Cutting the Cord (Cable)

InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
I currently have FIOS TV. I just ordered Silicondust's HD Homerun Prime to save / eliminate the need for the monthly DVR service fees. Though I still have to pay for the channels, I'm now only having to pay $5 to rent a "M cablecard" (which is still overpriced ... should be more like $2/month).

But I'm having issues trying to get everything setup to run on my Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.

Does anyone have experience with MythTV, PlexTV, XBMC, DVB -- in particular getting them to work on OS X? Unfortunately I'm an Apple Fanboy, so I don't have Windows Media Player. And the Homerun Prime is Windows-centric. Not OS X friendly.
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I cut the cord a year or two ago. I don't miss it but I only watch an episode of whatever is on at the time each week, and I like some background noise when cooking.

Started out on pc, got xmbc, and playON - used them once or twice and never since.

Hulu was good, I upgraded to Hulu+ but don't know if that was worth it, am considering dropping it. Just tried Netflix and thought it was very good compares to Hulu, may swap to that or run both.

Currently I run a Mac mini as my media center, having ripped out the high end pc for my work since the old one blew up. Nice form factor for the living room.

Best investment may have been a digital antenna- I found after I cut the cord I could still get HD for channels like nbc fox etc for free over the air. You can search for coverage in your area ( was great on my 10th floor apt in Brooklyn)
 
InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
Matt said:
I cut the cord a year or two ago. I don't miss it but I only watch an episode of whatever is on at the time each week, and I like some background noise when cooking.

Started out on pc, got xmbc, and playON - used them once or twice and never since.

Hulu was good, I upgraded to Hulu+ but don't know if that was worth it, am considering dropping it. Just tried Netflix and thought it was very good compares to Hulu, may swap to that or run both.

Currently I run a Mac mini as my media center, having ripped out the high end pc for my work since the old one blew up. Nice form factor for the living room.

Best investment may have been a digital antenna- I found after I cut the cord I could still get HD for channels like nbc fox etc for free over the air. You can search for coverage in your area ( was great on my 10th floor apt in Brooklyn)
Click to expand...
From my research, I think I may take your suggestion & invest & set up a Mac mini media center -- so a computer is continuously "on." I'm a politico junkie -- usually have a particular cable news channel that is running in the background when I'm working from home.
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Though it's well overdue for an update too- so maybe wait a bit or watch the trends.

I got the entry level model and found it too slow, I cracked it open and installed a ssd and now it's pretty good for what it does.
 
F

Fuerza

Guest
I want to so bad, but my wife is addicted to E, Bravo and the other woman channels. I did it successfully for 6 months when we lived apart. I loved it! No commercials and I could skip the junk TV shows I have no interest in.
 
Dangjr213

Dangjr213

Level 2 Member
I cut the cord a few years ago using a Mac mini, eyeTv and a digital antenna. All we were watching were the local channels and eyeTv still gave us the chance to a "DVR".

Did it for about a year and a half but I had to run back to directv and Sunday ticket. Was spending too much at the bar watching the game
 
Alpen_Geoff

Alpen_Geoff

Level 2 Member
We cut the cord about 3 years ago - bought a used xbox off ebay to use as a media centre as it has all the apps for netflix, hulu, amazon etc. as well as plays our old DVDs. I do admit to using the computer and Chromecast to stream sports from various websites. Sports were the primary reason we had a dish but I can't justify those prices just to watch a match or a race here and there - plus I find the European channels to have better coverage of a lot of events so I just watch those now.
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
I don't really follow sports, though I like UFC. We keep threatening to follow a nfl team and then things might change.
 
Alpen_Geoff

Alpen_Geoff

Level 2 Member
One of my biggest issues at first was where to find the sports I wanted - Nascar, MLB, NFL etc. are all easy enough to watch but Cricket, Rugby, AFL, F1, DTM etc. etc. are much harder to get good coverage of in the states so that drove me online anyway.
 
InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
Matt said:
Though it's well overdue for an update too- so maybe wait a bit or watch the trends.

I got the entry level model and found it too slow, I cracked it open and installed a ssd and now it's pretty good for what it does.
Click to expand...
I'm going to wait as well -- it's crazy that the last "update" to the mini was Oct. 2012. Did you also upgrade the memory (RAM)?
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Nope, was going to but from past experience find a ssd makes way more impact than ram (especially for a media center)
 
B

bk3day

Level 2 Member
Cut the cord in January & very glad I did!

Between an indoor antenna, Chromecast, Hulu Plus & Showbox app. I'm pretty well covered. I also have the new Mohu Channels which I'm still undecided about & am still playing around with the Mobdro app .

