header pic

Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

The 'Old' CFN/Scout Crowd- Enjoy Civil discussion, game analytics, in depth player and coaching 'takes' and discussing topics surrounding the game. You can even have your own free board, all you have to do is ask!!!

Anyone is welcomed and encouraged to join our FREE site and to take part in our community- a community with you- the user, the fan, -and the person- will be protected from intrusive actions and with a clean place to interact.


Author

Topic: OT - Cable Alternatives

 (Read 89423 times)

utee94

  • Global Moderator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 27888
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #448 on: August 12, 2026, 11:46:09 AM »

To think we swapped cable for internet streaming that in many cases is more expensive than cable was.
I warned everyone about this years before it happened.

Folks all thought they were paying more for cable than they should, because sports fans hated seeing HGTV and The Oprah Network, while Oprah fans hated seeing 8 different ESPNs.

But what they all missed was that the cable companies aggregating both the providers and the consumers, cut the costs for everyone.

Moving to a choose-your-own-adventure a la carte model was never going to be good for anyone but the content providers and intermediaries. 

MikeDeTiger

  • Team Captain
  • *******
  • Posts: 7223
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #449 on: August 12, 2026, 11:52:54 AM »

So I wonder what only $55/mo rises to afterwards? To think we swapped cable for internet streaming that in many cases is more expensive than cable was.

On a monthly basis, yes, the surviving streaming services became similarly expensive as cable services.  But I think most of us knew that was coming.  The fewer of those companies that survived (which was inevitable), the prices were always going to go up.  And they were obviously biting the cost of carrying certain networks at their original prices, so again, that was always going to go up.  They were in a war to outlast the competitors, and now that the field cleared, they need to make money. 

However, on a long-term basis, streaming is still much cheaper.  I only need TV for six months of football and the other half of the year I can pay $0.  Cutting cable off and on is doable (or at least it used to be), but a hassle.  And satellite companies lock you into contracts. 

So yeah, next year I doubt there will be a $55/mo. package offered by YTTV, but whatever it rises to, it will probably still beat cable in the long run. 

FearlessF

  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 55945
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #450 on: August 12, 2026, 12:07:35 PM »

So I wonder what only $55/mo rises to afterwards? To think we swapped cable for internet streaming that in many cases is more expensive than cable was.
$65/month
"Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."

847badgerfan

  • Administrator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 37220
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #451 on: August 12, 2026, 12:08:17 PM »
U RAH RAH! WIS CON SIN!

FearlessF

  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 55945
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #452 on: August 12, 2026, 12:08:44 PM »
your bill is determined by your content

anything live is expensive - especially sports
"Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."

FearlessF

  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 55945
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #453 on: August 12, 2026, 12:09:29 PM »
Then $85.

Then $105.
not for just sports in the next couple years but, yes, eventually
because of the Big Ten, SEC, and NFL
"Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."

betarhoalphadelta

  • Global Moderator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 17362
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #454 on: August 12, 2026, 04:25:29 PM »

So I wonder what only $55/mo rises to afterwards? To think we swapped cable for internet streaming that in many cases is more expensive than cable was.
Exactly as I predicted when everyone was complaining that they wanted everything "a la carte" instead of bundled... 

betarhoalphadelta

  • Global Moderator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 17362
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #455 on: August 12, 2026, 04:27:32 PM »
Which is better, a Firestick or Roku stick?

I dislike the interface on my Samsung TV

pretty sure I'm going with the Youtube TV Sports plan when the CFB season starts
Currently Roku. They had the advantage of being standalone so they had to survive based on their merits and not preferentially shove their owners' content down your throat. 

But, it looks like Fox is acquiring them. So the days of being independent and neutral regarding content are likely coming to an end. 

bayareabadger

  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Default Avatar
  • Posts: 10684
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #456 on: August 12, 2026, 04:41:09 PM »
I’ve generally been fine with YouTubeTV, and I have the Google TV interface, which is mostly solid. 

Wildcat4E

  • Player
  • ****
  • Posts: 500
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #457 on: August 12, 2026, 05:05:12 PM »
My fam spent $300 on a box, it's so unbelievable it doesn't seem like it would be legal.  But it has an honest to God website that would go bye in a heartbeat if it was.

For live TV, if you have patience, can search out virtually any network in the country.  Looks like it will have NFL Redzone, and I'm getting access to and watching a lot of shows from Prime, Apple, Peacock, etc.  Really nice on Peacock ones, as it deletes the incessant ads.

Canceled YTTV, have kept a lot of the small other ones, but it will pay for itself in 3 months if YTTV is up over $100 now, it was $83 when I quit.

utee94

  • Global Moderator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 27888
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #458 on: August 12, 2026, 05:08:57 PM »
Definitely sounds illegal.  What "box" is this?

MikeDeTiger

  • Team Captain
  • *******
  • Posts: 7223
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #459 on: August 12, 2026, 05:17:37 PM »
Definitely sounds illegal.  What "box" is this?


I'll let him answer because I don't remember, but he mentioned it previously and I looked it up then.  Seemed very similar to how tv pirates were using the Genesis plugin with the Kodi app a decade ago to magically procure every movie and tv show known to man.  Which was basically just the same technology torrent sites were using a decade before that.*

Far as I could tell, it's not legal.  It's one of those gray areas where it hasn't been explicitly outlawed/condemned yet, but it's coming.  I'd be real careful about it. 




*not that I ever did any of those things.  I, um, know a guy who used stuff like that

Wildcat4E

  • Player
  • ****
  • Posts: 500
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #460 on: August 12, 2026, 05:20:15 PM »

I'll let him answer because I don't remember, but he mentioned it previously and I looked it up then.  Seemed very similar to how tv pirates were using the Genesis plugin with the Kodi app a decade ago to magically procure every movie and tv show known to man.  Which was basically just the same technology torrent sites were using a decade before that.*

Far as I could tell, it's not legal.  It's one of those gray areas where it hasn't been explicitly outlawed/condemned yet, but it's coming.  I'd be real careful about it. 




*not that I ever did any of those things.  I, um, know a guy who used stuff like that
Yeah, What Box...

utee94

  • Global Moderator
  • Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 27888
  • Liked:
Re: OT - Cable Alternatives
« Reply #461 on: August 12, 2026, 05:20:52 PM »
Yeah if it's aggregating content streams, outside of the streaming providers, then it's almost certainly not legal.

They might not be pursuing criminal or legal activity against offenders just yet, but I promise you this-- AI is going to make it super-easy to do so.

 

Support the Site!
Purchase of every item listed here DIRECTLY supports the site.