Disney+

[Triggermv]

But it's a pain. Here is an example of what I would go through.

Pay $80/month to get cable with all the channels you watch including DVR/Tivo

Try out Youtube TV for a two week trial. Make sure that all 3 TV's have a streaming device (2 Roku and 1 Shield). Next make sure that all the Harmony remotes are set-up to use the streaming device on each TV. Spend a week getting use to the way it works. Try to figure out myself and then explain to her the differences between the different types of items in the library. Some you can skip the commercials, some you can't. Then at the end of two weeks, wife says "I guess I could live with it but there are a few channels missing that I watch all the time".

Try out any of the others services for free and go through this whole process again and at the end you're still missing channels that you watch.

Then realize that Mediacom charges you more for your internet when you don't bundle so your real savings is $20/month and that's assuming that you don't need to upgrade so that you don't hit your data caps.

I really want to cut the cord but the complete package is just not there yet for me and once it is I have a feeling the savings will be minimal. It's too bad because there are pieces of each service that I actually prefer over cable like.

Its definitely a generational thing to some extent. Those who are used to cable in the past struggle to want to cancel that comfort and simplicity of cable (no matter how ridiculously expensive it was) and adapt at the same time to the new way of doing things. However, I think that generation might be surprised at how easy it is for the newer generations who never even got cable in the first place, nor why would they, to adopt all this new stuff from the get go, and save a bunch of money in the process. Shoot, most the stuff they watch is on their phones or IPad anyway. Then, as time goes on, the less and less we'll see of the first group and the more there are of the second group. Its just the way everything goes.

Personally, I've never had cable and I'm 34 years old, and all these new streaming options are pretty easy for me to manage through, and I save a crap load of money in the process doing so. Honestly, I'm so used to this way that the thought of dealing with satellite or cable, their customer service, their crappy equipment, and their stupid contracts sounds like a big pain in the butt to me. Its seems even more a pain in the butt to think I'd be doing it for truckloads of a bunch of network and reality TV garbage I don't want in the first place. Even scrolling through my dad's Satellite TV menu is exhausting to me. Its all a matter of perspective.

 

[Tailg8er]

But it's a pain. Here is an example of what I would go through.

Pay $80/month to get cable with all the channels you watch including DVR/Tivo

Try out Youtube TV for a two week trial. Make sure that all 3 TV's have a streaming device (2 Roku and 1 Shield). Next make sure that all the Harmony remotes are set-up to use the streaming device on each TV. Spend a week getting use to the way it works. Try to figure out myself and then explain to her the differences between the different types of items in the library. Some you can skip the commercials, some you can't. Then at the end of two weeks, wife says "I guess I could live with it but there are a few channels missing that I watch all the time".

Try out any of the others services for free and go through this whole process again and at the end you're still missing channels that you watch.

Then realize that Mediacom charges you more for your internet when you don't bundle so your real savings is $20/month and that's assuming that you don't need to upgrade so that you don't hit your data caps.

I really want to cut the cord but the complete package is just not there yet for me and once it is I have a feeling the savings will be minimal. It's too bad because there are pieces of each service that I actually prefer over cable like.

Back when I had cable it cost more than $80/month, and I didn't get a discount for bundling internet+TV. My internet cost now with streaming is the same as it was with cable, and all of my streaming services combined are less than half what I was paying for cable.

Plus, I can turn them on/off whenever I want (like I just did once basketball finished up).

Might not be for everyone, but for many of us, the benefits far outweigh the cons.

 

[3GenClone]

I have to assume that Disney+ will NOT be ad-free:

Disney Channel app runs ads.

ESPN+ runs ads.

Hulu's $5.99/mo subscription runs ads.

My guess is Disney+ will have to run ads to justify the subscription cost.

 

[Triggermv]

I have to assume that Disney+ will NOT be ad-free:

Disney Channel app runs ads.

ESPN+ runs ads.

Hulu's $5.99/mo subscription runs ads.

My guess is Disney+ will have to run ads to justify the subscription cost.

