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Help with TV and streaming services

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Old Blue Fart

Member
Mar 23, 2014
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I am getting ready to purchase a new TV; have my eye on a Sony Bravia XR A905 or something along these line with Sony. The salesman at Best Buy seemed to know his stuff and I have picked out a nice sound bar to go along with the TV.

First question is, "is this a good choice for a TV? I am in the market for something in the 80-85 inch range.
The salesman said I need to dump by cable and go with something like Youtube TV, Google, Apple TV, Firestick.
What are your thoughts on which streaming service to go with and why?

Than you to anyone who shares their opinion.
 
C

chroix

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Jul 22, 2013
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I’m a big of Hulu+ with live TV but I think YouTubes offering is very similar. $70-80 a month. Requires internet. Comes with ESPN+ so you never miss games.
 
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joeyrupption

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Jun 5, 2007
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There are two choices to consider here: devices and services. There are devices that can run the services (like a cable box) which includes the Smart TV itself. And there are services that replace the cable channels, essentially.

The devices “lines” you may here about are the Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Google Chromecast. If you have other Apple devices (iPhones, etc) you should get an Apple TV 4K. Amazon Fire devices are made to serve content really fast, but they are always trying to sell you more stuff. Roku’s are basic straight forward, but they are always tracking your usage and selling it to marketers. Google Chromecast is nice. With all of these, you should buy the most expensive model you can afford. The cheaper ones have slower processers and can be frustratingly slow (like most Smart TV interfaces that come preloaded in the TV.)

The services to replace cable would be YouTubeTV, Hulu, Sling TV, etc. They have some nice features that are possible from a “rethink” of how TV content can be consumed, but they can be confusing if you’re not tech savvy.

Aside from those “live TV replacement services” there are streaming services that provide on-demand content of shows and movies. Some of those services also develop their own exclusive movies and shows that only shows. This is Netflix, AppleTV +, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.

If you like your cable set up, I wouldn’t change it. But if you get frustrated with how slow the “Smart TV” interface that comes with your TV performs for streaming service get frustratingly slow. Then, I would consider getting a streaming device.
 
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LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

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Aug 5, 2015
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I think Sony is still at the top.. with LG and Samsung following suite. I did research on my own TV purchase two years ago, and ratings from rtings.com seems to rank the brands in this fashion. Any of these 3 should be a good TV. Sony wins for best overall picture, but LG and Samsung seem to be a little more advanced with their interface and secondary features.

Something that I've seen on Reddit Home Theater.. sound bars get absolutely BLASTED. It's almost like a rule there, not even to ask about one. Never understood why..

And you get what you pay for. Believe it or not, just picked up a pretty basic LG yesterday to replace my 12-year old LG which **** the bed earlier. Cost about #350 from Walmart. Compared to my LG B9 which is 3 years old now, it still doesn't look as good, it's not as sleek looking, and it has a much more basic remote.
 
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bthaunert

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Apr 4, 2007
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Not a TV expert but did get rid of Direct TV about a year ago and went with YouTube TV. I was hesitant to make the move but you would never even know you’re streaming. Seems just like cable/dish TV. Only thing I had to solve was making sure I had good wireless in my house to run 4 TV’s for streaming.
 
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Gassy_Knowls

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Mar 24, 2019
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Just bought a 82 inch Samsung 4k ultra smart. $1044 tonight.

About to buy a system that streams free movies, even ones in the movies now. Also has a $22 a month cable package and gets you every channel in the U.S including every cities local channels. cost for it is $350.
 
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A

Atrain7732

New member
Dec 11, 2009
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Gassy_Knowls said:
Just bought a 82 inch Samsung 4k ultra smart. $1044 tonight.

About to buy a system that streams free movies, even ones in the movies now. Also has a $22 a month cable package and gets you every channel in the U.S including every cities local channels. cost for it is $350.
Click to expand...

What system is this?
 
Deeeefense

Deeeefense

Well-known member
Staff member
Aug 22, 2001
43,723
49,773
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I've got a 2 year only Sony 84 inch TV that is fantastic. My vote for streaming services is Youttube TV. I think you get the best overall value in entertainment, news and sports for the bucks. You will also enjoy the dvr system that saves your favorite programs to the cloud automatically.
 
K

KT34

Member
Oct 11, 2003
676
243
43
Gassy_Knowls said:
Just bought a 82 inch Samsung 4k ultra smart. $1044 tonight.

About to buy a system that streams free movies, even ones in the movies now. Also has a $22 a month cable package and gets you every channel in the U.S including every cities local channels. cost for it is $350.
Click to expand...
Is that an IPTV system? I have one. I really like having local channels from all over the country. The system I use is a little cheaper than yours but seems to be about the same thing. Enjoy it.
 
