Sling TV is a DISH service that charges $20 dollars a month for exactly 12 channels (ESPN, CNN, Disney…). The word revolutionary was used because these channels can now be streamed live instead of being handcuffed to cable. The big advantage being that you only need a Chromecast or Amazon Fire device to watch on your TV instead of a cable box. As an avid cable watcher let me break down why I would never buy this.
Many people feel that cable companies charging $100-200 dollars a month for internet and cable TV is ludicrous and monopolistic. The idea of paying $10 bucks a month for Netflix gets people excited. Add that now you can pay $20 a month and you get live television, you’re all set for $30 a month + internet.
Advantages
Cheaper
Disadvantages
No DVR – If you watch television with any frequency you know that DVR is the way to go. Aside from sporting events, I don’t watch a single program without DVR’ing first. Movies in particular. Anything I see on TV that catches my interest, I DVR it.
12 channels – Are you kidding me? Cable offers me about 100+ regular channels and 25 movie channels and I still channel surf like a mofo.
Loading – Cable changes channels in 1-2 seconds. I read Sling is around 5-6. This would blow my mind.
Internet Connection – There are times when I’m waiting for a GIF to load for a whole minute. How can I be reliant on my internet connection to watch TV? Do you remember the REAL Player? FUCK BUFFERING!!!!!!
Streaming Sucks – I have watched shows on Netflix and there is a time and a place for it. If there is a show that I really, really want to watch I’ll sit through streaming it. I’ve streamed entire seasons of Arrested Development, Breaking Bad, Twin Peaks, and Orange is the New Black so I’m not a noob to streaming. I have a major gripe with streaming and it requires my commitment. There are times when I don’t have a full hour to watch a program. I need to have flexiblity to move in and our of programs on an as needed basis.
I can’t explain this idea so anyone can understand but I use OnDemand <1% of the time. I hate flipping through the menus and then the fact that I can only >> through sucks. I DVR and go. I can’t be constrained by menus and slow moving shit. This is 2015 not the ice age.
“I can’t explain this idea so anyone can understand but I use OnDemand > through sucks. I DVR and go. I can’t be constrained by menus and slow moving shit. This is 2015 not the ice age.”
I couldn’t agree more. I would love Comcast to explain the “>>” only feature for OnDemand programming. Why can’t we >>>>> it???? Wevs?