OT: There is a new contender for cost cutters - T-Vision
For those of us who are looking for an alternative to YoutubeTV, which is now $65/month, T-Mobile just launched a new streaming service called T-Vision that seems to be designed for college sport watchers (includes ESPN, FOX sports channels, BTN, etc.) for $50/month.
Has anyone try this service yet? How is it?
It only supports 100 hours of DVR, which seems low. But if the quality is good, it could certainly be a viable alternative for Michigan watchers like us.
P.S. WHY OH WHY can't I just get a streaming service where I can pick and choose channels? I never watch 80% of the channels on Youtube TV and they keep adding more. I am just right back to where I was with Comcast. If Comcast allowed month to month service, I would go back in a heartbeat.
P.P.S. I was approached by a recruiter for T-Mobile who said they were looking to hire people with streaming content tech background a few years ago. I guess this was what they were referring to...
February 18th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
Honestly, trying to get it all work through cutting the cord is just too frustrating.
DirectTV- get your cheap contract set up, and when the prices go up, tell them you are leaving. You'll get great deals.
The smoothness of a satellite signal is just vastly superior to any internet feed. I've watched a whole game on the internet, and when I flipped back over to the regular TV, I couldn't believe how superior the viewing experience was.
I can't explain it, but there's just something that feels "off" about watching a streaming game/movie vs on traditional feed.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:41 PM ^
my experience with YTTV, Netflix, Amazon...streaming non-live programing, the quality was excellent. But live sports, the quality definitely degraded some.
February 18th, 2021 at 9:10 PM ^
I was with directv for like 10 years and I did exactly what you’re talking about. But I got REALLY sick of having to call in once a year and haggle with supervisors for an hour to try and get my “credits” back that had run out. After like 6 years of doing this they finally just said no the last time I called. Maybe they were trying to call my bluff. But my bill was like $140 and I always got it down to around $75-$85 but when they said no I cut the cord for Hulu.
hulu live tv no commercials and dvr is just as expensive as my discounted directv. However, there is no contract and I can switch back to $6 Hulu without live tv at any time (which I do in the summer when there’s only baseball) and switch back at any time as well. If you have good internet (I have google fiber and I hardwire in for TV aka don’t use WiFi) it’s just as good of a picture as satellite
February 18th, 2021 at 11:11 PM ^
Hulu doesn’t just have live sports it’s a lifestyle
February 19th, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^
Honestly, if cable TV dropped the stupid arguing over contracts and discounts, and went with a low rate month-to-month price, cancel/pause anytime with no penalties, I think streaming would be dead.
I assume they make so much money off of those people who are scared to call and argue for fear of losing their service that it is more profitable to keep their current model.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
We had Playstation Vue for about 2 years. It was far faaaar superior to Youtube TV, which we switched to after the former went belly up. Now that YTTV, with it's terrible UI (by comparison) has raised the price 30% to $65/mo we are going to consider going back to cable.
FYI, T-Vision is not available to non-T-Mobile customers yet
February 18th, 2021 at 7:55 PM ^
My experience was just the opposite. I had PS Vue for a couple years before YTTV was available in my area (and Sling TV before that). I switched over to YTTV as soon as it was offered here and prefer it by a wide margin on all fronts. Content, UI, DVR, etc. Only downsides were the increase in price to $65 and dropping of the Tennis Channel, which I would occasionally watch but can definitely live without. $65 for YTTV, $40 for internet are the full monthly cost for home entertainment. I think that comes in below what I could do for a cable/internet package. We would have Amazon Prime even if it didn’t include Prime Video, so I’m not counting that as an entertainment expense.
February 19th, 2021 at 5:03 AM ^
I really liked yttv. But it just got too expensive.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Here's the thing. I actually got rid of my cable for about 2.5 years and paid for a streaming service and AT&T internet. It was great. I was able to watch everything I wanted to and it was half my previous Comcast bill. Then, I got sent home to work last March when the pandemic ramped up. I quickly learned that AT&T internet was not going to cut it. My VPN cut out at least 4 times a day and I was ready to throw my laptop through a window. I had to go back to Comcast. And comcast cable, internet and phone deals are far better than their internet only plans.
