# I dumped cable. What's the simplest way to get some basic... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468 "2018-03-30T11:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/1 "2018-03-30T11:19:59Z")
Retained my high-speed internet. Dumped my TV service from Xfinity (Comcast). Enough content on-line, but just a couple of things I wouldn’t mind having on the TV (for background noise/content, such as news and sports) \*I want to get some local broadcast stations in the Phila, PA, USA area, and maybe ESPN (no interest in any antennae). I would like to cast from laptop to (non-smart) TV. I do watch, among the on-line content, some Amazon Prime content (I understand Prime video doesn’t cast with all casting devices?) I’ll gladly pay 5-10 bucks per month to get some channels and ESPN channels.\* Am I looking at Amazon Firestick as best option? With such a device, do I buy it and then… well… what’s next? How to I order up some minimal channels once I have such a device? . ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/2 "2018-03-30T13:48:31Z")
Local stations are probably going to be a problem with any streaming device. I don’t do sports so I can’t help you there. Firestick or Roku. The Roku Express is less than $30 at Amazon and Walmart. Works fine with Amazon Prime. Buy it, plug it into an HDMI port on your TV, then download the apps to the streaming device you need for the TV you want to watch - Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, whatever. Sign up for whatever services you want. Some have a free trial for a week or so. There will be some free content you can get with the streaming device you buy, but you won’t get much, and $5 to $10 bucks a month is probably not going to get you much either. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/3 "2018-03-30T13:56:17Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > Local stations are probably going to be a problem with any streaming device. Assuming you have a digital TV the local stuff is no issue; a set of modern rabbit ears at worse. If you have a really old TV (like me) pick up a cheap flatscreen model, even a smaller one, and maybe some ears for it depending on how your reception is. Here across the state in Da Burgh I get enough over the air that if it wasn’t for my wife liking all the cooking shows our Verizon would be gone in a flash. To be frank I haven’t watched anything on it much in ages; most is Comet or Retro over-the-air on the small set in our guest room. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/4 "2018-03-30T14:05:00Z")
I just did the same thing: retained my high speed Internet, but dumped my X1 Xfinity. I had an AppleTV, so now I just subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and for $35/mo DirecTV Now, which gives me my local channels and all the usual cable channels I need. Don’t miss a thing. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/5 "2018-03-30T14:12:17Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Assuming you have a digital TV the local stuff is no issue; a set of modern rabbit ears at worse. OP says he’s not interested in OTA/antenna. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/6 "2018-03-30T14:29:28Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Retained my high-speed internet. Dumped my TV service from Xfinity (Comcast). > [@cmyk](#): > > I just did the same thing: retained my high speed Internet, but dumped my X1 Xfinity. I’m curious about the pricing: did your Comcast bill go up, down, or stay the same? I’m with FiOS and when I tried to do this, dump the cable but keep the internet, my price actually went _up_; the only thing that made it go down was to keep the cable but knock it back to just the most very basic package possible (local channels only, supposedly, but we still get a couple of dozen cable channels that I’m certain we shouldn’t: TNT, TBS, AMC, Discovery Science, Food, SyFy, A&E, even ESPN, among others; probably a mistake on their part but we’ll take it :)). So unless I want to pay more for the same internet service and speed, I suppose I’m stuck with the cable. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/7 "2018-03-30T14:33:49Z")
Well, I have google home so I stick with chromecast 90% of the time, but Amazon Fire TV (which I also have) has some exclusive content, plus with NewsOn you can get local news (I don’t know how good it is). 90% of the time I’m watching netflix or hulu for entertainment. If I’m desperate, I’ll switch over to the fire TV and watch whatever netflix or hulu doesn’t have. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/8 "2018-03-30T14:34:15Z")
I would check out [Hulu Live](https://www.hulu.com/live-tv?cmp=8445). They’ve got local channels plus ESPN. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/9 "2018-03-30T14:34:24Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I’m curious about the pricing: did your Comcast bill go up, down, or stay the same? > > I’m with FiOS and when I tried to do this, dump the cable but keep the internet, my price actually went _up_; the only thing that made it go down was to keep the cable but knock it back to just the most very basic package possible (local channels only, supposedly, but we still get a couple of dozen cable channels that I’m certain we shouldn’t: TNT, TBS, AMC, Discovery Science, Food, SyFy, A&E, even ESPN, among others; probably a mistake on their part but we’ll take it :)). So unless I want to pay more for the same internet service and speed, I suppose I’m stuck with the cable. I was on a 2-year contract with Comcast at a discounted rate. When the 2 years were up, my rate went up significantly. So bringing it down to just the internet, plus all the streaming services, has my net payment about $100+ lower a month than what I would be paying Comcast alone (which would’ve been about $240 for Internet, cable/DVR, and voice). ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/10 "2018-03-30T14:35:03Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > OP says he’s not interested in OTA/antenna. Sorry; I didn’t read it as a total lack of interest in OTA (even with nothing most city TVs will get a pretty good assortment of local stuff) and I don’t equate the newer box-like systems as antennas. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/11 "2018-03-30T14:36:04Z")
TBH, the default option for local coverage is an HDTV antenna. I understand that’s not apparently desired (for reasons not adequately explained), so I’ll not fight that hypothetical. Some local channels operate internet streaming out of their websites. AFAIK, you can’t tap into that with a normal cord-cutting device (like a Roku), so you’ll have to hook up a computer, tablet, or smartphone to the TV to access that. The ones that offer a stream on the web may also have an app for your mobile. (It seems like most apps are just packaged-up access to a website anyway.) None of these will be well-integrated with any other streaming device or service. It’ll be a hodge-podge. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/12 "2018-03-30T14:43:47Z")
