Netflix and Hulu a good alternative to Direct TV?

Malpasowildlifer

Malpasowildlifer

SWCA Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
2,191
Reaction score
978
Location
Front range
I love my Direct TV package but all the promotions have ended so it is about $120 a month now. I have five months left in the contract and I need to find something else. I love the different channels but that is a little too much.

It sounds like having Netflix and Hulu is the way to go. I don't need news channels (got Drudge and Michael Savage). The only modern shows I watch are Strike Back and Justified. The most current show I like after those two is In living Color so I don't need all of the channels for series.

So, it sounds like I just need an archived set-up, like Net Flix and Hulu.

How many have gone this route?
 
Register to hide this ad
We have Amazon Prime and a digital terrestrial TV antenna. Pretty happy with that, we like the free 2 day shipping, too.

Gave up on Netflix, found it was just too hard to locate something to watch.

Never tried hulu.
 
I got tired of the same old stuff and the $100 bills to watch the same old stuff.

I can watch most of it free on my Roku players. Netflix and Hulu cost less than $10 each a month. There's a bunch of free stuff and I've found some really neat old stuff on the free channels. So far I'm happy.

I just need to get a good digital antenna for my local stations. I can't watch the weather in the mornings but she's clueless. I just like her ..... looks.
 
DeathGrip said:
I just need to get a good digital antenna for my local stations. I can't watch the weather in the mornings but she's clueless. I just like her ..... looks.
Click to expand...

They're getting hard to find since RadioShacks are disappearing.

Keep looking, worthwhile to have if only to watch the TeleMundo traffic lady in the A.M. She turns sideways and half of Dade Co. vanishes.
 
I cut the cable over 6 months ago and hooked up a good antenna in the attic.
I use a Roku device to watch NetFlix, History Channel, PBS archives, the Smithsonian Channel, and cooking shows.
I save over $100 a month.
 
I got rid of cable and use an omni directional antenna, and NETFLIX for movies. PBS is available on computer and there's a lot of stuff on there. Everything from Downtown Abbey to Masterpiece theater, and wildlife shows. If your laptop has a HDMI output you can hook it to your TV. Thats what I do as I don't have a SMART TV.
 
Malpasowildlifer said:
I love my Direct TV package but all the promotions have ended so it is about $120 a month now.

[...]

So, it sounds like I just need an archived set-up, like Net Flix and Hulu.

How many have gone this route?
Click to expand...

We've done it and we should have never gotten DTV in first place. Too expensive, too much commercials, bad service (reception) and bad customer service. Despite the things you might saw on the TV show "Undercover Boss"...

We use NetFlix and Hulu for $7.99/month each. My wife recently signed up with Target red box or something like that. There you can rent and buy movies. Not bad at all.
 
Last edited:
Netflix is excellent, but not an alternative to live TV, IMO. Heck, Megyn Kelly is worth pay per view. :D

Be very careful with Netflix if the wife becomes interested in a TV series. They don't always carry all the previously aired seasons. Let me tell you my sad story...

The wife began watching a TV series on Netflix, The Hart of Dixie. A horribly campy show that is absolutely worthless aside from some nice looking women. So the wife becomes addicted... :rolleyes: Well that's all fine and good but Netflix only had the first two seasons. So after finishing up with the first two seasons, the wife asks how do we get the third season. I tell her wait a year and they will release it after season four is done. Of course that doesn't sit well with the wife so she clicks on AppleTV. Excitedly she bursts out, AppleTV has it!!! Without even a moments hesitation she clicks the buy button. $50 :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
Dropped cable and went to Netflix and Hulu. I like Netflix, but not impressed with Hulu. We will drop that after the free trial ends. Saved about $120 per month. So far, the only thing I'm missing is college football, but I can figure ways around that for $120.
 
We ditched cable about three years ago, maybe more.

We recently moved, and the internet/cable provider gave us a smokin' deal on cable so we have cable again, but when the deal runs out, buh-bye cable.

The deal included HBO, but I find I never watch it. The timing is never right.

We use an Apple TV and subscribe to Netflix. There are several devices similar to an Apple TV device, which just gets you access to many services like Hulu and a lot more. The nice thing about Apple TV is easy access to programming and easy billing.

Any moder "internet" TV will get you those services too. Some are subscription based and some are free. The free ones make you watch commercials.

I don't do commercials. I pay in order to NOT watch commercials.

Plus with Netflix and Apple TV, I watch what I want, when I want, and it's all commercial free.

Netflix can be tricky, as surfing is not as easy as with some other services, but, I did notice that the more I use the Netflix rating system (I rate movies and TV shows) the more suggestions I get and the better programming I can find. YMMV.

Many times I search on Apple TV, which is very easy, then check Netflix if it is available (Apple programming is pay per view a la carte, while Netflix is one monthly charge for all programming). Many of the times, something I found on Apple TV is on Netflix also which saves me money.
 
A little extra too!

Howdy,
We ditched our pay TV back before TV went digital.
We use a lot of Netflix.
Also I put up a good antennae w/rotor. If you have been tied up getting your network TV via cable/sat. you might not know that most if not all OTA stations have extra movie, old TV show or other programming. For example in the St.Louis area we get channel 2 (Fox) we also get a 2-2 of old TV and movies, 4 (CBS) plus 4-2, old TV and movies, 5 (NBC) plus 5-2, mostly Black people movies, 9 (PBS) 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 with the extras showing cooking, travel and other shows, 11(local) plus 11-2 movies and old TV, 24 and 24-2 some movies , 30 (ABC) and 30-1 all old movies. If I spin it around south I get a lot of the same and some different and worthwhile.
So, if you get 4 or 5 OTA network channels odds are good you will get 8 or 10 channels with an OTA antennae. Throw in Netflix for $8.00 a month and you can stay pretty entertained and save a lot of money.
I miss Dish every great now and then, but not very often. I wouldn't by back into it.
Thanks
Mike
 
Last edited:
soFlaNative said:
They're getting hard to find since RadioShacks are disappearing.
Click to expand...

Both Costco and Sam's Club sell them.

Another possibility that nobody mentioned is to use a specialized search/download program. You enter the name of a movie or TV show that you want, and the program will find it on the net and download it for you. You can watch the downloaded file directly if your PC has the correct drivers, or you can burn it to a DVD.

The one I use is called "Express Files".
 
I've got Direct TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Haven't use the AP yet. I got it just for the free 2 day shipping. Most of the shows on DTV are available on Netflix, but you are gonna be a season behind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top