For those who have dropped cable/satellite for streaming...

[bhaveshp]

We went from a $130 TV+Internet Comcast package to OTA+Tivo HD & Netflix.

90% of our TV watching was already using our Tivo using a Comcast cable card, so switching to OTA was painless costwise. I only spent $150 to have an OTA antenna installed on our rooftop.

The only programming we miss on occasion is Food TV, some CNBC, CNN and some baseball. I figure saving $85 a month makes that worthwhile.

Having a Tivo DVR makes this family friendly. A Macmini based solution would not have worked in our family.

[Ombligo]

Any options for those who cannot get OTA?

and there is still the True Blood question.. (this is dead in the water if wife can't get HBO series)

[Wailer]

Ombligo wrote:
Any options for those who cannot get OTA?

and there is still the True Blood question.. (this is dead in the water if wife can't get HBO series)

Legal and/or hassle free sources? None.

I was about to cut the cord on Dish when they offered me $12.95/mo for very basic service that includes all major networks/PBS, a few random HGTV, food type channels, EPIX and a few other older movie channels but does not include ESPN, regional FOX sports or CNN. I also get continuing use of my VIP722, which is a great DVR (I used Tivo for a long time and the VIP722 is better in some ways).

I can add HBO for $16/mo but I find that with all the free HBO, cinemax, starz promotions that come around, I really don't need it since I have Netflix IW and a media player with lots of ripped content that I haven't gotten around to watch.

[Mac1337]

Considering that even tuning in the HD channels is too complicated for the Mrs., I have to skip it.

[JEBB]

Other than PBS OTA we only watch CNBC, TCM & Food channel. If I could get those streaming Directv would lose a customer.

[Bill in NC]

OTA on a Tivo here (downloaded Amazon videos, streamed netflix)

Added a Panasonic Blu-ray to stream Amazon Prime videos.

More and more features are being added to blu-ray players - IIRC, LG blu-ray can stream mlb.tv.

[freeradical]

Bill in NC wrote:
IIRC, LG blu-ray can stream mlb.tv.

I use a Roku box to do that.

[Article Accelerator]

Apple TV provides live MLB to subscribers as well as NBA TV.

[John B.]

So far for weekend experimenting I've found that by sticking a set of rabbit ears in the attic I can get most of my local OTA channels, except the local NBC affiliate.

Thought maybe I could use a Pismo with SVHS-out as a Hulu client, but I think that ship has passed.

We went rain-free for more than 24 hours and it appears my DirecTV LNB has dried out and is functioning again, but I'm still seriously considering the idea of dropping it. I'm going to try to watch some Hulu on my Mini this weekend.

P.S. Does anyone know when full episodes of "Rescue Me" hit FX's website? Day after broadcast (hope hope)?

[D. Lawson]

Gareth wrote:
Just be aware that Hulu+ is pretty much useless for streaming current episodes to a TV. I signed up for a free trial, discovered everything I would want to watch (at least of cable shows) wasn't available to a TV device (my TiVo), and never used it.

It sounds like it's only useless to you, based on your viewing habits. We use Hulu+ to keep up on all of our network shows, and the current episode is almost always available by the next day.

We dropped both cable and the TiVo for OTA and a Roku, primarily for Netflix and Hulu+ (which also offers over 100 Criterion Collection films), but I mix in CrunchyRoll and some of the public domain stuff as well. I would watch films on Crackle more often if it wasn't for the ridiculous amount of interruptions. Programming now costs us $16 per month, not counting the initial $65 (at the time) for the Roku.