We cut the cord just in time for 2016! Are you also thinking about getting rid of your expensive cable package and watch free or cheap streaming TV off the internet? It’s never been easier to be a cable cutter–there’s so much out there to watch! Yesterday I give you 7 Tips on Cutting the Cord, so today here’s what my family has found to watch on our streaming TV apps.
Netflix
Netflix is the grand daddy of streaming TV has a good selection of movies and a deep archive of past TV seasons. I’ll admit they had a few rocky years when they switched from being a DVD rental service to a streaming TV service, but they’re back on top of their game now. A Netflix subscription runs from $8 to $13 a month, depending on if you want HD and the ability to watch it on multiple screens at the same time. They don’t have every movie out there, but they’re constantly adding (and dropping) titles as they work out licensing agreements. They also have some killer original content ranging fromOrange is the New Black to The Adventures of Puss in Boots.
Hulu
Hulu is Netflix’s biggest rival. They look a lot like Netflix, but have the bonus of having three major TV groups backing them up: Disney/ABC, Fox and Universal. This allows Hulu to offer TV shows the next day–but they can only offer recently aired shows, up to 5 episodes. Binge watching a whole season of your favorite show is not an option here. Hulu offers two subscriptions: $8 for Limited Commercials and $12 for Commercial Free. For another $9 you can get Showtime with the ability to watch it live or on demand.
Want to watch a CBS show? To bad…they launched their own streaming service.
CBS All Access
I haven’t tried CBS All Access yet, but it’s definitely interesting if you’re a big fan of CBS shows. Or a Trekkie. It’s $6 a month and you can live stream your local CBS affiliate in 14 cities, including KMOV here in St. Louis. It will give you access to current shows and an archive reaching all the way back to I Love Lucy.
HBO NOW
Hooked on HBO? If you already have a Roku, Apple TV or Amazon prime, you can add HBO NOW and get all their TV shows and recent movies for $15. They also acquired Sesame Street, which will start airing in mid January.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is more than just streaming TV. For $99 a year ($8.25 a month) you get streaming TV, movies, music, Kindle books and free shipping on your Amazon purchases. They don’t have the programming depth of Netflix or Hulu, but if you love shopping at Amazon it might be for you.
Sling TV
Sling TV is an interesting project by DISH Network and is sort of cable-lite. For $20 a month you can stream 23 popular cable channels. It’s strictly steaming, no on demand library.
Charter’s Spectrum TV App
Spectrum TV App is only available if you get your broadband through Charter here in the Midwest. I’m with AT&T, so I can’t test this one if I wanted to. But, I’ve heard that it starts at $13 for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, plus your choice of either Showtime or HBO. An additional $7 will add 16 more channels. It’s streaming only right now and you’ll need a Roku player to access it, but they’re throwing one in for free if you subscribe. This is one to watch because they have plans to expand beyond Charter subscribers to rival Sling TV for cable-lite.
And there’s actually free stuff…
Poke around the menus of your Roku or game console and you should turn up several free TV channels. Crackle is the best I’ve seen so far, but you might find something you’d like. Not enough to replace your cable subscription, but it’s a nice bonus. And don’t forget YouTube which has a surprising amount of free content–and not just cat videos. There’s some good original programming by rising stars and people hoping to catch a network’s eye. We’ve also found a lot of classic TV uploaded by dedicated fans. If you like MST3K, you’re set for life.
This is part two of a three part series. You can see 7 Tips for Cord Cutting here and how much we’re saving here.