Random Coaxial

[Peven]

watched "Altered Carbon" last week and liked it overall. there are some interesting concepts they play around with, but not too deep as to lose your average joe-viewer, at least not too many, and they keep the story twisting and turning although it ends up at a fairly conventional conclusion. it's no BladeRunner 2049 but not bad for a one-off season of science fiction

[so sorry]

This looks pretty good actually.

[TheBaxter]

i am morbidly curious.

[caruso_stalker217]

I never thought I'd try a one-month free trial for YouTube Red, but I will go down that road for this.

[so sorry]

That trailer is really well done. The first trailer I saw made it look kinda campy, but this new one gives me a different vibe.

I don't think they are setting Danny up as "the bad guy", but he certainly comes across as a Struggling Background Artist.

I won't be sucked into the YouTube Red just for this, but I hope to eventually catch it somehow.

[TheBaxter]

i'm guessing johnny is gonna try to be a miyagi figure to those kids, but his inner kreese is gonna come out and he's gonna struggle between his reformed good side and his darker inner demons. he's gonna start to go too far and turning those kids from the victims to the bullies themselves, but then daniel will come in and remind him of how things went down and get him back on the straight and narrow, and in the end they'll team up to help out the kids in nice wholesome karate kid fashion.
my only question is, who is the REAL villain gonna be. there's gotta be a true bad guy for them to team up against. maybe kreese will return in a wheelchair with his "partner" dutch pushing him around, constantly tempting johnny by urging him to "sweep the leg" at every opportunity.

[Peven]

watched the first episode of Lost in Space and found it pretty good, looking forward to more.....

[Peven]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/smallville-actress-charged-sex-trafficking-alleged-involvement-nxivm-cult-202906989.html

I just knew there was a good reason I never watched that show.

[Wolfpack]

Why did they name their little cult after a medication for GERD?

[caruso_stalker217]

Anybody watching "Roseanne"? It's fuckin depressing! Can't wait until somebody is diagnosed with cancer.

[so sorry]

Anybody watching "Roseanne"? It's fuckin depressing! Can't wait until somebody is diagnosed with cancer.

Didn't get me interested enough to watch it again. Question: how did they handle the whole "won the lottery" shit from the last season in the original run? Didn't she win millions of dollars in the lottery, then dan died?

[Peven]

Roseanne is a worthless lump of shit. no, check that. that isn't fair to lumps of shit everywhere, lumps of shit at least have value as fertilizer.

[caruso_stalker217]

Anybody watching "Roseanne"? It's fuckin depressing! Can't wait until somebody is diagnosed with cancer.

Didn't get me interested enough to watch it again. Question: how did they handle the whole "won the lottery" shit from the last season in the original run? Didn't she win millions of dollars in the lottery, then dan died?

They sorta poke fun at/gloss over it and imply it was all just part of that book she was writing, which is sitting in the garage collecting dust. I wonder if the Steven Seagal terrorist stuff was in the book too.

[TheBaxter]

This looks pretty good actually.

so i watched this whole series over the weekend, and it turned out to be pretty damn good actually. it definitely hits the nostalgia bone pretty hard... too hard at times, there are lots of callbacks to the original movie (and the two primary sequels, but alas, no hilary swank cameo). it's hard to believe some of those locations are still around; some of its probably recreated, but they did a real good job if so. most of the references are clever or natural enough, but some are a little over the top or copycattish, especially during the final episode. still, it stands up on its own.

when this was first announced, i thought it would be a campy jokey take on the story, and while there's definitely some humor mined from these two characters and their ongoing rivalry continuing into middle age, the overall vibe is very similar to the original film. a lot of that is thanks to the kid characters, who are a bit more complex this time around. there are no cookie cutter villain types (well, there is, but they're only secondary characters) and instead both the kid and adult characters are wrestling with their good and bad sides. the most interesting relationship is between johnny and his new student, a bullied kid he reluctantly starts teaching karate. the arc of that relationship is pretty predictable (the kid has a positive influence on johnny, and he has a negative influence on the kid) but it plays out well and mostly avoids devolving into just stereotypes (and as there is clearly setup for a 2nd season, there is still plenty unresolved by the time the finale ends).

