Cord cutters scientific poll

[Triggermv]

Yeah, I forgot to mention the golden era of free ESPN3 in my post. For a while you didn't even need a specific internet provider let alone a cable subscription.

I had ESPN3 and over the air HD in Chicago that got me TONS of local NHL, NBA and MLB games. I'd go to a bar or friend's to watch ISU play football on Fox cable networks but other than that I had all the sports I wanted legally for free for many years.

Shoot, I was even wrong saying how at first you needed an eligible internet provider is all because I actually remember at the very first launch of WatchESPN (ESPN3 at the time), it was actually completely free to anyone. Almost forgot about that. Now, that scenario didn't last super long and the program was pretty glitchy at the time, but I'll never forgot being amazed at how this was completely free. I'm sure ESPN was really just testing the concept at the time more than anything.

FYI... I also consider the very start of the modern era of cord cutting was on the very first day ESPN3 was launched.

 

[CycloneSarah]

I have Sling through Roku. The interface is terrible. The live TV works decent enough but recorded shows buffer and sometimes just fail to load and you lose your place in the program. Skipping past parts is basically non-functional, and often times commercials play at 3x volume compared to the show. It's not good and I'm going to cancel and perhaps try something else. I have the Blue and Orange package.

I've been a big advocate for Sling since joining in its beta test so it pains me to admit that these are all valid points. I don't mind the interface on Roku but recently I've noticed every show stopping to buffer at about 2/3 of the way through regardless of the length of the show or movie. It also seems like they've removed the ability to fast forward or rewind in any of the on demand content which is really annoying and the commercial volume is a big issue. Despite these issues I'll probably still keep it since I can't stand the interface for Vue on Roku. Hopefully they make some changes soon.

 

[dawgpound]

I just started a 5 day trial with Vue. I picked up a Firestick and so far I've been really impressed. I do have a couple of questions though and would appreciate some feedback from other Vue users.

1.) When you are watching sports is it a little choppy? I've noticed the chopiness and was wondering if others have this issue or if maybe my modem isn't putting out a strong enough signal. I just switched our internet over to mediacom's 100mbps service and I'm pretty sure they put in a used modem. My modem is close to my TV and the Vue App never shows a full signal.

2.) ABC is "on demand" only for now but are you able to watch ABC sporting events through the Watch ESPN App? I've never been able to pick up ABC in the DSM area over the air, so I'm just making sure I have that figured out for football season.

1)Get your own modem if you can, i have my own and have never had an issue with choppiness
2)Yep any sporting event on ABC is shown on WatchESPN. Trying to get ABC over the air in DSM area has been a nightmare for me. Thank goodness for this feature.

 

[1100011CS]

Not sure if it's indicative of the service or not but the Hulu app on Fire TV is horrendous. Ads and buffering (and buffering ads). I signed up for a free week to watch the first two seasons of Fargo and almost pulled my hair out.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Try a used modem from amazon. I just switched to this one for less than $25, my spweds went up immediately after switching. It saves $7.50 a month.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O...+surfboard&dpPl=1&dpID=4149XFmqpAL&ref=plSrch

Thanks for the link, I was already looking to maybe go that direction. The first unit they installed didn't even work, so it was totally an extra modem the guy had in his truck. Medicom installed a Modem/router single unit, so I would need to grab a router as well. Do you have any suggestions for a good router for Mediacom's 100 Mbps?

 

[1100011CS]

I just started a 5 day trial with Vue. I picked up a Firestick and so far I've been really impressed. I do have a couple of questions though and would appreciate some feedback from other Vue users.

1.) When you are watching sports is it a little choppy? I've noticed the chopiness and was wondering if others have this issue or if maybe my modem isn't putting out a strong enough signal. I just switched our internet over to mediacom's 100mbps service and I'm pretty sure they put in a used modem. My modem is close to my TV and the Vue App never shows a full signal.

2.) ABC is "on demand" only for now but are you able to watch ABC sporting events through the Watch ESPN App? I've never been able to pick up ABC in the DSM area over the air, so I'm just making sure I have that figured out for football season.

A. are you using Mediacom's modem with a built-in wireless router? If so, stop that right now Buy your own modem and a good router. At least the router.
B. If you can, get a Fire TV and run ethernet from your router to the Fire TV.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

1)Get your own modem if you can, i have my own and have never had an issue with choppiness
2)Yep any sporting event on ABC is shown on WatchESPN. Trying to get ABC over the air in DSM area has been a nightmare for me. Thank goodness for this feature.

Thanks! I assumed that was the case since I've used WatchESPN a ton while tailgating, etc but couldn't remember if ABC was on there. Yeah, ABC is dang near impossible to pull in OTA. I think it will just be a matter of time before Vue has WHO and WOI in their package.

