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joedekock

Last reply May 17, 2006 · posted in DIRECTV General Forum

Baby channel

Talk about a waste of bandwith...

Round-the-Clock Channel for Infants Debuts on DirecTV
Thursday, May 11, 2006

NEW YORK — Escalating an already heated national debate, a first-of-its-kind TV channel premieres Thursday designed specifically for babies — an age group that the American Academy of Pediatrics says should be kept away from television altogether.

The new, round-the-clock channel is called BabyFirstTV. For $9.99 a month, it will be available initially by satellite through DirecTV and later through cable TV providers as well.

TV offerings already abound for older toddlers, and a lucrative — though controversial — market has developed for baby-oriented videos, attracting the Walt Disney Co. and the makers of Sesame Street, among others. But until now there had been no ongoing TV programming aimed at infants.

"This is the first channel dedicated to babies and their parents — transforming TV from its original purpose into a way for them to interact," said Sharon Rechter, BabyFirstTV's executive vice president for business development and marketing.

"The fact of life is that babies are already watching TV," she said. "That's why having BabyFirstTV is so important — what we want to offer is completely safe, commercial-free and appropriate content."

A 2003 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 68 percent of children under 2 watch TV or videos daily and 26 percent have a TV in their bedroom. Nonetheless, the pediatrics academy recommends that children of that age not be exposed to TV or videos, saying that learning to talk and play with others is much more important.

The academy's guidelines were cited last week in a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, challenging claims by leading makers of videos for babies that their products were educational.

Seattle-area pediatrician Donald Shifrin, chairman of the academy committee that studies television and children, urged parents to exercise prudence and to view the new TV options skeptically.

"Sesame Street has opened a Pandora's box by legitimizing the idea that TV needs to be developed for this demographic," Shifrin said. "We're not the nation's nanny, but we do want to provide a little balance — we don't want to make TV the default entertainer for children."

Critics of TV for infants also are skeptical of assertions by BabyFirstTV and other companies that their products are designed to be watched by babies and parents together in an interactive manner.

"Experience tells anyone that it's not going to be used that way," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston. "Parents use it to park their kids in front of the TV so they can get things done."

Rich said the companies "are basically letting parents off the hook from their guilt by saying, 'This is educational,' so parents can justify it to themselves."

Rechter said BabyFirstTV is not claiming that its programs — designed for viewers from 6 months to 3 years old — will make babies smarter. "But having babies and parents interact helps children's development, and we give them that opportunity," she said.

Asked about the possibility that parents might simply use the new channel as a baby sitter, Rechter replied, "We could speculate as much as we like about what parents should do."

"If a baby is watching TV, let's put them in front of appropriate content," she said. "At the end of the day, parents make the decisions."

BabyFirstTV's advisory board includes Dr. Edward McCabe, a pediatrician who is physician-in-chief at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital.

"I was skeptical when I first heard about it," McCabe said. "But I became convinced that this is a major evolution in media for kids."

Rechter said BabyFirstTV will start with 250 hours of content, 80 percent of it original. Some of its programs will come from baby DVD companies, including Brainy Baby and First Impressions, and it has an agreement with Sterling Publishing, a Barnes & Noble subsidiary, to use children's books in a "Story Time" program.

By the end of 2006, Rechter said, BabyFirstTV also will be available in Spanish.

The three companies behind BabyFirstTV are Regency Enterprises, a film and TV production company that is a partner of Fox Entertainment; Kardan N.V, an investment group based in the Netherlands and Israel; and Bellco Capital, a private Los Angeles-based investment fund.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195052,00.html

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dishcomm

May 16, 2006

joedekock said:
Talk about a waste of bandwith...

Round-the-Clock Channel for Infants Debuts on DirecTV
Thursday, May 11, 2006

NEW YORK — Escalating an already heated national debate, a first-of-its-kind TV channel premieres Thursday designed specifically for babies — an age group that the American Academy of Pediatrics says should be kept away from television altogether.

The new, round-the-clock channel is called BabyFirstTV. For $9.99 a month, it will be available initially by satellite through DirecTV and later through cable TV providers as well.