G

Gassy_Knowls

New member
Mar 24, 2019
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KT34 said:
Is that an IPTV system? I have one. I really like having local channels from all over the country. The system I use is a little cheaper than yours but seems to be about the same thing. Enjoy it.
Click to expand...

I think it is. Called Redbox. Does that found familiar?
 
A

American Dragon

Member
Dec 1, 2020
1,734
1,384
47
Joey Rupption said:
There are two choices to consider here: devices and services. There are devices that can run the services (like a cable box) which includes the Smart TV itself. And there are services that replace the cable channels, essentially.

The devices “lines” you may here about are the Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Google Chromecast. If you have other Apple devices (iPhones, etc) you should get an Apple TV 4K. Amazon Fire devices are made to serve content really fast, but they are always trying to sell you more stuff. Roku’s are basic straight forward, but they are always tracking your usage and selling it to marketers. Google Chromecast is nice. With all of these, you should buy the most expensive model you can afford. The cheaper ones have slower processers and can be frustratingly slow (like most Smart TV interfaces that come preloaded in the TV.)

The services to replace cable would be YouTubeTV, Hulu, Sling TV, etc. They have some nice features that are possible from a “rethink” of how TV content can be consumed, but they can be confusing if you’re not tech savvy.

Aside from those “live TV replacement services” there are streaming services that provide on-demand content of shows and movies. Some of those services also develop their own exclusive movies and shows that only shows. This is Netflix, AppleTV +, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.

If you like your cable set up, I wouldn’t change it. But if you get frustrated with how slow the “Smart TV” interface that comes with your TV performs for streaming service get frustratingly slow. Then, I would consider getting a streaming device.
Click to expand...
I would consider getting a streaming device anyways, unless it's got the Roku, Fire, or Google TV operating system built in. If it's the manufacturer's own TV OS, then it is awful compared to what a standalone device can provide.
 
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American Dragon

Member
Dec 1, 2020
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LineSkiCat14 said:
I think Sony is still at the top.. with LG and Samsung following suite. I did research on my own TV purchase two years ago, and ratings from rtings.com seems to rank the brands in this fashion. Any of these 3 should be a good TV. Sony wins for best overall picture, but LG and Samsung seem to be a little more advanced with their interface and secondary features.

Something that I've seen on Reddit Home Theater.. sound bars get absolutely BLASTED. It's almost like a rule there, not even to ask about one. Never understood why..

And you get what you pay for. Believe it or not, just picked up a pretty basic LG yesterday to replace my 12-year old LG which **** the bed earlier. Cost about #350 from Walmart. Compared to my LG B9 which is 3 years old now, it still doesn't look as good, it's not as sleek looking, and it has a much more basic remote.
Click to expand...
I got a Monoprice sound bar with Dolby Atmos and it is a lot better than my TV's speakers. But I also am not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination so I don't need top of the line audio.
 
B

Beatle Bum

Well-known member
Sep 1, 2002
39,267
58,030
113
chroix said:
I’m a big of Hulu+ with live TV but I think YouTubes offering is very similar. $70-80 a month. Requires internet. Comes with ESPN+ so you never miss games.
Click to expand...
I think YouTube TV is offering at $55/month for first year and $65/mo afterwards.
 
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Beatle Bum

Well-known member
Sep 1, 2002
39,267
58,030
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LineSkiCat14 said:
I think Sony is still at the top.. with LG and Samsung following suite. I did research on my own TV purchase two years ago, and ratings from rtings.com seems to rank the brands in this fashion. Any of these 3 should be a good TV. Sony wins for best overall picture, but LG and Samsung seem to be a little more advanced with their interface and secondary features.

Something that I've seen on Reddit Home Theater.. sound bars get absolutely BLASTED. It's almost like a rule there, not even to ask about one. Never understood why..

And you get what you pay for. Believe it or not, just picked up a pretty basic LG yesterday to replace my 12-year old LG which **** the bed earlier. Cost about #350 from Walmart. Compared to my LG B9 which is 3 years old now, it still doesn't look as good, it's not as sleek looking, and it has a much more basic remote.
Click to expand...
I had a salesperson suggest Sony has slipped in quality, but I am no expert.
 
LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

Well-known member
Aug 5, 2015
37,308
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Caveman Catfan said:
I had a salesperson suggest Sony has slipped in quality, but I am no expert.
Click to expand...

I haven't followed closely.. I did a deep dive when I was making the purchase and once I did, haven't really looked into it since.

As far as image quality.. I can never tell the difference. HiSense and budget brands look just fine to me. I bet it's their longevity where it starts to slip.
 
LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

Well-known member
Aug 5, 2015
37,308
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Nbacats said:
I got a Monoprice sound bar with Dolby Atmos and it is a lot better than my TV's speakers. But I also am not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination so I don't need top of the line audio.
Click to expand...

