Cutting the Cable Guide

[Richard8655]

Thanks for your response.

Do you get any Network congested messages while the streaming is hung up?

I forgot to mention that, in my earlier post. Some days I see this happening throughout the night, and other nights, nothing. I've confirmed that the issues isn't on my side of things, i.e., my comcast internet is fine.

Yes, occasionally I get that message about congested network, though eventually it clears up after a minute or so. But it doesn't happen often enough to cause me to leave for another service.

But I've read a lot of good things about YTTV (as you also mentioned and confirmed), and would probably switch to that if anything changes with my plan. But like you, the channel choices with DTV keeps me there.

 

[Herdfan]

So I've had DirecTV streaming now for a few months and I'd like to offer some thoughts as related to YoutubeTV

I started with YTTV after it was announced they got NFLST. Figured I would give them a try.

Now I have been with DirecTV since 1994. Yep, I was one of the first customers and have had it ever since.

So I hated the YTTV interface. Not being able to go directly to a channel, no previous channel, no live buffer. Just several things that made me not like it.

So after a month, I ordered the DirecTV Stream Osprey box to give that a try. And while better that YTTV in terms of being able to have channel numbers back, buttons to go directly to the Guide or List were great. But it is still not as refined as DirecTV satellite.

So I am going to keep it for a couple more months until our move to AZ is complete and then will got back to satellite full time. I may miss NFLST, but for the first time in my life I won't be subjected to have my local networks show nothing but the Bengals, Steeler's and Redskins. It will be nice to get a national game on occasion. Plus when I started with NFLST, there was no SNF or TNF. So that will help.

I have to say both were handy when traveling, but I can just hook my phone up and play DirecTV content from there.

 

[maflynn]

I ordered the DirecTV

DTV definitely gives you more of a traditional TV experience and that's one reason why we kept it. I do like how it works, but the program guide on YTTV is just a bit more flexible imo

 

[maflynn]

So I'm definitely getting frustrated and thinking of switching back to YTTV
I'm getting that heavily congested network error. I think I'll move my cable box and router upstairs to where we watch tv and then I can connect the tv directly into the wireless.

I'm like 80% sure this not due to my ISP (comcast) being slow as I've not had any issues with other streaming and/or connected services. Still to remove them from the possible causes, I'll move my stuff around and see if that improves performance.

Thing is, I'm paying for the upper tier for my wife to get her Magnolia channel but even she's completely frustrated. Its been happening now two to five times a night - the TV freezes you wait a bit and then it starts up, but not where it froze. IT jumps ahead. Rewinding doesn't help, it just gets re-stuck at the portion that originally failed.

 

[imaccooper]

So I'm definitely getting frustrated and thinking of switching back to YTTV
I'm getting that heavily congested network error. I think I'll move my cable box and router upstairs to where we watch tv and then I can connect the tv directly into the wireless.

I'm like 80% sure this not due to my ISP (comcast) being slow as I've not had any issues with other streaming and/or connected services. Still to remove them from the possible causes, I'll move my stuff around and see if that improves performance.

Thing is, I'm paying for the upper tier for my wife to get her Magnolia channel but even she's completely frustrated. Its been happening now two to five times a night - the TV freezes you wait a bit and then it starts up, but not where it froze. IT jumps ahead. Rewinding doesn't help, it just gets re-stuck at the portion that originally failed.

I may be wrong, but I think Magnolia is available through Discovery+. It might just be all of the shows and not the actual channel, but I thought I read something that you could get a channel stream.

Might be worth a free trial to discovery+ to see if that could work for your wife. If it does, you are free to switch over to YTTV for everything else.

 

[maflynn]

I may be wrong, but I think Magnolia is available through Discovery+. It might just be all of the shows and not the actual channel, but I thought I read something that you could get a channel stream

It is, so that's our backup solution

 

[Richard8655]

So I'm definitely getting frustrated and thinking of switching back to YTTV
I'm getting that heavily congested network error. I think I'll move my cable box and router upstairs to where we watch tv and then I can connect the tv directly into the wireless.

I'm like 80% sure this not due to my ISP (comcast) being slow as I've not had any issues with other streaming and/or connected services. Still to remove them from the possible causes, I'll move my stuff around and see if that improves performance.

