What are /r/cordcutters' favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

When Netflix released their financials a week or two ago, they said specifically that they were going to become more specific about what content they pursue. They aren't going to target content that has a very short lifespan such as The Daily Show. Instead they're going to target content like Breaking Bad that stays relevant much longer.

As for their deal with Viacom, they said they would let the current deal (where they buy a license to everything for a set price) expire, and work on a new deal where they are only buying a license for specific titles.

This should allow them to use the data they have on their customers' viewing habits, and make their licensing money go further.

Regarding the Warner Archive Instant, I think if you go look at the titles available there you will agree that they aren't worth $10/month, and that this isn't much of a loss for Netflix. I expect Warner's in-house streaming experiment to be a failure.

EDIT: This is the article I was referencing about Netflix's future licensing strategy being focused on quality over quantity and content with a longer lifespan.

Quite possibly, there's an agreement that Amazon must make an Android TV app.

They have. It's in the Play store, but it doesn't work for any actual Android TV devices (it has between 100 and 500 downloads).

I would think YouTube doesn't consider that as keeping to the agreement.

• Gunsmoke - a couple seasons on Paramount+, but I'd recommend just buying the DVD box set for $244 to get all 635 episodes. It sounds like a lot of money, but I'm betting they're paying over $125/month in cable, so it has full payback in less than two months.

• The Rifleman - all 5 seasons on IMDB streaming, Roku, Tubi, Vudu free, all free streaming services FREE

• Little House on the Prairie - 9 seasons on IMDB streaming, 8 seasons on Peacock (both free services) FREE

• Andy Griffith - 8 seasons on Prime

• Leave it to Beaver - Roku all 6 seasons FREE

For other shows you find check: https://www.justwatch.com/

PaperKarma. It solved my junk mail problem. I get maybe 1 solicitation every other month now. Just snap a photo of the envelope and it sends the company a request to stop contacting me.

I used to get junk mail almost daily. It took a few months to notice, but the traffic slowed down after about 6 months. After a year I got almost nothing. I've been using it for like 4 years.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/androidtv.news/2016/12/possible-nvidia-shield-2-website-leaks-new-controller-amazon-video/amp/

Edit: So I provide an article with legitimate information supporting the claim, and people downvote. Got it.

Edit 2: I was right. Amazon 4K HDR video being advertised with the new Shield! https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA-SHIELD-TV-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B01N1NT9Y6

So I contacted Netflix just to let them know if ads became a thing, I would be canceling my service immediately. The person I was talking to proceeded to tell me I could go here, which is the "test participation" settings, where you can opt out of test participation (it looks like the promo commercials are this type of "test" thing, so hopefully if you have seen the promos, this would cut that out). He also says to make sure you change the settings for each profile (it's not just one setting for the whole account). Just wanted to throw it out there for you all.

P.S. if for whatever reason, that link doesn't work, just get on the Netflix help center/chat and ask them how to opt out of test participation.

This is correct. People are flagging on the type of video cable, but op has a tv with a single port that has analog audio (left and right) plus a composite video combined into one. Usually this is as a 3.5mm audio jack, but instead of a microphone, the third channel is video.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-C3M-110-Composite-Camcorder-Breakout/dp/B00FC4Z5L8

composite video breakout cable + (tv manufacturer) should give you the right thing.

I'll honestly be surprised if Amazon can not. I mean they have an infrastructure in place for content delivery. I would be really worried if they are not able to do a 10/10 stream.

https://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/

It's not really a gray area, it is straight up copyright infringement. That being said, I have Private Internet Access and it's worked great. I use it for Popcorn Time, but it will work for all torrenting activities.

sidebar ----->

canistream.it

the folks behind the website actually just had a thread here a week ago about it. from what i gather, they're pretty responsive. if you end up using them, perhaps send them an email seeing if they can add on vudu or any other service you use that they don't yet catelogue.

That's my answer too. Assuming you aren't renting too often, Google Opinion Rewards can probably pay for most of your movie rentals without costing you anything out of pocket. I have $16.80 in credit right now.

