The YouTube TV Thread

[Bruce]

I sincerely doubt that choosing and maintaining the ideal combination of subscription services is as quick and painless as ordering up satellite service or cable TV service.

Yes it was that easy plus I did not have to wait around for a installer to show up and do the work.

First checked what channels they carry ( Vue at the time) on the web , go to the site, fill out the info, done.

What is just as easy, go to the site to cancel ( when I left Vue for YTTV), when I have done the same with a Traditional Provider ( I have had DirecTV, Dish and Comcast all in the last 10 years) it was a pain, calling them ( always a pain) , packing up equipment, mailing it back or going to a office, it was a pain each time, Dish charged me $15 for sending equipment back, DirecTV said they did not received a box back and charged me $300 and it took a month to resolve ( and 3 months to get my money back), Comcast waiting in line and them not taking a no for why I canceled and kept offering not so good deals.

For everyone who likes streaming re-runs, theres at least one who prefers to watch live sports.

Who watches reruns, the vast majority of what I watch is new material on Netflix or what is saved on the DVR ( for example watching/ binging Emergence and Evil since their season is done this week), the only thing that I watch that you might consider ‘reruns’ is when a cable show premieres on a streaming service which is usually not long after the season finale on its channel.

 

[Ronnie-]

I sincerely doubt that choosing and maintaining the ideal combination of subscription services is as quick and painless as ordering up satellite service or cable TV service.

Why would you doubt it? In both cases you need to see if the content or channels are available in whatever package or service you choose. And with streaming the process pretty much ends there. Download the app and your done.

No waiting a half day for the sat or cable installer to come do a hour+ installation.

IMO, it far quicker and less "painless" than that process.

 

[harshness]

Why would you doubt it? In both cases you need to see if the content or channels are available in whatever package or service you choose. And with streaming the process pretty much ends there. Download the app and your done.

Given that the typical cord cutter needs to identify a combination two or more services to meet their needs, finding that balance wouldn't seem to be all that easy. Perhaps the act of installation is easier but getting there may be more of a job.

I tested the process myself and found that while the service I tried checked most of the boxes on paper, it wasn't much I would hoped in terms of the picture and sound fidelity and the UI, while colorful, was not very helpful. The Rose Bowl came along during my test period and the streaming service was taking on water.

The streaming UI metaphor isn't all that consistent and what it takes to navigate it if you have a few button remote is subject to different approaches. As service come and go and prices make their inexorable climb, I can see where this process may be an annual or even semi-annual process of discovery and refinement (and the discoveries may be as much cons as pros).

 

[Bruce]

Given that the typical cord cutter needs to identify a combination two or more services to meet their needs, finding that balance wouldn't seem to be all that easy. Perhaps the act of installation is easier but getting there may be more of a job.

You have said that before that typical cord cutters need 2 services, but the majority of posts here and at AVS show otherwise, most are happy with one service, all my needs met with Vue and then when we switched to YTTV ( because of the longer DVR).

I have since left Live TV because I came to find everything we watched was OTA, Food Network (wife) and News, all the Cable Shows ( like on AMC for example)we watched was sooner or later on the streaming services so why pay for Live TV, Food Network Catalog is on Hulu and live News is on the Roku ( CBSN for now, NBC and ABC News go live 24/7 in a couple of months).




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[Ronnie-]

Given that the typical cord cutter needs to identify a combination two or more services to meet their needs, finding that balance wouldn't seem to be all that easy. Perhaps the act of installation is easier but getting there may be more of a job.

What is a typical cord cutter, and what multiple services do you say that they need. In my own experience, the typical live tv cord cutter chooses one or the other, and doesnt carry multiple live tv services. Some do to be sure, but I am not so certain I would label that as typical.

I tested the process myself

What service did you finally test? Up until a few months ago, you admitted that you had no real world personal experience with the live OTT services.

 

[comfortably_numb]

In my own experience, the typical live tv cord cutter chooses one or the other, and doesnt carry multiple live tv services.

Just speaking for myself, we have YTTV, Netflix, Disney + and CBS All Access.

