# Cutting the cord - Dropping Cable/Satellite



## GT11

I have seen a few threads about dropping cable/satellite but most were people asking for advice. I decided to move forward with that project and figured I would document it, answer a few questions and maybe learn a few things from the community. I will try to set this up so you can scan through for the important parts (look for summary notes) if you don't want to read everything.

First, I have satellite. The cost is roughly $100/month or $1200/yr. I have a house in Spring and a Lake House and was able to use one account with extra receivers for both houses. This cut the cost almost in half over using cable at both places.

The biggest issue I have is the cost. My wife and I watch roughly 10 channels so the cost comes out to roughly $10/channel per month plus you are forced to watch commercials on top of that. From a programming standpoint, there isn't a lot on TV that is worth the money and we are forced to subsidize programs that most of us on this forum probably object to (Find FSTV and watch it a while to see what I mean).

I have hi-speed internet (15 mbs) since I work from home and own my modem (savings of $8/month, modem cost under $70). I bought a new router that is better suited for streaming ($120) and sent my old one to my lake house. I have one Web enabled flat screen TV, one old tube type and one non-web enabled flat screen in Spring.

To start the project, I started streaming content to my web enabled TV. Most of it was off of you tube but I didn't have any slow downs. I was happy enough with this to move to step two - removing satellite from one TV. I purchased the RCA digital antenna ($32) and was able to pull in 38 channels from Houston. After deleting the channels with poor signals and the Spanish channels, I was left with roughly 20 channels. I do get the major networks.

I also bought an Apple TV. For those of you that don't know, Apple TV is a 3" x 3" box that allows you to access content from the internet on a non-web enabled TV. You have three choices here if you want to do more research, Apple TV ($90), Roku ($90) and Google Chromecast ($35). Of three, Apple Tv and Roku are close in performance, with Roku usually getting the nod. I went with Apple because I have an iPad and iPhone and you can mirror you screen and use it for a remote.

*Summary 1:* My web enabled TV worked well watching movies off the internet so I bought an Apple TV and digital antenna for a non-web enabled TV to start an extended test.


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## GT11

*Day one test*

The network channels and other local channels looked good through the digital antenna. I don't watch these except for college football games, so all I am missing is ESPN to have all of the college football games. I don't know if I will add ESPN to my Apple TV yet. Apple TV has icons for the networks, but I haven't tried them yet.

Apple TV - I like this interface! It makes me realize how bad the interface is on the web enabled TV. Trying to control everything (and searching) with a hand held remote is very slow and using the iPad for control is like using a computer; It is much faster and easier to use. The biggest drawback is finding programming. With satellite, you have a menu that tells you what is playing at what time. There isn't a set time for any web programs so now you have to search content. It requires a little more thought but I will get use to it. I have to get out the the satellite mind set where someone is telling me what I can watch based on their schedule.

I haven't signed up for any paid services yet. The three big ones are Netflix ($9/mo), Hulu Plus ($9/mo) and Amazon prime ($80/yr). To use Amazon Prime with Apple TV, I will have to mirror it from the iPad/iPhone. Netflix gives you many movies and some TV programs, Hulu Plus gives you many TV programs and some movies and Amazon has a little of both but is still building their library. My wife watches Amazon prime from her iPhone and with that subscription you also get free 2nd day air shipping on stuff purchased from Amazon. That alone is worth $80/yr considering how much I buy off of Amazon. Actually, I probably spend $80 in two months shipping from Amazon so it is definitely worth it.

I watched three programs last night for a total of 2.5 hrs. On a couple of them, I got a network error (I have a feeling my Comcast internet will be the weak link in this system), but after a couple of tries, they worked. Through the course of 2.5 hours, I had 4 stoppages. A couple were only a few seconds and the other 2 were up to a minute. It was annoying but I am also not paying $100/month for the service so for now I can live with it.

*Summary 2:* The digital TV antenna works better than I thought with 38 total channels received and the Apple TV interface is very nice. If the test continues to go well, I may buy one for the web enable TV. There were a few download stoppages but they were tolerable considering the cost savings.


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## txjustin

Cool, keep this going. I am strongly considering cutting cable since I got a new smart TV and a roku for my other TV. I currently pay ~$100/month for cable.


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## smokinguntoo

Keep going. I just signed a one yr. with uverse for about $125/mo (U300 programming & 18 meg). I hate it. We also travel some in a 5th wheel with just the rv antenna. I'm sure there are other options I don't know about.

My new wireless enabled tv came with an M-GO button. Before I upgraded I was at 12 meg and the content kept freezing up so I will have to retry now with the faster speed. They did have decent content at good prices on a per watch basis.

SG2


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## GT11

*Internet Speeds*

One thing I forgot to mention above is the minimum internet speed for streaming is suppose to be 5 Mbps download speed (according to published info, Netflix says 1.5 Mbps, etc). I was at 3 Mbps stated and the speed test showed I was typically at 3 - 4 Mbps. I upgraded to 15 Mbps stated and the test shows 25+ Mbps and I hit a high of 50 Mbps one day.


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## goodwood

with the disappointment in programming i want to use rabbit ears as well. i will most likely after my contract is up. there are probably less than 10 shows i record to watch currently. its unbelieveable how much trash is on tv.


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## bluefin

I am also curious to see how this proceeds. I WISH I was only paying $100/mo. Unfortunately it's considerably higher.
I've often wondered why there isn't a business solely dedicated towards something like this. One that can set you up to get you off cable. I know there's companies that can but it's not their sole business. To me if it's their sole business then their dedication is there and not setting up indoor concerts.
Thanks again for the info GT11. 
I'll definitely be following this thread.


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## GT11

*Day 2 Test*

Today i am trying the different features of Apple TV.

1) iTunes Radio - good sound, no freezing due to loading, nice selection of channels and you can build your own play list. If you hear something you like and want to download it, you can buy it on the spot. 
2)The networks have shows available but are on a pay per view or pay per season basis. It looks like Hulu Plus or Netflix will be the way to go. I will subscribe to one of these next week if testing continues to go well
3) PBS is free with many programs to view, picture quality is good
4)Smithsonian channel has a lot of free programs
5) There are several apps (like Crackle) that gives you access to older TV shows and movies but you have to sit through commercials in some cases. It still beats paying for satellite and watching commercials.
6) The weather channel, yahoo, youtube, WSJ and others have free content

It looks there is more than enough free content to keep you in front of the TV way longer than you should be. You can also buy current programs for $2-$3 or the entire seasons for $10 - $20.


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## BigBay420

I dropped my U verse last summer and bought a Minix X5. If I want to watch sports that will not come in on rabbit ears I just go to the nearest sports bar. Here is the link for the Minix.

http://www.amazon.com/MINIX-X5-RK3066-Cortex-Dongle/dp/B00AA9K2GI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392163904&sr=8-2&keywords=minix+x5


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## thabeezer

Do you have anyone in your house that is technically challenged? I got rid of movie channels and use my Amazon prime account but my wife can't seem to ever remember how to get to it no matter how many times I show her. That's my challenge right now


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## jman0328

Great thread!

I cut out my cable bill last month and bought the apple tv and roku 3. We own all apple devices at home and I still prefer the roku over the apple tv. I've found the top 3 streams we use are in order Aereo, Plex, and Netflix. 

Aereo ($8/$12month) is a streaming service for local tv channels (nbc cbs abc fox pbs) along with a DVR in the cloud. My antenna reception was poor so I went with Aereo and we love it. We also noticed with big cable that everything we watch other than local news in the morning was from the DVR, very little was live so why not keep that going? This is my favorite service by far and is not supported on apple tv. 

Plex (free so far) This is a very easy way to stream any content on my home computer to roku device. Includes anything I download and my itunes music library. To stream videos from my laptop to apple tv I had to convert to the correct format then import to itunes. Plex is much easier and not available on apple tv (there is one work around that involves hijacking the trailers channel but it was a major pain).

Netflix ($8/m) well you know what that is but we also like the original programming they offer. Also has lots of stuff for the kiddo. Available on both devices.

I also use HBO go on roku and apple tv but I have to borrow a cable login and password from a friend to get this. BTW HBO CEO recently said he was OK with people doing this because he believes they will eventually subscribe to HBO.

I guess my biggest gripe with the apple tv is the control they have over the content. You only get what they want you to have. I get any content I want on the roku along with some cool features like headphones that plug into the remote so my wife's snoring doesn't disturb my tv shows! An app that lets me use my phone as a remote control and I can use my phone to control the roku youtube channel.

The only major thing i'm missing is ESPN (i guess i could borrow another login to view it on apple tv) but i've cut my bill from $140 to $20 a month! I don't have a problem watching a few games at the bars for that much of a savings.


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## TomCat

We've never has any sort of paid television. We have an outside antenna and get more channels than we know what to do with. 
Look at all the money we've saved.


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## GT11

thabeezer said:


> Do you have anyone in your house that is technically challenged? I got rid of movie channels and use my Amazon prime account but my wife can't seem to ever remember how to get to it no matter how many times I show her. That's my challenge right now


My wife watches Amazon Prime on her phone so she isn't technically challenged. I did a little work to make it easier to find the different devices, however. My TV allows me to assign custom labels to the different inputs so when you hit the input button, the list pops up with the following choices:

Apple TV
Blue Ray
TV Antenna
etc.

I may try Aereo at my lake house because I don't we will get local channels with an antenna out there. Amazon Prime is a really good option especially if you buy stuff from Amazon. The 2 day shipping pays for the subscription. I will have to look into Plex...it sounds like it is a lot like Crackle.


