I, like many, have been debating about getting rid of cable tv. I would keep the Internet provided by the cable company but stream the content.

Currently I regularly use...

• Netflix
• Kodi
• GearsTV (IPTV with every channel and PPV) @ 15 a month

I am thinking about getting the cheapest DirectTV now subscription at $35 a month to have a legitimate service in case Kodi/GearsTV goes down.

Price Breakdown:
Current Cable and Internet $200 a month with poor tv quality and constant issues with boxes.

NetFlix - $12
Kodi - Free
GearTV-$15
DirectTV-$35
Internet-$60

Total- $122

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I can save a little money per month by ditching the cable company, but in full disclosure I just want to dump them.

Questions:

Can anyone give their experience with DirectTV NOW? I currently have 200MBps down so connection would be an issue.

Any wisdom on a better way to cut the cord?

Thanks

My girl and I cut everything except for internet. We now use a jailbroken firestick and watch live tv and any movie or show on the planet, on demand.

It works so well that we set up both of our parents with it and they couldn't be more pleased.

Oh, and it is free.

Update: I have been using DirectTV NOW for a few days. Overall I believe it is worth it.

PROS: Price, Leaving Cable behind
CONS: A few momentary buffers every few hours. (avg 1 an hour, last less than 2 seconds: I have 200 down)
More steps to get to tv
Guide is not as fluid as cable
Takes a few seconds between channel flips

Good question!
I am interested in seeing everyone's methods as well. This is something my wife and I have been researching for months.

We pay $50 a month for internet from spectrum and a one time fee of $40 for an Amazon fire stick. Watched a 10 minute video of how to install Kodi onto the fire stick, and "jailbreak" it. Now we can watch anything on the planet for free. From the movies currently in theaters to ones made in the 40's. From the biggest fights on pay per view to the Uzbekistan versus Latvia national chess tournament. It is all for free. The best part is that the new versions have VPN's installed already so there is virtually no chance of being detected.

NatePait94 said:

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We pay $50 a month for internet from spectrum and a one time fee of $40 for an Amazon fire stick. Watched a 10 minute video of how to install Kodi onto the fire stick, and "jailbreak" it. Now we can watch anything on the planet for free. From the movies currently in theaters to ones made in the 40's. From the biggest fights on pay per view to the Uzbekistan versus Latvia national chess tournament. It is all for free. The best part is that the new versions have VPN's installed already so there is virtually no chance of being detected.

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Which new version has the VPN installed, the software or the firestick? Going to check this out ASAP!

The software does. I am running Kodi and the jailbroken version is called titanium. I know they have hundreds of different mods to try but I have been using titanium since v 1.2 and now it is at 6.4 and the latest update has a VPN. The source is www.pulse.something lol. It automatically updates. Even before the VPN though I never had any issues or got any emails from my internet company.

I could be wrong but I believe you can also download VPN software using the downloader app on the fire stick. If you run it through your computer it makes it even easier but I run mine through my Xbox One S.

Thanks!

You can watch live tv with this as well? Live sports games (State games)? You get local channels as well?

Do you have to create passwords and sign into different networks when trying to watch certain games?

Also how does this work for different tv's in the house? Say you have 3 bedrooms and a bonus room along with living room tv. Do you have to have 5 different fire sticks?

You have to have a fire stick for each television as they plug directly into the HDMI port.

You do not have to create passwords to watch certain games. There are no username or passwords involved. No creating any accounts. All you have to do is install a certain software from a source, and there are videos that show you step by step on how to do it. Takes longer to watch the video than it does to set up.

In regards to live TV.
You can watch live tv. You can watch any channel on the planet. ESPN 1 2 and 3. Fox sports, news channels from Raleigh, Tampa bay, new York. Fox 8, fox 11, 14, fox 3, etc. Every single local channel and international channel. It has EVERY SINGLE CHANNEL on the planet. If it is getting aired, it is getting streamed to your Kodi software. There are also databases with every single.movie and show ever created. I watched the latest Spider-Man movie a week after it hit theaters and the same with the wonder woman movie. If I miss an episode of my reality tv show, it is on their for streaming the very next day. I know this all sounds too good to be true, but this is the world we live in today. Truly everything at your fingertips.

Awesome. I appreciate the info. This sounds like a no brainer.

I currently have Comcast w/internet and pay about $250/month.

I need internet and watch the following

ESPN suite of channels
HBO
Showtime
Netflix
Amazon (I have Prime)
CNN. MSNBC, Fox

I have AppleTV


What do you recomend to lower my cable bill?

If you are to keep all your extras (prime, Netflix, HBO go) and also keep cable, I would recommend switching to Directv or Sling. $250 a month for viewing programs is insane.

https://slickdeals.net/f/10806843-4k-apple-tv-4-months-prepaid-directv-now-140-new-customers

I took advantage of this a few weeks ago and have been extremely happy.

$35 a month is not bad at all

NatePait94 said:

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$35 a month is not bad at all

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You get $15 off that with an ATT phone account too (depending on plan)!

We started using Directv Now earlier in the summer. Have been happy with minimal issues. We upgraded to the $50 package during football season. We also have an antenna for locals. Directv Now has also added several locals.

We have a fire stick and hubby loaded Kodi but we have barely used. Seems very time consuming to find what I'm looking for live. Would love tips and pointers!

It totally depends on what build you have, in regards to Kodi.

It is all I have access to so even though it is not always the most convenient, it is something that I have been forced to reconcile with. In the end I always get my shows though.

TBS, TNT, Adult Swim, CNN and other Turner networks have been added to YouTube TV. NBA TV and MLB Network are on the way. And there's no price increase...as long as you sign up by March 13. https://t.co/o1Cfom46XP

2+ months in with DirectTV NOW and I am not that impressed. I have outstanding broadband coverage and it will still buffer 2-3 times an hour, with some days being even worse. Changing channels still take a few seconds as well. No way does this compares to cable tv in quality and ease of use, but the price is right.

Note: never text your buddies while watching an important game. They will be 7-10 seconds a head of you everytime.

Anybody have experience with Sling, Hulu Live Tv or YouTube TV?

This is a very good deal...

https://www.directvnow.com/appletv?ref=EaYAAT00G0000000A&CI=CJ_AFFILIATE&RI=CJ1&RD=37922269

wolfpack2002 said:

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This is a very good deal...

https://www.directvnow.com/appletv?ref=EaYAAT00G0000000A&CI=CJ_AFFILIATE&RI=CJ1&RD=37922269

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This is a great deal, thanks for the heads up. I just went ahead and signed up. Figured worse case scenario I can go ahead and drop my cable, shop around for 3 more months while I decide to stick with them or switch to someone else and either way I get to keep the Apple TV (worth $179.99 for people not familiar). Thanks again for sharing

Petrini89 said:

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wolfpack2002 said:

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This is a very good deal...

https://www.directvnow.com/appletv?ref=EaYAAT00G0000000A&CI=CJ_AFFILIATE&RI=CJ1&RD=37922269

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This is a great deal, thanks for the heads up. I just went ahead and signed up. Figured worse case scenario I can go ahead and drop my cable, shop around for 3 more months while I decide to stick with them or switch to someone else and either way I get to keep the Apple TV (worth $179.99 for people not familiar). Thanks again for sharing

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No problem!

I have been using Sling TV ($25 a month with Orange package and Sports Extra) and I am fairly happy. I do not watch much TV but gives me all the channels I need for sports. I bought a cheap HD antenna for local channels. Only knock is that the channels can be fairly quiet and you have to crank the volume up.