Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining Cue Streaming

This is an amazing company with a user community that is mostly positive, optimistic and friendly.  However, there have been some bumps in the getting started process. 

 This article is intended to help you avoid some of the frustration by leaning from our experiences.  So, here are the things that I wish I knew:

• Before you sign up, decide if you want to simply be a subscriber or if you want to get a referral fee from people you refer.  If you want to get a referral fee, use your sponsor's "apply" link to make the whole process easier on yourself and your sponsor. 
• Connect with someone and sign up under them so they can help you get set up.
• Setup will take a couple of tries so be ready for that and don't get frustrated. 
• Don't try to record until you install external storage.  If you do (we know it is tempting), limit it to two or three hours so that you do not fill up our Firestick.
• If your firestick memory fills up, call your sponsor so they can help you fix it. 
• There is NOT a lot of difference between the Firestick Lite and the Firestick 4K Max for most users. Here are the big ones: 
• 4KM works with IP6 (no biggy for us)
• 4KM has volume, mute and on/off buttons on the remote (we like this a lot)
• 4kM maximizes the resolution of your display
• 4kM supports some fancy audio something something
• If you want more details, this is a good article -
  Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K vs Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite
• The Firestick Remote (either) has two buttons that will take you out of Cue Streaming and back to the Firestick System - home and TV.  See this post for more information on the remote - Remote
• The Firestick User Experience and the Web Player User Experience are separate and very different.  Don't try to learn both and seek out help from your sponsor. 
• Navigating the Firestick Cue Streaming App is fast but also not all that intuitive.  Again, ask your sponsor or check this article - Basic Navigation
• When you get access through your Firestick, spend some time browsing the system to learn how to find what you want.
• The general search will return everything Cue Streaming has from anywhere: Live, VOD movies, VOD TV Shows.
• Take a deep breath and prepare to have a learning curve.
• The speed and functionality is very, very good!  The learning curve is real. 

Video On Demand - Cue App 2.0

 

NOTE:  This article relates to Cue App 2.0

In addition to the hundreds of channels of live TV Programming, you have access to many thousands of movies and TV Shows.  Below will show you the number of each as of this writing:

Movies – 27,011
TV Shows – 6,131

Within each of these selections, there are lists so that you can browse categories.  As you are browsing you can also search within the category using the search function at the top right hand corner.

This section will step you through navigating the VOD Menus and their functionality. 

To access the VOD Menu from your Live TV Guide, use the Navigation Wheel by pressing the left side of the wheel until the following menu appears:

·       SEARCH – allows you to search all VOD content.  Results are presented separated by TV Shows and Movies and Programming. Movies and TV are self-explanatory but PROGRAMS is a list of Live TV Programming that contains your search criteria.  If you see something you like in live TV Programming, you have the option of setting a reminder, setting a recording or adding it to your List.

·       TV – Takes you to live TV Programming where you can choose the channel you want to watch

·       MOVIES – Takes you to the Movies Menu where you can browse by list

·       TV SHOWS – Takes you to the TV Shows VOD Menu where you can browse by lists

·       RECORDINGS – Takes you to a list of items you have recorded.

·       MY LIST – Takes you to the List Menu where you can view and choose from the TV Programs, Reminders, Movies and TV Shows you have previously added to your list. This is also where you can remove from your list or delete a recording

·       SETTINGS – allows you to customize certain things like:

·       Parental Controls

·       Appearance of Certain Screens

·       Remote Control Buttons

·       Playback Options

View Channel Lineup

The Cue Streaming Channel Lineup changes daily.  Rather than publishing a list and requiring a constant update/refresh, the good folks at Cue Streaming has enabled a live view of the available channels.  Of course, you can stream anything without an account, but you sure can see what all is there. 

A word of caution - when you click this link, Cue Streaming will try it's hardest to verify your login and bring all your customization to you.  Of course, it won't find you.  We just want you to understand that this digital channel line up takes a second to load because you are not yet a subscriber.  Trust us when we say, the system is FAST AS LIGHTENING!

https://cuestreaming.live/live.php will bring you to this screen.  Choose Live TV.  Play with the categories.  Is your local NBC affiliate listed?  Ours is!  When you finish with Live TV, come back here and choose VOD and look for your favorite old school TV Show.  We have had a ton of fun with all the old shows we used to plan our lives around so we didn't miss them.  

