Before you call your service provider and cancel your service you will need to get signed up for some streaming services. Believe me when I say there is a TON of content on the internet for you to consume. In my opinion Netflix is a must. At $8/month for the streaming service how can you go wrong. Netflix has started creating their own content which is a real game changer. These are shows and movies that will only appear on Netflix and nowhere else. House of Cards a Netflix original show was nominated for 9 Emmy's. Good stuff!
If you shop on Amazon becoming a Prime member isn't a bad choice either. Prime members enjoy a large selection of movies & TV shows as well as FREE 2-day shipping on a lot products sold on Amazon. A Prime membership will set you back $79/year, but well worth the money if you shop frequently on Amazon.
Hulu is my least favorite of the pay services. Hulu does offer a lot of free content. However some of the content requires a Hulu+ subscription for $8/month. My issue with Hulu is that even with the pay subscription you are bombarded with commercials. They are only 30 seconds long, but for a pay subscription I would expect commercial free viewing. Hulu offers something that Netflix & Amazon don't however. Because it's owned by NBC, most NBC shows appear on the service 24 hours after they air. My suggestion would be to check the website to see if your favorite shows are included with the free service. Why pay for something you don't need.
There are some truly free services too that offer a decent selection. Check out Crackle! Every once in a while I find myself watching a movie or old Seinfeld episode on Crackle. There are periodic commercials, but it's FREE.
Most streaming services can be viewed with your computer, mobile device or tablet. This however isn't practical for a family. Roku and Apple TV are by far the best products for cord cutters. Honestly both devices are exceptional and offer same but different capabilities. You can't go wrong with either product. Both devices offer the same simple connection options and you can be up and running in minutes, literally. Both units cost $99.
We currently own four Roku boxes and love them! My only complaint is there is no YouTube support. There is another way however to get YouTube onto your TV. Google has recently released the Chromecast. This device is incredible, and at $35 it's a steal! See my other blog post regarding the Chromecast.
Apple TV offers three things that the Roku doesn't. Apple TV has a YouTube channel, offers the ability to mirror the desktop from your Apple devices & access to your music/movies on iTunes. With the Chromecast you can take advantage of the desktop mirroring and access to YouTube. So on that front the Apple TV and Roku are evenly matched. If you have a large investment in Apple products and services go with the Apple TV. If not, go with the Roku. They are the same price but I feel the Roku has the advantage for one reason. Roku now has a universal search option. You type in the name of a movie, director, actor or genre and it will search all of the streaming services and provide you a list of options. With the Apple TV you have to search each channel independently.
All is not lost if you are a sport junkie, but it may be difficult for you.
I'm a huge baseball fan. Luckily MLB offers the MLB.TV package to cord cutters. You get access to ALL MLB games. Blackout restrictions do apply for your local team. Local team games are available 90 minutes after completion. All out of market games are available live in HD. Great deal if you ask me!
The NHL offers a similar package for you hockey fans!
The NFL however needs to get with the program! Unfortunately I don't see any relief in site. The NFL is a juggernaut and the majority of their revenue is generated from TV deals. There isn't enough incentive for them to offer a cord cutter package. There are sites that you can catch every game, I won't mention them here as they are not legal. I've been told that if you have a PS3 you can get the NFL Sunday Ticket. It does require you (or someone you know) to have a DirecTV subscription. If someone you know is willing to let you barrow their DirecTV information to set it up, you are in luck.
If you have any questions give me a shout in the comments. I am happy to answer any questions.
We currently own four Roku boxes and love them! My only complaint is there is no YouTube support. There is another way however to get YouTube onto your TV. Google has recently released the Chromecast. This device is incredible, and at $35 it's a steal! See my other blog post regarding the Chromecast.
Apple TV offers three things that the Roku doesn't. Apple TV has a YouTube channel, offers the ability to mirror the desktop from your Apple devices & access to your music/movies on iTunes. With the Chromecast you can take advantage of the desktop mirroring and access to YouTube. So on that front the Apple TV and Roku are evenly matched. If you have a large investment in Apple products and services go with the Apple TV. If not, go with the Roku. They are the same price but I feel the Roku has the advantage for one reason. Roku now has a universal search option. You type in the name of a movie, director, actor or genre and it will search all of the streaming services and provide you a list of options. With the Apple TV you have to search each channel independently.
All is not lost if you are a sport junkie, but it may be difficult for you.
I'm a huge baseball fan. Luckily MLB offers the MLB.TV package to cord cutters. You get access to ALL MLB games. Blackout restrictions do apply for your local team. Local team games are available 90 minutes after completion. All out of market games are available live in HD. Great deal if you ask me!
The NHL offers a similar package for you hockey fans!
The NFL however needs to get with the program! Unfortunately I don't see any relief in site. The NFL is a juggernaut and the majority of their revenue is generated from TV deals. There isn't enough incentive for them to offer a cord cutter package. There are sites that you can catch every game, I won't mention them here as they are not legal. I've been told that if you have a PS3 you can get the NFL Sunday Ticket. It does require you (or someone you know) to have a DirecTV subscription. If someone you know is willing to let you barrow their DirecTV information to set it up, you are in luck.
If you have any questions give me a shout in the comments. I am happy to answer any questions.
