Simplest alternitive to get HB0?

[Wee Hooker]

Ok folks, This old guy has about had it with my cable co. The video part of my bill is now in excess of $100 and all I watch are the lower (local) channels and the very upper end when I want to follow one of the HBO mini series. Beyond that, I don't have much use at all for the "idiot box". So , I've solved the lower/local channel issue by installing a digital antenna (which gives me 43 crystal clear channels.) I'd like to cancel the "upper tier" of Cable but still would like to be able to get HBO . I have a smart tv but am lost in the sea of marketing jargon of Netflics, Hulu, Roku, Amazon Prime Video......I don't know where to start.
So, can anybody explain how any of these services work to me? Looking for a simple and inexpensive solution.
Any insight appreciated.

 

[coltle6920]

You're halfway there... I get 53 channels via antennae and don't miss having cable one bit.

While you are contemplating your next move why don't you go and cancel the other half? Think of the money you could be saving right now by cutting the cord completely.

There isn't anything out there right now that I would pay to see.Everything eventually ends up on YouTube or the Internet.When it shows up I'll download it for free.I usually find out it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be so no money lost.

 

[gunnails]

Net flix and Amazon are similar and also the two go to services after cutting the cord, I have both which is a bit redundant.

I prefer Netflix but with Amazon you will get free shipping from Amazon and I believe they unlike Netflix can sell you all of HBO"s content?

What you should do is sign up to netflix or Amazon for their free 30 day trial and give it a run to see if you would enjoy it. And as I think of it I believe HBO has a streaming service that you can buy directly from them.

You will probably never go back to cable.

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

I hook my laptop up to the TV to watch certain things which is really easy. I believe HBO has a direct online membership called NOW that is $15/mo. The first month is free so you can try it and see if you like it first. You just need internet access. Go to their home page and read about it.

 

[Kanewpadle]

We have a basic package from Directv, Amazon, and Netflix. We are also considering a digital antenna.

The content of Amazon and Netflix are very different. Amazon seems to have more movies while Netflix has more TV shows.

Netflix is $11.99 a month and well worth it. Amazon Prime is $99 a year. Also well worth the cost. With Amazon you can add HBO for $14.99 a month after a free 30 day trial. Not bad if you also buy stuff Amazon and have it shipped free.

There are also streaming devices such as Roku which give you access to Netflix, Amazon and many other channels. But you still have to pay for the content. Other than that I don't know much about them.

One thing to keep in mind, you should have fairly fast internet to stream media or it won't be a pleasant experience.

 

[Onomea]

Here is the link to HBO Now: HBO NOW | Order

If you have a smart TV, and it is connected to the internet, you should be able to get the HBO Now app and watch HBO. There is a telephone number you can call for help.

 

[dougb1946]

Buy the biggest hard drive you can. Couple of terabytes. Pay for one of the services for a few months and download everything you think you can stand to watch. When the backup drives are full, you can cancel the networks. Lots of free stuff available-mostly oldies, some goodies, some worth watching once a year every year. When you cut the internet, you will save enough to be able to drink good beer while watching what you want when you want.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Thanks Gents,
I'm now getting 43 HD channels on the free airwaves . I'm actually impressed with the variety and picture quality. There are stations there I don't even get with paid cable.
The wife started a netflix trial last night. Lots of choices there. I'll look into the amazon/HBO offer. That would make sense if I dump cable altogether . I pay $20/mo to get to the tier that has HBO now.

 

[Onomea]

Buy the biggest hard drive you can. Couple of terabytes. Pay for one of the services for a few months and download everything you think you can stand to watch. When the backup drives are full, you can cancel the networks... .

I think that might not work. I get Amazon Prime and Netflix. Amazon Prime has allowed downloads for a while now, of the programming that comes with the Prime membership. Last summer I downloaded a season of The Americans to my iPad, at which point I could not download any more programming from Amazon Prime as I had reached my limit.

Netflix has just recently started allowing downloads, and I do not know what the limit is, if any.

I find the downloading capability useful for travel, or when staying somewhere without a WiFi connection. (The latter being pretty limited nowadays.)

 

[DWalt]

I didn't know Netflix can be downloaded. How is that done? Whatever you can find on YouTube can usually be downloaded free, but it will be mainly older movies. I have the very most basic Dish Network service for the network channels, runs me $17.95/month, been using it for over five years, works OK, but no DVR included.

 

[Onomea]

Not everything can be downloaded on Netflix. Look for a downpointing arrow over a horizontal line, symbolizing "download." If you see it, click on it and it will download.

 

[Wise_A]

Check your local library.

When I want to see an HBO or Showtime series, I just wait for it to come out on DVD. When that happens, I can go to the local library's website, and "request" anything I want. If they don't have it, I can still request it from another library, and pick it up right at my local one. There's even a waiting list feature, so I can request a DVD, Blu-Ray, CD, or book, and get it when my turn comes up.

Best of all--it's free! I watch a couple dozen movies a year this way, and read quite a lot of books. I can even take chances and request stuff I'm not super-interested in. If I don't like it, I don't have to feel bad--just return it and be done.

On the downside, I don't have a ton of control over when I get stuff, so there's sometimes a long wait. And I only get to keep reserved DVDs a week (books are two). This can be a problem if I get a few movies all at once, especially if one of them is a 10-episode season of something.

Case in point, this past week. I grabbed a movie and sat on it for a few days. Then one of my requested titles popped, so I said, "I'll let it ride, give myself some time to watch it after New Year's."

The next morning, I had two waiting, and resolved to pick it up after I dropped off some mail and swung by the gun club to do some work.

By the time I got to the library that afternoon, I had three movies waiting.

 

[Wee Hooker]

So yesterday, I took advantage of new years sales and picked up new 19" & 24" flat screens for the kitchen and bed room respectively. I'm getting 53 solid channels each on the new sets and the $35 Ebay antenna. I swear the picture is better than I was getting with digital cable! I'm in awe. We are now down to one cable box on the one main TV and am quickly starting to think with an antenna and Netflix w HBO now, I'd be way ahead of the game. I'm going to the cable co to drop off three unneeded box's this week. I'm going to get some pricing on dropping to internet service only. I'm figuring there is potential here to save $75+/mo without suffering.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Can't make this stuff up. So I go by the local cable office today to check their desk hours (so I can turn in all my equipment) and there is a sign in the door. Apparently they closed the local office and the next closest one is 70 mi away. And so the dance begins!

 

[EQGuy]

I have never had cable or other subscription TV. I have always use an antenna and the last few years the internet for my TV viewing. Then about 2 weeks ago I found a deal I just could not pass up. I signed up with AT&T Direct TV Now. For $35 per month I get basic cable plus a sports package.

When I signed up I could have gotten HBO for an additional $5 per month but I did not op for that. I used to travel a lot when I worked and I seldom ever saw anything on HBO that I wanted to watch. I am tempted but have not signed up yet. I also was given an Apple TV as part of the package. I can stream up to 2 devices. I had to pay for three months to sign up and I can quit the program at any time after the three months are up. There is no cancelation fee. For a little more than $1 per day I figure I will get my money’s worth.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Still interested in hearing of options to get HBO (and maybe AMC) but it's a done deal. I now have everything on a Digital antenna and as of 10AM today, have canceled cable. My bill went for $180/mo to $59/mo (for high speed internet only). They tried to get me to stay (with offers I should have been getting right along) but I figure at $120/mo savings will fund Netflix/other services and then some. ( ....or fund a new S&W PC handgun once a year
Thanks for sharing your insight!
Dave