MBB: Duke v Wake Forest (Sat, 1/11, 8:00 pm, ACCN) Pre-Game and In-Game Thread

[Tooold]

When you get home start thinking about dumping Comcast. I'm in transition and got an Amazon Fire TV Cube ... $50/month but you can add onto someone else's account, at least for a while. It gives you YouTubeTV, which gives you the ACC network. So glad we'll be able to watch this game in the comfort of the home instead of on a small TV in the corner of a bar where everyone else is watching football!

This is exactly what I have done. And now I am going to dump Comcast.

[AGDukesky]

When you get home start thinking about dumping Comcast. I'm in transition and got an Amazon Fire TV Cube ... $50/month but you can add onto someone else's account, at least for a while. It gives you YouTubeTV, which gives you the ACC network. So glad we'll be able to watch this game in the comfort of the home instead of on a small TV in the corner of a bar where everyone else is watching football!

Just to clarify, my understanding is that the cube allows you to use YouTubeTV but that service is an additional cost. Many other interfaces provide the YouTubeTV app. I personally have the Amazon Firestick and really like it. Sorry if this was obvious but I know cord cutting can be very confusing with all of the options for both interfaces and streaming services.

[BandAlum83]

Just to clarify, my understanding is that the cube allows you to use YouTubeTV but that service is an additional cost. Many other interfaces provide the YouTubeTV app. I personally have the Amazon Firestick and really like it. Sorry if this was obvious but I know cord cutting can be very confusing with all of the options for both interfaces and streaming services.

And last time I evaluated, cord cutting ends up costing more as you cobble together different and often redundant services.

[rsvman]

When you get home start thinking about dumping Comcast. I'm in transition and got an Amazon Fire TV Cube ... $50/month but you can add onto someone else's account, at least for a while. It gives you YouTubeTV, which gives you the ACC network. So glad we'll be able to watch this game in the comfort of the home instead of on a small TV in the corner of a bar where everyone else is watching football!

This, although in my case, we dumped FiOS and got Hulu. But the end result is the same. I get to watch every game.





Everything that follows can be skipped by anybody who has already cut the cord or who has no desire to ever cut the cord:


I'm going to tell my story about switching to streaming, just so people who are considering it but uncertain can hear about some of the difficulties as well as the ultimate success. My wife and I only have two TVs in our house, and neither of them is a smart TV. The whole idea of dumping FiOS seemed crazy to me. But here's what we did and what happened. I called FiOS and gave them a chance to give me a much better deal. They offered me $4 less/month. That was the impetus for trying to stream.

I did a tiny bit of research and told my wife that I thought we could make our "dumb TVs" into "smart TVs" with something you just plug in, like an Amazon Firestick or a Roku. While I was at work the next day she went to Best Buy and bought two Roku plug-ins. We plugged them into our TVs and gave it a go.

We then signed up for a free trial of Hulu for one week, to see how we would like it and to see if it would meet our needs. She was very worried about keeping local news/weather/stations, and I was concerned about keeping the Golf Channel and basketball/football games (I had no idea at the time that I would actually have missed the games if we HADN'T switched, because I didn't know so many of our games would be on the ACCN, nor did I know that FiOS would not have offered it). After a week we still didn't really have the hang of it, but we could see that it was probably going to work ok and it was much less expensive. So we cancelled FiOS. They made us take the "boxes" to the UPS store and ship them back to them, which was a pain in the butt.

About a week and a half or two weeks after we cut the cord, as it were, we were having a LOT of problems with "buffering," especially on the TV in the family room, which is quite a ways from our router. I was getting frustrated and was almost wishing we had not cancelled FiOS. At least with FiOS our programming was uninterrupted! And I was very worried that it might buffer at a critical point in a game. Imagine if it buffered right after Austin Rivers had launched his shot! That kind of thing would drive me completely insane.

While I was at work one day, my wife went back to Best Buy and bought a little device that plugs into a wall outlet and amplifies the router signal (or something like that). I put it into an outlet in the family room. Boom! Buffering problem solved. No problems with buffering ever since. Finally, HAPPY. And I get to watch all the games. And I didn't lose any of my other programming. And it is much less expensive. Oh, and if you have Amazon Prime there are tons of free tv shows/movies you can stream.

Downsides? For my wife, no Hallmark Channel. This was particularly a problem when it was Christmas season (insert eye-rolling emoji here). But I'm serious. You can get Hallmark, but you have to pay extra. The only other downside for me is that you while you pay less money, you have to watch more commercials. I was really used to fast-forwarding every commercial known to mankind. I don't think I had actually watched a commercial since the last Super Bowl. But with Hulu, there are lots of situations where it won't allow you to fast-forward the commercials, even in a taped game (for example).