1. Subscribe to Sony Vue Get various Fox sports, NBC Sports, ESPN and other live sports channels including regional sports https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/

2. Subscribe to Sling tv. Get either ESPN or Fox sports. Get other live sports channels

3. Subscribe to the streaming service of the league of your choice.

4. Subscribe to fubo tv.

5. Get an antenna.

(Edit: no, one does not want both Sling and Vue at the same time...but all are alternatives....some may be better than others depending on the season).

The NFL is free with Gamepass if you're "from the Netherlands". They're trying to increase their exposure over there. If you create a Netherlands iTunes, you'll be able to download the app on an iDevice.

I don't use Unblock-Us, but I use a similar service called Ad-Free Time which is only $2/mo and run by a Redditor. There's even a subreddit: /r/adfreetime.

If you decide to buy the Roku Stick I'd suggest buying a month of Sling TV @ $20 and you get a free Roku Stick. You can cancel immediately after your account is active and it will cancel at the end of your billing cycle.

https://www.sling.com/devices/offers

All in the Family - Sony has a season on Crackle. I believe they rotate the seasons. https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/all-in-the-family

If you are looking for older shows not on Hulu, Netflix or Amazon, check Tubitv, Hoopla Digital, Crackle, Netflix DVD, CBS All Access, and your library's DVD collection as well as the ABC and NBC websites/app. Many broadcasters have added Classic or Throwback categories. Not sure if Kanopy has tv shows but it does have classic movies.

Someone posted a link a while back on r/efreebies for a VPN service that was $90/year, or $45/year if you used a virtual coupon for new members. I'll see if I can't find it for those interested as it has both a desktop VPN application as well as a browser extension to add redundancy.

Edit: Here's the link to the post, and here's the link to the website.

Well, the wireless method would be to get a Network Tuner/DVR and connect it via your WiFi, and then use an app on your streaming device to access them. Tablo and AirTV can do this. If you've got a power outlet out there, you could also experiment with a Ethernet Powerline adapter kit, which would probably be more reliable than a WiFi connection in an apartment/condo situation.

Flat Coax Cables are pretty thin and cheap though, so it's probably worth trying first.

Sling directly carries NBC and Fox locals in some markets. The locast integration has been replaced now with an OTA antenna and tuner combo called AirTV. https://www.sling.com/programming/local-channels

This is why:

There's a peering fight going on between Netflix, ISPs, and the backbone carriers. It's affecting me too.

My solution has been to use Private Internet Access VPN to bypass my ISP's normal route to Netflix. Choosing the US - Florida gateway has worked the best for me. It costs some extra money, sure, but this peering crap isn't likely to be resolved anytime soon. Buying VPN service was worth it to me.

And yes... the voice remote FINALLY has TV power and volume control!

It comes with the new Fire TV 4K Stick but can also be purchased separately for $30. It’s compatible with recent Fire TV devices: Fire TV Cube, Fire TV (3rd Gen Pendant Design), Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen).

If you're interested in looking into audiobooks I recommend looking into the overdrive media app. Depending on where you are and your local library, you may be able to borrow eBooks and audiobooks. Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overdrive.mobile.android.mediaconsole

Private Internet Access and allows up to 5 simultaneous device/connections.

I'm sure there are many variations on this technique, but I use a VPN to connect overseas (Amsterdam) and I start the Gamepass stream. Then I turn off the VPN shortly after the stream starts, which allows me to use my full bandwidth. This gives me HD or near-HD quality.

I use Private Internet Access for my VPN provider.

Which is, incidentally, what Amazon is likely doing about this. From their postmortem:

> While removal of capacity is a key operational practice, in this instance, the tool used allowed too much capacity to be removed too quickly. We have modified this tool to remove capacity more slowly and added safeguards to prevent capacity from being removed when it will take any subsystem below its minimum required capacity level.

Sounds like they're adding a --I-understand-that-this-will-destroy-a-whole-zone flag.

