A page to document my experiences of cutting the cord for my parents. The phrase more modernly used to represent getting rid of paid-television, broadcast services. But in reality, simply getting away from the tactics and practices of the (monopoly) cable television services including satellite TV and even ATT Uverse. (originally composed in August 2018)
I have never had home paid-television service. Only ever telephone or internet as a paid communication service. Early on, I used Windows Media Center as my DVR (along with a HauppageTV Tuner card) to record shows. When television signals went digital, I bought a SilicomDust HD HomeRun dual ATSC tuner box (back in 2010) and used that with WMC to watch and record live TV. But my parents, on the other hand, have relied on paid-television reception for the past 30+ years of their elder-year retirement. After many years of continual frustration with the paid-television providers since I arrived in NC, we have decided to "cut the cord" and force ourselves into another solution. Here documents the experience.
To be truthful, I have been following the market for many years. But it is only now that I see it is really possible to do. Not without hiccups. Often there were a few channels that was critical to them and only available with cable. What I think is the big difference this year is the traditional big cable providers (Cox/Chart/TWC/Spectrum), satellite providers (DirectTV, Dish) and the original streaming provider (AT&T with Uverse) have now started offering almost all traditional cable channels in streaming (IPTV) bundles. The prices have risen to nearly match the cable ones, but still without contracts.
Bundling Internet, TV and possibly phone has never made sense to us; except maybe some of promotions AT&T Wireless and maybe Apple iTunes do in their "universes". So splitting them further is not an issue. Bundles usually had more restrictions and tie-ups to contract issues than the benefit or cost savings they potentially offered.
Just to get some terms straight, let me explain the nuances here.
| Term | Meaning | ||
| Streaming TV | Usually applied to live broadcast over the Internet (IPTV for Internet Protocol TV) but also used for on-demand now | ||
| On-Demand TV | Like Netflix solely offers. Any service which provides the ability to select from a catalog of material and select one item for immediate viewing. Thus, viewed on-demand as opposed to waiting for scheduled time for a broadcast signal to carry it. Movies, already broadcast TV shows (e.g. reruns), and similar content. | ||
| Broadcast TV | Not just meaning live as in a sports event or political debate, but any traditionally broadcast signal that is set for a given time to start and end. Often we use a Guide to see the channels and their content over time. When you "tune" to the channel, it is in progress at that point in the broadcast. | ||
Our Solution
Our solution now going forward is:| Provider | Cost | Notes | Alternate |
| SlingTV (Dish Network) | $65/mth for all packages incl DVR | Streaming live-broadcast service Most, traditional cable channels | DirectTVNow, ATT Watch, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime, PhiloTV, PS View, Fubo |
| SiliconDust HD HomeRun Connect Quattro | $100 purch $35/yr for their DVR service (if needed) | For Local channels (Sling provides none) Tuner for Over-the-air (OTA) Broadcast signals Needs antennae (had). DVR service requires a local NAS device (have) Mouthful of a name! | AirTV (Dish), FireTV Recast (Amazon) |
| Roku Ultra Set-top box | $110 purch | To run / control Sling App, SiliconDust HD App, Netflix, Amazon, etc | Amazon FireTV, AppleTV |
| AT&T Fiber | $70/mth | Not necessarily needed; but true no-data cap with Fiber package. | Spectrum, Google Fiber, |
I have had DLNA / NAS servers on the local home network for 10+ years. I buy used Netgear ReadyNAS servers off Ebay, Amazon, Newegg, etc and am constantly upgrading the disk size as I run out of space. I now have over 46 TB of disk in place and almost all used now. The NAS servers provide more reliable (for single disk failure) storage of media material. As well as backup targets for computers and family digital content The NAS Servers are not needed for a streaming TV solution but is an added benefit if you have digitized your media already. I am still investigating a better presentation solution for our own Media (Movies, CD's, etc) as the traditional DLNA players on Roku are not sufficient to select when you are casually looking for something to watch. (To be honest, the Roku and apps lag in presenting the thousands of on-demand titles as well.)
