DirecTV Now now has a Roku app, and it seems to work pretty decently.

Plex now supports Live TV with DVR integration that they've had previously and have expanded the number and types of supported digital receivers.

https://www.plex.tv/features/live-tv-dvr/#

So, now my Plex system can record anything OTA (or via unencrypted cable using a HDHR Prime + MCard) and stream it to any device in the house.

OTA integration was the last feature that was really not integrated well (the InstaTV app on my aTV didn't work very well, and there wasn't a Roku app for the HDHR) and looks to be on it's way now.

Plex + HDHR Connect + DirecTV Now + PlayOn = pretty much anything I could want to watch or record available!

zafzo said:

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I use the antenna for local channels and PS Vue for everything else. You don't need a playstation for Vue. You can get it on a firestick, your phone, chromecast, and a few others.

It's fantastic. I went from a $250 a month internet/cable bill to $70(internet and Vue) and still have every channel I previously watched on cable including HBO.

Have a Tivo for recording local. The only thing that would make it better would be if Tivo added PS Vue as an app so I wouldn't have to switch sources and remotes.

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Exactly what we did. Up to five devices at once, and I can catch up on shows I didn't know I missed.

Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

jay040 said:

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Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

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Built in, no. And I don't know when/if they will.

I use Playon TV in conjunction with DirecTV Now to record what I want from DTVN.

nwspmp said:

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jay040 said:

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Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

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Built in, no. And I don't know when/if they will.

I use Playon TV in conjunction with DirecTV Now to record what I want from DTVN.

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Tell me more about this playon app. How does it work? Is it an app on my appletv? How does it interact with the Directv now? Can if DVR from different sources (I.e.; DTVNOW and OTA antenna)?

I'll be honest, I just switched to DTVNOW and don't really know what to ask.

texag06ish said:

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nwspmp said:

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jay040 said:

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Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

---

Built in, no. And I don't know when/if they will.

I use Playon TV in conjunction with DirecTV Now to record what I want from DTVN.

---

Tell me more about this playon app. How does it work? Is it an app on my appletv? How does it interact with the Directv now? Can if DVR from different sources (I.e.; DTVNOW and OTA antenna)?

I'll be honest, I just switched to DTVNOW and don't really know what to ask.

---

Are you talking about Playstation TV? or Playstation VUE? Playstation TV, if I understand correctly, let's you used the PS4 as a means to watch your cable and record television. Playstation VUE is actually a service that has regular channels like ABC Fox ESPN etc but is streamed via internet rather than cable wired in.

Does PS Vue have plans to expand the live local channel offerings across more cities? And what does this depend on and how long will it take? Right now it has Fox and CBS in my area but waiting on ABC and NBC. Not really interested in finding an antenna and going that route.

RMG93 said:

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Does PS Vue have plans to expand the live local channel offerings across more cities? And what does this depend on and how long will it take? Right now it has Fox and CBS in my area but waiting on ABC and NBC. Not really interested in finding an antenna and going that route.

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That I don't know. I'm sorry. We live in Houston and have all of those, I wasn't aware that it was zoned.

littlebrotherag said:

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texag06ish said:

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nwspmp said:

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jay040 said:

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Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

---

Built in, no. And I don't know when/if they will.

I use Playon TV in conjunction with DirecTV Now to record what I want from DTVN.

---

Tell me more about this playon app. How does it work? Is it an app on my appletv? How does it interact with the Directv now? Can if DVR from different sources (I.e.; DTVNOW and OTA antenna)?

I'll be honest, I just switched to DTVNOW and don't really know what to ask.

---

Are you talking about Playstation TV? or Playstation VUE? Playstation TV, if I understand correctly, let's you used the PS4 as a means to watch your cable and record television. Playstation VUE is actually a service that has regular channels like ABC Fox ESPN etc but is streamed via internet rather than cable wired in.

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I was talking about the playon app refreneced in the post I quoted.

Is Vue better than Sling?

