Streaming versus Broadcast TV

[monkey44]

We've never done much streaming, except we are Prime Amazon and view some selected movies or series. No commercials.

We'd like to know the benefit of streaming networks over regular TV as far as content - maybe - but more interested in how the entertainment presents to the audience.

For example: We watched a few Olympic contests, but quickly tired of the constant interruptions and split screen commercials. Similar to how sports - football and baseball - do now during games. We gave up quickly on the Olympics - which we've always enjoyed in the past. It was truly horrible - both content and commentary. We felt really bad for the athletes that train so hard, and got *%^$_ ed.

Do we gain anything with streaming? Does streaming present the same interruptions, more, less?? We think of paying for network streaming entertainment as a seperate issue. If we pay, no commercials, if free - well then we have to put up with it. An exchange sorta ...

We did not buy a 'big screen' so that commercials could use half to show ADs and half to show the entertainment as is what happened in Olympics and pro sports.

Is this the same in streaming, when the content is the same?

Hope I'm asking this properly. We expect no commercials if we buy an HBO movie, for example. And if we buy a TV channel over and above what we receive on our Comcast package, we're paying extra to delete the interruptions.

Can someone explain the difference in these venues? Thanks M44 & Genie ... 🙂 🙂

[philh]

Gdetrailer wrote:
2TB HD holds plenty of content to watch if I do not have Internet or OTA.

Amateur 🙂

I have 24T server sitting at my park model and use Plex to feed TV wherever I'm at. Also figured out how to get my Tivo also at the park model to feed to me no matter where I'm at. Caveat, i need to have cell coverage, which so far hasn't failed me 🙂

[thomasmnile]

Providers & distributors own us, pure and simple. OTA is the only escape. 🙂

But perhaps there's hope. NBC just wrapped up their third ratings debacle Olympics after renewal of their deal for $7.75 billion in 2014. ESPN is spending like drunken sailors on collegiate athletic rights, especially football. Problem is they're not delivering eyeballs to advertisers in the numbers they banked on. Something's gotta give.....with all of them

[Beaker]

To say streaming is "cutting the cord" to "save money" is pretty laughable at best. You must pay for premium current (and live) content and you must pay for your Internet service data on top of that.

Quitting DTV and going to HULU I save $60 a month. I watch all the sports I want, record most shows that I watch and replay them later, skipping thru most of the commercials. Had the internet a long time before streaming, no increase there.
I do have to sit thru commercials while watching live sports but usually have magazine I read while they are running.
I must admit that I have never subscribed to Netflix and the others.
I do not need the latest and greatest. What I watch and how may not suit others; that, they must decide and do.
If you watch 3hrs of TV, how did you like watching that hour of commercials? Try timing commercials, it is close to 30% of the time watched.
If I was on the road I probably would have DTV, record and watch later.

[way2roll]

Annnd... my personal experience - We have a lot of streaming networks, sling, Hulu, Netflix, HBO max, Apple plus, and all those together don't add up to what we were paying through Comcast. My experience is a little different than the doom and gloom and inaccurate claims against streaming. Sure you can add the world and pay accordingly. but you can cut the cord, get a lot of good and new content and still save money.

[p220sigman]

We looked at streaming from our sticks/bricks place. By the time we paid more for the same internet service (not bundling with cable any more so they charge more) and added the services necessary to get the programs we watched, it was like $10 cheaper to stream, but a lot more hassle. We stuck with cable as our main source. DVR almost everything and just forward through the commercials. I have one show in particular that I can watch the entire 3 hour show in less then 45 minutes. In addition to commercials, they have a lot of fluff that I don't care about.

[Gdetrailer]

way2roll wrote:


I think you just said it. OTA has old material. If you want new shows or movies you need a service that provides it. To each his own but this is why people stream. And I am not sure I would all it obsessed. Streaming has replaced all other forms of subscription and OTA service networks. It's the new norm.

Annnd..

pianotuna wrote:


If you want quality content from Tubi, then browse the classics.

Guess what? Tubi IS "old material".

You NOT going to find "NEW" material on free streaming services.

thomasmnile wrote:
Streaming is an activity performed primarily by "cord cutters" looking to save money vs cable or satellite. Guess what? The streaming content providers have figured this out as well. Select a service like YouTube TV or Hulu, which provide similar content to a little more than basic cable or satellite. Add to that Disney, Netflix,HBO Max or other streaming content, you have blown past cable or satellite prices with ease.

^^^THIS^^^ is the problem.

If you WANT "new material" or current material you must PAY for that material and the only way to get that is by subscribing to the premium streamers like Disney, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+ and so on.

valhalla360 wrote:
We use streaming. If you buy every possible streaming service, it will cost as much as a fully loaded cable plan (maybe more).

If you are selective, you can really cut the costs a lot and still have a wide variety of shows available.

Biggest downside is if you watch a lot of sports.

Pay close attention to what I put in bold type..

To make that even more clear, NEW material is exclusively copyrighted by the respective content providers. It does not cross over or allowed to be rebroadcast by ANY other broadcasters, content providers and so on unless the original content owner sells the rights to a broadcaster or streaming service...

