I did and so far for the channels my family watches that PS VUE works out better. once I have the ATV up and running I'll probably sign up to the their free 5 day promotion and see how that works out.

 

[lvavila]

I too was a beloved DirecTV subscriber. Now I use the DirecTV Now app which handles 85% of my viewing usages. I still view my Tablo (OTA DVR) content on ATV but less and less as Netflix, HBO Now and DirecTV Now does the job. My Roku's (which I don't care for) will die soon as my last composite (projection) TV gets replaced.

OTA-Over The Air

 

[d21mike]

My first choice is to limit my DVR Usage. I believe at some point we will not need a DVR.
1. I have the grandfathered Directv Now for $35 (free HBO) and mainly use it for LIVE TV like News etc.
2. I tested Hulu Live because of the DVR and I already had Hulu but I prefer DTV Now for the Guide/Live TV.
3. I still have Hulu with no commercial option for $11.99 per month. With this option I get a lot of TV that I would normally DVR Commercial Free. Example: Most of NBC, ABC, FOX and a few more. I could cancel this for the summer like I did CBS All Access but I may just keep it.
4. CBS is on Hulu Live but not on DTV Now. But, during the main TV Season (Sept - June) I have it for $9.99 per month which includes the no commercial option. So for all of CBS I watch without commercials.
5. That mainly leaves me with AMC that I watch a few shows that have commercials. I have a DVR for those. But if I had an option to subscribe without commercials I would.
6. I also have Netflix Original Content and also all of the recent CW Shows that I watch on Netflix now. I used to watch commercial free through Hulu until CW dropped that option. Waiting till the end of the season was not a big deal for a few CW Shows.
7. Being able to pause services for multiple months during the year is helpful. I only watch 1 show on Showtime so being to add it then drop it is a good option. Same for HBO except I have it for free. And before that it was only $5 on DTV Now.

I will pay for a quality service(s) without commercials (prefer no DVR to require FF thru them). More competition means more options. So the more people that only get Internet from the provider and switch to using OTT Services the more options we will have. I actually think the main players like COMCAST will start to offer OTT Services to compete. A lot of the cost is the hardware. Right now I only have the Apple TV 4 Connected to all of my 8 TV's. My hardware cost before was > $70 per month and it was only for 4 TV's.

 

[maflynn]

1. I have the grandfathered Directv Now for $35 (free HBO) and mainly use it for LIVE TV like News etc.

I could lower the package to the base package which would save me 30 dollars, but then they ding me for the DVR, other converter boxes, fees and what not, and before you know, my bill is approaching 150.

My wife watches mostly ABC, I prefer CBS for college football, but I get the SEC network with PS Vue and there's always espn. I lose out on Fox as well. I'll given that I live right next to Boston, I'll try an antenna for those channels.

but I prefer DTV Now

I like DTV Now, but two things stop me as I mentioned the lack of DVR and the fact that it limits to two concurrent TVs.

 

[IPadNParadise]

I could lower the package to the base package which would save me 30 dollars, but then they ding me for the DVR, other converter boxes, fees and what not, and before you know, my bill is approaching 150.

My wife watches mostly ABC, I prefer CBS for college football, but I get the SEC network with PS Vue and there's always espn. I lose out on Fox as well. I'll given that I live right next to Boston, I'll try an antenna for those channels.


I like DTV Now, but two things stop me as I mentioned the lack of DVR and the fact that it limits to two concurrent TVs.

How long have you had Directv? I always ask for a loyalty discount from their retention department. I am getting their choice package, plus 2 tv's, 2 DVR's for $66/month (lasts a year) i call every year to get their latest promotions. I feel at this lower pricepoint, I can live with it.

 

[maflynn]

How long have you had Directv? I always ask for a loyalty discount from their retention department. I am getting their choice package, plus 2 tv's, 2 DVR's for $66/month (lasts a year) i call every year to get their latest promotions. I feel at this lower pricepoint, I can live with it.

I've been with them for 4 years. They actually offered to cut my price down by 75 bucks, that would only be for 1 year and I'd be on the hook for a 2 year commitment. I forget what package I had but it was one of the higher end ones for like 87 bucks a month. Throw in the DVR for 25 dollars, two other converter boxes, taxes, fees and my bill was in the 147 dollar range.