I really just want ESPN networks...

tmas said:

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Is Vue better than Sling?

I really just want ESPN networks...

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For us it is. Sling just got expensive with all the things going together between my wife and me. You could get sling cheaper and just get the sports package, I think. Check their website for it. They do the a la cart thing.

texag06ish said:

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nwspmp said:

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jay040 said:

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Has DirecTV Now got their DVR working yet?

---

Built in, no. And I don't know when/if they will.

I use Playon TV in conjunction with DirecTV Now to record what I want from DTVN.

---

Tell me more about this playon app. How does it work? Is it an app on my appletv? How does it interact with the Directv now? Can if DVR from different sources (I.e.; DTVNOW and OTA antenna)?

I'll be honest, I just switched to DTVNOW and don't really know what to ask.

---

The Playon App is a streamed media recorder.

https://www.playon.tv/

It's a one-time purchase (currently $29.99; was $60 when I bought it about a year or so ago) and has several "channels" that it can record from. Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu are all represented, as are a number of direct network streaming services (HBOGO for example, and others). Earlier this year, they added a DirecTV Now channel.

So, previously, any thing that's available on the On Demand portion of DTV Now was available to record to my local machine. Playon essentially plays the stream and records (in 720p resolution) the audio and video stream automatically, saves it as an unencrypted MP4 file, and names it in a compatible manner such that I have a folder watcher setup which picks up the file once it's been recorded, and copies it into my Plex folders on my NAS. The only thing that I see it does is put a 2-3 second "Playon TV has recorded this file by "your name here" on date/time from IP address x.y.z.a" so as to discourage you from sharing it online.

It also has subscriptions capability, so it checks daily to see if the latest episode of a subscribed show has been put up for on-demand, and if so, queues it for recording.

It can also record, currently manually, any of the live streams that show up as well. I'm working with them on a scheduled version of it, so a show that's not on the on-demand or comes later could be recorded in real-time from DTVNow just like a conventional DVR, but with all of the added benefits above.

It works like a champion to record from Netflix, and Amazon, and a bunch of other sources too. It also has a browser extension so that if you are watching a video online, and want to record it, you can do so through PlayOn, but that's kind of hit and miss depending on the source.

It also can act as a transcoder, and I used it up until yesterday or so, to stream DTVNow to my Roku devices. It It also acts as a DLNA server for any files/recordings it's made for other devices on your network; Apple TV with VLC, PS3, Roku, etc...

They don't yet have a native AppleTV app, but say they're working on it. I just have my recordings dump straight to Plex and access that through my AppleTV in the living room, and use the DTVNow app for live TV. Now I'll also be using Plex for OTA live TV and recording too!

RMG93 said:

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Does PS Vue have plans to expand the live local channel offerings across more cities? And what does this depend on and how long will it take? Right now it has Fox and CBS in my area but waiting on ABC and NBC. Not really interested in finding an antenna and going that route.

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I believe that Vue will be getting all the locals sooner rather than later. -


http://deadline.com/2017/05/cbs-affiliates-agree-let-network-negotiate-digital-distribution-deals-1202087832/

The arrangement follows similar ones Disney reached with ABC affiliates and NBCUniversal made with NBC outlets, though CBS negotiated deals for affiliated local stations to work with Sony's PlayStation Vue.


http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/nbc-tv-affiliates-internet-video-ott-distribution-agreements-1202030200/

http://fortune.com/2017/04/25/disney-abc-affiliates-deal-streaming/

"Disney said the deal means that roughly 90% of all TV households in the U.S. will soon be able to stream live ABC local broadcasts, either through the ABC app (which requires a cable subscription) or through a streaming service subscription, if they are not already available."

I'm cutting the cord in about two weeks. My latest promotional internet/cable deal from Uverse just expired and the price is going up to $285 unless I ask for another promotional deal which always seems to be higher and more loaded than the prior one.

