Someone knowledgeable on the Roku

[REDinFL]

I'm thinking of cutting the cable, they're getting high. However there are some local channels my wife may want. How can I get those without putting up a separate broadcast antenna. Some ROKU channel carries them? Recommended ROKU channel packages? No real interest in sports channels; like to have Discovery, DiscoveryL (the medical goo, my wife is a retired nurse), Science, ID (investigation discovery), History, Nat Geo, TCM, Grit.

Any advice appreciated.

[cvasqu03]

Well, the savings isn't really that great once you get started (kind of like reloading actually). It's more of a matter of not having to deal with the cable company anymore and having the ability to pick and chose a bit more. It's also great not to have to deal with a satellite dish which can get unaligned after a big storm or something. I actually once had some malcontent may just flat out steal it while I was actually watching even though I was no more than about six feet away (not a joke, I swear if I hadn't had blackout curtains on my window which kept me from seeing what was happening I'd have seen them and run out, possibly armed).

I'm using a service called YoutubeTV which gives me all basic cable channels and all my local channels, but it's not the cheapest option out there, just the best option for my household at the time I got it, though I'm thinking of starting to check around again. I also had a service called Philo for a while which was a cheaper option to YoutubeTV, but I'm not sure about the local channels. I think both of those carry Discovery though. Also, some channels such as Discovery, you can subscribe to separately once you get a Roku, but doing that a-la-Carte would start to get expensive. I hear Hulu Live and Sling TV also have local channel availability so you could check those out.

I will say, that I love using ROKU. I installed a unit on my old TV and I made sure it was built into both of my new TV's when I bought them.

[Tenzing_Norgay]

I'm thinking of cutting the cable, they're getting high. However there are some local channels my wife may want. How can I get those without putting up a separate broadcast antenna. Some ROKU channel carries them? Recommended ROKU channel packages? No real interest in sports channels; like to have Discovery, DiscoveryL (the medical goo, my wife is a retired nurse), Science, ID (investigation discovery), History, Nat Geo, TCM, Grit.

Any advice appreciated.

An antenna will solve all your local channel needs. What's the issue with having an antenna?

YouTube TV is $70(+/-)/month. Not really a savings over cable.

I use a Chromecast and subscribe to certain channels only when they're on sale (MotorTrend, AppleTV, HBO, Hulu). It's not a hands-off venture, but if you keep a calendar as to when the "deal" expires, you can manage. Antenna receives all the local channels in HiDef.

[lakelandman]

I have a Roku and love it I do stream more movies but drop cable tv due to the cost of 130.00 a month for primary channels.

[Gregmp15]

Don’t know Roku cause I’m stuck on cable but you can get flat antennae that’s like air tv free tv
Amazon sells the ant. Need to be screwed to tv

[FfNJGTFO]

I have Roku, but I hardly use it. Because my HOA includes, in our monthly dues, our local Cable TV Provider (Spectrum) including two set top boxes and the TV Tier that includes Newsmax, I will stick with that. In fact, they are improving the deal with Spectrum that will include two DVR boxes and 1gig speed Internet, as well as the full channel line up. That deal is good for 5 years.

If there's something only Roku can get me, I'll use that, but these days, I'm don't watch much TV anyway... just Newsmax and DVD/Blu-Ray movies that I own.

[Flame Red]

I cut the cable a couple of years ago.

Great deal in the bigging. Now, not so much. The various live TV streaming services have been raising their prices so it just about comes up to what I used to pay for the $hitty cable back in the day. Now I have $hitty streaming instead. It is a PTA with Roku to flip between channels that are on different services. What drives me crazy is that is seems some streaming services carry the old Warner Bros channels, now Discovery channels, like TBS, Cartoon Network, etc. and others do not.

A few months ago I dared to look at the Spectrum streaming service, which had all the channels I cared about but HUNDREDs of Kommunist indoctrination. I steered far, far away from Spectrum since they charge all the same fees and taxes on their streaming service as they do regular cable services so that add 30% to the end price! Got to pay those Kommunist local bureaucrat blood suckers!

In some cases you can get a deal with a low initial rate for a short time, and then they jack you up. Or a short trial. Seems like they rig it so you have to flip to get a good initial deal. Or use different emails to cancel and start over your account at the reduced rate again.

[REDinFL]

Thanks for all the info. Looks like "There is no free lunch" once again is proven a fundamental of the universe. I'll have to consider some of the tap dancing with accounts.