OT - Cutting Cable

Mediacom is seemingly becoming more and more unreliable speed wise for us causing more buffering and what not so that is pushing us back to DirecTV some too.

I pay Mediacom for 100/10. Right now, I am getting 15/17. Go figure.
 
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What can you do about this? Do they take anything off your bill if you complain?

Honestly I haven't tried but I don't believe so. There is a reason why it is marketed as "up to...". There have been times that We have gotten in the 80s and 90s down but those are rare. I would say the average is 20-50 but seems to be progressively getting worse. There are many things that can affect the speed, how many people are on it in your house, how many people are on that node and how far you are from the head end or node. Between these issues and not having a good DVR option we are going back to DirecTV which get's installed on Saturday.

ImOn will be available in our neighborhood sometime in the next year and at that point we will dump Mediacom and switch to them for internet.
 
I put a big Attena in my attic and the only station with a weak signal is PBS and only when trees have a lot of leaves. Plan is to still cut cable when my current Mediacom deal runs out in 2019. I am fine waiting to watch game reruns on Cyclone TV and not live...
 
I was planning to resume my Vue as football season approaches, but I see their prices have gone up a good $10 per month.

Anybody tried Hulu live yet?

On their web site it's $40 per month and has all the channels that Sling's Orange + Blue has, but more. Hulu even has the CBS sports net, which the Akron game will be on.

Here is a screen shot of sports channels included (in DSM area)


I'm going to try Hulu Live this month. That sports lineup is the best I've seen.
 
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I have this antenna mounted outside where the previous dish was. Still can't get ABC... is there anything else I can do? Better antenna? I'm in Urbandale.

www.amazon.com/RCA-Compact-Outdoor-Antenna-Range/dp/B0024R4B5C

Sorry for the late reply. Your ABC channel 5 actually broadcasts on RF Channel 5, which is a low-VHF channel (RF channels 2-6). In looking at that antenna in the link above it doesn't look to me like it has the long elements necessary to receive low VHF.

Many compact and/or cheap antennas that call themselves VHF antennas don't have the long low-VHF elements because there aren't many channels that broadcast on low VHF. Right now, something like only 2% of TV stations broadcast on low-VHF. However, with the FCC "repacking" of the TV broadcast bandwidth, more stations are getting moved to low VHF.

If you are using a Yagi style antenna like this and you want to receive the low-VHF channels, make sure to carefully review the antenna specs and make sure the antenna has the longer elements for low-VHF, like the one pictured below
51SHFL85FsL._SL1300_.jpg

Also, Yagi antennas like these are directional. There are phone apps and websites that can help you aim your antenna.

The Winegard link below shows the difference between a compact antenna that only covers hi-VHF and one that covers both lo-VHF and high-VHF. Bottom line: to get decent low-VHF reception with a Yagi-style antenna anywhere other than real close to the transmitter, you need the long elements.
http://www.winegard.com/hdtv-outdoor-antennas?q=offair
 
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Sorry for the late reply. Your ABC channel 5 actually broadcasts on RF Channel 5, which is a low-VHF channel (RF channels 2-6). In looking at that antenna in the link above it doesn't look to me like it has the long elements necessary to receive low VHF.

Many compact and/or cheap antennas that call themselves VHF antennas don't have the long low-VHF elements because there aren't many channels that broadcast on low VHF. Right now, something like only 2% of TV stations broadcast on low-VHF. However, with the FCC "repacking" of the TV broadcast bandwidth, more stations are getting moved to low VHF.

If you are using a Yagi style antenna like this and you want to receive the low-VHF channels, make sure to carefully review the antenna specs and make sure the antenna has the longer elements for low-VHF, like the one pictured below
51SHFL85FsL._SL1300_.jpg

Also, Yagi antennas like these are directional. There are phone apps and websites that can help you aim your antenna.

The Winegard link below shows the difference between a compact antenna that only covers hi-VHF and one that covers both lo-VHF and high-VHF. Bottom line: to get decent low-VHF reception with a Yagi-style antenna anywhere other than real close to the transmitter, you need the long elements.
http://www.winegard.com/hdtv-outdoor-antennas?q=offair
Really appreciate the insight jbh. Is there a better alternative to the Yagi style? Only requirement is that it's outdoor because I don't feel like rerouting our cable wiring.

*edit: And preferably not an absolute monstrosity, ha!
 
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I was planning to resume my Vue as football season approaches, but I see their prices have gone up a good $10 per month.

Anybody tried Hulu live yet?

On their web site it's $40 per month and has all the channels that Sling's Orange + Blue has, but more. Hulu even has the CBS sports net, which the Akron game will be on.

Here is a screen shot of sports channels included (in DSM area)


We're using Hulu live and love it. The only problem I have is the limited device compatibility. It's not on Roku or computer yet, but it's on Fire, Xbox, PS, Chromecast.
 
Really appreciate the insight jbh. Is there a better alternative to the Yagi style? Only requirement is that it's outdoor because I don't feel like rerouting our cable wiring.

*edit: And preferably not an absolute monstrosity, ha!

I don't know of a better alternative to Yagi.

