Fewer and fewer people pay for cable anymore, and prefer to pay for streaming services. Are you one of them?
Cable – and satellite – TV has always been the best way to keep yourself up to speed with the latest shows, news and sports – until recently, at least. These days, streaming services straight through your Internet give you better options, not to mention the fact it is easier on your wallet. In this guide, we’re going to walk through everything you need to do to cut the cable cord and get into Internet TV. Let’s get started right away.
Get an HD Antenna
If there is one area that Internet TV is weak on at times, it’s for watching standard channels live. However, all you need to do this is buy yourself an HD antenna – it just hooks into your TV and gives you all the free channels you want to watch. No subscription fees are involved – it’s just a one-off payment of anything between $20-30 for the antenna.
Remember, quality matters, especially when it comes to an antenna. Learn how to find the best HD antenna so that you find one that will never let you down. Pay for the best and you’ll get the best!
Internet Connections
It’s worth taking a look at an internet provider in your area to upgrade to fiber optics. According to www.Suddenlink.com you can get providers that offer you TV, phone and Internet in one affordable package. You’ll also need to pay your subscriptions for services like Amazon Prime and Netflix, of course, but you do get a DVR box that provides you with everything you need, from the latest movies through to sports – subscriptions may apply, of course.
Streaming Devices
If you want to use streaming services like Netflix.com, you need a device to help you achieve your goal. If you have bought a new TV in the past couple of years, there’s a good chance that you can connect it to the web and use one of your set’s specific apps for that service. Otherwise, you can buy streaming sticks or small boxes from the likes of Roku, Amazon, Chromecast and Apple – or use games consoles like the PS4 or XBox. FInally, it’s also possible to plug your laptop or desktop computer in and stream from there.
I personally use firestick and love that there are tons of firestick apps to choose from.
Streaming Services
We’ve already mentioned Netflix and Amazon Prime – you can get them for $8-12 a month and $99 a year, respectively. However, there are plenty more services out there, and it’s worth taking a look at all of them to make sure you cover yourself for all your TV and movie-based needs. Check out YouTube TV, Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV to get you started. It’s worth pointing out that it can get expensive if you buy into all of these subscriptions, but the truth is that 2-3 of them will be all you need. And the combined price will still work out significantly less than your usual cable TV bill.
Free Services
There are hundreds of free services out there, too. Crackle is owned by Sony and offers a whole bunch of cool movies, cartoons for the kids, and old school comedy shows like Seinfeld. Take a look around and find similar services for the shows that you like – there is a vast array of options out there.
You can also purchase one of these best set top boxes that will allow you to access all the best streaming services and live tv channels/ programmes all from one device.
So, are you ready to cut the cable and start streaming? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments section below!
Netflix is one of the best alternatives of cable TV and people are also purchasing these devices to watch Netflix shows.