MSG's Sabre Games: No Cable Needed Next Season

[Radar]

46 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

For internet (which we need) and Cable with MGS, its a package called select and its over $150 per month. Yes, existing customer for years.

Yep, that's the package I have. 

[PASabreFan]

All morning trying to reach someone at MSG Plus. Chat. Text. Phone. Email. Nothing.

[Randall Flagg]

I am currently in a one week free trial window with fubo. Might make a few more of those before finding something else to do

[mjd1001]

10 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

All morning trying to reach someone at MSG Plus. Chat. Text. Phone. Email. Nothing.

Seems like you are having a similar experience with MSG Plus as I did with Spectrum trying to find out how to upgrade to get MSG.

[Mango]

We recently cut the chord on a lot of subscription stuff and use Kodi on my firestick. It works great. I can get anything and everything I want when I want it. Including everything that is on any other streaming service, live TV etc. I use it with a VPN, but I have friends who don't and have had no issues with their ISP. I use Express VPN. I watch all F1, NHL, World Cup, NFL etc. without any issues. 
 

Here is my set up: 

Kodi (free): Platform to run any add ons

https://troypoint.com/how-to-install-kodi-on-fire-tv/

 

MadTitan Sports (free): This is the best for sports and live TV

https://www.firesticktricks.com/mad-titan-sports-kodi-addon.html

 

The Crew (free): Anything TV, Movies, Shows. If it is on Hulu, Netlfix, Paramount, Disney, etc. it is here. 

https://troypoint.com/crew-kodi-addon/

 

Real Debrid (-$40 per year/$3 per month): Totally worth it. It sorts all your streams from working/premium to dead. Otherwise it is guess and check. 

https://www.firesticktricks.com/real-debrid-kodi.html

[Weave]

37 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

All morning trying to reach someone at MSG Plus. Chat. Text. Phone. Email. Nothing.

Thank you for being the guinea pig.  I’ll stick to my copyright infringement sources.

I want to give someone money.  I really do.  They make it not worth the effort.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Weave

[LTS]

5 hours ago, Mango said:

We recently cut the chord on a lot of subscription stuff and use Kodi on my firestick. It works great. I can get anything and everything I want when I want it. Including everything that is on any other streaming service, live TV etc. I use it with a VPN, but I have friends who don't and have had no issues with their ISP. I use Express VPN. I watch all F1, NHL, World Cup, NFL etc. without any issues. 
 

Here is my set up: 

Kodi (free): Platform to run any add ons

https://troypoint.com/how-to-install-kodi-on-fire-tv/

 

MadTitan Sports (free): This is the best for sports and live TV

https://www.firesticktricks.com/mad-titan-sports-kodi-addon.html

 

The Crew (free): Anything TV, Movies, Shows. If it is on Hulu, Netlfix, Paramount, Disney, etc. it is here. 

https://troypoint.com/crew-kodi-addon/

 

Real Debrid (-$40 per year/$3 per month): Totally worth it. It sorts all your streams from working/premium to dead. Otherwise it is guess and check. 

https://www.firesticktricks.com/real-debrid-kodi.html

Other than Kodi, which is just the platform I do believe everything you posted here is a link to illegal content and a great way to open backdoors onto your network.

Also $40/year is more expensive than $3/month... that's a very interesting marketing tactic. 🙂

[Mango]

19 minutes ago, LTS said:

Other than Kodi, which is just the platform I do believe everything you posted here is a link to illegal content and a great way to open backdoors onto your network.

Also $40/year is more expensive than $3/month... that's a very interesting marketing tactic. 🙂

I have been using it for years with a VPN without any issues. But have been leaning into it in full this fall and cut the cord on most things.

I work in tech sales and we just went through a large round of layoffs, so we are cutting expenses. I have friends in tech who have been out of work as long as 9 months. I can't justify spending $200 per month on media subscriptions in that kind of job market. 

The longest you can buy real-debrid is 6 months at a time. It is in Euro's and it comes out to $3 and change per month. I was rounding to $40.

[That Aud Smell]

22 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

For internet (which we need) and Cable with MGS, its a package called select and its over $150 per month. Yes, existing customer for years.

I was at that rate when I cut the cord 6 or 7 years ago.

