Best live TV streaming for cord-cutters: YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu and more

Americans may see less live television, but on the other hand, live news, both nationally and from your local television station, is more important than ever. Furthermore, hang up an antennas streamingis the cheapest way to get live TV.

Prices for streaming TV services Start at $ 15 a month (or free of charge with the current promotion of Sling TV) without additional fees or contracts. Instead of a cable box and the monthly rental fee, use an app on your Smart TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or game console. And you can watch at home or on the go using a tablet, phone, another mobile device, or even a web browser.

With streaming services such as you can watch most, if not all, of your favourite TV channels (including ABC, NBC, ESPN, CNN, and Nickelodeon) live on the Internet YouTube TV and Sling TV. In some cases, they cost far less than you send to the cable company for television, but these services do not require an installer to visit – an important factor to consider during the process social distancing.

Both the prices and the services themselves are constantly changing. AT & T TV Now, for example, tacitly cut HBO out of its basic package and made its service $ 10 cheaper. The change also means that the competition is ousted – Sony has closed its streaming service PlayStation Vue in January.

With this in mind you will find a guide for the brave here New world of live TV streaming on the Internetas well as other cable cutting options available today, starting with our preferred recommendations for the best TV streaming service.

Sarah Tew / CNET

YouTube TV offers more top channels at base price than any other competitor in most regions of the country, including all four local channels (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC; note that CBS is the parent company of CNET). It is also the only service with local PBS channels. YouTube TV has the best cloud DVR in the series, including unlimited storage and a generous nine months to watch recordings (most are 30 days). The user interface is not nonsense, if a little boring, and yet offers most of the features that a cable service can offer you. And unlike Sling and others, it’s very simple: one package, one price, done.

With its top-notch channel selection and cloud DVR, YouTube TV is our preferred option for cable cutters who want to take advantage of cables with no problems. As with all premium services ($ 50), however, saving money over a traditional cable subscription is more difficult due to the relatively high monthly fee.

Top channels not available:: A&E, Comedy Central, History, Lifetime, NFL Network, Nickelodeon.

Read our YouTube TV test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Sling-TV costs more than AT&T Watch TV ($ 15) and Philo ($ 20), but has better channels, more options, and a comparatively better user interface, so we think it’s worth the extra money. And it’s still dirt cheap compared to the other streaming services, let alone cables.

Sling is cheaper than premium services like YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV as there are very few local channels. Confusingly, there are also two channel packages for $ 30 a month, Sling Orange and Sling Blue. While some channels are available for both Sling Orange and Sling Blue, the two differ significantly from other channel offerings: Orange is basically the ESPN / Disney package, while Blue is the Fox / NBC package.

The Sling home screen isn’t particularly worth seeing, but it does offer all the options you need without clutter. The only real disappointment, apart from the general lack of locals, is the arcane live break. There are countless options of the service. So watch Sling TV: Everything you need to know to know all the details.

Top channels not available on Sling Blue: ABC, CBS, Animal Planet, Disney Channel, ESPN, Nickelodeon. Fox and NBC are Only available in selected major cities.

Top channels not available on Sling Orange: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Tierplanet, Bravo, CNBC, Discovery Channel, Bravo, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, FX, MSNBC, USA Network.

Read our Sling TV test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Why is television so cheap? Locals are missing, similar to Sling TV, there are no special sports channels and with the exception of CNN there are also no news channels. And many of the programs on the channels can be watched with a Hulu subscription at a cheaper price if necessary.

On the other hand, it’s solid for the price. The program includes 30 channels, some of which – such as AMC, HGTV and BBC America – are no longer available on the more expensive AT&T TV Now. The user interface is fun and easy to navigate. It’s available on most major streaming platforms other than Roku, and some AT&T Wireless Plan customers get it for free.

Top channels not available: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Bravo, CNBC, Disney Channel, ESPN, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, FX, MLB Network, MSNBC, NFL Network, Travel Channel, United States Network.