But the money savings and not having to deal with the cable company are worth it, to me. We can also stream YouTube videos. And again, we are doing this with "dumb TVs."

I hope this turns out to be helpful for somebody.

[rsvman]

And last time I evaluated, cord cutting ends up costing more as you cobble together different and often redundant services.

Not true at all for us. We were paying $40 a month just for the BOXES! We are saving at least $40-60 a month by streaming. Between Hulu and Amazon Prime, I have way more programming than I could ever need.

[Tripping William]

A fair bit of optimism among the Deac faithful here in Switzerland, mainly because they hung around with Florida State without the services of Chaundee Brown. But oftentimes Deacs cling to whatever silver lining they can find.

[szstark]

And last time I evaluated, cord cutting ends up costing more as you cobble together different and often redundant services.

I took a hybrid approach. I bought YouTube TV which I use on my smart TV and my iPad. I then canceled Comcast premium channels that either were duplicated on YouTube TV or that I never watched, to help defray some of the approximately $50/month for YouTube TV. I spend about $20/month more than I did before, but it is well worth it. In addition, YouTube TV allows 5 additional people to legally use your account, so my kids and grandkids now get it for free.

[BandAlum83]

This, although in my case, we dumped FiOS and got Hulu. But the end result is the same. I get to watch every game.





Everything that follows can be skipped by anybody who has already cut the cord or who has no desire to ever cut the cord:


I'm going to tell my story about switching to streaming, just so people who are considering it but uncertain can hear about some of the difficulties as well as the ultimate success. My wife and I only have two TVs in our house, and neither of them is a smart TV. The whole idea of dumping FiOS seemed crazy to me. But here's what we did and what happened. I called FiOS and gave them a chance to give me a much better deal. They offered me $4 less/month. That was the impetus for trying to stream.

I did a tiny bit of research and told my wife that I thought we could make our "dumb TVs" into "smart TVs" with something you just plug in, like an Amazon Firestick or a Roku. While I was at work the next day she went to Best Buy and bought two Roku plug-ins. We plugged them into our TVs and gave it a go.

We then signed up for a free trial of Hulu for one week, to see how we would like it and to see if it would meet our needs. She was very worried about keeping local news/weather/stations, and I was concerned about keeping the Golf Channel and basketball/football games (I had no idea at the time that I would actually have missed the games if we HADN'T switched, because I didn't know so many of our games would be on the ACCN, nor did I know that FiOS would not have offered it). After a week we still didn't really have the hang of it, but we could see that it was probably going to work ok and it was much less expensive. So we cancelled FiOS. They made us take the "boxes" to the UPS store and ship them back to them, which was a pain in the butt.

About a week and a half or two weeks after we cut the cord, as it were, we were having a LOT of problems with "buffering," especially on the TV in the family room, which is quite a ways from our router. I was getting frustrated and was almost wishing we had not cancelled FiOS. At least with FiOS our programming was uninterrupted! And I was very worried that it might buffer at a critical point in a game. Imagine if it buffered right after Austin Rivers had launched his shot! That kind of thing would drive me completely insane.

While I was at work one day, my wife went back to Best Buy and bought a little device that plugs into a wall outlet and amplifies the router signal (or something like that). I put it into an outlet in the family room. Boom! Buffering problem solved. No problems with buffering ever since. Finally, HAPPY. And I get to watch all the games. And I didn't lose any of my other programming. And it is much less expensive. Oh, and if you have Amazon Prime there are tons of free tv shows/movies you can stream.

Downsides? For my wife, no Hallmark Channel. This was particularly a problem when it was Christmas season (insert eye-rolling emoji here). But I'm serious. You can get Hallmark, but you have to pay extra. The only other downside for me is that you while you pay less money, you have to watch more commercials. I was really used to fast-forwarding every commercial known to mankind. I don't think I had actually watched a commercial since the last Super Bowl. But with Hulu, there are lots of situations where it won't allow you to fast-forward the commercials, even in a taped game (for example).

But the money savings and not having to deal with the cable company are worth it, to me. We can also stream YouTube videos. And again, we are doing this with "dumb TVs."

I hope this turns out to be helpful for somebody.

Thanks for your story. Where do DVRs and other pay services such as HBO fit in? Are you really getting everything you previously watched other than Hallmark with just a HULU subscription?

My research made me believe I would need 3-4 different subscriptions to replicate what I currently get from Comcast/xfinity. I am considering ATT uverse.

