Who has cut the cord?

Irie308

Well-Known Member
May 28, 2013
2,578
CT
Boat Info
2004 420 DB, GHS Hydraulic Lift
Garmin 8600/Garmin 1222 plus
AB Mares 10 VSX with 30 hp Tohatsu
Engines
Cummins 450C 8.3 L Turbocharged
Since our new to us boat came without a Sat TV system I've been finding it very hard to justify installing one. On our old boat i found a KVH unit on craigslist for about $1200 and installed myself 4-5 years ago. I then paid about $30 per month for standard definition programming with a 2 year contract with direct tv. Now with the price of an HD unit and the uncertainty with whats going on with the support for standard definition units in 2019 I've been taking a hard look at the multiple streaming services out there. I've always been shocked by how many boaters i come across who have the units installed and never activated them. I've also thought about every time I've opened up my cable bill to see we are paying close to $300 for a home cable services that we pretty much only watch local news and maybe a few shows on hbo when they are in season.

With the price and abundance of smart tv's nowadays it seems irrational to pay so much for cable or satellite services. We've always justified cable by saying that the kids want to watch their shows but I watched my 7 year old pick up the remote to the cable box this week and used the voice command to open up Youtube. Not cartoon network or the Disney channel.

With this being said I've been taking a hard look at these streaming services and what they offer doesn't look bad at all for $25 - $40 per month and its month to month with support for up to 6 simultaneously streamed devices in some cases.

Have most people cut the cord at home and on the boat. Would love to hear some feed back on some streaming services and devices such as Roku, Sling TV, Youtube TV, Playstation Vue, Hulu, Netflix etc.
 
I cut the cord at home over a year ago and will never go back to a cable co. We get everything we want to watch between Netflix and Sling TV. Also have a Mohu digital antenna for local + channels. If you want to see what channels you can get with digital antenna - just enter your zip code in this FCC site.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
 
I would do it if my wife would let me. I have Roku and a Netflix subscription and since we still have cable I use the Roku app for the cable TV in other rooms - keeps from having to have additional cable boxes. If it were not for my wife, I would cut cable and the landline. A Roku, one or two subscriptions like Netflix and an HD antenna would get me all I want. I have an HD antenna on one TV that picks up all the local channels perfectly. And I can't remember when I have answered our home phone.
 
I would do it if my wife would let me. I have Roku and a Netflix subscription and since we still have cable I use the Roku app for the cable TV in other rooms - keeps from having to have additional cable boxes. If it were not for my wife, I would cut cable and the landline. A Roku, one or two subscriptions like Netflix and an HD antenna would get me all I want. I have an HD antenna on one TV that picks up all the local channels perfectly. And I can't remember when I have answered our home phone.
FYI Sling TV has has the program for the ladies - Hallmark (2 channels) Lifetime, HGTV and DIY.
 
I’ve got a direct tv subscription for the boat. I got it only because the boat came with the system when I bought it two years ago and I got a $20.00 a month deal for being an ATT family plan cell subscriber.
I keep it because it’s there, the price is decent, and I use the subscription to stream to my iPad via the DirectTV app at the gym 5 mornings a week.
But if my boat didn’t have the KVH system I probably wouldn’t bother investing in it. The basic DirectTV programming in the basic package isn’t all that great.
I replaced the TV’s on my boat with “smart TV’s” and when in a place with cell service I use my iPad as a hotspot (unlimited data plan) and stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, and content recorded on my Home DVR through that providers app. I’ve got Amazon prime because I buy a lot of stuff from them, and Netflix because both of my kids are away at college and they use it with their laptops rather than having TV’s.
They all work really great, give me HD, and load quickly through cell service.
I’ve don’t have WiFi at my dock, but have tried streaming through WiFi at several transient Marinas with poor results. Probably a combination of crappy Marina equipment and too many people signed on.
Since you don’t have anything, I think you may be better off investing in smart TV’s (pretty inexpensive), an iPad or tablet with SIM card and unlimited data (to use as a hotspot), streaming services that you can use in places beyond the boat, and a good over the air digital antenna.
You can get all of those things for far less than a KVH system and they’ll probably give you enough options to meet your needs.
You could probably forego the iPad or tablet and just use your phone as a hotspot if you want, but an iPad or tablet can offer lots of things beyond just being a hotspot.
I’m eventually going to cancel my home TV provider and the DirectTV on the boat and rely instead on over the air digital antennas and streaming in both places.
I’m just waiting for the right service provider and “skinny bundle” that will fit all our needs and viewing habits to come along.
I had considered a wifi setup of some sort on the boat, but after seeing how crappy Marina WiFi is and how great streaming via unlimited cellular data works, I think the better way to go is to invest in some kind of system on the boat that will help bring in a stronger cell signal when in places where it’s weak.
 
