OTA does this now. I get it with 2 antennas at higher quality than cable. So it does exist. It's just not easily accessible for people who are far away from the metro area where the broadcasts come from. But ATSC 3.0 will get bigger with more stations switching, new content, and even accessibility for some more remote areas. This might be the solution.
Sorry - i should have worded that better - I meant non-OTA sources. I have a robust OTA setup, too, but that's not as universally available as cablecards or TVE.
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Ditch that old CableCARD HDHomeRun and get on the TVE streaming train. It's a lot better IMO.
I just came across this post and I almost spit out my coffee and I wasn't even drinking any.
While TVE is pretty cool and convenient (especially for mobile viewing), I will pass on the 30fps/juddery mess that is most TVE streams. I will admit that ESPN and the Fox networks look pretty good (they are 60fps I believe), but NFL Network and the NBC RSN's are unwatchable at 30fps.
Until all TVE streams have the same picture and audio quality as cable/satellite/dedicated live TV streaming services, I can't get on the TVE train.
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Another reason I can't wait to get rid of XFinity.. my experience was similar. I just got notice that my starlink was being shipped, and if streaming on that is reasonable, I might just have a couple Prime units to sell, and be done with XFinity forever.
I am in the coastal plain in eastern NC. I have a 30t tower and an ant751R antenna. I receive wect,wsfx and wway at 40 miles to the southwest, also PBS form the southwest at 28 miles.I receive wcti, wydo for the northeast at 34 miles, also Wnct and witn from the NE. I have perfect reception except ?Wydo and Witn. that happened with the last repackWe alll our OTA recording From WWAY 3.1 ABC, 3.2 CBS, 3.2 CW and WECT 6.1 NBC for news and NBC network
Same boat with Spectrum. What they are providing is free use of their useless cable tuner box, non-DVR, for 24 months and also 50% off of an AppleTV. Wouldn’t allow either of those in my home. And the cherry on top is you can use thier laughably horrible cloud DVR service which is accessible from your devices. Utter crap and yes, it’s likely the end of Channels. Sad day. Guess I’ll just read more and tear all this useless equipment out of my house. What a waste. Cord cutters ruined it for everyone with their exuberance over the opportunity to pay more for an inferior product. SiliconDust is almost certainly toast as well. The only viable product they have left to sell is the OTA which is a niche inside a niche.
Agreed. TVE is a last option when all the other tuners are busy. It’s okay to watch the news. About anything else is pretty bad. Once Spectrum drops Cablecard, I’m pretty much done. No way to get decent quality signals into my channels environment. I don’t see any other options emerging either. At some points the media whores will be a pay per episode, single watch with many commercials sales model. Cord cutting destroyed TV for people who just want to watch something without dealing with multiple services, disjointed guide data and miserable, highly controlled DVR abilities. They will Eliminate commercial skipping, trick play anything the consumer enjoys all while the quality of programming continues to circle the drain. Amazing watching this American entertainment being completely dismantled in the name of squeezing more dollars out of the already overwhelmed consumer.
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But it’s so limited. We are going back to 1972. Sure it’s free and the quality is good but who the heck even watched the major networks any more? There isn’t a single ABC, NBC, CBS or PBS show I would put on unless I’m planning a nap.it’s free and it’s worth every penny but not a single extra.
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The title of this thread is a bit misleading. We are experiencing the death of cable TV as we knew it (through a coaxial cable), but Channels DVR is alive and kickin' like never before. Once we went to TVE, I got myself setup with a good attic antenna and grab the major networks from about 25 miles away with an HDHomerun and Channels DVR. We watch a LOT of the major networks, from news to NFL football, to PBS, and there are a whole bunch [older] of crime shows on the sub-channels if you're in to that kind of thing.
I just figured that anyone still interested in linear television would still appreciate the local affiliates, but there are many different Channels DVR user scenarios and I'm grateful that the developers pursue various solutions.
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Spectrum is not dropping cable-cards. They have a new High Split Converter that replaces the Tuning Adapter.
https://www.tivocommunity.com/threads/spectrum-and-cable-card.588503/
The first letters were just to get you to overreact and voluntarily dump your cable-card(s).
Thanks for the clarification. If that’s true then, first I guess I’m a little relieved that I might have time to find a replacement and second, that’s such an abhorrent business practice that I will absolutely dump this POS company as soon and humanly possible. What a bunch of absolute scumbags they would be to do that to their customers. I wonder where they get these people? Can you imagine working for hackles like that? Man, I’d rather starve
I know it really sucks for those previously using TV Everywhere for NBC channels now being DRM’d and unavailable - and we absolutely sympathize, but the fact that TV Everywhere went dark before the CableCard did is the definition of irony from this thread.
XFINITY is still supporting them no indication when they won't.
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Not really. I see you think you’re on a victory lap of sorts, but we tried to tell you
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Verizon FIOS is also supporting them via TVE. I don't get what they are doing as one can use an antenna.
I agree with that statement, however, since they are now using DRM in my area on the ATSC 3.0 channels, once the ATSC 1.0 goes off air, we won't be able to do that either. I know, it's still a long way out from that happening, but eventually it will happen, no one knows when for sure.
Missed this, sorry, would’ve replied sooner but been too busy watching NBC and sports, etc.
That completely depends on who your provider is. My area is covered by a regional ISP that has a grandfathered monopoly, they recently moved all cable to IPTV and no longer support CableCards. I believe all NCTC members are doing the same if they haven't already. Many of the larger providers are also phasing out CableCard adding DRM to many of the channels... Just because the lights are still on in some markets doesn't mean CableCard hasn't "gone dark" in many areas while slowly dying out.
Cool story. If anything, the quick adoption of DRM on ATSC3 channels make the original commentary about concerns being overblown even more moot.
I’m just as lucky as you - I have working cablecards and a robust OTA solution. But I’m one bad DRM switch or failed hardware but from searching for alternatives.
Putting it on the roof will likely work. I can't get anything out of the attic. I'm 25 miles from New York City and about 65 miles from Philadelphia. Putting the antenna on the roof with a preamp to boost the signal from the antenna to the HDHOMERun gets me all the Philadelphia channels (except a vhf channel 6). I also get all the New York channels off the backend.
I'm using the DB8 Bowtie antenna (which doesn't support vhf without an add on (which I have). The price for all this was worth it. I had been paying hundreds of dollars a year to NFL Sunday Ticket to directv. But once I did this (several years ago), I get a mini Sunday ticket (All the games out of NY and Philly) for free (canceling Sunday ticket paid for the antenna and creamp in the first year)
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