by Samantha Rivers

The reports of television’s “death is greatly exaggerated,” to borrow a famous quote from Mark Twain. What cannot be denied, however, is that more and more people have “cut the cord.”

With so many ways to view television and film content, many are starting to realize that cable television is both expensive and redundant. If you want to “cut the cord” yourself, but haven’t yet pulled the trigger, this article may help push you in that direction. Here are all of the ways that you can watch TV without paying for cable.

Alternatives to Cable TV

Here is what you should be watching…

Amazon Prime TV

Amazon Prime is a pretty good deal. With it, you get free two-day shipping on all Amazon orders, unlimited streaming of over a million songs, access to more than 800,000 e-books, and instant access to Amazon Prime Video.

Over the last couple of years, Amazon has invested significantly in its streaming service, and the platform is now home to several well-liked original programs, including Transparent and Man in the High Castle. With on-demand streaming of new movies also available, Prime is quite the appealing service.

Hulu Plus

For true TV junkies, Hulu Plus is the service to have. Offering next-day reruns of popular television shows from ABC, NBC, and Fox, along with programming from a variety of cable networks, including Comedy Central, Hulu Plus offers the closest alternative to traditional cable television.

In fact, with Hulu, you may be hard-pressed to find the differences. One thing to note: the popular Criterion Collection leaves the service in November of this year, so act now!

HBO Now

Believe it or not, you do not need a cable subscription to view HBO content. With HBO Now, you can pay just $14.99 a month for access to HBO’s entire catalog of original and film programming. This includes their hits like Game of Thrones, Veep, and Ballers.

Netflix

Netflix is the service that started it all, and though competitors have certainly caught up, Netflix still isn’t out of the fight. With original programming like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, Netflix can compete with platforms like Amazon Prime and HBO Now on level footing.

And starting in September, Netflix will stream a large portion of Disney’s catalog (including Disney Animation, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel Studios), making it the home for family entertainment.

CBS All Access

You may have noticed that CBS wasn’t included among the networks that Hulu carries. And that is because CBS has its own streaming service, titled CBS All Access. For just $9.99 a month, you can enjoy commercial-free streaming on over 8,500 CBS television episodes. Among these include such hit shows as The Big Bang Theory and NCIS.

Particularly exciting, however, is the return of Star Trek to TV. In early 2017, CBS will launch Star Trek: Discovery exclusively on the streaming service.

How to Watch

And here is how you can watch!

Chromecast

For just $35, you can stream services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube from your smartphone or tablet directly to your television. The Chromecast by Google is simpler than other streaming boxes, like the Roku and Apple TV, but this is what makes it so affordable.

Unlike other streaming devices, which have a menu of their own, Chromecast simply enables you to “cast” your video from the device of your choice. Still, it works and it’s cheap!

Interested in 4K streaming?  A new 4K Chromecast has just been announced and will be available in November.

Roku

Roku offers a number of different streaming products, including the Roku Stick, Roku TV, the Roku UHD player, and the traditional Roku (now up to Roku 3).

Regardless of the Roku product that you choose, you will be able to stream digital video from a variety of providers, like Netflix and Hulu, with ease. Though Apple users may prefer the Apple TV (see below), the Roku is a perfect match for most people.  Roku also offers a 4K option.

Apple TV

The Apple TV does everything that the Roku does, but with some additional Apple-specific functionalities built in. For example, with Apple TV, you can rent or purchase movies directly from iTunes, making it easy to view content on demand.

You can also sync your Apple TV with your Apple devices, making it easy to share and view content from your computer or tablet on your television. Perhaps best of all, the new Apple TV even comes with Siri.

Your Smartphone or Tablet

These days, everyone seems to be on-the-go and always busy. This means people are more inclined to be watching TV or a movie at the airport, waiting for your kids while they’re at practice, or even while getting a pedicure.

Carriers like T-Mobile are now catching on to this, and offering programs like “Binge-On”, which allows you to stream as much as you want without cutting into your data. Getting your TV fix from any device or smartphone has never been more easily accessible.  

Smart TV

Many of today’s flatscreen televisions now have built-in streaming capability.

These so-called “Smart TVs” connect wirelessly to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to view Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and other streaming services without the use or need for a streaming box. If you want an all-in-one solution, a Smart TV is the perfect choice for you.

What About A DVR?

When you “cut the cord,” one of the hardest things is saying goodbye to your DVR.  Sure, with streaming, you can go to any channel online and watch the show you want to, but with a DVR, you can have all the shows you’re interested in one spot.

PlayOn is a streaming service that allows you to access over 100 online channels, channels like CBS, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video, NBC, History Channel, FOX, Halmark Channel, Bravo, DIY, and more.  While some channels do still need a cable provider to access, most channels do not and have no subscription.

Use PlayOn Plus ($60 one-time fee) to record your favorite shows automatically to watch on your PC, TV, or mobile device.  With their AdSkip feature, you can watch all recordings ad-free.

Cut the Cord

If you were to purchase every streaming service available, it could end up costing just as much, if not more, than your cable bill. When it comes to streaming services, it pays to be selective. That is simply the nature of these platforms – they come with pros and cons.

However, for many people, simply one or two of these services will meet all of their television needs, and for those individuals, replacing cable television (cut the cord!) with streaming is the way to go!