CUTTING THE CORD - MASTER THREAD - transitioning away from cable TV & various options

[RKDinOKC]

Even if you relay thru know good SMTP servers some servers may still block the email because your originating server is still shown to be on a dynamic IP address without a reverse pointer in the email's header. At least that has been my experience when routing outgoing emails thru a known good smtp server for outbound filtering services. My ISP messed up and put my static IPs in a dynamic IP range.

Use outbound scanning service in addition to my server's anti-malware to insure if any of my users get hacked and/or try to send spam or malware they are blocked and I get notified. Which also keeps my mail server off the block lists.

[Halm]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

You can't reliably run an outbound mail server on a consumer broadband providers dynamic address.

The IP blocks are known as dynamic and 99% of receiving servers will reject any mail originating from them.

Works for Richard because he pays for a business class address which will be in a known good block.

The way around it is to use known good SMTP servers.

If you want to run your server out of the house dynamic DNS will be fine inbound, usually.

For outbound configure SMTP to use either your broadband provider or gmail,

And if you don't have reverse PTR configured, you'll get bounced, a lot, even from a valid dedicated IP block

Alternatively, as we did for many clients for many years, just add a reputable relay service.

[JackDidley]

My firestick with kodi will be here tomorrow. Not cutting the cord just yet but I droppped HBO to keep the bill down. Pretty sure the firestick will be way better than HBO. Looking forward to seeing some recent movies.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Halm

Alternatively, as we did for many clients for many years, just add a reputable relay service.

I'm a cheap bastard, lol.

But what you say is true.

Most SOHO routers these days even have an area to configure the service which is nice.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by dad911

Anybody using this?

https://www.att.com/directv/directv-now.html

No. I looked into it. It will cost and arm and a leg. Check out the barely visible fine print.

[wdfifteen]

I've been searching for a solution for my new house. There is no cable in the area. Available DSL is "up to 4 mbps." Satellite TV looks like the only entertainment option. I don't know what to do for streaming internet. Hughesnet is the only satellite internet available, at $99/month for 50 gig of data @25mbps. Can't stream much 4k entertainment for that. I'm thinking of going back to my unlimited Verizon data plan and forget streaming.
Anyone have any suggestions?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I've been searching for a solution for my new house. There is no cable in the area. Available DSL is "up to 4 mbps." Satellite TV looks like the only entertainment option. I don't know what to do for streaming internet. Hughesnet is the only satellite internet available, at $99/month for 50 gig of data @25mbps. Can't stream much 4k entertainment for that. I'm thinking of going back to my unlimited Verizon data plan and forget streaming.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Hey Patrick.....no idea about what to do about the streaming, but assume you will at least have a digital antenna to capture OTA TV(?)

https://www.antennaweb.org/

My results:

• New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA
• Up to 55 channels from 18 over-the-air stations may be received at this location.

EDIT: When you get the list of stations per your zip code....click on the "Titan TV" icon and it will take you to all the TV channels plus programming guide. Pretty nifty the way they set this up for us 'cord cutters'.....

I'm delighted to see all the channels I usually peruse for the many movies and old TV shows I like to watch!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I've been searching for a solution for my new house. There is no cable in the area. Available DSL is "up to 4 mbps." Satellite TV looks like the only entertainment option. I don't know what to do for streaming internet. Hughesnet is the only satellite internet available, at $99/month for 50 gig of data @25mbps. Can't stream much 4k entertainment for that. I'm thinking of going back to my unlimited Verizon data plan and forget streaming.
Anyone have any suggestions?

With a little planning you can "preload" content.

Netflix allows downloading of most content for "offline" viewing.

So make a list of stuff, when you are in a broadband location grab your list and take the content home.

Disclaimer: Have not done it much myself so it may be less ideal than I'm assuming.

[JackDidley]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

My firestick with kodi will be here tomorrow. Not cutting the cord just yet but I droppped HBO to keep the bill down. Pretty sure the firestick will be way better than HBO. Looking forward to seeing some recent movies.

Ok, got the Firestick going. Not perfect but it should do what I want. Seems to be, something popular has a bazillion people downloading and the screen freezes. I tried some older movies and TV shows without too much trouble. Still got the occasional screen freeze but got it started back where it left off. I watch a lot late at night so there should be less traffic to compete with. Not bad for the money.