the weakest part of the series is probably macchio, but in fairness, he also has the most thankless role. no longer the poor bullied new kid, he's now a very wealthy car dealer with a seemingly perfect life. and while it turns out his life isn't as perfect as it first seems, it's still pretty damn close. the issues he's dealing with don't come near being as interesting or dramatic as johnny's, they barely even qualify as First World Problems (Peven and Kirks would hate this guy). the writers have a lot more to work with for Johnny, and i'm calling it now: William Zabka for the Emmy! you can call him "Sweep the Emmys" Johnny now.

[so sorry]

This looks pretty good actually.

so i watched this whole series over the weekend, and it turned out to be pretty damn good actually. it definitely hits the nostalgia bone pretty hard... too hard at times, there are lots of callbacks to the original movie (and the two primary sequels, but alas, no hilary swank cameo). it's hard to believe some of those locations are still around; some of its probably recreated, but they did a real good job if so. most of the references are clever or natural enough, but some are a little over the top or copycattish, especially during the final episode. still, it stands up on its own.

when this was first announced, i thought it would be a campy jokey take on the story, and while there's definitely some humor mined from these two characters and their ongoing rivalry continuing into middle age, the overall vibe is very similar to the original film. a lot of that is thanks to the kid characters, who are a bit more complex this time around. there are no cookie cutter villain types (well, there is, but they're only secondary characters) and instead both the kid and adult characters are wrestling with their good and bad sides. the most interesting relationship is between johnny and his new student, a bullied kid he reluctantly starts teaching karate. the arc of that relationship is pretty predictable (the kid has a positive influence on johnny, and he has a negative influence on the kid) but it plays out well and mostly avoids devolving into just stereotypes (and as there is clearly setup for a 2nd season, there is still plenty unresolved by the time the finale ends).

the weakest part of the series is probably macchio, but in fairness, he also has the most thankless role. no longer the poor bullied new kid, he's now a very wealthy car dealer with a seemingly perfect life. and while it turns out his life isn't as perfect as it first seems, it's still pretty damn close. the issues he's dealing with don't come near being as interesting or dramatic as johnny's, they barely even qualify as First World Problems (Peven and Kirks would hate this guy). the writers have a lot more to work with for Johnny, and i'm calling it now: William Zabka for the Emmy! you can call him "Sweep the Emmys" Johnny now.

Sounds good! I guess I have to sign up for youtube RED now.

[TheBaxter]

it's worth the free signup. just don't forget to cancel before they start charging. and don't forget to re-sign-up before season 2 whenever it comes.
also, the first 2 episodes are available without signing up, so you can watch those first and then decide if you want to continue.

[so sorry]

it's worth the free signup. just don't forget to cancel before they start charging. and don't forget to re-sign-up before season 2 whenever it comes.
also, the first 2 episodes are available without signing up, so you can watch those first and then decide if you want to continue.

Watched the first two freebies. Definitely interested in watching the rest. I'm a little shocked by Zabtka's acting, in a good way. I thought the side characters are pretty cut and paste stereotypes, but maybe by series end I'll be proven wrong (I'm looking at you, studly curly haired rich drunken funny bully kid who's the "funny one").

[TheBaxter]

yeah, the school bullies (and the rich snobby girls) are pretty much just one-dimensional stereotypical plot devices. but luckily, they don't play as big of a part in the story as it may first appear.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

2 very enjoyable and fast moving episodes in and I'm sold. I like the set up of the younger characters that will later challenge the older original characters and a clash of loyalties could cause separations or conflicts in relationships. Maybe Johnny will use Danny's daughter against him, I like the directions all of this can go.

Great performances by both leads, tensions already are highly raised and are bound to come to a nerve wracking confrontation later.

Not sure how to sign up for Youtube Red though. Ralph Macchio told me it's free but when I look up Ep3 on Youtube Red it says it's $1.89.

