Advice needed about cutting cable but watching the Hawks.

[BigOHawk]

Perry -- I've had Playstation Vue since March and it's a great alternative to cable! Here's some info as well as my experience with it. But, to answer your question if you have Playstation Vue, you can stream several different shows at once on differnet TV's (I think it's 4-5 streams simultaneously) as long as your internet speed can handle it. SlingTV is one stream only at a time but hearing they are beta testing multi streams but it will cost more.

As long as you have at least 25 meg internet, you should be able to stream multiple shows with no issues, however 50 meg is probably better if you have devices all over the house (IPads, etc.). As others have said, the pricing is great with no hidden fees ($30/month is really $30 a month, that's all in pricing). My $30 tier has ESPN, ESPN2 but not BTN, that is in the $35/month package so I'll be upgrading for football season. At $35 you also get SEC Network and ESPNU and ESPNews if that's of interest.

I have Vue streaming via the Fire TV stick on all TV's and while not perfect, it works for me. Very little buffering or stalling while streaming, however the menu does run a little slow and it takes some time to change channels (although the Fire TV Box and new Roku stick are faster I've heard). For over the air channels, simple antennas nested behind all TV's works pretty good.

I think the best feature is the cloud DVR, it is included with your subscription and you simply "tag" a show and it records all of those shows going forward, however they all erase after 28 days and no saving. No limit to these recordings so the family loves it. You can downgrade, cancel, etc easily without any issues.

One challenge I have seen is that the Fire TV stick and Vue is that sports are not quite as smooth as cable because of the streaming and the fact that the Fire TV stick is 30 frames per second vs. the 60 frames of cable, etc. It's not horrible but I can see a difference but saving $50-$75/month I can live it. Any other questions let me know!

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

LOVE THIS THREAD--thanks for all the various info.
My question; is it possible to watch on multiple TV's in the house via network or is it only possible on the TV with PS4 (or other various devices) on it?

 

[BigOHawk]

Larry - you must have a streaming device on each TV to get Vue on that TV. It can be a Roku stick/box, Amazon box/stick, GoogleChromecast, etc. The sticks are portable so you can take with you, for work, travel, etc and they plug right into an HDMI TV port. However, Vue is only authenticated through your home network so that wouldn't work on the road, but you'd have Netflix, Hulu, etc. Vue just launched an Android mobile viewing app, but again, only on home network, the iOS app has been out for awhile.

 

[ChrisVarick]

LOVE THIS THREAD--thanks for all the various info.
My question; is it possible to watch on multiple TV's in the house via network or is it only possible on the TV with PS4 (or other various devices) on it?

In my house there are times were he have Netflix going on 2 TVs, online computer gaming in one room and Vue in another and it doesn't cause any problems. My download speeds from the internet provider are on the slow side @ 12-18mbs. I did run Cat6 cable so everything but one device is hardwired so that makes a difference. If all devices were running on wifi there would be more lagging.

 

[BigOHawk]

One other quick note, I was having some buffering/stopping issues awhile back, even after I bought a new dual band router. A quick download of a cool app called Wifi Analyzer solved that, it looked at all the Wifi channels in the house and suggested I change them on the router. I went into the router advanced settings and changed them and it smoothed it out greatly. Routers default to stock channels, which means congestion in neighborhoods which can slow your connection.
Also, check with your internet provider on streaming data limits, some have them, some don't and some don't enforce the caps. I usually put my sticks to sleep after use so they aren't on all day, although PS Vue just launched something to shut them down after so many hours of inactivity.

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

I can confirm that there can be a bit of lag on the Fire Stick, although not enough to be a major issue. If you're someone who flips channels a lot, it might be a bigger deal, but I usually pick a channel and watch for a while (mostly sports or DVR/On Demand). This was my only negative for PS Vue, and I think it is mostly related to the Fire Stick.

 

[BigOHawk]

Yes to the above on the Fire Stick processor speed (can be slow when switching channels), the newer Roku stick is now a quad core and hearing great results, although the Fire PS Vue Guide and interface are better IMO. Playstation 4 and Fire TV "box" would also be quicker.

