More Streaming Options for U.S. Cable TV in the Works

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This thread is for those here who might be interested in streaming legal (vs pirated) versions of U.S. cable TV services. If you're not interested in legally streaming U.S. cable TV services, plenty to read elsewhere...

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After many years during which there was no or few legal ways to watch U.S. cable TV services from abroad (one of the few longstanding services being USTV Now), there currently are two other major streaming services that are already up and running and unofficially available to expats here via VPN -- Sling TV and the new Sony Playstation Vue service.

Sling TV is about $20 a month subscription service that buys you a package of 20+ U.S. cable TV channels including ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, Disney, Food Network, TBS, TNT, movie channels AMC and IFC, History Channel, CNN, A&E, History, Food Channel, Home & Garden TV, El Rey Network, Lifetime, and some others. There also are optional extra paid add-on packages to add HBO, and an extra movies and sports packages. All in all, it works great here via VPN, and can be played via almost any/every streaming platform including PCs, Macs, Android, Roku, etc etc.

Then a few months back, Sony went nationwide with its new Sony Playstation Vue service, which offers more channels for higher prices, with packages that more resemble traditional cable TV packages in both pricing and content. In some of the major markets, Vue mandatorily includes the major OTA networks, while in most and smaller markets, it does NOT include the OTAs and just has the 3 options/packages of traditional cable channels. For Vue's smallest package without OTA, the monthly price starts at $30, and at $40 per month if you live in a big city area where the OTAs are automatically included. (That choice is determined by your log-in zip code-the customer doesn't exactly get to choose).

I tested Vue recently, and while it has broader and more expensive offerings than Sling, it's not nearly as easy to use. For starters, Sling doesn't really care where you are, so long as your IP address is in the U.S. With Vue, when you sign into the service, it records your specific IP location zip code, and AFAICT, after that, you have to log-in from only that same IP zip code in order for the service to authenticate you. Another drawback is, unlike Sling, Vue cannot be run from PCs or Android devices, but right now, mainly IOS devices and Amazon Fire TV boxes or HDMI sticks.

[Of note, partly in order to test the Vue service, I recently bought an Amazon Fire TV box, and it turns out that there are available apps for both Sling TV and Playstation Vue that can be run as apps on either of the Fire devices -- assuming of course that you're subscribing to one, or the other, or both of the two streaming services. After some experience using all of them, I find I quite like using the Amazon Fire TV box as my interface for accessing Sling, Vue when I had it, and various other content, including all of my Amazon Prime audio and video offerings.]

Still, right now, while Sling and Playstation Vue are already up and running, just in the past two weeks there's been a flurry of news about other similar services supposedly being planned by other major players, including YouTube, Hulu and AT&T. Rather than having separate threads about various of them, I thought it might be more helpful to group them all together here under the banner of streaming U.S. cable TV services.

So, here's some of the other news on the subject that's been hopping lately, most with potential 2017 launches:

YouTube Reportedly Readying Bundle Of Live Cable Channels For $35 ‘Unplugged’ Subscription Service

May 4, 2016

The same day that Hulu confirmed it was readying a so-called “skinny bundle” of cable and broadcast channels that it will stream live for $40 per month, reports surfaced that video giant YouTube has a similar project up its sleeves.


Dubbed Unplugged, according to Bloomberg — which was first to report the project’s name and details — the service could launch in 2017, which is roughly when Hulu says its own bundle will arrive. Bloomberg says YouTube has “overhauled its technical architecture” to offer live TV viewing and is currently in talks to offer channels from 21st Century Fox, CBS, NBCUniversal, and Viacom — though no agreements have been signed.


Google has been working on such a package as far back as 2012, according to Bloomberg, and Unplugged would exist separately from YouTube Red, another subscription service that offers ad-free viewing and access to original content created by YouTube. Executives spearheading the Unplugged project include Christian Oestlien, who was brought onboard as director of product management from Twitter last June, and YouTube’s head of content partnerships Jonathan Zepp.


It remains to be seen what kinds of bundles YouTube will offer with Unplugged. The company has considered offering the four major broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) alongside several popular cable channels, according to Bloomberg. However, YouTube has struggled to strike a deal that would enable it to offer the service for less than $35 per month, which is what it hopes to charge for Unplugged.

YouTube has also considered bundling three or four lesser-watched channels together around specific themes, according to Bloomberg, such as comedy or lifestyle. Viewers could then purchase these packages on top of the aforementioned bundle.

http://www.tubefilter.com/2016/05/04/youtube-readying-bundle-of-cable-channels-for-unplugged/

AND

Hulu Plans to Offer Bundle of Cable and Broadcast Channels

May 1, 2016 | 07:20PM PT

Hulu is preparing to break into the channel bundling business with plans to offer a low-cost streaming package of cable and broadcast outlets early next year.


The Wall Street Journal reported late Sunday that Hulu is in the process of setting agreements with Fox and Disney, two of its three parent companies, to carry key channels including ESPN, Disney Channel, ABC, Fox, FX and Fox Sports 1.