So I'm back to cable. I'm paying about $50 more per month but I can do my work now without doing any frustration damage to my apartment.
TLDR: I fully advocate streaming services but you need to weigh all your needs appropriately and be sure you're getting a decent internet provider.
8.6.0
February 18th, 2021 at 7:42 PM ^
here is a protip: Never use At&t for anything internet related.. it is fucking trash and their prices are outrageous to even be competitive to the speed i get using charters internet..
February 19th, 2021 at 2:30 AM ^
The fiber connection my fiancee has is legit.
February 19th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
Also have AT&T fiber. It's been great.
February 19th, 2021 at 5:02 AM ^
I love inside the main highway system in Columbus. At&t, last I checked was available at 12 Mbit speeds. Wow was available for 100Mbit for less, 200 Mbit comparable, and at the time 500 Mbit as well. ATT internet is terrible and expensive in most places. If it's available
February 18th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
For the OP: You can't get a streaming service that allows you to pick and choose channels because the content providers don't want you to. Take ESPN for instance - for a cable company (and I assume it's similar for these streaming companies) the cost for that 1 channel alone is $15/month per subscriber (or it was about 3 years ago, might be more now) but Disney doesn't want you to just take that one channel at $15/month per sub, they want you to take all of the other channels they own (and they own a lot now). So they tell the provider (Comcast, YouTube, etc) "hey, if you want ESPN you need to buy these other packaged channels as well". Multiply that by as many content providers that there are and you can see the problem. It's not the streaming services or the cable companies blocking you from true ala cart service, it's the actual owners of the the content.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
I know this, but I still would like the option to buy the "ESPN bundle" which would probably include all ABC/Disney related channels and ditto for FOX. Even if the costs are similar, I still want that option.
February 18th, 2021 at 8:30 PM ^
Charter TV Choice for Charter internet customers. Locals + your choice of 10 channels for $25/month. DVR $5 for 50 shows. No BTN, though. I had to drop it since their Roku app is so bad it is unusable. When they fix it I'll go back.
February 18th, 2021 at 10:56 PM ^
Same here. I could get by on 4 or 5 channels, but miss BTN. We just suffer through the mind-bogglingly poor app and the unreliable DVR. It's hard to believe they never update it.
The real question at this point is whether it might be better to drop it entirely and just use Pluto/Tubi/Roku Channel - could even add Netflix and pay far less. If we could pick up broadcast television here without our roof looking like something out of The Jetsons, it would be a no-brainer.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:11 PM ^
I pay for Hulu tv, one brother in law pays for Disney+, other brother in law pays for Netflix, and a sister in law pays for Amazon prime. We all share passwords. Great deal for a big family.
February 18th, 2021 at 9:15 PM ^
I don’t understand people like this. It’s like 25 year olds I know who are still on their parents cell phone plan. Grow up
February 18th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
We also share 10 lines under my brother in law's Verizon plan that I use my military discount on.
February 19th, 2021 at 5:54 PM ^
Haha touché
February 18th, 2021 at 7:50 PM ^
It appears they do not offer CBS(!!!), or CBSsports, or the Fox Sports regional networks.
February 18th, 2021 at 7:53 PM ^
I pay $130 a month for dish network
Anything else that I may want to watch I slap on my pirate hat and sail on the high seas
February 18th, 2021 at 8:05 PM ^
Honestly, the only way to make this streaming era cord cutting is by password sharing. I have a YTTV subscription to share with my parents and friends, I have my parents’ Amazon, a friend’s Netflix and Hulu, etc.
February 18th, 2021 at 11:56 PM ^
Doesn't Youtube TV make all family members periodically login at the home location?
February 19th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
My Mother and I share YTTV. Her home is the "home" location. Conveniently located in Michigan.
