Nearly four years ago, we embarked on a venture to cut the cord from DirecTV. Well, that time has finally come and this is our story.
Like others, we feel that the cost for cable/satellite television (C/S) is not a good value. In 2014 we started looking at options: as a result, we purchased a Roku box and a Simple TV receiver for Over the Air (OTA) recording. Because we did not have high-speed internet there were no viable options to receive the Internet channels (IC) or apps using the Roku box. The game-changer for us was that in mid-2017 we brought high-speed internet to the house. Cable is an option for IC programming, but after the 12-month promo price goes away, what do we do? We started looking at options with the following general requirements:
- Availability of C/S (traditional cable/satellite) channels via the internet (IC)
- OTA (Over the Air) channels
- An integrated guide that includes C/S channels and OTA channels
- DVR capability for both C/S and OTA programming
Unfortunately in 2017, Simple TV shut down – this would have provided OTA channels and DVR capability, but not integration within one guide with IC. The manufacture of the Simple TV Hardware, SiliconDust currently offers an upgrade of the Simple TV tuner to become an HDHomeRun Extend for fifty bucks. Because SiliconDust manufactured the boxes for Simple TV, it seems that the processor was off the shelf so the upgrades removed the USB port (no future local hard drive storage) and remove a noisy fan. HDHomeRun Extend is a box that converts the OTA signal (coax) to Ethernet. The app then allows OTA viewing from any wired or wireless device on your network. We found that our older IPADS are not compatible, so verify compatibility by downloading the HDHomeRun app. You need to verify that the app is compatible with all devices (e.g. older IPads are not compatible). There are also limitations with streaming devices, as an android OS is needed (e.g. Roku is not compatible). Although it has been announced that SiliconDust will offer a simple DVR solution later in 2018, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) is required that is expensive ($400+). The search continued for our solution.
The integration of a guide for easy surfing between the IC and OTA stations was still the stumbling block. I found that Dish Network overcame this issue with AIRTV, which provides a converter for the OTA signal to an Ethernet that integrates with the Sling app to provide the unified guide. The difference between this and the HDHomeRun is the integration of the guide. Sing provides a variety of programming with a choice of two base packages and then add on channels/channel groups ala cart. Sling does offer a cloud-based DVR service that only includes the IC stations. AirTV makes two devices: AirTV, a convertor of the OTA signal to an Ethernet signal that can be accessed from your network and AirTV Player, a streaming device with an attached antenna Adapter (Bundle). There is a current promotion with Sling to get the AirTV Player Bundle at a reduced cost with a 3-month prepaid subscription (note this is not a trial and is not cancellable, as some have found out and have posted comments). We went for the AirTV Player Bundle and signed up for 3 months of Sling Blue.
We were almost there: we got the channels and DVR for everything except for the OTA. There is the option of HDHomeRun for the recording … but then we looked at our current viewing habits and found another solution for us! The OTA programming that we were recording was either PBS or CBS. We downloaded the free PBS that offers most programming, although it may not be available for a week following local broadcast, it appears that they will be available for almost 18 months. CBS offers an APP for on-demand viewing with limited commercial access for 5.99 per month. This provides availability of programming missed then aired live but does require opening an app to stream a previously aired program. With a NAS costing more than $400, there is a break-even point of more than 5 years (assuming no price increases): with the evolution of products and services, I am sure than things will change in less than 5 years, making it an easy decision to cut the cable.
