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Author Topic: TV Providers & Options?  (Read 2414 times)

Offline Firm

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TV Providers & Options?
« on: January 30, 2015, 10:30:29 pm »
Mrs. Firm has started to wear me down and I've begun doing some research into what our options are for TV.  I've been out of this market for awhile, so I was hoping some of you could share what your setup is and what it's costing you. I wouldn't need anything fancy, just the basic channels.

A quick Google search came up with VMedia as a viable IPTV provider, but it sounds like I'd need to have my internet with them in order to get their TV package? That might be a deal breaker for me because I am currently happy with my Internet provider and costs.

Rogers is another option...I consider them right up there with Satan himself and try to avoid dealing with them at all costs. However, my work cell just got moved over to them, so they've got me already I guess....

Any other affordable options out there?
« Last Edit: January 30, 2015, 10:32:13 pm by Firm »
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Offline pi314

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2015, 10:31:24 pm »
What channels do you really need? Being in Mississauga if you get a high powered antenna OTA may be good enough for you

tvfool.com
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Offline Ex-airbalancer

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2015, 06:01:58 am »
Who is your internet provider ?
Do you have cogeco in you area !
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Offline Agiledood

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2015, 08:56:04 am »
Depends what you watch. Roku/AppleTV + HockeyStreams.com and Unblock.us for us works.  CBC can be watched for free online and Global has app that my wife uses for 'her stories'.

Cable providers are pretty much all the same price wise, you'll get a good signup discount but month to month, it's pretty much a wash. It becomes a choice between which evil empire has the least crappy service you can tolerate.
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Offline quadzilla

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2015, 08:59:31 am »
Quote from: pi314 on January 30, 2015, 10:31:24 pm
What channels do you really need? Being in Mississauga if you get a high powered antenna OTA may be good enough for you

tvfool.com

+1 to this.  What channels/shows do you really watch. Having a OTA and using a service like Netflix or HULU could give you everything you need.

How technical is your wife? Will using a computer to watch TV make her happy or only frustrated?
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Offline Solstice2006

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2015, 09:08:18 am »
Quote from: quadzilla on January 31, 2015, 08:59:31 am
Quote from: pi314 on January 30, 2015, 10:31:24 pm
What channels do you really need? Being in Mississauga if you get a high powered antenna OTA may be good enough for you

tvfool.com

+1 to this.  What channels/shows do you really watch. Having a OTA and using a service like Netflix or HULU could give you everything you need.

How technical is your wife? Will using a computer to watch TV make her happy or only frustrated?

I have an OTA, in Burlington, get around 25 channels.  You may get a few less American stations, being 30-40 km further from the border.  I want to add some sort of PVR to my setup this spring, so my wife can watch the shows she has missed.  Wasn't an issue before with maternity leave.  And before that it was overpriced cable with the pvr.  So now i have to record OTA TV.  Also, have to get guy lines for the antenna.  Wind moves it at times...
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Offline pi314

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2015, 12:47:58 pm »
Quote from: Solstice2006 on January 31, 2015, 09:08:18 am
Quote from: quadzilla on January 31, 2015, 08:59:31 am
Quote from: pi314 on January 30, 2015, 10:31:24 pm
What channels do you really need? Being in Mississauga if you get a high powered antenna OTA may be good enough for you

tvfool.com

+1 to this.  What channels/shows do you really watch. Having a OTA and using a service like Netflix or HULU could give you everything you need.

How technical is your wife? Will using a computer to watch TV make her happy or only frustrated?

I have an OTA, in Burlington, get around 25 channels.  You may get a few less American stations, being 30-40 km further from the border.  I want to add some sort of PVR to my setup this spring, so my wife can watch the shows she has missed.  Wasn't an issue before with maternity leave.  And before that it was overpriced cable with the pvr.  So now i have to record OTA TV.  Also, have to get guy lines for the antenna.  Wind moves it at times...

PVR setup will be quite easy. LOTs of devices on the market.
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Offline Solstice2006

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2015, 01:29:02 pm »
Quote from: pi314 on January 31, 2015, 12:47:58 pm
Quote from: Solstice2006 on January 31, 2015, 09:08:18 am
Quote from: quadzilla on January 31, 2015, 08:59:31 am
Quote from: pi314 on January 30, 2015, 10:31:24 pm
What channels do you really need? Being in Mississauga if you get a high powered antenna OTA may be good enough for you

tvfool.com

+1 to this.  What channels/shows do you really watch. Having a OTA and using a service like Netflix or HULU could give you everything you need.

How technical is your wife? Will using a computer to watch TV make her happy or only frustrated?

I have an OTA, in Burlington, get around 25 channels.  You may get a few less American stations, being 30-40 km further from the border.  I want to add some sort of PVR to my setup this spring, so my wife can watch the shows she has missed.  Wasn't an issue before with maternity leave.  And before that it was overpriced cable with the pvr.  So now i have to record OTA TV.  Also, have to get guy lines for the antenna.  Wind moves it at times...

PVR setup will be quite easy. LOTs of devices on the market.

Sure, but it's low on the priority list.  After all, its just television.  I have movies that I got for my birthday & Christmas that I haven't watched yet! 
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Offline wing

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TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2015, 01:42:23 pm »
I use mythtv on Linux.  Allows me to record 4 channels at once and play back.  Also use it for xbmc and other video playback.
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Offline mwqa

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2015, 02:12:02 pm »
Decent indoor antenna for me!

I had an argument with one of my co-workers as to the legality of using an antenna to capture OTA signals, that's how conditioned some people are to getting cable or satellite.  ::)

Won a free lunch with that one! :)

Here in Montreal, I get two PBS channels (with 2 or 3 digital sub-channels), NBC (with The CW and MeTV sub-channels), Fox and CBS (although the signals for these are so-so). Only one I don't get is ABC. Plus I get all the Canadian channels no one watches.

The NBC signal is strong enough for me to use my super-duper sound system for the Superbowl this weekend.  ;D

(Last year, I had to fiddle to get the Fox signal and had to use the TV sound, to avoid interference.)

Cost of antenna - about $175.
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Offline Firm

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2015, 03:32:29 pm »
Thanks for the responses everyone. A lot of the stuff you mentioned is completely foreign to me, so I'll have to make some time to read up on everything. But it sounds like we'll be able to find something that will work.
The wife is much more technically savvy than I am, so she'd be fine using the internet/computer to get TV. Currently she has a tablet rigged up to our bedroom TV and she uses that to get some stuff (Netflix, online broadcasts, etc)
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Offline Firm

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Re: TV Providers & Options?
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2015, 03:34:03 pm »
Quote from: airbalancer on January 31, 2015, 06:01:58 am
Who is your internet provider ?
Do you have cogeco in you area !

Currently getting Internet from TakSavvy. Not sure if cogeco is in my area, my guess is probably not because I haven't heard of anyone near me using them.
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