How things have changed

[Jimbo]

Streaming has officially become the most popular way to watch TV ever, according to Nielsen’s latest The Gauge™ report. In July 2024, streaming accounted for a record-breaking 41.4% of total TV viewing, marking the highest share for any viewing format in history. This unprecedented achievement solidifies streaming as the dominant force in how audiences consume television content, driven by the Summer Olympics and a lineup of hit shows across various platforms.

 

[Bruce]

Beating a dead horse is more applicable to Traditional Pay Live TV, which continues to lose an average of 2 Million a quarter.

Streaming has absolutely destroyed it by over 14% more viewing then Pay Live TV, in just one month.

Are we not coming up on the time for another DirecTV Price Increase (Dish just announced theirs), enjoy paying $180 a month or $2160 a year for even less new content and old equipment.

I will enjoy paying my $70 a month average for 3 times the new content, much better video/sound quality and ease of use.

And that $70 includes the majority of Traditional Live Pay TV new content.

 

[ncted]

Beating a dead horse is more applicable to Traditional Pay Live TV, which continues to lose an average of 2 Million a quarter.

Streaming has absolutely destroyed it by over 14% more viewing then Pay Live TV, in just one month.

Are we not coming up on the time for another DirecTV Price Increase (Dish just announced theirs), enjoy paying $180 a month or $2160 a year for even less new content and old equipment.

I will enjoy paying my $70 a month average for 3 times the new content, much better video/sound quality and ease of use.

And that $70 includes the majority of Traditional Live Pay TV new content.

 

[Radioguy41]

I will enjoy paying my $70 a month average for 3 times the new content, much better video/sound quality and ease of use.

And that $70 includes the majority of Traditional Live Pay TV new content.

Meh, my Dish bill is $80 including taxes so I'll consider that a wash. My 65" Sony does a great job of upconverting so I'm happy with the pic and when I switch to the antenna for the networks I get all of 72 channels for free but where I'm really not buying your argument is the "ease of use" part. I hit the power button on the Wally remote and when the Wally comes on it triggers the enhanced HDMI port and the TV automatically turns on. Bet yours doesn't. I have seen all the streaming services and none of them are as convenient or easy to use as simply picking up the remote, hitting the Guide button, and selecting what to watch or record. Nope, not buying the "much better,,,ease of use".

 

[ncted]

Meh, my Dish bill is $80 including taxes so I'll consider that a wash. My 65" Sony does a great job of upconverting so I'm happy with the pic and when I switch to the antenna for the networks I get all of 72 channels for free but where I'm really not buying your argument is the "ease of use" part. I hit the power button on the Wally remote and when the Wally comes on it triggers the enhanced HDMI port and the TV automatically turns on. Bet yours doesn't. I have seen all the streaming services and none of them are as convenient or easy to use as simply picking up the remote, hitting the Guide button, and selecting what to watch or record. Nope, not buying the "much better,,,ease of use".

If what I watched was still mostly on Dish, I'd agree it is more convenient, but that hasn't been the case for a long time. If is still is the case for you, then your setup does make most sense for you.

Most of the streaming devices have an "up next" kind of feature to simplify things for people who have to keep track of what show is on which app, etc. I'd say the ease of use between the best traditional DVRs and modern streaming devices pretty similar for regular users of one or the other, but going from one to the other does have a learning curve. It took my parents in their 80s a few months to really get used to YouTube TV and the other streaming apps they use after switching from cable, but they are perfectly comfortable with it a year later. Their adaptation from old-school cable to a digital cable DVR went easier 20 years ago, but the paradigm wasn't as different.

 

[Bruce]

Meh, my Dish bill is $80 including taxes so I'll consider that a wash.

Going up next month.

My point is, I get that content you pay the $80 for, plus streaming shows and new movies.

My $70 also includes HBO and Showtime.

My 65" Sony does a great job of upconverting so I'm happy with the pic

I have two Sonys, a Z9K/A90J, no way does up-converting compare to real 1080P and 4K.

and when I switch to the antenna for the networks I get all of 72 channels for free

As does most people with a antenna, including myself, but the vast majority of those channels are nothing but reruns.

but where I'm really not buying your argument is the "ease of use" part. I hit the power button on the Wally remote and when the Wally comes on it triggers the enhanced HDMI port and the TV automatically turns on. Bet yours doesn't.

Of course it does, hit the power button on the TV Remote, my Processor and Amps all turn on, I use that one remote for everything, apps, sound, etc.

It is called ARC/eARC/CEC, been around for years.

I have seen all the streaming services and none of them are as convenient or easy to use as simply picking up the remote, hitting the Guide button, and selecting what to watch or record. Nope, not buying the "much better,,,ease of use".

That is your opinion, I remember the days going up and down the guide trying to find something to watch ( which takes a lot of time also), even worse today with so little new content on Traditional Paid Live TV.

With Streaming Services, I do not need to waste the time of setting recordings, fast forward thru commercials , for example, I watch FBI from CBS, on Paramount+, I go there, hit the episode I wish to watch, play, no commercials, runs straight thru.

Then the benefit of better picture/sound, last season, close to half of CBS Shows were in 4K, the rest 1080P (Blu-Ray Quality), cannot get that with Dish.

 

[navychop]

AH, the zeal of the converted.

 

[Bruce]

AH, the zeal of the converted.

Yep, majority of Content from Traditional Paid Live TV, more new content in streaming exclusives, much better picture/sound quality , save on average about $70-100 a month at least.

Almost like a cult.

 

[navychop]

Well, there IS a whiff of a cult here….

Not Dish.

 

[Bruce]

Well, there IS a whiff of a cult here….