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We primarily use the antenna on the boat and get a lot of channels from Detroit. I never changed the antenna...so my 2004 technology is perfect with smart tv's and receive HD... so try it before you invest in a new antenna

Stream - we have Netflix and Hulu... both are okay but just okay for content

I also have Show Box on an amazon fire stick - When it works it is very good...but it seems to get shutdown for days sometimes

At the main house I have a big antenna in the attic for half the TV's in the house and Direct tv for the 4 main TV's.... we just talked about cancelling that this past weekend... but not sure if we are ready yet.

What we have experienced is there is not one solution for everything... We have one solution at the condo another on the boat and another for the house. I think mainly because you use them differently.
 
We cut the cord a few years ago at home. We don't watch a bunch of tv, and got tired of paying for cable.
I use a roof top antenna, and have a lifetime subscription TiVo.
The TiVo is great for having a DVR, and a channel guide.
We watch some Amazon prime stuff, and I have a jail broke fire stick.
We hardly use the fire stick though, but it was only around $35.00.
I am SO happy to get away from the high monthly cable/satellite bills.
 
For streaming services, what kind of sports coverages do you get? It's about the only reason I keep Direct TV. M
 
I've found the biggest hindrance was ease of use. However as stated above the new offerings from the smart tv's will make it easier. Before we had to hook up a device and then the kids would need to go to a particular input setting etc. This made it difficult to flip on the tv and watch what you want. I guess its a no brainier but just wanted to get some feedback on what services most are using. There are so many services out there now and like Blueone said none seem to be all inclusive.
 
Kids could care less about cable anymore. They just need youtube. I cut the cord a year ago. My directv bill was over $200 a month for the house and RV. In the RV I just use a Hotspot and unlimited data to watch whatever we want off our youtubetv subscription, netflix and amazon prime. Same at the house. Or wherever I go with my ipad or laptop. I will never go back to directv or cable. As long as you do your boating within cell phone range you should be in the same situation.
 
I've cut the cord on the boat, but not at home. On the boat I have a WiFi hotspot from Verizon on their new $65 / mo unlimited plan. I switch around between an Apple TV, and an Android TV box. Between Netflix and Amazon Prime video there's always something to watch. I can get local (to the boat) news off air.
 
Another question: What type of internet service (how fast) do you need? We are in the country. Cell service isn't 100% great for using data, and internet service may be tapped at a gig (if that)
 
I'd never get to watch if there was a Playstation on the TV...OK, while typing I researched it. Interesting...
Right, no playstation required.
 
Another question: What type of internet service (how fast) do you need? We are in the country. Cell service isn't 100% great for using data, and internet service may be tapped at a gig (if that)

Don't even consider streaming without a true unlimited data plan. As far as bandwidth, a sustained and reliable 3 Mb / sec is probably about the minimum for decent stall-free streaming.
 
Once everyone cuts the cord and all the cable companies move to streaming, wouldn't data plan costs go through the roof, since they'll know you have no other TV viewing options?
 
For streaming services, what kind of sports coverages do you get? It's about the only reason I keep Direct TV. M

I am a college football fanatic and have found all I need is the ESPN app and the CBS Sports app. With the ESPN app, you can watch games on every ESPN affiliate-all ESPNs, Longhorn Network, SEC Network, ABC, etc. Our dock neightbors have AT&T phone plans w/ unlimited data and got the Direct TV Now app and can watch anything on Direct TV and do not have it at home. Might check into that also.

Bennett
 

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