Replacing DirecTV with Internet

[John Laninga]

Our coach is now 10 years old and the DirecTV receiver and Motosat dish have worked well.  Until recently, when the receiver went bad.  Had an ATT service guy come out, needs to replace the receiver.  No problem, I have a service warranty.  But the newer receivers don't have the same LNB so he replaced the LNB.  But there still stuff to do, safe to say it probably will be a week or so before I get everything worked out.

We are currently in Buena Vista, CO with no, zero OTA TV.  So I was wondering how much of the same stuff I could get via Internet, as I have Mobley/ATT $20 unlimited internet installed already.  I was curious anyway, as my DirecTV DNS DVR account is $150/month.

So I already have Netflix ($10/month), Amazon Prime, and added CBS Access ($10 month).  Got FOX, NBC, ABC, History Food and several other channels free.  So far, I am able to get live CBS channels and access to most other stuff we used to watch.  So, we may be able to replace our DirecTV with Internet.  Time will tell as we will be in the boonies this summer and we'll see how well the Internet TV works.

Just thought you might be interested....

John

[rbertalotto]

I have been streaming exclusively since January. Using AT&T Mobley    and T-Mobile hotspots. Travel all over USA and have been extremely pleased. Haven't found a place yet where I can't get service although I do use a WeBoost and sometimes a MiFo outside antenna in very fringe areas.

i stream Netflix , directvnow, curiosity steam and history vault. Plus lots of amazon prime.

this is the future!

[John Parker]

Something to consider is all of the nice outlying places that don't have cell service yet, like most of Yellowstone National Park.  Satellite tv maybe your only connection to the outside world there.  Even worse, there are congested places like Quartzsite that have great 4 bars of 4G signal, but there are so many people trying to stream at once that your signal keeps rebooting. 

[LindaH]

Besides the amount of data used to stream (which, I'm sure would be prohibitive for the amount of TV we watch), can you set this up so you can see it on a TV?  Or do you have to sit in front of a computer monitor to watch?  If the latter, that would be a deal-breaker for me.  I can't imagine two people trying to crowd around a laptop screen to watch a TV program or movie! 

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Later day PCs have HDMI output that can be fed into a TV.  There are also devices that plug into a HDMI port and connect to the internet.

Just remember "unlimited" not longer means what we learned as children.  Unlimited streaming means from those streaming sources that have contracts with your carrier.  Not every stream source is unlimited. 

And there are places, many places,  that is doesn't matter what your subscription bandwidth is, the bandwidth won;t support streaming. 

[Biker56]

2 hours ago, LindaH said:

Besides the amount of data used to stream (which, I'm sure would be prohibitive for the amount of TV we watch), can you set this up so you can see it on a TV?  Or do you have to sit in front of a computer monitor to watch?  If the latter, that would be a deal-breaker for me.  I can't imagine two people trying to crowd around a laptop screen to watch a TV program or movie! 

Smart TV. I can watch Amazon Prime movies, TV on my 55" Curved 4K Samsung plus many other apps.

[pjcurry]

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 3:50 PM, John Laninga said:

Our coach is now 10 years old and the DirecTV receiver and Motosat dish have worked well.  Until recently, when the receiver went bad.  Had an ATT service guy come out, needs to replace the receiver.  No problem, I have a service warranty.  But the newer receivers don't have the same LNB so he replaced the LNB.  But there still stuff to do, safe to say it probably will be a week or so before I get everything worked out.

We are currently in Buena Vista, CO with no, zero OTA TV.  So I was wondering how much of the same stuff I could get via Internet, as I have Mobley/ATT $20 unlimited internet installed already.  I was curious anyway, as my DirecTV DNS DVR account is $150/month.

So I already have Netflix ($10/month), Amazon Prime, and added CBS Access ($10 month).  Got FOX, NBC, ABC, History Food and several other channels free.  So far, I am able to get live CBS channels and access to most other stuff we used to watch.  So, we may be able to replace our DirecTV with Internet.  Time will tell as we will be in the boonies this summer and we'll see how well the Internet TV works.

Just thought you might be interested....

John

John, we're going the same route you are - all streaming.  I've already cancelled our Dish account and use Mobley for access, although we do get a few local channels where we are.  We also have Netflix and Prime, although we can't get CBS on our Samsung (Samsung says they don't support the CBS app, but we do use it on our tablets.)  I am interested in how you get Fox, NBC, History and the others  you mentioned for free. 

Thanks for any information on how to do this.

Pat 

[rbertalotto]

Quote

Besides the amount of data used to stream (which, I'm sure would be prohibitive for the amount of TV we watch), can you set this up so you can see it on a TV?  Or do you have to sit in front of a computer monitor to watch?  If the latter, that would be a deal-breaker for me.  I can't imagine two people trying to crowd around a laptop screen to watch a TV program or movie! 

I have two TVs in my camper. Amazon Fire Stick hooked up to each of them ($39). These Firesticks use WiFi to connect to my hotspot. Easy Peasy!