Read our AT&T Watch TV test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

With the least cable-like interface of its competitors, Hulus’ greatest asset is the integration of live TV with its extensive catalog of on-demand content at one price. Unfortunately, you have to pay another $ 10 a month to skip advertising on Hulu’s cloud DVR (the included base cloud DVR does not allow ads to be skipped). However, the number of channels is solid and with Hulus catalog (Handmaid’s Tale, anyone?) It is a top competitor, but its higher price means it is not the best deal.

Top channels not available: AMC, BBC America, Comedy Central, MLB Network, MTV, NBA TV, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, Nickelodeon.

Read our Hulu Plus Live TV test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Until recently, AT&T TV Now bundled HBO in its $ 65 base package, now it’s an additional $ 10 option. With or without it, the service is still missing more top channels than any competitor (although you can pay extra to get most of these channels if you want). The DVR is also a step behind that of our top selection. However, the traditional-style user interface is good as it offers the pinball-friendly option of swiping left and right to switch channels.

Top channels not available in the basic package: A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, HGTV, History, Lifetime, MLB Network, NFL Network, Travel Channel.

Read our AT&T TV Now report.

Ty Pendlebury / CNET

FuboTV has a lot to offer – it offers a large selection of channels that are second only to YouTube TV – and its sporty focus makes it particularly attractive for football fans. Given that there are currently no sports games anywhere in the world, this limits the appeal as you would expect. It is also unsuitable for watching TV because none of the platforms work as well as the mobile version and the lack of ABC and ESPN is disappointing.

Top channels not available in the basic package: ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN 2.

Read our FuboTV test.

How to buy live TV services for cable cutting

Each of the above services offers a different mix channelsSo your first step should be to choose one that contains your cable channels and shows that you can’t miss. And some of the main channels are natives, namely ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Not every service offers everyone in every area.

The services can be divided into two main groups: Budget with prices starting at $ 15 but no local channels. And premium, with prices starting at $ 50 and locals, and often other extras like a manager Cloud DVR. Yes, most services (except AT&T Watch TV) allow you to record and play programs just like a conventional cable or satellite DVR. However, they are often subject to restrictions.

Then there is the multistream problem. If you want to watch more than one show at a time – for example on your living room and bedroom TV or the main TV and a tablet or other devices – you should make sure the service you see has enough simultaneous streams. Some of the cheapest services only allow one stream at a time. If you try to see a second one, it will be blocked.

Remember that you need to make sure that more than one person is watching on supported devices at the same time fast, reliable broadband internet. A 100 Mbit / s download service costs around $ 50 to $ 60 a month, and here the savings in cable cutting can be wasted.

Here’s a live TV streaming grocery list to consider:

What streaming TV services do you not offer?

Streaming TV services are great, but there are some things they can’t do compared to a traditional cable box.

First of all, it is worth taking a look at the channels that you cannot get with any of these services. For example, only one of the services offers PBS – YouTube TV – and that’s because the broadcaster reports had not acquired the streaming rights for all shows that it will be broadcast.

At another time, the lack of live sports on these channels would be a problem. When things return to normal, most services offer ESPN and local channels for NFL football. However, if you are following a professional baseball or basketball team, you will likely need a specific channel – RSN or regional sports network – to watch regular seasonal games. RSN coverage varies widely for each service.

Video streaming from any live TV service is a few seconds to a minute or longer behind the “live” stream that you get from your local cable or satellite provider. That means you can preview scores or big games from Twitter, phone notifications, or phone calls from friends before you see the action on the screen.

While AT&T TV now offers HBO As part of the basic subscription, most other services either sell it as an add-on or you have to register separately HBO now. In addition, NFL Red Zone and NHL Network are either not available or are only available as part of a package.

If you are used to 5.1-channel surround that is offered via cable or even OTA, you will probably be disappointed that all services only contain stereo sound during live broadcasts. AT&T TV Now, however, includes 5.1 audio for some on-demand materials.

(Note that CNET is owned by ViacomCBS, a compensated broadcaster for all cable, satellite and online TV services that offer CBS channels, including Showtime, Pop, CBS Sports and The CW.CBS owns and operates also its own online service, CBS All Access, which is mentioned below.)