TV offerings already abound for older toddlers, and a lucrative — though controversial — market has developed for baby-oriented videos, attracting the Walt Disney Co. and the makers of Sesame Street, among others. But until now there had been no ongoing TV programming aimed at infants.

"This is the first channel dedicated to babies and their parents — transforming TV from its original purpose into a way for them to interact," said Sharon Rechter, BabyFirstTV's executive vice president for business development and marketing.

"The fact of life is that babies are already watching TV," she said. "That's why having BabyFirstTV is so important — what we want to offer is completely safe, commercial-free and appropriate content."

A 2003 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 68 percent of children under 2 watch TV or videos daily and 26 percent have a TV in their bedroom. Nonetheless, the pediatrics academy recommends that children of that age not be exposed to TV or videos, saying that learning to talk and play with others is much more important.

The academy's guidelines were cited last week in a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, challenging claims by leading makers of videos for babies that their products were educational.

Seattle-area pediatrician Donald Shifrin, chairman of the academy committee that studies television and children, urged parents to exercise prudence and to view the new TV options skeptically.

"Sesame Street has opened a Pandora's box by legitimizing the idea that TV needs to be developed for this demographic," Shifrin said. "We're not the nation's nanny, but we do want to provide a little balance — we don't want to make TV the default entertainer for children."

Critics of TV for infants also are skeptical of assertions by BabyFirstTV and other companies that their products are designed to be watched by babies and parents together in an interactive manner.

"Experience tells anyone that it's not going to be used that way," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston. "Parents use it to park their kids in front of the TV so they can get things done."

Rich said the companies "are basically letting parents off the hook from their guilt by saying, 'This is educational,' so parents can justify it to themselves."

Rechter said BabyFirstTV is not claiming that its programs — designed for viewers from 6 months to 3 years old — will make babies smarter. "But having babies and parents interact helps children's development, and we give them that opportunity," she said.

Asked about the possibility that parents might simply use the new channel as a baby sitter, Rechter replied, "We could speculate as much as we like about what parents should do."

"If a baby is watching TV, let's put them in front of appropriate content," she said. "At the end of the day, parents make the decisions."

BabyFirstTV's advisory board includes Dr. Edward McCabe, a pediatrician who is physician-in-chief at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital.

"I was skeptical when I first heard about it," McCabe said. "But I became convinced that this is a major evolution in media for kids."

Rechter said BabyFirstTV will start with 250 hours of content, 80 percent of it original. Some of its programs will come from baby DVD companies, including Brainy Baby and First Impressions, and it has an agreement with Sterling Publishing, a Barnes & Noble subsidiary, to use children's books in a "Story Time" program.

By the end of 2006, Rechter said, BabyFirstTV also will be available in Spanish.

The three companies behind BabyFirstTV are Regency Enterprises, a film and TV production company that is a partner of Fox Entertainment; Kardan N.V, an investment group based in the Netherlands and Israel; and Bellco Capital, a private Los Angeles-based investment fund.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195052,00.html

Oh boy.....what's next....the fart channel?

cablewithaview

May 16, 2006

dishcomm said:
Oh boy.....what's next....the fart channel?

you got to wait for your "smell a vision" tv set first before subscribing. not only can you hear but smell the aroma as well.

cablewithaview

May 16, 2006

KimmiKat said:
They showed a story on the local news last night about that new channel and they interview a local spokeswoman for Comcast and said they were getting calls as when they going to add it to their line up. She mentioned probably early summer. They shouldn't waste the bandwidth and instead use it to add more Cinamax or HD stuff.

of course everyone wants it, but when they learn of the $9.99 price tag, most will be like, WTF? I'm serious, people want something until they really have to pay for it.

Digital Dude

May 17, 2006

dishcomm said:
Oh boy.....what's next....the fart channel?

nope, the checkers, shuffleboard, and rocker on the porch channel!

What's that old parody Rush had..."Womb to the tomb!"

stevesmall

May 17, 2006

dishcomm said:
Oh boy.....what's next....the fart channel?

directv with the hd lite issues, would this be smell free due to bandwidth issues ?

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TFLEV

12 minutes ago · posted in TFLEV

I Drive the MOST POPULAR Chinese Car in the World: You Won't Believe What the Geely E2 Costs!

Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lIepOAbUWs

Direct YouTube Link - I Drive the MOST POPULAR Chinese Car in the World: You Won't Believe What the Geely E2 Costs!

0 Replies · 2 views

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dishstaller

Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter

Last reply 21 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

You can't even trust the cost per ounce info in grocery stores anymore

I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share

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Juan

Yesterday at 11:17 AM

dishstaller said:
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share

When walmart set a price...they weigh the container and the product...the product label only shows the weight of the product...I am sure if you brought your own plastic baggies to bring the product home you could get the cheaper price

dishstaller

Yesterday at 11:47 AM

Juan said:
When walmart set a price...they weigh the container and the product...

Then they are stupid. Everyone knows that the price per ounce should be the price per ounce of actual product.

Reactions: Jimbo

Juan

Yesterday at 1:38 PM

dishstaller said:
Then they are stupid. Everyone knows that the price per ounce should be the price per ounce of actual product.

You are paying for the whole thing

telstar_1

Yesterday at 2:22 PM

Juan said:
You are paying for the whole thing

Well, the bag can't weigh that much, right? But by law food product packaging must display the actual net weight of the product, i.e., the contents of the container, so by any logic, if not law, a store's stated per-ounce cost should reflect that figure. But since there's not any law regulating shelf statements, a store can say whatever it wants without violating any rules. So I guess the answer is more consumer legislation. Or simply caveat emptor.

Juan

Yesterday at 3:07 PM

telstar_1 said:
Well, the bag can't weigh that much, right? But by law food product packaging must display the actual net weight of the product, i.e., the contents of the container, so by any logic, if not law, a store's stated per-ounce cost should reflect that figure. But since there's not any law regulating shelf statements, a store can say whatever it wants without violating any rules. So I guess the answer is more consumer legislation. Or simply caveat emptor.

But a box can weigh more than an ounce..maybe 2...a can might weigh 5 ounces..a bag...not much

dishstaller

Yesterday at 3:13 PM

Juan said:
.a bag...not much

Well, according to the price per ounce on that first bag of coffee he mentions, that would mean the bag weighed over 6 ounces. That bag does NOT weigh 6 ounces. According to Google, an empty bag weighs half an ounce.

Jimbo

Yesterday at 6:23 PM

Juan said:
You are paying for the whole thing

When you go to a Deli, the weight of the container is removed, so you only pay for the weight of the product .... at least where I shop.

Reactions: dishstaller and Foxbat

Jimbo

Yesterday at 6:26 PM

telstar_1 said:
Well, the bag can't weigh that much, right? But by law food product packaging must display the actual net weight of the product, i.e., the contents of the container, so by any logic, if not law, a store's stated per-ounce cost should reflect that figure. But since there's not any law regulating shelf statements, a store can say whatever it wants without violating any rules. So I guess the answer is more consumer legislation. Or simply caveat emptor.

I would think that the Vendor/Maker of the product would have a say in it, showing the Correct weight ...
You would think it would be in the contract.

I do look at the ounces of items, but unless its way off, I don't check the math, may have to start now.

Remember when you use to get a 13.5 oz bag of Chips .... Thats a PARTY Size now.

Reactions: AZ.

TRG

Yesterday at 6:41 PM

Jimbo said:
I would think that the Vendor/Maker of the product would have a say in it, showing the Correct weight ...
You would think it would be in the contract.

I do look at the ounces of items, but unless its way off, I don't check the math, may have to start now.

Remember when you use to get a 13.5 oz bag of Chips .... Thats a PARTY Size now.

I remember when a pound of coffee was 16oz. Now its 12oz, they don't call it a pound anymore and its three times the cost of the 16oz pound.

Reactions: dishstaller, slow_poke_pete and Bobby

Jimbo

Yesterday at 7:05 PM

TRG said:
I remember when a pound of coffee was 16oz. Now its 12oz, they don't call it a pound anymore and its three times the cost of the 16oz pound.

Well, they don't call it a pound anymore ....

Ice cream is that way too, use to be a half gallon, now its 1.5 quart or some say 48 oz

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NYDutch

Yesterday at 7:39 PM

Jimbo said:
Well, they don't call it a pound anymore ....

