The elephant-in-the-room in cable-like streaming packages with cloud DVR capabilities like PSVue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, etc., is that you cannot FF/Skip through commercials on a number of key cable channels. There are variations that confuse, but for example the Fox-owned channels like FX clearly are not allowing commercial-skipping.
So far I have been unable to find a tech news or cordcutting blog source which honestly reports this fact and provides lists noting the commercial mandatory channels. All over the web there are comparisons between the services that imply the cloud DVR's are the same as cable/satellite services with DVR's.
For those of us who went through the fights (including court cases) for the right to record and skip, even if we did so vicariously as observers, the reality of streaming packages makes so-called "cord-cutting" a less-than-optimum method of TV service.
This does not apply to actual commercial-free streaming sources with network shows like Hulu and CBS All Access or other sources for prior seasons of shows on Netflix. The fact is CBS All Access offers ad-free streaming for all CBS shows including originals. Hulu offers ad-free streaming for almost all ABC, Fox, and NBC broadcast network shows, plus Hulu originals and a few cable channel shows.
There are other options than cable-like streaming packages with cloud DVR capabilities like PSVue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, etc. if you don't watch that many regular cable channel shows. For example, in the case of Amazon Prime Video which has no commercials, Seasons 1-4 of the FX show "The Americans" are available for viewing. The currently airing Season 5 is also available for $2.99 an episode or $34.99 ($1.99 an episode if you're ok with the so-called SD feed). On the other hand any episode/season of the FX show "Fargo" must be purchased. But remember that the cheapest cable-like streaming packages with cloud DVR capabilities like PSVue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, etc. requires a monthly fee equal to at least 10 episodes of shows purchased through Amazon!
So far I have been unable to find a tech news or cordcutting blog source which honestly reports this fact and provides lists noting the commercial mandatory channels. All over the web there are comparisons between the services that imply the cloud DVR's are the same as cable/satellite services with DVR's.
For those of us who went through the fights (including court cases) for the right to record and skip, even if we did so vicariously as observers, the reality of streaming packages makes so-called "cord-cutting" a less-than-optimum method of TV service.
This does not apply to actual commercial-free streaming sources with network shows like Hulu and CBS All Access or other sources for prior seasons of shows on Netflix. The fact is CBS All Access offers ad-free streaming for all CBS shows including originals. Hulu offers ad-free streaming for almost all ABC, Fox, and NBC broadcast network shows, plus Hulu originals and a few cable channel shows.
There are other options than cable-like streaming packages with cloud DVR capabilities like PSVue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, etc. if you don't watch that many regular cable channel shows. For example, in the case of Amazon Prime Video which has no commercials, Seasons 1-4 of the FX show "The Americans" are available for viewing. The currently airing Season 5 is also available for $2.99 an episode or $34.99 ($1.99 an episode if you're ok with the so-called SD feed). On the other hand any episode/season of the FX show "Fargo" must be purchased. But remember that the cheapest cable-like streaming packages with cloud DVR capabilities like PSVue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, etc. requires a monthly fee equal to at least 10 episodes of shows purchased through Amazon!