Big Ten Network Access

[TouchdownMyPants]

Friends and fellow Hawkeyes, I currently live outside of the B1G footprint and Comcast (the reigning Most Hated Company in the US) has removed the option for me to even buy BTN in this state.

Because of this, I am very interested to hear how you all consume BTN? I’m particularly interested in SlingTV, DirectTV Now, and YouTube Red. Are there other options I should consider? Not a gamer so investing in a PlayStation Vue isn’t going to do it for me.

I used to be a dish person and would consider that again, but my previous experience with a dish was par to bogie so that would take some convincing.

Truly appreciate your insights. On Iowa, Go Hawks!

 

[JD720]

You don't need a playstation to subscribe to PS Vue. It will work with most streaming devices.

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

 

[pwhawk]

Friends and fellow Hawkeyes, I currently live outside of the B1G footprint and Comcast (the reigning Most Hated Company in the US) has removed the option for me to even buy BTN in this state.

Because of this, I am very interested to hear how you all consume BTN? I’m particularly interested in SlingTV, DirectTV Now, and YouTube Red. Are there other options I should consider? Not a gamer so investing in a PlayStation Vue isn’t going to do it for me.

I used to be a dish person and would consider that again, but my previous experience with a dish was par to bogie so that would take some convincing.

Truly appreciate your insights. On Iowa, Go Hawks!

I’m using Directtv Now. A few glitches, but get what I want including BTN. PlayStation Vue doesn’t need a PlayStation. Works off all the streaming devices so don’t rule them out. My overall opinion is that the streaming services aren’t perfect, but they are much cheaper and you can get whatever you want.

 

[cidhawkeye]

YouTube tv hasn't been a bad choice for me

 

[jackattack001]

I use Hulu and have been happy .... lots of options now I think the big negative with Hulu is no NFL but it seems each service has positives and negatives .... just kind of have to look at options (channels offered, price, memory(dvr), etc) and decide what best fits your needs.

IMO the biggest drawback to the streaming services is the slight delay in broadcasts ... so if you like to listen on the radio or use twitter to follow games that can be something to consider. I just cannot stand paying Mediacom or Comcast so much money so the delay is worth it to me

 

[DutchyFunStar]

I've got Playstation Vue on an Amazon fire Stick and it has been working great. Just need to get a second stick for the second TV.

 

[BigOHawk]

Sony needs to wise up and drop the "Playstation" name in their service and just go with "Vue," as it's confusing to a lot of people and I know they've lost or not gained customers because of it.

I've used it since 2016 and love it, streams in 720p at 60 frames which is great for sports. However, all packages are going up by $5 bucks later this month or next, so the package with BTN after taxes and fees will be right around $50. Just a quick note that for current Vue customers, you may get a free upgrade to the Elite package for 6 months, just got an email stating that due to price increase I get bumped up to a better package which BTN is a part of along with ESPNU and handful of other stations so that's nice.

The unlimited cloud DVR is great and you get up to 5 simultaneous streams. It also authenticates a bunch of apps so that is nice to log into those and catch up and view content. DirecTV is pretty solid as well although I hear the Cloud DVR is limited to 20 total hours, but for me it seemed some channels streamed at 1080p. Lots of good options out there!

 

[BigOHawk]

I use Hulu and have been happy .... lots of options now I think the big negative with Hulu is no NFL but it seems each service has positives and negatives .... just kind of have to look at options (channels offered, price, memory(dvr), etc) and decide what best fits your needs.

IMO the biggest drawback to the streaming services is the slight delay in broadcasts ... so if you like to listen on the radio or use twitter to follow games that can be something to consider. I just cannot stand paying Mediacom or Comcast so much money so the delay is worth it to me

I agree, some latency is involved so buddies texting "TD Iowa" 30 seconds before it happens will cause you to turn of your phone.

 

[Script_IOWA]

Interesting, I had assumed that Vue required a Playstation, and as you mentioned @BigOHawk, its a bad marketing model. I was skipping over them when I would read the online reviews.

Cloud DVR will be big because I have a wife who is a show hoarder. DirectTV loses some points for that, but I do like to watch football on Sundays as well. Decisions, decisions.

 

[BigOHawk]

Interesting, I had assumed that Vue required a Playstation, and as you mentioned @BigOHawk, its a bad marketing model. I was skipping over them when I would read the online reviews.

Cloud DVR will be big because I have a wife who is a show hoarder. DirectTV loses some points for that, but I do like to watch football on Sundays as well. Decisions, decisions.

Yep, it confused me a few years ago and I'd wager there is a fair amount of confusion still and Sony is losing customers because of it. Vue lets you tag unlimited shows (it may be 500 show limit but not sure one could get there in a month!) to record for up to 28 days with no size limit so everyone can have their own shows and movies.

There is also a sizable 'On Demand' show and movie listing, but you have to dig around to access them. Roku updated their Vue interface/guide recently so it's MUCH better than it was before and Fire TV does a nice job with it too. Honestly, we use the Vue logon credentials a bunch with other apps, including FXNow (tons of movies), BTN, TNT, Watch ESPN and Disney, that way you can a bunch of on demand content, Hawk highlights, etc.