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## plhsurfer

Re. ESPN, Disney, ect on Apple TV.
To access most of the stuff on those apps (including live stations), you will be prompted to sign in with your Comcast, Verizon, or other accounts to verify that you already pay for their service. 

I dropped cable/sat. 2 years ago and went the same route that you are. 
I have twin 7 year olds and they didn't blink twice without the cable. They can catch last season of whatever Disney show they want to watch via Netflix.
We also use the Xbox 360 to view Amazon Prime.


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## thabeezer

I need way to get Disney Jr. For the kids. Any ideas?


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## GT11

There is a Disney app on the Apple TV and I think Disney Jr was on there too


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## thabeezer

GT11 said:


> There is a Disney app on the Apple TV and I think Disney Jr was on there too


Roku has one to but you need a cable account to access it.


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## GT11

No kids, so I haven't tried it. Some of the apps require a cable account and some work with my internet account. ESPN 3 works with my comcast internet account but the network apps didn't. You had to have an actual cable subscription.

As far as updates go, still playing with the system so nothing new to report. Plan to do more fishing than TV watching this weekend so no updates until next week!


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## michaelbaranowski

jman0328 said:


> Great thread!
> 
> I guess my biggest gripe with the apple tv is the control they have over the content.


I have done a little research and you can always jailbreak your AppleTV. That would let you add more stuff to the appleTV


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## 1fisher77316

Huku Plus does a pretty good job. 
1fisher77316


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## CentexPW

Got a Roku 3 at christmas. Still testing it out. Pretty cool so far. Watching Amazon prime right now.


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## ByGodTx

I really want to do this. My only problem will be with sports. I'm a late night person and enjoy coming home after work on Sat. and watching college games. This is a great thread and thanks for the post.


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## bjmillet

Did it 5 years ago and never looked back! Figured we saved $6000 to $7000 by now. Got an antennae, a Roku and a Channel Master DVR. Yeah we miss a few programs but hey we'd rather be fishing. And that money will go well to a beach house someday.


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## Reel Time

I finished cutting all cords two weeks ago. No regrets.
I will stay tuned to this thread for tips.


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## mchildress

Cut the cable line 25 yrs ago and havn't looked back.


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## fishingcacher

I was talking to a friend and asked if he was watching the Olympics. He said no as he and his wife do not own a TV. That is what I call really cutting the cord.


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## ByGodTx

To the folks in the Houston area after you got rid of cable what internet provider do you have and what do you pay?


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## GT11

I use comcast. 15Mbps is $44 if you own your own modem.


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## ByGodTx

GT11 said:


> I use comcast. 15Mbps is $44 if you own your own modem.


Is 15Mbps fast I have no idea about this stuff?


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## smokinguntoo

I have Uverse 300 AT&T. I've had 12mbps until my contract expired in Dec. @ about $105/mo. I could not watch streaming movies from M-Go without pauses. 

The renewal "deal" required me to go to 18mbps @ about $140/mo. I just tried to watch a streaming movie and got pauses for download again. I was in regular definition mode. Did a speed test and it was 12.5mbps. Called AT&T cust. svc. and it immediately jumped to over 20mbps. We'll be dropping AT&T as soon as we can.

IMO you need more than 12mbps to watch streaming quality video content.

SG2


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## GT11

My research says 5 Mbps to stream. 15 should be more than enough.


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## GT11

Not much of an update this week....I was busy until 10 pm each night last week and and this week I have been doing other things besides watching TV. The one big thing I did want to report was the Comcast/Netflix agreement. Basically, companies like Netflix are starting to take a bite out of the cable companies so Comcast (and others) were throttling their content....some of you reported that Netflix had many pauses/reloads. Comcast has basically forced Netflix to pay them not to throttle the content.

This is bad in a few ways, but the biggest is the cost. A portion of your cable and satellite fees go to the content providers and you are still forced to watch commercials. Until now, sites like Netflix didn't have to make these payments (call them grease payments, bribes, etc) so the prices stayed low. Now that Netflix has decided to pay to stop the throttling, I think you will see other cable providers (that also supply internet) demand these payments. Word on the street is it won't raise prices right now but we all know that won't last. I think streaming content will be a good cheap option for a few more year but we will see prices increase as more of these type payments are demanded. It will be interesting to see if technology can stay a step ahead or if streaming will become overpriced like satellite and cable.


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## Blast-n-cast

One other option I didnt see is the Samsung Smart Media Player. All but one of my TVs are smart TVs that I have on my LAN so they have there own interface for my Netflix, HULU, and Amazon Prime but the one that does not uses the Samsung Smart Media Player. I like its interface better than my Roku. It also has an app to mirror on your Samsung tablet. As far as the Apple TV goes I never tried it but I dont like apple products so I probably never will.


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## Turney

I really want to cut the cord also. We pay for junk we never watch...... my wife has to have bravo and of course i love sports. Any ideas?


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## GT11

I never liked Apple either until I got so fed up with Blackberry that I got an iPhone...that turned out to be a big problem for the other brands because now I love the Apple. The biggest reason the brand won me over is because it works. I am now considering changing from a PC to a MAC because the microsoft operating system gets worse each day instead of better. Is Apple perfect? Of course not but their products do tend to work well and I need products that work. 

I personally stay from Samsung products. I had two different Samsung products (a plasma TV and and refrigerator) that were total junk and had Samsung as a customer and vowed never to use one of their products again.


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## Fishnut

I haven't p[aid for cable in years, went to a digital antenna and Netflicks and really have not missed much. 

I get my Netflicks through my Blue-ray player, is there something more to the Apple box I am missing?

Also I had a guy at work tell me about something called a Show box, claims he gets movies before they hit the DVD market. That sounds a little shady and the box has to bought through the net only. Not sure I want to drop 150.00 for something that may not work or that is skating the law. He was able to watch Lone Survivor already on it so I can only assume it is streaming something that it should not be.

What's the benefit on the apple tv over just using the Blue-ray I-net tv if any?

Thanks


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## GT11

AppleTV is just another way to interface the net to get Netflix, Hulu and other online content....it puts it in a user friendly format and you can control it with the iPad or Iphone.

I have one web enabled TV and the interface isn't great. AppleTV is much better.

It is a 3"x3" box that hooks to your TV with a HDMI cable and pulls things wirelessly (or through an ethernet cable) from your router.


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## ByGodTx

Cloud-Based TV Service
Last month, Sony announced their plans to test a cloud-based TV service that will include live television channels, on-demand TV shows, and digital video recorder capabilities.

To be clear, Spaan says cloud-based TV services already exist in the form of Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime, where you can download already-aired TV shows and movies. However, Sony is looking to test something entirely different later this year.

According to Spaan, their service will be a virtual paid TV service - similar to standard Comcast or AT&T U-verse cable services.

"The service will deliver hundreds of live linear channels, including sports and episodic TV to customers, no matter where they live," Spaan says.

How will this change access to television?

"If Sony can provide a full TV service, with video on demand, live linear, sports and everything that, say, a Comcast package provides, the ease of access, portability, and the ability to easily change packages online will be a hit with consumers," Spaan explains.


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## GT11

I am still testing and still progressing. I have been traveling so not much time in front of the TV.


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## smokinguntoo

*TV Subscriptions Fall for the First Time as Viewers Cut the Cord*

Timely topic:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/u-s-pay-tv-subscriptions-fall-for-first-time-as-streaming-gains.html

SG2


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## GT11

I haven't been watching much TV since I started the addition to the lake house. With the roof replacement, the dish is off the roof and I am having to rely on AppleTV. So far I am fine with it and haven't missed DTV. I may extend that test here for a month to see how it goes. The only down side I see is the lack of football in the fall but I could always watch it with the neighbors.


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## Capt.Thomas White

We cut DTV about 1.5 months ago, the funny thing is, the kids just asked this weekend what happen to the TV. We have programed Netflix and Amazon Plus for the kids and I pick and choose what I want to watch. I am thinking about RUKU 3, I guess you need one for each TV you want it on. The other thing I am getting ready to do is install a HDVHF for local channels. All I can say is, I do like not paying $130. Month for the **** that was on DTV.


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## GT11

I bought an RCA HDVHF antenna for our house in Spring and it picks up close to 40 channels.

I am thinking about adding a Hulu subscription too.


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## GT11

*Update*

I still have satellite at home but have been running AppleTV at the lake with Netflix for three months. I will probably add Hulu at some point to increase the viewing options but there is more than enough to watch right now, including ESPN 3.

I have noticed a few things about our viewing habits:

The first is, you realize how much you turn on the TV for background noise. Now that you have to pick a program, we don't do that as much and spend time on other things.

We also watch less TV. With cable, the programming is basically set for you and you pick the lesser of all the evils and watch that. With internet TV, you have to search for what you want to watch, which takes a little more effort. If you see something you are somewhat interested in watching, you can do something else and come back later to watch it since it is all on your schedule.

There are a couple of programs I miss seeing but I think I can move past that with the $1200/yr savings I will see.


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## Super Dave

Good thread. I don't understand all that is written here but here's my latest moves.