I didn't show hesitation but I declined that option, mostly because I'd be back to paying the high price point after next year.

I do admit the DVR capabilities of DirectTV is more feature rich then what I seem to get with PS Vue, and I'm still wondering if its worth cutting my bill in half for 12 months, but I'd rather not be locked into a 2 year contract.

 

[techwarrior]

I use ATV exclusively on 2 TV in my home. Most apps are effectively VOD oriented, but DirecTV Now is live, but not for my local networks. For live locals, I use Tablo which captures over the air local broadcasts from an HD antenna, and streams to my ATVs, iOS and browsers. Tablo also includes DVR (bring your own HDD, or on board with the latest device).

The biggest challenge is the many networks that restrict content to SAT\Cable subscribers. DirectTV Now, Hulu, Netflix supplement this pretty well, but there are still limits to the VOD options without a subscription to a live TV service. But, the savings are nice!

 

[maflynn]

VOD options without a subscription to a live TV service. But, the savings are nice!

I noticed that with a couple of channels, like Nick and Spike. Overall, my kids can live without Nick and we really don't watch Spike that much.

The one thing cable has going for it, is simplicity and I can see what Apple is trying to do with the ATV but the fact remains watching tv via cable is a lot simpler. That does go a long way, and while I'm not having any second thoughts I want to be prepared for when something doesn't work as easily as cable and my family starts complaining

 

[techwarrior]

The one thing cable has going for it, is simplicity and I can see what Apple is trying to do with the ATV but the fact remains watching tv via cable is a lot simpler. That does go a long way, and while I'm not having any second thoughts I want to be prepared for when something doesn't work as easily as cable and my family starts complaining

Agreed on simplicity. My wife is not good with input switching, but has adapted well to watching local channels on Tablo app on ATV, it works similar to cable or SAT, but less choices. She primarily watches the local channels anyway. She is even learning how to use the various apps on ATV. The kids will adapt easily, they don't have the aversion to change that us "older" folks have.

 

[maflynn]

I just ordered a Mohu antenna and we'll how that works for OTA, if the reception is decent then I'll look into Tablo.

 

[nburwell]

PS Vue has been a game changer for me and my wife personally. Ever since we moved, we had a decent deal with Comcast. Once the promotion ended, we simply just had internet and stuck with Netflix/Hulu/HBO option for awhile. But we missed some cable TV shows we watched.

That's when Vue came into the picture. We do not do much live TV watching, but the DVR feature has been huge. Plus, I'm able to watch the Phillies on CSN and have BTN for when Penn St. football comes back.

I do use OTA for NFL games. Although I found out that Vue offers RedZone, so I may check that out this upcoming season.

We already had one ATV4, but got another ATV4 via the DIRECTV Now ATV promotion they had back late last year. Obviously didn't stick with the service, but it was nice to have another Apple TV for the bedroom.

 

[satcomer]

I just ordered a Mohu antenna and we'll how that works for OTA, if the reception is decent then I'll look into Tablo.

Depends how far are you from your local TV antennas! The Leaf is good at 30 miles, line of site!

 

[maflynn]

Depends how far are you from your local TV antennas! The Leaf is good at 30 miles, line of site!

Yep, and I'm hoping being in Boston that it won't be too bad, though I know that actual broadcast antennas are not in Boston but rather suburbs next to Boston. If it doesn't work, I can always return it.

 

[rolsskk]

I just ordered a Mohu antenna and we'll how that works for OTA, if the reception is decent then I'll look into Tablo.

Just know that the Mohu Leaf antennas are very narrow in focus as far as what they can receive, as they can receive only UHF signals, but are downright terrible when it comes to VHF.

 

[techwarrior]

Yep, and I'm hoping being in Boston that it won't be too bad, though I know that actual broadcast antennas are not in Boston but rather suburbs next to Boston. If it doesn't work, I can always return it.