Ice cream is that way too, use to be a half gallon, now its 1.5 quart or some say 48 oz

We have a regional ice cream company here that advertises that their ice cream containers are still a full half gallon.

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Jimbo

Yesterday at 8:54 PM

NYDutch said:
We have a regional ice cream company here that advertises that their ice cream containers are still a full half gallon.

Now check and see if any of them (probably a few) are actual Ice Cream ...

Most Ice Creams are Not actual Ice Cream.
Bryers for example, call Most of thiers "Frozen Dairy Dessert"

NYDutch

Yesterday at 9:05 PM

Jimbo said:
Now check and see if any of them (probably a few) are actual Ice Cream ...

Most Ice Creams are Not actual Ice Cream.
Bryers for example, call Most of thiers "Frozen Dairy Dessert"

All of their traditional flavors are ice cream, only some of the specialty mixes are are labeled frozen dairy. They also have frozen yogurt flavors that are labeled as such.

Reactions: Jimbo, Bobby and Foxbat

dishstaller

Yesterday at 10:09 PM

TRG said:
I remember when a pound of coffee was 16oz. Now its 12oz, they don't call it a pound anymore and its three times the cost of the 16oz pound.

All through high school I worked at the local home-owned grocery store. I never cease to be amazed at how packing has shrunk through the years. I worked 1978-end of school 1982 so I worked right through all the inflation that was taking place then. Taught me life-lessons that still are with me. My primary job on Saturdays was doing all the price changes....back then you used a price gun, so I had a front row seat. Sugar REALLY went through the roof which is why we now have high fructose corn syrup in just about everything we eat nowadays .

Reactions: Jimbo and navychop

Juan

28 minutes ago

Jimbo said:
When you go to a Deli, the weight of the container is removed, so you only pay for the weight of the product .... at least where I shop.

It's a plastic bag at the deli....at the end of the day..the only thing that will happen is that walmart will increase there cost per ounce price...there is no way..no how they will reduce prices

Juan

25 minutes ago

dishstaller said:
All through high school I worked at the local home-owned grocery store. I never cease to be amazed at how packing has shrunk through the years. I worked 1978-end of school 1982 so I worked right through all the inflation that was taking place then. Taught me life-lessons that still are with me. My primary job on Saturdays was doing all the price changes....back then you used a price gun, so I had a front row seat. Sugar REALLY went through the roof which is why we now have high fructose corn syrup in just about everything we eat nowadays .

Sugar went from 5 pound bags to 4 pound bags

Juan

21 minutes ago

dishstaller said:
Well, according to the price per ounce on that first bag of coffee he mentions, that would mean the bag weighed over 6 ounces. That bag does NOT weigh 6 ounces. According to Google, an empty bag weighs half an ounce.

You need to weigh the actual bag...a deli bag weighs less than that but a thick coffee bag is gonna weigh around an ounce...an empty tin can has some weight

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply 34 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne

Get it?

An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....

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RaiderPower

Yesterday at 1:24 PM

Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - Spin Doctors

Reactions: FTA4PA

sdfntx

Yesterday at 3:01 PM

Jump Down, Spin Around - Harry Belafonte

Reactions: Bobby

long_time_Dish

Yesterday at 4:27 PM

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks

Reactions: ClarkGable, FTA4PA, gms49ers and 1 other person

hwkn

Today at 2:45 AM

This Old HEART Of Mine(Is Weak For You)-The Isley Brothers

ClarkGable

34 minutes ago

Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee

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SuperDish_Fan23

Last reply 43 minutes ago · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Its crazy how the ViP922 is so rare for no reason.

Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!

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Strega

Yesterday at 2:34 PM

That's not really unusual. Cable companies like to the provide the box too. The phone company provided the phones in until the government forced them to allow third-party phones.

Reactions: charlesrshell

Almighty1

Yesterday at 7:02 PM

Strega said:
That's not really unusual. Cable companies like to the provide the box too. The phone company provided the phones in until the government forced them to allow third-party phones.

Yes, the Western Electric phones that says "Bell System Property, NOT FOR SALE, Western Electric".