At beach I had DTV, family package,($32/mo) which was the locals and a few other channels that were worth watching if you had nothing else to do.Had an old tube TV 20 yrs old. Installed a digital outdoor antenna and pick up 83-103 channels on the autosearch. Some are low quality reception, lots of hispanic and lots of religion. Boiled down,I set about 20 as "favorites" which include all the locals,some old movies, and a few old series...Dream of Jeanie, some ganster ones, some westerns. some in B&W. All HD. Bought a new 32in Samsung HD Smart TV for about $300. INstalled DSL for 15 bucks a mo.for a year, the Pro package(middle one). DSL in conjuction with the smart tv gets me HBO GO free. So I have access to whatever is on it.

Here in HOuston I have comcast, plus hbo and sho. I also have a 10in Samsung Tab 2 tablet. It allows an app called Xfinity Play which gets me everything I have in Houston on the tablet whereever I go. I take the tablet to the beach and have all that there if I want sports etc etc. Haven't learned yet how to mirror the tablet to the tv which would give me everything in Houston on the beach TV.

Overall, I have much more capability at beach now and axed DTV. Needed a new TV anyway.

Also haven't learned how to use the browser on the beach TV. INstructions are negligible.

Still learning.


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## cubera

GT11 said:


> I use comcast. 15Mbps is $44 if you own your own modem.


My comcast (internet use only) is $43.66
Here's the result just a few minutes ago:


Don't have a cable to cut, got Directv here and at my place in the country.
I have no plans to ever give it up.


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## Slip

If interested and you have a smart Tv, several online stations can be found. My church even has a 24 hour broadcast that has old family shows to watch by streaming. http://myonlinetv.net Maybe not an everyday thing desired, but has some good wholesome shows available also for no cost. There are more out there also, just gotta find them.


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## Cedarwerks

this is a good thread but there is some important information missing. 

DATA CAP. this is what you internet provider will use to bone you. most are now capped at 250 gigabytes. this means that once you go over 250 gigs of data (one hd movie is 4+ gigs) they can throttle your connection (50 mb connection goes to 5 mb, usually done at peak hours...like when you want to watch tv.) or they will charge you extra. AT&T i think is $10 for every 50 gigs over 250 gigs. 

i have sudden link and every 3 months i get charge twice for data overages. so my bill for $43 is now $86. this happens every 3 months for me.

i use roku boxes and have netflix, amazon prime, and hulu. hulu has more updated content so you can watch live shows after they air. roku has a fox channel to that airs show right after they are done live. lot of stuff being added all the time. i like it. 

i also have an antenna for local news.


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## GT11

I am not coming anywhere close to 250 gigs a month. That would require watching 2 HD movies a day each day. I use 1 gig a month on my iphone and ipad. Considering I split my time between two houses, I would have to watch 25 movies on the weekends to hit 250 gigs with suddenlink!


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## Chase4556

I have been kicking around the idea of dropping Directv. Although I am not in houston, I still can not stand paying close to $100 a month for cable. Everything I watch, except for maybe the hunting shows, will come through with a good old antenna. 

I already have netflix and hulu. If I could just figure out how to get the wifes programming, I would be happier than a pig in.... well, you know.


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## GT11

I think you will have to give up some programming if you can't get it on Hulu. 

We have dropped DTV at the lake and a only have it in Houston now. On-demand TV with Netflix has really changed how we watch TV, which is a good thing. The big test will be this fall when football season hits.


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## Chase4556

If I can figure out how to get the real houswives shows, and the kardashians I will be set. It seems like that is all my wife watches anyway.


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## GT11

Chase4556 said:


> If I can figure out how to get the real houswives shows, and the kardashians I will be set. It seems like that is all my wife watches anyway.


That is two really good reasons to drop cable/satellite!


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## GT11

*Today is Independance Day!*

Last week DirecTV tried to pass along their 5% rate increase. I called them today to cancel and they offered a 25% discount. I told them no and had them disconnect it completely. The thought of paying over $1100 a yr for the junk they call entertainment just doesn't sit well.

If you kept up with the thread, we have experimented with Apple TV for most of the year. You can't get the sports channels except ESPN3 but we really didn't miss having satellite. We have Netflix and I signed up for Hulu+ today so we will see how that goes. Total bill for Hulu and Netflix will be under $200/yr.

I also bought a couple more Apple TV boxes because I like the ease of navigation they offer. For fun (and because my wife watches a lot of stuff on Amazon) I may also get the Amazon device.

I will keep you updated.


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## stryper

been tempted to get the amazon firestik? But netflix seems to carry the same shizzle far as i can see.

learn from the wise, you won't live long enough to learn it on your own


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## cclayton01

Dropped Dish last month and have absolutley no regrets. We pick up most of the local channels with a cheapy antennae and watch Netflix or other streaming stations. Tried the 7-day free trial with Hulu Plus, but I wasn't impressed. Fiance misses her Real Housewives, but she is enjoying the extra money saved.


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## GT11

When I was looking through the Hulu+ programming, the real housewives is on there....just don't tell my wife!

We will order the Amazon Firestick ($39) this week and I will write a comparison between it and the Apple TV ($99).

A few notes on the interfaces:

1) I don't like the interface on my smart TV and installed an Apple TV in its place.

2) The Apple TV is easy to set up (I did three yesterday). If you set one up for the first time, it will take you a little while to figure everything out. If you don't have other Apple products/accounts, it will take you much longer to set up and you may want to look at one of the other options or know that to maximize its functionality, you will need an iCloud account and an App store account. Both are free.

3) There is very good integration between all the Apple products. I no longer use my Bluetooth keyboard on my iPad but have the keypad in my main TV room and use it with the Apple TV. I can also navigate using my iPhone or iPad.

4) The Amazon Firestick comes preloaded with your account info so it sounds like you don't have to set it up. Since the Amazon Prime account is in my wife's name, She will have to order it so it will come set up under her profile.


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## cclayton01

GT11 said:


> When I was looking through the Hulu+ programming, the real housewives is on there....just don't tell my wife!


Lol, the fiance found it on the 7-day trial of Hulu+ and Amazon streaming services, but they are the previous seasons/episodes for free viewing and new episodes are $1.99 each. I think she will order the entire season for $25 instead of individual episodes.


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## GT11

I couldn't tell you if they are free or if you have to pay and I won't be clicking on them to find out!


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## Gilbert

cclayton01 said:


> Lol, the fiance found it on the 7-day trial of Hulu+ and Amazon streaming services, but they are the previous seasons/episodes for free viewing and new episodes are $1.99 each. I think she will order the entire season for $25 instead of individual episodes.


use firefox and add download helper. It's a video downloader. Go to www.tvmuse.com and search for the show you want to watch. After each episode comes on tv, there are people that upload the video, commercial free, for people to watch. In the comment section there will be people that post links. Click a link, it opens another window, makes sure you are not a bot, then start playing the video. the download helper will activate and you start downloading the video. Once you download, put it on a jump drive and connect it to your tv. Watch your show commercial free. Sounds complicated but it only takes 2-3 mins to download a show if you have a decent internet connection.


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## OnedayScratch

Good thread. Thanks for the tip GT.


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## deano77511

I'm thinking of cutting it with Comcast my self ,thanks for this thread !


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## GT11

I posted this link in the ttmb thread but will post it again here.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/732301-cutting-cable-bill.html

It has some good up to date stuff and some new technology. I guess I can also post an update to our project since it has probably been a year.

We don't miss cable/DTV at all and have adjusted nicely. Most of the shows we watched are available one way or the other through AppleTv or on the Internet. I was wondering how the sports piece would work but between the networks and ESPN3, I catch all the LSU games that I don't attend in person (I have season tickets).

My wife and I have both found series that we like through the many apps that are included with a smart TV system. I also watch a lot of YouTube because they have just about everything you can imagine and a lot of it is educational. I bought a pcp pellet gun with a mil dot scope and watched the guys that film through their scopes to understand how to use it and the ballistics. There are also a lot of guitar lesson, car stuff, etc on YouTube to occupy your time. I also feel that it pushes you to watch less TV which is a good thing.


----------



## GoneSouth

I cut the cable late last year. I had Uverse and the cost kept going up. Canceled a $220 monthly uverse bill and got xfinity 70 Mbit internet only and an HD window antenna. I have amazon prime, hulu, netflix and am happy. Plus I save about $175 per month.


----------



## Fritzcoinc

*Roku owner*

I'm totally OK with my Roku 3. Get Netflix ($8/mo ) and you are set. I also subscribe to the Moto GP web site. $125/yr and I can watch any race since 1986 plus all the other videos, you know like the ones of the Pit Girls. I stream most of the music I listen to from my lap top. Just about every collage has a really good on line radio station.
My internet + Netflix is $62 / Mo. That's less than half AT&T basic where I live.


----------



## GT11

Another update.........

So we cancelled Netflix since they raise the price (we were suppose to be grandfathered). $2 wasn't much but when you look at it from a percentage standpoint, it was huge. I also think the movie selection wasn't great so we hardly ever watched it. Since we didn't watch it much, I figured I would make a statement.

We also added the Amazon Fire Stick a couple of weeks ago. My wife watches a lot of Prime stuff and would have to mirror from her phone to the AppleTV. Since they are cheap (under $40), I bought one. You probably don't need both the Fire Stick and AppleTV but I wanted to compare them side by side.

The AppleTV has a set group of icons that you can display or hide. You can't add any that they don't offer and they don't offer Prime. It works well with the Apple Devices. The icons are easy to navigate so the device is very easy to use since all Apps/Icons are on the screen and all you do is scroll down. There isn't a learning curve; you get it immediately.