Not movie filename specific, but I've found Bulk Rename Utility to be quite useful. It might work for you if you have specific characters (say, a hyphen) separating the different parts of the filename.

it's noteable the same service from silicondust/hdhomerun is $3/mo
https://www.silicondust.com/dvr-service/

while it will be $0/mo this Fall when Amazon jumps into this market
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6A6H74

pretty much any old set of rabbit ears from the local junk shop will get you most of the channels you're looking for. You're really close to a lot of channels, so they will come in with a paper clip stuck in the back of the TV.

For NBC however, you're 70 miles away and listed as wht they call "2edge" which means get the best antenna you can and put it on the longest stick you can.

Consider something like this

You sure he didn't mean dietary fiber?

Given how full of shit AT&T is, i would imagine it's more likely.

If you want hulu plus for free you can totally use bing rewards to get it. I'm up to 5 months banked right now and I have only been doing max searches for about 2 months. This Is my referral link if anyone wants to sign up for it and wants to get me a few free credits.

If It weren't for bing rewards I wouldn't even use hulu because of the ads.

> I wish there was a better way to monitor cable Internet performance and then hold the accountable for their claims.

It would have to be some sort of private effort. Comcast is the #3 political donor.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-ten-companies-making-the-biggest-political-donations.html?page=all

August 26, 2014

Roku vs. Apple TV vs. Chromecast vs. Amazon Fire TV

--

October 16, 2014

Nexus Player vs Chromecast vs Apple TV vs Roku

If you want a great solution, just download a program like "Private Internet Access" and use their VPN service for the month. It will cost you $7 per month. Then just fire it up, select the Toronto location, and then go to . And there you go...every event in the entire olympics available on demand. Either streaming or replays. You can watch every single event.

Just wanted to say thanks. I have Private Internet Access and by using the Netherlands server, it's as easy as hitting watch. I just checked it with recorded games and NFL network was a live feed. Are there any other US channels that stream free in other countries?

Roku Stick (on sale for $39), Roku Premiere or Premiere+. The Roku Express like the Fire Stick is underpowered. The Roku stick has a quad core. Right now, Roku is offering two free months of HBO Now. Make sure check the details on deal for both purchase date and activation date for HBO Now as this deal is about to expire.

• https://www.roku.com/offers/hbonow

• https://www.roku.com/products/streaming-stick

Edit: I don't prefer the Fire Stick as I think Amazon pushes its purchases for episodes too much and makes it harder to get to other services.

In either case for both Roku and Fire, set up a pin to prevent accidental purchases.

Yeah, I use HTTPS Everywhere which alters reddit's URLs so that the traffic between me and reddit servers is encrypted. It just so happens that only pay.reddit.com works correctly over https. (e.g. https://www.reddit.com/ will complain loudly).

https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Compact-Outdoor-Antenna-ANT751E/dp/B0024R4B5C

This is all you need for your UHF/VHF needs. It picks up all local affiliates: NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and CW. RCA also has a Signal Finder app that will show you where to point it for maximum reception.

I cancelled DirectTV Now when Sling picked up Discovery. Now Sling lost Fox Sports SW. I’m probably going to head back to cable.

Also, you are not dumb. Good luck!

What? That is totally untrue. VPNs are not exempted from complying with subpoenas. What nonsense is this?

You bet your ass that it they collect data about you and are subpoenaed for it they're required to hand it over. HideMyAss certainly did.

Get a Roku device(Cheapest is $30) and subscribe to Philo's $16/mo package to get BBC America.

Download the PBS app to get access to some on-demand PBS content, but unfortunately there is no way to get a live stream of your local PBS due to rights issues they are still working out.

Netflix and Amazon Prime apps are also available on Roku.

I just tried the web version of youtube tv, https://tv.youtube.com/, and it might be the best web experience out of all the streaming services. It's super clean and extremely responsive. No stuttering whatsover.

An RDP Patch will let you log in with one account, while another account is logged in. I use it on my media computer that auto-logs-in and opens my HTPC software (in my case, Plex) and then I RDP into the same box with a different login and password in order to manage files and FTP files and stuff.