 

[N6BY]

... I'm deeply concerned that having enough money to live on isn't enough anymore as a few bouts of health issues can set a well-planned retirement back considerably. Many never suspected when they were planning for their Golden Years that health care would cost as much as a house payment. ...

Exactly. And it can easily be much more than a house payment. Especially if you need long term care in a nursing home. Health insurance and medicare do not cover it beyond 30 days. My mom is 95 and has mild alzheimer's. She is staying at a care facility and it now costs $4600 a month. Every year they jack up the monthly bill by $200 a month. Her retirement income is about $500 a month short. Fortunately she has savings and it makes up the difference.

So I agree that most of us need to work as long as possible to prepare for the unexpected.

 

[Bruce]

What service did you finally test? Up until a few months ago, you admitted that you had no real world personal experience with the live OTT services.

Have to rant-

Remember when you challenged him before on this ( how the DVR worked on Streaming Live TV Services if I remember correctly ) and he admitted he based the opinion on his use of Netflix.

All of his posts here seemed to be critical of Streaming and Cord Cutting but, as he has admitted, he never tried or used those services.

Criticize Tablo on how it works and costs but he never used or had one.
Criticize Tivo (Don’s Thread) on how it works and costs but he never used or had one.
Criticize OTT Services on how they work and costs but he never used or had one.
Criticize saving money ( and I am amazed at that) on switching to streaming services.
Criticize how much time it takes to switch to streaming services ( and that one makes no sense and reads like a way to just complain about Streaming Services).

And that is just lately, I am about to just stick to the Pit because of his negativity.

I would put more value on his opinions if he actually tried these services, but all of posts here are against Cord Cutting without any experience with them.

If I went to Dish’s Forum ( he has Dish) to complain about Dish as much as he complains about streaming, I would be banned from there.

It would be just like Claude bashing Dish in the Dish Forums ( and banned from them) or the Dish guy ( jsheridan) bashing Orby in the Orby Forum (Scott told him to stop).

Rant over.




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[harshness]

What service did you finally test?

I gave Fubo a shot as it offered the kind of content that I can't get through replay services (Netflix or Hulu). I went into quite a bit of detail on my findings in another thread.

 

[Ronnie-]

I gave Fubo a shot as it offered the kind of content that I can't get through replay services (Netflix or Hulu). I went into quite a bit of detail on my findings in another thread.

Thats probably one of the reasons that PQ wasnt what you had hoped. A few channels aside, Fubo is streaming at 30fps, which will make for a much choppier experience.

I know many sites claim Fubo offers 60fps on up to 40 channels, but the majority of those are the Fox Sports Nets, which exaggerates that number relative to what a sub will actually get.

You also mentioned the Rose bowl, which is curious. As a Fubo sub, you would not have had access to that game on the service, since it was on ESPN, which Fubo obviously does not offer.

 

[harshness]

As a Fubo sub, you would not have had access to that game on the service, since it was on ESPN, which Fubo obviously does not offer.

It reminded me of a sacrifice I would have to make. Most of the time not having ESPN would be fine but a half dozen times a year, ESPN can be useful since they've bought some pretty high profile content that the broadcast networks used to offer.

 

[Bobby]

It reminded me of a sacrifice I would have to make. Most of the time not having ESPN would be fine but a half dozen times a year, ESPN can be useful since they've bought some pretty high profile content that the broadcast networks used to offer.

Oh, you mean like almost every college football bowl game including the playoffs and championship game!

 

[KE4EST]

All these first world problems!

 

[Zookster]

Trying out FuboTV as a first foray into live TV streaming services reminds me of my first experiences with 21st century video game platforms. After purchasing a PS3 primarily as a blu-ray player, I picked up Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Spider-Man 3 from the bargain bin at Target as my first home gaming experiences since the Atari 2600. If not for the free downloadable demos of much higher quality games in the PSN Store, I may have never picked up a video controller again. lol

 

[Ronnie-]

It reminded me of a sacrifice I would have to make. Most of the time not having ESPN would be fine but a half dozen times a year, ESPN can be useful since they've bought some pretty high profile content that the broadcast networks used to offer.