TheBaxter, I know we get on so tremendously well so can I have your username and password so I can watch this for free? Otherwise how do I do it another way?

[TheBaxter]

sure, here ya go:

username: anita_mandy_knight
password: andy_betta_behung

[so sorry]

Matt Groening's new show "Disenchantment" on Netflix

Didn't even know this was a thing, but apparently its been in development for a few years and is premiering in august.

I'd give it a shot (if I had netflix)...

[Peven]

screw that f@t white-privileged putz. his spineless behavior is representative of a big part of why Trump and his inbred minions are running rampant.

.….....and The Simpsons is one of the most overrated tv shows of all time and was never nearly as good as the show that spawned it, The Tracy Ullman Show.

[so sorry]

.….....and The Simpsons is one of the most overrated tv shows of all time ...

LOL.

[Peven]

next to South Park it is like a Nancy cartoon strip. meh.

it's mass appeal non-threatening fluff. the Flinstones of its time.

[so sorry]

next to South Park it is like a Nancy cartoon strip. meh.

Right, because nothing says intelligent humor like a show with a pot smoking, talking piece of shit. To each his own...

[caruso_stalker217]

In its day, The Simpsons was unfuckwithable. But that was like 80 years ago. It needs to die.

I've only seen screenshots from this "Disenchanted" thing. The character designs are hideous and make me tired.

[Ribbons]

All I know is that The Simpsons was great and Futurama was great. I'm skeptical about this thing, but can't count it out completely.

[caruso_stalker217]

Im sure I'll check it out, just because it'll be on Netflix. Matt Groening isn't a selling point for me at this moment in history, so I have no particular expectations.

[so sorry]

This just in: Roasanne Barr is a nasty bitch


In other shocking news, the sky is blue.

[Peven]

This just in: Roasanne Barr is a nasty bitch


In other shocking news, the sky is blue.

and now she is a cancelled skanky bitch

[TheBaxter]

This just in: Roasanne Barr is a nasty bitch


In other shocking news, the sky is blue.

and now she is a cancelled skanky bitch

i wonder how long it will take Trump to send her another congratulatory tweet this time.

[caruso_stalker217]

Some birds are not meant to be caged.

[Fievel]

Some birds are not meant to be caged.

[Peven]

has anyone watched the latest David Chappelle specials on Netflix? overall they are some pretty good shit, Chappelle is certainly not going to be accused of being politically correct, but he is also a master of using humor to soften it when he knows he is going into dangerous territory while also maintaining his particular point of view on the subject. the first time I saw his stand-up with the "Killing Them Softly" special I thought Chappelle was one of the funniest stand-ups I had ever heard, I laughed my ass off through that act. his show was a fucking masterpiece. now he is a more grizzled, serious, and chubbier version of his younger self but he hasn't lost a bit of wit, he is still a very funny man.

[caruso_stalker217]

Those specials are brilliant. Chapelle is getting better with age.

[Ribbons]

I've watched all of the new Chappelle specials as well. He's always effortlessly hilarious, but I'll admit that he can be a little tin-eared when it comes to trans people and sexual harassment, a couple of matters he got raked over the #woke Internet coals for. It's his right to offer up his own perspective on current events, but those attitudes date his humor somewhat. That said, I like how he reflects on his own opinions and challenges them somewhat (even if he does decide that he was right all along). The pivot into seriousness is the element of his stand-up that I think has evolved and improved over time: he's able to monologue for ten minutes at a time about something important and not lose the audience. With his charismatic way of delivering speeches, Chappelle can command your attention even when he's not trying to be funny... then use a well-timed joke to bring the house down.

[Wolfpack]

Matt Groening's new show "Disenchantment" on Netflix

Didn't even know this was a thing, but apparently its been in development for a few years and is premiering in august.

I'd give it a shot (if I had netflix)...

I've seen the first 3 episodes. So far I can say it's no Futurama, but it is better than 21st century Simpsons.

[caruso_stalker217]

Matt Groening's new show "Disenchantment" on Netflix

Didn't even know this was a thing, but apparently its been in development for a few years and is premiering in august.