Their announcement did in fact say it will be ad free

 

[GrappleCy]

Its definitely a generational thing to some extent. Those who are used to cable in the past struggle to want to cancel that comfort and simplicity of cable (no matter how ridiculously expensive it was) and adapt at the same time to the new way of doing things. However, I think that generation might be surprised at how easy it is for the newer generations who never even got cable in the first place, nor why would they, to adopt all this new stuff from the get go, and save a bunch of money in the process. Then, as time goes on, the less and less we'll see of the first group and the more there are of the second group. Its just the way everything goes.

Personally, I've never had cable and I'm 34 years old, and all these new streaming options are pretty easy for me to manage through, and I save a crap load of money in the process doing so. Honestly, I'm so used to this way that the thought of dealing with satellite or cable, their customer service, their crappy equipment, and their stupid contracts sounds like a pain in the butt to me. Its seems even more a pain in the butt to think I'd be doing it for truckloads of a bunch of network and reality TV garbage I don't want in the first place. Even scrolling through my dad's Satellite TV menu is exhausting to me. Its all a matter of perspective.

I think it's more than just generational. If you really do want "the full package" then cable is what you probably want to stick with. Two of the big features of cord cutting are being able to add/cancel at will and also being able to only pay for a subset of channel (though streaming services are increasingly making it hard to do that as they become increasingly just a streaming version of cable instead of ala carte providers). If you cut the cord but sign up for everything you'll end up paying as much or more as you would just having cable in the first place.

 

[Triggermv]

I think it's more than just generational. If you really do want "the full package" then cable is what you probably want to stick with. Two of the big features of cord cutting are being able to add/cancel at will and also being able to only pay for a subset of channel (though streaming services are increasingly making it hard to do that as they become increasingly just a streaming version of cable instead of ala carte providers). If you cut the cord but sign up for everything you'll end up paying as much or more as you would just having cable in the first place.

Is Cable really the full package you speak of??? Anymore, I think that is a myth. At least for me, I watch way more content NOT even available on cable then I do that is available in some way on cable. I have a free outdoor antenna for the locals. Then, even for the stuff that crosses over to both, I prefer the ad-free one-click binging option of streaming to watch it anyway. Honestly, if I had cable, I'd barely even use it. And yes, everything I'm talking about is definitely a generational thing. Take a look at how younger people consumer their media. They like three big things in general. They like binging stuff, they like watching everything whenever they want, and they like watching stuff on mobile devices. If it doesn't fit easily into all three of those categories, shoot, they don't even want to watch it, much less know that it exists. They aren't called the youtube generation for nothing.

 

[Mr Janny]

This is how ESPN is going to stay relevant.

It's not going to take long for Disney+ to become a behemoth in the streaming industry. And they will bring ESPN right along with them.

They'll still get their money from the cable/satellite companies, to some degree, but they'll put more and more content on ESPN+. If I had to bet, it won't be long before the main ESPN network will be available to stream, and bundling it with other services like Disney+ and Hulu will attract more casual viewers who might not have subscribed to a standalone espn streaming service. It will be another revenue stream for them, one that their competition won't be able to easily compete with, simply because they won't have the 800lb gorilla that is Disney in their corner.

 

[CyJack2299]

But it's a pain. Here is an example of what I would go through.

Pay $80/month to get cable with all the channels you watch including DVR/Tivo

Try out Youtube TV for a two week trial. Make sure that all 3 TV's have a streaming device (2 Roku and 1 Shield). Next make sure that all the Harmony remotes are set-up to use the streaming device on each TV. Spend a week getting use to the way it works. Try to figure out myself and then explain to her the differences between the different types of items in the library. Some you can skip the commercials, some you can't. Then at the end of two weeks, wife says "I guess I could live with it but there are a few channels missing that I watch all the time".

Try out any of the others services for free and go through this whole process again and at the end you're still missing channels that you watch.

Then realize that Mediacom charges you more for your internet when you don't bundle so your real savings is $20/month and that's assuming that you don't need to upgrade so that you don't hit your data caps.

