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Cord Cutting???

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:35 pm
by Executioner
I currently have AT&T Direct TV. It was great when I first got it with a 2 year contact. I had every channel including the paid channels. I paid $200/month. Yeah it was a lot, but I'm still working and it was within my budget.

After the 2 years, it was increased to $320!!! I never received a notification that it was going to be increasing and my introduction contract would be up. So I called and canceled all the paid channels which lowered it back to $210/month. In May I'm going to be retiring at the ripe age of 65, and I want to cut the cord. I plan on using a simple antenna that I can attached to my window next to the TV. I'm going to keep the internet from AT&T though.

QUESTIONS:
I have 2 other TV's in the rest of the house. I'm assuming I would have to get antennas for those TV's also?
Is there a device I could buy like a DVR that can record what I'm watching on the TV?
We just purchased an Amazon Fire Stick. I don't have it hooked up yet, but what are other options out there like the fire stick from Amazon?

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 5:14 pm
by psypher
I have DirecTV also and yea they are expensive if you haven't been with them a long time. I pay like $150, but have been with them for like 15 years. I also watch a lot on streaming devices. I think AT&T might end up selling DirecTV in the near future, they are losing tons of customers a month.

Get a Roku. They have tons of channels (you add the ones you want) that connect to various streaming services (some paid and some free). Then you can add the channels like NetFlix, Amazon Prime (if you have Prime), Hulu, HBO, Disney+, etc... Pluto is an interesting one, you get a guide to watch live TV. Best of all, it just works.

Disclaimer: I own stock in Roku :)

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:04 pm
by Executioner
Wow that is a long time - 15 years. I started with them right after AT&T bought them, and they were promoting packages for direct TV. So I signed up since it was a good deal.
I do have Amazon Prime, and NetFlix. We just got a Fire Stick to use but haven't installed it yet. I rather not use an antenna if I don't have to. Do you know if Hulu or any of the other ones offer local channels? I only watch the local channels, History, and SCI channels. AMC and the SciFi would be the others I would watch.

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:47 pm
by reno
if you cut the cord with AT&T Direct TV and there holding any of your money . they will not refund you a penny . they will give you a credit but no refund .they will allow you give the credit to a friend to use on there account. we know this first hand wife handling are brother in-law account. he is in a assistant living and next will be a nursing home . anyway they don't give a dam why -there is a no refund policy and each month they keep sending out statement . the statement said he has a fair amount of money owed him. do to a over payment on his last statement . the bill was payed twice by error .

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:38 pm
by psypher
Executioner wrote:Wow that is a long time - 15 years. I started with them right after AT&T bought them, and they were promoting packages for direct TV. So I signed up since it was a good deal.
I do have Amazon Prime, and NetFlix. We just got a Fire Stick to use but haven't installed it yet. I rather not use an antenna if I don't have to. Do you know if Hulu or any of the other ones offer local channels? I only watch the local channels, History, and SCI channels. AMC and the SciFi would be the others I would watch.
Hulu + Live TV is $55. This article seems to go through a lot of options.
https://www.killthecablebill.com/tv-cha ... -channels/

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 12:58 am
by Executioner
Thanks for that link psypher. Great info there.
Reno - thanks for that info. What I'll do is call them and ask when the billing cycle starts/ends and go from there.

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:38 am
by Losbot
You might want to consider these. They record over-the-air and the Amazon one will let you watch it from anywhere. I haven't tried these but I've been looking into it. I have an HD antennae and stream some stuff. I'd like to be able to record some of the OTA stuff. The Amazon one should have no fees. I believe Tivo is $7/mo.

https://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Bolt-Antenn ... 07GY54JPV/

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-Recast-o ... 01J6A6H74/

Re: Cord Cutting???

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:47 pm
by Err
If you run into issues recording, get an HDMI splitter box. This should provide the HDCP signal needed to show copyright protection to the source plus give you an unprotected HDMI out for recording. This is how a lot of streamers capture their console streams.