[PASabreFan]

MSG says I don't have a subscription.

[LTS]

20 hours ago, Mango said:

I have been using it for years with a VPN without any issues. But have been leaning into it in full this fall and cut the cord on most things.

I work in tech sales and we just went through a large round of layoffs, so we are cutting expenses. I have friends in tech who have been out of work as long as 9 months. I can't justify spending $200 per month on media subscriptions in that kind of job market. 

The longest you can buy real-debrid is 6 months at a time. It is in Euro's and it comes out to $3 and change per month. I was rounding to $40.

I get it.  But that doesn't change the nature of the links and the apps.  Good that you have not had issues, as far as you know. 🙂 

As for the job market, I completely understand that. Hate to say my company keeps cutting and I just keep hoping that I'm not gonna get tagged.

[Mango]

1 hour ago, LTS said:

I get it.  But that doesn't change the nature of the links and the apps.  Good that you have not had issues, as far as you know. 🙂 

As for the job market, I completely understand that. Hate to say my company keeps cutting and I just keep hoping that I'm not gonna get tagged.

I made it through all the covid stuff without an issue. But I took a chance about 9 months ago on a European start up/scale up and it was a mitigated disaster. They out right lied about stuff during the interview process and told me “well if we told you the truth you wouldn’t have come here”.

It’s been the worst career decision I ever made. And the company I left just finished a  merger between 2 $750M companies. They’re over staffed and I can’t go back. 
 

I’ll be fine, it’s a bit unlucky, but it’s been a total mess.

[PASabreFan]

I finally got some customer service and apparently not from a bot. MSG says my payment from Google Pay "failed" despite their message indicating I had an active subscription (not to mention the money taken out of my bank account).

The workaround was to ask for a refund from Google (already got it) and purchase a new subscription not through Google and also on the MSG Plus website and not the app.

After all that, I had access.

Some stops and starts. Probably need a faster connection. My main problem is thinking too much about the delay. And also not being able to post on SS because of the delay or read texts from a couple of friends who feel the need to suddenly talk Sabres hockey.

I bought a new TV for all this. It's honestly too big and I didn't splurge so the back and forth of the game is making me semi nauseated. (I found no other way to get the game on the TV other than casting it from the app on my phone.)

I might just watch on the phone.

I sure do miss the days of rabbit ears.

[Radar]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I finally got some customer service and apparently not from a bot. MSG says my payment from Google Pay "failed" despite their message indicating I had an active subscription (not to mention the money taken out of my bank account).

The workaround was to ask for a refund from Google (already got it) and purchase a new subscription not through Google and also on the MSG Plus website and not the app.

After all that, I had access.

Some stops and starts. Probably need a faster connection. My main problem is thinking too much about the delay. And also not being able to post on SS because of the delay or read texts from a couple of friends who feel the need to suddenly talk Sabres hockey.

I bought a new TV for all this. It's honestly too big and I didn't splurge so the back and forth of the game is making me semi nauseated. (I found no other way to get the game on the TV other than casting it from the app on my phone.)

I might just watch on the phone.

I sure do miss the days of rabbit ears.

Well glad you're up and running. After reading many posts about streaming apps I've come to the conclusion to stick with Spectrum cable. My cable cost and internet combined is $151/monthly and to get the sports I want seems to suit me best. I have Roku so the amount I saved on cable box fees has already saved the cost of the Roku units and now about $40/monthly toward internet cost. Works for me. Go Sabres and Go Mets!!

[SDS]

On 10/13/2023 at 5:15 PM, That Aud Smell said:

I was at that rate when I cut the cord 6 or 7 years ago.

Did people think they were going to withdraw all their money and cheat the system?

[That Aud Smell]

12 hours ago, SDS said:

Did people think they were going to withdraw all their money and cheat the system?

Not sure I follow.

If your point is that cord-cutting has - for most - led to as much or more spending on various streaming services, then: Agreed.

I know I'm doing better and spending less, on balance.

OTOH, I'm still in a life-phase where I have no time (energy? desire?) to commit to television. The last show we watched the whole way through was Peaky Blinders. Prior to that, it was pandemic days and we definitely got into a few shows then (the whole fam damily, actually).

[SDS]

15 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Not sure I follow.

