Do you find it hard to watch Digital TV channels if you have TV streaming? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 02-04-2022, 12:00 AM

To me it seemed like it was a lot easier to watch Antenna TV when I had cable because it was part of Comcast Channel Lineup. But now that I no longer have cable and entered the TV streaming world, I tend to watch Pluto TV more along with Amazon prime. So I was wondering if most digital TV watchers still have cable or dont have cable and use an Antenna?

Sal · 02-04-2022, 10:53 AM

For me, I find it almost impossible to watch the digital channels at any time because I can never pick up the signals with my antenna so I have to use live streams in order to get them and they don't always work. In order to get Pluto, Crackle and Tubi (the US version differs from the Canadian content) I use an app called Stream Locator which works beautifully. I still believe that no matter how often you watch your favorite shows on DVD or on streaming sites and other online sources like YouTube or Uncle Earl's Classic TV, you still can't beat seeing them on TV, except that on Antenna, MeTV, and Decades, the best shows tend to happen after midnight and before sunrise, which I think is crazy.

Up here in Canada, I am fortunate that I can watch a station called CHCH which has a lot of the best classic shows that come on between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm every weekday. Starting on Tuesday, their spring schedule takes effect with an all-Black-and-White morning block of "I Love Lucy", "Andy Griffith", "Make Room For Daddy", and "My Three Sons" starting at 10:00 am. Later on in the afternoon they have "That Girl", "Laverne and Shirley", "Mork and Mindy", "Dick Van Dyke", and finally "Happy Days" at 5:30 pm. That's how you program a nostalgia station, folks! The only weak links in the whole schedule are "Designing Women" and "Maude" that come on after the lunch hour which is good for me because I can use the break!

TVFactFan · 02-04-2022, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sal

For me, I find it almost impossible to watch the digital channels at any time because I can never pick up the signals with my antenna so I have to use live streams in order to get them and they don't always work. In order to get Pluto, Crackle and Tubi (the US version differs from the Canadian content) I use an app called Stream Locator which works beautifully. I still believe that no matter how often you watch your favorite shows on DVD or on streaming sites and other online sources like YouTube or Uncle Earl's Classic TV, you still can't beat seeing them on TV, except that on Antenna, MeTV, and Decades, the best shows tend to happen after midnight and before sunrise, which I think is crazy.

Up here in Canada, I am fortunate that I can watch a station called CHCH which has a lot of the best classic shows that come on between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm every weekday. Starting on Tuesday, their spring schedule takes effect with an all-Black-and-White morning block of "I Love Lucy", "Andy Griffith", "Make Room For Daddy", and "My Three Sons" starting at 10:00 am. Later on in the afternoon they have "That Girl", "Laverne and Shirley", "Mork and Mindy", "Dick Van Dyke", and finally "Happy Days" at 5:30 pm. That's how you program a nostalgia station, folks! The only weak links in the whole schedule are "Designing Women" and "Maude" that come on after the lunch hour which is good for me because I can use the break!

I will say Digital channels looks so much better on a new 4k TV when they come in. I think the options that I have on TV streaming makes me forget about digital tv

Mace Dolex · 02-07-2022, 12:06 AM

I still watch over the air channels like Antenna TV and RewindTV mostly because I can't stream them but for Comet and Charge I can stream them via Stirr.

TVFactFan · 02-07-2022, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I still watch over the air channels like Antenna TV and RewindTV mostly because I can't stream them but for Comet and Charge I can stream them via Stirr.

I have to do a special set up for Antenna tv signal to come in. So sometimes I dont even bother. The reason for that is the area when the antenna goes in back of the TV is on the opposite side of the window. So I have to pull the antenna across the room so I can put the antenna tv near the window. If the antenna section was on the other side of the TV it would be easier to see

So next weekend when the Decades Marathon comes on I have to do the special setup so I can watch it all day

GentlemanJim · 02-07-2022, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

To me it seemed like it was a lot easier to watch Antenna TV when I had cable because it was part of Comcast Channel Lineup. But now that I no longer have cable and entered the TV streaming world, I tend to watch Pluto TV more along with Amazon prime. So I was wondering if most digital TV watchers still have cable or dont have cable and use an Antenna?