Found the link using DuckDuckGo. If the page I linked you to doesn't work, there are lots of other pages that are similar

Anything omnidirectional should do the trick. If you're trying to focus on one market, then a unidirectional that can focus without seeing the others. Here's one I found that isn't too expensive. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BRYJLTL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_VtehFbXKFE4NT

What you need is a VPN service. Some will allow you to change your apparent location at will. Be wary that some will record all of your internet usage for later use, notably . I can recommend Mullvad. It runs me $6 a month I think.

Ethernet is so much better than Wifi it hardly matters which cable.

I've quit running cable since I found these.

This version is 500 mbps for not much more than the cost of Ethernet cable.

Switch it out for a 2 way splitter, you'll lose less signal. You're using a 4 port splitter, so you're losing 7dB per port. Swich to a 2 way splitter, and you'll "gain" 3.5dB of signal. They're cheap at walmart, only about $3. Oh, after replacing the splitter, do a channel scan again. You might be suprised at what you can now pick up.

I'm not sure what you want us to say? As you've looked up every possible movie, there isn't many options there.

My first thought is to suggest you should get outside more...

But how about HBO or Showtime or Cinemax or any other service like that. Just for a month to see the movies you haven't seen. Have you tried hoopla free from many local libraries?

Or try https://www.justwatch.com/us/movies?providers=vdu,itu&monetization_types=rent&max_price=1 for boatloads of 99 cent rentals.

Not to be that guy, but hiding your SSID provides no security and can in fact make your network more vulnerable. You're better off using a strong password and changing it regularly. You can do MAC address filtering on most routers, but this is also pretty trivial to circumvent.

I have a Synology NAS and I really like it because of the web-based interface (they call it DSM). It has a nice bittorrent interface that makes it easy to add torrents remotely via web, or via an iphone app, or via a drop-box on my PC. I build all my own PCs at home and work but for NAS I love the plug-and-play of the Synology stuff.

If you build your own MythTV DVR you can easily do it. But I don't think they have an Apple client. You'll have to check. They do have one for Fire TV.

https://www.mythtv.org/

It has a lot of function. Even the ability to automatically skip or delete commercials. You don't even have to display all that it picks up.

I'm guessing the commercial versions are all closed source and you can't do it.

Florida here. I don't have the service available yet in my area and am still patiently waiting. I would give it some more time because the blog they run said they will be expanding "In a couple of weeks" which could mean a month realistically. In the meantime you can sign up here and they will email you when it becomes available

https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/coming-soon/

Sling has a $20 package which when I tested it I found not to shabby that can tide you over until YouTube TV launches in your area if you want to get T.V today.

>Lifetime Term: Lifetime shall mean the current major version of the Emby server software or twenty-four months, whichever is longer. (E.g. The Emby server software is currently at version 3.XXXX. A lifetime subscription shall be valid until Emby server software reaches version 4.XXX or twenty-four months, whichever occurs later.)

https://emby.media/premiereterms.html

So Amazon's Smart TVs will be released June 14th and be preordered now.

official link

Edit: Cnet ~~Review~~ Preview/Summary

yes, a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel. the ISP can't figure out where the traffic is going to or coming from. For example, Facebook is blocked everywhere in China. But if you have a VPN, you can use Facebook (or netflix or whatever you want) because it is impossible to tell where the traffic is going. The one I use is Private Internet Access, and it is great.

That's what I'm going with this year. You'll have to use a VPN in order to use it since NFL Game Pass is intended for users outside of the US, but for $200 you also get Red Zone which isn't included in the $200 Sunday ticket package.

I'd like to recommend [Private Internet Access]( ;source=web&rct=j&ei=1jQDVKKOJoPLggSd7IKADA&;cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNEeX1vH1VT4_XLQKyCmPKRmr0Ndxw&sig2=vyTcsAQfIO4BK7caRF26kw) as a VPN if you don't already have a VPN of choice.

I like Private Internet Access. They're US based so doing highly illegal things is probably not safe with them but they have been great for everything I use them for.

They've got instructions that will tell you how to set it up. It's a few bucks a month.