Which of course you knew before you tried a streaming service, so it should have played very little into your streaming experience taking on water, unless you failed to do a minimum of research before hand and were caught unaware.

 

[Ronnie-]

Trying out FuboTV as a first foray into live TV streaming services reminds me of my first experiences with 21st century video game platforms. After purchasing a PS3 primarily as a blu-ray player, I picked up Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Spider-Man 3 from the bargain bin at Target as my first home gaming experiences since the Atari 2600. If not for the free downloadable demos of much higher quality games in the PSN Store, I may have never picked up a video controller again. lol

Indeed. If there is a next one to go, I’d wager Fubo would be it. I’m actually surprised it outlasted Vue.

 

[NashGuy]

Indeed. If there is a next one to go, I’d wager Fubo would be it. I’m actually surprised it outlasted Vue.

Yeah, it'll be Fubo TV. I can't see how it survives long-term given the prices it charges, its lack of distribution partners, and the fact that it doesn't carry any Disney-owned channels like ABC or ESPN. And, of course, the fact that it's a small company that doesn't actually OWN any channels/content. (This little Vidgo service that just launched is in the same boat and will be gone before long.)

That leaves us with YouTube TV, AT&T TV, Hulu with Live TV, and Sling. I expect that Comcast will eventually get into nationwide OTT cable TV service via their Peacock app too. Maybe ViacomCBS decides to get in the game as an add-on to CBS All Access? Beyond that, I don't see any survivors in the OTT streaming cable TV space.

 

[harshness]

If there is a next one to go, I’d wager Fubo would be it.

If I were a betting man, I'd probably take you up on such a bet. Fubo offers a lot of alternative sports that don't get very good coverage from ESPN and Fox Sports (CBS Sports and NBC Sports do a pretty decent job though). Fubo's soccer is hard to beat among the streaming services.

There are lots of outlets for popular (and not so popular) TV shows and movies but sports is something that isn't as easy to get your hands on.

I think if I had a smaller TV and was using the built-in speakers, I could have been interested but the absence of advanced sound (in both their live and demand content) was too much for me to endure.

 

[Ronnie-]

If I were a betting man, I'd probably take you up on such a bet. Fubo offers a lot of alternative sports that don't get very good coverage from ESPN and Fox Sports (CBS Sports and NBC Sports do a pretty decent job though). Fubo's soccer is hard to beat among the streaming services.

There are lots of outlets for popular (and not so popular) TV shows and movies but sports is something that isn't as easy to get your hands on.

I think if I had a smaller TV and was using the built-in speakers, I could have been interested but the absence of advanced sound (in both their live and demand content) was too much for me to endure.

The other ott offerings offer the sports that the majority of Americans care about, and each of those that offer them have sub numbers that dwarf Fubo. At this point , it’s not soccer that’s driving people in our country that want sports to sub to live tv services, be it cable/sat/ott.

Fubo would be great if you want niche sports , but they don’t have a niche price. One would think without ESPN they would be cheaper, but it’s far too expensive for what it offers with the limitations it has.

I’d bet even Philo, which doesn’t offer sports, and has a price point to reflect that, outlasts Fubo.

It is just my opinion, but having tried them all myself, your basing a very negative view of ott live tv on what I can only guess was a free trial of one of the most limited ott services doesn’t lend a lot of credibility to a lot of your statements that you make in this section.

 

[N6BY]

In a prior post here I mentioned that I am struggling with 'Start From Beginning'. It did not work on my new Sony TV's YTTV app.

So I tried an Amazon Fire Stick 4K. 'Start From Beginning' still doesn't work on it either. It just sits there stuck with a spinning circle (forever). This problem occurs on a show currently in progress, where I am given the options 'Join Live' or 'Start From Beginning'. I have even tried 'Join Live' and then rewinding to the beginning. Still get the spinning circle.

I did a Google search and people have been having this problem since 2018.

As a last resort I might get a Roku 4K (which has been reported to work with YTTV). Or I might switch to Orby Satellite service. Then I could save money by dropping my internet back down from 100 Mbps to 20.