I really want to cut the cord but the complete package is just not there yet for me and once it is I have a feeling the savings will be minimal. It's too bad because there are pieces of each service that I actually prefer over cable like.

No, it's really not that hard. You're just making it hard.

 

[3GenClone]

This is how ESPN is going to stay relevant.

It's not going to take long for Disney+ to become a behemoth in the streaming industry. And they will bring ESPN right along with them.

They'll still get their money from the cable/satellite companies, to some degree, but they'll put more and more content on ESPN+. If I had to bet, it won't be long before the main ESPN network will be available to stream, and bundling it with other services like Disney+ and Hulu will attract more casual viewers who might not have subscribed to a standalone espn streaming service. It will be another revenue stream for them, one that their competition won't be able to easily compete with, simply because they won't have the 800lb gorilla that is Disney in their corner.

Agree completely.
How much longer will Disney Channel on traditional cable/satellite exist? It’s only a matter of time until that programming is rolled into Disney+

 

[cydsho]

Off topic from streaming but for someone like me who grew up with no cable and only OTA TV, the recent increase in digital OTA channels is very interesting.
In the Omaha area there are 17 different channels/subchannels and that is not counting public TV.
If you just want to flip around channels, OTA has quite a few options. Except sports.....

 

[dmclone]

Is Cable really the full package you speak of??? Anymore, I think that is a myth. At least for me, I watch way more content NOT even available on cable then I do that is available in some way on cable. I have a free outdoor antenna for the locals. Then, even for the stuff that crosses over to both, I prefer the ad-free one-click binging option of streaming to watch it anyway. Honestly, if I had cable, I'd barely even use it.

I guess a lot depends on what you watch and how much.

Just looking through some season passes on my Tivo:

Iowa State Basketball and Football-(ESPNU, ESPN,Mediacom 22, ESPNNews,ESPN2, TBS)
60 minutes-CBS
Modern Family-ABC
Amazing Race-CBS
American Horror Story-FX
Project Smoke-PBS
Booze Traveler-Travel
30 for 30-ESPN
Rick Steves-PBS
Motorweek-PBS I think
Walking Dead-AMC
Saturday Night Live-NBC
South Park-Comedy Central
America's Test Kitchen-PBS
F1 Racing-ESPN this year
Fargo-FX
Live PD-A&E
Snowfall-FX
It's SUppertime!-Vice
Big Brother-CBS
MotoGP Racing-BEIN sports

Those are just the things we record. Then we'll sit around watch things like The Office reruns or whatever is playing on the guide.

Then I leave the TV all night when I sleep. On a side note, I also subscribe to Netflix and watch a lot of stuff on there.

To make me cut the cord I would give up watching shows or actually paying more for less content.

I watch too much TV......

 

[ZB4CY]

But it's a pain. Here is an example of what I would go through.

Pay $80/month to get cable with all the channels you watch including DVR/Tivo

Try out Youtube TV for a two week trial. Make sure that all 3 TV's have a streaming device (2 Roku and 1 Shield). Next make sure that all the Harmony remotes are set-up to use the streaming device on each TV. Spend a week getting use to the way it works. Try to figure out myself and then explain to her the differences between the different types of items in the library. Some you can skip the commercials, some you can't. Then at the end of two weeks, wife says "I guess I could live with it but there are a few channels missing that I watch all the time".

Try out any of the others services for free and go through this whole process again and at the end you're still missing channels that you watch.

Then realize that Mediacom charges you more for your internet when you don't bundle so your real savings is $20/month and that's assuming that you don't need to upgrade so that you don't hit your data caps.

I really want to cut the cord but the complete package is just not there yet for me and once it is I have a feeling the savings will be minimal. It's too bad because there are pieces of each service that I actually prefer over cable like.

To me it isn't worth cutting cable and paying 80/90 bucks for good internet to stream live TV.