There are several sites that will use your address to pinpoint the local broadcasts in your area, even recommend an antenna. In my case, I had to mount a long distance (50 mile) antenna on the roof to get Denver and Co Springs channels that are 30-50 miles from my home. There are directional, and omni-directional options out there.

If Mohu leaves you lacking, do some research on Antennas Direct (.com), they will recommend antennas suitable for your situation. Then, search Amazon for deals, often better than buying direct from the manufacturer.

If you need to mount external, you could probably mount to the DirectTV dish mount and use the Coax that DTV used to bring the signal into your home. Nice thing with Tablo is, the unit can go anywhere in your home where Coax antenna is convenient. Since Tablo streams to your TVs over your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network, location of the device is not important so it can go wherever the coax is. Ideally, put the device as close to the source as possible as signals will deteriorate with coax distance (resistance). In my case, I use a signal amplifier as the cable run is a bit long.

 

[satcomer]

Yep, and I'm hoping being in Boston that it won't be too bad, though I know that actual broadcast antennas are not in Boston but rather suburbs next to Boston. If it doesn't work, I can always return it.

The hopefully you have a window you can stick it to facing the antenna location direction! If it is more than 25 feet away then consider getting a amp booster for the it!

 

[rhett7660]

While I have not used it, Plex is now offering a DVR and Live TV service as part of their package. You can become a Plex life long member for around $149. Might be another option. I use Plex for my local content delivery on my ATV4 and devices. But this does require you to acquire or rip your videos.

 

[dsnows]

I have ATV connected to my 3 TVs. With the newer TV, the ATV remote will turn on/off both the TV and the ATV and change to the ATV input if not on that. The same remote will also control volume for the TVs and one of my sound bars. So, I can use one remote for all viewing. This really helps with the simplicity.

I subscribe to DirecTV Now ($35), HBO (free with both DTN and my Xfinity internet service), Netflix ($9.99), and CBS all-access with commercials ($5.99). I used to pay $120 for Dish and didn't get HBO. I still paid for Netflix. I get live Fox and NBC on DTV Now. Live CBS from that subscription. ABC shows I watch on demand. Watch ESPN for college sports. Most network apps can be authenticated with the DTV Now credentials.

This works fine for us. Sling TV from Dish also looks like a decent option, but I haven't tried it. I may actually drop the CBS all-access since we don't watch that much. Nice that there are lots of options now.

 

[techwarrior]

While I have not used it, Plex is now offering a DVR and Live TV service as part of their package. You can become a Plex life long member for around $149. Might be another option. I use Plex for my local content delivery on my ATV4 and devices. But this does require you to acquire or rip your videos.

If I understand, the Plex DVR option require HD Home Run tuner as well. Plus, your PLEX server must always be running, although there is a NAS option.

The new Tablo Dual is a $250 all in one (64GB HDD) DVR @ Best Buy. The guide service is free (current day only), $5\mo or $50yr, $150 lifetime. The paid service allows DVR for series and 2 week guide. You can add a USB drive for more storage, but this unit is limited to 2 tuners (watch on 2 TV, record on one, watch on another). Tablo also has older units with 4 tuners (I have this model) with BYO HDD.

 

[bopajuice]

I too had Directv. I canceled and went with Directv Now when the free Apple TV offer was still going on. I also added a Tivo OTA DVR. I use the Tivo for live over the air broadcast TV in HD. My wife records some OTA shows. We also use it for Amazon Prime.

Altogether I have a Tivo, Amazon Prime, DirecTV Now, Netflix, and HBO, and still pay about half of what you were paying. Don't feel like we are missing anything. Whats nice is no contracts, no rental fees, etc.

Could probably make due without the Tivo OTA, but it is nice to record things like the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards, and similar shows. When the Amazon App comes to Apple TV we may pull the plug on Tivo.

When we feel like it we can add Hulu or Showtime as needed and then cancel at any time.

Being able to pick and choose what we pay for and watch is kind of nice. Many times if we can't find what we are looking for we find it on Youtube. It really is becoming easier to do away with cable and satellite.

Also, take some time to browse some available TV apps for Apple TV. We found a lot of free content we enjoy. Red Bull TV is pretty cool if you like any sort of extreme sports, etc.