Not Dish.

Definitely not at those prices ( and going up next month) with less new content, not as good of picture quality and a price point of double.

Here is a challenge, sign up for MAX for just a month, the 4K plan, use it to watch all those Discovery owned content you claim to watch, Food Network, Cooking Channel, HGTV, new episodes are usually on same day to next day.

Then you will understand why I stream, the picture quality is that much better, I watched In the Eye of the Storm that was just on Discovery, amazing clarity.

 

[navychop]

Why do I detect a whiff of sulfur?

 

[navychop]

Per https://www.sasktel.com/attachments/support/maxTV-Stream-Channel-Lineup.pdf

To get MOST of the channels we watch would cost us, rounded, as of last May, in 4K and the minimum “Themes.”:

Premium $45
Knowledge $8
…..Disc Sci, NG Wild, History 2
Life $8
…..Discovery, History, A&E, TLC, HGTV, Food
Variety $8
…..Nat Geo, Animal Planet
Variety 2 $6
…..Lifetime

That’s about $75 BEFORE taxes and any fees, and we STILL won’t get H&I, USA, Comedy Central and others. Certainly not worth the savings and loss of convenience. If I wanted maximum savings, I’d go more often to the library (anyone else reading The Decameron?).

ON EDIT: REDACTED, WITH APOLOGIES, AS I LEARN MORE:
You’ve wasted my time. I won’t grant you that opportunity again.

 

[Bruce]

Per https://www.sasktel.com/attachments/support/maxTV-Stream-Channel-Lineup.pdf

To get MOST of the channels we watch would cost us, rounded, as of last May, in 4K and the minimum “Themes.”:

Premium $45
Knowledge $8
…..Disc Sci, NG Wild, History 2
Life $8
…..Discovery, History, A&E, TLC, HGTV, Food
Variety $8
…..Nat Geo, Animal Planet
Variety 2 $6
…..Lifetime

That’s about $75 BEFORE taxes and any fees, and we STILL won’t get H&I, USA, Comedy Central and others. Certainly not worth the savings and loss of convenience. If I wanted maximum savings, I’d go more often to the library (anyone else reading The Decameron?).

You’ve wasted my time. I won’t grant you that opportunity again.

That is not MAX (HBO), what you posted is a streaming Cable TV service out of Canada.

All those you posted, except for Nat Geo, you could get on Philo ( and more) for $28

Philo - Your favorite shows have a new home

We created Philo to build a better TV experience. Start a free trial to see for yourself.

www.philo.com

 

[navychop]

In 4K? Not finding it. Most at Max is vague with “and more.” Mostly pushing to get HBO/Max (with Retsin! ).

 

[Bruce]

In 4K? Not finding it. Most at Max is vague with “and more.” Mostly pushing to get HBO/Max (with Retsin! ).

I am started to get confused.

MAX-HBO, Warner Channel’s, Discovery Channel’s Content(Food, HGTV, etc), HBO Content, a lot in 4K, Some Discovery in 4K, most in 1080P, but Discovery’s real 1080P looks great, Blu-Ray Quality, not up converted from 1080i, best I have ever seen it-$23 a month.

Then Philo
has all these channels you brought up-

Disc Sci, History 2, Discovery, History, A&E, TLC, HGTV, Food, Animal Planet, Lifetime, H&I, Comedy Central

and a lot more, but no Nat Geo (which you can get with Disney Plus)

Philo is a Live TV Service with a DVR, has a free trial for 7 days, monthly is only $28

If you really want Nat Geo content, best deal is Hulu/Disney+ combo, commercial free, $20 a month

So everything under $50, almost everything with Philo under $30.

 

[navychop]

I don’t care about HBO. Max prices I’ve found via:

https://www.max.com/?utm_source=dv360&utm_medium=paid-display&utm_id=cm%7C29940965%7C8725507%7C367513845%7C214651450

$10-$17, with/without ads. But no listing of channels. They seem to want email and commitment first.

So Googling for Max channels is definitely a rabbit hole. Reddit, any one?

Admittedly, I can only work this in chunks. SWMBO. Honeydew list. Leaking drip hose (hopefully fixed 1st leg, must still do second).

 

[N6BY]

Am a subscriber to YTTV. The one thing I miss that Dish has is the remote control. I find that using my TV remote for streaming services is awkward.

Also, each streaming service has a different interface, so memorizing each one is required.

But getting the same channels on Dish that I have now would cost more.

 

[Bruce]

I don’t care about HBO. Max prices I’ve found via:

https://www.max.com/?utm_source=dv360&utm_medium=paid-display&utm_id=cm%7C29940965%7C8725507%7C367513845%7C214651450

$10-$17, with/without ads. But no listing of channels. They seem to want email and commitment first.

So Googling for Max channels is definitely a rabbit hole. Reddit, any one?

Admittedly, I can only work this in chunks. SWMBO. Honeydew list. Leaking drip hose (hopefully fixed 1st leg, must still do second).

MAX is not channels, it is content from some of those channels you view, like all of the Discovery Owned Channels, old and new episodes.

Pricing for no commercials is $17 and $23 for the 4K option.

Philo is channels, it is a Streaming Live TV Service, has the vast majority of those channels you watch, and the one I would recommend, since it has a 7 day free trial, again only $28 after that.

But with any change, there is a learning curve.

 

[navychop]

MAX is not channels, it is content from some of those channels

So I can’t really determine which shows we like, if they are on Max?

 

[Bruce]

So I can’t really determine which shows we like, if they are on Max?

Of course you can.

I just thought, coming from Paid Live TV, Philo would make a easier transition.