Great Stuff!

Navigating Que Streaming (Basics) - Cue App 2.0

NOTE:  This article relates to Cue App 2.0 

Finding your way around Cue Streaming can be challenging at first. In this article, we will discuss some basics that might make your experience a little less frustrating. 

The first tip you need to know is that the Firestick remote has two buttons that will take you right out of the Cue Streaming App.  These are the HOME BUTTON and the TV BUTTON. If you press either of these accidentally, you will leave the Cue Streaming App and be viewing a Firestick screen (either the home screen or the live tv screen).  If this happens, you need to navigate to the Cue Streaming app and select it to reenter it.  For more information on the Firestick Lite remote use with Cue Streaming, visit our Blog Post about the Firestick Lite Remote.

From anywhere in the Cue Streaming App, use the BACK BUTTON as many times as it takes to view the Main Menu. Some users call this "going left as far as you can. 

The Main Menu lists the following options:

Search 
TV
Movies
TV Shows
Recordings
My List
Settings

We will review each of these menu options, what they are used for and how to use them.  

SEARCH - Selecting SEARCH allows users enter words and find content included in Cue Streaming regardless of if it is scheduled TV Programming, Video on Demand or Recorded Content. This is the best way to find all things related to your search words. While on the search screen, you can hold down the microphone button on your Firestick remote and speak the words rather than using the navigation wheel to enter them in manually. The results returned to you will be categorized by TV Shows, Movies, Live Programming so you can easily find what you are looking for. 

TV - Selecting TV will activate live TV programming and present the user with a menu, the guide, and a preview of the currently selected channel as well as a description of that channel.  The menu list is discussed in another article but is essentially a collection of lists that refine the channels presented in the guide.  Users can select any list by using the navigation wheel to move up or down by pressing the wheel on the top to go up and on the bottom to go down. 

MOVIES - Selecting MOVIES activates the selection movies available through the VIDEO ON DEMAND feature of Que Streaming.  Similar to the TV function, there is a menu of lists that assist the user in browsing the thousands of movies available via VOD by categories.  

TV SHOWS  - Similar to Movies, selecting TV SHOWS activates the selection of VIDEO ON DEMAND TV Shows available in Cue Streaming. Similar to the Movies function, there is a menu of lists that assist the user in browsing the thousands of TV Series by category.  

RECORDINGS - choosing RECORDINGS displays all recordings and scheduled recordings for the user. By navigating to a recording you can delete the recording or cancel the scheduled recording, depending on the status of the recording entry you choose. As the user toggles from one recording to another, a detailed description is displayed on the screen. Additionally, by selecting the gear icon, the user is presented with the recording settings and can modify them as needed by selecting the recording setting the user is interested in. 

MY LIST - Choosing MY LIST presents the user with four lists, each representing content elements that the user has previously "added" to their list.  Choosing any of these lists provides the user with functionality to manage the lists.  The functionality available varies depending on which list is chosen and is covered in another article.  

SETTINGS - Choosing SETTINGS brings the user the CUE STREAMING SETTINGS MENU.  This is where the user can do things such as set parental controls, view their storage usage, customize the screen format, refresh the EPG and many other functions.  The specifics of settings are discussed in another article.  

Setup For Recording Live TV Programming

Cue Streaming has recording capability limited only by the storage on your Firestick Lite or Firestick 4K Max.  

If you believe you will be recording, you are advised to add storage to your Firestick.  It is a very well known that the storage on the Firestick(s) - all models - is very limited. In our experience, once installed and running, the space left for recording on the Firestick is in the neighborhood of 3 or 4 Gb.  A few shows and a movie will eat that up. 

If your Firestick runs out of storage, you will have to delete enough data to allow the Firestick to run properly.  We have had to do this a few times while testing out recording and it was not much fun, even for an engineer (Brian).  