I'd give it a shot (if I had netflix)...

I've seen the first 3 episodes. So far I can say it's no Futurama, but it is better than 21st century Simpsons.

I'm about five or six episodes in. It gets better, but it's more amusing than funny I guess. I really like the music and the look of the world and shit. I think the freedom of being on a streaming service and not having to deliver concise 22 minute episodes to fit into a network television format can be a detriment to shows like this. The first episode is 36 minutes and the rest are about 28 minutes. I think the show would have more punch if it had to work with less running time. Get the best jokes in there. Lose some of the flab.

It's not a bad show though. There's just not any Bender-type characters for an audience to really latch onto. But it's more of an ongoing narrative rather than isolated one-offs like "The Simpsons" or "Futurama" which is also typical of these streaming shows that have to be written and produced in one big content brick to be dropped on unsuspecting consumers.

[so sorry]

I'm very confused who the demographic/target is for this show.

The girls who watched the original Sabrina who are now young adults?

The girl who where fanatics over the Twilight series who are now young adults?

Wiccans and warlocks?

Dudes who get off on young girls dressed in black?

[caruso_stalker217]

I'm not sure which demographic I'd be lumped into (arguably that last one) and I had not heard of this show until just now and I am neither a fan of the '90s show or the funny books, but that looks kinda fun. I really dig the visual style. I figure I could at least watch the first episode.

[TheBaxter]

somewhere, melissa joan hart weeps, and then contemplates creating a kickstarter campaign to get them to hire her for a cameo.

[Ribbons]

I'm very confused who the demographic/target is for this show.

The girls who watched the original Sabrina who are now young adults?

The girl who where fanatics over the Twilight series who are now young adults?

Wiccans and warlocks?

Dudes who get off on young girls dressed in black?

The answer: me

[TheBaxter]

i'm cutting the cord!

after verizon decided to roll out an update that managed to delete all my DVR recordings, and then decided to make it up to me by offering me a refund of ONE SINGLE DAY of my DVR price (because obviously i only lost recordings from one day, not EVERY SINGLE THING i had recorded for up to the past year ), i'm moving on. i've had comcast before, and i don't need the endless headaches and horror stories i've endured with them in the past. and DirectTV is out because i'd like to still be able to watch TV when it's raining. the idea of getting my TV cheaper and without having to sign a long-term contract is really appealing compared to those alternatives.

i've already got Amazon Prime and Vudu and I just signed up for Netflix streaming. now i need to figure out where i'm getting my local, sports, and cable channels. The choices so far seem to be:

Hulu Live TV
Sling TV
Playstation Vue TV
DirecTV Now
Youtube TV

i've signed up for Hulu Live for a free trial, but not loving it so far. i will probably also try PS Vue, and maybe DirecTV Now. Sling is out because they don't have all my local channels, and Youtube TV is pretty much out because i hear you can't always skip commercials (EXTREMELY important to me). DirecTV seems limited on the DVR side, which is also an issue.

does anyone here have any of these services or recommendations?

[so sorry]

i'm cutting the cord!

after verizon decided to roll out an update that managed to delete all my DVR recordings, and then decided to make it up to me by offering me a refund of ONE SINGLE DAY of my DVR price (because obviously i only lost recordings from one day, not EVERY SINGLE THING i had recorded for up to the past year ), i'm moving on. i've had comcast before, and i don't need the endless headaches and horror stories i've endured with them in the past. and DirectTV is out because i'd like to still be able to watch TV when it's raining. the idea of getting my TV cheaper and without having to sign a long-term contract is really appealing compared to those alternatives.

i've already got Amazon Prime and Vudu and I just signed up for Netflix streaming. now i need to figure out where i'm getting my local, sports, and cable channels. The choices so far seem to be:

Hulu Live TV
Sling TV
Playstation Vue TV
DirecTV Now
Youtube TV

i've signed up for Hulu Live for a free trial, but not loving it so far. i will probably also try PS Vue, and maybe DirecTV Now. Sling is out because they don't have all my local channels, and Youtube TV is pretty much out because i hear you can't always skip commercials (EXTREMELY important to me). DirecTV seems limited on the DVR side, which is also an issue.

does anyone here have any of these services or recommendations?

