Let's Go Blues

I cut the cord earlier this year and don't miss it. We had DirecTV and a Roku, and we were using the Roku 80% of the time. When we watched DirecTV it was either for sports or we just flipped through channels and ended up watching a mindless Food Network show or another Law & Order episode.

We have good internet speed from Comcast, so the streaming quality is fine. We have Hulu, Amazon, and Netflix for about 1/3 of the cost of our DirecTV bill. We pay extra for NHL GameCenter, but it's about the same price as NHL Center Ice was with DirecTV. We're still getting caught up on old shows (just finished Breaking Bad), but for some new ones we buy the season from Amazon so we can watch the new episodes immediately (like The Walking Dead). Even with buying a few shows a la carte it's way cheaper than our DirecTV bill.

I've got it easier for sports blackouts since I'm in Denver. I can stream the Blues games unless they are a national broadcast like NBCSN. The only other sports I watch regularly are Broncos games with an OTA antenna.

big d note wrote:I cut the cord earlier this year and don't miss it. We had DirecTV and a Roku, and we were using the Roku 80% of the time. When we watched DirecTV it was either for sports or we just flipped through channels and ended up watching a mindless Food Network show or another Law & Order episode.

We have good internet speed from Comcast, so the streaming quality is fine. We have Hulu, Amazon, and Netflix for about 1/3 of the cost of our DirecTV bill. We pay extra for NHL GameCenter, but it's about the same price as NHL Center Ice was with DirecTV. We're still getting caught up on old shows (just finished Breaking Bad), but for some new ones we buy the season from Amazon so we can watch the new episodes immediately (like The Walking Dead). Even with buying a few shows a la carte it's way cheaper than our DirecTV bill.

I've got it easier for sports blackouts since I'm in Denver. I can stream the Blues games unless they are a national broadcast like NBCSN. The only other sports I watch regularly are Broncos games with an OTA antenna.

How do playoff games work? I know the first rounds are on FSMW, but once they move onto NBCSN, isn't that a problem?

I'm in the same boat as probably everyone here. I'd love to get rid of Cable but it's the sports that keep me from doing it; specifically the playoffs...it seems so ridiculous to keep cable for an entire year when the only thing I really care about are a few months of playoff sports...

Here's what I do now:

Hockey
I had been using Gamecenter, which worked well, I just don't like how it's delayed from people watching on normal TV. I like to chat with people here during games but I was always a few minutes behind; kinda sucked having things spoiled. I just use low-quality internet feeds now, which are actually really close to live most of the time. I don't understand. Most of these feeds are being piped in from overseas, yet they're somehow less delayed than local ones? I'm sure the higher/lower quality has something to do with it, but you'd think they'd be able to get it closer. Picky, I know. Though I do sacrifice quality for a better "fan camaraderie experience". If I had to I'd go back to Gamecenter though.
Biggest Problem: Playoffs. Does Gamecenter show playoff games? I kind of doubt it. I don't even know, because that's when I usually switch over to normal TV for HD.

Baseball
I use MLB.tv for baseball and that's been awesome.
Biggest Problem: Again, playoffs. I don't know exactly what MLB.tv does for playoffs. I think they might actually show the first couple rounds but after that I think it's blacked out. Either way, just like hockey, I usually switch over to normal TV for the HD during playoffs.

Football
I pretty much just watch whatever cable shows me. I'm a Packers fan so they seem to get a decent amount of national coverage.
Biggest Problem: Yea, I don't know what you do for football for regular season or playoffs if you don't have some form of normal TV. I haven't looked much into if there is anything like NHL/MLB has.

Basketball
Uhh, who cares? I just put it here for lol's. I don't watch basketball. I gave up on it after Jordan. He ruined it. You can't top that.

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I'd love to be able to figure out sports in a good way sans cable, so if anyone has any ideas I'm more than open to them. Most of my normal television outside of sports is streaming from Amazon Instant Video, etc. I do save a few things on my DVR, but it's certainly not enough to where I'd really care if I couldn't do it anymore.

dmiles2186 wrote:How do playoff games work? I know the first rounds are on FSMW, but once they move onto NBCSN, isn't that a problem?

I'm not sure. As a Blues fan, this has not been a problem yet.

I think I'm just going to do it and then see how I like it.

If you cut it and REALLY don't like it I'm pretty sure DirecTV will take you back with open arms (and a reacharound).

We don't really watch any network tv shows, I'm the only one who really watches any kind of sports, and the kids are locked & loaded into Disney Jr. That's about it. Hockey was my biggest worry but it seems like there are somewhat legitimate options for that too.

I planned to get the same antenna we use on our hunting ground which is 50ish miles from StL and it works great.

Aren't they going to start offering a half season special soon?

JesusNEVERexisted wrote:Aren't they going to start offering a half season special soon?

Around the All Star break I think but it's not a huge discount.

SteveO wrote:I think I'm just going to do it and then see how I like it.

If you cut it and REALLY don't like it I'm pretty sure DirecTV will take you back with open arms (and a reacharound).

We don't really watch any network tv shows, I'm the only one who really watches any kind of sports, and the kids are locked & loaded into Disney Jr. That's about it. Hockey was my biggest worry but it seems like there are somewhat legitimate options for that too.

I planned to get the same antenna we use on our hunting ground which is 50ish miles from StL and it works great.

You'll have to report back with picture quality, how you have it setup on various tv's in your house, how you are watching home Blues games, etc.
I'm curious.

I gotta say, I am loving GameCenter Live.
I think I like it better than Center Ice through DirecTV...actually, I know I do.

I love pulling up a game in a window just to have it on in the background while I am working on websites, graphic work or whatever (no TV in my office).
The stats are a nice thing to have up next to the video feed.
Can watch up to 4 games at once.
Some games let you watch using different camera angles.

It's just nice.
Easily worth the $75 guys.