 

[ichawk24]

BigOHawk, thanks for all the great info.

 

[HawkeyeKawalski]

$35-40 per month for a handful of football games represents reasonable? Must be nice.

Bar/friend's house remain solid options. We need a pay-per-view option. It's worth a few shekels per game.

I would totally do pay-per view if I could.

 

[perryhawk]

You can stream on 2 devices at the same time. What model is your Roku? I would say that the Fire TV (not Fire Stick) is a better device to use when it comes to responsiveness and the guide feature.

I have the ROKU 2 and I am now doing the free trial....just a day into it I think I'm going to like it pretty well. BUT, the guide could be a big deal, that said I am still trying to figure things out and it may be okay.

I really, really appreciate this thread. I was in the same boat as the OP and did not like the cable/dish tv stuff and how you get jerked around. I have high hopes for this and was considering the Sling tv thing but no BTN.

 

[BigOHawk]

No problem at all happy to share the info. I was just about ready to go to Sling back in March after crazy high cable bills and Vue literally went nationwide the week I was switching from Cox, love the savings and the $$$ outweighs the few negatives.

Yeah, I've heard the guide stuff isn't pretty on Roku but I'd expect an upgrade there from Sony at some point. I've seen a few good app updates since March so it's obvious Sony is listenting to customer feedback. If menu speed is slow, you may want to try the '16 version of the Roku stick, I've heard it has twice the processor as previous versions and the Fire TV stick. At the end of the day, however, this competition will help the consumer and the cable company is definitely losing customers. Cable's only play will be to raise internet pricing and/or impose strict data streaming caps and/or throttle speeds.

 

[perryhawk]

I'm not a technology guy, and that is being very kind....but, we have Century Link wifi that does not have a data limit on it. It seems very fast and what little I have watched so far there is no lag.

I will be getting a second device for another TV and then we will see where it goes.....if worse comes to worse and there is a problem watching and Iowa game and something like HGTV on the other tv, well HGTV is out of luck until the game is over.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Sorry don't have experience, but I don't think you get access to the live games with BTN Plus subscription (see bolded). But right after that it says, that you may get some "student produced live games" but I doubt you're getting FB or MBB live with that subscription. I'd email them to be sure.

BTN Plus programming includes non-televised games and events available on BTN2Go with a purchase of a BTN Plus subscription. BTN Plus content features live games produced by students at Big Ten universities. A subscription to BTN Plus on BTN2Go does not require a Big Ten Network TV subscription with a TV provider - See more at: http://btn.com/btn2go-big-ten-digital-network/#sthash.kVyM6S99.dpuf

If it were me, I'd look into Playstation Vue if you have a Playstation4, Playstation3, Amazon Fire Stick, or Roku. It even has DVR although without a Playstation, I'm not sure where you'd store the show. They even give you a free trial for 7 days.

$34.99 for 70 channels including BTN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/

My guess is you would have "on-demand" access for certain networks/shows...

 

[BigOHawk]

Btw, NFL Network and RedZone both added to Sony Vue as of today. NFL Network is included in the Core package ($35) and the one package up from that. RedZone is a flat $40/season. It also seems the latest FireTV update earlier this month has sharpened the picture and the audio sync has been fixed.

 

[IaHawk41]

firstrowsports.eu

This.
Only way to do it. Sure the steam maybe spotty at times but it doesn't cost anything extra.

 

[HawkeyeKawalski]

My guess is you would have "on-demand" access for certain networks/shows...

You can add a future show with an option that says 'Add to my shows'. Then it will record the show and store it in the cloud for 30 days. The drawback is I haven't found a way to select this option for games that are more than a day in advance. If anyone else knows of a way to do this on the roku with playstation vue, let me know. I'm loving my roku and Vue option.

 

[BigOHawk]

Kawalski -- hmm..not sure if that's an option on Roku since you don't have the guide that Amazon TV devices have. I can look several days in advance and tag shows and movies which I love but yes, Roku doesn't have that feature just yet. I'd expect them to upgrade that at some point. However, you do get the 60 frame rate vs. <60 on Amazon TV, that's bugging me while watching sports.