Reactions: AZ., Bobby and charlesrshell

Bobby

Yesterday at 8:30 PM

Almighty1 said:
Yes, the Western Electric phones that says "Bell System Property, NOT FOR SALE, Western Electric".

In my very early work life I installed and repaired those phones.

Reactions: charlesrshell, Almighty1, Foxbat and 1 other person

AZ.

Yesterday at 9:10 PM

Almighty1 said:
Yes, the Western Electric phones that says "Bell System Property, NOT FOR SALE, Western Electric".

someone is showing their age

Reactions: Almighty1 and charlesrshell

Almighty1

Yesterday at 9:38 PM

AZ. said:
someone is showing their age

LOL. It depends if the person saw it during the years when they were actually still available which is 1968 to 1983 meaning the person could be 43-58 years old or they can even be a few years old if they learned to read and write at a young age and actually saw a telephone with that label somewhere recently just like even here in San Francisco, payphone still exist physically in public places but whether they can be used or not is a different issue. It still looks like this even today:

Reactions: charlesrshell

dishstaller

Yesterday at 10:03 PM

I opened my Radio Shack in Sept 1984 and right about that time they did the whole deregulation thing with the phone companies. I bought TONS of those phones that had been refurbished with a new outer shell. You could throw one of those out of a 3 story high window and it would still work.
That was an interesting time in history. I would have older customers come in and ask about phones.....they were terrified that they were going to get into trouble hooking up a second phone without the phone company knowing about it. One of the funniest episodes of WKRP was the one where Johnny thought the cops were showing up because they had an unregistered phone. I guess younger folks can't conceive of a time when you were limited to the number of phones you could have in your house....and limited to the length of the cord

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navychop

Yesterday at 11:01 PM

AZ. said:
someone is showing their age

You should hear his stories about when rocks were soft and pterodactyls were the new kid on the block!

Reactions: AZ., Foxbat, charlesrshell and 1 other person

dishstaller

Today at 12:04 AM

dishstaller said:
One of the funniest episodes of WKRP was the one where Johnny thought the cops were showing up because they had an unregistered phone.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA0yZ1nrm6M&pp=ygUPd2tycCBwaG9uZSBjb3Bz

Reactions: AZ. and charlesrshell

llokey

43 minutes ago

Bobby said:
In my very early work life I installed and repaired those phones.

And I kept them working through the ESS offices.

Reactions: charlesrshell

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reubenray

Last reply Today at 5:34 AM · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Dish vs Streaming Apps?

Every time my Dish contract comes up I weigh the options of keeping Dish or switch to streaming. Right now I can watch/record the OTA channels vis my HDHomerun. I also can stream CBS and NBC via the Paramount+ and Peacock apps. What I would need to find is how to watch the Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime channels plus a few more with an app or two. My current Dish bill is $118, so I should be able to get a few apps for a lot less.

Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.

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Bruce

Yesterday at 1:17 PM

reubenray said:
Every time my Dish contract comes up I weigh the options of keeping Dish or switch to streaming. Right now I can watch/record the OTA channels vis my HDHomerun. I also can stream CBS and NBC via the Paramount+ and Peacock apps. What I would need to find is how to watch the Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime channels plus a few more with an app or two. My current Dish bill is $118, so I should be able to get a few apps for a lot less.

Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.

USA and SyFy content is on Peacock, you can receive the rest of those channels via Philo, only $25 a month.

Philo - Stream Live and On-Demand TV

Why pay more for TV? Start your Philo free trial and enjoy live TV plus on-demand content starting at just $25/month. Stream hit shows, movies, and more.

www.philo.com

Reactions: Bobby, osu1991, reubenray and 1 other person

Almighty1

Yesterday at 6:55 PM

reubenray said:
Every time my Dish contract comes up I weigh the options of keeping Dish or switch to streaming. Right now I can watch/record the OTA channels vis my HDHomerun. I also can stream CBS and NBC via the Paramount+ and Peacock apps. What I would need to find is how to watch the Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime channels plus a few more with an app or two. My current Dish bill is $118, so I should be able to get a few apps for a lot less.

Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.

This is what Google Search AI says, let's see how good AI can really solve problems.