I tried once before two years ago, and was able to swap the phone for OOMA, but sling was still pretty weak back then. FYI, if you have an alarm system make sure it sends out signals to the monitor via cell, vs land line.

Now, I am swapping out my Uverse Internet for TOAST.NET. I'm getting 45 mbps for $64/month the first year including taxes modem etc. It then goes up $5. TOAST is a reseller of ATT for internet only but at a better price and no caps.

As soon as its installed, I am going back to Sling TV plus CBS All access $6 and Klowd TV $5 for One America News as sling does not have it or foxnews. It does have both Hallmark channels for my wife, and everything else I need(ESPN family for aggie football, CNBC, and some others). I'll load up pretty well and still top out at a lot less than Uverse with all the equipment rentals and fees and extra movie services they make you take to get a deal.

Does any streaming service offer Discovery Channel? It looks like the whole family of Discovery Communications channels don't stream.

wee_ag said:

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Does any streaming service offer Discovery Channel? It looks like the whole family of Discovery Communications channels don't stream.

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DIRECTV Now does. It has pretty much everything except CBS (at least that I would ever watch). And DVR, of course. But it seems to be the most inclusive with regards to channel offerings.

Ferg said:

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I'm cutting the cord in about two weeks. My latest promotional internet/cable deal from Uverse just expired and the price is going up to $285 unless I ask for another promotional deal which always seems to be higher and more loaded than the prior one.

I tried once before two years ago, and was able to swap the phone for OOMA, but sling was still pretty weak back then. FYI, if you have an alarm system make sure it sends out signals to the monitor via cell, vs land line.

Now, I am swapping out my Uverse Internet for TOAST.NET. I'm getting 45 mbps for $64/month the first year including taxes modem etc. It then goes up $5. TOAST is a reseller of ATT for internet only but at a better price and no caps.

As soon as its installed, I am going back to Sling TV plus CBS All access $6 and Klowd TV $5 for One America News as sling does not have it or foxnews. It does have both Hallmark channels for my wife, and everything else I need(ESPN family for aggie football, CNBC, and some others). I'll load up pretty well and still top out at a lot less than Uverse with all the equipment rentals and fees and extra movie services they make you take to get a deal.

---

DirecTV NOW has all of those channels listed in every package offered, starting at the lowest one ($35/month)

Also Discovery to the poster below, but the rest of the Discovery family may require higher packages.

http://cdn.directv.com/content/dam/dtv/gmott/html/compare-packages-account.html

If you happen to have AT&T Unlimited Plus or Choice, you get a $25/month credit towards any of the DirecTV services, DirecTV Now, UVerse and such.

I have the Go Big at the grandfathered price. Between that, Netflix and now Plex OTA/DVR I'm pretty well set.

AggieFrog said:

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Heismenberg said:

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What don't you people get?

Amazon Fire Stick > Jailbreak > Kodi app

Free everything plus pay per view sports.... All free when you pay $50 for the fire stick!

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So, stealing content? No thanks.

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Not that I am condoning this but it isn't stealing content. You are streaming directly from online sources. You are not downloading anything. It isn't illegal.

nwspmp said:

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Ferg said:

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I'm cutting the cord in about two weeks. My latest promotional internet/cable deal from Uverse just expired and the price is going up to $285 unless I ask for another promotional deal which always seems to be higher and more loaded than the prior one.

I tried once before two years ago, and was able to swap the phone for OOMA, but sling was still pretty weak back then. FYI, if you have an alarm system make sure it sends out signals to the monitor via cell, vs land line.

Now, I am swapping out my Uverse Internet for TOAST.NET. I'm getting 45 mbps for $64/month the first year including taxes modem etc. It then goes up $5. TOAST is a reseller of ATT for internet only but at a better price and no caps.

As soon as its installed, I am going back to Sling TV plus CBS All access $6 and Klowd TV $5 for One America News as sling does not have it or foxnews. It does have both Hallmark channels for my wife, and everything else I need(ESPN family for aggie football, CNBC, and some others). I'll load up pretty well and still top out at a lot less than Uverse with all the equipment rentals and fees and extra movie services they make you take to get a deal.