Hulu would join Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue and Dish Network’s Sling TV in the race to market skinny bundles of channels via streaming to cost-conscious consumers. The Journal reported that Hulu is eyeing a price tag of about $40 per month and a launch in the first quarter of next year.


Amazon has also taken steps to market pay-TV channels in partnership with programmers including Starz.


Comcast has not yet agreed to license NBC or any of its other channels to the Hulu bundle, according to the Journal. Comcast is a part owner of Hulu, which will mark its 10th anniversary next year, but is a silent partner per the federal conditions of the cable giant’s agreement to acquire NBCUniversal in 2011.


Hulu is planning to talk up its growth in original programming at a presentation to advertisers in New York on Wednesday. Reps for the company could not immediately be reached for comment.

http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/hulu-cable-broadcast-channels

AND, from earlier in the spring:

AT&T and DirecTV to launch streaming TV service later this year--No dish needed March 1, 2016 01:51 pm

AT&T has announced that it plans to offer internet-based streaming TV service later this year. The new services, which will be branded and packaged as DirecTV products, will let you stream video from smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, set top boxes, PCs, or other devices using a wired or wireless internet connection. AT&T says the new services will not require an existing DirecTV service plan, set top box, or satellite dish and they will not have any contract stipulations.

The new packages will be divided into three tiers: DirecTV Now, DirecTV Mobile, and DirecTV Preview. The Now package will offer the most content, "including much of what is available from DirecTV today," according to AT&T's press release. The Mobile option will be priced lower and only available to smartphones (AT&T says it will be available to all smartphone owners, regardless of carrier), while the Preview service will be a free, ad-supported option with limited content options.

AT&T says pricing for the tiers will be revealed at launch later this year. DirecTV's traditional satellite service and AT&T's U-verse TV and internet service will continue to be provided after the new internet-based TV services are launched.

An AT&T spokesperson declined to detail which channels or content packages would be available to the new streaming services, but did note that "DirecTV Now will have a range of content packages" and it would include on-demand and live programming from "many networks, plus premium add-on options." It is also yet to be known which platforms or devices AT&T will offer apps to access the services on or exactly when the services will be available.

The closest analog to these new services might be SlingTV, which offers internet-based streaming packages, live content, and on-demand content from a handful of channels on devices such as smartphones, gaming systems, and set-top boxes, without the need for a cable or satellite subscription. If AT&T is able to offer all four major networks — CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox — plus ESPN and HBO, it could be one of the first to offer internet-based television that truly competes with a cable provider. But until we know more, such as pricing and content availability, it remains a question mark just how compelling these new services will be.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/1/11140478/att-directv-streaming-internet-tv-service

[bubba1]

Is this really legal? Do the terms of service allow a VPN to bypass the location checks they have put in place for a reason?

[Chicog]

Is this really legal? Do the terms of service allow a VPN to bypass the location checks they have put in place for a reason?

If the terms of service allow overseas viewing, you shouldn't need a VPN.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

To subscribe to these services, a person would need a U.S. billing address and U.S. payment method, which most likely would make them an American, as I am.

But at least with these services, you're legitimately paying for the content that you're viewing/accessing, as opposed to viewing it via totally illegal/pirated streams.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The Tech Hive website recently did a pretty comprehensive article comparing the Sling TV and Playstation Vue online cable TV services.

http://www.techhive.com/article/3055013/streaming-services/best-cable-tv-alternative-which-service-should-you-subscribe-to.html

One of the interesting details I had been trying to sort out is addressed in the article, and that's the extent to which either of the service's log-in credentials can be used to authenticate the user with various of the cable TV channel streaming apps.

I already knew that one's Sling TV credentials will only allow customers at present to authenticate with the Watch ESPN app, but none of apps from the many other cable channels provided via Sling.

What I didn't know, but the TH article explains, is that the Playstation Vue subscription log-in credentials can be used to log-in to some 60 different cable TV channel apps, which sounds pretty much like virtually all the apps associated with most all of the cable channels available thru the Vue service.

The various channel streaming apps have advantages because they often include VOD capabilities that aren't always available directly from the live channels. But overall, the Vue service seems to have an advantage over Sling both on the apps authentication issue and also on the Vue service's built-in cloud DVR functionality -- something that's not available at all thru Sling.

Where Sling has advantages are in the areas of low price, starting at $20 a month vs. Vue's lowest price at $30 a month, and also with device compatibility, where Sling has apps that allow it to be run on virtually every kind of streaming platform, whereas the Vue service is pretty much only available right now via Amazon Fire and Apple IOS devices, but not Android, Windows, Roku, etc.

[sniffdog]

In the US itt is legal, but watching it here isn't.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For U.S. folks:

(PS - As I've mentioned previously, this service only works when the U.S. zip code recorded for your Playstation account matches the IP zip code that the Vue app records when streaming. If the two don't match, the app won't function AFAIK).