The best move I made was to stumble upon the relevant subforums of redditt.com including Cordcutters, Chromecast & FullTVShowsonYoutube. Skimming the posts have given me a good grounding on what's available & tips on maximizing my viewing experience.

Only wish I had found them prior to cutting the cord & buying an antenna. While my Mohu Leaf works well enough, the folks on r/CordCutters provide some solid advice on selecting the best one for your specific location
 
SC Trojan

SC Trojan

Level 2 Member
If you don't already have it, get Amazon Prime. Best $100 the internet can buy between the 2 day shipping and tons of really good free streaming content.
 
P

PatPat

Level 2 Member
I've considered cutting the cord but it's tough to cut the cord when I gotta watch all my sports!! Plus, my family subscribed to international channels which makes it even tougher.
 
B

bk3day

Level 2 Member
Many international channels have apps or stream shows via their websites and can be accessed via DNS or VPN settings. If like me, you hate watching on mobile devices, Chromecast can stream those shows to your tv (presuming there's a HDMI input & wifi)

Sports are a challenge but several workarounds exist & those are the subject of many threads on http://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters. FYI, here's a wiki on the topic http://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/wiki/sports
 
konorth

konorth

Level 2 Member
I cut the cord a year ago. On my older plasma I hooked up apple TV . I so love I so love it I bought one for each of my kids (living elsewhere)....$89 on Amazon via every portal I could think of plus I love how I can stream anything from my iphone or ipad directly to the TV with this..I recently purchased a smart TV and between a cheapo antenna and the wifi/smart TV I can pull in a ton of shows. Over all I would prefer the apple tv hook up but I make them both work.
 
Dangjr213

Dangjr213

Level 2 Member
Matt said:
Best investment may have been a digital antenna- I found after I cut the cord I could still get HD for channels like nbc fox etc for free over the air. You can search for coverage in your area ( was great on my 10th floor apt in Brooklyn)
Click to expand...
Are you using anything as a DVR for your antenna?
 
beth p

beth p

Level 2 Member
For anyone that has Roku. We are currently in the middle of a remodel, so I haven't used my roku (or watched much of any antennae tv) since we mounted it on our fireplace. There are "hack" stations you can add to Roku. Sometimes they last, sometimes they would get shut down and you have to find a new code. Check out this site.

http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/all/5.html
Here are some older ones (not sure if they still work, you may need to find newer ones)
ALJZ Aljzeera (International news cnnish out of Qatar)
CNNI CNN International
H9DWC Nowhere TV
7DJEH Yoga
BBCN
livetvnow Mummybox

Login or create account here: https://owner.roku.com/Login
Then add private channel codes: https://owner.roku.com/Add Codes are the 4-5 letter/# combinations above ex: ALJZ
Nowhere tv has a lot of different stations within it = where I watch 60 min etc
___________
We get hulu for around 9 mo of year and share a netflix acct with 2 other friends, as multiple users can watch at a time. We also have AMZ prime videos, through a discounted .edu prime membership.
We also use my in-laws cable acct password to stream ESPN to our tv when necessary, such as the world cup. If you know someone with cable, you can ask for their Time Warner or whatever username and password to log in through ESPN online.
___________
We use Ooma (bought refurb) for our home phone. It's necessary for Jeff with working from home 2 days a week. You pay for the unit, then only FTC taxes every month ~$2-3/mo. Includes caller id and 911 that routes locally
___________
x Aero.com I was bummed that the govt is not allowing comp to rebroadcast the free for air antennae tv.
-------------------
My friends bro has some scheme where he buys some sports video game every year (maybe madden) to get a nice discount on NFL ticket or whatever that is
We cut the cord a while ago, but since we live in CLE & have the return of LBJ, we're going to have a rocking year. My husband is talking about getting cable again, to watch games. We've been without it for 3.5 years. If anyone has NBA game hack advice, lmk.


-Beth
 
beth p

beth p

Level 2 Member
@Dangjr213 that is what Aereo was for $8/mo, but govt is not allowing these (unless it gets overturned)
  • Remote TV Antenna and cloud-based DVR
  • 20 hours DVR storage
Antenna & DVR in the Cloud
Aereo's cloud technology enables you to record and watch live television online.
 
Dangjr213

Dangjr213

Level 2 Member
beth p said:
@Dangjr213 that is what Aereo was for $8/mo, but govt is not allowing these (unless it gets overturned)
  • Remote TV Antenna and cloud-based DVR
  • 20 hours DVR storage
Antenna & DVR in the Cloud
Aereo's cloud technology enables you to record and watch live television online.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I wonder if that's why I couldn't find eye tv anymore (except for the international versions). I had their DVR software on my Mac years ago. All this talk about cutting the cord has me interested in ditching cable again.

I already paid for Sunday Ticket this year so I just might pull the plug after the season is over.
 
