No ESPN or SEC Network on Spectrum (9/11 update: Settled)

[colbysullivan]

If you have Disney I believe you could add ESPN+ for 10 a month or so...and then you would have a lot of CFB games. I'm not sure @ CBS, but I would think you would have to add CBS sports or something like that to get SEC football.

I have ROKU on 2 tv's as my app operating system as those tv's are not new enough to handle modern apps. It's a good system with a lot of "free" channels...such as Pluto.

Most “smart” TVs in general suck when it comes to their built-in apps. The interface is almost always subpar and they’re just too slow to use. Using an external device like a Roku is so much better. The interface makes sense and is so much snappier. Plus the device can be cheaply replaced over time. I think the TV app developers know this which is why they don’t put any time into designing a coherent interface.

I usually recommend people just get one of the Roku TVs where it’s built into the hardware. There’s a reason why Roku is by far the best selling streaming device.

 

[Padreruf]

Most “smart” TVs in general suck when it comes to their built-in apps. The interface is almost always subpar and they’re just too slow to use. Using an external device like a Roku is so much better. The interface makes sense and is so much snappier. Plus the device can be cheaply replaced over time. I think the TV app developers know this which is why they don’t put any time into designing a coherent interface.

I usually recommend people just get one of the Roku TVs where it’s built into the hardware. There’s a reason why Roku is by far the best selling streaming device.

My new Samsung TV has its own system...I am having problems with the audio. It is loud on the "major channels" such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. It is weak on ESPN, etc. I am thinking about putting an extra ROKU device on it to see if that will solve the problem. I have a Samsung sound bar (5 yrs old) with remote speakers (wired to a separate box) along with a wireless woofer. Have any suggestions?

 

[colbysullivan]

My new Samsung TV has its own system...I am having problems with the audio. It is loud on the "major channels" such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. It is weak on ESPN, etc. I am thinking about putting an extra ROKU device on it to see if that will solve the problem. I have a Samsung sound bar (5 yrs old) with remote speakers (wired to a separate box) along with a wireless woofer. Have any suggestions?

I have noticed the volume level mismatch over the last couple years. ESPN is ridiculously low, it’s not your equipment. I would recommend using a Roku anyway so you can have a unified interface and not have to deal with the proprietary Samsung crap. They make great TVs but like I said earlier, they and others of their ilk couldn’t care less about the customer experience with their apps.

 

[We_are_Bama]

There's so much "he said she said" on this whole fiasco, so who knows what the deal is. I'm in the very short lived free trial period with YTTV right now, but that's gonna be up quick, fast, and in a hurry. I'm holding out and taking a day by day wait and see approach to just see if by some chance Spectrum and Disney kiss and make up.

Taken with a pretty doggone big grain of salt, an article came out today saying that with it being football season and especially with the NFL set to kickoff (ESPN has MNF) this little spat between the two shouldn't last much longer. I'm not extremely confident by that. Thus far "football season in the south" hasn't exactly been a huge motivator for them to try and settle this thing. This too shall pass.... hopefully 🙏

 

[colbysullivan]

There's so much "he said she said" on this whole fiasco, so who knows what the deal is. I'm in the very short lived free trial period with YTTV right now, but that's gonna be up quick, fast, and in a hurry. I'm holding out and taking a day by day wait and see approach to just see if by some chance Spectrum and Disney kiss and make up.

Taken with a pretty doggone big grain of salt, an article came out today saying that with it being football season and especially with the NFL set to kickoff (ESPN has MNF) this little spat between the two shouldn't last much longer. I'm not extremely confident by that. Thus far "football season in the south" hasn't exactly been a huge motivator for them to try and settle this thing. This too shall pass.... hopefully 🙏

Why not just switch to YTTV and dump Spectrum cable?

 

[We_are_Bama]

Disney owns both ABC and ESPN. So the three companies are essentially different sides of the same entity.

While Disney is in no danger of folding, its stock has languished for some time, and is now below what it was 9 years ago...while the S&P index as a whole is roughly 2.25x what it was at that time. That's what cost Bob Chapek (who was, incidentally, Bob Iger's handpicked successor) his job as CEO.

Since Bob Iger took over for a second run as Disney's CEO, he's been on a tear to improve profitability. All the cuts in on-air personalities at ESPN were just one part of that. Increasing revenue with hardball negotiations as contracts with various deliverers of content come up for renewal is another. Disney getting much quieter on the political front is yet another.

Spectrum is getting all the attention now, simply because it's the first major one up for renewal since Iger's second stint as CEO started in November of last year. All the others, whether traditional cable, satellite, or streaming, will have their turn in the barrel.

This is the beginning of a total remake not just of sports programming, but across all content of all descriptions, and will end with consumers having to make some hard choices.

4Q, you absolutely nailed it. ALL providers will definitely have their turn in the barrel, no matter who they are. And sooner rather than later. Everything is absolutely getting remade. This will be akin to college football realignment.... except on steroids

 

[We_are_Bama]

Why not just switch to YTTV and dump Spectrum cable?

