Sling TV Tests Fox-Anchored Multi-Stream Service
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I switched to this new package after cancelling just a few days ago. Don't miss ESPN or Disney and enjoy receiving FX and NatGeo instead, but disappointed that I couldn't add any of the additional $5 channel packages. I hope this changes.
Update: Now I am still receiving my previous $5 channel packages as well as ESPN, ESPN2, Freeform and Disney. Weird!
Update2: Ok, just noticed that the original channel pack and extra $5 packages will be removed on January 20th when my billing cycle changes.
Update: Now I am still receiving my previous $5 channel packages as well as ESPN, ESPN2, Freeform and Disney. Weird!
Update2: Ok, just noticed that the original channel pack and extra $5 packages will be removed on January 20th when my billing cycle changes.
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According this this, additional packages can be added:
Extras: Multi-stream service subscribers can add “Extras” to get even more content in three streams, including “Hollywood Extra,” “Lifestyle Extra” and “World News Extra” for $5 more per month each, HBO for $15 more per month and Cinemax for $10 more per month.
Three Streams: If you subscribe to our Best of Live TV beta multi-stream service, you can watch Sling TV on up to three devices at the same time in or out of your home. Any Extras added to your subscription will also be included in your three streams. With three streams, the beta multi-stream service is perfect for families, roommates or multi-television households.
I guess I need to call or perhaps they will become available once my other package expires on June 20th.
Extras: Multi-stream service subscribers can add “Extras” to get even more content in three streams, including “Hollywood Extra,” “Lifestyle Extra” and “World News Extra” for $5 more per month each, HBO for $15 more per month and Cinemax for $10 more per month.
Three Streams: If you subscribe to our Best of Live TV beta multi-stream service, you can watch Sling TV on up to three devices at the same time in or out of your home. Any Extras added to your subscription will also be included in your three streams. With three streams, the beta multi-stream service is perfect for families, roommates or multi-television households.
I guess I need to call or perhaps they will become available once my other package expires on June 20th.
You can switch over now. You'll pay a pro-rated price to do so, but it will switch over. Go to the website, change your subscription choices over, it will show you how much(or how little, I believe that I paid about $5.00, give or take), & if you choose to go ahead, you can. Now any extra choices with your current plan you need to uncheck with ordering, or it will carry over. To be sure that you get what you want, cancel your present service, & then onceit is confirmed on the second day of the month that it is cancelled(this way you won't get double billed), then you can order the beta & it's extras.
Don't know if this matters or not, but a csr tonight said to watch the Sling blog carefully because new channel packages and channels are coming real soon.
Well Sling had better hurry fast because if Vue comes to the Roku box soon, I'll say Sling it was nice knowing ya with your 12 or 20 $5.00 add on packages
Actually, it wasn't even $5.00 when I changed over, it was maybe between 1/4 to 1/2 of $5.00.
I'm going to sign up for a trial of this Fox Sling TV package. If I like the way the service works on my Xbox One I will cancel the TV portion of my Charter double play and go back to OTA and streaming only after the season finale of Game of Thrones this weekend.
I was originally planning to do this with Playstation Vue's $35 package that includes RSN's but that was only until I actually looked at the channel list for this new Fox SlingTV plan. This plan has basically all the cable channels I watch most on Charter outside of the premiums (Fox Sports Detroit, AMC, FX, FXX, TBS, CNN, and Comedy Central) for $15 less than the Playstation Vue package I was planning on going with. With that extra $15 I could keep HBO for the same price as Vue. The only cable channel I would be missing that actually has a timer set to record in the next two weeks on my Tivo is Orphan Black on BBC America.
The one thing I wish SlingTV had was Playstation Vue's "DVR" idea. I realize I can still watch shows like AMC's preacher on demand with SlingTV but I know I won't like the fact that I have to look for new episodes in the on demand library. I would rather have all my shows in a list that updates automatically when there is a new episode. I don't know the actual schedule for many of my shows since I don't watch anything live and I'm often a few weeks behind. If I have to actively search out new episodes instead of having them presented to me in a "my shows" list I know I will miss some of them.
I was originally planning to do this with Playstation Vue's $35 package that includes RSN's but that was only until I actually looked at the channel list for this new Fox SlingTV plan. This plan has basically all the cable channels I watch most on Charter outside of the premiums (Fox Sports Detroit, AMC, FX, FXX, TBS, CNN, and Comedy Central) for $15 less than the Playstation Vue package I was planning on going with. With that extra $15 I could keep HBO for the same price as Vue. The only cable channel I would be missing that actually has a timer set to record in the next two weeks on my Tivo is Orphan Black on BBC America.
The one thing I wish SlingTV had was Playstation Vue's "DVR" idea. I realize I can still watch shows like AMC's preacher on demand with SlingTV but I know I won't like the fact that I have to look for new episodes in the on demand library. I would rather have all my shows in a list that updates automatically when there is a new episode. I don't know the actual schedule for many of my shows since I don't watch anything live and I'm often a few weeks behind. If I have to actively search out new episodes instead of having them presented to me in a "my shows" list I know I will miss some of them.
I got a free trial of this package from Dish because my local Fox is blacked out by Tribune right now. So far I'm finding it disappointing - most of the live channels haven't worked all weekend, and one of the ones I got to work cut out very quickly and then didn't work again. About the only live channel that works nearly every time is Local Now, which is nice, but you don't need to watch it for more than a few minutes to see what's going on.
