[BobM]

We have ATT U-Verse now and it's gotten expensive for what we get. I', looking for alternatives.

DirecTV is an option, but after I add HBO and other movie packages it's more than UVerse.

Dish is about equal cost to UVerse after add-ons, and I need that stupid frying pan on the house.

So ... Firestick. I know noting about it but want to learn. Here's what I require ...
- local channels
- HBO and Showtime and Amazon Prime
- I'm not big into sports other than golf channel.
- We want out other channel options for those occasional shows
- need a DVR to record and play back
- we have a 4K smart TV and are not taking advantage of its resolution if we can (the other opions are all 1080 at best) (also, do I really need a firestick if I have the smart TV,? Is there some way to use the TV apps the same way as the stick?)
- 300MB internet service at our home

So what am I looking a options and cost-wise? How easy is a firestick to use (my wife is technically challenged and likes just selecting a channel from a favorites list)? How do I get local channels (YouTube TV)? Am I really saving anything going this route or is it just another way to get the same for the same cost and more complexity to use?

Then there's Roku? the device is a little more expensive, but not significant. It supposedly is easier to use for favorites and search for shows (important to the wife). Can I still get Amazon Prime with it?

Thanks

[nlitworld]

I kicked vable to the curb years ago and decided to go internet only. I built a media pc for the living room that acts as a server for everything. Anything I know I want to watch, I just download. All the sports or tv shows are uploaded within a few hours of airplay. Piratebay is a wonderful thing, as long as you have a vpn. For playback I use Plex as that's one of the easiest to configure and browse and also has an app on every device or just the web. Definitely something to look into for streamlining around the house and making your favorite media available everywhere. As for local channels, just get an hd antenna. They're thin, flat antenna that can easily be hidden behind the TV or on the top shelf of an entertainment center. End result will be significantly cheaper, but slightly more user input to access the things you want.

[Early B.]

As for local channels, just get an hd antenna. They're thin, flat antenna that can easily be hidden behind the TV or on the top shelf of an entertainment center. End result will be significantly cheaper, but slightly more user input to access the things you want.

Yep, an antenna if you're in or near a big city. And a firestick or Roku for everything else you want. Of course, you'll have to pay separately for HBO and Showtime. If image quality is important to you, buy the more expensive HD version of Roku. I use Roku, but both the firestick and Roku are user-friendly and easy to set up. Just pick one.   

[VinceT]

Firestick - does Dolby Atmos on some of the premium apps like Disney, HBO, Amazon, Netflix etc.

If you jail break it you can essentially get anything for free

[BobM]

Firestick - does Dolby Atmos on some of the premium apps like Disney, HBO, Amazon, Netflix etc.

If you jail break it you can essentially get anything for free

Including local channels? How to get those without needing YouTube TV or something similar?

[WGH]

Piratebay is a wonderful thing, as long as you have a vpn.

Piratebay and other torrent sites are some of the least user friendly way to watch TV, no channels or favorites list for the wife to click on. Drive-by malicious downloads are numerous and without a good ad blocker everybody gets a sampling of the latest hard core porn ads. Plus it is illegal and ISPs hate it.

My brother got a new VPN (virtual private network) and downloaded a movie from a torrent site. His ISP contacted him the very next day and told him that they will cut off his service if he does it again, he now pays for everything. Unless you really know what you are doing it is easy to make a mistake. As it turned out the VPN software didn't automatically change his IP address so everything he downloaded was tracked. The media distributor contacted his ISP which contacted him. Everything on torrent sites is tracked these days, not like 5 or 10 years ago when it was the wild west and anything goes.

I use an outdoor antenna for local TV. Note that the signal is now digital which means line-of-sight to the transmitter works best. The nature of broadcast digital TV is the picture is processed less compared to cable or streaming, live sports will have a crystal clear picture.

Many broadcast TV programs (ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS) are streamed on the internet. YouTube has popular shows like Saturday Night Live and CBS Sunday Morning the same or next day, all without commercials. PBS streams almost every show for free, if I miss a NOVA or Ken Burns documentary I catch it later from their website. Usually the shows stream free for 2 months then a PBS Passport (donation) is needed.

Many viewers wait until a HBO series ends then sign up and binge, then cancel. My best friend has almost every streaming service and pays nothing, she shares with her son who works for Google and can afford it. Cultivate new friendships with rich friends. That's how I get the all-access NY Times, every subscription can be shared with one other person.

[Doublej]

At the end of the day you may save a few dollars but you will wind up with more complexity as each app has it's own interface.

A Smart TV, Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, are all similar in that they are platforms for apps (channels) that provide on demand (and some live) content. Since you have a Smart TV, I would start by trying out the apps on it, while retaining ATT U-verse.

Most of the apps are available on all of the platforms I mentioned. If you don't see the one you want on your Smart TV you may need to download and install it. Instructions for doing this are platform specific. Check your manual.

I think each platform has a voice search capability now, so you be able to just speak what you are looking for and it will tell you your options. For example you could say open or launch Golf Channel and it will take you to the Golf Channel or take you to the page where you can install the Golf Channel to the platform.

This will give you a flavor for how things work, demonstrate how much more complexity you get to deal with, and to determine whether or not its worth the potential savings for you.

DVRing the local channels represents its own challenge. I don't know the options that are available other than using an Over The Air (OTA) DVR but you may not be in a geography where you get all of the desired channels OTA. With this approach, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to get the program guide to easily record your favorite shows and buy a DVR box and a streamer or two for the box.

[VinceT]

Including local channels? How to get those without needing YouTube TV or something similar?

Just get an antenna for the local stuff

In my area its just the local news you cant get, so that can be had online.

[WGH]

AntennaWeb - Discover how many FREE over-the-air channels are available from your local television broadcasters.

https://www.antennaweb.org/