If you look at the Winegard link, you'll notice that the compact low-VHF antenna is a hi-VHF antenna shipped with extensions for the longest element. If you want to play around, you could rig up some extensions and attach them to the longest element (wire ties or small hose clamps) on your Yagi and see what happens. The 1/2 wave dipole length for RF channel 5 is about 71 inches (so the total length of both elements would be 71 inches). Just be ware that modifying that element might affect some other channels.
 
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I don't know of a better alternative to Yagi.

If you look at the Winegard link, you'll notice that the compact low-VHF antenna is a hi-VHF antenna shipped with extensions for the longest element. If you want to play around, you could rig up some extensions and attach them to the longest element (wire ties or small hose clamps) on your Yagi and see what happens. The 1/2 wave dipole length for RF channel 5 is about 71 inches (so the total length of both elements would be 71 inches). Just be ware that modifying that element might affect some other channels.
For $45 I might just give the Winegard low-VHF version a shot. Greatly appreciate your help.
 
PSA for Students: Spotify and Hulu just announced a deal where you can get access to both services for $4.99/month. Just students for now, but it sounds like they are going to roll this out to other customers.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/7/16263938/spotify-hulu-student-deal-announced

Spotify and Hulu are teaming up to combine both of their streaming services into a single education bundle for only $4.99 per month. That’s a pretty remarkable deal for students. The offer pairs Spotify Premium and Hulu’s on-demand streaming plan (yes, with ads) at a price cheaper than either would cost individually to regular customers. Spotify’s student plan is already $4.99 monthly, so you’re basically getting Hulu tossed in for free. You can sign up here.

If you already have Spotify Premium for Students, you can now activate the Hulu side. And if you’ve got a regular Hulu subscription (with no add-ons), you can merge that with your education Spotify account. The offer is only available in the US.

But this is just the beginning of what sounds like a major partnership between the two companies, and soon it will expand to include all consumers in some form — not just students. Spotify and Hulu describe the education deal as a “first step” in bundling their services together and promise “offerings targeted at the broader market to follow.” Two popular services are trying to create an irresistible combo.
 
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I don't know of a better alternative to Yagi.

If you look at the Winegard link, you'll notice that the compact low-VHF antenna is a hi-VHF antenna shipped with extensions for the longest element. If you want to play around, you could rig up some extensions and attach them to the longest element (wire ties or small hose clamps) on your Yagi and see what happens. The 1/2 wave dipole length for RF channel 5 is about 71 inches (so the total length of both elements would be 71 inches). Just be ware that modifying that element might affect some other channels.

I installed this one in my attic a couple of weeks ago. I live in WDM and I'm pulling everything. This antenna is amplified, so you need to connect the signal cable coming from your antenna into the amp prior to connecting to a splitter. You will need a power source for the amp to plug in as well. If it works for your setup I highly recommend this antenna. I purchased this off of amazon.

1byone 85 Miles Digital Amplified Outdoor / Attic / Roof HDTV Antenna with VHF and UHF Band and Mounting Pole, Extremely High Performance

upload_2017-9-7_13-41-24.png
 
I installed this one in my attic a couple of weeks ago. I live in WDM and I'm pulling everything. This antenna is amplified, so you need to connect the signal cable coming from your antenna into the amp prior to connecting to a splitter. You will need a power source for the amp to plug in as well. If it works for your setup I highly recommend this antenna. I purchased this off of amazon.

1byone 85 Miles Digital Amplified Outdoor / Attic / Roof HDTV Antenna with VHF and UHF Band and Mounting Pole, Extremely High Performance

I might give that one a try too.

Based on the picture, it looks like the amp is completely separate from the antenna, is that correct?

What I'm planning to do is install the antenna in my attic, run coax down the side of my house to connect to the coax that feeds my house. There's an outlet right there so I'll install the amp before it splits into the house.
That should work with the antenna?
 
I installed this one in my attic a couple of weeks ago. I live in WDM and I'm pulling everything. This antenna is amplified, so you need to connect the signal cable coming from your antenna into the amp prior to connecting to a splitter. You will need a power source for the amp to plug in as well. If it works for your setup I highly recommend this antenna. I purchased this off of amazon.

1byone 85 Miles Digital Amplified Outdoor / Attic / Roof HDTV Antenna with VHF and UHF Band and Mounting Pole, Extremely High Performance

View attachment 49711

From the specs, the frequency range for that antenna is 174-230MHz; 470-862MHz. That is hi-VHF and UHF. Low-VHF is 54-88 MHz. If you are getting a good low-VHF picture, the amp must be doing a good job.
 
I might give that one a try too.

Based on the picture, it looks like the amp is completely separate from the antenna, is that correct?

What I'm planning to do is install the antenna in my attic, run coax down the side of my house to connect to the coax that feeds my house. There's an outlet right there so I'll install the amp before it splits into the house.
That should work with the antenna?

Yes, the amp is separate. That would absolutely work but I'm not sure if the amp is designed for outdoor use, so you may want to check with the manufacturer. Could you run it through the amp after it goes into the house?
 
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From the specs, the frequency range for that antenna is 174-230MHz; 470-862MHz. That is hi-VHF and UHF. Low-VHF is 54-88 MHz. If you are getting a good low-VHF picture, the amp must be doing a good job.

I'm getting all of the locals on 3 tv's including the elusive channel 5 and they all show a strong signal.
 
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