Alternatives to cable

No, it plugs into your t.v. and streams from your wireless service. Easy as can be.

<sigh> I just want a way to watch TV on my TV, without involving too many other devices. Trying to find an economical and relatively simple way to do this sucks.

Yes, that's exactly what a Roku does, as well as well the Chromcast, also a million other streaming devices. It plugs into your t.v., --assuming you have wireless internet at home. No need to watch stuff on your computer or phone.[/QUOTE]
Not true for Chromecast. You don't watch it on your phone or computer, but you have to access the content through them.
 
No, it plugs into your t.v. and streams from your wireless service. Easy as can be.

<sigh> I just want a way to watch TV on my TV, without involving too many other devices. Trying to find an economical and relatively simple way to do this sucks.

The reason we returned our Chromecast and got a Roku box (not a stick) is because my husband hated the controls for the Chromecast on the phone and the only laptops we had at the time were slow. We got the most expensive Roku box, because we thought it would interface through our network with our desktops so we could easily watch Big Bang Theory and Elementary, which aren't on Hulu, but we can't (or my husband hasn't been able to, if it is possible). Our Roku has its own remote, so no other devices needed to interface with the TV.

We already had Netflix, so when we dropped Dish Network, which was about $70 a month, we got Hulu plus ($8 a month) and Amazon prime (my kids are students, so we get it for $60 a year through their community college email addresses, which is $5 a month). So we went from $70 a month to services that cost us $13 a month. Even if you add in Netflix, we still only spend $22 a month, almost $50 less than Dish.

I don't know if there is a way to watch TV without hi-speed Internet. The Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire stick, and Apple TV all depend on being able to stream content from the Internet, is my understanding (I don't know for sure on the Apple TV).
 
I don't know if there is a way to watch TV without hi-speed Internet. The Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire stick, and Apple TV all depend on being able to stream content from the Internet, is my understanding (I don't know for sure on the Apple TV).

That is what I need to look into. Our internet connections are cellular - does that count as "hi-speed"? Both of our connections are through Verizon (which has the best coverage here) - my husband's phone acts as a "Hot Spot" and is grandfathered in to an actual limitless plan. Obviously this is not available if he/his phone is not home. Our other connection is a Verizon JetPack - but I believe that the "unlimited" plan we have actually limits you to 5GB/month and $10 a GB over that. Both connections generally get 4G LTE - unless something is interfering with the signal.

PS. We've gone over on the JetPack for a few months now (MrS has been out of the house more recently). This thread prompted me to look into changing our plan. I was paying $50/month for 5GB and upgraded to $80/month for 10 GB on the JetPack. But looking at the cost/GB it may be cheaper in the long run to get him a second phone so we can use his "unlimited" HotSpot all of the time - if I actually had to pay for all of the GB we use a month (50-80) I could get real broke real fast! 3 computers streaming music and videos - jeesh.

PPS. Guess I will keep Dish Network for satellite TV for the time being - at $111 or so a month it's less than what we would pay to stream the same content through the Verizon JetPack (assuming it is available). But will look into whether getting a second phone for MrS would be cheaper in the long run...

PPPS. But, damn, I miss the hi-speed cable internet we had in town. It is, seriously, the ONLY down-side to moving out to the middle of nowheresville. And, if any of you are looking at HughesNet - "I can get hi-speed internet, even 'way out here'" as they say in the ads - nope, NOT hi-speed - unless you are just checking email, most websites "time out" before the page refreshes.
 
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That is what I need to look into. Our internet connections are cellular - does that count as "hi-speed"? Both of our connections are through Verizon (which has the best coverage here) - my husband's phone acts as a "Hot Spot" and is grandfathered in to an actual limitless plan. Obviously this is not available if he/his phone is not home. Our other connection is a Verizon JetPack - but I believe that the "unlimited" plan we have actually limits you to 5GB/month and $10 a GB over that. Both connections generally get 4G LTE - unless something is interfering with the signal.

PS. We've gone over on the JetPack for a few months now (MrS has been out of the house more recently). This thread prompted me to look into changing our plan. I was paying $50/month for 5GB and upgraded to $80/month for 10 GB on the JetPack. But looking at the cost/GB it may be cheaper in the long run to get him a second phone so we can use his "unlimited" HotSpot all of the time - if I actually had to pay for all of the GB we use a month (50-80) I could get real broke real fast! 3 computers streaming music and videos - jeesh.

