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Hi,
I plan to cut the TV cable by the end of this month but keep internet service. I still want to watch quality programming and believe a subscription to Netflix might be an option. The trouble is, I cannot preview the available programming without subscribing. The first month I think is free but than I am stuck there and what if I don't want to be?
I love travel, opera, costume drama and a lot of other categories. If I can see choices, I'd be more comfortable making a selection. Why do they put such a screen up for potential buyers?
I have suspended(canceled) my account a couple of times when I was gone and it was quick and easy. I don't think you would be stuck there, unless you choose to
ToomuchStuff
4-13-16, 10:07am
I asked a similar question before. I was interested, and several months later, after not being able to find out what was on them, I was given the abiltiy to search via someone elses account. I searched for what I was looking for (mostly much older movies), and couldn't find any of them. If you are wanted new releases, they might, MIGHT be ok.
iris lily
4-13-16, 10:16am
You may do better with a Netflix dvd subscription.
I am not terribly impressed with the number and content of productions available on Netflix streaming. Also, they change all the time. I see these on my friend's service. Recently I lent her my dvd from Netflix for a popular tv series becuase it was not availabe on any of the streaming services she has although she could have paid for it thru Amazon, But I dont see the point of that if she already is paying for Netflix.
You get a much better range of choices with the dvd option. And, dont forget About dvd's added materials such as director's notes,, "making of..." segments, and etc. When I am enthralled with a production I will watch all of the extra material and sometimes it is mediocre but often it is fantastic.
Of course, to many people, dvd has severe limitations, but I still like the medium.
As others say, you can start up an Netflix streaming subscription to see what they offer, and shut it down a month later, switching to dvd.
DVD has limitations? Not for me. If I want to see a film, typically I order from the Public Library. I prefer older films as well. I somehow thought that on-line, there was a selection of films, tv shows, documentaries, travel, etc.... See as a consumer, I want to see operas, can I find them with subtitles on Netflix? There are tv shows I have never seen, some PBS masterpiece theater productions never seen, I know there is good quality material available, I thought it would be in their content library. That's why I want to preview content before putting my name on anything.
All I want to do is when I have a free hour to watch tv, can't I search for an hour of travel in Nice France or a gardening episode, something of interest to me and is relaxing. It's not there?
That was what stopped me from trying Netflix, too. I don't see the point of being so opaque. I'm mostly interested in documentaries, not much interested in popular film, so I'm probably fine choosing from Amazon offerings.
lessisbest
4-13-16, 2:00pm
You can join Netflix free for a month. We stream it through ROKU on our TV, but there are other ways you can stream it. Have you checked out the web site? https://www.netflix.com/ We rarely watch what's popular in the movie and TV industry, but still find lots of interesting things to view. Between Netflix and ACORN (British programing - $4.99/month) we're much happier with commercial-free viewing. I also get DVDs from the library, but not very often because we've been spoiled and don't like to have to use DVDs anymore.
You may want to check this link for Opera CDs and DVDs - http://www.premiereopera.com/englishsubtitles.aspx
freshstart
4-13-16, 3:12pm
I love Netflix streaming because of the number of documentaries, I have to stop and start them now with my brain but there are so many that interest me, I'll never run out. I really like Netflix and their original programming. I would try it for the free month, it's very easy to cancel or see if a friend would let you log in and look around.
I use the library for new DVD releases
A few months ago I subscribed to Netflix streaming and found a lot of things I like. Now, I've just about exhausted my choices. I think I will drop my subscription and then they come out with some new episodes or programs. It's day to disconnect is on the horizon. I do still like my DVD subscription. It's has more high quality choices and popular movies. Netflix streaming is certainly worth a try, especially for a free trial. It's easy to cancel.
How about doing Roku or Amazon Fire or Apple TV? That expands your options tremendously and you can still cut the cable.
iris lilies
4-13-16, 4:46pm
How about doing Roku or Amazon Fire or Apple TV? That expands your options tremendously and you can still cut the cable.
She has to have wifi in her house.
OP, do you have wifi?
I have Amazon Fire. From what I've seen, there are many more entertainment choices with Roku. I think I've used the Fire stick once.
iris lilies
4-13-16, 6:59pm
I have Amazon Fire. From what I've seen, there are many more entertainment choices with Roku. I think I've used the Fire stick once.
We have the Firestick. I don't use it, someone bought it for us, it was cheap,something like $20 - $30.
I'm curious now. If you are an Amazon Prime member, how does the selection of free video compare to Netflix streaming selections? It seems like Netflix streaming subscription would cost about the same per year as a prime membership?
OMG This is becoming to complex. My brain freezes on how confusing and layered wanting to watch a program on tv has become. All this competition is overwhelming. I have wifi at home yes. I did look at the Acorn programming and that seemed interesting to me. All the shows were appealing and a better quality of tv imho. Firesticks Apple TV I don't know what these things are or how to access them. I don't know what Roku even is.