I know there are rules about logging in, but either we are bypassing them unknowingly, or her TVs count for logging in.
Either way we have had zero problems. Knock on wood.
February 18th, 2021 at 8:08 PM ^
I had the Spectrum streaming package when it first came out. It was $20 and you picked your 10 channels plus you got the regular tv channels in hd. They had all the channels to watch all the live sports even the NFL Network. Not sure if its still around.
February 18th, 2021 at 8:32 PM ^
Let’s just say I know everything about it. And I appreciate your business if you decide to sign up. Have been using it personally for quite a while.
and to answer your PPS: yes
February 18th, 2021 at 8:54 PM ^
IPTV folks. I keep saying it .
I paid 50 $ to get in on the bottom floor of an app . This was maybe October . I havent paid anything since then . I can watch any channel, live . Channels available to me from all over the world . PPV . I can stream movies, Tv Shows . Most of these IPTV services cost $20 max per month . If the app i paid to get in on goes to shit. I have already got my moneys worth .
February 18th, 2021 at 9:48 PM ^
IDK I have Spectrum internet with Hulu because I like DIY and shit. The dvr sucks and I hate the commercials but it’s still way lower than those fucks at ATT who suck donkey dick. I’ve never heard of this new service by the way.
February 18th, 2021 at 9:49 PM ^
Also I pay like $110 or something a month.
February 18th, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
We're probably going to make this switch soon. DTV is already getting the boot at the end of this month. It's just a matter of which streaming service we go to. T vision will likely be where we start.
February 18th, 2021 at 10:50 PM ^
I jumped from Sling to Hulu+ to YouTube chasing the Fox Regionals; cancelled YouTube after they lost them. I get ESPN+ in some Disney+ package my wife and daughter use, so there's my MMA, boxing, and rugby-apparently they have hockey here and there too. I stream everything else because I'm sick of these effing corporations getting into spats and screwing the customer; ie me.
February 18th, 2021 at 11:54 PM ^
They bought chunks of Playstation Vue, right?
T Mobile will be a force with high speed fixed wireless internet access and IP TV delivered over 5G. The cablecos are going to take it in the shorts in a big way.
February 19th, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
No Roku app seems like an issue for a whole host of folks
February 19th, 2021 at 11:38 AM ^
I went with Roku to keep from being tied to one of the big player's ecosystems. But some of the apps are so bad they aren't even worth it free. I can't ever see using Chromecast or whatever Amazon thing is out there, but I'm going to try the native TV apps next go round. I hear Vizio, LG and Samsung all have most of the Apps now.
February 19th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
It doesn't really tie you to any ecosystems if you largely only use 3rd party apps. I use a Shield TV, which is Android based, and haven't ever purchased any movie or shows from the Google Play Store. Even if I had if you sign up for MoviesAnywhere your purchases transfer between most of the big players. I have an LG TV and the build in apps are unbearably slow and unpolished.
February 19th, 2021 at 5:59 AM ^
I'd try T-Vision, but it is only for T-Mobile customers it seems. So, not for me. Also, if it doesn't have Roku app, it wouldn't be for me either.
February 19th, 2021 at 6:41 AM ^
I just switched to the ATT TV streaming service a few weeks ago. Only one I could find with every sports channel (including fox sports regionals...a must for me). Cost isn’t great ($85 per month), but no contract. I have fiber internet.
so far the experience has been great and I have no plans to go back to cable or Directv.
February 19th, 2021 at 9:47 AM ^
Still with YTTV as they are/were the best by far in terms of quality and interface. Fox sports regionals is probably going to be my sticking point. I may downgrade to sling or something like that. Local channels are also a bit of an issue, but there are ways around that I guess and we rarely watch them anyway. While the price is high, I still like the mobility of the streaming services as opposed to cable. I have Apple TVs on the back of all of my TVs so its nice to be able to just turn it on and watch Netflix or whatever on any TV and not have a giant box. They need to figure out the regional sports networks though or i'll prob drop until football season.