 

[Herkster5]

I streamed all the basketball games last season through my laptop, with an HDMI to my tv, using Watch ESPN or Btn2go, both work relatively well, minus interruptions due to internet connection. We dropped cable and picked up the Roku 3, which has both the apps I mentioned above. I use my parents DISH log in and boom, Hawks for free!

 

[ottumwan in tx]

go to the iowa bar, watch party

 

[ChrisVarick]

PSA... Vue just added NFL Network and an option to add NFL Redzone for $39.99 for the season.

 

[Rustys Dad]

I got rid of Dish about 1.5 years ago. Streamed Sling TV for my Roku for about a year, and just recently dumped SlingTV and switched to Playstation Vue. Very happy with the decision. $35 a month and get BTN and BTN alternates + NFL Network, ESPN 1+2, News, and U. Also a nice variety of channels I actually enjoy: Headline News, Discovery, CNN, Food Network, etc. Very happy with Vue. For $35 I can't go wrong. I absolutely don't miss paying Dish $120 + a month for countless channels i never watched. Having BTN now made the switch all worthwhile.

 

[jo12208]

This.
Only way to do it. Sure the steam maybe spotty at times but it doesn't cost anything extra.

I agree. I live in South America and have watched just about all the games on a stream. Not the best quality but good enough.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

You can add a future show with an option that says 'Add to my shows'. Then it will record the show and store it in the cloud for 30 days. The drawback is I haven't found a way to select this option for games that are more than a day in advance. If anyone else knows of a way to do this on the roku with playstation vue, let me know. I'm loving my roku and Vue option.

I am going to sign up for the 7-day trial Friday, then try it Saturday morning for the "pre-select". I will try to set it Friday and let you know if/how it can be done.

I definitely love Roku. I COULD--if my wife didn't have a Reality TV addiction--live on Roku and "free" channels. Since we got the free Hulu for 3 months, we liked it enough to stick with it. We already had Amazon Prime because my wife somehow believes $99/year just to get free shipping actually pays off. I love her enough not to ruin the fantasy

But between tubitv, Crackle, OV Guide and a ton of those "wacky" channels and retro TV networks, I could do it. Live sports is the one thing I need--Ok, the HAWKS are the one thing I need!--so psvue looks REAL nice IMO.

So, what "tips" can I use? I understand about the "guide' thing. Is it hard to actually get to the ESPN/BTN stuff?

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

No, if you favorite a channel it pulls it out of alphabetical to the left, that's all I've got.

 

[BigOHawk]

Hawkbob, just fire away with some questions, I've had Vue for several months and can answer most questions. Again, not perfect but a great solution to save a lot of money vs. cable with no equipment and no contracts. The best guide option is Fire TV while Roku is lacking there but for sports, Roku or PS4 is the best as you get 60 frames per second, I think I'm getting only 30 for sports and it's a little choppy.

 

[Couppee]

One thing that no one ever mentions when cutting the cord, is running out of bandwidth each month and or increased cost of internet service. Is this not a problem?

 

[BigOHawk]

Couppee -- yeah, check with your provider, mine is Cox but I get about 350GB and even if you exceed I don't think you are charged, you might get an email about it warning you but to hit that mark each month you'd really have to be streaming and downloading a ton. Cable companies will eventually raise prices on internet again, yes, it's their last trump card. Last report I saw is about 2-3 million new cord cutters in the past year, be it Sling, Hulu, Vue, etc. More players will enter the market next year too...

 

[Couppee]

Thanks BOH

 

[DrJamesCrow]

Stupid question, but do you need to have a PS3 or PS4 to use Playstation Vue or can you just run it off either Chromecast or a Fire Stick?

 

[BigOHawk]

DrJames -any of those platforms will work! In fact, any mixture will work as well, up to 5 streams per account. From what I've read and seen, PS4 or the new Roku will give you the best overall picture/sports action. Fire TV has the best program guide and interface.

 

[pepsicock]

I used a Roku to watch all the games that Iowa played on ESPNU last year as well as some of the pre-season basketball games. It worked well, with none of the freezing that SWIowaHawks reported. I think internet was probably the issue.