The Fire Stick gives you much more flexibility and is a little more complicated than the AppleTV. You have a menu on the right and you pull up Apps from there. It isn't as intuitive as the AppleTV so you actually have to fumble around for things and it takes a little while to figure it out. Once you do it isn't bad and you can download other program apps.

Personally, I like the simplicity of the AppleTV but really want to be able to download other stuff.


----------



## GT11

*Update....Just installed Kodi*

In July I purchased the Amazon Fire Stick and my wife uses it more than the AppleTv since she gets a lot of her Prime Shows on it. I haven't used it much until last week. I decided to play with it and to experiment with the added functionality that you don't have with Apple by downloading Kodi.

Kodi is an App/interface that allows you to view programs, listen to music and install add-ons to view even more programs. It is a little more difficult to set up but once you have it, you will love.

To set it up, you have to download a file downloading app, then you can download Kodi. Once you have the Kodi app installed, there are a couple of add-ons like Exodus and Phoenix that pull programs from all over the world that you will install. These two are difficult and the instructions are tough to follow but worth it if you can make it through. After installing these (and other TV channels that are easier) you can start watching programs.

The bulk of the programming is free, including sports. We are getting most of the new TV shows on all channels and are seeing movies that are still on pay per view (all free of charge). We also picked up some of the NFL and College Bowl games.

If you are on the fence about cutting the cord, Kodi will push you over and you will still have 90%+ of your old content without the cost of cable.

Here are some more resources/information:

Kodi Article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-kodi-streaming-piracy-20161219-story.html?ref=yfp

How to Use Kodi: http://www.alphr.com/technology/100...et-to-grips-with-xbmc-on-your-pc-mac-and-more

Config Wizard for Kodi: https://www.tvaddons.ag/config-wizard-kodi/

Best Add-ons: http://www.alphr.com/software/10016...4-best-xbmc-extensions-for-sport-films-and-tv


----------



## fishingcacher

I noticed that the Kodi app takes advantage of pirated programming.


----------



## GT11

In some cases it does and your use of some of the programming is a gray area according to the articles I attached.


----------



## RedfishStalker

I cut my cable 3 years ago installed a hd antenna and back fed it through the house its awesome.


----------



## tngbmt

need info for live sports on kodi
or thru web


----------



## GT11

I found some live sports through the Phoenix add-on. They had the NFL game (Pittsburg, I think) and the the La Tech Bowl Game. ESPN3 also has some free games. As I play with Kodi this coming weekend, I will post as I find live sports.


----------



## Marlin-Mania

I purchased an android tv box on amazon that is preloaded with kodi a while back. It also has all the most popular ad on's. The good part is that it auto updates. I have found that a lot of the programming does not come in as hd though. Still trying to figure that out. Just a side note - I subscribed to Playstation Vue and really like it with a beautiful picture. Also, DirectTv has a new service called DirecTv Now with 100 channels for $35 which includes CBS & FOX as local channels but no NBC or ABC (at least in Austin)


----------



## Bayoutalker

I assume this Kodi runs through wifi? If so, how good of a connection does it require? 

Cliff


----------



## GT11

I run my AppleTV's and the Amazon Fire Stick through WiFi. I have a good router (they are cheap) and I think the minimum download speeds needed for your internet are 5 mbs but I am running 15 mbs now and that is roughly $60/month. I didn't have a problem at 5 mbs and don't have a problem with 15 mbs with everything running.

AppleTV actually has an ethernet port on the back so you can run a cable directly to the router but only AppleTV 2 and 4 has Kodi access.


----------



## Bayoutalker

The reason I asked was that I live I a rv park and they have Wi-Fi. Unless I purchase satellite Wi-Fi I am stuck with theirs. The problem is that sometimes it gets pretty slow. I guess I need to do a speed test to see what I'm actually getting. No point in paying for something I can't use. 

Cliff


----------



## scwine

GT11 said:


> In July I purchased the Amazon Fire Stick and my wife uses it more than the AppleTv since she gets a lot of her Prime Shows on it. I haven't used it much until last week. I decided to play with it and to experiment with the added functionality that you don't have with Apple by downloading Kodi.
> 
> Kodi is an App/interface that allows you to view programs, listen to music and install add-ons to view even more programs. It is a little more difficult to set up but once you have it, you will love.
> 
> To set it up, you have to download a file downloading app, then you can download Kodi. Once you have the Kodi app installed, there are a couple of add-ons like Exodus and Phoenix that pull programs from all over the world that you will install. These two are difficult and the instructions are tough to follow but worth it if you can make it through. After installing these (and other TV channels that are easier) you can start watching programs.
> 
> The bulk of the programming is free, including sports. We are getting most of the new TV shows on all channels and are seeing movies that are still on pay per view (all free of charge). We also picked up some of the NFL and College Bowl games.
> 
> If you are on the fence about cutting the cord, Kodi will push you over and you will still have 90%+ of your old content without the cost of cable.
> 
> Here are some more resources/information:
> 
> Kodi Article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-kodi-streaming-piracy-20161219-story.html?ref=yfp
> 
> How to Use Kodi: http://www.alphr.com/technology/100...et-to-grips-with-xbmc-on-your-pc-mac-and-more
> 
> Config Wizard for Kodi: http://www.tvaddons.ag/config-wizard-kodi/
> 
> Best Add-ons: http://www.alphr.com/software/10016...4-best-xbmc-extensions-for-sport-films-and-tv


Thank you very much. I've had my Amazon Fire TV module for over a year now. I just decided to load Kodi, then the add-ons like Exodus and Phoenix. Wow. I was missing so much. Any good free sport add-ons or should I get and ESPN account???


----------



## wisslbritches

fishingcacher said:


> I noticed that the Kodi app takes advantage of pirated programming.


Our daughter brought her "Fire Stick" over during Christmas. One of the movie choices was Hacksaw Ridge.

Think Napster circa 2010.


----------



## Mako20

tngbmt said:


> need info for live sports on kodi
> or thru web


look into the Sportsdevil addon. that is the one I use.

I gave up cable almost 6 months ago. I will never go back.


----------



## GT11

Mako20, great suggestion on Sportsdevil. I installed it and was able to get all NFL and college bowl games.

After playing with Kodi for a week, I am impressed. There is more content than you will ever watch or need. I believe it has all shows from all networks and just about every movie that was ever released.

Pro's: 
Depth of content is mind blowing

Free

Decent looking interface

Allows customization

Most sports can be found with the right add-on

Cons:
Interface works like an old directory tree file structure in some of the add-ons. Others like, Exodus, use icons

Set up can be tough. Manuals/instructions are on the internet and none are 100% accurate (considering all the different platforms out there, this should be expected). To add some add-ons, you have to download a program, run a sub program or two, then install the add-on. In ways it is like using DOS from the old days.

Some add-ons are a little unstable, but probably not any worse than paid services.

Much of the content is legal but some falls into gray areas.


----------



## jamesf888

GT11, What modem are you using?


james


----------



## GT11

I am running the Motorola Surfboard SB6121. They are around $50 and pay for themselves quickly over renting from the cable company.


----------



## Bocephus

I have an Apple TV, Amazon Firestick (Sling & Kodi downloaded to it) and an HD TV antenna on its way from Amazon...

Plan on cutting the cord next week....Direct TV

Loving my Firestick so far, and Kodi takes it to a whole new level.


----------



## GT11

With Kodi, there isn't a need to pay for programming.


----------



## fishcat01

Is anyone using a VPN to avoid detection of the streaming content by your provider? I have read on several websites that they can tell what you are downloading and block the content.


----------



## Bustin Chops

I just started using a vpn so no report yet. It makes it look like Im in Dallas.


----------



## StinkBait

Bustin Chops said:


> I just started using a vpn so no report yet. It makes it look like Im in Dallas.


paying or a free VPN? I can't figure out if I truly need one....I am suspecting most who buy the jailbroke stick do not have a clue about the VPN....and anytime I google it most websites are pushing a pay service for VPN


----------



## stryper

I recieved and jailbroke? My firestik yesterday with Youtube directions!!! Worked great, but any waay to save em? I hit pause and 10 minutes later have to re-download.?

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


----------



## GT11

stryper said:


> I recieved and jailbroke? My firestik yesterday with Youtube directions!!! Worked great, but any waay to save em? I hit pause and 10 minutes later have to re-download.?


Did you install Kodi or what exactly did you do? Jailbreaking isn't necessary when installing Kodi and it is saved liked any other app.


----------



## stryper

app is fine, the videos though, I can not figure where they are saved if they are

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


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## Bustin Chops

*My VPN*

I use ip vanish. its a pay for vpn. 7 days free then a monthly rate or yearly rate. Try it for a month and see if you need it. I think its about 7 dollars a month with no contract.


----------



## GT11

stryper said:


> app is fine, the videos though, I can not figure where they are saved if they are


I got ya. I don't think they are saved. I doubt the Firestick has enough memory to hold it. If I stop watching something and pick it up later (from the same source), it usually will ask if I want to start over or resume. The key word there is usually. I typically look at the time stamp in case it doesn't remember where I was.


----------



## misbhavn

Great thread GT11. I'm going through a divorce and about to move into an apartment and looking to cut the cord myself. I have a couple of questions...

Are you able to run this through a DVR of some sort? Do you pick up your local channels or will an antenna be needed to pick them up OTA?


----------



## misbhavn

One more...do you have to subscribe to Amazon Prime to use the firestick?