A lot of things in play at the moment. Partly because I may have to get a new smart TV because my smart TV was made in 2015 and isn't YTTV compatible. One way or another, I'll probably go to YTTV eventually. Just taking a wait and see but I'm only going to wait and see about another week..Bama Texas is on ESPN next Saturday so... that's as long as I'm willing to stick it out

 

[colbysullivan]

A lot of things in play at the moment. Partly because I may have to get a new smart TV because my smart TV was made in 2015 and isn't YTTV compatible. One way or another, I'll probably go to YTTV eventually. Just taking a wait and see but I'm only going to wait and see about another week..Bama Texas is on ESPN next Saturday so... that's as long as I'm willing to stick it out

A Roku is like $40, you don’t need a smart TV

 

[BamaMoon]

Why not just switch to YTTV and dump Spectrum cable?

Thankfully I'm not affected by this yet with Direct Stream, with ATT Wifi, but it's probably more complicated with those that have Spectrum Internet too (we did in Dallas) because they probably are going to jack the Internet up if you drop the cable. But unless you have multiple options for internet coverage (which many people don't) you are kinda over a barrel, so to speak.

 

[bamagradinATL]

Why not just switch to YTTV and dump Spectrum cable?

You still need high speed internet. The quandary I find myself in is what to do about internet if I drop Spectrum.

 

[GulfCoastTider]

And I don't have the disposal income for that. It's why I have ROKU with bundles (Disney, Hulu, etc). So unless YTTV is part of a bundle, I cannot afford to spend 70 bucks a month on just youtubetv.

If you have Disney and Hulu, you're paying something for it. YTTV just replaces Disney/Hulu. You'd just download their app to your Roku device. Then arrow over to that icon instead of Hulu.

You won't get all of the Disney or Hulu content but it includes all of the ESPN channels (no ESPN+). It's also currently $2 cheaper than Hulu Live (that includes cable channels and local stations). Hulu prices are going up again soon (October?) another $5. I have the Hulu+ Live package now but I'm switching back to YTTV this month.

 

[Bubbaloo]

You still need high speed internet. The quandary I find myself in is what to do about internet if I drop Spectrum.

About everybody has high speed internet these days ! T Mobile and Verizon wireless 5G or LTE internet are more than adequate for streaming and relatively affordable. I tried the satellite service Hughes Net and paid the early out fees !

 

[colbysullivan]

You still need high speed internet. The quandary I find myself in is what to do about internet if I drop Spectrum.

Well yeah, but you need Internet anyway. The bundled prices really don’t save that much money, so just dropping the TV service shouldn’t be that much of an issue.

 

[We_are_Bama]

Put bluntly, Spectrum has taken a big old poop and fallen back in it. I tried calling just to see about dropping the TV part of the deal (I still have to have them for Internet) and they aren't able to field anymore calls at the moment due to "extremely high call volume". Ten dollars to a doughnut hole that 99.99% of those calls are cancellation requests. Them and Disney.sure are in a tangled mess and they are in it together

 

[colbysullivan]

Put bluntly, Spectrum has taken a big old poop and fallen back in it. I tried calling just to see about dropping the TV part of the deal (I still have to have them for Internet) and they aren't able to field anymore calls at the moment due to "extremely high call volume". Ten dollars to a doughnut hole that 99.99% of those calls are cancellation requests. Them and Disney.sure are in a tangled mess and they are in it together

They don’t have an online portal where you can select what services you want? Actually now that I think about it, they probably don’t. Yet another reason to leave dinosaur cable companies in the dust. I honestly didn’t realize so many people still had cable. Literally everyone I know has YTTV.

 

[BamaLuver]

Why not just switch to YTTV and dump Spectrum cable?

My only problem with YTTV is no Bally Sports = no Braves games.

 

[IMALOYAL1]

I've got spectrum internet. 100 down and aboyt 20 up. It includes a phone number also. I pay 28.00 per month. I switch providers about every 2 years between my cable provider and fiber to the home via AT&T. I have a good antena on the corner of my back deck.
I'm paying less for internet than I've ever paid, but the 2 year contract is almost up.

IPTV may be in my future. I need to do a bit more research on it.

 

[crimson fan man]

Spectrum told me that they will be doing away with the cable boxes going streaming 100 %. I will keep their internet but get rid of everything else. I will go with the hulu.

 

[bamaga]

My new Samsung TV has its own system...I am having problems with the audio. It is loud on the "major channels" such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. It is weak on ESPN, etc. I am thinking about putting an extra ROKU device on it to see if that will solve the problem. I have a Samsung sound bar (5 yrs old) with remote speakers (wired to a separate box) along with a wireless woofer. Have any suggestions?

I have volume issue with Roku in some streaming apps, DirecTV stream has a bad problem, more spotty on other apps. The volume will be fine and suddenly get so low you can’t hear it, or get so loud it’s blaring.

 

[Padreruf]

I have volume issue with Roku in some streaming apps, DirecTV stream has a bad problem, more spotty on other apps. The volume will be fine and suddenly get so low you can’t hear it, or get so loud it’s blaring.

I just put Roku on my new Samsung and it solved the problem...don't ask me why? Now I've a Deco TP 9 mesh unit that has quit working..the other two are fine. All this stretches my brain to the limit!