Key Summary Points
Key points in the take-away from this process are as follows:- Gone are the days of a simple guide interface and cable channel numbers for quick switch by entering a number, finding content consistently, or even a "jump back" button. Things are not anywhere near as integrated with a streaming solution like this. And becoming less so as bundled streaming gives way for individual, paid owners of content providing their own service. Even with SlingTV having most of the typical cable channels, they (a) do not carry all the channels (including no locals), (b) they have no clean, compact guide, and (c) they do not number the channels for easy quick switch. In fact, the set-top box solutions do not even have a number keypad like traditional TV remotes. (You can use a universal, smart remote like from LogiTech but there are no numbers assigned to channels to quick select.) There is no easy search nor sensible order for channels in the Sling App nor Roku. And even if a guide is available (in Sling), there is no quick page through the channel lists or time slots. You get at most 4 channels appearing on a page at a time with a single step arrow button push to drop one off and add another to the view. And much content created these days is not on SlingTV anyway — Netflix, Amazon, etc. — or not being "broadcast" but available for on-demand viewing only. So no real guide will necessarily help. But a usable guide like previously available would be nice for broadcast signals.
- While paid-television provided an integrated set-top box with their subscription service to channels, you must deal with the multi-headed hydra of selecting a box and the multiple "re-broadcast" sources for streaming channels. Rarely, a newer TV may have the "set-top box" built in. Often an under-powered solution like the HDMI-port "sticks" also out. So a separate box may still be warranted. There may be another box required for providing ("tuning") local, "OTA" channels if they are not provided directly by the streaming service (basically, a Sling issue mostly)
- Just because a streaming "re-broadcaster" (like a traditional cable provider) does not provide a channel does not mean it is not available to you. You can subscribe to more than one streaming service. Most set-top boxes can have downloaded apps and most content providers (i.e. channels) provide an app to view their material on most set-top boxes. Downloading a separate App usually means you will not have the channel in a common "guide" provided by the streaming re-broadcaster. We have to use this "App" solution with EWTN and GSN no matter what the streaming service as none provide those channels. And, bizarrely, a separate app with Fox News and ALL local channels as our choice of SlingTV does not provide them either. These separate apps are not as nicely integrated a solution as cable/satellite services are/were. Finally, due to bugs in Roku's media player, we often have to watch the local NBC affiliate WRAL through the NBC app and not the Silicondust HD app for local, live broadcast. But even in the NBC App, Roku's media player has problems with the NBC signal (specifically during live sports broadcasts) which requires restarting the app every 30 minutes or so. So much farther along but still not appliance-like.
- Streaming is no longer cheap. In the end, we are paying almost as much as the typical cable cost to get the channels we wanted. But are not beholden to contracts and bizarre tactics like commitments for 2 years with only a single year price guarantee. And streaming prices have taken considerable leaps in the last year or so. Content providers are losing revenue from paid-television subscriber service contracts (cable, satellite). And streaming providers, like streaming music, pay much less to re-broadcast the channels to streamers. As a result of all this, content providers are forcing in higher fees to carry their channels by streamers. Or simply pulling out all together and either creating their own network or requiring their own separate app (usually with a cost) for access. This is driving up streaming prices. ATT simply raised DirectTV Now prices to match or exceed their satellite and/or Uverse options.
- Streaming is amazingly more rich in content than cable. Especially for on-demand. Although the traditional cable / satellite providers all have bundled streaming packages that look like paid-television of old, it is becoming more and more fragmented as content providers try to keep their content for themselves and make you pay them a separate, small subscription fee for access via their app and signal. Expect this to continue into the future.
- Like with cable companies, there are no guarantees as you go forward. Channels may come and go; just as content on Netflix comes and goes. Just this month, ACC Network pulled out of SlingTV as ABC/Disney look to create their own service. The local CBS channel is not on the AT&T platform. Fox Sports South is no longer available on Sling. And so on. A constantly moving and changing market.
Details
Just to state up front, SlingTV and AirTV are Dish Network brands. Similar to Dish, they tend to offer cheaper but less featured and slower hardware solutions. Also, although appearing independent, their solutions only tend to work with their products and not others. The one caveat is that SlingTV actually seems to have the best coverage of more channels for the cheapest price now. So even though the SlingTV-AirTV combo is more integrated, the SiliconDust HD HomeRun box is a much better solution for local broadcast channels than AirTV.Streaming Services
I started with an excellent series of overview articles about cord-cutting solutions provided by CNET and updated very recently. During my investigations, I found their balance and coverage to be fairly accurate. They provided a spreadsheet of the coverage of their top-100 stations by the various broadcast / streaming services. I used this as a starting point to delve deeper and provide more detail.See my modified spreadsheet at Comparing Streaming Services and even Local Channels which details which streaming services provide which local channels in specific broadcast markets. I have hidden some rows and columns to bring out content; as well as colored / highlighted cells, rows and columns and then even added information in cells and new rows and columns. Green background rows in the "Comparing Streaming Services" spreadsheet indicate my parents must-haves. Colored background columns are the main ones we considered for coverage of their must-haves.