Therefore if you want to view say Walking Dead which is AMCs baby via streaming, you will have to subscribe to Netflix as Netflix bought the exclusive streaming rights to it from AMC.

Pretty much every cable and sat channel has gotten into the streaming pool. Each channel is owned by someone, one of the biggest channel holder is the Discovery Network which launched their Discover PLUS streaming service. They hold many of the new content channels like HGTV, Discovery channel, ID, TLC, Animal planet, Food network and more. Until they launched their streaming service, none of the content they own was online and it is exclusive to their network only.

To say streaming is "cutting the cord" to "save money" is pretty laughable at best. You must pay for premium current (and live) content and you must pay for your Internet service data on top of that.

Can you save some money? Sure but IF you go with 100% free streaming with old content only or select one or two premium streaming services at a time and give up on copyrighted material that is not available on the ones you did not subscribe to.

You can't have your cake and eat it to..

[thomasmnile]

In the beginning, God created Netflix and it was good. Manny,many movies, most older of course, but excellent selection. Then the studios that release films saw Netflix success with THEIR product, screamed ME TOO!!!!...and yanked their content from Netflix.

[way2roll]

Gdetrailer wrote:

joebedford wrote:

I am not sure why folks are so obsessed over trying to stream everything from the Internet.. Many of the OTA SUB channels are rich in that old material that is on the free streaming sites.

I think you just said it. OTA has old material. If you want new shows or movies you need a service that provides it. To each his own but this is why people stream. And I am not sure I would all it obsessed. Streaming has replaced all other forms of subscription and OTA service networks. It's the new norm.

[Gdetrailer]

joebedford wrote:
Never watch anything live - a PVR doesn't away with most of the annoyance from commercials.

X2!

I make use of my Dish built in DVR..

If you have Internet connected Dish Hopper with Sling or Hopper3 you can also use the Dish anywhere streaming.. Dish anywhere streaming is include automatically with Hopper2 or hopper3

DISH ANYWHERE DETAILS

I also have a standalone PVR which I can record the video from my Dish or other video sources plus I ripped much of my DVDs down and copied them to the PVR and take that with me.. 2TB HD holds plenty of content to watch if I do not have Internet or OTA..

For many of the "classics" as someone had mentioned they stream from free streamers, I get plenty of that right from my OTA sub channels..

I get:

STARTTV
FAVE
CoziTV
METV
Comet
LAFF
ACTION

Other OTA subchannels which are a mix of old classics and new programming:

WBPA-LB
Family
AceTV
RightNw
YouTooAMGTV
FunRds
Allsprt
WxNatn
AMvoice
Newsnet
PBS CREATE
PBS WORLD
PBS SHOW
ION
Bounce
CourtTV
Mystery
Defy TV
TruReal
H&I
GRIT
Circle
DABL
Stadium
TBD (pets)
QUEST
getTV
AntennaTV
Charge!
TimelessTV
HSN
MOVIES
BZR
SBN
CTM
DECADES

I am not sure why folks are so obsessed over trying to stream everything from the Internet.. Many of the OTA SUB channels are rich in that old material that is on the free streaming sites.

[joebedford]

Never watch anything live - a PVR doesn't away with most of the annoyance from commercials.

[FlatBroke]

I have DirectTv satellite. I have tried DIRECTV streaming and Fubo. Both not as easy to use. in fact a PITA. Have had great customer service with DTv service, like lowering my bill. Not so with DTv streaming, down right nasty, took numerous calls to get the correct department for getting installation, same way with canceling. Going to try YouTube tv and Hulu next. In AZ for the winter so I won’t make switch until we get home.

[1492]

Still primarily a theater person myself, average 50-60 year, most by subscription. Or by an occasional invite to advance screenings. Of which Apple's theater screening for 'CODA' still gets my vote for best picture of the year. Having seen all this year's nominees except 'Drive My Car' - HBOMax on March 2.

Some movies including my personal favorite 'DUNE' are best experienced in a theater, twice in IMAX Laser and once in Dolby Cinema for me. You can't get the full impact of what the filmmaker intended on streaming services.

[valhalla360]

We use streaming. If you buy every possible streaming service, it will cost as much as a fully loaded cable plan (maybe more).

If you are selective, you can really cut the costs a lot and still have a wide variety of shows available.

Biggest downside is if you watch a lot of sports.

Also, assuming you are in range, you can supplement with over-the-air channels.

Our biggest problem is that it's easy to watch an entire series in a week or so and then we have to find a new series to watch. As opposed to the good old days of 5-6 channels and you watched what was on...It's a good problem to have.

[thomasmnile]

X2 on Downfall. Very well done. Produce by Ron Howard's production company, by and large always quality movies and TV from "Opie's" company.

We took our grandson to the local AMC theater to watch DOG (enjoyable and great story). All in, tickets, drinks and popcorn, 60 bucks. Makes the 19 bucks to stream No Time to Die the steal of the century. 🙂