I always liked soundbars lol.. they make it easy to get some sort of surround sound and depth, without having to run speaker wire around the house. But I guess they're seen as a huge no-no from HomeTheater redditors.. which doesn't mean much, because Reddit is full of snobs anyways.
 
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vhcat70

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Feb 5, 2003
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Gassy_Knowls said:
Just bought a 82 inch Samsung 4k ultra smart. $1044 tonight.

About to buy a system that streams free movies, even ones in the movies now. Also has a $22 a month cable package and gets you every channel in the U.S including every cities local channels. cost for it is $350.
Click to expand...
Sounds like quite a gas.
 
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specialkd24_rivals116121

New member
Jan 13, 2002
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I've had 3 different Sony TVs since 2004 (my newest is about 2 years old) and never had a problem. Picture quality is fantastic, it has all the features, etc. I got a Sony soundbar too and they synch up nicely.
 
T

Tapemaster8

Well-known member
Feb 9, 2003
14,491
3,706
98
Oldbluefart said:
I am getting ready to purchase a new TV; have my eye on a Sony Bravia XR A905 or something along these line with Sony. The salesman at Best Buy seemed to know his stuff and I have picked out a nice sound bar to go along with the TV.

First question is, "is this a good choice for a TV? I am in the market for something in the 80-85 inch range.
The salesman said I need to dump by cable and go with something like Youtube TV, Google, Apple TV, Firestick.
What are your thoughts on which streaming service to go with and why?

Than you to anyone who shares their opinion.
Click to expand...
 
T

Tapemaster8

Well-known member
Feb 9, 2003
14,491
3,706
98
Oldbluefart said:
I am getting ready to purchase a new TV; have my eye on a Sony Bravia XR A905 or something along these line with Sony. The salesman at Best Buy seemed to know his stuff and I have picked out a nice sound bar to go along with the TV.

First question is, "is this a good choice for a TV? I am in the market for something in the 80-85 inch range.
The salesman said I need to dump by cable and go with something like Youtube TV, Google, Apple TV, Firestick.
What are your thoughts on which streaming service to go with and why?

Than you to anyone who shares their opinion.
Click to expand...
All I know is that my just purchased a month ago LG TV does not have an ESPN app, nor will it let me download one on to it. Too me Sony or Samsung have the best picture quality! I wish I had payed more and got a Samsung!
 
W

wildcatdon

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Oct 17, 2012
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Atrain7732

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Dec 11, 2009
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Got rid of cable Monday. Ended up upgrading my Hulu to the live tv version after seeing many on here happy with it. Very happy so far. I have always had all the other streaming services so figured why not. I have loathed Comcast for so long felt good to at least partially cut ties.
 
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birdforbogey

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Aug 13, 2017
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Caveman Catfan said:
I think YouTube TV is offering at $55/month for first year and $65/mo afterwards.
Click to expand...
YTTV & Disney are arguing and if it doesn't get resolved by this Friday, YTTV will not be showing any disney channels which includes all espn's. We will be switching back to hulu live if this happens. I am a fan of hulu live but it doesn't have the OWN channel for the wife.
 
D

DeadAhead

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Feb 5, 2003
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birdforbogey said:
YTTV & Disney are arguing and if it doesn't get resolved by this Friday, YTTV will not be showing any disney channels which includes all espn's. We will be switching back to hulu live if this happens. I am a fan of hulu live but it doesn't have the OWN channel for the wife.
Click to expand...
Yep, just got notified by YTTV that they couldn't resolve differences with disney so do not have any ESPN channels or local ABC affiliate at this time. Just in time for bowl season. Looks like we'll be looking at switching to Hulu.
 
J

joeyrupption

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Jun 5, 2007
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I dropped YTTV this morning and am trying out Sling. I’ve always hated Hulu’s interface. Sling seems fine so far.
 
J

jtrue28

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Feb 8, 2007
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FuboTV for us. We had free month coupon from TV purchase with Best Buy. It has a lot more channels. Tad higher price. Whatever.
 
D

DeadAhead

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Feb 5, 2003
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Well this isn't looking so good as out where we live the internet service options are very limited. Up until just recently we still had DSL service through ATT but it was okay at best and expensive. So we dropped that and went with a portable hotspot device, which has been working good. But it looks like hulu and sling don't allow their service through mobile hotspot devices. Not sure what our options are now. Was looking forward to watching bowl games. Anybody have any suggestions? I am admittedly pretty ignorant about most of this streaming stuff.
 
B

birdforbogey

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Aug 13, 2017
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DeadAhead said:
Yep, just got notified by YTTV that they couldn't resolve differences with disney so do not have any ESPN channels or local ABC affiliate at this time. Just in time for bowl season. Looks like we'll be looking at switching to Hulu.
Click to expand...
I switched this morning. I have always favored Hulu, but my wife likes YTTV because it has the own channel. Question for existing Hulu live users. Is the commercial free package worth the extra cash?
 
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