The ATT Mobley ($20 a month)has unlimited streaming as does the T-Mobile hot spot ($35 a month) for streaming DIRECTV Now, Curiosity Stream, Netflix, etc.

so far, have not found a place where T-Mobile, ATT or Verizon with a WeBoost did not work. Loving Streaming TV....

[LindaH]

OK, another question:  What programs can you get streaming?  During the season when the new shows come on, we mostly watch programming on CBS and occasionally the other 3 major stations.  We also watch a lot on NatGeoWild, Travel, MSNBC, and movies on stations such as TCM and Stars Encore Westerns.  Could we get all of these channels by streaming?

I'm not sure I'd give up Dish because we are sometimes in areas where we have no Internet Access (Mesquite Springs Campground in DVNP, for instance).  And, while we do have Verizon's unlimited plan, I would imagine that streaming would quickly use up the 22GB monthly "soft" limit, wouldn't it?

[Jack Mayer]

Linda, you don't really have 22 gig on Verizon for this situation. If you enable the hotspot on the phone you get 10 gig - same with a Jetpack.Then you get throttled down to 600kbps. Which you will find effectively kills your stream. If you have limited demands on what shows you watch, you can do streaming. But I don't think a demanding viewer will be satisfied with just streaming. But that is just my opinion....each person is different.

[Biker56]

53 minutes ago, LindaH said:

OK, another question:  What programs can you get streaming?  During the season when the new shows come on, we mostly watch programming on CBS and occasionally the other 3 major stations.  We also watch a lot on NatGeoWild, Travel, MSNBC, and movies on stations such as TCM and Stars Encore Westerns.  Could we get all of these channels by streaming?

You would probably need the $70 DirecTV Now to get the programs you want.

The $60 one doesn't have StarzEncore

I still like my Genie with the 5 channels that it can record all at the same time.
I like watching a 30 minute program in less then 20 minutes.

 

Broadcast networks averaged 13 minutes and 25 seconds of commercial time per hour in 2009, which grew to 14 minutes and 15 seconds in 2013, the story reports.

On cable TV, the growth has been even more significant, the report notes. Last year, the average was 15 minutes and 38 seconds, up from 14 minutes and 27 seconds in 2009, according to the report.

 

 

[WeBeFulltimers]

6 hours ago, Biker56 said:

 

I still like my Genie with the 5 channels that it can record all at the same time.
I like watching a 30 minute program in less then 20 minutes.

 

 

6 hours ago, Biker56 said:

If you like that you will REALLY like the Dish Network Hopper3 that records 16 at once.

 

 

 

 

[LindaH]

12 hours ago, Jack Mayer said:

Linda, you don't really have 22 gig on Verizon for this situation. If you enable the hotspot on the phone you get 10 gig - same with a Jetpack.Then you get throttled down to 600kbps. Which you will find effectively kills your stream. If you have limited demands on what shows you watch, you can do streaming. But I don't think a demanding viewer will be satisfied with just streaming. But that is just my opinion....each person is different.

We do have 3 devices, so up to 30GB hotspot usage.  But I'm pretty much of the same mind as you...streaming simply wouldn't work for us given the amount of TV we watch.

[TheLongWayHome]

If you have Netflix or Amazon Prime, you can download content instead of live streaming. Perhaps download it when you have access to high speed WiFi or good cellular signal. The bandwidth usage for streaming or download is about the same. The content is generally good for 7 days or 48 hours after you hit play. With a little pre-planning you can setup a lot of content without using an cellular monthly allocation. You don't use any bandwidth allocation to just watch the downloads. Only works with Apple OS, Android and Windows 10 devices. 

Also great for airplane travel with a laptop!

[Biker56]

On 6/26/2017 at 2:50 PM, John Laninga said:

 We are currently in Buena Vista, CO with no, zero OTA TV.  So I was wondering how much of the same stuff I could get via Internet, as I have Mobley/ATT $20 unlimited internet installed already.  I was curious anyway, as my DirecTV DNS DVR account is $150/month.

 

They are 2 OTA stations within 28 miles of Buena

Local PBS and ABC

Wouldn't live streaming make it very hard or slow to channel surf?

[chirakawa]

15 minutes ago, Biker56 said:

Wouldn't live streaming make it very hard or slow to channel surf?

Streaming certainly has it's place and is a viable option for many.  However, IMO, it does not support traditional TV viewing habits.............such as channel surfing, flipping back and forth between programs, multiple recording, many live sporting events, etc.  A new attitude and approach is necessary to make internet based TV work for most of us.

[ewacowboy]

We use two Roku devices in our coach and stream from a T-Mobile hotspot.  We have been slowed one time in 8 months and that was just one evening.  We use between 55 and 150 gb per month and love it.

[ToddF]

Our "solution" is satellite radio. We are news junkies and there is plenty of selection between NPR, CNN, MSNBC. BBC. When we get OTA, we watch local news and "MeTV". Otherwise there isn't  much on that we are interested in, especially the 14 minutes of commercials per hour. Netflix is mostly of no interest to us. Only cost is $12 month for satellite radio and works almost everywhere. Don't  have to worry about site selection with regard to satellite positioning. Simpler and cheaper are better for us at this stage of the game. Cable is a treat when parks have it.