The Rise of Streaming TV
I started “streaming” more than ten years ago when I got a Roku streaming device for my birthday. The streaming world was very different then. Netflix was the king of streaming apps and while there were others, they weren’t very good. The streaming world has changed. Now there are dozens of free streaming apps some offering hundreds of thousands of titles in every genre you can imagine.
Streaming TV has become increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more people cut the cord on traditional cable and satellite TV subscriptions. There are now dozens of different streaming services available, offering a wide variety of content, from movies and TV shows to live sports and news.
I spend much more time watching streaming TV than I do watching cable TV. I would say I watch streaming TV about 80% of the time. The only reason I still have cable is so I can watch the Cleveland Guardians games. Just recently Fubo TV announced I can watch the Guardians there. So, I might just cut that expensive cable cord for good.
Here are some of the top FREE streaming apps
- Pluto TV: Pluto TV is a free live TV streaming service that offers over 250 channels of content, including news, sports, movies, and TV shows.
- Tubi: Tubi is another free live TV streaming service that offers over 100,000 movies and TV shows.
- Crackle: Crackle is a free streaming service that offers a variety of movies and TV shows, including some original content.
- The Roku Channel: The Roku Channel is a free streaming service that is available on Roku devices. It offers a variety of movies, TV shows, and live news.
- Plex: A one-stop destination to stream movies, TV shows, and music. Plex offers free ad-supported movies, shows, and live TV together with the ability to easily search.
- Freevee: Freevee is a free, ad-supported streaming service that is owned and operated by Amazon, Freevee has a wide variety of content available, including movies, TV shows, and original content.
- Sling Freestream: Sing Freestream is a free ad-support streaming service that offers more than 210 channels and over 40,000 on-demand titles with genres including news, sports, game shows, crime dramas, sitcoms, home improvement, and cooking.
- There are many free news apps: There are free streaming apps for most news outlets (Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Newsmax, MSNBC, News Nation, and more)
Streaming apps that are not free
We listed a few of the many available free streaming apps. With so many options to choose from, there is sure to be a free streaming service with the content you are looking for.
But if you’re looking for even more content, there are dozens of streaming services that are not free, like Netflix, Amazon Prime TV, Disney +, Hulu, Paramount +, Peacock (which has a limited free tier), and many others. See this page for an in-depth look at some of these cable TV replacements that will allow you to cut the cord and save money.
Of the paid services Amazon Prime may be the biggest value because it has a huge selection of content plus Prime members get free shipping on every order and a lot of other perks. See this review to learn more about Amazon Prime.
There are even streaming apps that can totally replace your cable or satellite TV provider and save you money
There are even services that can come close to replacing your cable TV provider’s offerings. Services like Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and many others. None of these services have contracts so you’re free to change services anytime you like.
You’ll need a streaming device
To install streaming apps you’ll need a streaming device. Most apps can be used on the Roku Player, Amazon Firestick, Chromecast with Google TV, Apple TV, and others. You can buy one of these devices for less than $30. See this page for more information.
If you have a “Smart TV” the streaming device is built in. Most Smart TVs come with a wide variety of streaming apps pre-installed and also give you the option of installing additional streaming apps – as well as the option to remove streaming apps you don’t want.
And… you’ll need a fast internet connection
Most ISPs (Internet Service Providers) these days are offering internet connection speeds that support streaming TV. To stream in high definition you’ll need speeds over 5 Mbps and to stream 4K you’ll need speeds of at least 16 Mbps. Luckily, most providers now offer speeds over 5 Mbps.
You can test your internet speed here or here.
Here are some of the benefits of streaming TV:
- Convenience: You can watch streaming TV on your own schedule, without having to worry about a cable or satellite contract.
- Affordability: Many streaming services are free, and even those that aren’t are often much more affordable than cable or satellite TV.
- Choice: There are dozens and dozens of different streaming services available, so you can choose one that has the content you want.
If you are looking for a way to watch TV without cable or satellite, then streaming TV is a great option for you. With streaming TV. you can watch what you want, whenever you want.
If you have a mobile internet device, be cautious as many will not work with them. Hulu was very courteous when they told me up front, it will not work. YouTube TV sort of works. With YouTube TV what happens is that it is driven by IP address which the mobile device gives as 250 miles from my home. OK, so no local channels. I don’t watch them anyway. The real problem comes in 3 months when it is necessary to confirm home location with a phone which is the true home location. A mismatch. Additionally the home area can only be changed every 6 months.
You have to have the speed and bandwidth to support streaming. You can buy an modern antenna to watch local TV for under $50. And you can use a VPN to change your IP address. Here’s list of antennas you can use to get local channels. These are not like the hue old antennas from back in the 60’s.
I still use Dish with a DVR and have thought about cutting the cord. I like that I can program shows I want and they pop on my DVR and I can them watch and fast forward through the commercials. I am so old fashioned I still subscribe to TV guide! I wonder how you know about what shows are available and if I have to remember to go find them I probably won’t. It is easier when they just show up. Having a DVR is still nice if you ever loose internet or even satellite connection. You can still see what is on the DVR!
Most cable-cutting (not free) streaming apps like Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV give you the option to record shows too. Just like having a DVR.
Have you heard of CUE STREAMING? It is only $59.99/month and you get thousands of channels, movies, TV series, local, Cinema, HBO, etc., pay per view. EVERYTHING for that price.
fategrandma.mycuestreaming.com/apply
Be careful. It is unclear whether Cue Streaming is legal. The company does not appear to have any public information about its licensing agreements with content providers, which is a key factor in determining whether a streaming service is legal. Additionally, Cue Streaming has been accused of using illegal IPTV technology to stream content.
Some people believe that Cue Streaming is a legitimate service that has simply not yet made its licensing agreements public. Others believe that the company is a scam that is illegally streaming content without permission from the copyright holders.
And see this video…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnymElEok24