Magic Box...Nvidia...I'm confused

[Skinny Tire AH]

I'd really like to understand ditching the Direct TV we currently have. I'm not even sure what streaming is? How do they connect to my Theatre? Do I just unplug my DTV box and put this thingy in?

What service? There are so many.

What devices seem to offer good service. HELP...

 

[satellitemike]

Subsrcibed!

 

[viperized_jr]

I use Nvidia with tivimate. I have had it for a few years now with minor downtime. You are able to get a TV guide for it so it works just like DTV. All you need is wife and it plugs into your TV via hdmi cable.

 

[BabyRay]

I use Nvidia with tivimate. I have had it for a few years now with minor downtime. You are able to get a TV guide for it so it works just like DTV. All you need is wife and it plugs into your TV via hdmi cable.

Can you get live local channels, or is this just for streaming previously recorded stuff?

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

I use Nvidia with tivimate. I have had it for a few years now with minor downtime. You are able to get a TV guide for it so it works just like DTV. All you need is wife and it plugs into your TV via hdmi cable.

Is there a subscription service required? And the local TV thing is also a great point?

 

[C-2]

I'm pretty tech savvy, but homey ain't got time to be fiddlin' with the TV.

I ditched Spectrum cable after decades and went with YouTube TV. Works great and more importantly, wifey likes it

edit: Also saved $140 month.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

I'm pretty tech savvy, but homey ain't got time to be fiddlin' with the TV.

I ditched Spectrum cable after decades and went with YouTube TV. Works great and more importantly, wifey likes it

edit: Also saved $140 month.

OK, Same questions, local channels?

 

[viperized_jr]

Can you get live local channels, or is this just for streaming previously recorded stuff?

Is there a subscription service required? And the local TV thing is also a great point?

You get basically every channel in the US. Abc, NBC, CBS, Fox for every city. It has the movie channels, sports you name it.

If I remember correctly it's $250 for the subscription and that's for 5 different devices. Then the renewal is $200. Then a 1 time fee of $25 to get the TV guide for 5 devices. This also includes on demand and movies.

I finally got my parents to switch and they take them back and forth between houses. Instead of having cable at all the houses.

Also if you upload a memory card into the invidia you are able to record shows.

 

[C-2]

OK, Same questions, local channels?

Yes

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

You get basically every channel in the US. Abc, NBC, CBS, Fox for every city. It has the movie channels, sports you name it.

If I remember correctly it's $250 for the subscription and that's for 5 different devices. Then the renewal is $200. Then a 1 time fee of $25 to get the TV guide for 5 devices. This also includes on demand and movies.

I finally got my parents to switch and they take them back and forth between houses. Instead of having cable at all the houses.

Also if you upload a memory card into the invidia you are able to record shows.

And I assume the tivimate is the guide?

 

[retaocleg]

Subsrcibed!

me too, and not the touching type

 

[BabyRay]

You get basically every channel in the US. Abc, NBC, CBS, Fox for every city. It has the movie channels, sports you name it.

If I remember correctly it's $250 for the subscription and that's for 5 different devices. Then the renewal is $200. Then a 1 time fee of $25 to get the TV guide for 5 devices. This also includes on demand and movies.

I finally got my parents to switch and they take them back and forth between houses. Instead of having cable at all the houses.

Also if you upload a memory card into the invidia you are able to record shows.

Thanks for the reply. The detail is appreciated.

 

[intense]

Another vote for youtube tv

 

[DirtyWhiteDog]

What am I missing. Not a big tv guy either. Bought magic box (stream smart) $200+ and a digital antenna $50ish. Get all local off of the antenna and pretty much everything else off the box. I pay for internet monthly.

 

[WhatExit?]

I wasn't familiar with Nvidia Shield TV (assuming that's what's being discussed here). So I Googled it:

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro Review 2024

Learn more about the ultimate streaming media player, NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro.

www.cabletv.com

 

[Not So Fast]

Same situation here, our Directv bill I challenged at over #150 @ mo with no premium channels. They more or less said thats it, fuck them. So Im looking for advice as to what, where do you look for solutions. Its a very hard thing to break away from something you've had for years, and Im no "up to date tv know it all" so left in the dark as to solution.
All I do know is DirecTV has gotten too big for thier own britches and it has to change.
If there was a biz that could make referrals/ advice it would be where Im headed cause I dont know shit about this stuff.
WHERE IS JY RUIZ WHEN YOU NEED HIM ??????????????? Call me Juan
nsf ( Bobby)

 

[hman442]

My cable bill, with the "box" rentals, the various fees (sports access, taxes) I'm paying 160 without premium channels. We also have a Roku TV, (same as plugging a ROKU device into your current TV), and use the apps: Netflix, Amazon, Discovery, Paramount+, AppleTV, HBO Max, etc, which we pay for. I asked Mrs. when was the last time she used the cable, she couldn't say, and I know I haven't used the "200 channels of nothing" in recent memory, so we're "cutting the cord", as they say. It's tough, as I've had cable forever, but things have changed, with everything good on apps. As far as local channels, I don't even care. Several friends have those new style flat, hang on the wall or window type antennas that seem to receive the local channels fine, if that's needed.
Edit: I just looked at the Roku website, and they list numerous options to receive local news.

 

[DRYHEAT]

If you just want simple TV that’s relatively easy to use, YouTube TV works well. Yes there is a monthly cost but the base plan is $65 a month right now they have a free trial and three months at $55 doesn’t need an expensive box to work, I had fubo Tv for about a year was OK but the mobile app didn’t work very well and there was more buttons to push to get to where you wanted to go.

 

[nameisbond]

Firestick and SIQ is what I'm running. SIQ has local channels across the US, Canada, and the UK. Thousands of shows and movies, even current ones. All for $20 per year. It might be more now, I got a promo deal.

 

[Ziggy]

With a wife that just starts pressing any & every button when something doesn't work properly I'm scared shitless to switch things up cuz I am not the "Shell answer man" when it comes to this kinda stuff.

 

[WhatExit?]

I've gotta kill my relationship with DirecTV - been putting it off but it's time...

Beginner’s Guide to Cord Cutting | Cord Cutters News

In This Guide Establish Your Monthly Costs When we survey Cord Cutters News readers about their reasons for cutting cable, saving money is consistently the top response. If you’re thinking about cutting the cord, start by looking at how much you’re currently paying for cable. Be sure to include...

cordcuttersnews.com

25 Best Cord Cutting Blogs and Websites in 2025

FeedSpot brings you the best list of Cord Cutting blogs, ranked by relevance, online following, and freshness to keep you connected with the latest voices

blog.feedspot.com

 

[rivermobster]

I wasn't familiar with Nvidia Shield TV (assuming that's what's being discussed here). So I Googled it:

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro Review 2024

Learn more about the ultimate streaming media player, NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro.

www.cabletv.com

View attachment 1208334

Holy fuck, talk about false advertising!!!

Even the FireStick has 4k and Dolby Surround. The FireCube has Atmos as well.

Talk about a complete rip off!!!

 

[viperized_jr]

I don't make or sell these things so I'm just speaking from experience with mine. If anyone is interested in switching though and live close to Rancho Cucamonga I'll let you borrow 1 for a week to see if you like it. All you need is internet.

 

[rivermobster]

I'd really like to understand ditching the Direct TV we currently have. I'm not even sure what streaming is? How do they connect to my Theatre? Do I just unplug my DTV box and put this thingy in?

What service? There are so many.

What devices seem to offer good service. HELP...

If you have Amazon Prime, go ahead and get the Cube. It has more HP than their Firesticks do, and it has all the tech you will need, If you have a 4K TV and a surround sound system.

Plus...

Amazon Prime has lots of movies and shows included! Some of the best original stuff actually.

Once you have it, and get the hang of how it works, then you can decide what additional apps you want to pay for. ie: Disney plus, Discover plus, HBO Max, ect.

If you feel you HAVE to have live TV, then you can buy YouTube TV or some shit like that.

I gave up on live TV ages ago. I personally don't miss it at all.

Now if you Don't have an Amazon Prime account, I'd suggest just getting the Google TV deal.

We recently bought a Sony Bravia TV, and it came with Google TV built in.

I'm not so sure I'd get involved with Roku right now. See the bank collapse thread for details.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

If you have Amazon Prime, go ahead and get the Cube. It has more HP than their Firesticks do, and it has all the tech you will need, If you have a 4K TV and a surround sound system.

Plus...

Amazon Prime has lots of movies and shows included! Some of the best original stuff actually.

Once you have it, and get the hang of how it works, then you can decide what additional apps you want to pay for. ie: Disney plus, Discover plus, HBO Max, ect.

If you feel you HAVE to have live TV, then you can buy YouTube TV or some shit like that.

I gave up on live TV ages ago. I personally don't miss it at all.

Now if you Don't have an Amazon Prime account, I'd suggest just getting the Google TV deal.

We recently bought a Sony Bravia TV, and it came with Google TV built in.

I'm not so sure I'd get involved with Roku right now. See the bank collapse thread for details.

This sounds interesting since I already have Amazon Prime TV and watch it regularly. What does the Cube do to enhance Amazon?

I don't actually have a "TV" I have a projection system in my Theatre Room. I guess stuff just plugs into the Anthem Component?. My current DTV box has HDMI cable running into it. It has Ethernet cable plugged into it and we have good (enough) WiFi close by as well. Does it use Ethernet cable or WiFi?

Thanks. I really am a dope when it comes to this stuff. My remote had to be programmed by the Installer's tech guy on a laptop. It's well above my pay-grade.

At my Cabin in Munds Park, I have a TV but poor WiFi. It's Hugh's net and it sucks. We're planning on Skyline (or whatever its called as soon as we can get it)

 

[rivermobster]

This sounds interesting since I already have Amazon Prime TV and watch it regularly. What does the Cube do to enhance Amazon?

It doesn't really "enhance" anything per say, it just gives you access to all the movies/shows they offer that are included with your Prime account! And they have a lot of good stuff, as you know.

I don't actually have a "TV" I have a projection system in my Theatre Room. I guess stuff just plugs into the Anthem Component?. My current DTV box has HDMI cable running into it. It has Ethernet cable plugged into it and we have good (enough) WiFi close by as well. Does it use Ethernet cable or WiFi?

The Cube will plug into your projector with an HDMI cable. It Will hook up to your wi-fi, but it does have the option to hook up with CAT-5/Ethernet as well. I'd use the CAT-5 if possible.

Thanks. I really am a dope when it comes to this stuff. My remote had to be programmed by the Installer's tech guy on a laptop. It's well above my pay-grade.

At my Cabin in Munds Park, I have a TV but poor WiFi. It's Hugh's net and it sucks. We're planning on Skyline (or whatever its called as soon as we can get it)

To actually get 4k and Atmos, you'll need around 25/30mbps of bandwidth. A lot of stock wireless routers will be stressed to push that, so plan to upgrade your router if necessary. Use something like speedtest.net to check and see what you actually have, with a computer hardwired to the router, and then do it again with something hooked to your wi-fi. It will probably be a big difference. A good aftermarket router is almost always better than the stock crap your ISP will give you.

Note....

So let's say your on the home screen of the Cube. You wanna watch a particular movie. You tell Alexa, with the remote: "find American Graffiti". IF it's available for streaming, the Cube/Alexa will show you where you can watch it, even if it's NOT on Amazon Prime! It will tell you where you can rent or buy it as well. Streaming really does make it pretty simple.

There have been Very few movies I haven't found online. One of em is Eddie and the Cruisers. It's hard to even find the DVD for sale! It's strange how some old movies are like that. Most anything popular will be online though.

Plus...

My daughter pays for HBO Max, so I'm signed into her account. I pay for Disney plus, and she's signed into my account. So don't buy anything until you know you actully have to!

 

[RiverDave]

I'd really like to understand ditching the Direct TV we currently have. I'm not even sure what streaming is? How do they connect to my Theatre? Do I just unplug my DTV box and put this thingy in?

What service? There are so many.

What devices seem to offer good service. HELP...

I have an extra one.. I’ll just send it to you so you can try it and if ya like it buy it. If ya don’t send it back.

What am I missing. Not a big tv guy either. Bought magic box (stream smart) $200+ and a digital antenna $50ish. Get all local off of the antenna and pretty much everything else off the box. I pay for internet monthly.

That’s what I do.. except I don’t even use an antenna. If you goto epg or live tv it has all the USA channels for pretty much every city in the USA

 

[WhatExit?]

Streaming vs. Cable: Which One Saves You More Money?

Battle of the budget: As streaming prices climb, you may be wondering if it's better to stick to cable. We did the math.

www.cnet.com

 

[jetboatperformance]

We have 5 Tvs all have Roku boxes , one single Spectrum wireless internet only cable to the wifi router for a half dozen computers etc . We get more TV than most could watch in a life time Just bought a new Roku for the family room its a combination TV box with surround sound .... awesome NO cable TV, No antennas , No Dish

 

[spectra3279]

I use an nvidia shield with kodi and have a subscription to kemo iptv

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

I have an extra one.. I’ll just send it to you so you can try it and if ya like it buy it. If ya don’t send it back.


That’s what I do.. except I don’t even use an antenna. If you goto epg or live tv it has all the USA channels for pretty much every city in the USA

So, to be clear, once you put this into service, there is no further subscription? I'll take you up on that!

Thank you RD, very much appreciated and that is a very generous offer.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

Reporting back.

@RiverDave was kind enough to allow me to try a SuperStream, M2. I've had it hooked up for a couple weeks and have an opinion now.

First, I t was very easy to install, remove HDMI and Cat5 from my DTV box, put them into the SS, power up and that was it. The apps confused me at first but after a couple days, its really easy and pretty intuitive. You'll decide on what app works best for you fast.

Live TV, super easy. It's intuitive and even a tech dummy like me handled it no sweat. Only downside, I can't record programs. (Maybe I can but haven't figured it out yet).

Mine will freeze up occasionally only on live TV. I believe its my internet? In any case, It's far FAR better than giving DTV 140-180 every month.

I have yet to look for something that isn't there. All the Basketball, Football and Baseball games, from wherever.

Movies?? My God, its there.

I even took it to my Cabin last weekend. Works fine, my internet speed up there is terrible, it's Hughes-net. Going forward, I'm getting Starling at the cabin and probably Phoenix house as well.

Do it...NO REGERTS

 

[RiverDave]

Reporting back.

@RiverDave was kind enough to allow me to try a SuperStream, M2. I've had it hooked up for a couple weeks and have an opinion now.

First, I t was very easy to install, remove HDMI and Cat5 from my DTV box, put them into the SS, power up and that was it. The apps confused me at first but after a couple days, its really easy and pretty intuitive. You'll decide on what app works best for you fast.

Live TV, super easy. It's intuitive and even a tech dummy like me handled it no sweat. Only downside, I can't record programs. (Maybe I can but haven't figured it out yet).

Mine will freeze up occasionally only on live TV. I believe its my internet? In any case, It's far FAR better than giving DTV 140-180 every month.

I have yet to look for something that isn't there. All the Basketball, Football and Baseball games, from wherever.

Movies?? My God, its there.

I even took it to my Cabin last weekend. Works fine, my internet speed up there is terrible, it's Hughes-net. Going forward, I'm getting Starling at the cabin and probably Phoenix house as well.

Do it...NO REGERTS

Glad you like it.. these style magic boxes is pretty much all we have been rubbing for the last ten years

 

[shintoooo]

Glad you like it.. these style magic boxes is pretty much all we have been rubbing for the last ten years

Pull your pants up Dave!!

 

[wzuber]

Pull your pants up Dave!!

Just a few more minutes.......
Almost there......lol
(Like the DTV boot up notice)

 

[poncho]

With a wife that just starts pressing any & every button when something doesn't work properly I'm scared shitless to switch things up cuz I am not the "Shell answer man" when it comes to this kinda stuff.

I laughed way too hard at this, I'm married to that. Things are better now but there was a time she would have to watch TV in the bedroom till I came home from Alaska.
I have a Firebox with Arcstream and Kodi and a bunch of add ons, she can pull up Netflix and Prime but won't venture any further.

 

[boatnam2]

Reporting back.

@RiverDave was kind enough to allow me to try a SuperStream, M2. I've had it hooked up for a couple weeks and have an opinion now.

First, I t was very easy to install, remove HDMI and Cat5 from my DTV box, put them into the SS, power up and that was it. The apps confused me at first but after a couple days, its really easy and pretty intuitive. You'll decide on what app works best for you fast.

Live TV, super easy. It's intuitive and even a tech dummy like me handled it no sweat. Only downside, I can't record programs. (Maybe I can but haven't figured it out yet).

Mine will freeze up occasionally only on live TV. I believe its my internet? In any case, It's far FAR better than giving DTV 140-180 every month.

I have yet to look for something that isn't there. All the Basketball, Football and Baseball games, from wherever.

Movies?? My God, its there.

I even took it to my Cabin last weekend. Works fine, my internet speed up there is terrible, it's Hughes-net. Going forward, I'm getting Starling at the cabin and probably Phoenix house as well.

Do it...NO REGERTS

I haven't found supercross yet, but more than enough to watch on this box.

 

[dirtslinger2]

I have a Superbox S3, when we moved last year, we decided to ditch the Direct TV robbery. It takes a little getting used to because I can't record the shows I like, but I've learned to live without it. There's VOD, Live TV, and even a Playback app. I paid 200 from some guy on Offerup who had a ton of them. Like I saw above, some Live TV will freeze occasionally, but never on VOD. Some of the Movies are actually still out in the theaters, and just about every show you can think of is on VOD. Live TV has PPV, every HBO, Cinemax, etc.... channels, and every single network channel.
There is no subscription with this box FYI.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWK2C9LP/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=c6f46af4e02d78de6623c5c4e3b05c64&content-id=amzn1.sym.7dd77237-72be-4809-b5b5-d553eab7ad9d%3Aamzn1.sym.7dd77237-72be-4809-b5b5-d553eab7ad9d&hsa_cr_id=0&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=4b60e186-a39e-464d-8ced-b53fdd545d3f&pd_rd_w=J0dXx&pd_rd_wg=Ye8ii&qid=1681521697&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img&sr=1-1-9e67e56a-6f64-441f-a281-df67fc737124