I am in love with TV, and for some reason, I am not scared to confess this outside therapy. And one thing is for sure, I am not alone! As much I like diving into the deep indulgence of freshly brewed entertainment, the family budget, however, doesn’t seem quite pleased with over $100 cable of satellite bill at the end of the month.
We have tried streaming services and relied on social media to get updates on our favorite TV shows while saving some bucks at the same time. However, for sports and news lovers, subscribing to multiple streaming services could cost the same as a hefty cable bill. So, in that case, skimming through the most suitable packages by your local cable tv provider is the last resort. See, Spectrum Silver to land one of the most competitive ones. On the flip side, for those who are only looking for their favorite TV shows online and nothing fancy, here’s what I found for a TV lover like myself.
Go Démodé
What follows is a cheat code to almost every main channel with a clear reception; you might get lucky and have some of them in HD resolution even. If you have a digital-ready TV you can conveniently pick up most, if not all, of the basic TV channels. Alternatively, you can invest in a converter; it will not cost you much. However, if you are looking for more specialty channels then this is not your piece of cake. Read on to find out more options.
Channel Apps
Top TV channels like ABC and CBS come with free apps that support live streaming. We all happen to miss our favorite TV shows while struggling to keep up with the regular hustle of some occasional after-work activity. With these apps, I can sit back and watch my favorite TV show whenever I get time, all at my convenience, that too for free.
The show is up on the app within an hour of airing on broadcast TV, all you should have is a phone, tablet, or laptop and a steady internet connection.
Streaming Devices
Streaming devices are a great one-time investment for watching streamed content. You connect these devices to your TV, let them do the talking, and get you your favorite shows. However, if your TV is smart and has some or most of the streaming apps loaded then you don’t need these devices. However, if your TV isn’t smart then a streaming device is. Some of the top ones include Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Stick, Chromecast, Apple TV, etc. They open a whole new dimension to streamable content for a meager investment.
Netflix
Netflix, however, is not free but it is ridiculously affordable with plans starting as low as $7.99 per month, opening doors to a limitless library of entertainment. Be it movies or top TV shows, documentaries, or reality TV shows. Netflix has it all.
All you need is a steady internet connection with 8-25 Mbps of speed to support all the HD streaming you will be doing afterward. One thing that I didn’t like about Netflix is the fact that you cannot purchase a movie on-demand, all the content that is there for free is all you can access. However, you can have a DVD delivered to your address if there’s something not available in the system.
Hulu
Another affordable alternative is the Hulu app. Just like Netflix, Hulu comes with a $7.99 per month subscription fee. Netflix and Hulu are interchangeable with a significantly different library of items. Hulu also offers your favorite TV shows the next day of their airing. Netflix however, has a long waiting time.
To sum things up, whatever you opt for, there are going to be some tradeoffs, on the brighter side, you are still saving big time on your cable bill and binge-watch your favorite TV shows whenever you want.
Also read: 4 Simple Ways to Have Fun in Life