What free introductory offers are available that would allow me to see some ACCN? I already blew my intro HULU live on duke football. And do any have replay available so I can see the wake game after our game night guests leave tonight?

[OldPhiKap]

This, although in my case, we dumped FiOS and got Hulu. But the end result is the same. I get to watch every game.





Everything that follows can be skipped by anybody who has already cut the cord or who has no desire to ever cut the cord:


I'm going to tell my story about switching to streaming, just so people who are considering it but uncertain can hear about some of the difficulties as well as the ultimate success. My wife and I only have two TVs in our house, and neither of them is a smart TV. The whole idea of dumping FiOS seemed crazy to me. But here's what we did and what happened. I called FiOS and gave them a chance to give me a much better deal. They offered me $4 less/month. That was the impetus for trying to stream.

I did a tiny bit of research and told my wife that I thought we could make our "dumb TVs" into "smart TVs" with something you just plug in, like an Amazon Firestick or a Roku. While I was at work the next day she went to Best Buy and bought two Roku plug-ins. We plugged them into our TVs and gave it a go.

We then signed up for a free trial of Hulu for one week, to see how we would like it and to see if it would meet our needs. She was very worried about keeping local news/weather/stations, and I was concerned about keeping the Golf Channel and basketball/football games (I had no idea at the time that I would actually have missed the games if we HADN'T switched, because I didn't know so many of our games would be on the ACCN, nor did I know that FiOS would not have offered it). After a week we still didn't really have the hang of it, but we could see that it was probably going to work ok and it was much less expensive. So we cancelled FiOS. They made us take the "boxes" to the UPS store and ship them back to them, which was a pain in the butt.

About a week and a half or two weeks after we cut the cord, as it were, we were having a LOT of problems with "buffering," especially on the TV in the family room, which is quite a ways from our router. I was getting frustrated and was almost wishing we had not cancelled FiOS. At least with FiOS our programming was uninterrupted! And I was very worried that it might buffer at a critical point in a game. Imagine if it buffered right after Austin Rivers had launched his shot! That kind of thing would drive me completely insane.

While I was at work one day, my wife went back to Best Buy and bought a little device that plugs into a wall outlet and amplifies the router signal (or something like that). I put it into an outlet in the family room. Boom! Buffering problem solved. No problems with buffering ever since. Finally, HAPPY. And I get to watch all the games. And I didn't lose any of my other programming. And it is much less expensive. Oh, and if you have Amazon Prime there are tons of free tv shows/movies you can stream.

Downsides? For my wife, no Hallmark Channel. This was particularly a problem when it was Christmas season (insert eye-rolling emoji here). But I'm serious. You can get Hallmark, but you have to pay extra. The only other downside for me is that you while you pay less money, you have to watch more commercials. I was really used to fast-forwarding every commercial known to mankind. I don't think I had actually watched a commercial since the last Super Bowl. But with Hulu, there are lots of situations where it won't allow you to fast-forward the commercials, even in a taped game (for example).

But the money savings and not having to deal with the cable company are worth it, to me. We can also stream YouTube videos. And again, we are doing this with "dumb TVs."

I hope this turns out to be helpful for somebody.

My dumb tv does not have HDMI inputs (it has component, composite, etc.). Any good devices to plug in to stream?

[rsvman]

Thanks for your story. Where do DVRs and other pay services such as HBO fit in? Are you really getting everything you previously watched other than Hallmark with just a HULU subscription?

My research made me believe I would need 3-4 different subscriptions to replicate what I currently get from Comcast/xfinity. I am considering ATT uverse.

What free introductory offers are available that would allow me to see some ACCN? I already blew my intro HULU live on duke football. And do any have replay available so I can see the wake game after our game night guests leave tonight?

1) DVRs are not needed at all. Hulu will record anything you want, and you don't have to manage it, either. After a certain amount of time, recorded shows just drop off the bottom, as it were. Getting rid of the DVRs was one of the biggest perks, from my perspective. Good riddance!

2) I don't subscribe to HBO or any of the other premium services, so I don't feel qualified to answer your question. I suspect they would be add-ons (i.e., additional cost) but I don't know for sure.

3) I AM getting everything I used to watch with just the Hulu subscription, but since I don't watch HBO, Cinemax, and the like, my experience is certainly not universal.

4) As for free introductory offers, I'm not really sure, but I suspect that one of VUDU, YouTube TV, or Sling TV would be a good bet. As far as replay is concerned, I'm not sure about that, but games can be recorded for future viewing. So if you signed up today for a free trial, you could record the game and watch it later.