----------



## GT11

jtupper,

I have not tried to run it through a DVR. In general, some programming has a signal that doesn't allow recording and I don't if that signal is stripped out. If you try it, let us know how it works. A lot of the programming (and I mean the US programming) is pulled out of Europe and Asia for Kodi so you may be able to record content.

You will need an antenna to get local channels. You do get the regular network channel shows and sometimes local channels pop up on Kodi. You can get a good digital antenna for around $40 and I pick up 40+ Houston channels on mine in Spring.

You do not need Prime to run the Firestick. If you do have Prime, it comes set up for you with your account already loaded. If you don't have prime, you have to set it up yourself.

As you can tell, this thread is just people that have cut the cord and we are learning as we go. Add your experiences to help the group!


----------



## StinkBait

GT11 said:


> jtupper,
> 
> I have not tried to run it through a DVR. In general, some programming has a signal that doesn't allow recording and I don't if that signal is stripped out. If you try it, let us know how it works. A lot of the programming (and I mean the US programming) is pulled out of Europe and Asia for Kodi so you may be able to record content.
> 
> You will need an antenna to get local channels. You do get the regular network channel shows and sometimes local channels pop up on Kodi. You can get a good digital antenna for around $40 and I pick up 40+ Houston channels on mine in Spring.
> 
> You do not need Prime to run the Firestick. If you do have Prime, it comes set up for you with your account already loaded. If you don't have prime, you have to set it up yourself.
> 
> As you can tell, this thread is just people that have cut the cord and we are learning as we go. Add your experiences to help the group!


I am having heII getting Kodi 17 & tvaddons.ag loaded on mine...will try again tonight.


----------



## stryper

might try kodi 16.1 build 17 is beta far as I kno

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


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## StinkBait

stryper said:


> might try kodi 16.1 build 17 is beta far as I kno
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


I will do that, I should have been more specific though. Kodi 17 loads with no problems, it is the tvaddons.ag that is giving me issues.


----------



## GT11

I am running 16.1 also. Some of the addons were tough to install.


----------



## Hooked

I didn't cut the cable TV cord but did sign up for Comcast cable internet service today. Finally got fed up with Frontier DSL being so horrible since they took over Verizon service here. Heading down to Frys tomorrow to pick up a compatible modem.
Looking forward to trying some of the things you guys have been suggesting for additional viewing capability. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions since I've not used any of these services due to having DSL only all these years.


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## StinkBait

GT11 said:


> I am running 16.1 also. Some of the addons were tough to install.


Spent some time fooling with it gain tonight and I think I have it going, Phoenix, SALTS and Exodus at least


----------



## stryper

my exodus was wonky and not working tonight, do we need to update periodicly?

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


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## GT11

StinkBait said:


> Spent some time fooling with it gain tonight and I think I have it going, Phoenix, SALTS and Exodus at least


Tell us about Salts...I haven't heard of that one.


----------



## GT11

stryper said:


> my exodus was wonky and not working tonight, do we need to update periodicly?
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


I have wondered the same thing. Min acted up last week but it turned out to be Comcast having issues. I keep a speed check and the Comcast issue website open on my iPhone and any time there is a problem, I check that first.

We are all kind of learning Kodi together so we will figure out the answers to these questions as we go!


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## capt.dru

I installed Kodi 17 on a new firestick. Boy, did I have a hard time installing it. 17 is completely different. But I was able to figure it out and all is working good so far. 

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## stryper

so what is diff?

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


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## StinkBait

GT11 said:


> Tell us about Salts...I haven't heard of that one.


It is just another add-on that is supposed to be good source of shows. I haven't really got too far into all of this yet. I finally got my fire stick up and running last night with Fusion-Phoenix, Exodus & SALTS.

https://seo-michael.co.uk/how-to-install-salts-stream-all-the-sources-for-xbmc-kodi/


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## capt.dru

17 files stuff differently. It is not as straight forward as 16 when installing fusion. You really have to look it to download it. But I am new to it and my experience with it is limited. Maybe thats why i had a hard time. Youtube was my friend last night.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## StinkBait

capt.dru said:


> 17 files stuff differently. It is not as straight forward as 16 when installing fusion. You really have to look it to download it. But I am new to it and my experience with it is limited. Maybe thats why i had a hard time. Youtube was my friend last night.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


Yes, Youtube has been my instructor also. The website below also has easy to read steps on how to get individual repos installed once you get fusion loaded

https://seo-michael.co.uk/


----------



## misbhavn

I pulled the trigger on a firestick yesterday and installed Kodi. The menus in 17 are different than the tutorials on the interwebz. I managed to get Exodus and Phoenix installed, just trying to work them now. I also installed a sports app but it errors out every time I try to run it.


----------



## scwine

What are the best sports add-ons? I would like to find one that can stream Astros games as well. I have Exodus. I had Phoenix, but it seems to have disappeared, if that's possible???


----------



## capt.dru

scwine said:


> What are the best sports add-ons? I would like to find one that can stream Astros games as well. I have Exodus. I had Phoenix, but it seems to have disappeared, if that's possible???


Yes it is possible. I had exodus disappear on mine. I just reinstalled it and it was back to normal.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## GT11

Sports Devil seems to have all the sports. I watched the college bowls games on it and the Superbowl. They also have a MLB section but since the season hasn't started, there wasn't anything there yet.


----------



## CentexPW

Anyone try the Rasberry Pi yet? Im looking into getting one. Cool little gadget. Load Kodi on a data card and away you go. here is one i found on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Rasp...qid=1487056360&sr=1-3&keywords=raspberry+pi+3


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## GT11

I like the concept of the PI but haven't tried one yet. The Firestick is easy to use with Kodi so I won't try it for that but would like to try one for other applications.


----------



## Part Timer

We just cut the cord. I have firestick with kodi, and sling. I'm wondering now if I even need sling though. It seems firestick has everything I need. What am I getting with sling that firestick doesn't have, except the option to watch live?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## GT11

I have Kodi and Hulu. I really don't need Hulu because Kodi does have everything. I don't car about watching live and actually really like TV better now when I can watch stuff on my schedule instead of the network's schedule. I haven't used Sling so I can't comment there.


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## capt.dru

I have been using Kodi and Playstation Vue and have been really satisfied with it. Covers all of my tv needs.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## whitepv

Using Hulu and Playstation Vue on Roku boxes and a month into it, we are enjoying. Just need to figure out how to get around the 5 tv limit on Playstation Vue and all will be perfect.


----------



## Hooked

Anyone have experience with Hughesnet for internet service? Comcast came by last week and gave me the bad news that we're too far from the street (main line) to get a signal to the house. They scheduled someone to come do a 'site survey' for installing primary cable along our power line poles. But based on comments from the installers that could be VERY pricey so I'm looking at satellite options just in case. Haven't checked Hughes yet but the others are very expensive compared to what Comcast would be.


----------



## CentexPW

Hooked said:


> Anyone have experience with Hughesnet for internet service? Comcast came by last week and gave me the bad news that we're too far from the street (main line) to get a signal to the house. They scheduled someone to come do a 'site survey' for installing primary cable along our power line poles. But based on comments from the installers that could be VERY pricey so I'm looking at satellite options just in case. Haven't checked Hughes yet but the others are very expensive compared to what Comcast would be.


As a last alternative Hughesnet will work. It is slower than DSL and they charge by the amount of bandwidth used. My folks live in East Tx outside the city limits and thats all which is available for them too. I can use my phone as a hotspot and get better service than using hugesnet at their house.


----------



## Hooked

CentexPW said:


> As a last alternative Hughesnet will work. It is slower than DSL and they charge by the amount of bandwidth used. My folks live in East Tx outside the city limits and thats all which is available for them too. I can use my phone as a hotspot and get better service than using hugesnet at their house.


Thanks Centex. If I can't get Comcast I guess we'll stick with Frontier DSL and live with the service as it is. Don't need anything slower than what we have already.


----------



## Cowboyupo6

I am thinking about cutting the cord as well. I have had a fire stick and kodi for some time now. Just upgraded to kodi 17 man was it different. Took some time to fumble through it before I finally figured it out. When I had kodi 16 I was playing with different builds and it started running slow. Saw 17 was out and took the plunge.


----------



## GT11

Cowboyup06, did you have to reinstall the add-ons when you upgraded or did they still work?


----------



## Cowboyupo6

GT11 said:


> Cowboyup06, did you have to reinstall the add-ons when you upgraded or did they still work?


I had to reinstall, and it wasn't as easy as with tvaddons with 16 where it loads them all on automatically with the config wizard.


----------



## dk2429

Cut off cable and get a Roku stick from walmart for $50.


----------



## Bozo

Cowboyupo6 said:


> I am thinking about cutting the cord as well. I have had a fire stick and kodi for some time now. Just upgraded to kodi 17 man was it different. Took some time to fumble through it before I finally figured it out. When I had kodi 16 I was playing with different builds and it started running slow. Saw 17 was out and took the plunge.


I have Kodi on a firestick, I must be doing it wrong. About the only thing I can dependable find is low quality pron. Stuff im interestested in like college football, and discovery channel type shows are hard to figure out how to find s reliable source

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


----------



## GT11

The Exodus and Sportsdevil addons are you friends. I watched The Wall earlier this week on Exodus and it is being released today in theaters.

I watched the Superbowl and all college bowl games on Sportsdevil.


