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Post by arizonastamplover on Dec 6, 2018 0:47:46 GMT
My parents are trying to cut their bills down and have talked about going to streaming. They are asking me for advice, but we have cable so I've honestly done little research on streaming local stations, sports, etc. My parents are NOT tech savvy at all, which makes me nervous, and I live all the way across the country so it would be difficult to help them. Does Hulu live or Sling TV offer the local stations such as news, sports, evening shows? My concern is that they won't be happy if it doesn't feel like regular cable where they can watch something that is on now, and not wait until it is available to watch a couple hours after it airs. For perspective on my parents, they didn't like DirecTV because of something that scrolled across the screen so they couldn't read what was at the bottom of the screen during races (really no idea what they are talking about). So....they really do not do well with change. Would hulu or sling be easy enough for them to use (or are there other options)? I know they will need "training" on how to use it, but can someone that has trouble forwarding email be able to use/navigate streaming tv?
I've told them to tell their current provider (Comcast) that they want to cancel, and then they should be able to negotiate their bill down. My mother has stated in the past that didn't work and they actually cancelled. I'm shocked as I go through that routine every twelve months with my cable provider to get the price down and it works every time without fail. Anyone have experience successfully doing this with Comcast?
Thanks - I just want to give them the best advice...
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Post by elaine on Dec 6, 2018 1:00:36 GMT
They aren’t going to be happy cutting cable. Streaming things will take basic technology know-how and it will not feel like regular cable. For things on the major networks, they have to select apps for each station, then find the show.
If Sling still works like it used to, you still have to have your regular cable subscription, sling just allows you to watch your cable service over the internet. Or at least it used to when we tried it about a decade ago, maybe it has changed.
If they want to watch television, the cost of cable may be a fact of life. Maybe you can try negotiating with the cable company for them - it would take much less of your time than it will take if your parents try cutting their cable and need endless help from you. I can’t imagine trying to help my mom with it - she can’t do anything but live t.v. As it is - the DVR is too complicated.
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Post by teacherlisa on Dec 6, 2018 1:12:51 GMT
I am currently assisting my parents with this task, but..they live closer.
I do not have personal experience with sling, but they do have different packages, and can include the local channels.
Hulu Live also has local channels, and has both on demand and live offerings. It is not exactly like cable, but, there is a guide, and live programming.
I personally have been thrilled with the switch. I have much more to watch at a much lower cost.
I am not sure how your parents will feel. It will not be exactly like Direct TV, but they have learned how to use that...so no reason why once it is set up they should have trouble with it.
Also, something to think about is that there are free trials and no contracts. IF they hate it, they can always go back to what they had before, with little risk (should just be a streaming device such as roku)
Good Luck!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 6, 2018 1:27:42 GMT
We cut the cable 2 years ago and have tried everything out there. I have found the Roku set up to be the easiest to work with. As for streaming services, I'd recommend HuluLive. It will give them their local channels as well as what package they choose. Each of the streaming services offers a free 7 day trial, so they can try them all to see which suits them best. If Sling still works like it used to, you still have to have your regular cable subscription, sling just allows you to watch your cable service over the internet. Or at least it used to when we tried it about a decade ago, maybe it has changed. SlingTv is the streaming service and is totally separate from the old Sling. You do not need regular cable to watch SlingTv. |
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by DEX on Dec 6, 2018 1:34:18 GMT
I just cut the cord and I am 68. It is hard to make the switch but doable. They will need to have Internet no matter who they chose. I found out I was paying $12 a month to “rent” my internet router box. I got my own router and WiFi router and installed it myself.
I have DirectTV NOW and I really like it. I pay $40 a month for the channels I watch and it does have a built in 20 hour DVR. I got Apple TV (vs. Hulu or roku) but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. I find the learning curve was high for me. Direct TV NOW does have local channels so no hassle with an antenna. I like the firestik the best. If you buy all this at Best Buy, you can pay to have it all installed. You will need either a roku, firestik, or whatever you choose, for each TV. If you need advice, feel free to peamail me.
Hope this helps. Good luck.🍀
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Post by littlemama on Dec 6, 2018 2:46:39 GMT
Hulu live offers regular broadcast tv as it happens. Recently, they added all of the Discover channels to their lineup. The only bad part is that the guide only tells what is on now and next. Nothing beyond that. I subscribed to tv guide for a year and then I'll decide if I want to continue that. We find ourselves watching much less network tv and doing more streaming on hulu, netflix, and Prime.