Is there a particular reason you don’t want an antenna? Although typically hooked directly up to the TV, there are a variety of DVRs which take antenna input in and then act as a streaming server to deliver that content to streaming devices or your laptop. For free streaming news, get CBSN. The PlutoTV streaming app gathers much of the free, live-streaming content and presents it in a cable TV-like channel guide. They probably have about 50 channels. Some are oddball, but some are from the cable channels. Although pretty much every cable channel has streaming capability, often they are restricted to only cable subscribers. So if you don’t have cable/satellite, you can’t stream the channel. Their streaming channels are an addition to cable service, not as a replacement. Does your TV have any smart capability already? Many TV’s already have the built-in ability to add streaming channels. If it doesn’t, then you’ll have to get an external device like Amazon Fire, Roku, etc. The way that device works it that it’s like a little computer with apps on it. Some will be preloaded for you, but they all have the ability to search for more apps and install them. It’s like how you load apps on your phone from the app store. So if you got the Fire Stick, you could search for the CBSN and PlutoTV apps and add them to your stick. Then you could select those apps and watch that content. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/13 "2018-03-30T16:35:43Z")
There are grey market options for watching cable news for free: [http://usnewslive.tv/](http://usnewslive.tv/) ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/14 "2018-03-30T17:37:49Z")
All very helpful. I’m confused: So… if I bought a Firestick (for example), and I pay for that one time 40-buck charge, I get \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Is the blank space above any channels? OR is the blank space above ‘the option to start paying for more $hit’ . I’d be happy with super basic channels… almost white noise in my life… for falling asleep and maybe a blurb of news… anything. I don’t want to buy some device then shell out 30, 40 or 50 bucks for a channel package. Rarely, I will tap into Prime Video, since I have Prime for other reasons, but I just want the TV for white noise, something like some talking heads (live news). ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/15 "2018-03-30T17:53:04Z")
Can’t talk about Firestick, but [here’s some free stuff on Roku.](https://blog.roku.com/which-roku-channels-are-free) If all you’re looking for is background stuff, Amazon Prime and the free stuff you can get by default should give you plenty. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/16 "2018-03-30T17:59:53Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I’m confused: So… if I bought a Firestick (for example), and I pay for that one time 40-buck charge, I get \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. > > Is the blank space above any channels? OR is the blank space above ‘the option to start paying for more $hit’ . The Firestick is just a platform for running streaming apps. Some apps have free content, some apps you have to subscribe to. You can add all the channels you want for free, but some channels will require a subscription to actually view the content. So you pay $40 and you can run apps like Netflix, but you have to have a Netflix subscription to actually watch their shows. Same with Amazon Prime. If you already have Prime, you can watch all the Prime content on your stick. But you’re not limited to Prime content with the Prime app. They’ll also have movies for rent for $5-6. There are also free streams, but they typically have commercials. For example, CBSN is continual news like CNN, but it has commercials. You don’t have to have a subscription. You can just add CBSN to your Firestick and start watching. Good free apps I know of: CBSN – Streaming news PlutoTV – Variety of free movie and TV channels Crackle – Movies The paid apps will generally have better content and fewer (or no) commercials. The free apps will have older content and have commercials. In addition to Netflix/Amazon, one good subscription app is Hulu. Available in both a commercial and no-commercial version, it will have a lot of network and cable channel content as on demand. It has a lot of the current content as well as past seasons. It won’t have same-day content, but usually shows are available the next day after they are broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/17 "2018-03-30T20:14:16Z")
I think based on all the great info, I am best suited to Firestick, which will make Prime Video super easy and then whatever free garbage comes with it, I am good to go. All the info is good, but I am just not getting into Antennae, paid packages, etc. Just surfing for these answers was just one link after the other with a degree of vagueness that never ended. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/18 "2018-03-30T20:24:06Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I think based on all the great info, I am best suited to Firestick, which will make Prime Video super easy and then whatever free garbage comes with it, I am good to go. > > All the info is good, but I am just not getting into Antennae, paid packages, etc. > > Just surfing for these answers was just one link after the other with a degree of vagueness that never ended. > > 🙂 Well, the landscape of cord-cutting is quite complicated. Either you accept that and learn what you need to understand it, or you don’t and you settle. Sounds like you’ve gone with the latter. Just to be clear: your choice will not give you any local broadcasts. You apparently also won’t get ESPN. The Fire TV system has an ESPN streaming app available, but it requires a subscription. Not a distinct streaming subscription. An existing cable or satellite TV ESPN subscription. Apparently, ESPN doesn’t feel like (or isn’t contractually allowed to) undercut cable and satellite providers by catering to cord-cutters with no cable TV. But you’ll get Amazon Prime video, plus whatever free cruft is also in the basic Fire TV package. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/19 "2018-03-30T20:28:18Z")
It is not settling when it (Firestick alone) meets my needs. Putting in extra effort, adding equipment and spending more money are not required, so I won’t be doing any of those. Ciao. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468/20 "2018-03-30T22:59:30Z")
we subscribe to playstation vue. We have Hulu, Prime, HBO and netflix. And local channels. Never have a lack of interesting things to watch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dumped-cable-whats-the-simplest-way-to-get-some-basic/811468.md?page=2)