[JackDidley]

Just discovered Modbro app. Streams HBO in real time nicely.

[masraum]

Just a tiny tidbit of info. In the past, watching Amazon Prime video via an Apple TV was impossible or a pain. I think a week or so ago, an Amazon Prime Video came available on Apple TV, so now you can natively watch Amazon on an Apple TV.

In case anyone is curious, the only way to watch Amazon on an Apple TV before this was if you had an iPhone or iPad, you could watch on that device and then you can send the video from the small device to the Apple TV.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

So I think I'm about to ditch the $130 a month Direct TV and go with the sling combined package. Seems it will give us all the channels we need for $39 a month. I have a couple of TVs in the kids rooms that aren't smart so I need some kind of WIFI receiver. Roku or Amazon Fire Stick? Something else?

Fire stick has the best reviews on Amazon... imagine.

When we signed up with Sling they were offering Roku devices for free and/or reduced pricing so check into that . We currently have two TV's on Roku sticks and one on the Roku 2 box . To be honest I see no value in spending more for the " box " as the sticks seem to be as good or better . All of our TV's are flat screen but none are smart versions . We use our Windstream DSL wifi router and it all plays together fine . If our DSL provider was a little faster our experience would be darn near perfect , we do get some buffering but most of the time it is temporary ( 5 - 10 seconds ) but sometimes longer than that . The technology will continue to get better I believe .

[Baz]

I'm just waiting for college football season to end and then will get rid of everything except Internet.

I hooked up an very inexpensive indoor digital leaf antenna to my smallest TV and it gets most of what I want to watch until football starts back up next fall.

Here's what I'm watching right now......on every day at 6pm!

Great picture and for free!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

When we signed up with Sling they were offering Roku devices for free and/or reduced pricing so check into that . We currently have two TV's on Roku sticks and one on the Roku 2 box . To be honest I see no value in spending more for the " box " as the sticks seem to be as good or better . All of our TV's are flat screen but none are smart versions . We use our Windstream DSL wifi router and it all plays together fine . If our DSL provider was a little faster our experience would be darn near perfect , we do get some buffering but most of the time it is temporary ( 5 - 10 seconds ) but sometimes longer than that . The technology will continue to get better I believe .

Yeah you need to watch what you use Sling on.

It's not the same app on every platform.

Right now the only platform that has a traditional grid based guide is their AIRTV Live Player and Android boxes.

I reached out to them to get the schedule for rolling grid guide out to other platforms and go the standard, "we are working to bring new features to all our platforms" which in development speak means, it's a low priority and we'll get to it when we get to it.

[rockfan4]

OK, I'm doing this.
I was talking to a co-worker, his 2 year bundle with charter was ending, he called them and they continued the deal.
My 2 years is up this month, I called them, no deal. They want another $35/month, that's it. If nothing else I'll go without for a long enough time that I can come back as a new customer and get the deal again.

I looked at Sling and I'm disappointed. For all their commercials about "get picky with your TV", they don't seem very picky. Pick blue, or orange, or both. Maybe I want some of blue, a couple of orange, why can't I have that?

I'm finally switching the home phone to a cell phone as well. I must be one of the last to do this, as the local phone book is now about the thickness of a magazine. I've had a pay as you go cell phone for the last 15 years and never really used it except when traveling.

[Instrument 41]

I cut the cord in October and have a ROKU stick. Keep in mind if you cancel Direct TV you will have a early disconnect fee. The biggest hassle we had, now getting over it, is that there are some network programs you may not be able to get. The CBS app , for us, is the only one that allows you to watch live TV. The others rely on you having a TV provider. We live to far out to utilize a digital antennae. But now that we are on the "other side" I'll never go back to Direct TV and/or cable.

[peppy]

We use sling and get different channels at different places. In VA I don't get any live local channels, but in NC we get the local ABC channel.
Sling really works if you have more than one location.

[daepp]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

I cut the cord in October and have a ROKU stick... But now that we are on the "other side" I'll never go back to Direct TV and/or cable.

I'm curious how you get internet access?

[Instrument 41]

We have ATT internet.

[daepp]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

We have ATT internet.

So is that DSL?