To perfectly cover your specific channel checklist while saving significantly on your $118 Dish Network bill, you can leverage your existing HDHomerun setup alongside a live TV streaming service or app combination.
Since you require USA and Syfy, budget entertainment-only streaming apps like Philo ($28/mo) or Frndly TV ($7–$11/mo) will not work as standalone solutions because they exclude NBCUniversal networks. [1, 2]
Here are the best ways to get all your channels, optimized for high picture and audio quality:

Option 1: Hulu + Live TV (The All-In-One Match)
Hulu + Live TV ($89.99–$99.99/mo) is the most seamless replacement because its base tier natively carries every single channel on your list: [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Great American Family, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies. [1]
Quality & Audio: Hulu + Live TV is widely praised by cord-cutters for its excellent high-bitrate 1080p video quality at 60 frames per second (fps) on compatible streaming hardware. It supports 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound on most live channels and compatible home theater systems.
Bonus Value: The price automatically bundles the entire on-demand libraries of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, which gives you a massive amount of additional content. [1, 2]

Option 2: YouTube TV (The Premium Interface Alternative)
YouTube TV ($82.99/mo) is highly regarded for its robust streaming stability, unlimited DVR, and highly polished user interface. [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: It includes Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, and Lifetime.
The Catch: Great American Family is not in the base lineup and requires the Sports Plus or Entertainment Plus add-on package, which increases the monthly cost.
Quality & Audio: It streams in 1080p/60fps with an advanced compression codec that minimizes buffering. It features native 5.1 surround sound audio across major streaming hardware platforms.

Option 3: The Maximum Savings "App Stack" Combination
If you want to maximize your financial savings by skipping a massive live TV guide, you can split your checklist across a few dedicated streaming apps. Because you already pay for Peacock, you can cross USA and Syfy content off your list, as Peacock hosts most of those networks' premium shows next-day or live.
By adding the following, you can build a highly customized tier:

Frndly TV ($6.99–$10.99/mo): This affordable live app brings you all 3 Hallmark channels, Great American Family, and the Lifetime networks with a classic cloud DVR.
Discovery+ ($4.99–$8.99/mo): This gives you the full, deep on-demand libraries and live feeds for Food Network and HGTV. [1]

Total Estimated Stack Cost: Around $12 to $20/mo combined on top of what you already pay.

Quality Note: Frndly TV maxes out at 720p/1080p high-definition with stereo audio, while Discovery+ supports highly optimized crisp 1080p and selective 4K video playback with strong digital audio depth on high-end streaming sticks. [1]

Cord-Cutting Tips for Peak Quality

Streaming Hardware Matters: To get the best possible image processing and audio passthrough, use dedicated streaming hardware like an Apple TV 4K or a high-end Roku Ultra rather than relying on the built-in smart TV operating systems.
Check Your Bandwidth: Ensure your home network has a stable downstream speed of at least 25–50 Mbps dedicated to your main television device to ensure the streaming apps auto-negotiate to their highest available bitrate and frame rates without dropping down to lower resolutions.

Reactions: dishstaller and charlesrshell

reubenray

Yesterday at 7:54 PM

Almighty1 said:
This is what Google Search AI says, let's see how good AI can really solve problems.

To perfectly cover your specific channel checklist while saving significantly on your $118 Dish Network bill, you can leverage your existing HDHomerun setup alongside a live TV streaming service or app combination.
Since you require USA and Syfy, budget entertainment-only streaming apps like Philo ($28/mo) or Frndly TV ($7–$11/mo) will not work as standalone solutions because they exclude NBCUniversal networks. [1, 2]
Here are the best ways to get all your channels, optimized for high picture and audio quality:

Option 1: Hulu + Live TV (The All-In-One Match)
Hulu + Live TV ($89.99–$99.99/mo) is the most seamless replacement because its base tier natively carries every single channel on your list: [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Great American Family, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies. [1]

Quality & Audio: Hulu + Live TV is widely praised by cord-cutters for its excellent high-bitrate 1080p video quality at 60 frames per second (fps) on compatible streaming hardware. It supports 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound on most live channels and compatible home theater systems.

