It's time again, cutting the cord options?

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by samgreco

For me, it's not that Sling has anything that DTVN doesn't. It's that it has everything that I want for $20/mo rather than $35 for DTVN.

I hear you and that makes a lot of sense. It is actually for the same reasoning that I am partial to DTVN.

Since AT&T is my cell service, I get it (the basic package) for $10 a month. In addition, I get a $5.00 "bundle" discount for a net of $5 a month... and that includes HBO. (FWIW, I could get any of the packages for $25 less than standard price.)

I should explain further that we have an RV and travel quite a bit. AT&T had the best rate for our two Cell Phones and their version of an Air Card. So getting DTVN was a no-brainer for our situation since it allows us acces to non-OTA TV no matter where we are staying.

Anyway, I am still very interested in the networks that PlayOn has dropped.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

Okay, I think the problem here is the need to separate "Live" from "Video on Demand."

Recording a "Live" episode works exactly like the Ol' VCR method. See Image

Well that sucks.

In other words, I am unfamiliar with recording/watching live TV. Why don't you download the free trial PlayOn and use some non-subscription service (Like Crackle maybe -- I was able to open YouTube Olympic Coverage video without a subscription) and see if it is right for you... before committing to either PlayOn or DTVN.

Well I actually signed up for DTVN, they've got a $10/mo for 3 mo thing. But so far, I'm not impressed. VOD selection is poor, it's definitely not a subsitute for a DVR. There's a number of shows that aren't available through VOD, and those that are, almost all seem to be on at least a 1-week delay. On top of that they're chock full of commercials it seems.

I actually bought a Playon lifetime, but I may request a refund on that, based on your clarification, it really doesn't do what I need it to. If I understand right, you can't "subscribe" to shows that aren't available VOD, which basically makes it useless for me.

I'll stick out DTVN, for a bit and see if they enable the DVR functionality this month. If so I'll see how that goes, otherwise it's a total non-starter.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

I wasn't keeping track of what was dropped by PlayOn but wish to sound more coherent when complaining to PlayOn Support. Help me identify all the channels that they no longer list. I remember only TNT/TBS/SyFy because I was directly affected but wish to be thorough. Please tell me what channels you are referring to. See current list image:

Attachment 16849



I see nothing I need that Sling has that DTVN doesn't. What are you referring to specifically? (Asking for the same above reason.)

https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/phil...february-2018/

Dtvn doesn't have an Android TV app. Simple as that.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Dtvn doesn't have an Android TV app. Simple as that.

Yeah, I don't know what that means. I use Chrome on my laptop and ROKU on the (Non-Android) TV. I don't use my cell phone to watch video but isn't this a DTVN Android App?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...m.att.tv&hl=en

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

Yeah, I don't know what that means. I use Chrome on my laptop and ROKU on the (Non-Android) TV. I don't use my cell phone to watch video but isn't this a DTVN Android App?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...m.att.tv&hl=en

Android TV isn't simply Android running on a TV. It's a particular flavor of Android designed for large screens controlled for 10ft away using a remote. While Android apps can (often) be sided-loaded to run on an Android TV device, unless its somehow already been designed to work with a remote, it's not likely to work very well.

[NetworkGuy]

The way I have gotten around PlayOn dropping a few Networks is to use my cable company's VOD.

I have Comcast and PlayOn will record anything that is available through their VOD. That includes SyFy / TNT / etc.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Android TV isn't simply Android running on a TV. It's a particular flavor of Android designed for large screens controlled for 10ft away using a remote. While Android apps can (often) be sided-loaded to run on an Android TV device, unless its somehow already been designed to work with a remote, it's not likely to work very well.

Is that what this is all about? http://androidpcreview.com/tv-box-start-here/

Android TV box vs Smart TV

Smart TV, which includes Google’s Android TV, is an attempt to integrate your media hub inside your TV itself. This may sound like a great idea, but it’s got one major drawback: Smart TV’s can cost up to ten times as much as a streaming media device box hooked up to the TV you already own. The difference between Android TV and an Android TV box lies in the operating system itself. Android TV is a special version of the core Android OS. Android TV can’t run every app, at least not without some complicated workarounds. It requires special versions of apps which are specifically designed to be run on your television rather than a touchscreen.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by NetworkGuy

The way I have gotten around PlayOn dropping a few Networks is to use my cable company's VOD.

I have Comcast and PlayOn will record anything that is available through their VOD. That includes SyFy / TNT / etc.

You subscribe to Comcast AND a streaming service (DTVN?)? I don't have that luxury. It is a struggle for me to subscribe to Amazon, DTVN +HBO, HULU, Showtime and Netflix.

FWIW, I have no problem recording the VOD episodes weeks after the "live" broadcast. I usually don't get around to watching the "live" programs recorded OTA by STV for several months anyway. I have 8 tuners and sometimes all eight are "in use" by STV so watching "live" is not really an option for me.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

Is that what this is all about? http://androidpcreview.com/tv-box-start-here/

Actually no. AndroidTV boxes are what Reggie described. Currently the main ones are the Nvidia Shield and the Mibox3. Many Sony and Sharp TVs also have AndroidTV built in as part of the "Smart TV" feature.

The SageTV Android client written by stuckless is designed to work on these boxes.

IMHO an AndroidTV box using SageTV and using apps like Netflix, YouTube, etc is a great solution for most folks. And the two boxes I mentioned above both support 4K. But the fact that DTVN doesn't have an AndroidTV app would ber very annoying.