Price points are inching close to cable IMO however I'm still saving and when you figure in box rentals for each TV, DVR service, broadcast fees and taxes you should save some coin via Direct, Vue, Hulu, Fubo, Sling, YouTube with Sling being the cheapest. Each service is unique with pricing model, streams, DVR, channels and how many apps you can access with login IDs. You really have to decide what you want and research each one. I'd recommend doing free trials of each and then picking.

 

[cb_Iowa]

I have tried Vue, Sling, and Youtube TV. I ended up with Youtube TV. I don't even use cable TV anymore.

 

[ichawk24]

cb, why'd you settle on Youtube?

 

[BigOHawk]

cb, why'd you settle on Youtube?

No HGTV on YouTube may cause an uproar in some households...just sayin'...

 

[DavenportHawk228]

I have Vue and it works just fine. Were not big TV watchers, but it serves the purpose for sports and tv shows. Wife loves to watch the local channels (which are not available in our tv market). We just download the apps and you can watch ANYTHING on demand from those apps. Doesn't use any space on the cloud DVR and she can watch all her shows w/out commercials.

 

[SoDakHawk]

BTN should offer BTN2Go subscriptions for $5/month for those of us outside the footprint.

It's getting time for all of us Big Ten fans outside the footprint to start raising holy hell and cancelling Comcast leading up to the football season. The only way to get their attention is to hit them in the pocketbooks. I was even paying a premium for the sports package that had BTN and they still yanked it, so this isn't about BTN jacking up the price of basic packages. Comcast (NBC) simply did this as part of some sort of strategy to strike at BTN/FOX.

 

[whatsup13579er]

Comcast is stupid to not take advantage of you B1G loving sports fans. Why not have a super elite sports package and force you to buy it? You know you would.

 

[cb_Iowa]

cb, why'd you settle on Youtube?

It covered everything that I wanted.
Local channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC On Demand). I also use an antenna but it is hit or miss.
Sports - has all the ESPN channels, National/Regional Fox Channels, BTN, SEC, etc.
Then it has a few other channels that I watch, like National Geographic.

You can adjust the bandwidth with Youtube and Sling. It wasn't an option with Vue when I tried it. Vue was also more laggy for me, but others didn't/don't have that issue.

I have Mediacom for my ISP and my cap is 250 gig/month. With two daughters and their friends over a lot, I can reach that pretty easily so being able to throttle the bandwidth is a big factor for me.

 

[YODAHAWKII]

YouTube tv hasn't been a bad choice for me

I'll second YouTube TV. I have tried all the streamers: Sling, Vue and Hulu. YouTube by far has the best interface and all the sports channels you need. I've had it for a year now.

 

[kceasthawk]

Friends and fellow Hawkeyes, I currently live outside of the B1G footprint and Comcast (the reigning Most Hated Company in the US) has removed the option for me to even buy BTN in this state.

Because of this, I am very interested to hear how you all consume BTN? I’m particularly interested in SlingTV, DirectTV Now, and YouTube Red. Are there other options I should consider? Not a gamer so investing in a PlayStation Vue isn’t going to do it for me.

I used to be a dish person and would consider that again, but my previous experience with a dish was par to bogie so that would take some convincing.

Truly appreciate your insights. On Iowa, Go Hawks!

Out in the country, east of KC. I have Dish plus satalite, and the BTN is part of that package along with FOX sports, all the ESPN, except ESPN3. Get all the football games. Now basketball is a different story......

 

[Krauthawk]

I have Dish which includes all local channels, a bunch of premium channels and BTN. Everything is 1080p except for a few odd channels that I never watch. Been real happy with their service. 3 TVs with Hopper and less than $90/ mo. May seem like a lot to some of you but my internet is almost as much out here in the middle of nowhere.

 

[vgshwk]

I've got Playstation Vue on an Amazon fire Stick and it has been working great. Just need to get a second stick for the second TV.

If you have a fire stick there are plenty of options out there.

 

[Franisdaman]

Yep, it confused me a few years ago and I'd wager there is a fair amount of confusion still and Sony is losing customers because of it. Vue lets you tag unlimited shows (it may be 500 show limit but not sure one could get there in a month!) to record for up to 28 days with no size limit so everyone can have their own shows and movies.

There is also a sizable 'On Demand' show and movie listing, but you have to dig around to access them. Roku updated their Vue interface/guide recently so it's MUCH better than it was before and Fire TV does a nice job with it too. Honestly, we use the Vue logon credentials a bunch with other apps, including FXNow (tons of movies), BTN, TNT, Watch ESPN and Disney, that way you can a bunch of on demand content, Hawk highlights, etc.

Price points are inching close to cable IMO however I'm still saving and when you figure in box rentals for each TV, DVR service, broadcast fees and taxes you should save some coin via Direct, Vue, Hulu, Fubo, Sling, YouTube with Sling being the cheapest. Each service is unique with pricing model, streams, DVR, channels and how many apps you can access with login IDs. You really have to decide what you want and research each one. I'd recommend doing free trials of each and then picking.

wow. i thought you needed a playstation console for PS Vue as well.