Thing is, I'm paying for the upper tier for my wife to get her Magnolia channel but even she's completely frustrated. Its been happening now two to five times a night - the TV freezes you wait a bit and then it starts up, but not where it froze. IT jumps ahead. Rewinding doesn't help, it just gets re-stuck at the portion that originally failed.

Also have DTV Stream, and hardly ever get that congested error. I would try a few things before switching:
1. Do a speed test over a few days and times to confirm it's not your ISP being inconsistent.
2. Delete the DTV app, restart the streaming device, reinstall the DTV app.
3. Is a wired Ethernet connection to your device possible? That solved my slow (wifi) network issues (Fire Stick).
4. Lastly if necessary, do a free trial of YTTV and see if the same issue there.

 

[maflynn]

Also have DTV Stream, and hardly ever get that congested error. I would try a few things before switching:
1. Do a speed test over a few days and times to confirm it's not your ISP being inconsistent.
2. Delete the DTV app, restart the streaming device, reinstall the DTV app.
3. Is a wired Ethernet connection to your device possible? That solved slow (wifi) network issues me (Fire Stick).
4. Lastly if necessary, do a free trial of YTTV and see if the same issue there.

1. Yes, I have
2. Good idea, I'll give that a try
3. Wireless. As noted above, I'll be moving my equipment around to get it wired
4. I had YTTV and quit that to go to DTV. I had no issues, nor do I incur any issues with other streaming services that I have, i.e., netflix, Disney+ etc etc

 

[poorcody]

3. Wireless. As noted above, I'll be moving my equipment around to get it wired

You've probably already considered this, but I've found the 5GHz WiFi streams much more reliable than 2.4GHz (because of bandwidth capacity). I've also found that if my streaming device knows of both networks, sometimes it will fall back to the lower/slower frequency, so I actually only tell it about 5GHz.

 

[Boyd01]

I may be wrong, but I think Magnolia is available through Discovery+. It might just be all of the shows and not the actual channel, but I thought I read something that you could get a channel stream.

I have the commercial-free version Discovery+ and like it - shows are much more watchable without all those annoying commercials. Never had any interest in Magnolia but just looked. They have over 100 Magnolia shows available, most of those are multiple seasons with lots of episodes. From my experience with other shows, they may not have all seasons however.

But I don't know of a way to get any sort of "channel stream" for anything with Discovery+. You can browse or search for shows, see what's trending, get full lists of a channel and create favorites but none of these would be the same experience as watching a cable channel (which is generally a good thing, IMO).

 

[imaccooper]

I have the commercial-free version Discovery+ and like it - shows are much more watchable without all those annoying commercials. Never had any interest in Magnolia but just looked. They have over 100 Magnolia shows available, most of those are multiple seasons with lots of episodes. From my experience with other shows, they may not have all seasons however.

But I don't know of a way to get any sort of "channel stream" for anything with Discovery+. You can browse or search for shows, see what's trending, get full lists of a channel and create favorites but none of these would be the same experience as watching a cable channel (which is generally a good thing, IMO).

Thanks for the info. I had discover+ for a month for my wife, but didn't keep it. I might put it back into the rotation of services we occasionally subscribe to.

I'm not really interested in the channel stream either, but I do get the appeal for some people who use it as background noise. I'd prefer to just let it autoplay another episode but to each their own.

 

[Richard8655]

Just got another $10 increase notice. Paying a lot for programming with tons of advertising. We'll see.

 

[CharlesShaw]

You've probably already considered this, but I've found the 5GHz WiFi streams much more reliable than 2.4GHz (because of bandwidth capacity). I've also found that if my streaming device knows of both networks, sometimes it will fall back to the lower/slower frequency, so I actually only tell it about 5GHz.

I had that issue for years with my ATV HD, but could never figure out how to prevent it from finding both networks and defaulting to the slower one. Mine always defaulted back after each TVOS update or reboot, so part of my “OS update day“ routine became re-selecting the 5GHz network. But sometime last year (I think) I went to change the network after an OS update and it was already on 5GHz and has been there ever since. Rejoice!

 

[maflynn]

I made the switch, the cable modem and router are now next to the TV and I have the Apple TV wired into the router. I'll probably connect my TV directly into the router at some point as well.

I tested the wireless down on the first floor and the speed is acceptable, so moving things around so far did not have an overall negative impact.

