Why look for an alternative to cable TV?
Here’s a question, how much are you paying for cable and satellite TV? An average family in the U.S. spends $103.10 a month on cable and satellite TV according to a recent study. That means the average spending on cable TV is $1,237.20 a year. That’s a shocking stat.
What makes it all the more alarming is that the spending on cable TV is all set to go up as cable companies have decided to raise prices over the next few months. So you may end up having to pay an extra $15 per month, or an additional $180 a year.
Really, this is money you could use for so many good things in life, such as a gym membership, a popular online course, or a gift for a special person in your life, for example.
That’s why you should consider alternatives to cable for getting your daily dose of sports, news, entertainment and more. There are so many excellent alternatives to cable TV. You may be familiar with some of them, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. We shall be discussing those and many more.
You can certainly watch TV without cable these days. You can watch live TV, news and entertainment and much more on your television. No reason to pay for cable. The best cable alternatives are cheap, convenient, affordable and based on the internet.
There’s no reason to pay extra for premium channels that you hardly ever use. Be smart and sign up for the best alternatives to cable TV and watch all of your favorite shows. This is a great way to pay down your debt and save cash for future purchases. Just disconnect the cable permanently!
Trust me, you won’t even miss cable and satellite TV for one second once you sign up for the cable alternatives that I am going to tell you about.
First, let’s take a look at the streaming service that allows you to watch TV without cable.
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Streaming Services for Watching Television without Cable
Streaming services allow you to watch TV without cable – all you need is a fast and reliable internet connection and a streaming device. There are a number of great options that allow you to stream your favorite TV shows. Many of these options allow free trial with no contract, so you don’t have to worry about trying them out.
There is no reason to stick to your cable TV connection anymore as long as you subscribe to these streaming services. To access these streaming services, you will need streaming devices, which we shall discuss later.
Online streaming services
Here’s a look at the best streaming services out there….
(1) DIRECT NOW
DIRECTV NOW is a new streaming service from AT&T which allows you to access live TV on the internet from the same networks that you get through cable TV. This service is supported by iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and by any web browser. It is one of the best new alternatives to cable TV.
You can now access DIRECTV NOW free trial offer for 7 days. This way you can check if this streaming service is the right one for you or not. If you are a member of AT&T wireless unlimited Plus or Choice, you will be provided with a $25 credit for this streaming service. This means it will cost you just $10/month if you are already a part of the AT&T network.
So the best way to access DIRECTV NOW is to switch to AT&T. This makes all the more sense as you can get the new iPhone on a cheap contract as well, with AT&T. The best package on DIRECTV NOW is the “Live a Little” pack. This costs $35/month and gives you the following channels:
Fox News, FX, ESPN2, Fox Business, FS1, Galavision, FXX, Bravo, Lifetime, ESPN, Disney, CNN, Nickelodeon, MSNBC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, USA, ID, TNT, Food, TBS, History, Discovery, Disney Jr, TV Land, Nick Jr, AMC, TCM, TLC, Univision, Bloomberg, BET, Cartoon Network, A&E, Animal Planet, BBC America, CMT, CNBC, Comedy Central, Disney XD, E!, HLN, MTV, MTV2, Spike, Syfy, VH1, and many more news, entertainment and sports channels. You can also access HBO and Cinemax for just $5/month extra. This allows you to watch shows such as Game of Thrones.
(2) Sling TV
Sling TV is another popular streaming service and a great alternative to cable that gives you access to live TV on the internet. It is basically the same as cable TV but without the $100+ monthly bill that you get with a cable connection and without any contract.
You can also get a free Roku, a streaming device, for signing up for Sling TV. You will be able to access a free 7-day trial offer with this service as well. Sling TV works very well on all streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast. It allows you access to live news from ABC, FOX news, and NBC.
How much does it cost? Just $20/month for access to a package which includes channels such as AMC, A&E, Epix, History Channel, Disney, IFC, Lifetime, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, CNN, and many more.
You can also access a second package which gives you FOX TV channels instead of Disney channels along with access to multiple streams. You can choose add-ons such as HBO and Cinemax as well.
(3) FuboTV
FuboTV is another fast-growing online streaming service which provides access to live sports channels such as ESPN, Fox Sports and so on. You will have access to live news from Fox, NBC, and CBS, and can subscribe to pay-TV channels such as Bravo, A&E, The Weather Channel and many more. You will get a 1-week free trial with FuboTV so you can check out if it works for you or not, before signing up for the service.