We were going to need 4 packages in addition to Orange+Blue with SlingTV to cover all the must-haves (green rows). The packages are all $5 with sports being $10. Luckily, once we signed up, SlingTV offers a $20 all-inclusive package of all 8 of their packages (including Sports and DVR). DVR was to be another $5 alone. So basically, for $65 after any sign-on initial discounts, you get everything offered (other than special, a-la-carte like HBO, StarZ, etc).
Note: an ugly limitation. Sling Orange gets one stream. Sling Blue is good for 3 simultaneous streams. Sling Orange+Blue supposedly gets 4 streams. Just found out now that any Sling Orange-only channel (like ESPN) can only ever be viewed on one device / stream simultaneously. Period. No exception. ESPN, ESPN2, and Disney Channel are the majpr channels that fall into this limitation category. Definitely against the stated feature of the Sling sales and marketing literature.
Set-top Boxes
We are not even looking at any "sticks" or built-in-to-existing-TV's (LG, Samsung) as they are all under-powered; from best we can tell.Although Roku has traditionally been a piece of hardware, the real solution is their OS they have built and support. And as the original, they have the widest range of available apps. So although AppleTV, AmazonTV and such are now nipping at their heals, they are still the market leader.
Each set-top box manufacturer has their own OS. So each stream app provider (i.e. channel in many cases) must program a unique app for each OS and hardware platform. The OS's are like middle-men between content providers of stream material and the users TV used to select content to view. The app providers cannot have a consistent interface or features across all the platforms.
These set-top boxes are specialized computers with unique operating systems (not Microsoft Windows), in their own right. With unique app development required for each platform. Just like for all the different tablets, smartphones and desktops. So this causes much duplication of effort in the market and leads to fragmentation as providers prioritize alliances.
The "set-top boxes" (i.e. OS) are organized more like a tablet app presentation of an array of apps to chose to from. Some apps with lots of content may have more traditional "guide" interfaces inside; especially for broadcast streams that can have future scheduled shows recorded in a DVR fashion. Others are simply selections of lots of on-demand, pre-recorded material. Roku has failed to use their leadership position to figure out how to straddle this new-found realm of mixed on-demand and broadcast content.
- Roku Ultra
- is their high-end unit and most expensive. Like the SiliconDust HD HomeRun Connect Quatro though, it is not much bigger than a cigarette pack of old. Lots of punch for the size. We did not find it lagging at all. Except maybe on the MediaPlayer loading content by buffering first. That could take a few seconds. The interface could be built much better. Even Windows Media Center (WMC) of old could fit more content and provide quicker navigation on the screen. And you have to remember that navigating in each app (provider) is different and not consistent for getting content. Roku could really pull ahead by having a "registration" service for content and then providing a centralized Guide and Saerch mechanism for content.
- AppleTV 4k
- is the Cadillac of the streaming boxes compared to the Roku medium to low-end solutions long-offered and widely popular. Think of it like Apple vs PC with Roku representing the PC market. In the end, we did not even open the box for the AppleTV (returned it). We were more than satisfied with the performance and features of Roku to simply select it. Don't get us wrong. We went through lots of reviews of all the products and saw a few demos at stores. Just with AppleTV's premium price and limitations on content providers (apps), we went with Roku.
- FireTV
- by Amazon is their entry. Going strong, head-to-head with the high end Roku Ultra solution and AppleTV. Again, because of the larger content today, we went with the Roku and did not seriously evaluation the FireTV solution.
- AndroidTV
- is built in as the OS and integrated set-top box in some TV's. But it has a long road to travel to meet the Roku and Apple for features and content providers. Playing catch-up and quickly; but not there yet. Google/Android "Play" market is just nowhere near what others have been able to build up.
We seem to have an issue where the local signal broadcast by WRAL channel 5 (NBC) is not always compatible with Roku's player. Specifically, some National originating signals. (Today show did not work; but a live sports broadcast of a football game did.) Still investigating but this is the biggest hindrance to finalizing a SlingTV and Roku solution today. Roku is getting the WRAL signal from the SiliconDust HD Homerun box / app.
WMC playing and recording off the HD Homerun signal from WRAL never exhibits any issue. We suspect there is some different coding used at different times that Roku's mediaplayer cannot handle (for whatever reason). Supposedly, Roku is supposed to just pass on the video and audio stream unaltered to the HDMI port though. So not sure yet. Their are other channels than just WRAL that are HD broadcast so we do not believe that is the cause.
