Tv Streaming Services
These days paying for cable TV can seem a lot like paying for a landline phone: an unnecessary expense shacked by outdated hardware. All the kids, and a lot of the grownups, are cutting the cable TV cord. If you want to join them but don' want to ditch live TV completely, you've come to the right place. Live TV streaming services like Sling TV and let you get most if not all of your favorite live TV channels delivered over the Internet, for a monthly fee that's likely far less than you're paying the cable company. Prices start at $15 per month - or $25 a month if you want sports channels. In place of a cable box you'll use an app on your Smart TV, or a like a,.
And you can also watch outside the home on a phone or tablet, or even a PC browser. These services have plenty of benefits - no more cable fees, no more contracts, yay! - but the such as internet fees, DVR restrictions, buffering and a lack of things to watch, especially live sports. Chances are your local cable service has more channels.
Sling TV made its mark as one of the first major streaming live TV services, and over the past three years it's been steadily adding features and functionality. 4 days ago - Overwhelmed by all the TV you haven't watched? Get ready for even more, including a series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese. Jump to General Live TV Streaming – 18 Services - Sometimes called “over-the-top” TV (OTT) or even IPTV, live TV streaming services eliminate.
With all that in mind, here's a guide to wacky new world of live TV streaming over the Internet, as well as other cord-cutting options available today. Affiliate disclosure: CNET earns commissions from the services featured on this page.
How to shop for cord-cutting services In ascending order of monthly price, the five big live TV streaming services available today are:. Sling TV ($25/month). DirectTV Now ($40/month). Hulu With Live TV ($40/month). YouTube TV ($40/month). PlayStation Vue ($45/month) Each offers a different mix of channels, so your first step should be choosing a service that carries your can't miss channels and shows. Other important factors include cloud DVR - yes, all five now allow you to record and play back shows, just like a traditional cable or satellite DVR - and the interface itself.
This may make it difficult to pick a service from a list, but thankfully, as all of them are available contract-free, it's easy to try each of them one at a time to see which you prefer! Keep in mind that, especially if you have more than one person watching at once, you need to make sure you have great broadband. A 100Mbps download service will cost around $50 to $60 a month, and here's where the savings of cutting cable can get swallowed up. At the end of the day, if you're cutting cable to save money, you may not see much improvement after you subscribe to one of these services - especially if you opt for a step-up channel package or feature.
Here's a TV streaming shopping list to consider:. Does the service offer your 'must have' channels?. Does it offer local channels in your area?. How good is the cloud DVR?. Does the interface make it easy to browse for shows? Read more. What streaming TV services won't give you Streaming TV services are great, but there's some things they can't do compared to a traditional cable box.
First, it's worth looking at the channels that you can't get with any of these services. The big one is PBS, as it to all of the shows that it airs. (You'll find Ken Burns' iconic documentaries on Netflix, for example.) The other MIA channels include - not without an extra charge, or not at all in the case of - and NFL Red Zone and NHL Network, which also are either not available or only as part of a package. In some cases, cable-based channels are available as a separate app, such as, and attract their own monthly fee. If you're used to the 5.1 surround offered by cable or even OTA then you'll probably be disappointed that all of the services only include stereo sound on live broadcasts. DirecTV Now and do include 5.1 audio on some on-demand material, though.
(Note that CNET is owned by, which is a compensated programming provider on all cable, satellite and online TV services that offer CBS channels, which include Showtime, Pop, CBS Sports and The CW, among others. CBS also owns and operates its own online service, CBS All Access, which is mentioned below.) The Big Five compared Best for: Current subscribers who want to add Live TV Starting price: $40 Step-up packages: Optional 'enhanced' DVR and multistream plans Missing channels: AMC, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery, MLB Network, MTV, NBA TV, NFL Network, Nickelodeon The Good: Includes Hulu's massive on-demand library, including exclusives such as. The Bad: Terrible interface, including a program guide that only lists one show at a time. Standard DVR doesn't let you skip commercials. The least cable-like of the 'Big 5,' Hulu's greatest asset is the integration of live TV with its significant catalog of on-demand content. Unfortunately, the interface frustrations apparent with the standard service are amplified once you add live TV.
The app generally confuses 'simple' with 'incomplete.' It technically offers a guide, for example, but it's extremely bare-bones. Another issue is that you'll have to pay extra, a hefty $15 per month, to get the ability to skip commercials on Hulu's cloud DVR. Screenshot by David Katzmaier/CNET Best for: Channel selection Starting price: $40 Step-up packages: Three other packages with progressively more channels for $55, $65 and $75 Missing channels: Nothing of note The good: Comprehensive list of 'A-level' channels; TV-like interface including the ability to swipe left or right to change channels; numerous discounts and offers, especially for AT&T Wireless customers.
The bad: DVR is limited and the Roku app is pretty poor. As you might expect from its namesake satellite TV service, DirecTV Now is one of the most traditional offerings here. Its base $40 package has more worthwhile channels than any of the others, and you can get pretty much any channel as you step up. A recent redesign brought with it a DVR and enhanced on-demand options. The Roku app still doesn't work as you'd expect - you can't pause live TV, for example - but in its defense, the service offers the very cable-like ability to channel surf by swiping left and right.
It also offers and benefits for AT&T Wireless customers, including discounts and being able to stream on your phone without using mobile data. PlayStation Best for: Commercial skippers and PS4 owners Starting price: $45 Step-up packages: Three other packages with progressively more channels for $50, $60 and $80 Missing channels: A&E, Comedy Central, History, Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodeon The good: Solid DVR with unlimited storage that doesn't replace recorded shows with the on-demand version (ahem, YouTube TV).