(4) Hulu
Hulu is one of the best “alternatives to cable” which allows you access to a variety of TV shows on your favorite networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Generally, you can access the shows on Hulu a day after they have been broadcast on the main network. Apart from that, you will have access to a number of original content.
Hulu has an excellent database of many popular TV shows of the past many years. For example, you can watch episodes from old-time classics such as “The Brady Bunch”. You can also watch the latest episodes of “Once Upon a Time” and “The Daily Show.”
You can subscribe to Hulu for $7.99 per month. Hulu is preferred by many because it has very few commercials – unlike some of the other streaming services which are notorious for having too many ads. You can access Hulu for a free 1-week trial offer and find out if it’s up to your taste or not.
(5) Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is one of the most popular streaming services out there. Membership of Amazon Prime Video gives you access to a number of popular TV series and movies in addition to Amazon original series.
Some of the exclusive original content on Amazon Prime include Bosch, American Playboy, The Man in the High Castle, The Game Behind the Game, The Collection and more. You can pay for each show per season or per show, access it as a part of the package or just rent it. You will have a number of options available to you.
If you are a frequent buyer on Amazon, then you will have many special offers for you. You can sign up for Amazon Prime for just $99 a year or $8.25 per month, which is very affordable indeed. This is perhaps one of the best alternatives to cable TV.
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(6) Netflix
Most people identify online streaming services with Netflix. Netflix is without question the most popular online streaming service which provides you access to a number of popular TV shows and great movies. You can have unlimited HD streaming on Netflix for two TVs for just $8.99 a month, which is very reasonable indeed.
You can watch any movie you like on Netflix. A lot of people these days prefer to watch a new movie release on Netflix a few months later than taking the trouble to visit a multiplex. Some of the Netflix original content such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” are very popular. Netflix allows you access to all Marvel TV shows such as Daredevil, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. No commercials on Netflix, which is a big advantage. Netflix is certainly the best alternative to cable TV.
(7) YouTube/Vimeo (free)
You can access online videos for free on YouTube or Vimeo. There are a number of classic movies and TV shows that are free to air on YouTube and Vimeo which you will like. You will also find a number of “Do It Yourself” videos or educational videos on a number of things from cooking and gardening to repairing your computer and fixing an automobile on YouTube. On Vimeo, you will have access to a number of indie films and documentaries.
Here’s a look at the best online streaming devices for watching TV without cable…
Once you have decided which streaming service to use, the next thing to do is to choose the right streaming device. A streaming device allows your TV to access the Internet-based streaming services. There are so many good streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV and more. Let’s take a look at some of the best options available on the market.
(1) Roku
Roku is one of our favorite streaming devices that supports Netflix, Slint TV, Amazon Videos and Hulu. Roku has recently made major changes to their devices and is now capable of supporting HDR TV pixel quality, which is considered to be the highest standard on the market.
Roku competes directly with Apple TV but is considered a better option by many as it is more flexible and allows you access to many more streaming services than Apple TV.
(2) Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV is a leading streaming device which supports Amazon Instant Video and all Amazon Prime services. It also supports Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV and other streaming services. You can buy the new Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD support for just $99. It is the cheapest 4K HD streamer out there.
Fire TV works very well with Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa and comes with an additional MicroSD slot that gives you an extra 8GB of internal storage. Amazon Fire TV also works with Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The Fire TV platform gives you the same quality of the hardware and memory as some of its competitors, but costs much less, which is why it is so popular.
If you are a gamer, you will like Amazon Fire TV as it gives you access to over 300 console and PC Games. This streaming device is based on the Amazon Prime service. So unless you are a big fan of Amazon Instant Video, there’s no point in buying this device. You will get Amazon Prime free for one month with your purchase of Amazon Fire TV.
(3) Google Chromecast
Google Chromecast is one of the cheapest streamers in the market at just $35.99. This is really very affordable. You can access this service on a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Basically, Chromecast streams the content from the apps on your smartphone, tablet or laptop on your TV.
It is easy to install the device, just plug into the HDMI port of the TV, give it access to the Wi-Fi network of your home, click the “cast” button on the app in your smartphone and start using it. You can also operate Chromecast from the Google Chrome browser on your laptop by installing a simple plug-in.
Chromecast is different from Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV as it requires the use of a smartphone or a tablet to access the streaming service. If you are fine with that, then this is one of the best alternatives to cable and makes for a great purchase.
Let us know your thoughts in comments on online streaming services & devices.
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