The ideal solution is close but may never be complete because different companies make different components and may never work together in partnership. For a TV with the desired apps built-in, the hardware cost will be lower than adding a streaming device (Roku, Fire, AirTV Player, etc.). Choosing a streamlining device is also a challenge because the different manufacturers do not always play nice together, as demonstrated by Amazon removing YouTube from the featured apps on the Fire devices (but is available with a few additional clicks). Note that the Fire devices now all default to wireless, although we get a good signal it takes 10 seconds to tune a channel on Sling – getting the Ethernet adapter solves that problem. With the monthly savings of over a hundred bucks, there is still a significant cost saving that can be used to purchase additional/improved hardware as it comes along. Exploring the available internet channels found vast programming from many sources. The overview of the solution for each of the TV’s in our house includes the channels mentioned above as well as a few others with programming that we think we will watch.
| Room | TV Brand | Streaming Device (SD) | Integrated Guide ? | Amazon Prime | Netflix | HD Homerun | Google Play | CBS | PBS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great room | Samsung | AirTV Player | Yes | SD, TV | SD, TV | SD | TV | SD | SD |
| Bed room | Vizio | FireTV Stick | No | SD | SD | SD | N/A | SD | SD |
| Basement | Vizio | Roku 3 | No | SD | SD, TV | N/A | SD | SD | SD |
We did go ahead with the upgrade to get the HD HomeRun Extend – but this is of not great utility without a NAS – we will see what solutions are offered later this year. So far the AirTV Player has provided good reception: there are some tricks to tune to an OTA channel that does not have guide information. Using HDHomeRun or the TV tuner for OTA in this instance also provides a workaround in a pinch.
We could get the integrated guide on all TV’s by purchasing the AirTV box for $120 but are holding off to see if the AirTV DVR solution utilizes existing hardware or requires an upgrade.
With TVs now having more apps available the need for a streaming device is reduced – in early 2017 when our living room TV was the victim of a lightning strike we should have considered what apps were built into the TV as part of the decision for the replacement. As with all technology, things are ever-changing.
We went from a DirectTV bill of $143 (before the 2018 increase) to $36/month (30 for sling and 6 for CBS)!
Unsubscribing from DirectTV was a challenge! After calling and not agreeing to continue to be a customer, they sent tracking information for the empty box to pack up the stuff and drop it off at a UPS Store. The tracking number for the empty box that they provided was not recognized by the shipper because the tracking number was not real! So we called DirectTV again. After many tries to get us to not cut the cable, a return slip was issued for us to take the hardware to a UPS store to have it returned. Since DirectTV charges you more if the hardware is not returned promptly, this could be another way to incur charges if you do not stay on top of it! Hopefully, we will receive the debit card with the credit for the portion of the month’s services that we did not use!
We have already found that our viewing habits are changing. Rather than watching reruns of current shows, we are watching reruns of old shows that are on the extended OTA channels. We are sure that our viewing habits will continue to change – with the benefit of a 75% monthly savings. Because we had some hardware, our return on investment was within the second month! As the services and hardware options evolve, buying additional hardware will still be a better investment than satellite services.
AirTV added DVR functionality as a Beta test (no charge at this time) for the AirTV Player. We connected an external hard drive to the system, and started recording OTA TV! The quality is very good- a few skipped frames every now and then but no major issues. AirTV did provide a good listing of the limitations of the system, which was informative and avoided the frustration of figuring out why something would not work (e.g. cannot watch a recording until the recording is complete). The other limitation is that only one OTA channel can be recorded or watched at one time from a specific AirTV Player. Since we also have the HDHomeRun, we are currently using this as a second receiver for OTA while recording.
Having been pleased with the AirTV Player and wanting a single remote for the bedroom TV, we purchased a second player and moved the Firestick to the basement TV. There was a recent price drop at BestBuy and the player came with a Sling credit making the final cost $50. The limitation in the basement is the Firestick will not control the on/off of the TV or the volume: this seems to be a common problem with Vizio TV’s, so we will continue to use two remotes.
The other consideration still on the table is to purchase AirTV (not player) that would provide an additional 2 streams of OTA viewing/recording. Speaking with the AirTV folks, it seems that the AirTV players will recognize the device, but I am not fully confident yet. If we did this, then the HDHomeRun would not be needed. We will continue to use the AirTV DVR and see if we are missing anything to determine the next step. After 2 months of ITV, we are only missing DIY – but we can stream the old stuff to an iPad, then Chromecast to the TV (no app for the TV or streaming devices that we have) – so there is a reasonable workaround.