Regarding the choppiness, I've messed with my picture settings to make sure it wasn't a TV issue but I've pretty much arrived at the conclusion that I need to buy my own modem and separate router.

 

[TXCyclones]

Choose your fave. I'm doing a trial of DirecTV Now and so far I like it a lot. No cloud dvr yet but it's coming soon. Only one with access to Viacom at present.

Tried Vue and Sling previously and was unimpressed with their Roku interfaces but will try again before cutting the cord for real.

Want to try Hulu Live TV as well but not available on Roku yet and that's all I have.

I've got Sling via a Fire Stick. Works great compared to my daughter's Roku TV with the Sling interface.

 

[huntt26]

I have been using Vue, but only during Football and Basketball seasons. During the summer, I do not subscribe to anything. I have been very happy with the service. During March Madness, I could watch all of the games at the same time with friends by using multiple TVs, a firestick, chromecast, antenna for CBS games and a PC connected to a monitor. On a 50MB connection with a nighthawk router, no issues at all.

 

[Triggermv]

Regardless of what provider you use, the best advice I can give any cord cutter is to immediately stop futzing around with your stupid indoor antennas and invest in a good outdoor one. Best cord cutting decision I ever made. Its a cheap investment that will keep paying off dividends for years and years to come, even if you have to come in and pay someone to install everything for you.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

A. are you using Mediacom's modem with a built-in wireless router? If so, stop that right now Buy your own modem and a good router. At least the router.
B. If you can, get a Fire TV and run ethernet from your router to the Fire TV.

Yes I'm using their modem.... not for long though

I'm running a fire stick right now and I plan on getting at least one more. If the new modem and router doesn't fix the issue I will probably buy a Fire TV for our primary TV instead and move the Fire Stick to our other TV. I'm thinking that a new modem and router will probably fix my issue though.

 

[Triggermv]

Just an FYI for those getting rid of their Mediacom modems. Make sure you return the equipment and remind them to take it off the bill. In fact, I've never been more mad when I realized that I never once received a Mediacom modem from them, used my own for 3 years, noticed they had been charging me rent on one for 3 years, and then called them not only wondering why, but requesting a full refund of my money. Their response at the time was that they automatically tag that charge on with new customers and only take it off when requested. They also said they would only refund 3 months of my money. My response was then "so you literally automatically charge people for stuff they never request nor never get just because then????" Their answer was yes. My response was "that is literally stealing!!!!!" I'm sorry, that is straight up shady and only one of the reasons I will forever hate Mediacom. That crap isn't just unethical, but illegal too. There is 100% reasoning why that company is rated dead last in the entire country for customer satisfaction.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Just an FYI for those getting rid of their Mediacom modems. Make sure you return the equipment and remind them to take it off the bill. In fact, I've never been more mad when I realized that I never once received a Mediacom modem from them, used my own for 3 years, noticed they had been charging me rent on one for 3 years, and then called them not only wondering why, but requesting a full refund of my money. Their response at the time was that they automatically tag that charge on with new customers and only take it off when requested. They also said they would only refund 3 months of my money. My response was then "so you literally automatically charge people for stuff they never request nor never get just because then????" Their answer was yes. My response was "that is literally stealing!!!!!" I'm sorry, that is straight up shady and only one of the reasons I will forever hate Mediacom. That crap isn't just unethical, but illegal too. There is 100% reasoning why that company is rated dead last in the entire country for customer satisfaction.

Yeah you have to really watch this stuff! In all fairness to Mediacom, DirecTV isn't any better in this department. They love offering up that free HBO for 3 months or free Sunday ticket for a year because people forget about it and they start getting billed for the service.

 

[Triggermv]

Yeah you have to really watch this stuff! In all fairness to Mediacom, DirecTV isn't any better in this department. They love offering up that free HBO for 3 months or free Sunday ticket for a year because people forget about it and they start getting billed for the service.

At least with that stuff, they charge you for something you receive

 

[ripvdub]

Thanks for the link, I was already looking to maybe go that direction. The first unit they installed didn't even work, so it was totally an extra modem the guy had in his truck. Medicom installed a Modem/router single unit, so I would need to grab a router as well. Do you have any suggestions for a good router for Mediacom's 100 Mbps?

Notice I linked a refurbished one, I've had no issues with it, and it's 1/3 the price, but here is the router I use. My previous one wasnt nearly as strong
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P...236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+router

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Notice I linked a refurbished one, I've had no issues with it, and it's 1/3 the price, but here is the router I use. My previous one wasnt nearly as strong
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P...236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+router

Thanks!

Yeah I caught that it was a refurb but there is also a seller that is selling a new one for the same price and it is also Prime eligible.

