I had requests from a few OnMouseClick readers to revisit the topic of steaming media. I wrote about this last season and, as with just about everything in technology, there has been changes and advancements since then. The choices available have become exciting but also sometimes complicated and confusing. We no longer have to settle for what the cable or satellite providers decides will be available to us. As informed consumers, we are slowly taking control of our media choices and viewing. In our own household at TR, Eddie and I receive all our entertainment and information streaming from the internet via apple tv, Sonos, and Samsung smart TV’s.
For decades broadcast television was limited to a small number of networks, restricted by localities, captured by an antenna and stopped broadcasting at midnight. Most of us probably remember having a television set with rabbit-ear antennas. All that changed with the introduction of cable in the mid-1980s. Although initially very expensive and slow to catch on, by the start of the new century, most televisions were connected to either a cable or satellite system which offered hundreds of channels. How many channels you received was no longer determined by where you lived, but by how much you were willing to pay.
Change is once more upon us — television content can be streamed over the internet watched on computers, mobile phones, tablets, and wifi enabled television sets. Until recently, most of this content was prerecorded, but that too is changing.
The most popular streaming services are Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. The first two are monthly subscription services. Netflix subscriptions range from $8 to $12 a month, depending on quality of the video and how many screens you want to be able to watch simultaneously. Hulu subscriptions are $8 a month with commercials and $12 commercial free. Amazon Prime Video is included in a yearly Amazon Prime membership of $99, or monthly for $11. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are commercial free.
There are differences in the offering of each service. Netflix streams television shows (from past seasons), original content, and movies. The previous season of prime time American shows generally becomes available when the new season premiers on broadcast TV. Eddie and I have been Netflix subscribers since the beginning, and over the years we have watched many excellent, under-the-radar shows we would never have known about, many of them from the UK, Canada and Australia.
While Hulu does not feature the quantity of television shows and original content offered by Netflix, it streams most television shows from NBC, ABC, FOX and several cable channels the day after they debut on broadcast TV. When we are at home in New York, we DVR the shows we enjoy watching and then view them at our convenience while fast forwarding through the commercials. At TR we just wait a day, or more, and watch the shows without commercial interruption on Hulu.
Amazon Prime Video features a more limited offering of television shows, but they do feature a wide variety of movies and some quality original content. While not as comprehensive, it is an inexpensive choice if you have an Amazon Prime membership.
In order to stream these services on a television set, you need a reasonably fast wifi connection and either a wifi enabled Smart TV or a steaming device connected to a TV. It is worth noting that most of the so-called “smart” television sets are limited in how much content they can actually stream, and even if you have one of these televisions, you may desire a streaming device. The most popular devices are Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire. They range in price from $30 for the lowest end Chromecast to $199 for the most expensive version of Apple TV. Before making a purchase I recommend doing a Google search for reviews of streaming devices. Reputable reviews can be found at PCMag.com, ZDNet and CNET. Direct links to reviews will be available in the online version of the column.
Eddie and I have an older model Apple TV (3rd Generation) and an Amazon Fire. The Amazon device is the size of a USB thumb drive and plugs directly into an HDMI port on the back of the TV. It is more limited in scope than our Apple TV, but works for us when traveling.
At home we use the Apple TV, and have been happy with it, although most reviewers favor Roku devices. We are currently considering upgrading to the newest model of the Apple TV (4th Generation), mainly because some of the newer streaming offerings are not accessible on the older model. One reason for sticking with Apple over another device is that CNBC, which Eddie watches regularly, streams live on Apple TV and prerecorded on Roku. Before making a purchase, it is important to be certain that the device you choose will deliver the content you want.
All of the steaming devices and Smart TVs feature a variety of channel offering, some featuring live broadcasts such as CNN, NBC, TBS, ESPN and PBS to name a few. However the live broadcast offerings are not free. To view the content you must be a cable subscriber and need to sign in with your cable username and password. Generally this only has to be done once a season but it is usually necessary to do this for each channel you wish to view.
You may have heard the phrase "cutting the cord" in reference to discontinuing cable TV service and relying solely on streaming. Next week OnMouseClick will look at several new services that will allow you to actually “cut the cord." Some of these services even offer, or are promising to offer, cloud-based DVR. To quote Bob Dylan, "the times they are a-changin’.”
Reviews from CNET —
Reviews from PCMag.com —
Reviews from ZDNet —
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