SO, out of curiosity, what is your total investment in "cutting the cord"? And by that I mean I guess you have had to make a minimal investment in some streaming enabled platform such as Roku....so $25-$125 up front, but how much beyond that?

How many different streaming services do you have to pay, to get a good channel assortment?

Maybe I'm not looking at it correctly, but it appears to me to be a sort of "death by 10,000 tiny cuts" sort of thing.

TVFactFan · 02-07-2022, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

SO, out of curiosity, what is your total investment in "cutting the cord"? And by that I mean I guess you have had to make a minimal investment in some streaming enabled platform such as Roku....so $25-$125 up front, but how much beyond that?

How many different streaming services do you have to pay, to get a good channel assortment?

Maybe I'm not looking at it correctly, but it appears to me to be a sort of "death by 10,000 tiny cuts" sort of thing.

I didnt cut the cord because of price, I cut the cord because I was constantly having issues with my cable signal going out and leaving me with nothing to watch. So I decided to move to TV streaming in March and been enjoying it ever since. I purchased the firestick and that give me the options of youtube tv app and pluto along with hulu and imdb. Youtube tv is what I pay for and its 50 dollars a month

merlinjones · 02-07-2022, 04:00 PM

I watch digital broadcast tv over a good antenna on 1080p set and it looks way better than cable for the HD channels (I'm lucky enough to be in an era that has a multitude of broadcast options).

TVFactFan · 02-07-2022, 06:47 PM

I noticed Decades TV signal is always available unlike antenna TV

GentlemanJim · 02-09-2022, 11:00 AM

I was just curious because I see all the promos "get AMC + for $4.95/mo" "Get Hulu +" "Get Peacock +" "Get HBO +" etc etc

Which, since each has a seeming "token" price,..the offers look pretty good, compared to a composite cable bill. But it just occurred to me that by the time one has a large enough assortment to assure there will always be something worth watrching...you could be talking some serious money.

Sal · 02-09-2022, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

I was just curious because I see all the promos "get AMC + for $4.95/mo" "Get Hulu +" "Get Peacock +" "Get HBO +" etc etc

Which, since each has a seeming "token" price,..the offers look pretty good, compared to a composite cable bill. But it just occurred to me that by the time one has a large enough assortment to assure there will always be something worth watrching...you could be talking some serious money.

Or if you really want to save money, you could try the many free streaming sites that are out there. The best ones around right now would be Pluto, Tubi, Plex, Roku, and Peacock.

TVFactFan · 02-09-2022, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sal

Or if you really want to save money, you could try the many free streaming sites that are out there. The best ones around right now would be Pluto, Tubi, Plex, Roku, and Peacock.

Peacock is $5.30

DJM77 · 02-09-2022, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Peacock is $5.30

Some of Peacock's programming is free. I watch Punky Brewster and Animals Unscripted on there and I don't pay anything.

Reinhold_Weege · 02-09-2022, 09:47 PM

I had high hopes for OTA digital TV. The picture quality is awesome and I love the programming but the commercials are unbearable. During one hour of Charge! there were three Shriner's beg-athons and three Wounded Warrior beg-athons. It is bad enough to drive me over to streaming.

Where have all the clever 30 seconds ads gone?

GentlemanJim · 02-10-2022, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sal

The best ones around right now would be Pluto, Tubi, Plex, Roku, and Peacock.

Thanks for that. I wasn't aware that Roku included free content...I thought Roku was just the device, and then it was up to the user to seek subscriptions after buying the hardware.

I'm not so much actively trying to cut expenses. Where I am now I get free basic comcast and free comcast internet. Not sure how legit it is, but it is what it is.

