[bdcochran]

Today, someone tried to sign me up for additional Spectrum services. Don't know if it were a hacker or a commissioned agent. It got resolved. It brought up some questions.

Spectrum charges for internet access and for television separately. Some kind of a box is given which is placed next to the t.v.

Now for the questions.
1. Assumption. If I just paid for internet, I assume I would receive only regular channels with a pair of rabbit ears on the t.v. I have a $30 roku device attached to the t.v. I don't have any paid t.v. subscription like Netflicks.
So, the first question is whether roku would still work with just rabbit ears.
So, the second question is what would make roku work that doesn't cost $123 a month for the t.v. spectrum and the monthly charge of about $19 for the box.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Gun Shark]

Today, someone tried to sign me up for additional Spectrum services. Don't know if it were a hacker or a commissioned agent. It got resolved. It brought up some questions.

Spectrum charges for internet access and for television separately. Some kind of a box is given which is placed next to the t.v.

Now for the questions.
1. Assumption. If I just paid for internet, I assume I would receive only regular channels with a pair of rabbit ears on the t.v. I have a $30 roku device attached to the t.v. I don't have any paid t.v. subscription like Netflicks.
So, the first question is whether roku would still work with just rabbit ears.
So, the second question is what would make roku work that doesn't cost $123 a month for the t.v. spectrum and the monthly charge of about $19 for the box.

Thank you all in advance.

If you just pay for internet, then any TV service you currently have through spectrum you will no longer have access too.

To gain TV service you would have to either start a streaming service over the Roku(like YouTube tv, Hulu with live tv, directv stream, fubo, sling tv etc) or use a tv antenna(I believe the US has gone Digital, so traditional rabbit ears are a thing of the past) if it will work
In your area( there are a couple of websites that will give you the channels, distance, direction, and signal strength for each respective channel). Last time I checked, it’s really only; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and ion(could be mistaken on ion). I opted for streaming TV.

 

[Cirdan]

Your Roku will work with the internet service, but you'll have to pay for whatever services you want. Spectrum TV will not be included unless you sign up for both. You can get Netflix, YouTube, Paramount, whatever - for a price.

I have Spectrum for both TV and internet. Therefore, I have a valid subscription to run the Spectrum app on my Roku, which gives me the same channels as my TV subscription.

OTA (over the air) is available with an external antenna. There are more channels than you think because the local broadcast stations sometimes have 2 - 3 extra channels they also broadcast with their spectrum. Mostly seems to be garbage programming though.

 

[n2g]

I have both Spectrum cable tv and Spectrum internet, but they are separate products. I think I did get some kind of price break for having both when I changed my previous internet to Spectrum. My Firestick on my main tv and another tv that is a Fire TV (built-in streaming thing) work fine with it. I don't have any kind of antenna. For streaming services I use the Firestick or the Fire TV; amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. through that. There are many that are free but it works for Netflix too. I guess that's similar to your Roku device.

The only Spectrum box attached to either tv is the cable box for cable tv. The little Firestick thing is very small and dangles off the back of my main tv.
My internet/wifi devices are in another room, not attached to any tv.

I could probably let my cable service go, because I can get many of the same shows I watch (Discovery ID, etc.) through those apps on the Firestick. I ought to check into that I guess. There may be some that I couldn't get, though. I don't watch a lot of tv.

I don't know if any of that helps you or not. I'm not all that knowledgeable about tv and streaming services.

 

[Cirdan]

Just be aware if you want both, Firestick and the other fire devices do not have a Spectrum app. Roku does. Only matters if you have both cable and internet from Spectrum and want to watch the cable through Roku (saving you the monthly box rental fee).

 

[bdcochran]

I am posting what my research has suggested to date:
1. If I have an internet connection and a roku device on my television, I can get some free streaming and major news channels without subscription to Spectrum or a pay streaming service like Sling or Paramount.
2. I can pay tv5 (the French channel) directly about $15 a month.
3. I don't need a special device to record and play back saved programs (shakey on that, of course).

 

[Gun Shark]

I am posting what my research has suggested to date:
1. If I have an internet connection and a roku device on my television, I can get some free streaming and major news channels without subscription to Spectrum or a pay streaming service like Sling or Paramount.
2. I can pay tv5 (the French channel) directly about $15 a month.
3. I don't need a special device to record and play back saved programs (shakey on that, of course).

If you have an internet connection you may be able to stream major news networks for free, but some(CNN for example) might have a pay wall, for example: CNN is 10 minutes before it locks.