Bonus Value: The price automatically bundles the entire on-demand libraries of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, which gives you a massive amount of additional content. [1, 2]

Option 2: YouTube TV (The Premium Interface Alternative)
YouTube TV ($82.99/mo) is highly regarded for its robust streaming stability, unlimited DVR, and highly polished user interface. [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: It includes Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, and Lifetime.

The Catch: Great American Family is not in the base lineup and requires the Sports Plus or Entertainment Plus add-on package, which increases the monthly cost.

Quality & Audio: It streams in 1080p/60fps with an advanced compression codec that minimizes buffering. It features native 5.1 surround sound audio across major streaming hardware platforms.

Option 3: The Maximum Savings "App Stack" Combination
If you want to maximize your financial savings by skipping a massive live TV guide, you can split your checklist across a few dedicated streaming apps. Because you already pay for Peacock, you can cross USA and Syfy content off your list, as Peacock hosts most of those networks' premium shows next-day or live.
By adding the following, you can build a highly customized tier:

Frndly TV ($6.99–$10.99/mo): This affordable live app brings you all 3 Hallmark channels, Great American Family, and the Lifetime networks with a classic cloud DVR.

Discovery+ ($4.99–$8.99/mo): This gives you the full, deep on-demand libraries and live feeds for Food Network and HGTV. [1]

Total Estimated Stack Cost: Around $12 to $20/mo combined on top of what you already pay.

Quality Note: Frndly TV maxes out at 720p/1080p high-definition with stereo audio, while Discovery+ supports highly optimized crisp 1080p and selective 4K video playback with strong digital audio depth on high-end streaming sticks. [1]

Cord-Cutting Tips for Peak Quality

Streaming Hardware Matters: To get the best possible image processing and audio passthrough, use dedicated streaming hardware like an Apple TV 4K or a high-end Roku Ultra rather than relying on the built-in smart TV operating systems.

Check Your Bandwidth: Ensure your home network has a stable downstream speed of at least 25–50 Mbps dedicated to your main television device to ensure the streaming apps auto-negotiate to their highest available bitrate and frame rates without dropping down to lower resolutions.

WOW! Thanks for this info. I have Roku Ultra and I have a 300mbps internet plan.

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dishstaller

Yesterday at 10:13 PM

reubenray said:
WOW! Thanks for this info. I have Roku Ultra and I have a 300mbps internet plan.

You'll see the Friendly TV app on your Roku....it's preloaded. If you pay by the year it is under $100 for the entire year. Nice mix of channels.

Reactions: charlesrshell

HipKat

Today at 5:34 AM

Almighty1 said:
This is what Google Search AI says, let's see how good AI can really solve problems.

To perfectly cover your specific channel checklist while saving significantly on your $118 Dish Network bill, you can leverage your existing HDHomerun setup alongside a live TV streaming service or app combination.
Since you require USA and Syfy, budget entertainment-only streaming apps like Philo ($28/mo) or Frndly TV ($7–$11/mo) will not work as standalone solutions because they exclude NBCUniversal networks. [1, 2]
Here are the best ways to get all your channels, optimized for high picture and audio quality:

Option 1: Hulu + Live TV (The All-In-One Match)
Hulu + Live TV ($89.99–$99.99/mo) is the most seamless replacement because its base tier natively carries every single channel on your list: [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Great American Family, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies. [1]

Quality & Audio: Hulu + Live TV is widely praised by cord-cutters for its excellent high-bitrate 1080p video quality at 60 frames per second (fps) on compatible streaming hardware. It supports 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound on most live channels and compatible home theater systems.

Bonus Value: The price automatically bundles the entire on-demand libraries of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, which gives you a massive amount of additional content. [1, 2]

Option 2: YouTube TV (The Premium Interface Alternative)
YouTube TV ($82.99/mo) is highly regarded for its robust streaming stability, unlimited DVR, and highly polished user interface. [1, 2, 3]

Channel Checklist: It includes Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, and Lifetime.

The Catch: Great American Family is not in the base lineup and requires the Sports Plus or Entertainment Plus add-on package, which increases the monthly cost.

Quality & Audio: It streams in 1080p/60fps with an advanced compression codec that minimizes buffering. It features native 5.1 surround sound audio across major streaming hardware platforms.

