fubo TV?

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Neither of us are into ESPN/sports although we do enjoy the occasional rugby/soccer games and Olympic programs on Fubo. One thing really nice are the fishing shows. We didn't have the Outdoor channel included in our Frontier TV package so it's nice to have it back (we last had it with Direct TV).

As far as sound, it has been "theater like" for us and we have also been able to switch to dialogue emphasis. For TiVo we use an optic cable that connects to our Zvox soundbar. Some Amazon and Netfix shows are muddy while others are clear. So I don't think it is related to their apps as much as the individual shows.

For Fubo we use Apple TV connecting to a WHome BT soundbar. Same results. Show audio varies greatly with HD and current programming crystal clear while older (pre 2012) movies and shows are muddier. Since government implemented the "Corona stay at home" directives, the sound is all over the place with news shows that are connecting their guests over Skype or Zoom. Some voices come through quite clear while others are muddy and at a lower volume. I think it's due to the quality of the speaker that the "guests" or hosts are using from inside their homes.

 

And a very detailed and informative post it was. Thank you.

 

While Fubo is generally more known as sports focused and often compared up against YouTube or Hulu Live TV, it appears from the channel lineup, that Fubo Family ($59.99) + Fubo Extra ($5.99) can be compelling for a Sling Blue with Total TV Deal subscriber, looking for a more premium experience over Sling, or looking to try out a slightly different selection of entertainment channels while still keeping others not present in even YouTubeTV, e.g. Hallmark.

Granted, if you do the math, that's $66 vs. $50 - $16 higher with Fubo. Both of these packages lack ESPN/ABC in commonality. Fubo has more sports channels, but both have a number of more specialty cable channels as well, which might be a factor for women viewers in general. The price point is also still closer to each other, than AT&T Now's $80/mo pricing.

And for that extra $16/month, Fubo's plan of 500 cloud DVR is 10 times more than Sling, and notably, Fubo has CBS and probably better coverage of NBC and Fox affiliates. Sling has FX/FXX/NatGeo though, although these are now Disney owned channels, so understandably to Fubo that it isn't carried there.

 

Since my last update, Fubo has added profiles. So now up to 6 profiles can schedule and manage the shared DVR/cloud recordings. I understand that there is however, still a limit on allowing only 3 of those 6 profiles to watch live at the same time.

It's not just the money. Reliability, ease of use, features, product support and past experiences play a part in my continued use of Fubo.

I have had to contact Fubo twice now. Once I needed to update my credit card and a real person answered on the 2nd ring, generated a secure payment link in an email to me and then called back in 3 minutes to ensure problem resolution and my satisfaction.

Another was over email. It was answered within minutes, elevated to a higher level and the profile problem was resolved within a few hours.

 

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But why not just get yttv?

only reason I could see to get Fubo was Beos sports.

 

This doesn’t sound like a positive. What happened to logging into your account and changing your cc number?

 

I initially tried Sling, but that had issues so I cancelled before the trial was done and tested out Fubo. I've stayed with them. I upgraded to the family plan to get the 3 streams and 500GB cloud DVR. I love the feature of being able to record the entire show even if I only caught the last few minutes. It has the ability to display two channels at once, though I wish it had multiview like Vue had. Was glad they added profiles.

 

I started a one-week trial of Fubo TV, and think the app is pretty slick and it works well with a Roku device. I chose Fubo Family plus Fubo Extra plus AMC Premiere for the trial.

Channel selection wise, I like that it has most of the Philo channels plus Warner and NBC/Universal plus INSP plus Hallmark plus SONY/getTV plus Smithsonian Channel. However, for me, it's like going to a steak restaurant and liking the vegetarian sides but having to buy the steak to get it. I like the general entertainment channels but don't need the locals, the "news" channels, and sports channels, so likely will not keep it past the trial.

From a YouTube review video, it was mentioned the CEO of Fubo apparently views Hulu Live and YouTube TV as its direct competitors: cable replacement services. However, ABC and ESPN are missing in action and likely not to be added anytime. Without ABC in particular, it has just 3 of the 4 major networks. And it doesn't view Sling and Philo in the same consideration with Sling and Philo lean more cord-cutting oriented to cable. It'd be great for me if there was in an in between like an enhanced Philo package, or downsized Fubo (maybe impossible without sports) or improved Sling, etc. that still eschews some of the expensive sports channels but carries some more general entertainment content.

Vidgo didn't get a positive recommendation for use of channel changing and loading/searching content, even without a DVR.

 

So fubo is adding Disney/ABC/ESPN but will be dropping Warner channels CNN/TBS/TNT/TCM:
fuboTV Will Add ESPN Channels This Summer in New Distribution Agreement with Disney | Cord Cutters News

WarnerMedia Gets Set To End FuboTV Carriage For 11 Of Its Networks – Deadline

While I'm not a fubo subscriber anymore,
fubo having ABC is more complementary to NBC, FOX and CBS already offered, than the Warner suite of channels. Not sure about the sports angle though since fubo is intended to sports viewers and TBS/TNT will presumably air live NBA games and other sports in the future.

CNN.com is pretty much CNN without a subscription needed. Also, it's leans too biased pro establishment Democrat. Also for election night, CNNgo will likely be free.