 

[TouchdownMyPants]

Really appreciate the responses. Agree @SoDakHawk , Comcast is the worst and deserves to nosedive.

Never knew about Vue being available to all, Youtube being able to select the resolution and bandwidth would be nice, but no HBO. DirectTV gives me football. So much to decide. I don’t believe that B1G does the $5 option to stream out here otherwise that would be a hard option to pass on.

 

[Hawkeyeinsoutherncalifornia]

I can help you out.. download the Spectrum App.. when done let me know I can get you hooked up .. no charge ..


QUOTE="TouchdownMyPants, post: 5517201, member: 78292"]Friends and fellow Hawkeyes, I currently live outside of the B1G footprint and Comcast (the reigning Most Hated Company in the US) has removed the option for me to even buy BTN in this state.

Because of this, I am very interested to hear how you all consume BTN? I’m particularly interested in SlingTV, DirectTV Now, and YouTube Red. Are there other options I should consider? Not a gamer so investing in a PlayStation Vue isn’t going to do it for me.

I used to be a dish person and would consider that again, but my previous experience with a dish was par to bogie so that would take some convincing.

Truly appreciate your insights. On Iowa, Go Hawks![/QUOTE]

 

[JupiterHawk]

I’m in a contract for Comcast so BTN will cost me about $40.00 a month for whichever streaming service I go with.

 

[SoDakHawk]

If Hulu Live picks up just 4 channels, local NBC and CBS, MLB Network, NHL Network, I am dropping cable and going with them. My neighbor dropped cable because of the BTN deal and when I watch TV with them there is absolutely no difference between Hulu Live and cable.

 

[TouchdownMyPants]

Dude, @Hawkeyeinsoutherncalifornia , you are a good man! I can’t take you up on this generous offer, mostly because my kids and wife would order movies on it, plus I need some local/premium content, but that Is appreciated.

I’m going to start my testing of services next week with DTVNow, YouTube, and one other (Vue, Sling, or Hulu) in the mix and I’ll report back with my findings in a few weeks.

Thanks all!

I can help you out.. download the Spectrum App.. when done let me know I can get you hooked up .. no charge ..


QUOTE="TouchdownMyPants, post: 5517201, member: 78292"]Friends and fellow Hawkeyes, I currently live outside of the B1G footprint and Comcast (the reigning Most Hated Company in the US) has removed the option for me to even buy BTN in this state.

Because of this, I am very interested to hear how you all consume BTN? I’m particularly interested in SlingTV, DirectTV Now, and YouTube Red. Are there other options I should consider? Not a gamer so investing in a PlayStation Vue isn’t going to do it for me.

I used to be a dish person and would consider that again, but my previous experience with a dish was par to bogie so that would take some convincing.

Truly appreciate your insights. On Iowa, Go Hawks!

[/QUOTE]

 

[scotthawk1964]

I've got Playstation Vue on an Amazon fire Stick and it has been working great. Just need to get a second stick for the second TV.

I've thought about getting rid of my directv as the price just keeps going up, and I have nothing new to show for it. I have had thoughts about trying the playstation vue. Of course, my wife is always streaming her Philippine TV shows, and my son is always online either watching Youtube or battling someone on the internet with his playstation, so I would be worried about slow streaming speeds. I think we get something like 20MB's per second or something like that now. How much do the sticks cost?

 

[TouchdownMyPants]

I've thought about getting rid of my directv as the price just keeps going up, and I have nothing new to show for it. I have had thoughts about trying the playstation vue. Of course, my wife is always streaming her Philippine TV shows, and my son is always online either watching Youtube or battling someone on the internet with his playstation, so I would be worried about slow streaming speeds. I think we get something like 20MB's per second or something like that now. How much do the sticks cost?

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote | Streaming Media Player Amazon product ASIN B00ZV9RDKK
$40. Pretty nifty device. Probably will have an even lower price on Prime Day next week.

 

[bagdropper]

I've thought about getting rid of my directv as the price just keeps going up, and I have nothing new to show for it. I have had thoughts about trying the playstation vue. Of course, my wife is always streaming her Philippine TV shows, and my son is always online either watching Youtube or battling someone on the internet with his playstation, so I would be worried about slow streaming speeds. I think we get something like 20MB's per second or something like that now. How much do the sticks cost?

Make sure you consider, as you say, the wife and kid streaming, along with now adding streaming a third item into the mix.

If you get 20 Mbps...I got 20 Mbps and if I had those other two streamers going at the same time, my bet is it ain't going to be enough.

 

[SoDakHawk]

I saw a TV ad last night from Dish Network directed right at Comcast not carrying BTN. Not so subtle shot about Dish Network being the place where can catch ALL the Division 1 football games. Had clips of people watching an Ohio State game and some other football clips, all Big Ten teams. Then in the final shot where they show the Direct TV logo you could see the Big Ten logo underneath along with a few other networks. Targeted advertising, hitting Comcast where it hurts. I predict Comcast will see a rash of people dropping them in August.