OK, I'll start this. Try to stick with this format for uniformity.
The products and services that I use for my viewing entertainment has changed greatly since I began cord cutting over a year ago but I think that I have finally settled on what I am going to keep for a while.
MY COSTS:
My prices include all taxes & fees and are rounded to the nearest $
THE EQUIPMENT THAT I CURRENTLY USE
$322 .. * TiVo Premiere (2 tuner) with lifetime subscription & 1TB ext drive.
- Using to record OTA broadcasts.
$50 .. ** Clearstream 2V HD antenna connected to TiVo box.
$141 .. TiVo Stream - to get TiVo on Amazon Fire, iPad & iPhone.
$185 .. ** TwoAmazon Fire TV boxes (latest 2015 4K version)
- Main apps: TiVo (beta), ***PlayStation Vue, MLB.tv Premium, YouTube.
$698 .. TOTAL INITIAL INVESTMENT FOR EQUIPMENT
I was offerred and purchased a lifetime TiVo subscription for only $106 because I had been a monthly paying customer for 2 years, already having paid a total of $368 over that period. So you could say my lifetime subscription cost me $474, still less than the $600 they were asking for when I first got the TiVo box to use with Time Warner Cable.
** (I saved money by buying these on sale at Best Buy and on eBay.)
*** I also own a PS3 game system that I can also use to watch PlayStation Vue, although you don't need a PS3 or PS4 to sign up for PlayStation Vue. If you want to, you can use Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or an Apple iOS device (not on Apple TV) to watch PS Vue.
THE SERVICES THAT I CURRENTLY USE
$30/mo .. PlayStation Vue - 55 cable channels (27 that I like and watch).
$8/mo .. Amazon Prime - TV, movies, music, free 2-day shipping.
$10/mo .. MLB.tv Premium ($119/yr with tax)
$63/mo .. Time Warner Internet 200Mbps service.
(Google Fiber to be installed tomorrow: 1,000Mbps for $73/mo.)
$48/mo .. TOTAL Monthly - streaming TV only (I'd have internet anyway.)
Whether I had Cable TV or Satellite TV, to get what I wanted on my three TVs had cost between $90 and $120 per month. I now get everything I need on every TV for only $48/mo.
MY EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES - PAST & PRESENT
TIVO PREMIERE (device)
I prefer TiVo over Tablo. I prefer TiVo's snappy interface, fast channel changing, precise channel tuning and signal strength meter, program search capabilities, and the ability to keep a specific number of episodes (from 1-25) so you don't have to manually delete recordings you'll never watch. My TiVo Premiere has only 500GB of storage so I added a 1TB external drive for a total of 1.5TB which is plenty for me (holds 237 hours of HD content).
TABLO (device)
Tablo was easy to set up, had a fun way of finding new shows and a simple & attractive interface but I just prefer the additional features of TiVo. You must add a hard drive which can be good because you can go as small or big as you need, up to 5GB, last time I checked. You must be careful to get a compatible drive though. Unfortunately channel tuning is slow (3-5 seconds). Also, a feature I need is missing - being able to limit how many episode recordings are kept on the DVR. I was using a Roku 3 to watch my Tablo content on my TV but the Tablo Roku app would occassionally freeze when trying to fast forward, then crash causing a 5 minute wait for the Roku box to reset. To be fair, this could have been Roku's fault. Tablo is a recent start up company, only a couple of years old now but they are occassionally rolling out new apps (Apple TV) and I'm sure will eventually have more of the popular DVR features.
HULU (service)
A great service for popular TV episodes but I can get almost everything on Hulu from OTA broadcasts and PlayStation Vue. For a few dollars more, Hulu has a worthwhile commercial free service. It also has some movies but not as many as Amazon Prime or Netflix. Hulu has an eye pleasing, easy to use interface.
NETFLIX (service)
Lots of movies but I can find plenty that I like with Amazon Prime. Amazon seems to have more recent movies but Netflix is trying to get more of those. Flawless, easy to use interface.
SLING TV (service)
Dish Network created this to try to get some of the customers they were losing from their satellite service. I tried it using their trial period. It is about $10 less than PlayStation Vue. It doesn't have as many channels as PS Vue but it does have many of the popular ones. The big difference is that not much of Sling TV could be watched on demand (this may have improved, it's been a while). It had a nice, easy to use interface and is available on many devices.
