I use both and like the AppleTV much better. My IPAD constantly has buffering/quality issues watching ESPN, and while those issues aren’t completely eliminated with the AppleTV (especially for big games) they are much less noticeable.
ESPN is about to offer a non-cable-tied streaming service, but it will be extremely limited:
It appears that ESPN will be joining the CBS’s, HBO’s and Showtime’s in selling an over the top streaming service directly to consumers. However, unlike CBS and Showtime, this ESPN OTT service won’t the linear channel that is seen on WatchESPN. According to The Information, this service will not include its major sports packages like Monday Night Football or MLB.
And:
YOUTUBE EXPECTED TO LAUNCH NEW ONLINE TV SERVICE WITH ESPN, ABC AND CBS
it appears that ESPN will be part of a new online TV service to be offered by YouTube. The Information (subscription required) reports that YouTube is expected to launch this service within six to nine months at a cost of $35/month.
It appears that ABC, CBS and ESPN will be part of the basic bundle. YouTube’s owner Google is also talking with NBC, Viacom and Fox to include their networks as well. The service would also include several specialized YouTube channels.
If anyone wants to cut the cord, I will be happy to help them set up their amazon stick or other android product for free. You will be able to access movies, shows, and sports. I still keep netflix and amazon for convenience, but it’s pretty nice quality most of the time.
PLAYSTATION VUE ADDS NFL NETWORK AND NFL REDZONE TO ITS STREAMING LINEUP
The signing of the NFL channels ensures that fans will see the entire season of Thursday Night Football as well as NFL RedZone on Sundays.
The PlayStation Vue service can be seen on connected TV’s as well as mobile devices.
Good timing on their part. I just bought my Amazon Fire box this morning. Upgraded to a Prime account and signed up for PS Vue. I’ll pony up for a month of Showtime when the new season is available to binge, same for Starz for Outlander. Or just get them thru Netflix. Was paying $145 for top shelf Uverse and 95% of the stuff on the premium movie channels is garbage.
Sling is also picking up the NFL network and Redzone:
NFL NETWORK AND NFL REDZONE JOIN SLING TV
As Sling TV expands its offerings, it now can boast it that has NFL Network and its NFL RedZone companion channel on its lineup. Launching today, NFL Network will be part of the Sling Blue core service so there won’t be an extra charge for the channel.
NFL RedZone joins the Sports Extra tier so fans who want to watch the whiparound channel on Sunday’s during the regular season will have to pay an additional $5 per month to watch it.
TWITTER COULD SOON BRING NFL GAMES TO APPLE TV
Yet a deal with Apple TV would allow that content to be watched on those big, beautiful flat-screens that almost all of us now have in our living rooms. (Presumably, Twitter’s live-streams could also be pushed to televisions through devices such as Google’s Chromecast, but would there be HD-quality video and audio with that?)
Cord Cutter Guide:
The Ultimate Cord Cutter’s Guide
This is a good starter guide, but there’s many other ways to go. For instance, Playstation Vue wasn’t listed as an option and you probably don’t need all the services.
The other thing not mentioned is that you can go part time with the services. For example, if you only watch a few HBO shows, pick a month where you can watch it, subscribe, and then unsubscribe after you’ve finished watching. Basically what I do for Game of Thrones and got to watch Mad Max Fury Road while it was available. That’s what isn’t mentioned at the end; you have complete control over your content and what you want to watch, when you want.
I’m a month into my ‘semi-cord cutting’ and there have been pluses and minuses. I had been subscribed to AT&T’s Uverse highest package (I think), the U450 plus the $5 add-on sports that gave me NFL RedZone and a few other things. I was paying $141 a month, plus $55 for my home internet with unlimited data.
I bought an Amazon FireTV box (two actually and 2 Fire Sticks), hooked up an antenna to my main TV, upgraded to Amazon Prime and signed up for the Playstation Vue at $45 a month. That’s the highest package.
