Best Streaming TV Services Compared

Are you sick and tired of paying excessive monthly fees from content provided by Cable TV and Satellite companies? Why not turn on one of these streaming TV services instead as a reasonable alternative.

Streaming TV completely frees you from expensive cable TV subscriptions and lets you watch your content from a variety of devices. Choose from media streamers like Roku to watch TV directly from the Internet on your TV. Take your content with you and stream TV shows and movies on your computer, smart phone or tablet.

These are some of the top streaming TV services today:

Netflix - Still the Most Popular

Tons of Movies and Original Content. This streaming service is still one of the most popular worldwide. Prices for Unlimited streaming starts at only $7.99 per month for SD quality and $9.99 for HD. 4K with 4 concurrent streams if you feel like sharing with family member will set you back $11.99/month. Netflix has apps that work on your computer, Roku, and Apple TV. It will also work on gaming consoles like a PS4, Wii, or XBox. If you have a Smart TV, or even some DVD players can also stream Netflix. Be sure to take advantage of their free trial.

Try Netflix Free for an Entire Month

Hulu - Best for Watching Current TV Shows

You can still watch Hulu free on your computer. If you have a media streamer it requires an account. The paid version offers a much wider selection of content. This paid streaming service used to be called Hulu Plus and has been getting much better lately. Many studios have chosen to partner with Hulu and as early as next year, they will also offer live TV streaming as well but. But the price rumored to be near $40 for this package alone, may be a bit excessive for many cord cutters.

Hulu offers several plans that start at $7.99 a month. This plan contains ads, if you want to experience Hulu completely ad free their next plan is $11.99 a month. Try either plan for one week Free.

Sign up with Hulu .

Amazon Video - Now with Monthly Plans

Amazon Video is $99 per year and includes Prime which offer books and music as well as a large selection of video content. Amazon Video is now available stand alone for $8.99/month with no free shipping. Netflix has some great original content series plus a large selection of movies. If you buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, their free two-day shipping and borrowing one free Kindle book a month can pay for itself in no time. Currently there is still no app for Amazon yet on the Apple TV. Although it will work with Roku, on an iPad, Amazon Fire TV, or with a computer using a web browser.

Amazon Prime Video currently has over 60 add-ons available in addition to their Prime Video service. They can be subscribed to individually and cost anywhere from $2.99 to $8.99/month.

These are: AcaciaTV, Acorn TV, CONtv, CINEFEST, Comedy Central Stand-Up Plus, CuriosityStream, Daring Docs, Doc Club, Docurama, Dove Channel, Dox, DramaFever Instant, Gaia, HooplaKidz, Lifetime Movie Club. Plus 45 More! Click here to see pricing and more info on them all.

Try a Free 30 Day Trial to Amazon Video

Sling TV: Best for Sports

Getting sports without cable has been a roadblock for many cord cutters. If you live in an area where you can't receive network channels you were out of luck. Now that we have Sling TV not only can you watch Sports on ESPN, ESPN2. Also includes with Slint TV is AMC which includes one of our favorite TV series The Walking Dead. A&E, History Channel, TNT, and HGTV are also included which gives you total of 12 channels for only $20/month. Best of all there are no long term contracts so start and stop service at any time. Sling just announced they will be adding even more channels to their plan. New channels include: Comedy Central, BET, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, MTV, Spike, MTV2, LOGO, CMT, TV Land and VH1

Try Sling TV and watch it free for 7/days.

Sony Playstation Vue: Tons of Cable Channels

Sony Playstation Vue offers many cable channels. It starts at $40/month and is similar to Sling TV. Get many of your favorite cable TV channels without having to have a long term 2 year commitment as with Dish and DirecTV. Even though it was designed for Sony Playstation owners, you can also watch Vue with other devices including Amazon Fire, iOS and Chromecast (Still not on Roku yet).

Vue has a ton of channels including Fox News. Other channels included are: AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Destination America, Discovery, Discovery Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Diy Network, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, Esquire Network, Food Network, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, FREEFORM, FX, FXX, HGTV, HLN, Investigation Discovery, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, NBCSN, Nick jr., nickelodeon, nickTOONS, OWN, Oxygen, Pop, SCI, Spike, Syfy, tbs, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, TVLAND, USA, VH1, and WE.

Here is how Vue compares to Sling TV.

SFN TV Now - New Service That Offers Great Streaming TV

Southern Fibernet is a newer streaming TV service that recently launched. It has probably one of the best selection of true a la carte streaming services available. Here is a full listing of their channels and packages. They offer apps for Android and Roku so you can cut the cord and still watch your favorite cable channels. Prices start as low as $5/month for their Faith Channel Package and go up from there. If you have a Roku, these Faith channels are free and there are so many, this is probably the last package you would need to subscribe to. SFN TV's largest package has over 100 channels and costs $59.99/month. Their service also comes with an online DVR for time shifting your favorite shows and jumping through commercials.

Click here to try a Free 7/day Trial!

USTVNow - Another Great Streaming Service with Network Channels

USTVNow has been around for a while as a Roku channel, a Kodi Addon or viewable from a web browser on a computer. Their basic Network Channels are broadcast from the Eastern Time Zone free forever with Kodi on an Android media streamer or on your computer in SD quality. Their Roku channel only works for 45 Days and then you must re-register. to extend it again. They are also offering a special 4 Month Promo of their HD package which contains "28 Cream of the Crop Channels." The first 4 Month cost only $19. Then the price is $29/month. Signing up is a little tricky, and we added more detailed instructions below.

Click here for USTVNow Sign Up Instructions

Philo TV

Philo TV is a new low cost TV only Live TV streaming service that offers a really nice package of channels for only $16/month. The channels are all HD and they even include a nice HD DVR to record your shows and watch them on demand.

Click here for a 7/day Free Trial

Quick Comparison

NAME	DVR	Video Quality	Audio Quality	Commercials	Live TV	CC
Netflix	No	SD/720P/1080P Some 4K UHD	Almost all 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus	No	No	Yes
Hulu	No	720P Max	Stereo	Only on Lower Cost Plan.	Soon 2017	Yes
Amazon Video	No	SD, HD, Ultra HD	5.1 Audio: Only From Fire TV, and Smart TVs and Blu-ray devices.	No	No	Yes
Sling TV	No	720p or 1080p	5.1 surround sound	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony Vue	No	Only 720p	Stereo	Yes	Yes	Yes
SFNTV Now	Yes	HD With Adaptive BitRate Streaming 1.5Mbps or 9.5Mbps	Stereo	Yes	Yes	Unknown
USTV Now	Yes	720p Paid Version Adaptive to Network Speed	Stereo	Yes	Yes	No
Philo TV	YES	720p HD content.	Stereo	Yes	Yes	Unknown

Another New Streaming Service Coming Soon: VidGo

SHOWTIME: Stand Alone Movies and Shows

Already have Hulu? Now you add SHOWTIME for $8.99 per month and no cable account is needed. You can also subscribe to SHOWTIME directly on your Roku for $10.90 per month.

HBO Now: Stand Alone Movies and Shows

HBO Now is currently $14.99 per month. "Game of Thrones" without cable alone will make it worth it for some! HBO has some other great original TV series that are very good. If you have a Roku can add this channel and get a free trial here.

FREE Streaming: Network TV and Movie Channels

A lot of great free content can be found free for cord cutters if you don't mind watching a few ads. We have included an easy to use list that are instantly accessible from our TvStreamin Remote Control.

Just click the green button at the bottom of the page and you will have direct links to channels like: ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, Fox plus Movie channels and so much more.

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