Given the intermittent nature of this issue, I'll just have wait and see how things progress. I'm really hoping this resolves the problem

 

[Richard8655]

I had that issue for years with my ATV HD, but could never figure out how to prevent it from finding both networks and defaulting to the slower one. Mine always defaulted back after each TVOS update or reboot, so part of my “OS update day“ routine became re-selecting the 5GHz network. But sometime last year (I think) I went to change the network after an OS update and it was already on 5GHz and has been there ever since. Rejoice!

As I understand, if both the 2.4 and 5 ghz bands have the same name, the device might choose to connect only to the stronger signal. 5 is faster but 2.4 extends farther, so that may be why 2.4 is sometimes chosen if 5 is weaker at a given moment. You can always give each band a different name and set the device to connect to the 5 by name.

 

[HDFan]

You can always give each band a different name

My Comcast modem/router doesn't support separate names for the 3 bands (2.4, 5, and 6 Ghz).

 

[Richard8655]

My Comcast modem/router doesn't support separate names for the 3 bands (2.4, 5, and 6 Ghz).

Yes, it's an option for those who do. My Airport Extreme does (2.4 and 5 only), but I never needed to do that so far.

 

[Huntn]

Yes, it's an option for those who do. My Airport Extreme does (2.4 and 5 only), but I never needed to do that so far.

Those are the only 2 I have seen built into a router.

 

[Richard8655]

Those are the only 2 I have seen built into a router.

6 is being introduced in newer models.

 

[HDFan]

6 is being introduced in newer models.

Yes, I have all 3 SSIDs - 2.4, 5, and 6 - on my Netgear 6E router.

 

[Huntn]

Yes, I have all 3 SSIDs - 2.4, 5, and 6 - on my Netgear 6E router.

How many of your devices can do 6?

 

[maflynn]

Whelp,
I'm trying to cancel DTV because the congested network error is still ongoing. I went back to Youtube TV and so far last night no buffering issues.

I'm somewhat annoyed, with the cancellation process. Normally you log in, select to cancel (or stop paying). DTTV, I had to google because it wasn't really evident, and in tiny print on one screen I found it. Then I'm with a need to chat to cancel as shown below - really? I tried last night but off hours, so no one was available. Today I started the chat, spent about 5 minute chatting only to be told I need to call. Grrr.

I spent 15 minutes with account retention trying to keep me, though not really offering me much, i.e., dropping the price down by 7 dollars or so. Not that I was tempted.

DTTV has a handful of stations that my wife really likes, but we can access the content via discovery plus, but we're boomers so having the stuff presented more traditionally worked better but at the very least we have access to the tv shows.

I'm not closing the door on DTTV in the future, but I am dismayed and discouraged by the unfriendly consumer process to cancel.

 

[Boyd01]

Was just reading about a new FTC "Click to cancel" proposal to prevent companies from doing this sort of thing. I ran into a similar thing cancelling a newspaper subscription, it could only be done in person on the phone.

Regarding Discovery Plus, did you do a trial? Although there is quite a lot of content there, frequently it seems they don't have the current season of the more popular shows, just old seasons.

 

[maflynn]

Regarding Discovery Plus, did you do a trial? Although there is quite a lot of content there, frequently it seems they don't have the current season of the more popular shows.

Yes, so I think wifey will be happy. Plus it has stuff that I like, i.e., mythbusters

I ran into a similar thing cancelling a newspaper subscription, it could only be done in person on the phone.

I expected better from DirectTV, but being owned by ATT shows how much their once vaunted and highly praised customer support has fallen.

I was purposely kept on the phone as the person on the other end "contended with a slow computer" She used that time to continually try to keep me as a customer. She was respectful, and pleasant (as I was) but 15 minutes on the phone (that's not including the wait time) was ridiculous. At the end of the day, they were unable to resolve the issue that caused me to cancel - the network congested error. Either they need so much more bandwidth then all other streaming services or something is up on their end. That's water under the dam at this point, back to YTTV and things seem to be a bit better, no buffering problems.

 

[Rafterman]

I wanted to cut DTV satellite (especially now that the NFL Sunday Ticket is not there anymore), but my 83 year old mother lives in our upstairs room and I don't want her to have ot learn something new. So I'm stuck. But I have Hulu Live TV that serves as a backup (espeically in bad weather) and I found it quite usable.