Back to Cable

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks, Doc. Appreciate your patience answering my dumb questions.

[catmanjack]

Thanks I have those same questions, how to get cheap cable and not lose access to UK games as they are on so many different channels. Would accept internet alone if you were able to stream the games live.

[Doc]

Thanks I have those same questions, how to get cheap cable and not lose access to UK games as they are on so many different channels. Would accept internet alone if you were able to stream the games live.

Yes, you stream them live. You also get SECN, ESPN, ESPN U. ESPN GRIDIRON, HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, PLAYBOY, ABC (about 50 feeds), NBC (about 50 feeds), CBS (about 50 feeds), FOX (about 50 feeds) plus all the Fox sports, etc.... its has multiple programs that allow you to watch TV live. Is a TV channel guide and you just click on it and bang...its there.

[MickintheHam]

Thanks, Doc. Appreciate your patience answering my dumb questions.

Darrell to be anecdotal for a minute, it seems to me the Spectrum service in Bham is relatively trouble free. I monitor two neighborhood facebook groups and the complaints about Uverse, Dish, and Direct are frequent topics and usually have double digit comments. Price is always an issue with Spectrum, but I seem to have my monthly bill at a level I can handle and get far more programming than I need.

[Darrell KSR]

Darrell to be anecdotal for a minute, it seems to me the Spectrum service in Bham is relatively trouble free. I monitor two neighborhood facebook groups and the complaints about Uverse, Dish, and Direct are frequent topics and usually have double digit comments. Price is always an issue with Spectrum, but I seem to have my monthly bill at a level I can handle and get far more programming than I need.

My Spectrum has not gone out since I've had it, maybe except for a blip or something that I don't even remember. I have issues with internet speed, but the plan they have proposed would double my internet speed with them, which should make it very good.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to drop down to a basic plan--all local channels plus some crappy channels they select, and then 10 more of our choosing, and get the Rveal box and give that a try. But sticking with Spectrum. This would save me about $50-60 per month or more, though.

My wife was showing me something last night on "Nextdoor Neighborhood" where there were probably a double digit number of people who had trouble with AT&T/DirecTV in our area, mainly over billing/equipment type issues. The "neighborhood" is a lot bigger than just my neighborhood, but I thought that was an astoudning number of people who had problems with them.

[Doc]

I have tons of problems with Direct TV, ever since I got my "free upgrade" on equipment. **** didnt work so I had to replace it, out of my pocket and keep the 2 year agreement. Thats when I researched alternatives, and saw the RVeal box. Liked it so much that I went ahead and got it for my man cave figuring the cost of the NFL package covered the cost, plus I get the NHL package, NBA package, MLB package, NCAA football and basketball plus english soccer, darts, snooker..even get sumo wrestling. Even after frying my first box, I had no issue buying a replacement

[bigsky]

I have Dish with the complete package for $250 and TWC for internet at 340-355 mbps for around $75. The latter is lightning fast on my PC and the wifi works quite well. Once in a blue moon I have to reboot the modem/router but that's it. It's hardwired to my TV so streaming is seamless.

No way around it that I’ve found.

[CGWildcat]

I just cut Directv 2 weeks ago. Went with Roku, plus netflix, hulu, and a bunch of others. I miss Judge Judy though. I need to research this Reveal character.

[KeithKSR]

I wouldn't mind going with something different, but our internet options are nonexistent. We either have to with a satellite based internet, or cell based internet. In a $/GB analysis the cell service won out. We get 10 GB for the hotspot and 22 GB per phone, and since we have AT&T and DIRECTV we can stream on the directv app without using data.

[Darrell KSR]

I have putzed around and not bought anything yet. I wonder if Black Friday may have a deal on Rveal 2. I just got an email from NewEgg about watching my inbox for Thursday and Friday, so at this point, I guess it's worth waiting?

[catmanjack]

Keep the updates coming on Rveal, interested myself.

[catmanjack]

Currently without cable and probably not going to waste the money but would like to watch the games so revisiting this topic again if there are any updates feel free to fill me in.

[catmanjack]

Does a Roku stick work as well as the reveal 2?
What are the differences?

[catmanjack]

Did not realize there is also a fee to activate the Roku stick either 49 or 79 dollar fee.

[Darrell KSR]

I don't think the Roku stick does the same thing as the Rveal, but I could be wrong.

[catmanjack]

I think you are correct, tried to go cheaper and highly disappointed and will return.
Think it’s the reveal 2 all the way.

[Crazy4Blue]

If you cut the cord, give PS Vue a shot (but don't use Roku...it's clunky and slow) with Amazon Fire. I love it, but get occasional buffering...but not so much that I would go back to Cable or Direct TV. PS Vue $40 a month, plus Netflix and Amazon Pride.

[CitizenBBN]

Looked at the rveal2 and tried to get up to speed on this area. Everyone recommends the NVidia box over the others for performance, but if you go that way you have to install a lot of the software yourself to get you to what the Rveal box does. I can do it but not sure I"m up for it, so think I may just get the rveal box.