A

Alex1432

Level 2 Member
I haven't cut the cord but we now exclusively use Windows media center to record all the shows. We don't do sports but it's nice to have stuff recorded and ready to watch and we just skip through the commercials.

It's really nice to have a fully functioning pc we can play pandora or put some website on a large screen.
 
Ja350z

Ja350z

Level 2 Member
Also for those that use Netflix via a computer, I've been able to access more of their content using the (free) hola plugin for chrome & changing location to UK. Their library varies from US-UK.
 
beth p

beth p

Level 2 Member
I found this today for DVR over antenna tv
TiVo Releases A $49.99 Over-The-Air DVR For Cord Cutters
http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/25/tivo-roamio-ota/
"release of a new, cheaper over-the-air DVR, the company is going after the cord cutter set.
TiVo today is announcing the release of its TiVo Roamio OTA DVR, a $49.99 device that will give customers who don’t have cable or satellite service. Instead, they will be able to connect the DVR up to an antenna to record shows broadcast on channels available through over-the-air digital signals.
The Roamio OTA has 500 GB of storage capacity, which holds up to 75 hours of HD programming. It also has four tuners to allow customers to record multiple programs at once, while also being able to tune in live to one channel. The device is also compatible with the company’s TiVo Stream device for streaming live and pre-recorded videos on other devices."

"TiVo isn’t the first company to come up with a DVR for over-the-air signals. Startup Simple.TV launched its own version of the product a couple of years ago, but has had a difficult time getting consumer adoption for the device. Then again, the Simple.TV box was originally priced at $149 — and it didn’t include on-board storage. The newer version is even more expensive, at $199.
TiVo’s DVR is a lot more affordable at $49.99, but customers won’t just be paying for the hardware. For access to TiVo’s channel guide, personalization, and other features, customers need to pay $14.99 per month and commit to a one-year service agreement."
 
beth p

beth p

Level 2 Member
***Note that it does have a monthly fee of $14.99 or a lifetime subscription is available.
(good if you like CBS shows as Hulu doesn't have CBS coverage)
Service Required
TiVo DVRs and the TiVo Mini require a TiVo service subscription, and we offer two options: monthly and Product Lifetime.
Monthly:
  • New TiVo Roamio and Premiere DVRs: $14.99/month with a 1-year commitment and a $75 early termination fee.*
  • Previously activated TiVo Roamio or Premiere DVRs: $14.99/month with a 1-year commitment and a $15 early termination fee, or $19.99/month* with no commitment.*
  • TiVo Mini: $5.99/month with a 1-year commitment and a $25 early termination fee.
 
bismark

bismark

Level 2 Member
Ja350z said:
Also for those that use Netflix via a computer, I've been able to access more of their content using the (free) hola plugin for chrome & changing location to UK. Their library varies from US-UK.
Click to expand...
Pro-tip: Use http://moreflicks.com/ to search which countries have a certain movie available on Netflix then you can easily use Hola to access Netflix from that country.

I do realize this is getting a bit gray area, but I feel a bit better about it than straight up torrenting since I'm paying Netflix.
 
InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
Alex1432 said:
I haven't cut the cord but we now exclusively use Windows media center to record all the shows. We don't do sports but it's nice to have stuff recorded and ready to watch and we just skip through the commercials.

It's really nice to have a fully functioning pc we can play pandora or put some website on a large screen.
Click to expand...
Does anyone have suggestions for a good remote for Windows Media Center? I am using a Windows 2-in-1 laptoplet.
 
Zooter

Zooter

Level 2 Member
Premium Supporter
I was planning to cut the cord but FIOS offered me 50/50 internet + local channels for $58/month including all taxes, eq, and fees with a 2-yr contract.

To my surprise, we are still getting all the extended cable channels (eg Comedy Central, CNN) that were supposed to be cut off.

We still just mostly watch stuff off Netflix and Amazon Prime via the Samsung Smart TV apps.
 
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InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
Zooter said:
I was planning to cut the cord but FIOS offered me 50/50 internet + local channels for $58/month including all taxes, eq, and fees with a 2 our contract.

To my surprise, we are still getting all the extended cable channels (eg Comedy Central, CNN) that were supposed to be cut off.

We still just mostly watch stuff off Netflix and Amazon Prime via the Samsung Smart TV apps.
Click to expand...
I continue to have FIOS TV and still have subscriptions to all HD premium channels. But purchased Silicondust's HD Homerun Prime ($119) from Amazon. I only pay to rent a cable card for the HD Homerun ($5/month). I dropped their DVR service and no longer need to rent their set top box ... saving about $25 - 30 / month. Right now, I'm trying 2 options for DVR: MacMini or Windows laptop. You just need Windows Media Center to record TV.
 
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