----------



## Hooked

*Omg tv*

Has anyone investigated or purchased one of these?
http://www.omgfreetv.net/

Saw them at the Houston Home & Garden show on Saturday. Sounds/looks to good to be true with all the free access to many of the movie and tv channels. I considered purchasing one as they were selling pretty cheap with no annual service/maintenance fee. However, since we still don't have an answer on getting faster internet speed I'm holding off.

edit: One disadvantage is you must have a separate box for each tv if you want to watch more than one tv at the same time.


----------



## GT11

Kind of pricey...if you get one, give us a review. For $40, you can buy a fire stick, install Kodi and get everything free also. It just takes a little computer work/knowledge to get there.


----------



## Hooked

Thanks GT. I've followed some of the discussion here but wasn't clear on the overall capability with firestick, etc. The price at the home show was less than half the price listed on the website so it was appealing. But, as I mentioned, I don't know if I can get higher speed internet. 
Xfinity rep at the home show checked their system and discovered the 'engineering' tech had come by to look things over and said they couldn't get me service any time soon so I'm back to checking with Frontier to determine if they have anything better than 3Mbps available.


----------



## CentexPW

Hooked said:


> Has anyone investigated or purchased one of these?
> http://www.omgfreetv.net/
> 
> Saw them at the Houston Home & Garden show on Saturday. Sounds/looks to good to be true with all the free access to many of the movie and tv channels. I considered purchasing one as they were selling pretty cheap with no annual service/maintenance fee. However, since we still don't have an answer on getting faster internet speed I'm holding off.
> 
> edit: One disadvantage is you must have a separate box for each tv if you want to watch more than one tv at the same time.


I just looked at their site. OMG is a streaming box. And I suspect it has KODI installed. The kicker is it is a basic generic version which is legal. selling fully loaded boxes is illegal. You sad 1/2 price of retail, so 150.00 - 175.00 A real good fast box can be had for 80-90. Lots of free tutorials on youtube for loading KODI. 5MBPS is probably the minimum needed for service. Unfortunately one box per TV. We have a ROKU in one room and a Matricom box in another, but we have Spectrum internet. Works good. Also you can run KODI on a laptop and connect to your TV via HD out. another option for you too.


----------



## Hooked

I confirmed today with Frontier that 3Mbps is their best service for us so I'm now looking at Hughesnet as a possibility.

Centex -- do you know which service your parents have with Hughesnet? Their website shows 5M, 10M & 15M available so wondering if that service is just not available to your parents.

My other question/concern with Hughesnet is the usage limitations of 5GB, 10GB or 15GB (depending on plan) during prime hours. Off hours usage is up to 50GB but we don't stay up all night anymore.  How much data usage do you guys typically see on a monthly basis? Would a 10GB limit be generally acceptable? I figure if we get the higher speed service we'll start viewing some of the OTA TV programs rather than relying on the TV program schedule.

Any info is greatly appreciated.


----------



## CentexPW

Hooked, I found out something for you. They are using Wild Blue not Hughes. But their service is down right now. I found this to compare services. https://www.globalcomsatphone.com/hughesnet/hughesnet_wildblue1.html


----------



## Hooked

Thanks Centex. Reading that info along with the reviews on a couple different sites it seems the satellite services don't come close to their advertised speeds
I may be stuck with Frontier 3Mbps until Concast/Xfinity upgrades their service.


----------



## misbhavn

Is there a way to "bookmark" shows you watch regularly through Exodus? I hate having to go in and type the name of a show every time I want to watch it.


----------



## GT11

I haven't tried to bookmark anything but there are easy search categories that you can use without typing anything. Examples:

I watch The Mystery of Oak Island show, I know it is on the History channel so on the menu I go to TV shows, then networks, then down to History channel and it shows up on the first or second menu screen.

For some of the more popular shows, I go to TV shows, then popular shows and scroll down to find the shows I watch. Both of these methods take less than 10 seconds to find the content.


----------



## SwayOveride

I have a full fledged streaming box on my TV upstairs and it runs Kodi fine over wifi and I really do like it. I've had it for around a year and it's still going strong. Fast forward to the last month, I got the wild hair to order an Amazon Firestick. I installed Kodi on it and I like it better than my streaming box. Don't ask me why, I just do as they both run Kodi the exact same way. So, for $40 I have another streaming device that runs Kodi just fine over wifi. 

Just throwing anther option out there for people.


----------



## Hawglife

jtupper said:


> Is there a way to "bookmark" shows you watch regularly through Exodus? I hate having to go in and type the name of a show every time I want to watch it.


Sign up for a free trakt.tv account, and it'll let u add stuff to a collection, or watch list, etc... Just google adding a trakt account to exodus. It's handy cuz I can watch from my collection on either of my tvs.


----------



## capt.dru

What are you guys using to watch the Astros?

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## GT11

I haven't tried to watch the Astros but over Christmas I found Sportsdevil. I was able to watch all college bowl games and the Superbowl on it. It has an MLB section but since it was before the season it was empty. I would start there.


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## capt.dru

I found the channel on sports devil, problem is it streams the game for a few minutes then it drops and i have to enter the channel again. Just wondering if there was a more stable channel to use.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## Duffey70

Anyone know anything on the fire stick by amazon?? same setup ?


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## GT11

Same setup. I am running Kodi on Firestick only.


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## habanerojooz

Thank you very much for starting this thread and maintaining it with ongoing info. I will be cutting my Uverse cord soon.

I just ordered a Firestick and an HD indoor antenna. I have a few questions...

a) Does Firestick require the HD antenna? Does the Firestick benefit from the HD antenna?

b) Does the HD antenna give me stations that are not available via the Firestick?


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## capt.dru

You do not need an HD antenna to run the fire stick. The hd antenna is for local channels which the firestick doesnt have.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## habanerojooz

Thanks capt.dru.


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## GT11

I decided to add Kodi to the lake house and ran into a couple of problems. First, Amazon Firestick is out of stock for a month so I went by a big box electronics store to buy a Roku....researched it online and found out you can't run Kodi directly on it. Found the same for the Google device. You have to mirror from an Android device. Is anyone running Kodi directly on anything other than a Firestick, Kodi box (Raspberry Pi) or maybe an AppleTV 2 or 4? I may just have to order another Firestick and wait a month.

Also, here is a little random info on Kodi content, along with the law in Europe (sorry, I don't know the law here in the US, maybe someone can give us the scoop). A lot of the content through add-ons comes from international locations. In Europe, it is illegal to post/store copyrighted content but as a user, you can view any available content that is posted, i.e. it is not illegal for you to view content even if it was posted illegally. It is illegal for you to download/store that content, however. I found that to be interesting.


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## reddog5

I ordered the firestick with alexa, said 1 month til delivery. Then got notice it would ship!, was 2 weeks earlier. Installing kodi today. I love sticking it to the cable thugs, and thanks for this tuitorial, been watching for months.


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## reddog5

GT, took alot of effort to install kodi on my firestick. Looked at many tuitorials. The latest requires some protection as well. I have the 17.1 version. So now its on, how do I surf content and free stuff. I love the Alexas too, easy to simply ask.


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## stryper

search solo man or machanga on youtube both very informative. And its not like scrolling thru your cable, have fun

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


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## GT11

Reddog5, all the content should be free. Open Kodi, go to video, then addons and it should bring up all the channels that you get. When you click on a channel, it will show the programs....I am still runn v16 so v17 could be a little different. You will also need to install some addons, Exodus is the best and will have just about all channels, programs and movies. Sportsdevil lets you watch live sports. YouTube and Google is your friend, they can walk you through everything. 

Kodi isn't as easy as cable until you get everything set up. It is easy once you do set up the addons but it is different.


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## tngbmt

can you give hints on how to watch nba playoffs on sportsdevil or any others?
what i can bring up stops, blurs too much. 
thanks


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## GT11

It seems sportsdevil isn't that stable lately. I just keep selecting different feeds until I find a stable one.


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## misbhavn

I can never get a good feed for the Rockets or Astros games on any of the add ons for Kodi. Every one pauses and freezes so much that its unwatchable. I've resorted to srtreaming on my laptop and plugging that into one of my HDMI ports on the tv.


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## GT11

I haven't had a problem with freezes in Spring and when I do, it is typically internet related as opposed to Kodi.


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## fishingcacher

*Question for cable cutters:* Do you have a DVR to record and save programming for later viewing?


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## misbhavn

GT11 said:


> I haven't had a problem with freezes in Spring and when I do, it is typically internet related as opposed to Kodi.


Ive considered that it could be the internet connection. I have 25Mbps service and most of the time it's only me here. I can stream anything on Netflix or Kodi with no issues. It's only live programming that I have trouble with.


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## Part Timer

fishingcacher said:


> *Question for cable cutters:* Do you have a DVR to record and save programming for later viewing?


You can watch whatever you want whenever you want with no commercials with KODI. There is no more need for a dvr


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## fishingcacher

Part Timer said:


> You can watch whatever you want whenever you want with no commercials with KODI. There is no more need for a dvr


Good to know this.


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## GT11

jtupper, I keep the Comcast speed test page and outage/issue page open on my iPhone. When there is an issue, I check that first.


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## esc

I just jumped on the bandwagon and like the fire stick/kodi a lot. 

Exodus seems fairly straightforward and easy to navigate but I'm having trouble with sportsdevil. Any suggestions on navigating thru it? Example: what channel are y'all watching the NBA finals on (not that I care to watch it). Just prepping for fully cutting the cord and the upcoming football season.