To avoid this situation and give yourself PLENTY of room to record, we recommend the following:

Purchase an OTG Connector like this one - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TX8FY6W?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Purchase a USB storage device like this one - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XQGX99K?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x67_dPGgV4M&t=22s

This is what we did.  I believe the Amazon order came to less than $23.00.  Please note that I am not an Amazon Affiliate - you have to have a following to be one and I have ZERO followers. 😃

Anyway - here are some issues we ran into getting this to work:

We had to format the USB to Fat32 before installing it to the Firestick.  Since window's ten cannot do that, we found and used a Format32 tool here - http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm.

With the USB formatted to Fat32, I was able to install it to the Firestick using the steps in the Video link above.  

After the Firestick recognizes your USB,  you need to format the USB to the Firestick as External Storage.  Once this is done, you need to Change the setting in Cue Streaming to point to the USB.  

Live Programming

The Cue Streaming Live TV Programming User Interface is very reminiscent of old school Digital Cable.   

Because there are SO MANY channels, it is recommended that you build a FAVORITES list to allow you to see the channels you most often want to watch.  However, Cue Streaming has the following LISTS available to allow you to quickly browse by Category.  Beside each list, I have noted how many channels are in that list as of this writing:

All Channels - 1772
Entertainment – 160
News – 37
Kids and Family - 23
Movie Channels - 68
Music Choices  - 31
Sports Channels - 123
Bally Sports - 25
Pay Per View Live Sport Events - 13
ABC Local Networks - 209
CBS Local Networks - 208
FOX Local Networks - 209
NBC Local Network - 209
Entertainment Latino - 21
MLB - 91
NFL - 51
NBA - 180
NHL - 91
Soccer - 30

General Insights regarding Cue Streaming Live Programming:
·       Closed Captioning can be turned on and off in a couple of clicks.
·       You can use the NAVIGATION wheel to scroll right to see the planned programming for about the next  three days.
·       You can set reminders of a show that is coming on that you want to get a pop-up alert about.  There are settings you can customize as to how long the reminder is displayed.  You can view a list of reminders if you want to know what is set for you.

Recording:

If you are watching something and have to leave, you can record the remainder of the show with a couple of clicks.

You can schedule recordings that appear in your guide grid. You can set scheduled recordings that span many shows.

Recording does require adding storage to your Firestick and setting it up to record to the auxiliary storage location.

Recording does require adding storage to your Firestick and setting it up to record to the auxiliary storage location.

Functionality available while watching live TV Programming:

• Search – select this search, enter, or speak your search request and press next.  This searches all the content on Cue Streaming
  
• Channels Lists – displays the live programming guide and puts your active program in preview mode in the top left corner.
• Recordings – shows a list of what is currently in your recordings folder.
• Multi View – allows you to display two live programs at once.
• Picture In Picture – takes you to the home screen of the Firestick while displaying your Live TV Program as a thumbnail in the upper right corner. 
• Spanish Stereo – no redeeming value
• Audio Offset – adjust the sound with the picture.
• Closed Caption – change the CC Settings
• Display Mode – normal, full zoom etc.
• Sleep Timer – set from off to 240 minutes.
• Add To Favorites – adds the channel you are watching to the favorites list.
• Settings – takes you to the general settings for the Cue Streaming App

Updated June 17, 2023

Comparing YouTube TV and Cue Streaming User Interfaces

 Moving from YouTube TV to Cue Streaming has it pros and cons.  When considering content and price, Cue Streaming is, hands down, a much better value with thousands more options for less money.  Setting up each service is wildly different and is discussed in a different article. 

This article will discuss the major differences of the user interface of these two services. User Interfaces – both YTTV and Cue Streaming are available on Smart TVs with an app and via a web player on common web browsers.  This article will break them out separately so that you device of choice comparison is simple and easy to follow.

Let us begin with the Smart TV App’s and compare the user experience with each. 