The thing is there's a lot of gray in all of this, and even some virus/malware issues. It's not quite a trip down the dark web, but it's definitely a tech rabbit hole of apps and sites and such. Rveal kinda bundles all that into a box pre-done, which may be worth the sacrifice in hardware b/c the NVidia is far superior in terms of performance.

They're all android boxes running apps to stream stuff. Some is legal, like signing up for SlingTV or HBO (and you then pay for those), some is gray like apps that comb other areas to find things, and some is legal and free (like ad supported streaming sites).

I spent a couple of hours figuring it out one night and stopped, didn't have time to spend on more of it, but it's a whole world of options.

[catmanjack]

What I am finding even with the fire stick you have to pay premium for like Hulu and amazon to stream even ESPN is the reveal 2 the same way? The whole purpose is to do away with the expensive cable and expensive monthly payment.

[CitizenBBN]

that's the irony to me. Everyone says cut the cable and lower their cost, then subscribe to 3-5 services all at $10-$30 a month and you're right back to a decent bill every month.

I still haven't gotten a 100% handle on Rveal2. it seems to operate more in gray areas, not sure if it's streaming straight from torrent sites and such, but it sure seems more gray than just getting another android box and connecting to your netflix account.

Google something called "Kodi". Kodi is the open source software that seems to drive most of these boxes, at least the gray area parts. For example Nvidia Shield doesn't have Kodi but you can put kodi on it, then you get to choose all these sites and sub-apps you can run that will connect to different content.

From what I can tell the rveal2 box uses Kodi and it's pre-installed. Or some version of the same thing.

Kodi doesn't actually provide any streaming services, but you then use it to connect to them. Some are legit (netflix, prime), some can be free and maybe ad supported (they have real thin content from what I've seen, B-movies and shows), and some are much more gray. That last one I haven't fully figured out, if it's torrent type stuff or something else.

[CitizenBBN]

Rveal2 sounds like it builds in a lot of those services automatically, and then you can just surf them. That's why no fees, they're either ad supported or gray area stuff.

It's gray b/c the laws deal with downloading, not really streaming but you don't save anything. At least as I understand it.

[catmanjack]

Super way to end the half

[Darrell KSR]

I think you have it right.

Rveal2 sounds like it builds in a lot of those services automatically, and then you can just surf them. That's why no fees, they're either ad supported or gray area stuff.

It's gray b/c the laws deal with downloading, not really streaming but you don't save anything. At least as I understand it.

[CitizenBBN]

I wouldn't take it to the bank. I have been in tech since before the first PC was released, 1978, and I'm having a hard time understanding some of what is going on with this stuff.

Mostly b/c the companies don't tell you, IMO clearly b/c they don't want to tell you, b/c some of it is gray. At least that part of it.

Now a box where you then download the play store app for Netflix, HBO, sure, that's simple enough. You're just buying and running a dedicated media streaming box, a computer dedicated to just that function. Easy.

But how this other stuff comes in, that's the gray part.

The "in crowd" techs don't even discuss the Rveal box much if at all, b/c as a box it's not that powerful. They love the Nvidia box, but then they go in and add KODI and all the various services that it can connect to and you get a performance 4K level box with all the rveal streaming options.

But it's also clearly a fair amount of installing and tweaking.

[Darrell KSR]

I still haven't bought mine because I don't want to "install" it lol. So you know I'm not going to get the one that requires you to put the programming in.

I wouldn't take it to the bank. I have been in tech since before the first PC was released, 1978, and I'm having a hard time understanding some of what is going on with this stuff.

Mostly b/c the companies don't tell you, IMO clearly b/c they don't want to tell you, b/c some of it is gray. At least that part of it.

Now a box where you then download the play store app for Netflix, HBO, sure, that's simple enough. You're just buying and running a dedicated media streaming box, a computer dedicated to just that function. Easy.

But how this other stuff comes in, that's the gray part.

The "in crowd" techs don't even discuss the Rveal box much if at all, b/c as a box it's not that powerful. They love the Nvidia box, but then they go in and add KODI and all the various services that it can connect to and you get a performance 4K level box with all the rveal streaming options.

But it's also clearly a fair amount of installing and tweaking.

[catmanjack]

So there is installing to the reveal 2? Not just simple screen loading?
Would like to have but not if there is a lot of trouble loading!

[Darrell KSR]

Plugging it up. But you don't know how bad I am.

So there is installing to the reveal 2? Not just simple screen loading?
Would like to have but not if there is a lot of trouble loading!

[catmanjack]

Heck I am worried about myself, Plug and go just do not go with me.

[Darrell KSR]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to at least try YouTube TV. Gave a friend a ride over to the soccer game in Georgia Friday night oh, and he was telling my wife and I are about him switching to YouTube TV. He's very discerning, but also didn't mind saving money, and it sounds like it has everything we need, and then some.

[catmanjack]

Keep us posted.