I've just got a curiosity what the cost of alternatives might be.

With cable you've always got scads of channels that you personally never watch. And it's only natural that eventually you start to wonder what an "ala cart" arrangement might look like. Where you only subscribe to what you are interested in.

But, just seeing the ads for all these separate streaming services.....paying $5/month to 12-15 sources, vs paying Comcast a flat fee, looks like pretty much a toss up.

The Comcast franchise in the town where I live, just happens to sukk pretty bad. They keep peeling off channels from basic and putting them in the paid tiers, and they are almost militant about refusing to add carriage of the new diginets......so I'm starting to see there will come a day when they will no longer serve any purpose useful to me, that's where my interest comes from

02-04-2022, 12:00 AM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,131	Do you find it hard to watch Digital TV channels if you have TV streaming? To me it seemed like it was a lot easier to watch Antenna TV when I had cable because it was part of Comcast Channel Lineup. But now that I no longer have cable and entered the TV streaming world, I tend to watch Pluto TV more along with Amazon prime. So I was wondering if most digital TV watchers still have cable or dont have cable and use an Antenna?

02-04-2022, 10:53 AM	#2
Sal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 20, 2001 Location: Oakville, Ont. Canada Posts: 6,219	For me, I find it almost impossible to watch the digital channels at any time because I can never pick up the signals with my antenna so I have to use live streams in order to get them and they don't always work. In order to get Pluto, Crackle and Tubi (the US version differs from the Canadian content) I use an app called Stream Locator which works beautifully. I still believe that no matter how often you watch your favorite shows on DVD or on streaming sites and other online sources like YouTube or Uncle Earl's Classic TV, you still can't beat seeing them on TV, except that on Antenna, MeTV, and Decades, the best shows tend to happen after midnight and before sunrise, which I think is crazy. Up here in Canada, I am fortunate that I can watch a station called CHCH which has a lot of the best classic shows that come on between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm every weekday. Starting on Tuesday, their spring schedule takes effect with an all-Black-and-White morning block of "I Love Lucy", "Andy Griffith", "Make Room For Daddy", and "My Three Sons" starting at 10:00 am. Later on in the afternoon they have "That Girl", "Laverne and Shirley", "Mork and Mindy", "Dick Van Dyke", and finally "Happy Days" at 5:30 pm. That's how you program a nostalgia station, folks! The only weak links in the whole schedule are "Designing Women" and "Maude" that come on after the lunch hour which is good for me because I can use the break!
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02-07-2022, 12:06 AM	#4
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,670	I still watch over the air channels like Antenna TV and RewindTV mostly because I can't stream them but for Comet and Charge I can stream them via Stirr.

02-07-2022, 04:00 PM	#8
merlinjones Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 30, 2019 Location: los ángeles Posts: 933	I watch digital broadcast tv over a good antenna on 1080p set and it looks way better than cable for the HD channels (I'm lucky enough to be in an era that has a multitude of broadcast options).

02-07-2022, 06:47 PM	#9
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,131	I noticed Decades TV signal is always available unlike antenna TV

02-09-2022, 11:00 AM	#10
GentlemanJim Concerns, Support, & Feedback Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 26, 2019 Location: The back country Posts: 5,443	I was just curious because I see all the promos "get AMC + for $4.95/mo" "Get Hulu +" "Get Peacock +" "Get HBO +" etc etc Which, since each has a seeming "token" price,..the offers look pretty good, compared to a composite cable bill. But it just occurred to me that by the time one has a large enough assortment to assure there will always be something worth watrching...you could be talking some serious money.

02-09-2022, 09:47 PM	#14
Reinhold_Weege Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 15, 2020 Posts: 231	I had high hopes for OTA digital TV. The picture quality is awesome and I love the programming but the commercials are unbearable. During one hour of Charge! there were three Shriner's beg-athons and three Wounded Warrior beg-athons. It is bad enough to drive me over to streaming. Where have all the clever 30 seconds ads gone?