As most of you may know by now, cable is going, going, gone. The new wave? Streaming services.
What we love about streaming services? They’re affordable, easy to use, and constantly updated with new, fresh, trending content. It’s why any number of streaming services have taken over the TV and movie game and no one is stopping them.
New to streaming services or curious as to what’s (or who’s) new when it comes to streaming? Here’s a high level and quick study for you. (Special note – this doesn’t capture all the streaming services on the market; just a handful of some that folks might be talking more more these days.)
Hulu: A joint venture with The Walt Disney Company, 21st Century Fox, Comcast, and AT&T through WarnerMedia, Hulu is one of the top streaming services available right now. They stream over 50+ channels with the options of Live TV, streaming full episodes, streaming movies, or even recording Live TV to save for later. Hulu starts out at $39.99/month, but you get the first week free. You can also stream it on any device you have.
YouTube TV: The one-stop-video-place, YouTube TV is an offshoot from YouTube that allows you to stream TV channels live and in your own time. With 60+ channels, you can have six accounts per household. So, what makes it different? It already has one billion users that live in 88 countries and speak 76 different languages. It starts at $40/month, but there’s a deal where can try it for free.
Sling TV: An internet television service owned by Dish Network, Sling TV has become one of the go-to streaming services for live TV. Sling started out at a live tv streaming service – and then everyone else has jumped on board. Dish Network customers have cut the cable and upgraded from cable to Sling TV. It starts at $20/month with 30+ channels, but you also have the options of $25/month for 45+ channels and $40/month for 50+ channels. No surprise here – you can try it out with a free 7-day trial.
Amazon Prime Video: Truth – Amazon is already a massive video rental platform; but having an Amazon Prime Video account will allow you to stream television shows, movies, and other videos wherever you go. A prime membership also allows you to get two-day free shipping when you order anything from Amazon. Prime does not include live TV, but it only starts at $12.99/month and – guess what – you can start by doing a free 30-day trial.
Playstation Vue: If you are already a gamer, you probably already have a Playstation. So, in theory, this streaming service is for you. It’s a live streaming service with sports, news, and all your favorite shows. There are four options for pricing – you can do $39.99/month for regular live tv, $44.99/month for live tv and sports, $54.99/month for sports, live tv, and movies, or you can do $74.99/month for movies, sports, live tv, and all other premium services. Start now with a 5-free day trial!
Philo: The most recent up-and-coming streaming service, Philo, has similarities to all the other streaming services, but it is a wee bit different in that it is focused mainly on lifestyle and entertainment channels, but includes others as well. What also sets it apart from other streaming services is the low price. It starts at $16/month for 40 channels and $20/month for 49 channels. It also includes free cloud DVR so you can record your favorite shows. The only downfall is the only supported streaming device is Roku. We’ll cross our fingers for other streaming devices soon. No surprise here – you can try it out with a 7-day free trial.
If there’s one takeaway from this overview let it be this – whichever streaming service you choose, you will need a streaming device and high speed internet to make it work. Regardless, we think you’ll have more options – and more fun – streaming versus cable.
Ready to talk options as to the best technology on which to watch those streaming services? We have some great recommendations, so let’s get started. There are three easy ways to connect with our team today.