PS Vue is great. Lots of channels, a guide that I’m getting used to and it has three of the local stations in Ch 2, 13 and 26. It has Bein which brings in soccer, NBCSN which covers my NHL fix and a bunch of other sports related channels from Fox, NBC and ESPN. My antenna really struggled to pick up Channel 11 over here in the east county, about 40 miles from their tower. So I added the CBS All Access app for $5 a month to get Channel 11 and it gives me access to a huge library of old and new CBS shows. I already had access to a Netfix account thru one of my sons.
The negatives: As mentioned CBS costs me extra. That wouldn’t be a problem for those living closer to the tower or if I sprung for a rooftop antenna. Channel 8 is not available on Vue but comes in clear via my antenna. The promised NFL Network/RedZone hasn’t shown up yet although they are promised for the season. But the biggest issue for me is the fact that Vue is a huge data hog. By dropping my Uverse contract I would lose my unlimited data. I would get 600 gigs a month via my internet with AT&T but checking my usage with Vue I saw it running anywhere from 10g to 54g(!) a day.
One option was to closely monitor our data usage to avoid overages. With four streams that would be difficult. Another would be to switch to SlingTV instead of Vue but a Roku account allows for only one stream. The third option was to subscribe to the cheapest local channel access Uverse account. The cost was $30 but it gives me unlimited data and allows me to access Channels 8 and 11 without an antenna.
Bottom line:
$140 for Uverse changed to $93 a month:
$45 for PS Vue
$8 Amazon Prime prorated over a year
$5 CBS (which I can drop)
$5 my share of our Netfix account
$30 basic Uverse/unlimited data
I’m saving almost $50 a month. I could get by with less and will once my son gets his house built and is no longer here. I can cut down my usage and probably drop the Uverse completely.
I tried PS Vue and while their channel selection was nicer, I ended up keeping Sling because of their channel guide.
I agree. The guide on sling is way better than vue. Vue just reminds me of cable. A lot of channels I don’t need with a shotgun pay structure. Plus you can’t watch outside of where you register your tv. No apps for iOS or web watching.
On Vue I marked the channels I use a favorites and they show up first so I never have to scroll thru the rest.
The cord-cutter’s guide to (legally) watching college football
Wanna save a few bucks and still catch almost every game? It’s pretty simple, and you can use a lot of this stuff for other sports, shows, and movies, too.
For you Sling users:
Just dumped DirecTv for $200 a month for Sony vue for $60 a month a savings of $1400 annually.
Hulu announced agreements Tuesday with 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company that will bring live and on-demand sports programming from such networks as ESPN and FOX Sports to its new subscription TV streaming service set to launch in 2017.
The agreements include broadcast networks FOX and ABC, Fox Sports networks such as the Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Regional Sports Networks, Big Ten Network, and also ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ESPN 3.
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$hit just got real.
I am interested to see how DirecTV Now turns out. There are rumors of $35/month for over 100 channels. I currently use Vue, but would be open to changing to whatever has the best cost/benefit ratio. I think in the end, Hulu might end up being the most attractive. Especially if they combine the live TV with traditional Hulu content into one app.
But it all depends on the price, of course.
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Some more news leaked about DirecTV Now.
- If you pay for 3 months in advance, you get a free Apple TV. If you pay for one month in advance, you get a Amazon Firestick.
- There will be an on-demand library of over 14,000 titles.
- You will be able to use your AT&T credentials for channel apps like ‘watchespn’.
- price remains $35/month and you will be able to add HBO and Cinemax to your subscription as well.
- Many, but not all of the networks, will support a 72-hour catch-up window, making it possible to watch shows you missed for up to three days after the original airing.
- There is a free 7-day trial.
IMO, if they are giving away hardware, they are looking at this as a loss leader to get people on board. Trying to get people who a. don’t have cable at all or people who are using Sling or Vue currently. I am currently using Vue but willing to give this a shot. I would assume that the 72-hour catch-up takes the place of DVR, but with the sign-ins into the channel apps/websites could take the place of DVR completely.
We will see.