Yes and no, it's likely to happen at some point, but not anytime soon. Possibly in a couple years. I know I'll be dropping my sub when that happens. But then, that's probably their intention. Comcast (owner of NBC and therefore part owner of Hulu) would probably rather just see Hulu die since they offer their own streaming stuff with a cable sub. Fuck comcast.

I wouldn't say it's illegal to share cable logins. Companies like Comcast know people are doing this, if they wanted to allow only 1-3 logins at a time, there's nothing stopping them from doing so.

See this as well.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/share-logins-streaming-services/index.htm

Sling International has a World Sports standalone package for $10/m or $80/yr. It gets you the main beInSports English and Spanish channels, but none of the extra numbered channels, and you don't get access to the beInSports apps. Two additional simultaneous streams and Cloud DVR can be added on for $5 each.

Wait until the raspberry pi comes out http://www.raspberrypi.org/, and then order it, the more expensive ($35 I believe) version is capable of hdmi output and has built in Ethernet, you can load up Openelec http://www.openelec.tv/ which is a self booting version of XMBC, or any other linux build on it and there you go, a cheap simple and silent machine to get online content to your tv.

--Edit-- (Changed Price from 30 to 35)

Step 1, get Acestream. It is basically a hacked version of VLC.

Then go here. Click on the channel you want, and then click on the acestream link, and it will work perfectly (usually, sometimes the links go dead for many reasons).

You may have to sort out what Channel is carrying the match you want, but you will get a good HD stream. I use it for the Sky Streams of GAA Matches from Ireland.

If you have Pushbullet, you can go here to create your own. then just share it with whoever you want to have access to the notifications. I had to install PB on my wifes phone, but it works really well.

If you go under Advanced option in CP and Sonarr, it lets you push the notifications to a PB channel instead of just your account. CP is a bit wonky in that it will give me double notifications since I'm the Channel admin, but the setup works great.

I like not paying the apple tax for the exact same purchased content.

Random example:

Game of Thrones season 1

• Amazon cost $24.99 for the season in HD

• iTunes cost $38.99 for the season in HD

That article is a joke by the presence of HMA... they log everything, you're even better without a VPN at all...

I tested Torguard and PIA personally, unfortunately PIA doesn't provide any server working with Hulu and other services checking for a VPN.

No problem with torguard :)

The reason it works is because you're masking your external IP address (from your ISP) with the VPN, but the internal IP address that is handed out to your laptop (typically 192.168.x.x) doesn't change, as it's used for the internal network only.

Edit: Rereading your comment, looks like you were on the right track.

Edit2: Think of it this way. I have Comcast internet. When I run Private Internet Access, a request to goes from my laptop to my modem, then router, then out to Private Internet Access' servers, then to , so the IP address that sees is the Private Internet Access IP. checks the IP address to see where it originates, and if it's outside of a blackout zone, it allows you to watch. This has nothing to do with your internal network, so any casting or file transfers or anything internal remain unaffected.

sorry non-americans, americentrism strikes again!

I have no idea if they have any way to legally watch if you are outside the US, but I imagine ~~non-americans~~ dirty foreigners can use a proxy service like Zenmate or Hola

Many of the movies are exclusive to Starz, unless you're going to /rent/buy them individually from iTunes/Google Play/etc.

Here's a list of some of the content available just on Starz.

Mac users my like the very simple RipIt from The Little App Factory.

It has options to begin ripping (and compressing) on disk insert and also an option to eject on completion of the rip. You may also want to set RipIt as your default DVD program in System Preferences so it will launch on DVD insert if it isn't already running.

http://pluto.tv/

Existing web video curated into streams/channels in a slick interface similar to traditional TV viewing. It's great for those times when you don't have something specific you want to watch or just want to have something on in the background.

Plex!

Plex is really a companion channel to a PC app. It lets you stream media from your hard drive, via your wifi connection. It also lets you queue up [youtube videos]( /r/fullmoviesonyoutube/) to watch on your tv.

It has more features than that, but I think it's worth having just for that.

I just skimmed over https://www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse and found no mention of not being allowed to share the account.