If you have an antenna the major local channels are likely to be there, but you will need a device to record and play back. You also most likely will not have access to the major news networks though.

Depending on what services you use, you won’t need a special device.

If you use a streaming TV service, or a service with a streaming component. You likely will not need a special device to record and play back content, however your experience may not be the same as if you had a device(for example directv stream the last time I researched it.)

 

[wally1]

I cut cable tv several years ago and spent a one time $700 on an amplified antenna.
We get the major networks and about 60 other channels.
Amazon Prime has lots of movies and older shows not to mention the other benefits.

 

[shadowgunner9]

Why would anyone spend $$$ for Spectrum TeeVee when you can get Philo for about $25/month, or Sling , or......
I dumped Spectrum CABLE teevee years ago. I now only pay Spectrum $49/month for interwebs and pay for Sling. Wife insists on it.....
I only watch YouTube anyways.

 

[Gun Shark]

I cut cable tv several years ago and spent a one time $700 on an amplified antenna.
We get the major networks and about 60 other channels.
Amazon Prime has lots of movies and older shows not to mention the other benefits.

What antenna did you get? Everything I looked up for my area. I only got the big “lower channels”.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gun Shark]

Why would anyone spend $$$ for Spectrum TeeVee when you can get Philo for about $25/month, or Sling , or......
I dumped Spectrum CABLE teevee years ago. I now only pay Spectrum $49/month for interwebs and pay for Sling. Wife insists on it.....
I only watch YouTube anyways.

I personally didn’t like slings picture quality in my set up. As it stands now I spend almost $180 a month on Hulu with live tv. But I don’t have any box’s to pay for in perpetuity or access charges.

I may be moving to DTV stream though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wally1]

What antenna did you get? Everything I looked up for my area. I only got the big “lower channels”.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My invoice states "Dual OmniDirectional antenna kit with a 30' mast.
Total was $646.82 in 2020.
I live between Tampa and Orlando and the invoice says 102 channels received.
Some of those stations are weak and can be affected by the weather.
Florida is flat, I have lots of trees, but no buildings near my house.
Your reception will be affected by obstructions and how many stations are actually available at your location.

 

[bdcochran]

Just posting some additional potential information that I have learned:
1. this information is somewhat layered as the technology has changed substantially.
2. I have Spectrum in an urban environment. The internet and telephone service is unreliable, sporadic outages.
3. I have been told that the erratic internet service is what causes the erratic television service, so I question why pay for both.
4. Currently, I pay extra for the tennis channel and French language.
5. I learned that because I have a $35 roku device on my t.v., I could get the free stuff that I get now if I maintain an internet connection.
6. I learned what a streaming service is and how and which could be used to add the tennis channel and/or French if desired.
7. Separately, Best Buy sells a device for about $62 that is best described as something beyond the old rabbit ears on steroids. I am not considering buying a unit as I don't watch any mainstream or local television.

 

[bdcochran]

Ok.. The final result.
1. I eliminated the t.v. portion of Spectrum.
2. I chose a Sling streaming option with expanded recording and an expanded international language channel.
3. The transition went fairly smoothly.
4. The net savings was about $60 a month. I already had a Roku device on the television which had cost under $35, tax included.
5. If my income had qualified me, I would have received a monthly federal internet subsidy for a year. If I had not chosen an expanded international service, the savings would have been another $10 a month. The girlfriend had wanted specific news channels or the additional savings would have been an additional $10 a month.

 

[Cirdan]

"Linear," e.g. conventional TV (including cable) is now less than 50% of video watching. Streaming services are taking over with Netflix and YouTube leading the pack. Something to think about.

Bluntly put, cost of traditional cable tv + internet is getting to ridiculous levels.

 

[Uncle Mark]

I live in rural Kentucky. We recently had fiber optic cable from Spectrum come in. I could not be happier with it. I signed up for the TV and internet service. I had DISH satelite for TV at $140/month and satelite internet from Viasat at $80/month with about 15mbps on a good day. Now my bill is $116 with 100mbps and more TV channels than I had before. Put on a Ruku and the wife is happy. I was never a big TV watcher but now could watch YouTube all day.

 

[bdcochran]

Update. I got rid of Spectrum t.v. Signed up for Sling. Signed up for French Channel5 that has 7 selections (through Spectrum there wereonly one). Savings $50 a month. Slowly catching up with technology. Talked to two Spectrum techs at the car repair place and they said it was the right thing to do.