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Post by elaine on Dec 6, 2018 2:54:47 GMT
We cut the cable 2 years ago and have tried everything out there. I have found the Roku set up to be the easiest to work with. As for streaming services, I'd recommend HuluLive. It will give them their local channels as well as what package they choose. Each of the streaming services offers a free 7 day trial, so they can try them all to see which suits them best. If Sling still works like it used to, you still have to have your regular cable subscription, sling just allows you to watch your cable service over the internet. Or at least it used to when we tried it about a decade ago, maybe it has changed. SlingTv is the streaming service and is totally separate from the old Sling. You do not need regular cable to watch SlingTv. That is good to know about SlingTv! Thank you.  I think that a lot depends on the age and techno savvy of the parents. I literally LOLd at the comment about trying our several different packages for their 7-day trials to see which they liked best. For Dh and I, yes, that would be ideal. However, it would take my 83 y.o. mom at least 6 months “trying out” a new service in order to learn it enough to use it enough to determine how she liked it. The thought of trying her on multiple different short-term trials would just lead to incredible frustration on both our parts. The other thing to consider is the cost involved in buying what is needed to cut the cable if the OP and parents aren’t sure it would work. It would involve buying smart t.v.s or fire sticks / Roku’s / apple t.v.s for each television. And, as has been mentioned, the quality of the wireless router will to some degree determine the quality of the streaming picture. They will also need to know how to connect their devices/t.v.s to the router, in cases where/when/if they get knocked off for whatever reason. |
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Post by Merge on Dec 6, 2018 15:23:26 GMT
Based on my experience trying to walk people - especially older people - through using Netflix at our rental house, I wouldn't do it. Huge frustration if you can't be there to show them.
They could try cutting down to basic cable or even use a digital antenna. My mother in law has gone the basic cable route and I think it's only $60/month. She gets movies from Redbox and the library.
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peabrain
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Post by peabrain on Dec 6, 2018 15:31:56 GMT
Would your parents be comfortable with you calling Comcast on their behalf?
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LeaP
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Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
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Post by LeaP on Dec 6, 2018 16:23:18 GMT
Another "proceed with caution" vote. We are in year 5 post cable and cutting the cord completely changes how you watch television. If they are open to change proceed, but if they are not then I would call the cable company and ask about programs for seniors.
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Post by littlemama on Dec 6, 2018 16:25:01 GMT
Streaming things will take basic technology know-how and it will not feel like regular cable. For things on the major networks, they have to select apps for each station, then find the show. Hulu Live has all of the major networks, so you just have to select the Hulu app and watch what you want live. |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 6, 2018 16:52:55 GMT
My parents are coming to watch my kids (and pets) next week while DH and I go on vacation. We have Sling TV, so it is a great way for them to learn how to use it, and if they like it for thier own home. My kids are older (15 and 13) and my DD helped DH set up all our firesticks, so she is probably better at Sling than me. We also have netflix and amazon prime.
The firestick remote is very, very simple, and I will write out directions for them. What my mom won't be happy with is ABC - we don't have the option to stream that channel live, so she won't be able to watch her morning shows or General Hospital. Thank God DWTS is over, or I'd never hear the end of it. Is the Bachelor on currently? She may have to go home and watch it if it is... she always calls my aunt and they "watch" it together. At least shes only 30 min from home if she needs an ABC fix. LOL.
Oh, my point is... when we were about to make the switch, we subscribed to Sling and kept cable to get used to it and to see if we were missing things. We found we weren't (except ABC and CBS), and DH pays for CBS live stream. Maybe you could help them transition like that?
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Post by littlemama on Dec 6, 2018 17:13:20 GMT
Oh, my point is... when we were about to make the switch, we subscribed to Sling and kept cable to get used to it and to see if we were missing things. We found we weren't (except ABC and CBS), and DH pays for CBS live stream. Maybe you could help them transition like that? When we made our switch, we actually scrolled through the cable channels we had and rated them must have, nice to have, and not needed. Then we compared our list to all of the streaming providers -Hulu Live, Sling TV, Direct TV now, and YouTube TV. Hulu Live was the one that matched our preferences best - and Discovery was on our nice to have list, and Hulu LIve just added all of those channels. We have all of the major networks. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 6, 2018 17:31:59 GMT
My parents are coming to watch my kids (and pets) next week while DH and I go on vacation. We have Sling TV, so it is a great way for them to learn how to use it, and if they like it for thier own home. My kids are older (15 and 13) and my DD helped DH set up all our firesticks, so she is probably better at Sling than me. We also have netflix and amazon prime. The firestick remote is very, very simple, and I will write out directions for them. What my mom won't be happy with is ABC - we don't have the option to stream that channel live, so she won't be able to watch her morning shows or General Hospital. Thank God DWTS is over, or I'd never hear the end of it. Is the Bachelor on currently? She may have to go home and watch it if it is... she always calls my aunt and they "watch" it together. At least shes only 30 min from home if she needs an ABC fix. LOL. Oh, my point is... when we were about to make the switch, we subscribed to Sling and kept cable to get used to it and to see if we were missing things. We found we weren't (except ABC and CBS), and DH pays for CBS live stream. Maybe you could help them transition like that? You could sign up for ABC while your parents are there, then cancel after they leave. I think it’s only about $10 a month. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Dec 6, 2018 17:33:45 GMT
A digital antenna is cheap. You can watch ABC over the air, for free.
