Have you decided to cut cable out of your life? Don't just turn around and throw your money at video-streaming services without doing some research first. After all, you don't want to end up with the too-familiar problem of paying for more content than you actually watch.
If you're smart about making the jump from cable, you could end up paying less for more of the content that interests you. Although some of the worst aspects of cable live on in video-streaming services—including ads during live TV and regional restrictions on sports broadcasts—the advantages of these services are clear: namely, more flexibility in pricing, the ability to watch original shows that never air on cable, and better device support. Our guide helps you maximize these benefits.
Before diving into our tips, you should know that video-streaming services mostly fall into two categories: those that stream live TV channels and those that host on-demand content (although some offer both). Live TV services offer the same channels as traditional cable but deliver them over an internet connection. Some services are better for certain audiences too; sports fans, entertainment seekers, and families can all find ones that appeal to them. On-demand services host huge collections of movies and TV shows, some of which are original productions and all of which you can stream whenever and wherever you want, in some cases even without a network connection.
Take Advantage of Month-to-Month Pricing
A cable contract often renews on an annual basis, but the vast majority of video-streaming subscriptions are month-to-month. The advantage of this flexible pricing model is that you can pick and choose the services you subscribe to each month.
Let's say you're a huge fan of Netflix's original show Stranger Things, but you don't care about any other shows on the service. You could subscribe to Netflix just for the month the show releases, watch the entire season, and then cancel your account before the payment recurs.
Even when a network chooses to release a season on a staggered schedule, as CBS All Access does with Star Trek: Discovery, it's more cost-effective to subscribe for those three or four months than to be locked in for a full year. You can use this strategy for live events, too. For instance, you could pay for a live TV service to watch the MLB playoffs and World Series this fall and then cancel it afterward.
Keeping track of broadcast schedules for all your favorite shows, as well as when your subscriptions renew, does require some diligence on your part. PCMag's monthly rundowns on the shows arriving on and leaving major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO can help you plan your subscription schedule. Sports seasons typically operate on the same schedule from year to year, so you can easily determine when to subscribe to those, too.
Check the Channel and Streaming Lineup
Not all live TV services offer the same channel coverage, so you should verify which channels from each service are available in your location before entering your payment details.
Some services, such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, offer a general mix of channels similar to what you might find with a cable lineup, spanning the commercial broadcast affiliates (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC), entertainment networks (such as AMC, Food Network, and Syfy) and sports channels (such as ESPN, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, and the Golf Channel). Most people coming from cable should start their search with this type of service. Live TV options either offer several tiers of channel lineups or a single pricing tier with all the available channels; the latter structure is usually a better value.
If you're an avid entertainment or sports fan, you might want to seek out a service that specifically caters to your interests, as more targeted options tend to be cheaper. For example, Philo is a cost-effective option that includes lots of cable entertainment networks without making you pay for news and sports channels.
Streaming sports is particularly tricky because events broadcast on so many different channels. For instance, you need to take into account commercial broadcast affiliates, regional sports networks (RSNs) in your area, and traditional cable sports channels. Your geographic location determines which affiliates and RSNs you can watch. Most services offer a tool on their websites where you can enter your ZIP code and see all the channels available in your area.
Figuring out which shows are on which on-demand services is an easier task; availability is the same wherever you are in the US, and current original shows don't appear on other services. For example, you can only watch The Marvelous Ms. Maisel on Amazon Prime Video.
In addition to original shows, most on-demand services offer a revolving library of movies and full runs of shows that are no longer on the air. Recently though, media companies have begun outbidding one another for licensing rights to popular shows as hooks for their own video streaming services. For instance, The Office is leaving Netflix and heading to NBC's upcoming streaming service, Peacock, in 2021. Netflix is also losing Friends at the end of this month to WarnerMedia's forthcoming HBO Max service, but it paid up to snag the rights to Seinfeld instead, which has spent the past five years on Hulu.
Don't Forget the Free Options
One of the advantages of cutting the cord is that you don't need to replace the cable experience 1:1. In fact, you shouldn't try to; after all, you likely didn't watch every cable channel you had.
You can usually cover any gaps with free streaming options. For instance, Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported service for streaming national TV channels. You can also stream local channels via Locast in major markets. (Note that Locast is in the midst of a legal battle with major broadcast networks, so we're not sure how long it will be a viable option.) You can also stream some live sports for free, including NFL games, via the NFL or Yahoo Sports apps.
For on-demand content, Tubi is a free, ad-supported service that offers shows and movies. IMDb TV and YouTube also offer some free, ad-supported content, though the quality of the content on all those platforms is mixed. And you could torrent shows and movies, though PCMag does not condone piracy in any form.
Upgrade Your Internet Connection
"Cord cutting" is a bit of misnomer, as you still need an internet connection to use a video-streaming service. In many cases, your cable provider and internet service provider (ISP) are one and the same, so you can't, unfortunately, burn down that bridge. The good news is that you might be able to afford faster internet tiers once you no longer have to pay a massive cable bill. If several people in your household will be using video-streaming services at once, you'll need enough bandwidth to go around.
Many on-demand services can stream original content in 4K now, too, which demands significantly more resources than 1080p streams. We recommend you stream over an Ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi for the most reliable performance. You may need to buy an Ethernet cord (again, you can't cut every cord out of your life), but those are usually cheap and easy to hide along a wall or behind furniture.
Buy a Media-Streaming Device
One problem with the growing number of video-streaming services is that you need to use different websites and apps to access them. This can make the experience of using several services in conjunction feel a bit disjointed. For all cable's faults, it organizes all the channels into a single, usable interface on your TV without making you sign into any accounts.
One way to consolidate all your subscription services is to buy a media-streaming device such as a Roku, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, or Chromecast. As long as your TV has an HDMI port, you can simply plug in any of these devices and load up all your video-streaming services into a single interface. Many of these devices support Ethernet network connections too, in addition to Wi-Fi, so you should have no problem watching your favorite content in high-resolution formats.
Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know
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