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If you want a cable-like experience at home and for on-the-go devices, without the dead weight that comes with a cable subscription, a streaming service is worth a look. There’s no contract to sign, and if you don’t like the service you’re using, you can easily switch. Whether you’re looking for a basic package like Sling TV or want to pay more for a deluxe experience from the likes of Hulu Plus Live TV, there should be a live TV streaming service that’s right for you. Here are some questions to help you get started:
Channels: Each of the TV streaming services above offers a different mix of channels, so your first step should be selection. one that carries your “can’t miss” cable channels and performances. Some of the most important live channels are local, namely ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Not every service offers all of these in every area, but the best streaming service for you will include most of what you want to watch, so it’s worth shopping around.
Live TV streaming service lineups are constantly changing as networks scramble to secure access to popular channels (those with watchable original shows and regional sports networks are in high demand). There is also the chance that a cable channel may be dropped from a service at the end of a network contract.
These negotiations also brought about other changes. In the last few years, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu (many times), Philo and DirecTV all raised their prices. Google and Roku a contract dispute has been resolved which prevented their users from downloading the YouTube TV app, but they lost Disney channels for two days because of a different dispute. Adding to this volatility is the fact that sometimes less popular services are simply discontinued — AT&T TV Watch TV, TVision and PlayStation Vue just three examples.
Price: In general, each of these streaming services can be divided into two main groups: budget, with prices between $30 and $50 and few or no local channels; and premium, with prices from $80 and up, and local channels and supercharged cloud DVRs.That’s right, all services allows you to record and playback movies, just like a traditional cable or satellite DVR, but it usually has restrictions.
Number of concurrent users: If you want to watch more than one program at the same time — for example, on your living room TV and bedroom TV, or on the main TV and tablet or other devices — you’ll want to make sure the video streaming service you’re watching has enough simultaneous streams. Sling Orange only allows one stream at a time, and if you try to watch a second, it’s blocked. Some services have higher concurrent stream limits.
Remember that, especially if you have more than one person watching at once on supported devices, you need to make sure that therefast, reliable broadband internet. A 100Mbps download service will cost $50 to $60 a month, and unfortunately that’s where the cable-cutting savings can be swallowed.