Option 3: The Maximum Savings "App Stack" Combination
If you want to maximize your financial savings by skipping a massive live TV guide, you can split your checklist across a few dedicated streaming apps. Because you already pay for Peacock, you can cross USA and Syfy content off your list, as Peacock hosts most of those networks' premium shows next-day or live.
By adding the following, you can build a highly customized tier:

Frndly TV ($6.99–$10.99/mo): This affordable live app brings you all 3 Hallmark channels, Great American Family, and the Lifetime networks with a classic cloud DVR.

Discovery+ ($4.99–$8.99/mo): This gives you the full, deep on-demand libraries and live feeds for Food Network and HGTV. [1]

Total Estimated Stack Cost: Around $12 to $20/mo combined on top of what you already pay.

Quality Note: Frndly TV maxes out at 720p/1080p high-definition with stereo audio, while Discovery+ supports highly optimized crisp 1080p and selective 4K video playback with strong digital audio depth on high-end streaming sticks. [1]

Cord-Cutting Tips for Peak Quality

Streaming Hardware Matters: To get the best possible image processing and audio passthrough, use dedicated streaming hardware like an Apple TV 4K or a high-end Roku Ultra rather than relying on the built-in smart TV operating systems.

Check Your Bandwidth: Ensure your home network has a stable downstream speed of at least 25–50 Mbps dedicated to your main television device to ensure the streaming apps auto-negotiate to their highest available bitrate and frame rates without dropping down to lower resolutions.

I ran it by Chat, out of curiosity

There are actually some pretty good options here, especially since this person already has an HDHomeRun handling OTA channels and DVR recording. That eliminates one of the biggest reasons people pay for expensive live-TV streaming packages.

I'd narrow it down to three options: Philo, Sling Blue + Frndly TV, or DIRECTV MyEntertainment + Frndly TV.

The best options as of October 2026

Service	Monthly price	What's covered
Philo Essential	$25	Food Network, HGTV, all three Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime and LMN. Missing USA and Syfy.
Sling TV Blue	From $45.99	Food Network, HGTV, USA, Syfy and Lifetime. Missing some of the family/movie channels without add-ons.
Frndly TV Classic	$10.99	Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime, LMN and other family-oriented channels. HD and unlimited cloud DVR included.
DIRECTV MyEntertainment	$42.99	Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, Lifetime and many entertainment channels. Includes Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max ad-supported access.

Prices may vary by location and applicable taxes.

Notice that Philo covers almost everything for just $25, but USA and Syfy are the problem. Naturally, two channels manage to complicate an otherwise beautiful budget.

My recommendation

For the absolute lowest cost, Philo Essential at $25/month is hard to beat, provided they can live without live USA and Syfy. It even includes unlimited cloud DVR with recordings retained for one year.

If every channel matters, I'd compare these two combinations:

Sling Blue + Frndly Classic: Approximately $57–$66/month depending on Sling's local pricing, before taxes. Covers the entire requested channel list.
DIRECTV MyEntertainment + Frndly Classic: Approximately $54/month at the $42.99 DIRECTV price. Covers everything except USA, which is not on the currently published MyEntertainment lineup.

Picture and audio quality

This is where I'd offer one caution. Streaming isn't automatically better than DISH.

Sling generally delivers live TV in 720p, often with stereo audio, although some on-demand programming supports Dolby 5.1. Frndly's Classic plan offers HD, but not necessarily 1080p on every channel.

If picture and sound are major priorities, compare the actual services on the same television and streaming device during their trial periods. A dedicated on-demand app may deliver a better encode or surround soundtrack than the corresponding live channel, but availability varies by show and device.

The bottom line: I'd recommend trying Philo first. Their current $25 Essential package covers nearly the entire wish list and saves $93/month, or $1,116/year, compared with the $118 DISH bill. If USA and Syfy are must-haves as live channels, Sling Blue plus Frndly would be my next choice.

And one final distinction worth making on that message board: HDHomeRun recordings won't replace the cloud DVR for subscription channels. Those recordings stay within the streaming services' respective apps.

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Today at 3:12 AM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network