I just had this conversation with my (younger millenial) cousin this weekend. He disconnected from Verizon/Comcast a few years ago, and lives off of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and I think the Roku firestick thingie. He's also a subsrciber to our local NBCSports app which allows him to watch 3 out of the 4 local teams. of course, that's a cheat becuase he has to sign in as a verizon user (using his dad's credentials).

To make it a little more complicated, he and his roommates all share their login info, so they somehow split all the monthly fees so it comes out to be a good price for them. And they have no DVR service that I'm aware of for taping anything, but if its all on-demand video that's not really necessary.

So in short, can't help you, but I'm interested in hearing about how it goes with you. I'm in no shape to do this switch (I can't handle the stress of dealing with multiple accounts across multiple platforms, and to satisfy me, my wife, and my two kids viewing habits).

[TheBaxter]

all the services i'm looking for have some kind of "DVR" (i need to put that in quotes because it's not like a real DVR, it's "Cloud DVR" which as far as I can tell is just a different kind of streaming; it's not like the stuff is actually physically recorded to a hard drive somewhere like it is for a normal DVR). the whole DVR thing seems pointless, except for live events like sports, or for local content that maybe isn't available on demand. but, because of most channels' restrictive streaming policies, viewing the "DVR" version of a show is the only way to be able to skip over commercials.

that's my frustration with Hulu... i tried them once before a few years ago, and was pissed that i still had to watch commercials after paying a subscription, so i cancelled. now you can get regular Hulu without commercials, but Hulu Live (the version with local channels and sports) still has commercials, and you have to pay an extra fee for the DVR in order to "record" a show and then be able to skip the commercials. that, and Hulu is missing a few channels i want (like Animal Planet, GSN, AMC) and their channel guide interface sucks. PS Vue gets really high reviews and has more of the channels i want, though still not all of them. but it sounds like they could be getting rid of it. at least you're not locked in, though, so if it does get discontinued i can switch over to something else without really losing anything. DirecTV Now also sounds good, especially on channel availability and options, but their DVR service sucks (only up to 20 hours, which will fill up in no time).

it is a hassle, trying to figure out which service has the best options, features, and trying to compare channel availability across all the different services, channel tiers, add-ons, etc. but at least they all have promotional periods that let you try it out at no risk and decide on what works best for you.
we're obviously in a transitional phase right now, and i don't think any of these streaming services are completely up to snuff yet, but hopefully i can find one close enough to make the switch worthwhile. other than the simplicity, traditional cable doesn't have much to offer as an alternative, especially at their superinflated prices. and i suppose the hassle of researching and trying out a bunch of different platforms doesn't seem so bad after you've wasted the day on the phone with comcast or verizon customer service because they screwed something up.

[so sorry]

There's probably a ridiculous amount of blogs/articles out there on tech sites that can help guide you thru this process if you have the time and energy to sift thru them.

[Peven]

first off, I am NOT trying to be a dick here, for realz, I want to make that clear, but I know what I am about to say may be taken that way.....


....i'm old, I know, half a century, and I have grandchildren, so consider that in my perspective here, but after reading through the last several entries in this thread I had something of an epiphany in regard to the reality we are living in now. the priorities and time spent on those priorities has shifted dramatically over the last 35-40 years and it has eroded the strength of the middle class as a stabilizing influence on politics and society overall by diverting attention and energy from more meaningful pursuits as well as allowing tribalization to grow by leaps and bounds. i'll explain....