[rsvman]

My dumb tv does not have HDMI inputs (it has component, composite, etc.). Any good devices to plug in to stream?

I'm no expert on this, but apparently you can purchase an HDMI-to-RCA adapter that plugs into the red, yellow, and white cables located on the back of your TV. You then plug the Roku or Firestick or what-have-you into the HDMI side of the adapter.


Alternatively, ultra-high definition smart TVs are extremely cheap these days. My TVs are 40 inches and 43 inches, respectively. These days you can get an UHD smart TV in those sizes for somewhere around $250-325 at Sams' Club or even online. (I paid almost $850 for my 40-inch HD dumb TV when I bought it, just to put things in perspective.)

[dchen09]

My dumb tv does not have HDMI inputs (it has component, composite, etc.). Any good devices to plug in to stream?

Alot of these streaming sources also work on computers if you don't mind the smaller screen.

[Atldukie79]

I still have the DUMB hymnal in a box in my attic.

You mean you don't proudly display the DUMB Hymnal on your coffee table?

[BandAlum83]

1) DVRs are not needed at all. Hulu will record anything you want, and you don't have to manage it, either. After a certain amount of time, recorded shows just drop off the bottom, as it were. Getting rid of the DVRs was one of the biggest perks, from my perspective. Good riddance!

2) I don't subscribe to HBO or any of the other premium services, so I don't feel qualified to answer your question. I suspect they would be add-ons (i.e., additional cost) but I don't know for sure.

3) I AM getting everything I used to watch with just the Hulu subscription, but since I don't watch HBO, Cinemax, and the like, my experience is certainly not universal.

4) As for free introductory offers, I'm not really sure, but I suspect that one of VUDU, YouTube TV, or Sling TV would be a good bet. As far as replay is concerned, I'm not sure about that, but games can be recorded for future viewing. So if you signed up today for a free trial, you could record the game and watch it later.

I just checked the remaining schedule. It looks like tonight’s Wake game and the 2/25 Wake game are the only 2 ACCN only games remaining. All other games are available on an ESPN channel that I get. Maybe I will sign up for free 2 week you tune for to tonight and free ESPN plus for the next game.

[budwom]

The Wake board is very nearly ignoring the game, many more threads and posts regarding football. They hate Manning and they hate their AD. But we all remember last year...I hope we thwack them from the start, don't let them build confidence.

[SavDukeGrad]

The Wake board is very nearly ignoring the game, many more threads and posts regarding football. They hate Manning and they hate their AD. But we all remember last year...I hope we thwack them from the start, don't let them build confidence.

Yes. They are more concerned with the fact that Jamie Newman has, in fact, grad-transferred to Georgia than they are the b-ball game.

I know they hate Manning. But I am surprised if they hate John Currie yet, since this is his first year as AD.

[Tripping William]

Yes. They are more concerned with the fact that Jamie Newman has, in fact, grad-transferred to Georgia than they are the b-ball game.

I know they hate Manning. But I am surprised if they hate John Currie yet, since this is his first year as AD.

The ones I know (and they are many) don’t “hate” Manning (they hated Bzdelik), they just don’t think Manning is The Guy and want him gone. They had grown very weary of Ron Wellman, but think the jury is still out on Currie. But, yes, they are way more wound-up about Newman than they are interested in the basketball team.

[Tooold]

I took a hybrid approach. I bought YouTube TV which I use on my smart TV and my iPad. I then canceled Comcast premium channels that either were duplicated on YouTube TV or that I never watched, to help defray some of the approximately $50/month for YouTube TV. I spend about $20/month more than I did before, but it is well worth it. In addition, YouTube TV allows 5 additional people to legally use your account, so my kids and grandkids now get it for free.

Well I am doing the opposite...I am using my son’s YouTube TV account for free. But if you met my son (and if you’re in Durham a lot you may have) you would agree that he owes me a LOT more than that.

Since every time I drop channels on Comcast in order to save some money, my price mysteriously goes back up after a month, I have been looking for a reason and a way to dump them. YouTube TV seems to offer most or maybe all of the channels I want (and some I cannot get with Comcast).

[duketaylor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyZ1gULmuNo

See if it works tonite!!

[BandAlum83]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyZ1gULmuNo

See if it works tonite!!

That won’t work. Watching on a device will direct you to ESPN.com. There you will be asked to login through your provider. You can also login through ESPN+. When I login with my comcast credentials, I can watch the ESPN family of channels, but it will not allow me to see the ACCN.