---

DirecTV NOW has all of those channels listed in every package offered, starting at the lowest one ($35/month)

Also Discovery to the poster below, but the rest of the Discovery family may require higher packages.

http://cdn.directv.com/content/dam/dtv/gmott/html/compare-packages-account.html

If you happen to have AT&T Unlimited Plus or Choice, you get a $25/month credit towards any of the DirecTV services, DirecTV Now, UVerse and such.

I have the Go Big at the grandfathered price. Between that, Netflix and now Plex OTA/DVR I'm pretty well set.

---

For the most part, but Hallmark Mysteries and Movies is only on the lowest package, and it drops off when you upgrade. SEC Network doesn't kick in until the second package. My wife loves HMM, so its a non starter. Only ATT would take away a channel when you pay for an upgrade.

Ferg said:

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nwspmp said:

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Ferg said:

---

I'm cutting the cord in about two weeks. My latest promotional internet/cable deal from Uverse just expired and the price is going up to $285 unless I ask for another promotional deal which always seems to be higher and more loaded than the prior one.

I tried once before two years ago, and was able to swap the phone for OOMA, but sling was still pretty weak back then. FYI, if you have an alarm system make sure it sends out signals to the monitor via cell, vs land line.

Now, I am swapping out my Uverse Internet for TOAST.NET. I'm getting 45 mbps for $64/month the first year including taxes modem etc. It then goes up $5. TOAST is a reseller of ATT for internet only but at a better price and no caps.

As soon as its installed, I am going back to Sling TV plus CBS All access $6 and Klowd TV $5 for One America News as sling does not have it or foxnews. It does have both Hallmark channels for my wife, and everything else I need(ESPN family for aggie football, CNBC, and some others). I'll load up pretty well and still top out at a lot less than Uverse with all the equipment rentals and fees and extra movie services they make you take to get a deal.

---

DirecTV NOW has all of those channels listed in every package offered, starting at the lowest one ($35/month)

Also Discovery to the poster below, but the rest of the Discovery family may require higher packages.

http://cdn.directv.com/content/dam/dtv/gmott/html/compare-packages-account.html

If you happen to have AT&T Unlimited Plus or Choice, you get a $25/month credit towards any of the DirecTV services, DirecTV Now, UVerse and such.

I have the Go Big at the grandfathered price. Between that, Netflix and now Plex OTA/DVR I'm pretty well set.

---

For the most part, but Hallmark Mysteries and Movies is only on the lowest package, and it drops off when you upgrade. SEC Network doesn't kick in until the second package. My wife loves HMM, so its a non starter. Only ATT would take away a channel when you pay for an upgrade.

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Did they change how they do the packages? Before, they didn't take anything away as you go up to higher packages. I have the channel lineup they gave me when I signed last November still (for some reason) and those are on there. But I just checked the guide and they aren't. Weird.

shoes said:

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Also, depending on your market, you may not need an antenna for CBS. In DFW we get CBS with Vue, but not ABC.

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Still good to have an antenna for emergency weather that might knock out your internet.

HustlerAggie said:

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shoes said:

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Also, depending on your market, you may not need an antenna for CBS. In DFW we get CBS with Vue, but not ABC.

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Still good to have an antenna for emergency weather that might knock out your internet.

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Cell phones and radio.

AggieFrog said:

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HustlerAggie said:

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shoes said:

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Also, depending on your market, you may not need an antenna for CBS. In DFW we get CBS with Vue, but not ABC.

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Still good to have an antenna for emergency weather that might knock out your internet.

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Cell phones and radio.

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Yes, those are good to have, too. But, I like seeing the weather on tv if local internet &/or cell services is temporarily knocked out. Battery-powered radios are also a great last-resort backup if power goes down.