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snyder
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Posts: 4,493
Location: Colorado
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Post by snyder on Dec 6, 2018 19:48:07 GMT
I don't have cable and just have regular programming. I do have to have an antennae attached to the tv, but with regular tv, I receive approximately 18 channels. We also have Prime, Netflix and Hulu, but I hardly watch them because there is so much to watch through the 18 or so channels on regular programming. I have a smart tv and all I have to do is push the button labeled Hulu or Netflix and the list of movies come up. I think it can be rather simple for them if you don't rely on the streaming companies to watch current content.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 6, 2018 23:36:55 GMT
My parents are coming to watch my kids (and pets) next week while DH and I go on vacation. We have Sling TV, so it is a great way for them to learn how to use it, and if they like it for thier own home. My kids are older (15 and 13) and my DD helped DH set up all our firesticks, so she is probably better at Sling than me. We also have netflix and amazon prime. The firestick remote is very, very simple, and I will write out directions for them. What my mom won't be happy with is ABC - we don't have the option to stream that channel live, so she won't be able to watch her morning shows or General Hospital. Thank God DWTS is over, or I'd never hear the end of it. Is the Bachelor on currently? She may have to go home and watch it if it is... she always calls my aunt and they "watch" it together. At least shes only 30 min from home if she needs an ABC fix. LOL. Oh, my point is... when we were about to make the switch, we subscribed to Sling and kept cable to get used to it and to see if we were missing things. We found we weren't (except ABC and CBS), and DH pays for CBS live stream. Maybe you could help them transition like that? You could sign up for ABC while your parents are there, then cancel after they leave. I think it’s only about $10 a month. I swear we looked into living streaming ABC, and it was not available in our area... |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 6, 2018 23:37:43 GMT
A digital antenna is cheap. You can watch ABC over the air, for free. WE looked into this too. Our neighbors supposedly tried this and had no luck. This was a while ago tho... Maybe it's time to revisit! (i miss DWTS live too LOL!) |
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Post by myshelly on Dec 6, 2018 23:39:55 GMT
A digital antenna is cheap. You can watch ABC over the air, for free. I came in here to say this. Do your parents live in a city/suburb or rural? If they’re not rural, they can probably watch everything live with just an antenna. We bought a $9.99 antenna at Walmart and get over 30 channels - ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, and all of their local affiliates and subsidiaries - for free without subscribing to anything. |
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Post by MichyM on Dec 6, 2018 23:44:24 GMT
Look into a service like HelloTech to help get them set up and taught how to use it.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Dec 7, 2018 0:20:21 GMT
A digital antenna is cheap. You can watch ABC over the air, for free. I came in here to say this. Do your parents live in a city/suburb or rural? If they’re not rural, they can probably watch everything live with just an antenna. We bought a $9.99 antenna at Walmart and get over 30 channels - ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, and all of their local affiliates and subsidiaries - for free without subscribing to anything. we're rural - about 1.5 hrs south of DC. |
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Post by elaine on Dec 7, 2018 0:42:38 GMT
You could sign up for ABC while your parents are there, then cancel after they leave. I think it’s only about $10 a month. I swear we looked into living streaming ABC, and it was not available in our area... It isn’t. Live ABC streaming (other than news) without having cable is *very* limited. From the abc site: Hulu Live also doesn’t have regular abc live - just abc news. |
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Post by elaine on Dec 7, 2018 0:49:09 GMT
My parents are coming to watch my kids (and pets) next week while DH and I go on vacation. We have Sling TV, so it is a great way for them to learn how to use it, and if they like it for thier own home. My kids are older (15 and 13) and my DD helped DH set up all our firesticks, so she is probably better at Sling than me. We also have netflix and amazon prime. The firestick remote is very, very simple, and I will write out directions for them. What my mom won't be happy with is ABC - we don't have the option to stream that channel live, so she won't be able to watch her morning shows or General Hospital. Thank God DWTS is over, or I'd never hear the end of it. Is the Bachelor on currently? She may have to go home and watch it if it is... she always calls my aunt and they "watch" it together. At least shes only 30 min from home if she needs an ABC fix. LOL. Oh, my point is... when we were about to make the switch, we subscribed to Sling and kept cable to get used to it and to see if we were missing things. We found we weren't (except ABC and CBS), and DH pays for CBS live stream. Maybe you could help them transition like that? You’re safe! The Bachelor doesn’t start until January 7th. Phew! |
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Post by teacherlisa on Dec 7, 2018 0:59:20 GMT
I think it depends on your location, I have abc live w/ hulu live. I am in Arizona.
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Post by sassyangel on Dec 7, 2018 2:24:23 GMT
They aren’t going to be happy cutting cable. Streaming things will take basic technology know-how and it will not feel like regular cable. For things on the major networks, they have to select apps for each station, then find the show. If Sling still works like it used to, you still have to have your regular cable subscription, sling just allows you to watch your cable service over the internet. Or at least it used to when we tried it about a decade ago, maybe it has changed. If they want to watch television, the cost of cable may be a fact of life. Maybe you can try negotiating with the cable company for them - it would take much less of your time than it will take if your parents try cutting their cable and need endless help from you. I can’t imagine trying to help my mom with it - she can’t do anything but live t.v. As it is - the DVR is too complicated. I agree with Elaine. I cut cable two years ago and going the streaming route does require a bit of tech savvy. Not just with the streaming apps, but with understanding network speed and even a basic understanding routers and stuff. With cable you can call people in if you have issues, you are pretty much on your own with streaming issues. |
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