TV service provider

[fdrcamb519]

Any member recommend a good tv service provider. In Ontario. expensive, packages. Any suggestions.

[Korth]

Internet provider plus an Android box (or any cheap "HTPC" sort of computer which can run Kodi or Plex) plus some legal legit plug-ins = "free TV".

You likely won't get all the channels a landline provider would offer, but there's still literally hundreds of free broadcast channels available. Throw in a subscription to a provider like Netflix if you like for ten bucks a month. Or keep on rotating through free trials (usually a month or three each) offered by other big media providers.

Old-school cable service is an overpriced dinosaur these days. You pay a lot to get some of what you want to watch. Better to just signup and binge when you want to see stuff, then cancel and move on after you've seen it.

[will13am]

Free trial for month of May.  I believe this is vmedia.

https://rivertv.ca/beta

[Luddite]

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@fdrcamb519 wrote:

Any member recommend a good tv service provider. In Ontario. expensive, packages. Any suggestions.

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https://www.start.ca/

[popping]

I made a TV antenna with two 6" copper wires and pickup local TV stations.

[NDesai]

Good place to start.

https://github.com/iptv-org/iptv

[Jb456]

All anyone needs is two things.

• Laptop
• Big screen tv

No need for these android /Kodi boxes, Netflix, crave, fire stick, etc when you can get that content free. 

Two main websites is all you need.

• One to stream any tv show around the world. If it airs at 9. It will be online in a few hours with commercials cut.
• Two the other is for any movie you can think of from 1920s to today that's in theaters.

You can add a digital OTA antenna. Which will likely get you at least one local ctv/global channel for the news. 

Or you can simply take a garbage twist tie. Peel off the rubber and stick it in your tv connector and scan for channels. You'll likely get what you need without having to pay the $20/$30 for one of those digital atennas depending where you are located.

Then use Google search to find "live streams" for sporting or ppv events.

From HU cards to FTA, IKS, IPTV through the years the options will always be there if you take the time to Google search and read. 

👍

Yes I know a bit of "grey area" talk. But this interests me and with all the replies I was shaking my head. Feel free to edit/delete my post if you want.

[computergeek541]

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@will13am wrote:

Get an Amazon prime account.  It is the best deal ever.  Get it for the free same day delivery for a lot of items, but enjoy the prime video entertainment that is a surprise inclusion.  Share the account with the family to reduce monthly costs.  I am the account holder and not a week goes by where I don't receive an email about a purchase being made.  

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Crave is also relatively inexpensive, though I find much of it is content that the OTA brodcasts showed for free if you watched the episode within a week of airing. Netflix is more expensive than either Prime Video and Crave but is good for movies. I find that Prime Video lags behind in movies, but it has a good selection of some older tv shows, and the original Amazon content is usually pretty good.

If not wanting to pay, CTV, and CBC both have a collection of past tv shows that you can watch for free. You can also complement you free viewing with Tubi, Popcorn Flix, and AcornTV.  I would say that you probably won't like the free stuff as much as paid content, but you get what you paid for. 

[will13am]

Get an Amazon prime account.  It is the best deal ever.  Get it for the free same day delivery for a lot of items, but enjoy the prime video entertainment that is a surprise inclusion.  Share the account with the family to reduce monthly costs.  I am the account holder and not a week goes by where I don't receive an email about a purchase being made.  

[computergeek541]

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@BearFBI wrote:

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@darlicious wrote:

If you already have unlimited internet you can watch just about everything online....except you get yesterday's news....

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@darlicious Not necessarily. Many news channels and entertainment channels have a web stream of the live channel on their website. Thats basically where these Third party providers get most of their channels from. This was what my provider states.

Look at City Tv's Website

https://www.citytv.com/video/live/

They have their own live

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There's many free live or taped news content.  Globaltv also provides the entire national news broadcast for free. They claim it's live, but the reality is that is really the same content repeated from hour to hour. Some other Canadian news providers require a tv subscription login.  South of the border in the U.S., both ABC News and CBS News stream live for free, while CNN, NBC News, and Fox News require some type of subscription for much of the content.

[BearFBI]

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@darlicious wrote:

If you already have unlimited internet you can watch just about everything online....except you get yesterday's news....

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@darlicious Not necessarily. Many news channels and entertainment channels have a web stream of the live channel on their website. Thats basically where these Third party providers get most of their channels from. This was what my provider states.

I shortened it a little. 