[panteragstk]

Been using SlingTV trial for yesterday and today and I'm impressed. For $30 I get pretty much everything me and my kids watch. OTA takes care of the rest with the exception of the NFL Red Zone channel. Not a big deal though.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Been using SlingTV trial for yesterday and today and I'm impressed. For $30 I get pretty much everything me and my kids watch. OTA takes care of the rest with the exception of the NFL Red Zone channel. Not a big deal though.

How's the DVR/VOD on that?

Maybe DTVN will redeem itself if they enable the DVR for everyone (or let me in the beta) but their VOD is pretty bad.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by stanger89

How's the DVR/VOD on that?

Maybe DTVN will redeem itself if they enable the DVR for everyone (or let me in the beta) but their VOD is pretty bad.

Haven't signed up for the DVR just yet. I'll do it now and set some stuff to record and report back.

Interface for Sling is nice. You select a currently airing episode and it pulls up the next and previous episodes for you to watch. Pretty slick.

I will say that it's not without it's hiccups. I've got 1gb fiber from ATT so my connection isn't the issue, but it froze twice on the Disney Jr. channel this morning. Hasn't happened before or since. Who knows.

[panteragstk]

So I got the DVR package for sling TV and it works as expected. It gives you the option of entire series, new episodes, or just this show. Stored files play immediately and you can skip as needed with the channel I recorded.

Random freezing still occurs on Disney Jr. Odd that it's just that channel. Hasn't happened on any others.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

Anyway, I am still very interested in the networks that PlayOn has dropped.

FWIW, I received somewhat of an answer to the TVE issue with PlayOn:

Ronald Boyd
Feb 11, 09:32 EST
First it was TBS and TNT that were dropped from the list of Channels. Now, I have lost SyFy from the list. (There are, apparently, others that I haven't found yet.) FWIW, I was able to access Syfy prior to updating (yesterday) to a more current version.
I can access SyFy through my DirecTV Now and HULU accounts but the program listings are truncated.
What am I doing wrong?

PlayOn Support (Skip) (Support Center)
Feb 17, 09:31 EST
Greetings,

We're happy to help. There were issues with specific provider websites (specifically with the video player and/or how authentication was handled). Those issues were causing the channels to break frequently. As a result, we've removed them for now. Should something change with the sites and their reliability, we'll look at adding them back to the lineup.
Skip
PlayOn Support
www.playon.tv

Sigh

[SWKerr]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Out of curiosity, what's so bad about the DVR?
.

The DTVN DVR is limited to just 20 hours in the beta. Add to that that you have no options to start early or end late or just new episodes. The are no keep just the most recent # of episodes. All this means you are constantly having to manage the space to make sure something you want would not role off. (A week of news and a Nascar race would eat up half your space). But keep in mind they have a lot of VOD and a rewind feature for a lot of shows.

For a Beta that has been running for close to a year it is not real stable. Record errors all the time when I try to set a recording. Only one of My local 2 local channels has consistent Guide info. Favorites don't filter correctly at times. Just not real polished for something that is supposed to be months from release.

FYI: YouTube TV just added some additional stations but will be raising the price. You can still get the $35 for about month but after that the prices goes up to $40 for new users. A lot of what they added Was TBS, TNT and some NBA and MLB channels.

YouTube TV also recently added Roku and Apple TV apps. I have to say I like the Roku remote with built in TV power and Volume buttons. I am not in love with the Roku interface but it is functional and the Stick at $50 with the new remote is makes it a better option than the FireTV especially when you consider the app support.

[SWKerr]

Originally Posted by stanger89

So how does it actually work with DTVNow in practice? What if two shows air at the same time?

I have to say that Playon with DTVN was great a few months ago but has been spotty lately with recording not working for weeks at a time. Also: subscriptions on DTVN have been difficult to manage. DTVN seems to change the way they classify in their menu structure all the time. The same show will be by season on week and then in the Main tree the next. This may settle down as the service matures but it is not a great experience at this time.

Playon also seems to require a regular restart to keep working. The service seems to run but will not record until I reboot. This is an issue that occurs on 2 different machines so probably not a just me issue.

[stanger89]

Yeah, we'll see, I subscribed to all my stuff in Playon on DTVN, we'll see how it goes for a week or two.

Sad to say, but $40+/mo to use Sage as the DVR is starting to seem like a deal.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

So I got the DVR package for sling TV and it works as expected. It gives you the option of entire series, new episodes, or just this show. Stored files play immediately and you can skip as needed with the channel I recorded.

Random freezing still occurs on Disney Jr. Odd that it's just that channel. Hasn't happened on any others.

Good to know that I am not alone on this issue

My kids was complaining about the same freezing issue when we had SlingTV few month ago.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by TechBill

Good to know that I am not alone on this issue

My kids was complaining about the same freezing issue when we had SlingTV few month ago.

It's apparently been an issue for a while.

I honestly really like SlingTV. It is as close as anything else I've found as an alternative to SageTV. It's not as good, not even close really, but I could live with it if I had to.

My reasons for looking is that my DTV bill keeps getting higher and higher...

[panteragstk]

Welp, I canceled DirecTV today. Love the service, but I find myself watching less and less so the cost just wasn't justified. I'll be keeping my Colossus cards, but they won't get used.

Sling TV really has everything I need. Sage and OTA will take care of the rest. I'm happy that I get to keep using sage. Been too long of a journey to quit now. It's just too good for sports alone. Plus I still use sage for all my TV shows. Don't see that changing.