Live TV –

When viewing the live tv grid, and scrolling right to see the future programming, Cue Streaming provides schedules three days out while YTTV provide schedules beyond 3 days.  Scrolling on Cue 

Streaming can be done by holding down the navigation wheel while YTTV requires a button click for each time period as you scroll right making scrolling the live TV Schedule on Cue Streaming much faster. 

Selecting a future program allows for the same functionality on both systems.  On YTTV you can “add to library”, set reminder and browse episodes.  On Cue Streaming you can set reminder or set to record.

On Cue Streaming you can create a favorites list of the channels you want to see and on YTTV you can customize the order of channels by going to you YTTV account on a computer. 

On the live TV Programming grid, you can scroll down quickly on both by holding down the proper button on your remote.

One huge advantage with Cue Streaming with live TV Programming is that you can display two channels at once using the multi screen function.  This cannot be done with YTTV. 

Another major difference in the two user interfaces is the way you access premium content.  On Tube TV, you can access premium content from within the app with a trail or subscription.  YouTube TV has a browse feature that will present the user with content based on viewing history.  Cue Streaming has no such function but it will recommend programs based on your search inquiry.

Let’s talk recording.

 YTTV has an easy to use Library function.  This function allows users to add programs to the Library and, once done, all future airings of the program are captured in the Library.  This allows users a carefree way of knowing that the app will capture all episodes of the program without any additional user requirement.  The Library is organized by type of content (i.e. shows, movies, sports, events etc).  There is no apparent limit to how much you can add to your Library and the Library is available via the app on the smart tv as well as the app on your Android or IOS device and the platform on your web browser.

Cue Streaming uses the storage connected to your streaming device.  Currently, Firestick Lite and Firestick 4K Max are supported streaming devices.  Once installed, the Cue Streaming App on the Firestick can be set up to record to the Firestick device or to an external memory device.  This makes recording on Cue Streaming both more difficult to set up and limited by the size of the storage device that you choose to include in our set up.  How to set up additional storage is discussed in a separate article.

Let’s talk VOD

Both services offer Video On Demand.  The search capabilities are similar while the user interface does differ.  For example, when search results appear, included on YTTV is content similar to what a google search would provide (cast information, detailed description etc) whereas Cue Streaming returns what is usually expected from a digital cable service. 

Of course, the most significant difference is the vast amount of content available on Cue Streaming as well of the content that his shared by both services but that is included in the monthly fee for Cue Streaming.

As of this writing, as a new subscriber to either service, will pay $59.99 per month for Cue Streaming and $72.99 for YouTube TV.  There is a promotion right now where new subscribers get 8 off for the first three months.

As a user of both services, it is the writer’s opinion that the content available with Cue Streaming far out weighs the recording function of YouTubeTV, especially since in this family we almost never watch current programming.

We hope this comparison has helped you decide if you want to try out Cue Streaming.  Remember that if you do, we welcome you to use our affiliate link https://brianandjudy.mycuestreaming.com/ 

Using Firestick Lite Remote with Cue Streaming

 

This section is intended to familiarize you with the Firestick Remote Control as well as caution you as to what the buttons can do to close Cue Streaming and put you on the Firestick functions like Live TV and the Main Firestick Menu. 

Please note that this is the Firestick Lite Remote.  The Firestick 4K MAX Remote is a little different and is covered on another page of this document. 

 

What is Cue Streaming?

 

Cue Streaming is a new video streaming service that is taking the market by storm.  As a private company, it is hard to get solid numbers but 

Here's the bottom line – for $59.99 per month you get:

• Thousands of Live TV Stations
• Hundreds of Sports Channels:
• Nationwide Local Channels
• Thousands of Movies & TV Series
• Video On Demand & Pay-Per View
• Top-tier Channels Included  
• Stream on up to 5 devices at a time
• Watch from anywhere
• No Contract & No Hidden Fees

Use this link to check out the plethora of channels and VOD content by using this link - https://cuestreaming.live/dashboard.php 

If you want to subscribe, please use this link -www.BrianAndJudy.mycuestreaming.com

If you want to subscribe and become an affiliate (ISA), please use this link - www.BrianAndJudy.mycuestreaming.com/apply