That is why I've stuck with Mediacom and will continue to do so. I can afford the extra 30 bucks a month for streaming services as well, If I want to. Currently I only stream netflix (13/month) but could see myself trying out this Disney deal or ESPN+.

 

[KnappShack]

I would love to cut Netflix

That sound you hear when you sign on?

It's the sound of disappointment

 

[FOREVERTRUE]

I guess a lot depends on what you watch and how much.

Just looking through some season passes on my Tivo:

Iowa State Basketball and Football-(ESPNU, ESPN,Mediacom 22, ESPNNews,ESPN2, TBS)
60 minutes-CBS
Modern Family-ABC
Amazing Race-CBS
American Horror Story-FX
Project Smoke-PBS
Booze Traveler-Travel
30 for 30-ESPN
Rick Steves-PBS
Motorweek-PBS I think
Walking Dead-AMC
Saturday Night Live-NBC
South Park-Comedy Central
America's Test Kitchen-PBS
F1 Racing-ESPN this year
Fargo-FX
Live PD-A&E
Snowfall-FX
It's SUppertime!-Vice
Big Brother-CBS
MotoGP Racing-BEIN sports

Those are just the things we record. Then we'll sit around watch things like The Office reruns or whatever is playing on the guide.

Then I leave the TV all night when I sleep. On a side note, I also subscribe to Netflix and watch a lot of stuff on there.

You could do most of this with the $49.99/mo subscription to PSVue and an over the air antenna. We have the $59.99/mo because I like the added on demand of epix channel and FXM, and my wife couldn't go through Christmas without all the Hallmark movies (UGH).

 

[dmclone]

You could do most of this with the $49.99/mo subscription to PSVue and an over the air antenna. We have the $59.99/mo because I like the added on demand of epix channel and FXM, and my wife couldn't go through Christmas without all the Hallmark movies (UGH).

Yeah, that looks pretty close to covering everything. How does using an OTA antenna work with the PSVue? Assume you can't "DVR" those programs?

 

[Cyclone.TV]

NHL network is available on DirecTV Now I believe. We don't get it on PS Vue

We stream NHL.tv on Roku. Wife is a Dallas Stars fan.

Gotcha - yeah was trying to watch the blues game on NHL the other day and couldn’t find anywhere to stream it. We have Vue also.

 

[FOREVERTRUE]

Yeah, that looks pretty close to covering everything. How does using an OTA antenna work with the PSVue? Assume you can't "DVR" those programs?

You can't DVR from the OTA antenna, but the big 3 (ABC, CBS, NBC) minus pbs you can use the DVR if you go through PSVue. Using them together you just set your tv up as two different inputs no big deal to switch back and forth as needed, but really pbs is the only thing you would need the OTA antenna for.

 

[ElephantPie]

I think you underestimate the power of the Disney brand. They have a legion of fans who will sign up for the service just to get access to the Disney films that have been in "the vault"

Plus, if they bundle ESPN and Hulu? The susbscribers will be there.

Based on the way Disney has used their "vault" system; I would guess they only have X number of the BIG animated movies available for a few months and then they shuffle back into a new "digital vault" but then other classic animated movies come out of the vault. Rinse and repeat. This keeps people signed up for the service or brings them back frequently.

I'm also guessing the downloaded versions of these movies either cost a premium or are only available for the amount of time the movie is out of the vault.

Or maybe my guesses are just my jaded-ness from Disney's use of the vault in the past but they won't do things the same way in the future.

EDIT: Janny correctly informed me that Disney says the streaming service will end use of the vault.

 

[KnappShack]

Gotcha - yeah was trying to watch the blues game on NHL the other day and couldn’t find anywhere to stream it. We have Vue also.

Looks like it'll be on CNBC today

 

[KnappShack]

You can't DVR from the OTA antenna, but the big 3 (ABC, CBS, NBC) minus pbs you can use the DVR if you go through PSVue. Using them together you just set your tv up as two different inputs no big deal to switch back and forth as needed, but really pbs is the only thing you would need the OTA antenna for.

Doesn't PBS have a Roku app?