Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I went with Dish Network in the mid-90s. I had to go back to cable for internet for a while, but I love being able to time shift cable programming. Most of the cable programs are the eastern feeds, so living in the Pacific time zone, prime time starts at 5 PM. I wish we could get eastern feeds for the networks too, but there are legal reasons they don't.

It's not the cheapest mode out there anymore and we find ourselves going to the internet more and more for programming. We have a computer connected to the TV for this. I may be downgrading or eliminating the satellite at some point because so much is available on the internet, though the satellite does make it easier to record programming for later.

I don't know how fast the internet connection has to be for 1080p, we have 50 Mbs so I never think about it.

Bill

ORIGINAL: Footslogger

Hi Guys. I know this should go I the General Discussion, but I trust this forum's knowledge and expertise.

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Who needs TV these days? Netflix and Youtube can do everything TV can but better. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
In the US not live sports. They're by far the #1 reason people still have cable/satellite/OTA antennas.

And while I love Netflix for the old TV series, their movie selection is very B-grade. Movie licenses are bought strategically. Over here there are so many uncut-movie outlets it's very, very expensive to cover them all if you are a movie buff. Not only the classics like HBO and Showtime, but Hulu, Amazon Plus, Google, and a whole menu of tiny ones that might buy one or two AAA movie licenses every year. For example we wanted to watch "The Martian." We have all the DirecTV pay movie channels, plus Netflix. (We're canceling some of the satellite stuff this month; Netflix has taken over the available time.) But "The Martian" was only available on some lousy channel named VuDo or something. I just bought the DVD for ten bucks and we watched it that night.

TV is changing at speeds hitherto unseen. The dinosaur outlets like the old networks are not adjusting well. Sports is their last bastion.

ORIGINAL: stretch

Sports is what keeps me on Dish Network and that's it. For example.. on a Saturday in the fall here in the USA, college football is spread out at least among 4 major networks, 3 ESPN channels plus 2 alternate feeds, two Fox channels, and 3 Regional/conference specific sports networks. No telling which one your team might be on, and I watch more than my team.

Baseball/Hockey I can get online packages for, but my local team is blacked out on there so I'm forced to have a regional network to see those (legally)

Premier League football? Need cable/satellite if you want any real coverage at all, and there's not much to begin with.

If sports were not an issue, I would cut the cord in an instant. Sadly there's nothing over the horizon that will change this situation anytime soon.

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

Public television broadcast channels have just as many great food shows as the food channel without having to pay a dime more than the cost of a good digital antennae.

Been cable free for close to twenty years with a small hiccup for two years when my late brother moved in with me and absolutely had to have cable.

ORIGINAL: kaleun

Problem is you still need broadband, so you either get it from the cable provider, or the phone provider, or dish which is just like cable. Then you need the Roku subscription, and the premium (HBO etc) subscriptions so its 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.