Roku 3 is great .I watch Mets games and Packers games on Sunday Ticket on it ,

 

[BigOHawk]

There's a Pepsi sighting! Hey, just curious, any motion/choppiness, etc with sports on your Roku 3?

 

[BigOHawk]

Revisiting this but I specifically tagged the Iowa game as a "favorite" on PS Vue the past two weeks and it hasn't recorded either one, what gives? It records a whole bunch of other games but now the Iowa game, but PS Vue does show it in the future as recording a few days before, strange! I have to go into Watch ESPN online and find the recorded game, but only on the computer, they don't load the previous games on the app.

 

[CoorsHawk23]

Any update on cord cutting? I am in eastern iowa

 

[BigOHawk]

Any update on cord cutting? I am in eastern iowa

Specifically which part? I'd say YouTube TV is now a major player and DirecTVNow just added DVR capability (free up to 20 hours I believe), however for me, PS Vue is the clear #1 with the ability to DVR unlimited shows, although I think they still are deleted after 28 days unless they re-air. PS Vue finally updated their interface on Roku which makes it much simpler and cleaner to use.

Most services now offer 60 frame channel refresh across most if not all devices so watching action movies and sports is much better. Overall, after almost 3 years of cord cutting and no Cox cable, very impressed with the streaming options and carriers, although not sure there are room for all of them in another five years. T-Mobile and Verizon are launching perhaps yet this year with more to follow...

 

[CoorsHawk23]

Thank you for that. Which device do you recommend ROKU ect... Will I need a device for each tv?

 

[BigOHawk]

Thank you for that. Which device do you recommend ROKU ect... Will I need a device for each tv?

I use mainly Roku sticks, you can get the bigger Roku boxes too but the sticks have sufficient power to stream. Yes, you need a device for each TV unless you want to buy a stick or 2 and move to each TV as you stream. For locals, you'll probably need an antenna unless your content provider has locals, each of them are different in that regard and dependent on your local TV area.

Here's an interesting site for comparing services, prices, channels, etc. Each streamer (DirecTV, YouTube, Playstation Vue, Sling, etc) has different combos and stations and how many streams can be running.
https://www.suppose.tv/tv

Btw, you DON'T need a Playstation to use Vue, I'm not sure why they used that name, you can use FireStick, Roku, etc, they should just call it Sony Vue as it really confuses people. Any other questions let me know!

 

[CoorsHawk23]

I use mainly Roku sticks, you can get the bigger Roku boxes too but the sticks have sufficient power to stream. Yes, you need a device for each TV unless you want to buy a stick or 2 and move to each TV as you stream. For locals, you'll probably need an antenna unless your content provider has locals, each of them are different in that regard and dependent on your local TV area.

Here's an interesting site for comparing services, prices, channels, etc. Each streamer (DirecTV, YouTube, Playstation Vue, Sling, etc) has different combos and stations and how many streams can be running.
https://www.suppose.tv/tv

Btw, you DON'T need a Playstation to use Vue, I'm not sure why they used that name, you can use FireStick, Roku, etc, they should just call it Sony Vue as it really confuses people. Any other questions let me know!

Fantastic info. Thank you sir!

 

[bagdropper]

I use the Roku Express I believe it's called. Love it. I also subscribe to youtube TV, which has the B10N. I also as a result use laptops and PC's should I desire.

The good thing about this is with the Roku, you can use a myriad of other channels on it aside from YTTV. B10N2Go, Fox Sports Plus I believe it's called, etc. Meaning, since I have a youtube TV account, I also have access to pretty much the exact same things as if I still had DirecTV as far as college football Saturdays.

My bill is $42.40 a month...and I already have a rooftop antenna which gets me all my locals - but YTTV in the CR market has the 4 majors (no PBS) too.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

Thanks for all the info. I think I'll try the Vue free preview.

For those with Vue, have you paid a bill yet? I'm wondering the actual final price compared to the advertised price.

Our monthly bills are 47.99. We have the “core + sports” package. It gives you everything you need for sports. We also have ESPN app (you can use Vue log in info). We also have HD Antenna in both rooms as well. Gets all locals pretty clear.