Can I get rid of TimeWarner with new AppleTV or some other STB?
So I am trying to find out if there is a feasible and economic way to get rid of TimeWarner cable and still have access to the shows my wife and I like. Here is a breakdown of our current watching habits...
1. We have approximately 10-12 episodic shows on the 4 major networks that we watch per season, and a couple on HBO and Showtime that we like.
2. We have season passes on TiVo for 6-8 older shows in syndication like seinfeld, friends, etc, just to have something to watch during summer or when we don't have a new show to watch.
3. We TiVo episodes from 6-8 cooking shows on the food network.
4. We have netflix and stream movies from their instant library over my xbox 360.
5. We also watch a mix of CNN/Weather Channel/Local News in the mornings and during bad weather.
6. Finally, we watch live sports, NFL and NBA games primarily.
So is there anyway that you know of that we could get rid of cable and still have access to this same content?
AppleTV should be able to eventually provide items 1, 2, 3, and 4 above once they have agreements will more networks. But what about the live broadcasts (news sports and weather) ? Is there some other way to access this live content either with a hacked Apple TV, or some other se top box? And, if there is a way to access all or most of this content, is it going to save me any money, or will I just be paying someone else for the content?
Any advice for me?
Thanks in advance~
1. We have approximately 10-12 episodic shows on the 4 major networks that we watch per season, and a couple on HBO and Showtime that we like.
2. We have season passes on TiVo for 6-8 older shows in syndication like seinfeld, friends, etc, just to have something to watch during summer or when we don't have a new show to watch.
3. We TiVo episodes from 6-8 cooking shows on the food network.
4. We have netflix and stream movies from their instant library over my xbox 360.
5. We also watch a mix of CNN/Weather Channel/Local News in the mornings and during bad weather.
6. Finally, we watch live sports, NFL and NBA games primarily.
So is there anyway that you know of that we could get rid of cable and still have access to this same content?
AppleTV should be able to eventually provide items 1, 2, 3, and 4 above once they have agreements will more networks. But what about the live broadcasts (news sports and weather) ? Is there some other way to access this live content either with a hacked Apple TV, or some other se top box? And, if there is a way to access all or most of this content, is it going to save me any money, or will I just be paying someone else for the content?
Any advice for me?
Thanks in advance~
Comments
Apple doesn't have any agreements with most of the channels you mention. Also, since the AppleTV has no hard disk, you can't store old Seinfeld episodes. No, you can't stream old episodes of Seinfeld, either. I can't think of any other STB alternatives that would work to all of your demands, either. So no, you can't dump cable, yet.
I think my initial post was a bit unclear. I don't expect or even really need to be able to store or stream old episodes of syndicated shows. it would be nice, but it isn't mandatory. Primarily, I need episodes of all our new shows, which eventually will be achieved by the Apple TV. Now that they have agreements from Fox, ABC, Disney, and BBC america, the other networks will follow suit soon enough. We may have to forgo food network shows, as I don't see that on the current itunes store offering. So most of our needs should be taken care of by Apple TV in the coming months. Beyond that, and the biggest challenge is trying to get the live content we want, such as local news and weather, CNN, and sporting events.
I have read articles and post by people who claim to have ditched the cable companies, and I assume they must have figured out how to get the live content. SO how would they be doing this? Are they just pulling in over the air broadcasts with rabbit ears? Or is there some other way to get this?
I have read articles and post by people who claim to have ditched the cable companies, and I assume they must have figured out how to get the live content. SO how would they be doing this? Are they just pulling in over the air broadcasts with rabbit ears? Or is there some other way to get this?
Yeah; they're getting local channels (local news, syndicated programming, etc.) with an antenna, whether it be with rabbit ears, or something in the attic, or something on the roof. That plugs into the antenna input on the back of every newer HDTV -- or your TiVo. You can't DVR any programming unless you keep your TiVo, but you can watch live. Plus OTA, at least in most markets, have at least one extra weather subchannel in SD. The DC market (where I live) has three, including one with a 24-hour doppler radar feed.
AVS Forum is a pretty good site to go to if you're ever confused about putting up an antenna of any kind.
CNN? Unless it's through cable, forget about it. You'll never see online streaming of that channel; the rights fees from outside broadcasters would be too expensive. If you want national and world news, you'll have to find another, non-TV-based, way to get it.
As for live sports: The local channels will deliver a lot of NFL games (NBC, CBS, and FOX). All cable-exclusive NFL games, like those on NFL Network and ESPN, will not be available to you in any form, including with online streaming. Actually, I think that NFL.com offers tape-delayed streaming of games for free to computers (not Apple TV).
NBA games: Don't expect as many. Any games not on ABC will be on cable. Those on TNT, NBA TV, or Fox Sports Southwest are cable-exclusive. You can't even stream them with a computer.
As for NBA games on ESPN and ESPN2: Depending on your Internet provider, you get ESPN3.com (wikipedia page) for free, which offers lots of live streaming, including all their NBA games, most college football games, and other sports. (Note: ESPN3 requires a computer; it's not available on AppleTV, yet).
Now, Time Warner Cable doesn't offer ESPN3.com for free; you'd have to pay an extra fee to ESPN. However, if your area has AT&T U-Verse or DSL service, they include ESPN3.com access for free with all Internet packages, so take a look at them. Have at least a 5 Mbps download package, and a fast computer, for the best HD streaming experience. With the right cables, you can stream high-def ESPN3 material (when available) to your TV.
As for HBO and Showtime: I'm pretty sure that at least Showtime has a streaming option. However, you'd need to be subscribed to a traditional cable company, as well as an HBO or Showtime package, to get access to their respective streaming programming -- at least until they make a deal with AppleTV to stream their original shows (if that ever happens). Until then, again, cable or bust.