And This is exactly why I'm doing the free trial before I cancel cable TV. I actually have a pretty sweet double play package from Charter right now. It's $113 including CableCard rental for my Tivo and taxes for 60Mbps internet plus their Spectrum Silver package that includes HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax. It was $103 last year but it seems like Charter had a $10 TV price increase because all the same discounts are listed for me.
I would pay $60 for internet alone so the TV portion is about $53. I am planning to drop down to SlingTV even though it's less convenient than recording everything on my Tivo just because outside of Tigers games and HBO/AMC series I don't watch that much that I wouldn't be able to record OTA.
If I have issues like you are describing during my trial I will not be canceling my TV service to switch to Sling. The $30 savings is worth the change but not if I have to fight with the service. Plus I will be subscribing to HBO at least during the months that Game of Thrones is on so my savings would only be about $15 during those months. Considering that I'm also giving up Showtime and Cinemax that savings isn't large enough to put up with a bad experience.
If everything doesn't work pretty much perfectly during my free trial I will be holding onto my Charter double play as long as they continue to keep extending my promos when they run out every year. We'll see how it goes.
Sling was sometimes rock solid when I had it, and other times it was glitchy. Thing was, when it glitched for me is during big shows (Walking dead, ect). Since I watch very little tv these days, if the system could not handle the strain when it came to shows I did watch, then it was not worth it to me.
I will say that when it worked, I was pleased with sling.
I have not yet had an issue with PS Vue however. It has been as reliable as sat. Even moreso since I got zero rain fade.
I will say that when it worked, I was pleased with sling.
I have not yet had an issue with PS Vue however. It has been as reliable as sat. Even moreso since I got zero rain fade.
I was considering Vue but the problem with that is the package that includes FS Detroit is $15 more than the SlingTV package that includes it. If I add HBO on top of that it would cost me the same as what I have with Charter right now and I would have a lot less channels including Showtime and a Cinemax. I also doubt it would work as well as recording the channels on my TiVo.
I just got home and tested out the free trial of SlingTV on my Xbox One. I only watched about 10 minutes of last night's episode of Preacher from AMC before I knew I probably wouldn't be keeping it past the trial.
I knew before going in that I would miss Tivo's commercial auto-skip feature but I was pretty shocked to see that there was no way to fast forward through the commercial break at all. I hate sitting through commercial breaks enough that I switched back to my TiVo and watched the episode there instead. If I can't skip commercials SlingTV isn't going to work out for me right now.
The picture quality was fine. It wasn't as good as Charter but it was good enough that it wouldn't have been a problem. The lack of 5.1 audio would be annoying enough for me to subscribe to HBO Now instead of getting it through Sling. I am still going to watch the Tigers game through SlingTV tonight even though I know I'm probably not keeping the service right now. If Charter ever stops renewing my double play promos every year I might still turn to Sling eventually. I need to know that live sports on Fox Sports Detroit are decent quality since that is my main reason for hanging on to pay tv.
I did see a feature called watch list so it looks like you can add your shows to a list and have it automatically put all your new episodes there for you. I'm glad this is here so you don't have to search out all your shows to see if there are new episodes on demand.
I knew before going in that I would miss Tivo's commercial auto-skip feature but I was pretty shocked to see that there was no way to fast forward through the commercial break at all. I hate sitting through commercial breaks enough that I switched back to my TiVo and watched the episode there instead. If I can't skip commercials SlingTV isn't going to work out for me right now.
The picture quality was fine. It wasn't as good as Charter but it was good enough that it wouldn't have been a problem. The lack of 5.1 audio would be annoying enough for me to subscribe to HBO Now instead of getting it through Sling. I am still going to watch the Tigers game through SlingTV tonight even though I know I'm probably not keeping the service right now. If Charter ever stops renewing my double play promos every year I might still turn to Sling eventually. I need to know that live sports on Fox Sports Detroit are decent quality since that is my main reason for hanging on to pay tv.
I did see a feature called watch list so it looks like you can add your shows to a list and have it automatically put all your new episodes there for you. I'm glad this is here so you don't have to search out all your shows to see if there are new episodes on demand.
Little things like no DVR capability and giving up the ability to skip (vue has that on some channels as well), and multiple streams are what makes Vues slightly higher priice worth it to me.
Of course if that price is the same as your cable bundle, it makes less sense.
Of course if that price is the same as your cable bundle, it makes less sense.
Having no DVR capabilities is the main frustration for me.
If you start watching a show and have to leave it, you'll need to start the program over if you want to finish it. II haven't been able resume where I left off, or even fast forward to the time where I left off.
It looked like Preacher from AMC had an option to resume on my Xbox One. When I fired Sling back up to watch the Tigers game an option popped up asking if I wanted to resume. I didn't actually test it to see if it works though.
After seeing that VUE is now available on ROKU and looking at this $29 package, I might just try the free offer and switch. Better selection of channels.
Yeah. I'm going to give the free trial a chance too. The $20 Fox Sling package had all the channels I need but the lack of DVR and commercial skipping is a big turn off for me. The $35 Vue package that includes FS Detroit might work better for me.
But once Vue adds local channels in your area the price goes up $10 and you can't opt out. I thought about Vue but at $39 instead of $29 I'm not so sure. I don't need or want local channels that's why I have a CM4228 with 66 OTA channels lol