OTA Tuners (with DVR)
As mentioned in the summary, I have had a SiliconDust HDHomerun Dual ATSC Tuner for 10 years to pickup typical broadcast, Over-the-Air (OTA) television transmission. It was used with a mediacenter PC (WMC) and its guide to record and watch live TV. Worked much better than any cable setup. But did require a higher-end PC to be available to turn on for recording. And eventually isolate it from updates and the net as constant updates of software would break the functionality (became fragile as Microsoft pulled out its focus on support).- AirTV
- local tuner is the (only) supported box by SlingTV and allows the live channels to appear within SlingTVs normal channel guide. AirTV, while now dual tuner, only allows one tuner to play live TV at a time though. And must be connected to the TV it is servicing. Requiring an indoor antenna near the TV. The second stream can only be used for recording (or both for recording). You can add an external, USB disk for recording though. Also, there seems to be a different "tied" versus "anywhere" possibly avaiilable. The white box is tied to a single set-top box / TV for viewing. The black box is network accessible and usable anywhere. This is key for us as the antennae and AirTV box must go upstairs near a specific window to receive the OTA signal reliably. it cannot be located with the antennae near the TV it is to play on. Even though dual-tuner, it can only play one live stream at a time. It is not clear if you can have multiple AirTV units on the network to provide live TV to multiple TV's simultaneously.
- HD HomeRun Connect Quattro
- is a mouthful and the latest tuner from SiliconDust. It has four tuners and only a single antenna input (a bump up from early models of 10 years ago). Every tuner can be separately used by any device on the network — either watching live TV or for recording. A NAS device somewhere on your home network can be used to record and play shows from their box directly. Does require a $35/year subscription to have this external DVR recording function and 14 day guide (from the 7-day, single channel at a time normally available). So you pay $100 for the box and another $35 a year to really use it as a DVR. It is integrated with AppleTV and FireTV via their apps; and as of July 2019 with Roku. And many media server software solutions like Kodi and Plex. Like Roku, they have been doing this a long time and support everyone under the sun.
- FireTV Recast
- from Amazon is their new entrant with a dual-tuner and internal hard disk option for DVR features. It is much pricier than the other two but seamlessly integrated into the FireTV set-top box (or stick).
Our Apps and solution
So here is how our Roku Ultra is configured to find shows and content:| App | Cost | Use(s) | |
| SlingTV | $65/mth | Most traditional cable channels; will list our must haves by package shortly. Hallmark channels, ESPN, NFL Network, MLB Network, Can order a-la-carte additional channels for a fee (HBO, etc). Fee includes its own DVR capability. Basically turns broadcast item into on-demand for later viewing; often available via providers app anyway but not always. | |
| HD (Silicon Dust HD Homerun) | Free (but needs tuner box on network) | Local, over-the-air (OTA) broadcast stations. $35/yr fee Fee and local NAS box on network needed for DVR capability. | |
| Roku MediaPlayer | Free on Roku box | Plays DLNA server media it finds on the local network (Photos, Music, Videos: we have it all digitized and available via a NAS server) | |
| Amazon | Requires Prime Subscription | Much content; some original. Much of it free (or no additional cost). All on-demand. | |
| Netflix | Requires subscription | Much content; some original. Much of it free (or no additional cost). All on-demand. | |
| Only Solution | Meaning there is no other way to get this content except by a separate App | ||
| EWTN | register with email | Beside multiple live-stream broadcasts, have a lot of on-demand, previously shown content Not available on any streaming platform and requires higher-end packages to receive on most satellite / cable providers. | |
| Fox News | @@ | Oddly, SlingTV is the only streaming bundle supplier without FoxNews. Appears all other cable / satellite / streaming providers have it in their base packages. Rumor is they are getting ready to open their own network anyway (like ABC/Disney or like CBS already has). Anyway, this is the only way. | |
| Currently Unavailable | |||
| ACC Network | @@ | Not an app; just documenting the channel itself. See notes below. | |
| Fox Sports South | Since late July, Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) have not been available on SlingTV due to a dispute in the contract / funding. So FS-South is no longer available | ||
| Enhanced Solution | Although live stream is available in other ways, we have added these Apps to our home page for enhanced content | ||
| NBC | @@ | Sometimes Roku MediaPlayer will not start the local WRAL 5.1 NBC affiliate stream forwarded by the HD app and box. So we sometimes need this app to watch the NBC affiliate station or national feed. | |
| ESPN | @@ | More channels than even SlingTV provides with the base and sport packages. Currently ACC Network has been pulled from Sling and was available here. Appears no longer unless you have the correct satellite provider. | |
| Game Show Network (GSN) | @@ | For some reason, GSN is not available on most streaming platforms though regularly available on cable / satellite plans. Is on SlingTV though. So this is for on-demand content. | |
| Hallmark | Enhanced, on-demand content. Separate Hallmark Now app (separate fee) for more on-demand (old broadcast movies and shows). | ||
| PBS | email registration only | Expanded content; as a backup to the OTA tuner as well | |
ACC Network is just starting on 29 August 2019. It is on Spectrum and DirectTV. But not Dish, SlingTV nor ATT Uverse. We will get it for a week or so while our Spectrum account overlaps. But then looks like we will lose it. ACC is the way to watch the local college games not being picked up by a major network.
