US SPORTS PERFECTION #4 - 09/06/2019
STOP - READ this message now BEFORE proceeding
This is the fourth installment in my "US Sports Perfection" series of reviews. To remind everyone, my goal is NOT to have the cheapest set up. Rather, it is to be able to watch any and every US Sports or Premium event in 60fps FHD/HD when I choose to watch it. This could be NCAA Football, Boxing PPV or NFL Football... but I want perfect feeds every time. The fact that no one could possibly provide perfect feeds every time simply means that I need a collection of providers that between them, ponies up a perfect feed every time without having to go through "heroic measures". Additionally, I want all of my US cable channels and premiums (for the wife mostly). And I need a little catchup, particularly for MSNBC.
---- MY CURRENT PROVIDER MIX ----
In my last review, I had presented four providers that provided me with the coverage to achieve my stated goal. This month finds three of the same providers, along with a minor tweak:
- Jarvis (bought from u/Jarvis912) - Jarvis is a reseller of Primestreams. Great 60fps FHD/HD feeds of pretty much every US Sports network, regional and premium feed. These guys continue to impress me with some of the best pictures coupled with outstanding stability. Jarvis has assumed the top spot on this list because their streams have been rock solid. I've had 100% uptime and virtually no buffering. If they had catchup they would be absolutely perfect! Also, if you are a fan of VOD (not my thing, but probably some of you love it), Jarvis has an extremely inexpensive addon service called Hitman for just this purpose. Very highly recommended.
- Hydrogen (bought from u/Jcast356) - I continue to be very impressed with this service. While their offering isn't nearly as large (number of channels) as some of the competition, almost everything is in blazing 60fps FHD/HD. Their channel mix contains all of the major US sports channels that I need, but I wish that they could add the missing ESPN College Extra and Fox College Sports, for example. Channel surfing this monster is an absolute joy. Their EPG is a thing of beauty... very well populated and maintained. Their latest apk adds the ability to display up to 4 streams simultaneously (NCAA Tourney, here we come!) Add to this lots of Catchup channels and extensive VOD for those who want it. The only drawback is that I've had one brief outage and minimal daily buffering... hence their position at number 2 on this list. This service is a required component of my mix.
- Premium (bought from u/Jcast356) - Premium is a rebranding of Helix... a service that I've used for a very long time. While they are a little inconsistent, the availability of multiple feeds for virtually every channel pretty much ensures that Premium has a HD/FHD 60fps stream of everything I'm looking for. Add to that the fact that they have catchup on over 900 channels, and Premium becomes a necessary addition to my provider pool. Additionally, by utilizing the rebranded "Premium" service I recieve many "extras" (all channels, adult, etc) for far less money than Helix charges directly. Also, you can use PayPal instead of BTC if you choose.
- Cool As Ice (bought from u/Rwin01) - CoolAsIce continues to operate in a mode that allows me to call them a "Premium Provider". They have the channels that I need, in glorious HD/FHD 60fps! While CAI offers some Catchup channels, they are not nearly as extensive as Premium or Hydrogen. I have had a few glitches with uptime and periodic buffering, but nothing major. u/Rwin01 has demonstrated that he cares about his customers, and after he introduced me to the primaries of this service, I can say that they want the same... and it shows!
NOTE: I noted last month that I was evaluating three other services, and promised that I would report back. None of them worked out well enough to become part of my mix. Some details are below.
---- PRICING ----
The current monthly price for these 4 providers, depending upon term length, is approximately $37USD. I run them through TiViMate ($5USD/year), an app that I feel is easily the best IPTV player available anywhere (and it now feature the absolute best catchup functionality anywhere!). A subscription to Xtream-Editor still keeps the total price under $40/month and allows me to customize the lineup and folder groupings to my exacting standards. Your pricing may vary depending upon term lengths, promotions, etc. For this outlay, I get everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) that I could possibly want out of "Live TV". This is certainly overkill for some of you, but it suits me very well.
---- NOTES ----
- People ask me why I use 4 providers instead of subscribing to mainstream services. The answer is simple, I cannot attain my objective of being able to watch any US Sports event by using nothing but mainstream providers. The need for ALL of the US Sports regional channels means that I need to use IPTV to provide the necessary exposure.
- I often see posts in this sub along the lines of "are resellers as reliable as providers?". The answer is that it entirely depends upon the reseller. I far prefer using an honest, reputable and dedicated reseller... but believe me... that's far from a given thing. Many resellers are only in it for a quick cash hit, and they have absolutely no intention of doing any more work than they absolutely have to! All of the resellers that I've listed above have gone out of their way to "work with me" in ensuring that their product suits my needs. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY!
- YOU CAN HELP ME. Look at my desirements above. Look at what I have. Look at who I've liked (and why). Look at the "Not For Me" list below. Have I missed someone who provides a unique service? Have I completely missed the mark with my synopsis reviews? Is there just someone else that I really, really need to check out? Please help me figure out who belongs in my provider mix above! I would really love some ideas. BUT... if you are going to suggest a provider, please be certain to tell me WHY THEY WOULD IMPROVE MY IPTV WATCHING EXPERIENCE as it relates to my stated objective above.
- A word about "trials". I really don't believe that a 24-48 hour trial does much of anything to help you evaluate their suitability. Most of these trials aren't available for weekends or PPV events, making it very difficult to glean much useful data from the experience. In my opinion, you should do your research first (read reviews, gather channel lists, ask questions on Reddit), and then you should bite the bullet and subscribe for a full month. Take the time to integrate them into your watching environment (Xtream-Editor, TiViMate favorites, etc). Live with them... and then (and only then), make your decision as to their suitability. If they are close, but not quite there... perhaps contact with the reseller or provider can get it sorted.
---- NOT FOR ME ----
Providers that have not worked out for me along with reasons why...
Smoothstreams - Currently under evaluation... a full report will be available in the next edition of this report.
Crystal Clear / XStreamZ - This provider has drifted on and off of my radar several times in the last 2 years. As of this moment, they are off because they dropped all of their catchup channels. The feeds are pretty good, many in HD/FHD 60fps. Unfortunately, they are having some current problems with buffering and dead channels. I'm sure that I'll end up trying them again in the future (I always do).
Eternal, Area51, TNT, GE - all cheap services that work, and in some cases offer reasonable stability... but the picture isn't good (terrible frame rates) to the point that they give me a headache.
Twisted - I had a bad experience with these guys. Your mileage may vary.
Beams, ResoluteD - After last time's writeup, I tried them again since so many people (who I really respect) speak highly of Beams/ResoluteD... but I remain unimpressed. It isn't cheap, doesn't have great USA channel selection and has mostly 30fps feeds... but it is stable. Not good enough to remain viable in my provider pool.
Gears, Epicstreams - These are high priced providers with terrible video quality. I don't understand the crack that y'all are smoking!
Nitro, Beast, Inferno, Dark Media - Expensive providers with great lineups that just lack in the stability department. I can't watch a solid hour without some sort of glitch.
FAB, Flawless, ACE, Vader - R.I.P.
---- RESELLER NOTICE ----
A note to resellers/providers - I would absolutely love to evaluate your service... but please take the time to really read my post and then explain what makes your product a great fit for "US Sports Perfection". Please PM me with your details.
Jarvis is good. Support he provides is awesome.