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## gigem87

My experience with Kodi on Fire tv is that movies are fantastic, tv shows are pretty good and live sports are terrible.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Bocephus

This past week I upgraded my Amazon Fire Sticks (3) to Kodi 17.3

I like it


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## texwake

Anyone find the best stable app to watch the astros with?


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## GT11

I just bought a second firestick for the lakehouse and will do the new kodi install next weekend.


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## capt.dru

Found this link and sports devil has been working a lot better. I can now watch the Astros with no problems so far.






Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## bubbas kenner

I'm tired of a rain drop an looosing direct tv come on maaann this is 2017 fallowing


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## GT11

I installed the firestick on the TV at the lake house. Since there was only one HDMI slot, I removed the AppleTV, boxed it and put it in the closet. AppleTV's are nice because they are very simple for none technical people, but that simplicity comes at a price....there isn't a lot of changes or customization you can do to them. The interface is easier and nicer than the firestick but the firestick lets you do so much more.

Installed the firestick, then installed Kodi and Exodus. I tried installing sportsdevil but it couldn't connect to the repository. I read that many repositories are down so that may be the issue. I will try again next weekend. As far as V16 vs V17, I like the V16 interface better but I may have customized my V16 display when I installed it. I need to play with V17 to see if I can do the same and will keep you updated.


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## esc

Yeh the latest lawsuit has a lot of the add ons down. I'm sure they'll be back up sooner than later.


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## GT11

esc, I heard the same thing. 

I was able to customize V17 to improve the look and feel. I t is a lot closer to the V16 setup now.


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## duhunter

Are you guys just running add-ons or are you running bundles. I personally like the bundles on fire stick. All tough they do lag a bit when starting them up. Also, if anyone else is looking for them I found my Firestick @ Best Buy.


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## GT11

duhunter, I am just running addons for Kodi on the Firestick and really only running Exodus. What do the bundles do for you?


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## duhunter

Instead of running add-on, it loads most of the add-on's in bundle. It has a more friendlier interface for moving around. It also has the option to download more add-on's if you want. Lets say if Exodus doesn't have a certain movie or show, it runs a search on all bundled add-on's to fine the best one. They're actually called a "Build".


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## GT11

Interesting, great, thanks!


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## GT11

So those of you that are running add-ons from TVaddons have probably noticed that many have disappeared. There is a lawsuit by Dish Network against TVaddons and most are shutdown. These include Exodus and Phoenix. Since I will have several days of downtime this weekend and next week, I will do some research and explore some of the options.

duhunter, are you seeing content with your bundle setup?


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## capt.dru

I just used Exodus the other day, but I am using the titanium build.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## Jt89

Exodus has been working fine for me on movies but t.v. shows buffer. I pay 15 a month for gears tv. All hd live channels all sports packages and fights. Works awesome. Well worth the money per month 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## GT11

I did a re-install of Exodus last night...Had to use a different site to make it happen. There was lots of buffering.


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## CentexPW

Just purchased a new M8S Android 7.1 Octa core box from amazon. It is smokin fast. I had a twin core before but wouldnt support nougat 7. So I upgraded. 
I did the new 17.3 kodi and used kodi no limits build. Smooth and clean. 
VPN is next


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## reddog5

Where can I buy a Firestick with Alexa already loaded/jailbroken with the newest addons, the interweb guys are making it much harder. First one was simple, second was a real pain, starting a third and don't want to spend another 6 hours messin with it


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## GT11

You don't have to jailbreak the firesticks. Kodi downloads to them with the downloader app. It takes me about 30 minutes to set mine up. If you want one set up, there is a few websites that have them or you can probably get them off of Ebay. Google firestick with Kodi installed and a bunch will probably pop up.


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## Part Timer

Exodus is not working for me, and when it does it either buffers or cuts out. How do I get gears tv?? 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## GT11

It has been buffering for me also. I think the cable companies are throttling the connection and I plan to get a VPN to see if that improves things. Until the lawsuits are settled, it may be spotty. The Exodus developers also stopped bug fixes a few months back and walked away from the app. TV Addons picked it up but have probably also stopped bug fixes.

When I have a chance, I will do some research to see if there is a good alternative to Exodus that is being supported.

I haven't used gears TV (there are several of the live TV packages), but if you google "Gears TV" several how to guides come up. When you find a good option, give us an update.


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## CentexPW

Just loaded a Fire TV box with Kodi and it works really well. Got it for my son as they are "cutting the cable" . I subscribe to a lot of youtube channels, I like Kodi No Limits, she has several builds which are family friendly and xxx if you want that. Really good tutorials also.


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## RAMROD1

And advice on an outdoor antenna, we live in the Dayton area and I need something that will pick up local news for the wife. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## GT11

Dayton is a long way. I will check to see what I bought for Spring...it is a few years old now so there could be better out there.


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## waterspout

wifi and antenna smart tv here. no issues. I dont watch cooking channels anyway. ruku hulu etc give me all I can watch
\
and with wifi I can borrow new movie releases that aren't out, watch pay for view fights etc. Just gotta FB it and bingo


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## Captain Oval

Exodus owners got sued on June 5th. The new exodus is covenant. App installed the same way and everything carried over from trakt. Also update to Kodi 17.3


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## GT11

Captain Oval said:


> Exodus owners got sued on June 5th. The new exodus is covenant. App installed the same way and everything carried over from trakt. Also update to Kodi 17.3


Thanks for the update!


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## habanerojooz

I recently upgraded my ATT internet to 100MB speed in a quest to improve my end user experience with my Firestick. At first, I was notified that it was a user self install procedure. Then I was notified that an ATT Technician would be scheduled to and come and perform the installation. I speculated that maybe there was an equipment change required for this upgrade.

The ATT Technician arrived on time and I showed him where the modem was. I then asked what he needed to do to make the switch. He says that all he has to do is hold the reset button for 10 seconds. Say What??? I had to wait at home for that? 

Internet speed is super fast now. Per SpeedTest on my phone, previously I was getting performance (ping/download/upload) of 4secs/29.10MB/5.35MB. Now I'm getting 3/124.17/123.47. 

While we're waiting for the system to come back up, I talk to him about my reason for the upgrade.....Firestick. He nodded and said that he has one too and he does not have cable. ROTFL. I said yea, I'm getting ready to cut the cable and asked what I'd need to do as an ATT U-verse customer. He said that I would keep the current ATT modem and all that I would have to do is disconnect and return the ATT DVR box and remote.


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## GT11

I figured it was time for a little update. 

As most of you know that read the thread, I bought AppleTV units for all of my TV's. I have started replacing them the Amazon Fire Sticks and will replace my main TV with the Fire TV when it comes out in the next couple of weeks. The apple product is very easy to use but also very locked down, which is why I am moving to Fire. I know you can download Kodi on the AppleTV 4 (I am running all 3's and you can't jailbreak them) but the setup on Fire is pretty easy. The Fire operation isn't as easy as Apple but that is the trade off.

I had trouble getting sports devil to work on my latest Fire, but I found a different download area and it works fine now. Exodus is also working fine as we speak.


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## RAMROD1

Well we did it and it has been great so far, I have to say I like Terrarium TV better than Kodi. U verse sucks in my area and not sure what other option there are, they have told me I am getting the max right now. My down/up is around 16.5/1.4 and considering there is two Xbox two PlayStations two smart tvs six phone and three pads on at any given time along with the fire stick and fire tv I guess it's not too bad, I think my main problem is router, have to unplug it quite a bit. Have been waiting on a new one from AT&T for over three weeks but that is another story. 
I like Troy Point at .com he has been real easy to follow for me. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## tngbmt

anyone built their own antenna ?
homemade balun, copper wires, coaxial cable
a few coat hangers, youtube and i'm in fta heaven

gonna experiment on different designs ..


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## GT11

Next update....the Fire TV3 arrived last week and is installed. I used the ethernet adapter instead of wi-fi and the speeds are great. Even though I instaled Kodi 17.5.1, I still had crashes watching a movie last night so there are probably more Kodi updates coming as the Fire TV3 has some run time.

A note on the add-ons. Since the Exodus developers walked away, Covenant took over Exodus...so download Covenant if you want movies and TV shows. Sports World is also a good alternative to Sports Devil. I downloaded Mobdina which has some live TV on it.

Overall I am still playing with everything so I will update more in the future.


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## esc

Another alternative is terrarium. It's just movies and tv shows but 10xs faster than Kodi and super easy to navigate.


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## GT11

esc said:


> Another alternative is terrarium. It's just movies and tv shows but 10xs faster than Kodi and super easy to navigate.


Does it side load on Fire TV like Kodi?


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## GT11

I downloaded terrarium. I haven't watched anything on it yet but it was definitely easier than Kodi to set up. I will play with it over the weekend and give some feedback next week.

For those of you that want to download stuff like Kodi or Terrarium, there is a very good site called Troypoint that has step by step instructions, https://troypoint.com/


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## johnsons1480

GT11 said:


> I downloaded terrarium. I haven't watched anything on it yet but it was definitely easier than Kodi to set up. I will play with it over the weekend and give some feedback next week.
> 
> For those of you that want to download stuff like Kodi or Terrarium, there is a very good site called Troypoint that has step by step instructions, http://troypoint.com/


I'll be looking forward to your review, I'm interested in installing it as well


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## esc

Sorry for the delay, just seeing this....
It's a separate download from Kodi so you can have both. Just google it and find a YouTube to walk you through it. So far, I like it. Haven't used it much but will try to run thru it this weekend.