Notes on improvements needed
Maybe the market is still entering its teen years. And needs to stablize and grow. The entry of the traditional providers of live-broadcast signals is doing a lot to push it along. But more is still needed; especially to have 80+ year old users like my parents. Here are some noticed deficiencies that could/should be fixed.- Guide and Channel Availability
- This is where Roku could really shine and use its muscle better. Instead of simply providing this pass through platform, likely with some packages to aid UI development, they could do much more. With more live-content, broadcast-style channels being added, they could have a "registration" service of apps. Then provide a single, consistent interface to all live-channel content and a consistent guide. Maybe even add channel numbers or some similar quick switch / select mechanism. Currently, everything is buried in each app. While Sling and similar have the most content of this type, it is never all of it. Even a search across all Roku "channels" (that is, apps) for on-demand content would be nice. Especially if it allowed one to filter out content that was not already available. (Too many apps use their guide and platform simply as an advertisement for other services you can subscribe too. Like Amazon does with MLB.tv)
- Better UI design
- Roku and the apps inside all seem to follow this max 4 channels across and maybe, if lucky, 4 rows of content vertically. Giving you, at most, 16 things to see at a time. Then not even a page at a time skip but only a row or maybe column at a time movement through the larger array of material to scroll through. Historically, cable boxes and such have been much more efficient with the space. Providing more information and even with larger fonts. Just look at SlingTV's "MyChannel" selector. Each "emblem" is 1/3 the size it could be with text barely legible even when only 3 feet from the screen.
- More complete remotes
- For some reason, Roku and AppleTV are trying to do minimalist remotes. This is fine when in early development and dedicated keys are not yet set. But things are far enough along to go further. This (and price) is what scared me away from the AppleTV for elders. Roku's buttons are too small and too varied in protrusion from the remote. Making it difficult for elders to hit the embedded OK button between the highly raised directional arrows surrounding it. Their implementation of the remote in the smartphone / tablet app can help get round this. But then that virtual remote is missing the volume and power buttons.
Better media server app for Roku
I have my optical disc movie collection cataloged in MyMovies.dk software. And optical disc music collection (and LP's) in Discogs.com. Both have Android apps. MyMovies has a Windows Media Center interface that allows for the nice search and selection of a title to watch. The Roku Media Player app is a simple DLNA capability without any real search by other than the file title. So want something easier to use for this media as well as the 10,000+ family photos that are online as well. Here is the documentation of solutions being considered. Ultimate would be to have a MyMovies app on Roku which can then also have the play button like in WMC and Android.Kodi, Plex, Emby, WMC, CMC (Chameleon Media Center; see Roku topic and some posts on the MyMovies Forum), Mezzmo (with Roku App)
Netgear ReadyNAS has a Plex app to make it be a Plex server. But did not like how it requires your catalog be uploaded to their server. Emby and CMC have a Roku app, it appears.
Some searches done so far:
UPDATE (After One Year; Aug 2019)
This is s highly volatile market with big changes constantly occurring.A big one is YoutubeTV getting greedy with essentially a 100% fee increase over the year. Now the price of cable. With the virus shutting down live sports, is it worth it?
Another big issue is access to new channels. athe big announcements of new content the last few months all come with the caveat: not available on Roku or Amazon FireTV. See the MotleyFool Article for a hint as to why. Disney+ is available.
The market has become more fractured with big-draw stored content (movies, TV serials) becoming exclusive to one provider or another. Leaving groups like Sling, YoutubeTV, and similar to live stream content only. It was announced that HBOMax paid $1+B for exclusive rights to re-air Big Bang Theory. They have long had similar for Friends.