:(
iris lilies
4-14-16, 12:07am
OMG This is becoming to complex. My brain freezes on how confusing and layered wanting to watch a program on tv has become. All this competition is overwhelming. I have wifi at home yes. I did look at the Acorn programming and that seemed interesting to me. All the shows were appealing and a better quality of tv imho. Firesticks Apple TV I don't know what these things are or how to access them. I don't know what Roku even is.
:(OP, just go ahead and drop cable. Assuming you have a newish tv that can support all of the streaming services, just pick one and try it. They all have different content with some overlaps. None of them have it all. Try Metflix whoch I am pretty sure you van get on a month-to-month deal. Amazone Prime costs $100 annually, amd if I remember right you can dro that, are not locked into one year.
dvd is still the way to get 99% of the content for tv and entertainment productions. I Really dont know about documentaries and educational films. I watch a fair number of theatrical length documentaries, but have gotten those all on dvd from Metflix or frm the library.
I dont know how many pbs starions you get, but we were veryy happy when the eignal went digital mamy years afo because we started to get 4. PBS stations.
OMG This is becoming to complex. My brain freezes on how confusing and layered wanting to watch a program on tv has become. All this competition is overwhelming. I have wifi at home yes. I did look at the Acorn programming and that seemed interesting to me. All the shows were appealing and a better quality of tv imho. Firesticks Apple TV I don't know what these things are or how to access them. I don't know what Roku even is.
:(
Yes, there are a variety of different possible combinations, but this is not an area of your life that needs to be complicated. Truly. Pick one of the various streaming devices (Firestick, Roku, Apple TV) and connect it to your TV. The average consumer is not going to differentiate much between the devices -- if you're a hardcore technology geek then you might care which one you're choosing. I live with a tech geek so we've had both an Apple TV and a Roku. He is on Team Roku at the moment.
Then, try Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and any of the other subscription services. Most offer a free month long trial, so you've got nothing to lose. After a month, if you're not finding what you want, try another. Even if you choose to pay for a few months worth of service most of these subscriptions are very reasonable (IMHO) so you can test drive all of them without breaking the bank.
If you try to do extensive research before trying any of this stuff, you'll find yourself very frustrated and overwhelmed. Instead, this is one of those decisions that is best just made somewhat arbitrarily and then changed up later if it's not working. It's like trying a new brand of breakfast cereal. If you buy a box and find that you're not thrilled with it, then you try a different brand the next month. Don't like the second brand? Move onto the third and so on. A little trial and error will help you find the one that's right for you. Or you might find that you are going to give up eating cereal altogether! :D
Miss Cellane
4-14-16, 7:19am
Yep, I think cdttmm has nailed it.
You need a device that can stream content. This could be a smart tv, a Roku, Apple TV, or even a Blu-ray player or video game console. You might already have such a device in your home.
The various streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Acorn, Hulu, etc.) are all so different in content that you probably need to try them for the free month to see if you like them. I don't think Amazon does a free month, but it's pretty clear on their website what's available through Prime and what's not.
Netflix rotates things through their streaming service. Some new months come and go in a month. Some series, like the BBC Poirot, come, stay for several months, disappear for several months, and then come back. There are various website that list what's coming up and what's disappearing in the next month or so.
One advantage that Amazon Prime has over Netflix is that if something isn't available free on Prime, you do have the option of paying to either rent or buy it. If there's something specific that you really, really want to watch, this could be useful. With Netflix, you never know if your favorites are going to be available someday or not. Right now, for example, Downton Abbey is available on Amazon, but you have to pay for the most recent season. Only season one is available on Netflix, if I remember correctly. However, if you get the Netflix DVD service, you can borrow all of Downton Abbey.
I'd say try out the various services and see which one works best for what you want to watch.
ToomuchStuff
4-14-16, 9:37am
She has to have wifi in her house.
OP, do you have wifi?
I think you have that wrong. You have to have internet as some devices can work just fine (and could be better), on a wire.
I know Roku adds Crackle. I picked up one cheap at one point when I wanted to do Netflix. After viewing it, I think Amazon would be a better fit for me (and I should check if the Roku supports it). I know they don't support my OS, so the devices you use could play a part.
And streaming either content from the internet (radio, video, etc), I can already do that without the Roku.
Hi,
I plan to cut the TV cable by the end of this month but keep internet service. I still want to watch quality programming and believe a subscription to Netflix might be an option. The trouble is, I cannot preview the available programming without subscribing. The first month I think is free but than I am stuck there and what if I don't want to be?
I love travel, opera, costume drama and a lot of other categories. If I can see choices, I'd be more comfortable making a selection. Why do they put such a screen up for potential buyers?
there are websites that show all of the Netflix offerings, divided into categories. We have Wi fi, I have a smart TV, husband has a Roku and daughter has a smart blueray player. So we are all able to get on Netflix. There is a large selection of TV shows, most of them going back several seasons to the beginning.
iris lilies
4-14-16, 10:49am
I think you have that wrong. You have to have internet as some devices can work just fine (and could be better), on a wire.