For the first 13 years of my life I had 1 tv, a 12" b&w, available to watch and we only got ONE channel since we lived in rural upstate NY, a CBS channel. that wasn't all that rare or unusual for that time for people living in rural areas, and only some of the kids I knew who lived in town had cable at all, and if they did it was the major networks and a handful of cable channels like TBS and USA. when I was 13 we got a 20" color console tv that my grandparents gave us and we thought it was huge, and the color was a revelation. I finally knew what colors all my favorite cartoon characters were. we had 30 minutes of local news at 6 then 30 minutes of Walter Cronkite at 6:30, "And that's the way it is...". and we were a pretty well informed family, usually getting into some sort of debate over something we saw on the news that evening as we finished dinner and got ready for the 7-8 syndication hour where you would see the half hour sit-coms that originally aired on other channels (except for the dreaded and hated Billy Graham Revival Week several times a year where that 1 hour block was claimed by every night by a hypocritical misogynist bigot) which was where I developed a love for Barney Miller, Night Court, The Brady Bunch, etc. I worked with a teacher over the summer who is within a year of my age and it was striking how easily we were able to communicate using cultural references that were 40 years old so easily. there were many common cultural touchstones that we both would identify immediately in conversation and it really did make working with them not only more enjoyable but more productive. when I look at colleagues in their 30's that I work with regularly I don't see as much of a common cultural "language" and when I consider the 7th and 8th graders that I work with every day there is MUCH less, they are fractured into a variety of "types" and in many ways isolated in those types.

the dream was that all this new information and communication technology would bring the world closer together, create a great common understanding and appreciation and respect for all people. that is what both the bleeding heart liberals AND the right-wing business speculators told us. it didn't quite work out that way. coinciding with the presidency of Reagan the ability to disseminate and consume information and entertainment programming started becoming greater and greater at less and less cost. choice, we were told by EVERYONE was good, and the more choices the better. the future was going to bring us the freedom to choose what we watched when we wanted to watch it and that blew people's minds. wow, how amazing would that be, we all said. what a bunch of fucking chimps. we didn't use this new freedom that technology gave us to learn about other people and communicate and exchange ideas and gain a better understanding of their lives as well as our own, we used it primarily to watch naked people performing sex acts, which is what drove the race for web encryption and secure online payment options MUCH more than people ordering that crock pot from Wal-mart. that isn't opinion, it's fact, look it up. we didn't watch programming that helped us grow as people and expand out knowledge and consciousness, we used it to watch sleazy reality shows, reality shows about women who had litters of babies, reality shows that glorified ignorant rednecks, we watched dirtbags find out if they WERE the father, we watched American Idol and Dancing With The Stars and The Walking Dead.( ). people have a TON of choices, they can find their own little subset of entertainment and can get enough to spend little time being exposed to anything else.

but that wasn't the worst, not even close, because that same phenomena plays out with real information, real news, because a lot of people chose to isolate themselves choosing just one channel out of 300+ to get their information that they use to judge and evaluate the real world. they never watch or read anything that may challenge their own preconceived notions and so they are safe in their little cocoon of ignorance. it isn't easier to communicate with the masses in a positive way these days, it isn't easier to spread knowledge and tolerance and understanding, because we have been split up into millions of different customized programming packages.

we spend more time and $ and energy than ever, MUCH MUCH more than people did 30-40 years ago, on what we are going to watch or listen to for our entertainment. the time and energy and money wasn't just added to what we have, it was taken from our life budget from some other designation to use now for sorting out what channels we want and how much we are going to spend and how we will watch them. what did people sacrifice in order to devote more time to their "tv" life? and are people today really any happier or more entertained than they were 30-40 years ago? if you think so you're a fool. a chimp fool. we've been manipulated no differently than chimps being trained to pul a lever to get a treat with no real awareness of the greater relevance of spending their days waiting to pull the lever instead of living a chimp's life. the more we become like those chimps the more power and control those who have been playing us gain.