"---------- does not stream any of the live IP channels, all channels are third party links available directly on the internet. --------- links you with the largest collection of online News, Sports, Spanish, Indian foreign etc. IP channels and videos from all over the world, that are available on the web."

There are many live sources and links on the web where TV channels broadcast to. These links aren't considered "Grey Area" either as most of these channels have their live on their own website. It is just extremely inconvenient to browse the web to watch tv then have to deal with casting it to your tv. Thats where third party providers come in.

Look at City Tv's Website

https://www.citytv.com/video/live/

They have their own live

[darlicious]

If you already have unlimited internet you can watch just about everything online....except you get yesterday's news....

[BearFBI]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've dabbled around a bit with the streaming things like Kodi and the smart-tv stuff in my tv. But it sure is convenient having the dvr and skipping ads.

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Same here. but i find Kodi is garbage. All the repositories get taken down and their just not reliable. But Kodi is what got me into streaming IPTV which saved me lots.

[BearFBI]

@darlicious Wow your lucky. Have you heard of ATSC 3.0? Its a new type of OTA Technology rolling out soon. New Tv's are comeing build in with receivers for it. It can deliver 4K HDR Video Plus Multichannel and interactive features such as Video on Demand and Dobly atmos  surround sound. Its also hybrid so it uses your home broadband plus the OTA Broadcast signals. Its supposed to be stonger than the traditional OTA broadcasts. Your 30 channels would probably get bumped up to 100.

Check this video out

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

[Anonymous]

I live in a rural area far from any transmitters. I think I used to get KNOW and maybe a Global. Used to be CBC until they shut the local transmitter down. But it was all scratchy and barely watchable. That was with a honkin' big antenna on the roof. Although I didn't spend a whole lotta time trying to maximize it.

I envy metropolitan areas where you can get many channels in HD for free over the air.

So I have Shaw Direct satellite. At about $45 I still think that's too much (although I opted to pay for an optional extra feature).

In another place with more options, I'm still musing over Telus Optik or Shaw cable or this new-fangled streaming thingy. No satellite dishes allowed and I might not have a view of the satellites anyway, otherwise I'd stay with it.

I've dabbled around a bit with the streaming things like Kodi and the smart-tv stuff in my tv. But it sure is convenient having the dvr and skipping ads.

As I wrote this it occurred to me that not watching live tv using the dvr is actually sorta kinda like going to a content provider on ones own schedule and watching an episode of something. hmmm 🙂

[darlicious]

@BearFBI  It all depends on where you live....i have the option and am perfectly situated to recieve 30 to 35 channels with excellent reception. I had to test that option in case telus wouldn't accept my pricing demands and i would have had to follow thru with returning all their equipment  to the post office. I also grew up with antennas and its appealing to return to free tv rather than pay what is the single largest bill each month. More than our hydro and natural gas bill combined! When you are living in a house that is nearly 120 years old that's saying something.

[BearFBI]

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@darlicious wrote:

@fdrcamb519 

  Depending on your living accommodations.......but generally if have a second floor, southern exposure and no major obstructions go the east and west a digital antenna will pick tune in to upwards of 36 channels. Reception and the amount of channels you can recieve is improved with an outdoor antenna over an indoor model. For an investment of just over $100 you can have free tv. Just like the old days.....before cell phones, dvds and the internet.

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@darlicious Ive tried that too. I get like 6 channels. it was garbage. I was even considering buying one a something called a HD home-run. It basically broadcasts the tv antenna over your WiFi network and you can watch it on any device. But i just didn't get enough channels. There are many websites that can show you OTA channels in your area. Everyone's results can vary.

[darlicious]

@fdrcamb519 

  Depending on your living accommodations.......but generally if have a second floor, southern exposure and no major obstructions go the east and west a digital antenna will pick tune in to upwards of 36 channels. Reception and the amount of channels you can recieve is improved with an outdoor antenna over an indoor model. For an investment of just over $100 you can have free tv. Just like the old days.....before cell phones, dvds and the internet.

[Jb456]

As @BearFBI said there are lots of options. However I do believe that PM frowns upon these type of discussions on there forums when it reaches "grey market" areas.

Edit: I see @BearFBI  has edited their post to remove the "grey area" discussion/link 👍

[BearFBI]

@fdrcamb519 I actually cut the cord and switched to alternative. Its called IPTV. Im not going to get into much details. If you want more you can private message me.