Section 7, Passwords & Account Access says that the Account Owner should not share the password or payment method, but makes no mention of not sharing access.

From my understanding gorhill, the original developer of uBlock, created a fork, known as uBlock Origin. uBlock is now run by a different group. Gorhill is actively developing uBlock Origin. I'm not too sure on the technical differences. If anyone can chime in that would be awesome.

I believe both will get the job done just fine. I'm terribly sorry is I wasn't helpful, again, if anyone else knows more please share.

uBlock Origin's GitHub page might be able to provide some info I'm missing.

There are some no frills TVs but they usually cost as much as a tv with built in features, which probably results in low demand.

This Sceptre TV has no WiFi, no roku or fire tv, no Bluetooth. But there are better quality TVs in the same price range with those features.

Sceptre U550CV-U 55" 4K Ultra HD 2160p 60Hz LED HDTV (4K x 2K) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CDC49E0/

Private Internet Access is really solid. I haven't had any issues with them since I signed up. They have servers in various locations all over the world as well. I forget how much they are a month without looking or their billing terms, but its not very much.

Not sure about ESPN, but getting a VPN with exit nodes in The Netherlands will let you watch NFL GamePass for free. VPN is not very much per year and is useful for other privacy needs. I use Private Internet Access.

What you need is a WRT54-GL. It is the greatest router ever made and will be for the rest of eternity.

Now that I've said that ridiculous crap people always says when asked about home routers, you should get a wireless router that supports n and ac. Any of these:

http://www.cnet.com/topics/networking/best-networking-devices/

will probably do whatever you need.

If you want to be super hard core (like me) you can wire your house for ethernet. It's not a terrible process (my house is about the same size as yours) but you need to want to do it and have an afternoon free. This has the added benefit of not ever having wireless issues due to interference, bandwidth saturation, etc. The only time I've ever had wireless issues is during LANparties where I will have 15-20 people connected to the router on wireless and it can't handle it. Incidentally, this is why I wired my house up.

It was $29 in 2016 https://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/03/15/playstation-vue-now-streaming-across-us-cheaper-30-plans/ You are correct, they launched with a high price few would pay, it has come full circle back to high prices again.

On Trakt, you can add movies/shows to your wishlist. From the wishlist, you can filter by streaming service.

As an example, here's my watchlist filtered by Netflix.

https://trakt.tv/users/kleric42/progress?list=584367&watchnow=netflix

TVs on Black Friday are usually discontinued models and brands you've never heard of. Often, they're not even normally sold in the store, and are instead brought in just for the week.

I buy from Costco whenever possible for the 2nd year warranty extension and ease of return if there's a problem within 90 days. Their warehouse stores trend toward large TVs, but the website currently has 11 options until $300. No membership is required for the website, and you can return a bad TV to a local warehouse.

You can use Bing rewards still to get Hulu free, though with commercials. My GF and I go on and click their news streams daily, each news headline counts as a search. Currently sitting on 3 months of free Hulu through it. I wouldn't rcommend Bing for much else other than Hulu and nice wallpapers now and then.

https://www.bing.com/rewards/redeem/000100000007

What I heard (I have no source, and am too lazy to look it up now) that they were going to get theatrical releases 'shortly' after they leave theaters.

Edit: sigh alright "... meaning that Netflix will get access to that content at the same time that cable networks would normally get those titles — typically six to nine months after theatrical release once DVD sales have cooled but before interest in the films have dissipated."

Unfortunately no. I doubt they are available in Pluto Tv's on demand section either. Pluto Tv intentionally does not have a full guide as it supposed to be spontaneous not appointment style tv.

You probably already know this: the episodes from the 1963 Dr. Who are available on stream on Britbox.The 2005 version is available to stream onAmazon Prime.

I have several antennas in my attic that I built myself.

It's much easier than you think if you can follow directions and work with some simple tools.

https://sites.google.com/site/maycreates/ota-setup

This persons website really helped me get started!

