I was a satisfied, long-time DirecTV subscriber until finally the cost exceeded the value to me. My friend had been raving about Roku, so I popped for a Roku Stick to play around with the service. I was impressed. For my basic cable and live TV, I trialed Youtube TV, and again was very impressed. The HBO Go and Showtime apps worked great so I decided to cut the cord. I even bought a Roku Smartbar for my second TV. The only minor downside I could see was less efficient menuing and clunkier DVR-ing with Roko/Youtube. When I called to cancel DTV they made virtually no effort to try and keep me, so hello Roku it was. I ordered HBO Now as a standalone app, and also ordered Showtime and Starz through Youtube TV.
After my final bill with DTV, I called them with a question about returning my receiver. It was on this call that they made me the offer I couldn't refuse - at least for the next 12 months - and I agreed to have the service reinstalled. I cancelled my streaming services, and am back on the satellite.
Since this happened in late June, Youtube TV increased the price by 30% (from $50 to $65/mo) and HBO Max is blocked on Roku and HBO Go died today. This is confirmation my DTV decision was the right one for me. In June 2021 I'll survey the broadcast/streaming landscape once again. But as streaming services load up on channels I have no interest in and increase their prices, they are becoming the new, bloated cable services.
