Ways to Watch Everything You Want Without a Cable Bill. The notion of getting all the video entertainment you want without paying a massive cable bill—a. The reason? The recent emergence of new streaming services like Dish Network’s Sling TV, which includes a sampling of the most popular “basic” cable channels, and HBO Now, the only streaming service to include HBO shows, has coincided with Amazon and Netflix coming into their own as producers of serious television. The result is that virtually every class of TV watcher can find most of what they need without paying a cable bill. But with all this choice comes the challenge of understanding these new and unfamiliar services—and figuring out which combination of them would serve your needs at the lowest price.
If you’re currently relying on your smartphone, laptop, or some kind of monitor setup for your TV time, you can still get your red carpet fix by streaming the 69th. Is Game of Thrones on Redbox? Don’t bother checking your local Redbox for Game of Thrones episodes either, or any other HBO series for that matter.
One approach is to use one of the cord- cutting “calculators” at sites like The Verge and Slate, which allow users to pick out which services they’re interested in and then tally up your savings relative to cable. These are useful, but they generally don’t take into account a key cord cutting enabler: the ability to purchase shows a la carte through i. Tunes and Amazon, usually within a day of their original airing. Watch Diamonds Are Forever Torent Free.
5. The joys of the internet. I love the internet — it's where I get the majority of my news, entertainment, and extracurricular writing. I can watch movies online. The bowling alley of the abandoned Homowack Lodge in Spring Glen, New York. This area of the southern Catskills was once known as the Borscht Belt due to its. The latest news articles from Billboard Magazine, including reviews, business, pop, hip-hop, rock, dance, country and more. You can watch local TV online or get broadcast networks over the air. Here are all the ways to get local channels without needing a cable TV subscription.
This isn’t new technology—i. Tunes has been selling television downloads since 2. Another often- ignored cord cutting technology is the indoor TV antenna, the modern equivalent of the old- school “rabbit ears,” which can cost under $1. It’s not on- demand (unless you shell out extra for a recording device), but for live events like the Super Bowl or the Oscars, having an antenna could be a lifesaver. Read next: 7 Streaming TV Packages That Will Let You Cut the Cord For Good. In designing our guide, we took all of these factors into account and simplified things, designing five bundles of online television programing—one of which, we think, will suit just about any type of TV viewer.
For each bundle, we show you the price, the projected savings compared to the 2. TV seasons (estimated $3. The Basic Cable Junkie. This option is for you if you like to follow the latest network and non- premium cable shows, like The New Girl, The Voice, The Flash, or Modern Family. Hulu Plus ($7. 9. FOX, NBC, ABC, the CW, as well as delayed or archived content from cable channels like Comedy Central and FX. You can add CBS shows, like Big Bang Theory, for another monthly fee of $5.
For decades, cable television was the best way to get quality shows geared toward specialized audiences. Today, that's what streaming services do, while cable is more. The only tv we currently own is hooked up to a GameCube downstairs. Any tv shows we’re interested in watching (about 3-4 a week) are available for streaming through.
That still leaves a significant gap in cable content, which can be closed using Dish Network’s Sling TV. Sling offers AMC (Mad Men, Walking Dead), TNT (Falling Skies), TBS (Conan), A& E (The Returned), and ABC Family (The Fosters), among others, for $2.
Sling is a good deal for serious TV fans, but if you’re not going to watch at least eight different shows on those channels per year, it’s cheapest to just get your Mad Men/Walking Dead fix by buying individual seasons on i. Tunes or Amazon Instant Video. That strategy, ironically, is pretty much what Dish Network’s chairman recommended back in 2.
The Plan: Hulu, CBS All Access, Sling TVPrice: $4. Savings: $3. 91. 5. Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows Online Fandango.
You could buy about 1. The Prestige TV Grazer. First, the best TV moved from networks to cable. Now a similar transition is moving top talent from cable to the streaming world.
Netflix ($8. 9. 9 per month for HD streaming) has House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt—all of which have received almost universal acclaim—and Amazon ($9. Alpha House, crime drama Bosch, and the Golden Globe- winning Transparent. Even if you’re only going to watch a few of these shows, the only way to do it is with a subscription, so buying just the programs you want to see isn’t an option this time. The same is true for another prestige network, HBO, which offers its shows exclusively through cable or a new $1. HBO Now (unless, of course, you don’t mind waiting months to buy the latest of Game of Thrones episodes on i. Tunes). With these three services in hand, you should be able to fill in any gaps with a few single- season purchases. The Plan: Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Now.
Price: $3. 86. 8. Savings: $4. 12. 4. You could buy about 1. The Omnivore. This is the option for TV fanatics who want everything and the kitchen sink. We’re talking network TV, cable shows, HBO, movies, and streaming exclusives, all on demand whenever you want. Believe it or not, you can still have all this for significantly less than the price of cable.
Even after subscribing to HBO Now, Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access, and Amazon Prime Video, you’ll still be more than $2. Don’t care for Girls or Game of Thrones? You can replace the HBO option with Sling TV for $6. TV seasons. The Plan: HBO Now, Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access, and Amazon Prime Video. Price: $5. 54. 6. Savings: $2. 44. 6.
You could buy about 8 additional show seasons before cable becomes more cost effective. The Serial Binger.
If you have unpredictable tastes, but only focus on one show at a time, it might be most cost efficient to just buy all your television a la carte. For the price of a year of cable, the average viewer can buy 2. TV. Assuming these are all 4.
If you can’t ever imagine yourself watching more than that, then this plan is for you. Don’t forget to grab a TV antenna for major live events like the Oscars or the Super Bowl, or if you just want the option of kicking back and watching prime time now and then. The Plan: Indoor TV antenna. Price: $8. 5. 5 per year ($0. Savings: $7. 90. 7. You could buy about 2.
Sports Fans. If you want—or need—to see a significant number of your local teams’ games, I’m going to stop right here. This is one area where streaming services can’t yet fully deliver. Local games are generally exclusive to regional sports networks, and you’ll still need cable for that. There’s also the issue of some online services being a little more unstable than die- hard fans might like. Dish’s Sling TV failed for many customers during this weekend’s NCAA Final Four action, leading the company to issue an apology. However, if you’re a more casual sports fan or a supporter of an out- of- market team, cord cutting is still a worthwhile option.
Sling TV—assuming it can hold up under the strain of future events—will give you ESPN and ESPN 2 in addition to a handful of basic cable channels for $2. ESPN U, ESPNEWS, and the SEC Network. Add in an indoor TV antenna and you’ll also have access to network sports. For supporters of teams outside your local area, some sport- specific streaming options might also be attractive. Each major sports league offers some sort of online viewing option for somewhere in the neighborhood of $1. NFL fans can pay only $6.
The Plan (option 1): Sling TV with sports package and an indoor TV antenna. Price: $3. 08. 5. Savings: $4. 90. 8. You could buy about 1. The Plan (option 2): Sling TV with sports package, indoor TV antenna, and one sport- specific streaming package. Price: $4. 18. 5. Savings: $3. 80. 8.
You could buy about 1. You Might Also Like: How to Trim Your Internet Bill After You Cut the Cord on Cable.
Moves to Cut Your Cable Bill Right Now. Streaming Packages That Will Let You Cut the Cord For Good.