Plusses are that Roku improved its platform such that the media player makes it much easier to select desired content off the DLNA servers. Not offering selection like the MyMovies app, but at least can find what one knows about now.
UPDATE (Feb 2020)
Our requirement for having Hallmark and Game Show Network channels went away. These seemed almost exclusive to SlingTV.The Sling interface (and in general, any large channel service) on a Roku (and set-top boxes in general) is painful. They have not learned how to provide live guides that span providers, channel order, and quick jump and jump-back the way cable companies have. The remotes do not even have number keypads and 100+ channel guides are seemingly in a random order with no numeric numbering.
Sling jacked their prices another $10. to $70 for everything you can possibly get. And yet you still do not get local channels.
SiliconDust HD Homerun for locals, while been working great for 8 years on a media-room media-center PC, is horrible in the Roku Mediaplayer. (For example, every day at 7:10PM — you can set your watch by it — the local NBC channel drops off the Roku media player and will not return until 8PM or later.)
For all these reasons, we were able to reevaluate and switched to YoutubeTV. For $50, we get everything we need: live sports channels, all local broadcast channels. all in one app, an easier / nicer channel guide, easier / nicer program recording and more. So as long as YoutubeTV has the channels you want, and you do not mind paying $50 like you paid the cable company, this is the streaming solution that works best.
UPDATE (Dec 2020)
Market has been moving really fast. YoutubeTV jacked their prices to $65 over the summer. Making them the most expensive but still the most expansive for live sports and broadcast channels. But many players have since been introduced.It seems when new "channels" launch, they do not support the Roku box. Even though Roku clearly still dominates with well over 50% of the installed streaming platform base. Seems it is a licensing issue of giving the content providers more control and access over the clients who are watching. But finally, on Dec 21, HBOMax, the biggest big player to enter the market, became available on Roku.
Beside the big HBOMax launch, we have seen Disney+, Peacock and now Discovery. Each starting at low introductory rates to build subscribers. But then quickly upping the monthly cost. It is clear, the fragmentation and likely higher cost is coming. The providers are learning that consumers will pay top dollar just to see a single show, movie or similar. And to be honest, it is the content provider networks we tend to pay attention to and use: Netflix, HBOMax, and Amazon. (We have not jumped onto the Disney bandwagon yet and mooch to get most of these others beyond our YoutubeTV subscription.) Even our home media server app (Plex formerly XBMC) is trying to become a content provider / platform and pushing their own channels and content beyond your personal content you install it for.
Publications are trying to keep up with this constantly evolving market. See, for example,
- Consumer Reports $25 a month package, Rising costs with cable replacement services
- CNet Best For ...
- FoxNews Streaming Bundles for $20, $30 or $50 per month
- Streaming Bundle Price Hikes; avoiding
- Complete list of 200+ Streaming Services available in USA (with initial grouping of those providing live, broadcast channels)
- Local Channels Options (note: does not indicate but the channel YoutubeTV continues to be the only streaming service carrying the PBS live broadcast and ability to DVR. Not even the PBS app provides this.)
We are still really pleased with our Roku Ultra boxes. Few hiccups on some boxes in the first few months (one that got too hot with being used too much; some glitches) but that has all ironed itself out with updates and such.
Although we have AppleTV channel on Roku free for a year; we rarely ever use it. It is almost entirely a platform to try and sell other subscriptions for which we can get the app for. Hardly any original content. Amazon channel does that a bit also but makes it easier to know what is free with Prime and what is add-on cost. And most is free and original content. Unlike the Apple channel.
After over 10 years, I cleaned my media room out of all its specialized boxes. 48 TBs of video servers, PC's, etc. All that is left is the Roku. This because I decided to (a) get away from DLNA service to serve up my local movies and (b) stop using the images of optical disks to view in the big screen, surround sound room. I am opting to simply use MP4s with Stereo created of all purchased discs as 98+% of the time we are watching via a Phone, Tablet or Roku box. This has caused me to switch off the Roku MediaPlayer (which is buggy with a DishTV like old fashioned, dated media-finding file-name-only interface) to finally make the plunge to using a Plex server. The big hassle here is renaming all the movie files (over 3,000) to the strict titles that Plex requires to accurately match your file to its DB of titles with posters, actors, descriptions, etc. I figure doing 50 a day I can maybe get it down in 3 months time
It was kinder to auto pickup the TV Series and home videos / photos as well as MP3 images of the CD's we have.