PlayStation Vue comes to your Roku player

The platform is expanding to Android next week

Come next week, you'll be able to watch your PlayStation Vue programming from pretty much anywhere. Sony announced on Tuesday that the streaming platform is available on Roku devices and will roll out to the Android OS next week.

The now-nationwide Vue service is meant to replace (or at least heavily supplement) your existing cable subscription. By tying it to the Roku, Sony's giving its subscribers another way to ditch the cable company's set-top box. And with Vue coming to Android 4.4 next week (it's already available on iOS and works with Chromecast) users will be able to watch live television streams anywhere they've got an internet connection.

Vue comes in three package options: Access, which offers 55 channels for $30 a month; 70-channel Core for $35 and the 100-plus channel Elite package for $50. If you live in a major live local broadcast area, like the Bay Area or the NYC metro, those prices rise by $10. You can see what channels are available where at the Vue website.

https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/21/playstation-vue-comes-to-your-roku-player/

[GinBoy2]

Honestly I know I've peddled this before, but ustvnow.com, which offers a legal service for US national, without the need of VPN, DNS Mask is a very comparable service to Sling, Vue & the upcoming Hulu live steaming service, at a lower price

Now I don't really get the 'live' thing, I actually prefer an on demand service that I can watch when I want.

That all being said I drop in and out of the ustvnow service, baseball & basketball tends to drive my subscription

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The nice thing about USTV Now is that it provides a FREE live stream, albeit at lower resolution, to all the major U.S. over the air networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW, PBS) once you've created a free account with them.

Then, if you want to pay $30 a month, they'll add in 20+ cable channels and bump up the streaming resolution for all of the channels in your package. If you want to add cloud DVR capability to that, it's an additional $10 per month.

One other thing they've done along the way is set their system so that ONLY non-U.S. IP addresses can access it. If you try to connect with a U.S. IP address, you'll be denied.

So one difference between Sling and Vue vs USTVNow is that the former are specifically aimed at U.S. domestic residents, whereas USTVNow is specifically aimed at U.S. expats outside the U.S. And for right now, Sling basically doesn't offer the OTA major networks except for ABC in some instances, whereas USTVNow offers always includes the OTAs, albeit from a feed originating in Pennsylvania, which isn't too great when it comes to local news and their pro sports game selections on the network.

That said, Sling is a slicker technological presentation than USTVNow, in that I can watch Sling on pretty much any device, including the web, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android devices, etc etc. And, if you're a T-Mobile subscriber, earlier this year, you could subscribe to Sling for a full year at the rate of $15 per month. Once I had that, after seeing a promo, I decided to add the $5 month EPIX package, which adds 4 EPIX movie channels on top of the IFC, Sundance, TCM and others already in their base package. (The EPIX channels, BTW, do include an on-demand component that makes available I believe all their content from the prior 7 days, which is a nice feature).

And even doing that, I'm still coming out at $20 a month with Sling, vs $30 a month with USTVNow. But I still think the latter is a good and valid service, just one that's not going to get as much media attention because it's aimed at the much smaller expat audience, vs. the entire U.S. domestic audience of potential cable cord cutters.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Meanwhile, in addition to the supposedly forthcoming/promised over-the-top cable TV networks streaming platforms in the works by AT&T, Hulu and YouTube, there's now another entrant that's popped up (announced, but not publicly launched yet) called VIDGO. Safe to assume, as with the others mentioned here except for USTVNow, that a U.S. IP is going to be required.

http://vidgo.com/

Customers who sign up for VIDGO enjoy adaptive, high-definition streaming of live local channels, and the most popular national channels.

VIDGO will support all streaming devices including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, iOS, Android, tablets, smart phones, and all smart televisions.

VIDGO will offer:

• Live local channels, National content providers, Sports
• Video on demand, including first run movie titles
• Local Programming in select markets
• 30 days of on demand cloud DVR content
• Favorites menu bar for quickly accessing the most-watched channels
• Access to full programming suite on-the-go on WiFi or 4G connection
• Each package includes multiple simultaneous device streams

The exact channel lineup and pricing have not been disclosed at yet, but VIDGO looks to be aiming to compete squarely against Sling and Vue. And there have been hints and suggestions:

The company has just issued a press release announcing some truly exciting and potentially groundbreaking details about its launch, including options for subscribers to build their own programming packages, details about live local programming (VIDGO will be the first OTT service to offer PBS), and information about its huge sports lineup that includes NFL Network, MLB Network, local sports, and ESPN.

Now available in “limited release” (likely to a small, private beta test group from what we can tell) with a full public release expected in the near future, VIDGO promises to offer “high-definition streaming of live local broadcast (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS), national content and sports on streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and desktop.”

And the thing that really intrigues us is VIDGO says it will allow its customers to “build your own programming packages.” Could this mean something that takes us a step beyond the skinny bundle into something more closely resembling an a la carte solution? Or is it something else?

http://www.cutcabletoday.com/what-is-vidgo/