PlayStation 4 users can split-screen multiple channels at once. The bad: More expensive than others with a worse channel selection. PlayStation Vue is the slickest of all the major streaming TV providers with a pleasant, evolved interface that is also easy to use. Its DVR is excellent, with unlimited storage and the ability to skip commercials on any show - although unlike YouTube TV, shows in 's DVR are deleted after 28 days.
The biggest knock is that it's now the most expensive basic package, but it has fewer channels than any of the Big Five aside from Sling TV, and local channel coverage is less comprehensive, too. You don't need a PlayStation 4 to watch it - just like the others, Vue has apps for numerous streaming devices including Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV as well as and PCs - but a PS4 is the only way to get its sweet multiscreen view. Sarah Tew/CNET Best for: Saving money Starting price: $25 Step-up packages: Sling Orange + Blue for $40 month, $5 cloud DVR add-on, numerous $5 minipackages, including in a few cities (Orange only) Missing channels (all packages): CBS, Animal Planet, Fox News, MLB Network, Nickelodeon, TCL Missing channels (Sling Orange): Fox, NBC, Bravo, FS1, FX, MSNBC, USA Network Missing channels (Sling Blue): ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN The good: Relatively cheap, flexible channel packages. The bad: Can only stream to one device (TV, phone, tablet) with Orange package; very little support for local stations; cloud DVR costs extra.
Sling is the company that kickstarted the TV streaming category and still has the cheapest offering of the Big 5 (although sports-free options from Philo and Watch TV are cheaper at $16 and $15 monthly; see below). The main reason Sling can offer such low prices is it carries very few local stations (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), so many subscribers supplement the service with an antenna. Sling's interface isn't much to look at, but it offers all of the options you need without cluttering the screen. The only real letdown is its arcane live pause and DVR exceptions (you can't record Disney-owned channels like ABC, for example). Its options are myriad, including two base channel lineups (Orange and Blue) and numerous add-ons, so check out for all the details. Sarah Tew/CNET Best for: Local channels and unlimited DVR Price: $40 Step-up packages: N/A Missing channels: A&E, Comedy Central, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, History, Lifetime The good: Intuitive interface and comprehensive program guide; includes all four local channels in the 99 markets it's available; unlimited storage on cloud DVR.
The bad: Only available in those 99 markets, not fully nationwide. DVR shows replaced by on-demand versions. Was comparatively late to the game but it's carved out itself a nice little niche with YouTube TV. Its interface is no-nonsense, even drab, and yet it offers most of the features a cable service can give you - namely, a robust channel lineup including local channels in just about every area it serves. It also has a very strong DVR, including unlimited storage, with one catch: If an episode you've recorded appears in YouTube TV's VOD library, it gets replaced by the on-demand version - so you lose the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
And unlike Sling and others, it's dead simple: one package, one price, done. Live TV streaming services compared. 2:03 Price: Starts at $45 per month Fubo TV is a sports-centric service that also offers a number of other channels including local OTA stations (except ABC) - and more RSNs (regional sports networks) than any other service. Especially for fans of professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams, Fubo might be the only way to watch regular-season games without cable. There's no ESPN, however, and a convoluted user interface and high price mean it's not the first service we'd choose. Price: Starts at $16 per month Another cheap service with no sports or local channels, Philo has bread-and-butter cable offerings like AMC, Comedy Channel, Nickelodeon and BBC America. Unlike Watch AT&T, it includes a cloud DVR.
Don't care about live TV? More cord-cutter staples - One of the first streaming TV services and it's so popular that it's become a catch-all term in the same way as 'Magic Marker' or 'Coke' in the South. Plans start at $11 a month (HD) and it covers thousands of TV shows and movies including originals like Daredevil and Orange is the New Black. The 'other' major streaming service, which is included as part of a $99 Prime Membership or $9 a month. The interface isn't as user-friendly as Netflix, but the service often offers shows not on Netflix, including originals like.
Youtube Tv
Amazon Prime also has (HBO, Starz and more) making it a potential one-stop shop. Vudu/ - A digital library (or locker) that incorporates both and streaming movies and TV that are only available for purchase, like new releases. It's also worth investigating free, ad-supported services such as Roku Channel, Pluto and Crackle, which offer a wealth of content.
Sarah Tew/CNET Is an indoor or outdoor antenna a viable option? If you have a TV in your house - that is, a screen that incorporates a tuner - you're part-way to cutting the cord already.
Xexmenu 1.1 free download. Jul 11, 2012 - Download XEX Menu 1.1 (ISO) -Unzip and burn the ISO to disc, XEX Menu will then appear under the Games / Demos tab on the dashboard.
Tv Streaming Services Ratings
An affordable indoor antenna hooked up to your TV will let you watch free TV over-the-air from any channel you receive in your local broadcast area. Antennas cost as little as $10; see. You can also add a DVR such as the or if you want. Then you can record those live TV antenna channels, play them back and skip commercials, just like on a standard cable TV DVR. A solid, lower-cost alternative to live TV streaming services is the combination of antenna for live local channels with an on-demand service such as Netflix or Hulu. That way you'll still be able to watch live programming and also have a choice of on-demand content.
Amazon's Fire TV Recast DVR is a cord-cutting antenna user's friend. Sarah Tew/CNET Conclusion Streaming live TV services are still in their infancy, and the industry is still in flux.
For example, most services recently upped their prices by $5 a month in 2018, and, according to a June report. While streaming is undoubtedly the future, it will be some time before both prices and the services offered settle in.