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## Hawglife

johnsons1480 said:


> I'll be looking forward to your review, I'm interested in installing it as well


Me too, kodi works great on my living rooms nvidia shield (aweeosme device bte, but very pricey), but in my bedroom on my firestick, it has been sucking lately.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk


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## GT11

Last night I played with Terrarium for the first time. As I stated early, it was very easy to install and there isn't addons to install like in Kodi. When I researched Terrarium, one of the big advantages was the reduction of buffering that you see with Kodi.

Once it was installed, the interface was very simple to use. Movies and TV shows popped up on the main screen (as icons) and you select what you wanted to watch. It was a very simple process.

Rating #1 - If you aren't very tech savvy or find Kodi difficult to install or use, Terrarium definitely wins here. The install took a few minutes (and was easy as typing in the web address) and the interface was a no brainer.

Our comcast internet speed last night was terrible; it ranged from 2 Mbs to 6 Mbs. My wife was watching programs on another TV with a fire stick (watching programs through prime) and working on her computer through a VPN that was using quite a bit of bandwidth. Both her fire stick programs and VPN kept giving low speed warning. I started Terrarium on another TV and was able to watch an hour of programming without buffering. I am running that TV on an ethernet connection and she was running through Wifi so that could have been part of the reason I ran so well.

Rating #2 - Even though this was one session, there wasn't any buffering and the picture quality was great. I will continue to test the speed over the weekend.

Over the weekend I will explore the breadth of programming and finish up my review. I did watch the new season of Flash last night so many current programs show up in Terrarium.


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## GT11

Final thoughts on Terrarium.....as I looked at the programming, it basically pulls the same stuff that the Kodi add-ons pull and from the same places. The biggest difference seems to be the ease of use with the interface and the lack of buffering.

Terrarium takes a minute to install and is a breeze to use. If you want to watch movies and TV shows, this is probably the best download overall. If you want access to sports, you will still have to download Kodi and use an addon such as Sports Devil or Sports World.


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## Hawglife

GT11 said:


> Final thoughts on Terrarium.....as I looked at the programming, it basically pulls the same stuff that the Kodi add-ons pull and from the same places. The biggest difference seems to be the ease of use with the interface and the lack of buffering.
> 
> Terrarium takes a minute to install and is a breeze to use. If you want to watch movies and TV shows, this is probably the best download overall. If you want access to sports, you will still have to download Kodi and use an addon such as Sports Devil or Sports World.


I think it's alright, but the fact that it has ads kind of takes it down a leg in my. Book.
It's quick, and like you said, it basically pulls from the same sources. If I could buy the paid version and get it ad. Free. I would. I'm still on the fence about it. I do think it's easier to use than kodi.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk


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## GT11

I forgot to mention the ads but they aren't bad. There is a small banner ad at the bottom that goes away once you select your program, then at the end of the program there is an ad. I hit the back button quickly when the program ends and saw something flash but that was it. I hit the back button slowly once and saw it was an ad.

I don't mind these guys getting a little revenue from ads. What I do mind is having to pay for service and them making you watch ads...you can have it one way but not both. Over the air TV use to get all their money on ads and cable had ad free programming. Ads are now all over cable and you pay a monthly fee. That is another reason to cut the cord!


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## esc

Don't want to hijak, but do you guys run a vpn?
If so, which do you recommend?


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## kawboy

I noticed that there are more commercials than shows now. At $180.00 a month I'll be taking in the cable boxes and just keeping the internet. I signed up on Netflix and found the few shows I watch are on it.


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## Fishin4tails

esc said:


> Don't want to hijak, but do you guys run a vpn?
> If so, which do you recommend?


I am also wondering about the vpn and if anyone is running them and which one?


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## GT11

I am not running one. Everything I have seen so far says that viewing content online is not illegal. If you download and store, then it is a different story. A lot of the guys that I see pushing VPN's tell you that you should have one, then they give you a link to buy one so they are probably getting a kick back. I am not sure we will get a straight answer on the true necessity of having a VPN.


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## esc

I agree with you about legality. 
Just worried about unlocking the device and opening it up to the www.


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## Hawglife

GT11 said:


> I am not running one. Everything I have seen so far says that viewing content online is not illegal. If you download and store, then it is a different story. A lot of the guys that I see pushing VPN's tell you that you should have one, then they give you a link to buy one so they are probably getting a kick back. I am not sure we will get a straight answer on the true necessity of having a VPN.


Yeah, I don't have one either. Like stated I think it really matters if you are downloading torrents of the movies, or downloading the actual streams, but just streaming seems like it's pretty hard to enforce the legality of it.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk


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## John Redcorn

Anyone else running into usage issues with their ISP after cutting the cord? I ditched direcTV and have been streaming Kodi/Amazon/Youtube etc for the last month. All is well until I received an alert from Xfinity that we are exceeding our 1TB monthly limit. It seems as soon as I got the alert, by connection started buffering to make it difficult to watch anything. (Guessing they are throttling, haven't looked too deep into this).

Frankly, I didn't realize there was a cap for my residential service. I checked to see if they had any plans that bumped up the usage allotment but the only option is unlimited at $50 more a month. Unfortunately, in my area Xfinity is my only option.

I don't watch too much TV so not sure how we burned through 1TB, seems high.


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## GT11

I have changed from Kodi to Terrarium, much easier to use. When I see buffering, it is usually from the host site, not on my side so I select a different host site. On Terrarium, you can see the host sites and figure out which are better.

I hear they will throttle you if you exceed but I haven't run in to that yet. We are 100% internet TV (only the wife and I here) and have never reached our maximum data allotment. 

One of the main things I do is to pay attention to the file size we are viewing (easy to see with Terrarium, could also be with Kodi but haven't used Kodi in a while). Some file sizes are over 1GB while others for the same show could be less than 100MB. Even the same resolution could vary by a few hundred MB. I always try to pick the feed that is 100MB or less because there will be less chance of buffering and it will take you a lot longer to max out your data.

Collectively, we probably stream 20 hours or more a week without a problem. I also work from home so I am online 40+ hours a week for that too without an issue.


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## John Redcorn

Yeah between my kids and wife we usually have a few things streamed when home. I use Google wifi so easy to see usage and block when needed. I will pay more attention now that we are using more data.

Interesting article on that subject:

https://www.techspot.com/amp/news/7...bat-cord-cutting-limiting-major-internet.html


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## misbhavn

John Redcorn said:


> Anyone else running into usage issues with their ISP after cutting the cord? I ditched direcTV and have been streaming Kodi/Amazon/Youtube etc for the last month. All is well until I received an alert from Xfinity that we are exceeding our 1TB monthly limit. It seems as soon as I got the alert, by connection started buffering to make it difficult to watch anything. (Guessing they are throttling, haven't looked too deep into this).
> 
> Frankly, I didn't realize there was a cap for my residential service. I checked to see if they had any plans that bumped up the usage allotment but the only option is unlimited at $50 more a month. Unfortunately, in my area Xfinity is my only option.
> 
> I don't watch too much TV so not sure how we burned through 1TB, seems high.


Interesting. I use Terrarium now as well and I always pick a stream that says HD and usually pick the largest file. My thinking was always that the larger file size should have better resolution. So the smaller files still have HD res?


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## GT11

The files show you the size and the resolution. You can see varying file sizes for the same resolution. You can also experiment with different resolutions. It is hard to tell the difference between resolutions above 360p, so try a few sometime. If you aren't exceeding your data or not having buffering issues, it probably doesn't matter in your case.


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## texwake

John Redcorn said:


> Anyone else running into usage issues with their ISP after cutting the cord? I ditched direcTV and have been streaming Kodi/Amazon/Youtube etc for the last month. All is well until I received an alert from Xfinity that we are exceeding our 1TB monthly limit. It seems as soon as I got the alert, by connection started buffering to make it difficult to watch anything. (Guessing they are throttling, haven't looked too deep into this).
> 
> Frankly, I didn't realize there was a cap for my residential service. I checked to see if they had any plans that bumped up the usage allotment but the only option is unlimited at $50 more a month. Unfortunately, in my area Xfinity is my only option.
> 
> I don't watch too much TV so not sure how we burned through 1TB, seems high.


Sorry I'm late in chiming in on this but like others have previously said you might want to get a router that you can track your internet usage if you think Xfinity is incorrect. I've been seeing reports of Xfinity indicating higher usage of data than your actually using because of lost packets between the server and user. I average 700 GB a month and stream tons but I do not download huge files all the time, I have never hit the 1 TB cap yet.


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## Rudhal

Cut the cord, got fire tv and loaded Kodi. This works great and watching lots of programs and movies (even 2018 ones) for free


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## TUNDRA

Rudhal said:


> Cut the cord, got fire tv and loaded Kodi. This works great and watching lots of programs and movies (even 2018 ones) for free


I have 3 fire sticks and not a one of them can find home??I have no idea why this has happened,they just put fiber optic line in the neighborhood about the same time they quit working..


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## GT11

What do you mean "they can't find home"? Are they not connecting to the internet?


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## TUNDRA

GT11 said:


> What do you mean "they can't find home"? Are they not connecting to the internet?


yes it will not connect to the internet


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## GT11

Can you get on with other devices?


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## GT11

http://www.techserviceus.com/fire-stick-not-connecting-to-the-internet/

You may start here......


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## Waterdawg19

The Astros play tomorrow. Last year I was using a web page via the Amazon browser on my firestick. I think it was "hdsports.me". Is anyone using this, or have a better option to watch the astros? Thank you


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