Anyways MSNBC is still carried for the left viewer. CNN went strong coverage alerting viewers to wipe down pasta boxes and other grocery packages because of coronavirus even though transmission from grocery items wasn't ever found to be a spreader of the virus.

As for TBS which I used to like a long time ago,
TBS seems to air a ton of Friends now. While I enjoyed it 20 years ago, I think it is overrated as a rerun now, and believe Warner is overrating the show even with lure of HBOMax.

Maybe fubo could add AXS TV/HDNet Movies and MGM HD/Light TV, in addition to the Disney/ABC channels. It might help alleviate some attrition when the channels get swapped, although in general, I think the Disney suite of channels is preferrable to the Warner ones. Also, dropping Warner will help keep its price points lower than having added those in addition to the Disney channels.

 

I agree, it's a sweet addition. I have watched the same election coverage on a local channel or MSNBC that is on CNN. Nothing lost there.

We have OTA Tivo for local and PBS.
Once or twice Fubo recorded the wrong CBS show and we had the TiVo as a backup but we rarely watch it any more for any reason. It's just way more convenient now to watch TV over Fubo on our devices in any room or anywhere we find ourselves.

I been watching Tubi to watch movies instead of TMC. I can put up with the one or two 90 sec commercials.
And Nat Geo is coming back so hubby will like Wicked Tuna access again.

We were in the midst of recording Friends on one of the Turner stations. That show is now being carried by a different station.

Fubo made is easy to find what stations are carrying shows we recorded on Turner station. They sent a link in an email to their customers.

They are also raising their rate by $5 a month. Currently we pay $7 a month for a Disney plus. We we can drop that and save $2.

I have been through channel package line up changes with others- Direct TV, Dish, Verizon and Frontier. So this is nothing new. It's not a game changer for me.

 

I also cancelled my subscription. TCM is one of the main channels I watch, and they were also moving me to the Family Plan which is more expensive. I'll move back over to Sling when my subscription ends later this month and then depending on what goes on with the NFL this season, I can always switch back to get all the sports channels, now that they have ESPN.

If FuboTV would have been able to keep TCM this would have been a no-brainer for me to keep, even with the rate hike.

 

I currently have fuboTV mainly because my husband is a big soccer fan. I’m not happy about the increase but am happy about the addition of ESPN. I cancelled cable a while back and this is still cheaper than cable so I’m keeping Fubo for now.

 

TCM is one of the better if not best of the Warner channels. Unfortunately, it is tied to the rest of Warner.

TCM can still be obtained with Sling Blue plus Hollywood Extra at $35/month. The Sling On Demand did not have the content of the TCM or at least what is shown linearly. I wanted to try AT&T Watch TV to see if it did, but my Roku didn't support Watch TV, and I doubt it anyways.

As for fubo, the price increase is $5 but it's a bit more palatable than YouTube TV's $15 price increase. I was thinking that fubo could have probably dropped the ViacomCBS channels as well with CBS at least offered through CBS All Access, but it might be too much movement in one fell swoop and maybe backfired. But maybe they could have merged fubo Extra added the Disney channels and come out more profitable without Viacom and Warner.

But I think YouTube TV, AT&T TV and Hulu Live will position themselves as cable replacements but the base packages will continue to have high costs.

Sling, Philo and Vidgo (lacks a DVR) are going the cord-cutter more basic route.

Fubo could place itself as luxury above that of Sling and Philo, but not necessarily so pricey to the point of $60/mo base packages by exposure to the full greed in the linear space by having all of the major content providers.

 

Fubo is in the price same category as YTTV, ATV and Hulu Live.

 

Yes, but unlike the others, it has balls to drop channels (Warner) where YouTube/Google wants to be a cable replacement and doesn't want to go without any of the most popular channels. fubo could position itself slightly under those mentioned, as well in price, but above Sling for price/experience. There is a space in the middle not well covered, but it could be risky dropping Warner and say Viacom together but maybe necessary at some point. I don't think it has the name recognition as the ATTV, YTTV or Hulu Live, and likely won't for the time being.

 

Others have dropped channels too. And don't even have certain channels in the first place.

Yes if they drop more channels they can lower costs and price but so can everyone else.

IF Fubo really wanted to lower price they wouldn't have signed up ABC and ESPN. Doing that only raised their price.

 

HBO Max ($15/mo) includes a section of classic films curated by TCM. Pretty impressive line-up. It doesn't necessarily include all the same films that TCM is airing in a given month but it's from the same film vault that TCM uses.

As for AT&T Watch TV, it's no longer taking new subscribers as of a few days ago. Step one in killing it.

 

Then it seems HBOMax is partially self-competing with the value added of the Warner's linear channels.

Besides RSNs, has Hulu Live or YTTV ever dropped a full suite of channels from a provider like fubo dropping Warner? I just get the feeling these bigger streaming providers won't be doing that but fubo being a more niche decided it was in its interest to drop Warner. I think ABC/ESPN is still more valuable than Warner. A lot has to do with ABC affiliates. At least here in Philly, WPVI is the most watched TV station newscast. Even if I get the 6abc app for local news, and Hulu (without LiveTV) for ABC programs viewable the next day, and have ABC News Live, they are good alternatives, but not as nice as having the ABC station streaming with the other major broadcast networks.

 

Fubo's number one complaint has been where is ESPN, you're a sports service. They finally gave people what they wanted.