TV set top box owners

[Mildoc]

Tired of cable TV bills. Up every year.

Lots of choices in set top streaming boxes, from Apple TV, Boxee, Logitech Revue, etc etc etc. Each with its own pluses and minuses.

Plus services like Hulu Plus, Netflix, etc.

Anyone with experience please tell me what you like, do not like, or wish you had something else.

[Rslaugh]

I've had Directv for 12 years now with a brief short-lived intermission 10 years ago for Comcrap. While I really like the convenience that we started getting with TiVo and now have with their DVR's I'm getting very tired of the cost. I've been experimenting with Netflix streaming and will be looking into Hulu next. I am also seriously looking at eliminating the big ticket provider as these other services ramp up. Looks like the only thing I might be missing is HBO & Showtime. I'll get over it. I'm going to be dropping them anyway because I can't remember the last time I deliberately watched them. I enjoy some of the series but they eventually come to other venues.

[cabinetman]

We had DirecTV for about 10 years. Switched to AT&T Uverse. We love it. Recordings are very easy, and phone records are immediate.

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[atgcpaul]

Been off cable for 3 years now. Watch everything over the air, stream through Netflix, or stream recorded TV from my PC to the Roku.

We don't watch sports so not having cable hasn't really been a problem but the wife does gripe now and again. Most shows make it to Netflix eventually. Amazon Prime members also get free streaming through the Amazon channel. I find there is a lot of overlap between the two. Many BluRay, ours included, can also be connected to the Net and can stream Netflix/YouTube, etc.

We do pay to watch Mad Men on Amazon, though.

[gerti]

Dropped DirecTV years ago, cost of DirecTV + HD was just getting ridiculous. The over-the-air HD signal is actually better than cable or satellite. Miss NASCAR though.

Can't beat a TiVo for convenience, though expensive.

Recently started to use MythTV, using HDHomeRun boxes as tuners:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815345007

Mythbuntu makes MythTV somewhat easier to install and maintain, but you'd better know your way around Linux at least a little.

If you don't, get the TiVo (the models that do over the air signal). Top OTA model with life-time subscription is less than a years worth of cable bills.

[jwd12]

I use an antenna, Netflix, and Amazon for all of my viewing. I watch sports, news and a few prime time shows using an antenna. (The antenna enables a higher quality picture because there is no compession.) I am currently streaming Breaking Bad (great show). You can steam the first 4 seasons, and there are an amazing number of shows available for streaming. I get near HD quality from Netflix. I don't have cable TV but I do have an highspeed internet from Comcast. I don't miss the more expensive options.

[vaking]

What is the set-top box for? Most Blu-ray players and even TV units themselves today have built-in Wi-Fi and software to stream video from Internet. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu - all this is built into most units. I have a basic cable because I have Verizon FIOS and cost of basic cable is not much in a package. I use that basic cable mostly for news. Surprisingly news on the Internet is not great. Sports I don't watch.

[dusty]

This is another of those techie discussions that keep me confused. Between DirecTV with its satellite, telephone land lines mixed with my wireless phone service, and the internet connect to my computer with its wireless connection to the laptop - I'm in a spin.

Then my wife says she is looking at DirecTV Anywhere so that we can watch TV on the laptop when we are traveling in the RV.

Then something doesn't work - where to start???

Help!

[Darth_Brehm]

Apple TV

I have a Apple TV on my bed room TV. This coupled with the OTA antenna has worked well for me for a couple years now. Apple TV is good for getting things from your PC/Mac to the TV (movies, music, pictures, etc.). I also have a Netflix account and stream HD movies. The user interface is simple and my wife prefers it over all other "techie" stuff we have tried. Setup was easy and we have had no problems. Would definitely buy it again.

[knotley]

I have a Apple TV on my bed room TV. This coupled with the OTA antenna has worked well for me for a couple years now. Apple TV is good for getting things from your PC/Mac to the TV (movies, music, pictures, etc.). I also have a Netflix account and stream HD movies. The user interface is simple and my wife prefers it over all other "techie" stuff we have tried. Setup was easy and we have had no problems. Would definitely buy it again.

I have had the same experience with Apple TV. It works and was very easy to set up. You can control it with your iPhone or iPad as well.