Other options

Philo

Price: Starting at $ 20 a month

Another cheap service with no sports or local channels, Philo offers bread-and-butter cable channels like AMC, Comedy Channel, Nickelodeon, and BBC America. Unlike Watch AT&T, it includes a cloud DVR, but it lacks a well-known 24-hour news channel like CNN.

read this Philo rating

CBS All Access

Price: Starting at $ 5.99 per month

CBS All Access stands out from all other services offered live (in some cities) and only one channel on request. In addition to the transmission of video-on-demand, it offers exclusive online content such as Star Trek: Discovery. The on-demand material contains ads, but you can get an ad-free option for $ 10 a month.

peacock

Peacock is NBC’s answer to CBS All Access, but currently has two main problems: it is only available to Comcast users and its catalog is largely replicated by another popular streaming service. basic hulu.

Not interested in live TV? More staples

Lots of heavy hitters have recently entered the on-demand battle, including Apple Apple TV Plus and Disney with Disney PlusBoth made their debut at the end of 2019. In 2020, streamers will have even more choices, including Peacock from NBC / Comcast, AT & T’s HBO max and only for mobile devices Quibi. All of these services lack live TV – instead, the focus is on back catalogs and new originals – but they can still eat into your entertainment budget.

Netflix: One of the first streaming TV services and so popular that just like “Magic Marker” or “Coke” it became a collective term in the south. And then of course there is the popular “Netflix and Chill”. High-definition plans start at $ 13 a month, and the service spans thousands of TV shows and movies, including original content like Daredevil and Orange Is the New Black.

Amazon Prime Video: The “other” major streaming service included with an annual Prime membership worth $ 99 or $ 9 a month. The user interface is not as user-friendly as Netflix, but the service also offers non-rival shows, including original content such as The wonderful Mrs. Maisel. Amazon Prime also has the ability to add premium channels (HBO and Showtime and more), which makes it a potential one-stop shop.

Disney Plus: As one of the largest streaming services for some time, Disney has put together a mix of films, TV shows, and exclusive content, including the Star Wars universe set Mandaloriansfor $ 7 a month. Read our Disney Plus review here.

Vudu /Films everywhere: A digital library (or locker) that contains older UltraViolet content, as well as streaming movies and TVs that, like new releases, are only available for purchase.

It is also worthwhile to investigate free, ad-financed services such as Roku Canal, IMDB Freedive, TuBi TV, Pluto and Sony Crackle, which offer a wealth of content. Read CNET’s summary of free TV services here.

Is an indoor or outdoor antenna a viable option?

If you have a television in your house, ie a screen with a tuner, you will have to cut the cable off partially. A Affordable indoor antenna connected to your TV It allows you to watch wireless TV for free from any channel that you receive in your local broadcast area. Antennas only cost $ 10. See our comparison of indoor antennas here.

You can also add a DVR like that New version of Amazon Fire TV or TiVo Bolt OTA if you want. Then you can record, play, and skip those live TV antenna channels just like you would with a standard cable TV DVR. Here is CNETs Summary of the Best Cable Cutters OTA DVRs.

A solid and affordable alternative to live TV streaming services is the combination of an antenna for local live channels and an on-demand service such as Netflix or Hulu now only $ 5.99 a month). This way you can still watch live programs and also choose between on-demand content.

Conclusion: try it yourself

Streaming live TV services are still in flux. Since launch, each service has increased its prices by at least $ 5 a month. Channel selection and cities with local channel access are constantly changing, and there are still reports of some services losing money or even being closed in the case of PlayStation Vue. While streaming is undoubtedly the future, it will take time for both prices and services to level off.

That said, if you want a cable-like experience both at home and for devices on the go, without the weight of a cable subscription, a streaming service is worth a look. There is no contract to sign, and if you don’t like the service you use, you can simply switch. Whether you’re looking for a basic package like Sling TV or want to pay more for a deluxe experience like YouTube TV, there should be a streaming TV service for you.

More streaming reporting at CNET