I know Roku adds Crackle. I picked up one cheap at one point when I wanted to do Netflix. After viewing it, I think Amazon would be a better fit for me (and I should check if the Roku supports it). I know they don't support my OS, so the devices you use could play a part.
And streaming either content from the internet (radio, video, etc), I can already do that without the Roku.
You are right, i guess wifi isnt necessary for all situations.
catherine
4-14-16, 11:38am
I have Amazon Fire so with my Amazon Prime I have a really good selection. I don't subscribe to Netflix. I recently bought a Roku TV because I can get yoga videos through Gaia TV, which also has lots of great content with health, nutrition and spirituality movies. The yoga videos are great because they enable me to practice at home, rather than going to classes all the time, so I consider it a bit of an investment. The 32" Roku TV was $167 at Costco. But of course, you don't need to buy the TV, you can get the Roku box or stick for a lot less and just hook it up to your TV.
My son is thinking of cutting cable because the ONLY thing he uses cable for is The Golf Channel. I researched that on Roku, and NBC Sports Live is an option for people who want sports streaming content. It has no subscription fee.
Thanks always for the helpful replies. My TV is at least 10 years old. The Roku might be the thing I am looking for. I'll go over to Best Buy this afternoon and check it all out. If I get the right sales rep, I can do really well. Maybe I just need that box and maybe I need a new TV. It looks like I could cancel the Charter TV and stay with internet only. That reduces costs and cluttery wires. I glanced the roku lineup and saw a few Italian channels :) That's more what I would watch.
I like the idea of Gaia TV too. I would definitely tune it to that :)
Thanks always for the helpful replies. My TV is at least 10 years old. The Roku might be the thing I am looking for. I'll go over to Best Buy this afternoon and check it all out. If I get the right sales rep, I can do really well. Maybe I just need that box and maybe I need a new TV. It looks like I could cancel the Charter TV and stay with internet only. That reduces costs and cluttery wires. I glanced the roku lineup and saw a few Italian channels :) That's more what I would watch.
I like the idea of Gaia TV too. I would definitely tune it to that :)
The language channels are one of the reasons Roku would work better for me than other options
I stopped in at Best Buy and chatted with a service rep. He showed me the Roku on a TV screen and explained how it worked. He advised replacing the Charter issue wifi device with one made by Apple. I could return the wifi device and reduce my monthly bill by a $10 or so. The wifi device he recommended had a stronger signal and as he called it, I wouldn't be left behind when things upgrade. He recommended the Roku 4 unit. Costs! The wifi replacment device was $193. The Roku4 was $170. I think there may have been one more item to include. Anyway, we did take a look at the Italian offerings on Roku and it was pretty extensive what was free. There is a lot that requires a subscription to a cable network. But, what was free was what I would use. PBS for one. The Italian offerings had movies, travel, food, even a language program. They are apps that you buy or not. Just like on the phone, some are free some cost a few dollars.
I didn't buy anything. Just got the facts and walked away. As the cable tv and internet cost now $80 per month, I have to sit down and calculate out put of $$ and how fast I recoup savings. I may walk into another Best Buy elsewhere and see what that sales rep says. I have no reason to think he wasn't accurate in what he was trying to sell me.
iris lilies
4-15-16, 9:21pm
I stopped in at Best Buy and chatted with a service rep. He showed me the Roku on a TV screen and explained how it worked. He advised replacing the Charter issue wifi device with one made by Apple. I could return the wifi device and reduce my monthly bill by a $10 or so. The wifi device he recommended had a stronger signal and as he called it, I wouldn't be left behind when things upgrade. He recommended the Roku 4 unit. Costs! The wifi replacment device was $193. The Roku4 was $170. I think there may have been one more item to include. Anyway, we did take a look at the Italian offerings on Roku and it was pretty extensive what was free. There is a lot that requires a subscription to a cable network. But, what was free was what I would use. PBS for one. The Italian offerings had movies, travel, food, even a language program. They are apps that you buy or not. Just like on the phone, some are free some cost a few dollars.
I didn't buy anything. Just got the facts and walked away. As the cable tv and internet cost now $80 per month, I have to sit down and calculate out put of $$ and how fast I recoup savings. I may walk into another Best Buy elsewhere and see what that sales rep says. I have no reason to think he wasn't accurate in what he was trying to sell me.
You get PBS for free. You need an antennae that can pick up,signal. They arent very expensive, say $20 - $40. Dont assume that when you cut cable, there is nothing.
we get about, oh, 15 - 18 channels including 4 PBS channels for free.
of course,you have to be sitting in front of the tv when they broadcast the shows you want. thats wyh Roku is nice, it displays the tv shows when you want them.
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