[TheBaxter]

i'm not sure what exactly the point of all that was, but one thing i'd say... this whole idea of a "common cultural language" because people had less choice of tv channels is, at best, a myth (how much of that common cultural language was adopted by minority communities?)... at worst, it marginalized non-white, non-male, non-straight groups of people, and reinforced a "common cultural language" that was almost entirely created and dominated by white male hegemony. that's the same "common cultural language" that the trumpkins are so desperate to recreate.

how do you think native americans, inner city blacks, LGBTQ people, abused housewives etc felt about a "common cultural language" in which they either didn't exist, were written as stereotypes, or portrayed by white people in makeup and funny accents? should we take away BET so that black communities can go back to having a single token black comedy to represent their role in society? let's take away Logo while we're at it, so Dumbledore teenagers can feel even more isolated and alone, because their suicide rates aren't high enough yet already. and don't forget to get rid of all those spanish-language channels. that's an idea the retrumplicans can certainly get behind.

seems pretty silly to blame the current divided state of this country on having too many tv channels. or too many websites. the problem isn't the technology; the problem is us. humans have never had a problem finding excuses to divide from and fight each other, it's in our nature. it's pretty much the only constant in human history. if things seemed more united, or like we had more in common, 50 years ago, it's only because so many people who didnt fit into the dominant culture were so much more powerless and invisible. we only seem more divided because their are more voices being heard now than ever before.

[TheBaxter]

so far i've tried Hulu Live, PS Vue, and DirecTV Now, and the verdict so far:

HULU LIVE

the good: nice UI, good picture quality, bonus programming (handmaid's tale, castle rock) not available on other channels

the bad: channel selection is missing a few key channels for me (AMC, Animal Planet, GSN); DVR with channel-skip option costs extra

the ugly: horrible channel "guide"; the NBC feed on my region really sucks, it's jittery, sound and video out of sync, etc.

PS VUE

the good: price, channel selection

the bad: everything else

the ugly: this service can't stream worth shit. the signal constantly drops out. really disappointing because price and channel-wise, this would have been my favorite. the UI is pretty bare-bones and basic, but at least it has a decent channel guide

DIRECTV NOW

the good: channel selection with multiple tiers, picture quality, has the best channel guide by far...

the bad: ...except the channel guide is REALLY slow to load, especially if you only want to view your favorited channels (though at least you CAN create a favorite channels list, unlike the others); the price, i had to get a higher tier to get all the channels i wanted, which brought the price up to near cable levels

the ugly: buggy DVR that can only record 20 hours at a time


THE VERDICT

so far, i'm leaning towards DIRECTV NOW... the channel selection and guide for Hulu Live just is not up to snuff. i could probably live with it, but my wife and our dogsitters (aka my parents) probably couldn't. and PS Vue is just shit. i didn't try Sling because it lacks most of my local channels, which is the main reason to even get one of these services, and YouTube TV has the same channel selection issues as Hulu and doesn't allow commercial skipping on all recorded shows, which is a dealbreaker for me.

another issue is that we can't get Orioles games on any of the services because MASN are greedy bastards who won't allow their channel to be streamed. that's a bigger deal for my wife than for me, frankly i can do without watching another 2-3 years at least of sucky baseball until they possibly get good again, and by then hopefully MASN will have come to their senses (or been forced into it) and be available for streaming. but in the meantime, there may be "ways" to get those games on mlb.tv that i'll need to look into when next season starts up.

in all honesty, i just don't think the streaming services in general are up to snuff yet to really compete with cable. things you take for granted, like being able to easily jump back and forth between a couple of channels, or the 30 second skip button that makes commercial skipping a breeze, aren't available. the Roku remote is really basic, and takes some getting used to. the interfaces on these apps aren't always intuitive, especially if you're used to a traditional cable remote and interface. it's probably a generational thing though, kids today are more used to watching stuff on their phones or computers and the switch to a streaming service instead of cable is more natural for them. the lack of traditional cable features wouldn't bother them as much, but for us old fogeys, it's a tough hurdle to jump. on the other hand, the price difference and lack of a long-term contract is REALLY appealing. i can keep Verizon internet for $40/month, and even with the higher tier of channels (and probably an extra $10/month down the line for the expanded DVR) the DirecTV Now will cut my cable bill by nearly $100/month. that's a big deal.

i'll probably keep DirectTV NOW and see how it goes, until my Verizon contract is up in a month and i really have to make a decision. there's hope that they'll improve the DVR and expand the capacity (though i'll probably have to pay extra for it). at that point, i may just end up keeping Verizon, or going to Comcast, if the streaming experience feels too frustrating or primitive.