 

[1100011CS]

Notice I linked a refurbished one, I've had no issues with it, and it's 1/3 the price, but here is the router I use. My previous one wasnt nearly as strong
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P...236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+router

I have the same router and have been happy with it

 

[ruxCYtable]

SlingTV Blue base package with the 4 Extras deal (Kids, Comedy, News, Lifestyle extras) for $35/mo. Even this is way too many channels (80+ channels) if it was just me.

Have the DVR for free since I was a beta tester.

Just found out Sling has a deal where Roku users get the DVR free.

apple tv box and someones direct tv online password. every channel I want for free. win.

Didn't they just pass a law against this and start cracking down? You might not feel like a winner when you receive your court summons.

Old person question here. I feel confident that the online ones work against your data limits for wifi, do any of their other ones also eat into data? Like sling or Hulu?

Yes. I have Mediacom 150mbps service, however, which comes with 2TB of data. I've never even used 1TB in a month yet.

I had been trying to find a solution to DirecTV for nearly a year, but my problem with Vue and Sling was that the packages did not include all the channels both of us wanted to have. DirecTV Now was the first solution that provided everything we wanted, and we got in on the cheap$35/month intro rate. My only complaint with DirecTV Now is the buffering, but its got a lot better over the 4 months we have had it. The biggest downfall to cutting the cord was losing DVR, but sounds like DirecTV now will have cloud DVR in the future which will be awesome.

Exact same situation here. I have been more impressed with DirecTV Now so far than any other.

Whether you realize it or not, you are missing another very sizable category, which is the category of piggybacking usernames and passwords off of people with cable/dish. Count me in that category. For me, I piggyback it off of work, whereas I'm sure most people just piggyback off of family members or friends. In fact, prior to all these services you've got listed here, that was somewhat your only avenue to get a lot of stuff while cord cutting. Personally, I also consider myself one of the original cord cutters who remembers back in the day when WatchESPN (only called ESPN3 at the time) was completely free to anyone with an eligible internet provider was all.

See above

1)Get your own modem if you can, i have my own and have never had an issue with choppiness
2)Yep any sporting event on ABC is shown on WatchESPN. Trying to get ABC over the air in DSM area has been a nightmare for me. Thank goodness for this feature.

Currently have a Mediacom modem. They came out to fix something a while back and blamed my modem and said it wasn't DOCSIS 3.0 compatible, even though it was. FYI, Mediacom has published a list of "approved" modems and I'm going to get one TODAY.

http://www.approvedmodems.com/mediacom.html

Not sure if it's indicative of the service or not but the Hulu app on Fire TV is horrendous. Ads and buffering (and buffering ads). I signed up for a free week to watch the first two seasons of Fargo and almost pulled my hair out.

Must be an ISP issue. I've had Hulu before, just not their live service. I paid $4 extra for no commercials and it was flawless.

Regardless of what provider you use, the best advice I can give any cord cutter is to immediately stop futzing around with your stupid indoor antennas and invest in a good outdoor one. Best cord cutting decision I ever made. Its a cheap investment that will keep paying off dividends for years and years to come, even if you have to come in and pay someone to install everything for you.

This. I put a good-sized antenna in my attic a few years ago. It is currently running through my DirecTV box using their antenna adapter. They limit what channels you can get through it, which is ridiculous. When I cut the cord, I'm going to get a Tablo or something similar, which will allow me to watch my OTA channels via Roku or whatever other device.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Notice I linked a refurbished one, I've had no issues with it, and it's 1/3 the price, but here is the router I use. My previous one wasnt nearly as strong
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P...236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+router

I swung over to Best Buy today to look at routers and the salesman was pushing the model below. Looks like this model replaced the one you sent me a link to.

Being limited to Mediacoms 100Mbps service, would I be adding any value with the newer modem? I'm fine with spending a little extra on a good router but wasn't sure if the extra money would worth it or not regarding the modem Since I'm cutting the cord, I'm willing to spend a few bucks to get everything done right the first time but if I can save a few bucks that's great too Any extra input would be greatly appreciated!

Amazon product ASIN B00MA5U1FW

 

[1100011CS]

I swung over to Best Buy today to look at routers and the salesman was pushing the model below. Looks like this model replaced the one you sent me a link to.

Being limited to Mediacoms 100Mbps service, would I be adding any value with the newer modem? I'm fine with spending a little extra on a good router but wasn't sure if the extra money would worth it or not regarding the modem Since I'm cutting the cord, I'm willing to spend a few bucks to get everything done right the first time but if I can save a few bucks that's great too Any extra input would be greatly appreciated!

Amazon product ASIN B00MA5U1FW

That's the model I have (with Mediacom) and it doesn't necessarily replace the other it's just a matter of how many channels you can bind to and how many are available. You'd basically be future-proofing with that model.