I started first with the Stealth Hawk. Simple and rather powerful! I moved on to a four bay bowtie with a simple foil reflector. I built a single bay Grey-Hoverman design next also with a reflector. It was a bit difficult, but the results were awesome!

You could try Caffeine From the description "If you have problems with your PC locking or going to sleep, caffeine will keep it awake. It works by simulating a keypress once every 59 seconds, so your machine thinks you're still working at the keyboard, so won't lock the screen or activate the screensaver."

Easiest answer, you are 2 minutes away from: if you have a Windows computer, use Windows Media Center (built in, get to it from the start menu) and the MyMovies plug in: http://www.mymovies.dk/

Plex has a ton of advantages, especially if you want to view the same content multiple ways in your house, but requires a little more setup. Not a problem if you are the least bit technical though. XBMC is very nice too, and a favorite of tinkerers.

It's everything we missed about cable, mindless background noise.

Basically it's curated youtube streams that run 24/7. There's an "Ellen" channel that plays nothing but Ellen. There's "Guns and Explosions" which is.. Guns and Explosions.

http://pluto.tv/guide/

No commercials (other than their own).

Some of it does however video delivery is not in the Amazon cloud. The video delivery is done through a CDN or content distribution network. Netflix used Akamai a couple years ago but then apparently started rolling their own CDN. What they really want is for Internet Service Providers to do this:

https://www.netflix.com/openconnect

Which basically means put some Netflix equipment on the ISP side (which Netflix will give them for free). That means the video streams directly from your ISP to you. One would think that would be a slam dunk but unfortunately not all providers have their customers as the top priority (which leads into Comcast but I'll end here).

This is decidedly not true in my experience. I often find better or at least the same price at other online stores when comparing to Amazon.

This week's example was a NutriBullet Pro 900 blender. I had it in my Amazon cart for $179 and was about to buy it when I just did a simple google search and found it for $149 at Bed Bath and Beyond online. Had I not been in a hurry to get it I could have looked for it in-store and used the ubiquitous 20% BB&B coupon as well but my local stores didn't have it in stock.

Now, I just now went to check and the Amazon price has dropped to $145. Seriously their pricing changes like that all the time and this was an order I placed this week (Wednesday, 1/29/14). I had other items in my cart at the time and purchased them from Amazon but deleted the NutriBullet and ordered it from BB&B (with free shipping for orders > $99).

Edit: Proof!

TL;DR Amazon does not have the best pricing. Always comparison shop.

Sometimes it's not the router. How fast is your Internet connection? Right now I'm getting 90 Mbps download speeds and I use a Netgear nighthawk 1750. I live in a small apartment however so I don't know how it will work in a large space. But it is a very highly rated router/access point and I get no drop off in speed when I go wireless. I've also got cat6 running through my apartment. So if that's possible it's something you might want to look into. If you're renting the house, then you might want to just do surface runs only. If you own the house it might be worth it to look into actually running cable through the house. The Netgear nighthawk 1750 that I bought on Amazon was about $120.

Edit: here's what I use NETGEAR AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router, 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit (R6400-100NAS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z0V2NQ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_2l2ixbEHZRPP4

Then I run this from my modem into my bedroom. It's a TP Link unmanaged switch. I've got my TV, fire TV, and computer plugged into it. TP-LINK 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Desktop Switch (TL-SG108) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A121WN6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_on2ixbEJCGYQH

I moved into a new build and put a coaxial outlet in many of the rooms, but didn't put in Cat5 (I thought the wireless would reach). Since I use DirecTVNow I dont use the coaxial, so I got this on amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01718U2KQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

From my router I go Cat5, then convert to coaxial then back to Cat5. Great speeds and it solved my problems.

Maybe it will help you?

Another option, and one i use for wired ethernet is to get the gigabit power outlet adapters. Amazon has them fairly cheap. Its cool, you just plug one in by your router and the other where your TV is. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WP2ZT5N/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edit: I use this for my Xbox on the other side of my house from the router.