[Peven]

i'm not sure what exactly the point of all that was, but one thing i'd say... this whole idea of a "common cultural language" because people had less choice of tv channels is, at best, a myth (how much of that common cultural language was adopted by minority communities?)... at worst, it marginalized non-white, non-male, non-straight groups of people, and reinforced a "common cultural language" that was almost entirely created and dominated by white male hegemony. that's the same "common cultural language" that the trumpkins are so desperate to recreate.

how do you think native americans, inner city blacks, LGBTQ people, abused housewives etc felt about a "common cultural language" in which they either didn't exist, were written as stereotypes, or portrayed by white people in makeup and funny accents? should we take away BET so that black communities can go back to having a single token black comedy to represent their role in society? let's take away Logo while we're at it, so Dumbledore teenagers can feel even more isolated and alone, because their suicide rates aren't high enough yet already. and don't forget to get rid of all those spanish-language channels. that's an idea the retrumplicans can certainly get behind.

seems pretty silly to blame the current divided state of this country on having too many tv channels. or too many websites. the problem isn't the technology; the problem is us. humans have never had a problem finding excuses to divide from and fight each other, it's in our nature. it's pretty much the only constant in human history. if things seemed more united, or like we had more in common, 50 years ago, it's only because so many people who didnt fit into the dominant culture were so much more powerless and invisible. we only seem more divided because their are more voices being heard now than ever before.

it seems pretty silly because you are so immersed in it you lack the perspective to see. the fact that you think it is silly shows how utterly ignorant you are of the current discussion among sociologists and other academics on the erosion of cultural cohesiveness in relation to the almost exponentially greater number of information and entertainment choices that have become a reality within a couple generations. your blithe attitude is right out the WALL E prologue, it is easy to draw a direct line from it to the helpless blobs we are shown in the movie. the amount of time and energy you are spending on choosing your "tv" entertainment service is greater exponentially than anyone spent on such trivial matters a few decades ago. and why? so you can self-segregate your life, your experiences, to have everything catered to your own particular special sensibility. you don't want to be tied to what other people are watching. you want it all to revolve around YOU. selfishness and narcissism is good, right? like greed? I was more aware of other cultures and regional attitudes and points of view than young people are now, as were most people my age. ask an average 20 or 30-something about the Lakota Sioux or the Spanish American War or the Panama Canal or where Jazz came from or what happened at Haight-Ashbury or who came up with the polio vaccine, or even ask them what IS polio and watch the blank stare you get back. they likely don't know shit, because they have been able to only watch and learn about what they choose. they'll tell you all about some youtuber, but that isn't exactly having a greater awareness is it? unless you think going to Japan to mock suicide corpses is a more inclusive, accepting culture being spread. you have NOTHING to back up your flippant take on this issue, NOTHING, except your gut. same thing those Trump supporters use to form their views. you have this arrogant view that you know more and are more aware simply because you are younger, when you are basing your view on ignorance. you show no idea at all of societal events and progress that took place. the civil rights movement succeeded in changing the laws of the land. the environmental movement was able to get landmark legislation passed again and again, protecting species and bodies of water and promoting land reclamation. the interstate system was built. a national speed limit was set to help preserve resources. when Norman Lear produced shows like "All in the Family" or "Good Times" or "The Jeffersons" they had a REAL impact on society, the country experienced those shows together, they played a real part in helping to make positive change. there are no shows like that anymore, not that there aren't good shows, it is just that they are lost in a sea of flotsam and customized entertainment packages. and we didn't have a problem with people not getting their kids vaccinated in the 70's when I was a kid. we didn't have people who thought the world was flat holding conventions. we didn't have mass shootings every day somewhere in the country. (and gun control wasn't more strict then), and we didn't have someone like Trump elected president. i'm pretty sure there were less hate crimes per 1,000, too. so you can cling to this fabricated idea that the way things are now are the best way they could be and there has been no down side to certain technological advances in our society and you'll fit right in with the rest of the consumer herd that has been raised by corporations to ingest as much as you can as a way of life.