I got a 30-day trial of Sling TV when I bought my Amazon Fire TV Stick (through bestbuy.com) and my trial ends next week. So far, I have only used Sling to watch a few sporting events (EPL, college baseball). I currently have the Orange+Blue because it's a free trial, but I would cut back to just the Orange ($20/mo) and add the extra sports channels ($10/mo) for the SEC Network. When Game of Thrones starts up again, I plan to add HBO ($15/mo).

According to https://www.cutcabletoday.com/what-is-playstation-vue/, I would need to get the PS Vue's Core Slim package ($35/mo) in order to get the SEC Network. The cost of adding HBO is the same as with Sling.

So...
Sling TV -- $30/mo
PS Vue -- $35/mo

Several have said that PS Vue is better than Sling. Besides the cloud DVR thing, are there any other reasons for choosing Vue over Sling?

theNetSmith said:

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I got a 30-day trial of Sling TV when I bought my Amazon Fire TV Stick (through bestbuy.com) and my trial ends next week. So far, I have only used Sling to watch a few sporting events (EPL, college baseball). I currently have the Orange+Blue because it's a free trial, but I would cut back to just the Orange ($20/mo) and add the extra sports channels ($10/mo) for the SEC Network. When Game of Thrones starts up again, I plan to add HBO ($15/mo).

According to https://www.cutcabletoday.com/what-is-playstation-vue/, I would need to get the PS Vue's Core Slim package ($35/mo) in order to get the SEC Network. The cost of adding HBO is the same as with Sling.

So...
Sling TV -- $30/mo
PS Vue -- $35/mo

Several have said that PS Vue is better than Sling. Besides the cloud DVR thing, are there any other reasons for choosing Vue over Sling?

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Sling, when we had it, only allowed one stream at a time.
PSvue works on multiple stream in the house.
I'm not sure if Sling ever picked up more channels to make it worth it to us (i.e. FoxNews).
We run the $30 PSvue until football season.

So I noticed watching the WatchESPN stream that it is 50-60 seconds behind the cable ESPN channel.

Is this the norm for everyone else? That is a lot of time when watching live sports.

Yes. Don't keep twitter refreshed except during commercials.

Yes, there's always a delay when it comes to streaming. Definitely don't try to stream the game while watching in the stadium.

dave99ag said:

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Yes, there's always a delay when it comes to streaming. Definitely don't try to stream the game while watching in the stadium.

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I do this sometimes for replay. I can log in and start streaming just in time to see a controversial play.

Good idea, hadn't thought of that.

Anyone had any issues with Hulu Live TV Beta? I'm considering cutting my Spectrum/TWC package down to internet only and using Hulu Live TV as well.

zurcaled11 said:

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Anyone had any issues with Hulu Live TV Beta? I'm considering cutting my Spectrum/TWC package down to internet only and using Hulu Live TV as well.

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Not Roku compatible (yet), which prevents me from trying it.

LoudestWHOOP! said:

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zurcaled11 said:

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Anyone had any issues with Hulu Live TV Beta? I'm considering cutting my Spectrum/TWC package down to internet only and using Hulu Live TV as well.

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Not Roku compatible (yet), which prevents me from trying it.

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Good to know. I'm planning on using it primarily with Xbox One and Chromecast, but I do have a Roku in my guest room.

I assume it doesn't come with a WatchESPN sign-in? On the WatchESPN website it seemed pretty restrictive on which cable/internet providers have access.

zurcaled11 said:

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LoudestWHOOP! said:

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zurcaled11 said:

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Anyone had any issues with Hulu Live TV Beta? I'm considering cutting my Spectrum/TWC package down to internet only and using Hulu Live TV as well.

---

Not Roku compatible (yet), which prevents me from trying it.

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Good to know. I'm planning on using it primarily with Xbox One and Chromecast, but I do have a Roku in my guest room.

I assume it doesn't come with a WatchESPN sign-in? On the WatchESPN website it seemed pretty restrictive on which cable/internet providers have access.

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Hulu is listed on the WatchEspn app as a provider.