I've found in my experience, a DNS service is cheaper and works better than a VPN. Last season for the playoffs, I used Unlocator. It was like $2 a month, and all it does is give you a couple DNS addresses. You pop them in your router, and that's all you have to do. Basically, instead of using your IPS DNS database, it uses Unlocators, and for Unlocator, it can make your IP address look like its in a different location. Worked very well and saw no speed slowdown that you do with VPNs. Also since you are doing it on your router, it will work on all devices (except phones/tablets since they use GPS for blackouts, not IP address). It worked fine on my Roku and Nexus Player though.

Get a VPN, it allows you to connect to servers all over the world. If you wish to obtain content only available in the US choose any of the US servers.

Private Internet Access is what I use and I believe most redditors recommend it.

You can configure PIA to work on all mobile devices as well as your laptop

I use Private Internet Access and have been really happy with them. They are only $39.95 / yr and don't charge you to switch between countries. There's quite a few on the list at the moment.

$19 / 3 yrs is a good price, though. Just do your homework and make sure they don't log anything.

I have been using a Simple.TV since the original Kickstarter campaign and I can say it has definitely improved quite a bit. There were a lot of problems in the first 3 or 4 months after it launched (slow tuning, scheduled shows not recording, etc.) but the company has done a number of updates and things are much better now.

They also recently got 5.7 million in funding from venture funds and have announced new apps and a Rovi partnership, so it seems like they are definitely continuing to expand and improve the service.

Not to say it is perfect... once in a blue moon I still see some stuttering of the picture (but that might be bad TV reception) and the setup will likely still take some time and effort. But, for the money, I don't think there is anything else out there that works as well or as easily, unless you are in one of the few cities where Aereo is available.

I made it 5 minutes into the show before I had to stop watching. It seems really cheesy and badly written and acted. The reviewers aren't being kind to it either.

It's disappointing after House of Cards and Lilyhammer proved that Netflix can produce great shows.

You could in iTunes as recently as this year, I think. $1 an episode, with similar rules to movie rentals (24 hours to finish once started, etc).

http://mashable.com/2011/08/26/itunes-cancels-tv-rentals/

Apple stopped them saying they weren't really being used (or, rather, people preferred purchasing). I'd guess its a combination of people thinking a buck was too much for 22 minutes of entertainment, the advent of Hulu and network websites showing a few recent episodes of shows, and that networks can make a lot more money at $3 an episode to own.

With Hulu actually cash positive, I could see Apple / Google / Amazon / Microsoft try to horn in on that by offering a subscription service to their TV backlog.

It's funny, but we'll probably end up where we are with cable ... Paying monthly bills for content, no matter how much we consume. These bills are a little like insurance—the good shows earn the money to take risks (and most shows are bad). Without that steady stream, individual shows have to "cost" more than they're worth. When they cost so much, companies mistake the high price for lack of interest and we end up where we are now!

Is this year still exclusively on NBC and NBCSN?

If so, and if you are in a market where Sling Blue has NBC, then Sling Blue for $35 per month might work. Not sure about their DVR.

https://www.sling.com/help/en/subscription-programming-questions/channels-programming/local-channels#nbcdma

Food Network is on Hulu and they have bunch of streams from food.com, iirc. Most of them should be complete episodes, and the ones that aren't ought to be able to be torrented.

Iron Chef America has full episodes.

Chopped has full episodes.

Top Chef only has clips.

Try this. Just got an ad for this when I opened Spotify on my phone.

https://www.spotify.com/us/hulu/premium-intro/?utm_source=Spotify_premiumupsell&utm_medium=Showcase&utm_campaign=2018q2_premiumbusiness_showcase-hulu_android%2Bus%2Blearnmore%2Bwave1&utm_content=us_showcase

You'll have to fix the filenames yourself. There are tools out there for fixing TV shows, but not movies. I use 'tvnamer' on Linux. Maybe this will work for you? http://www.therenamer.com/

As far as meta data goes, I use XBMC and it fetches all that for me. I have no idea how to download it manually.

Now that Sling TV added truTV to their add-on package, you'll be able to get all of the games between there and an OTA antenna. Ballstreams will also be showing all games starting with the Sweet 16 round. Here's more info on some options.