PPS. Guess I will keep Dish Network for satellite TV for the time being - at $111 or so a month it's less than what we would pay to stream the same content through the Verizon JetPack (assuming it is available). But will look into whether getting a second phone for MrS would be cheaper in the long run...

PPPS. But, damn, I miss the hi-speed cable internet we had in town. It is, seriously, the ONLY down-side to moving out to the middle of nowheresville. And, if any of you are looking at HughesNet - "I can get hi-speed internet, even 'way out here'" as they say in the ads - nope, NOT hi-speed - unless you are just checking email, most websites "time out" before the page refreshes.

I can only speak about chromecast and the Sony box. They need an actual internet connection, not cellular. I drive a truck over the road so I have been looking for a way to cast content from my phone without a network connection. I haven't found anything yet.
 
If you want to watch TV without involving internet, then definitely go to tvfool.com and investigate whether or not you could pick up a good signal with an antenna (and which type of antenna would be best for you). If you want, I can try to take a look at your results and help you interpret them (they're a bit techie).

I have an indoor antenna (with amplifier) that I bought for about $25. It goes into the antenna/cable input on your TV and picks up your local TV stations (in HD if they're broadcast in HD - I was amazed at how good the quality was!).

Depending on the signal strength in your area, an indoor one may be good enough to pick up a whole bunch of stations. I'm looking to either put mine in the attic, or get an outdoor one so I can pick up some of the outlying ones a bit more consistently.

The problem with using an antenna nowadays is that you don't get "snow" per se... you get either good signal or no signal without much in between (maybe some digital blocking and stuttering of audio, which is pretty awful), so if you can't put it in a good position for the signals around you, you'll be tempted to throw a shoe through your TV. :p

If you're interested in more than broadcast TV, the library tends to get DVD sets of shows. Obviously, after they're released, but if you can wait a while, it's a nice way to binge watch TV.

If you want cable-specific channels, then you're probably SOL without internet streaming. :( That said, though, some of the side-band channels you get over the air can offer similar channels to cable.
 
I had Charter. It is the same as any other internet service provider like Comcast or ATT.
Finding ways to watch "tv' cheaply is not easy. I did use an aerial for PBS, CW, ABC etc but gave that up a while ago and you said you don't get a signal anyway.
I get content through the same way as other folks here. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. I pay for Dr Who and a few thing other things through Amazon. It works out cheaper than basic cable.
It should be fairly easy to plug your laptop directly into your tv via an HDMI cable.
I don't watch the local news on tv anymore but their website more stuff on it then I would ever watch.
What exactly is it that you don't want to lose on broadcast tv? The news and weather?
 
If you want to watch TV without involving internet, then definitely go to tvfool.com and investigate whether or not you could pick up a good signal with an antenna (and which type of antenna would be best for you). If you want, I can try to take a look at your results and help you interpret them (they're a bit techie).

I have an indoor antenna (with amplifier) that I bought for about $25. It goes into the antenna/cable input on your TV and picks up your local TV stations (in HD if they're broadcast in HD - I was amazed at how good the quality was!).

Depending on the signal strength in your area, an indoor one may be good enough to pick up a whole bunch of stations. I'm looking to either put mine in the attic, or get an outdoor one so I can pick up some of the outlying ones a bit more consistently.

The problem with using an antenna nowadays is that you don't get "snow" per se... you get either good signal or no signal without much in between (maybe some digital blocking and stuttering of audio, which is pretty awful), so if you can't put it in a good position for the signals around you, you'll be tempted to throw a shoe through your TV. :p

If you're interested in more than broadcast TV, the library tends to get DVD sets of shows. Obviously, after they're released, but if you can wait a while, it's a nice way to binge watch TV.

If you want cable-specific channels, then you're probably SOL without internet streaming. :( That said, though, some of the side-band channels you get over the air can offer similar channels to cable.

Dad doesn't have satellite, high-speed cable, etc. He only watches broadcast TV - when broadcast did the conversion from analog to digital (10 years ago?) we all applied for our "converter" vouchers and got them for him. He has two external antennas (pointed in different directions) and gets about 8 local channels.
 
We use our BluRay player to get to Amazon Prime, Hulu, Vudu and Netflix. I usually don't get off of Netflix to use the other services too much, as I don't have a lot of time for TV. I don't have cable or dish or anything else.
 
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