Anyone subscribes to IPTV?

About to pull the trigger and subscribe to one of the iPTV providers and ditch my cable. Done my research and I think Eternal TV for $5 a month has the best reviews. All HD channels, over 2000 plus all sports including every game for every league, PPV, VOD, etc. Most other sites cost between $15-20 a month. I have a coworker who has SET TV and he recommends that. This is where technology has back fired on the cable and satellite providers, they are done! Receiving 500-2500 channels will become the norm.

I have been trying to figure this out for a while now. Right now we have cable with 50mps internet 2 boxes, and 1 DVR. We pay 120 month. If we get rid of cable then we will have to pay about 60 for internet. I figure we can save money but I have to figure out what to do about DVR. We record everything and watch at night. With 2 kids I generally dont even see the tv until 9pm. I will look into the ones you mentioned.

Netflix and a Jailbroken Firestick is all I use. If I want to watch live sports or the news I just use reddit

Quote: GlenG

Netflix and a Jailbroken Firestick is all I use. If I want to watch live sports or the news I just use reddit

I had thought about doing that but I have a friend that was involved with the Napster crack down..he ended up getting charges pressed against him and got 3 years probation. During his probation he failed a random alcohol breath test and they violated him. He did 2 years in county over downloading music.
That has scared me out of doing any of that kodi stuff.

It's a gray area, you're not downloading anything, just streaming. Some people run off a VPN to hide their IP address. Can't see the Feds going after the users, but maybe the providers. Again, if the cable or satellite companies offered all these channels for a reasonable price, this wouldn't even be a topic. With sports betting becoming legal in many states, viewerships for games will be on the rise. In this day and age with all this technology, we should be able to view any channel globally regardless of what provider we use.

Quote: Vegasrider

It's a gray area, you're not downloading anything, just streaming. Some people run off a VPN to hide their IP address. Can't see the Feds going after the users, but maybe the providers. Again, if the cable or satellite companies offered all these channels for a reasonable price, this wouldn't even be a topic. With sports betting becoming legal in many states, viewerships for games will be on the rise. In this day and age with all this technology, we should be able to view any channel globally regardless of what provider we use.

It depends on your definition of reasonable cost. Rights fees continue to go higher and higher based on multiple platforms bidding for content.

WWE wrestling just signed new huge contracts with USA and a Fox and their stock went up 30% in weeks. And wrestling is a limited audience. We have Phillies game that are only available on Facebook now.

Obviously these providers feel they can justify the expense being recovered through higher fees so I would expect more crackdowns on illegal streaming services. But I also agree they go after providers, not users.

Only way these cable or satellite companies can get even is to jack up the price of Internet. Without it, you can't get IPTV. Consumers and companies find new ways to cut cost, no different than Amazon and people shopping online and putting the retail stores out of business.

Quote: Vegasrider

Again, if the cable or satellite companies offered all these channels for a reasonable price, this wouldn't even be a topic.

Define "reasonable." How many people think the reasonable price for HBO should be zero?

I remember when the NBA and MLB broadcasts on my local regional sports network were scrambled and required an additional $10/month, and I have a feeling the only reason I don't include NHL in that is, my area didn't have any NHL teams before the scrambling stopped. I have a feeling things like IPTV are leading us back to that point.

Edit for formatting - bbb

We.should be able to choose which channels we want, I only use maybe 20 on a consistent basis. But I have to pay for the highest package to get certain channels. , Most channels are garbage, I have zero interest.

Maybe $1 per channel and $5 for premiums.

Quote: Vegasrider

It's a gray area, you're not downloading anything, just streaming. Some people run off a VPN to hide their IP address. Can't see the Feds going after the users, but maybe the providers. Again, if the cable or satellite companies offered all these channels for a reasonable price, this wouldn't even be a topic. With sports betting becoming legal in many states, viewerships for games will be on the rise. In this day and age with all this technology, we should be able to view any channel globally regardless of what provider we use.

One of my first bars had an illegal de-scrambler. We'd charge X amount at the door for fights and an occasional something else but pretty much limited it to regulars and their friends. Did absolutely no advertising about it, even in house.
One day my cable isn't working and when I call to get service, I get switched to the " Criminal Investigation Unit". I'm told I was pirating PPV and they want something like $15,000 in fees and penalties. I'm invited down but told that if I bring a lawyer, it becomes a legal process and they can't help me at all.
I went down and the guy in a suit thanks me for coming in. He says I have a one time offer- $2500 and sign a confession. He says he'll give me a moment to think it over.
The door closes and then opens up and in walks in someone I'd started to think of as a friend. Guy must have spent hundreds in my bar, secretly recording us showing pirate tv.
I ended up paying the $2500 and gave a statement that the equipment had come with the bar and I wasn't aware of it being wrong to steal and solemnly promised never to stray from the straight and narrow until penalty of being banned from MSG for life.
Somewhere, in my permanent record, that confession lurks.

What you just described would be similar to what all the IPTV providers could be subject to. They are broadcasting. As a IPTV customer would fall more towards your patrons. If a bar is broadcasting a PPV illegally, theIr not going after the customers but the provider who supplied the feed

Quote: billryan

One of my first bars had an illegal de-scrambler. We'd charge X amount at the door for fights and an occasional something else but pretty much limited it to regulars and their friends. Did absolutely no advertising about it, even in house.
One day my cable isn't working and when I call to get service, I get switched to the " Criminal Investigation Unit". I'm told I was pirating PPV and they want something like $15,000 in fees and penalties. I'm invited down but told that if I bring a lawyer, it becomes a legal process and they can't help me at all.
I went down and the guy in a suit thanks me for coming in. He says I have a one time offer- $2500 and sign a confession. He says he'll give me a moment to think it over.
The door closes and then opens up and in walks in someone I'd started to think of as a friend. Guy must have spent hundreds in my bar, secretly recording us showing pirate tv.
I ended up paying the $2500 and gave a statement that the equipment had come with the bar and I wasn't aware of it being wrong to steal and solemnly promised never to stray from the straight and narrow until penalty of being banned from MSG for life.
Somewhere, in my permanent record, that confession lurks.

They were probably right in that you got off cheap compared to going to court. The music licensing firms always win when someone using live entertainment doesn’t pay up.

They still pay people to do the exact same thing. The cost for a fight for me like Floyd was $4600 based on occupancy. No way that makes any sense as I don’t charge covers and would hurt my business if I did you an event when 3/4 of the regular customers are not there for it. But I get so many calls that week asking if we are offering it. It is just people fishing looking to report someone. Joe Hand Promotions does this for UFC fights as well, offering big payouts for anyone who can provide video of illegal viewings.

That said, I don’t have any issue with it. As a business owner, you have the choice of doing the math and determining if it makes sense for you. I don’t support bars stealing feeds and others intellectual property.