If your point is that cord-cutting has - for most - led to as much or more spending on various streaming services, then: Agreed.

I know I'm doing better and spending less, on balance.

OTOH, I'm still in a life-phase where I have no time (energy? desire?) to commit to television. The last show we watched the whole way through was Peaky Blinders. Prior to that, it was pandemic days and we definitely got into a few shows then (the whole fam damily, actually).

The machine is not going to let consumers suck 50% $ out of the system. They will claw it back.

[That Aud Smell]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

The machine is not going to let consumers suck 50% $ out of the system. They will claw it back.

Fair enough. What some learned in cutting the cord, however, is that they can manage with less. My overall "tv" spend is definitely down (when adjusted for inflation).

[PASabreFan]

Shoot me.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Shoot me.

Where and when?

😜

[inkman]

On 10/16/2023 at 10:53 AM, PASabreFan said:

I finally got some customer service and apparently not from a bot. MSG says my payment from Google Pay "failed" despite their message indicating I had an active subscription (not to mention the money taken out of my bank account).

The workaround was to ask for a refund from Google (already got it) and purchase a new subscription not through Google and also on the MSG Plus website and not the app.

After all that, I had access.

Some stops and starts. Probably need a faster connection. My main problem is thinking too much about the delay. And also not being able to post on SS because of the delay or read texts from a couple of friends who feel the need to suddenly talk Sabres hockey.

I bought a new TV for all this. It's honestly too big and I didn't splurge so the back and forth of the game is making me semi nauseated. (I found no other way to get the game on the TV other than casting it from the app on my phone.)

I might just watch on the phone.

I sure do miss the days of rabbit ears.

I lasted one whole game (I was at the opener) before abandoning MSG PLUS.  Air playing the game on my iPad or phone to the tv was a problem.  The stream itself buffered almost every 2-3 minutes.  I’d say I probably missed 40% of the game action Saturday.  I’m back the watching “illegally”.  

[That Aud Smell]

This is a helpful thread. I'm going to skip MSG+, renew my VPN subscription, use my iPad, and maybe look at getting a spare laptop to connect to my tee-vee for big games.

[MattPie]

On 10/17/2023 at 8:47 AM, That Aud Smell said:

Not sure I follow.

If your point is that cord-cutting has - for most - led to as much or more spending on various streaming services, then: Agreed.

I know I'm doing better and spending less, on balance.

OTOH, I'm still in a life-phase where I have no time (energy? desire?) to commit to television. The last show we watched the whole way through was Peaky Blinders. Prior to that, it was pandemic days and we definitely got into a few shows then (the whole fam damily, actually).

Is that really true? People are really paying $100+ per month on streaming? I realize I live in a different world. We have Prime for the shipping and sometimes watch the content, and every few months we activate Netflix for a month or two but that's it.

[LTS]

7 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Is that really true? People are really paying $100+ per month on streaming? I realize I live in a different world. We have Prime for the shipping and sometimes watch the content, and every few months we activate Netflix for a month or two but that's it.

It's 100% true.  You are certainly not the norm.  It's especially true if someone has signed up for something like Fubo, YouTubeTV, etc. where you are starting out almost at $100.

Most people don't cancel and resub, although that's the smart play.  Similarly, most streaming services (non-linear) are designed around a few key programs and they space them out just enough to keep people from unsubscribing.  It's no accident that Loki Season 2 started right after the last episode of Ahsoka.

Subscriptions are easy for people to set and forget and then they get baked into the budget.  People stop questioning them.  I have no doubt gym memberships really opened the eyes of executives... so many people have them and never use them.

[mjd1001]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:10 AM, That Aud Smell said:

Fair enough. What some learned in cutting the cord, however, is that they can manage with less. My overall "tv" spend is definitely down (when adjusted for inflation).

I agree with you here. We too are watching less as the prices go up.  Our 'spend' on entertainment is lower now, and sure, we have less total to choose from, but it doesn't impact the quality of our viewing experience. 

As far as any streaming service, cable service, channel, even sports....give me a bargain or at least a 'fair' price (not going up year after year) and we are likely to give you some of our money.  When the costs rise or service is lowered (a few streaming services have cut shows we liked), we'll step aside and not worry about it too much.