Fairly specific question about cutting the cord

[bosk1]

I know there is a thread dedicated to the topic, but I really don't have the time to read the entire thread to try to figure out the answer to my specific questions.  But here's my deal:

I know nothing about how to go about getting rid of regular TV and getting the channels I want through subscription services.  But we are paying WAY too much for getting way too little of stuff we are actually interested in watching.  Other than stuff on Netflix and D+ (which we have), my main interests are being able to watch the Warriors (including NBA playoffs) and the 49ers (including NFL playoffs).  How exactly do I go about doing that?  (walk me through the basics step by step as if I know nothing.  Because I actually know nothing)

[frogprog]

Not an expert, but my experience was...
I am in the Philadelphia market. About 2 years ago I ditched Comcast cable (about $220 a month) and got Hulu and Philo which I stream through Roku devices on some tvs, one of my tvs has it built in. the Roku device is basically a thumb drive that goes into your HDMI port and is controlled with its own remote. There are a bunch of other options alos. Google has onee, apple tv, amazon fire stick etc
The Hulu, at about $50 per month was for live tv ( local news and live sports) Philo, at about $16 gave me BBC and a few other channels that werent offered on Hulu. There was an initial output for the roku devices (about $40 per tv).
I wasnt happy with Hulu. Price went up, it froze up alot and the interface and guide was shit. I replaced that with Youtube TV recently for the same price but I am much happier with YTTV than Hulu.
You could also subscribe to a NBA and NFL app for your sports. I dont have experience with that but Im sure others do.
Bottom line, after the 1 time purchase of the roku sticks i am at about $90 or so per month plus an internet provider (currently verizon fios at about an additional $50 or so per month)

[Lonk]

Yeah, some streaming services have sport packages you can get.

After cutting the cord, I tried Sling for a bit ($35 a month I think), but even that I realized that I had it on for background noise and watching replays of the same shows, so I got rid of that too. But they have a sports package, though I think it's limited.

Be careful with NBA TV. If I remember correctly, you can watch every team except local teams (I guess because of whatever local channel plays the game, which is ridiculous IMO). For me, I wouldn't be able to watch Knicks or Nets games.

[WilliamMunny]

Honestly, I got a roku (and then later, an Apple TV), and we start/stop all of our subscriptions through there.

I'd say we pretty much always have $40-$50 going a month, but the 'where' we are getting our tv changes depending on what we are watching.

That said, HBO & Hulu have been mainstays for years. Apple Tv (which I think is $5 a month???), has literally two of my favorite shows of the past decade ('For All Mankind' and 'Severence').

Cut the cable, spend $40 on a Roku, and you'll be good to go. Hell, depending on the age of you TV, you may have all of those apps already built in. You just need to turn em on—every service includes a trial period, so you can get a lot of milage out of 'free' windows.

[Grappler]

www.suppose.tv.

That is a website that will let you put in the channels that you actually do want to have access to and will suggest the options for streaming providers for you to subscribe to for live television.  If you enter the networks that carry the Warriors and 49ers, it will give you some ideas.

One hint - not all of the subscriptions services carry all of your local network channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox).  These services rely on keeping prices lower by not packaging certain things.  Disney owns ABC/ESPN, so if a provider wants to carry ABC, Disney forces them to carry the full lineup of networks.  The same goes for CBS/Viacom (nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, Paramount, etc.). 

From a personal standpoint, Youtube TV is the closet you can get to replicating a cable lineup, minus the A&E/History channels, which they do not carry, for $65 per month, plus add-ons (if desired - 4K, sports, etc.).  From my memory, the primary streaming tv providers are Youtube TV, Sling, Philo and Hulu Live.

Part of cord-cutting is giving up the big tv package to individualize your content and getting out of that "I have to have everything" mindset - sometimes that might mean a specific subscription (NFL All Access) for a sports season, then unsubscribing when you're not watching that sport, assuming that a streaming tv provider doesn't have that option.  I do know that Philo is more news and sports heavy, whereas Sling is more budget-oriented with less channels.

[bosk1]

Thanks, Grapp.  Will check that out.  A further question about "local" channels, if you have any insight:  The 49ers market is pretty big, so for purposes of getting their games on "local" channels, we are considered local for them, and their games are always on local TV affiliates.  For the Warriors, their market is smaller in terms of physical territory because we have a different NBA team here in our Sacramento area market, so our local TV does not broadcast their games here (unless it is a special, nationally-televised or regionally-televised game).  Is there a way to specify that?  To put it a different way, I guess what I am asking is:  Can I specify two different local markets for my TV viewing purposes?

[hefdaddy42]

I would imagine you could just use an HD antenna to pick up local channels over the air, and that would probably get you CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX for free, if you have affiliates for all of them in your area.  That would probably also give you most, if not all, of the football games right off the bat.

[Grappler]

Thanks, Grapp.  Will check that out.  A further question about "local" channels, if you have any insight:  The 49ers market is pretty big, so for purposes of getting their games on "local" channels, we are considered local for them, and their games are always on local TV affiliates.  For the Warriors, their market is smaller in terms of physical territory because we have a different NBA team here in our Sacramento area market, so our local TV does not broadcast their games here (unless it is a special, nationally-televised or regionally-televised game).  Is there a way to specify that?  To put it a different way, I guess what I am asking is:  Can I specify two different local markets for my TV viewing purposes?

Local affiliates are handled by zip code for streaming tv and divided by region.  I'm 50 miles north of Chicago, but still considered in the Chicago region.  If I went five miles north into WI, I'd be getting Milwaukee local networks instead, and it's non-negotiable.  You can't change your region or subscribe to two local regions, so you might have to supplement with an NBA-specific sports subscription for the NBA season, if you can't get Warriors games on your Sacramento networks.  A lot of people do that to watch out-of-state/region sports teanms.

1.  Purchase whatever the NBA offers that is similar to the NFL All Access so you can watch EVERY game for EVERY team.

2.  Add on a sports package from a streaming provider that would give you the network you might need or similar access to all games, if available.  Sometimes they'll bundle the all-access package into the subscription.


It will take some trial and error and research to figure out what works for you.  Streaming tv subscriptions offer short free trials and 30 day subscriptions, so you can try them out or hop from month to month until you get the right combination.  Every fall, the cord cutting forums I read are filled with questions just like yours - how do I watch "this" team?"


Hefdaddy is also right in that you can also just get an antenna and try to watch the over-the-air signal, if you're within the viewing distance of that regional signal.  I'm too lazy to want to switch tv inputs, so I've never used an antenna and would rather just subscribe to the provider that gives me the most local affiliate networks.

[emtee]

I would imagine you could just use an HD antenna to pick up local channels over the air, and that would probably get you CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX for free, if you have affiliates for all of them in your area.  That would probably also give you most, if not all, of the football games right off the bat.

Yes.

I get over 65 channels with an HD antenna. All the major networks plus many more. If the Niners and Warriors are on local affiliates, you will get those games. Get one with amplification. You'll spend between 39 - 55 bucks.