PLAYSTATION VUE (service)
Lets you select your favorite cable shows and it will save every episode for 28 days in what I will call their "cloud DVR". It has binge-watching where it will play the next episode after the previous one ends. There could be a show that you can't "record", but I haven't yet found it yet. You can watch any channel live and also pause and rewind live TV just as you can on any cable TV DVR. In my opinion this is the best (and at this time) the only way to get 55 on demand cable channels for only $30. I use 27 of the 55. I also get the local Fox TV station which is cool because I don't have to use space on my TiVo to record the local news and other Fox Network shows I like. I have the basic plan, there are two higher price plans with more channels but I am good with the basic. In my opinion, PS Vue is what the future of streaming video services will mostly be like when they replace cable TV and satellite services.
AMAZON FIRE TV 2015 4K (device)
Very nice, snappy interface. Menus are straightforward and easy to use. I don't recommend the older 2014 model as the processor is slower and it won't be as snappy. The Amazon Fire TV Stick is even slower than that. They all work fine but if you want the cable TV box experience, the 2015 model is the one. The 2015 model also can use the hyper fast 102.11ac WiFi if your router/modem supports that. The 2015 model has Alexis, 2014 doesn't. You can use Alexis like if you had the Amazon Echo and ask what the weather will be like, etc. I like the way it has recents apps and shows placed so you can quickly get what you use most. Although not required, you really should consider getting an Amazon Prime subscription if you get this device because they work nicely together. I like this device much better than Roku or Apple TV (new). Roku has the most apps but Amazon Fire TV has all the popular ones, and then some. The Amazon Fire TV remote fits nicely in the hand and has a mic for Alexis and searches. The Apple TV Remote is too skimpy and slippery. I drop it all the time. The Amazon Fire TV is the only device I have found that has a TiVo app. It is a Beta release but it works flawlessly. I can watch and delete recordings but I must use the TiVo Premiere box to set up new recordings and perform other functions/settings. This has allowed me to sell my other TiVo Premiere (I had bought 2 of them when I had Time Warner Cable). It also eliminates the need to buy a TiVo Mini. With my 2 Amazon Fire TVs, I have TiVo on all 3 of my TVs (TiVo Premiere box on one TV). Also Amazon Fire TV has the PlayStation Vue app so I also have PS Vue on all 3 TVs (PS3 gaming system on one TV)
AMAZON PRIME (service)
I dropped Netflix & Hulu as I found Amazon had enough of what I needed to add to my OTA broadcasts. It has many free movies and TV shows for Prime membership customers ($99/yr + tax, comes to about $8.25/mo.) If not free, they can be rented or purchased for often less than iTunes. There are also many a la carte channels like Showtime or Starz $9, LifeTime $4, Tribeca $5, Smithsonian Earth $4, and on and on that can be watched on Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire TV, iOS devices, etc. for the monthly fee.
MLB.tv PREMIUM (service)
This is how I get my baseball fix. I am a Mets fan living in Texas and this is the only way to see every game. If they are playing a local team (Rangers or Astros) it is blacked out but I can watch it 90 minutes after the end of the game. I can watch any of the current season's games that I miss also. Almost every device has an app for this, including my Fire TV. It costs $119/year which comes to about $10/mo.
SUMMARY
I am happy with my Amazon Fire TV + TiVo + PlayStation Vue combination. The HD picture quality is always great on my 32", 46", and 55" TVs. I like that can access everything from my Amazon Fire TV boxes. I have no complaints with any of my devices, services, or apps.
MY ADVICE TO THE NEW CORD CUTTER
Determine your needs and wishes first. Read reviews, blogs, and forums with information on devices, streaming services and apps. YouTube has a lot of good reviews and comparisons also. Check the device manufacturers websites and learn about the requirements and features of OTA DVRs and the apps available on streaming devices. You should know that the devices you choose can do the most of what you need. I had spent hundreds on Tablo and Roku devices before I knew that TiVo and Amazon Fire TV had the performance, features and apps I really wanted and needed.