My Streaming Life

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. "We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue." -- James A. Garfield May 30, 1868 Arlington National Cemetery

When I cut the cord, the biggest problem I encountered was how to watch sports. Remember, this was 2011 and a full four years before Sling TV launched. There were no live streaming services. Maybe that's why I don't have any problem doing without one and think they really aren't necessary. But anyway, we're talking about sports and how a streamer can watch sports. In particular, there are people that want to watch the Indy 500 or the Coca-Cola 600. If you're a streamer and you want to watch a race, what do you do? You do have options. One is to use an antenna. For the Indy 500, find your local NBC affiliate, while for the Coca-Cola 600 you need to find your local Fox affiliate and watch that way. If you have an Air TV, a Tablo, or a TiVo DVR, you can even record the races. Or if you live in one of the 32 markets served by Locast, that's an option. You can also watch the Indy 500 on Peacock Premium . For the live streaming services, Sling Blue is $35/month, Vidgo...

When I cut the cord in 2011, there were 101 million cable TV subscribers, an all time high . There are now 50 million cord cutters , or streamers who never had cable, which is an all time high, according to a report in Forbes. Of course, this means that once I cut the cord, everybody wanted to. Okay, maybe that's not what it means. Maybe it just means more and more people see advantages in streaming over cable. If you've made the jump to streaming, you're leading the charge in breaking away from traditional cable. And, you're not alone, as those numbers show. Cable offered a lot in its time, but its time is passing. Cable still leads streaming by a large number, but cable is losing over a million and a half subscribers every quarter. I'm not taking joy in this, because lost subscribers could mean lost jobs. However, every advance in technology impacts the older tech, and always has. It's the nature of progress. I don't like the thought of lost jobs for cable...

I've seen a lot of people ask questions on support Websites about how to set up devices to use while traveling. I want to let you know up front, that I haven't actually used a streaming device while traveling, so I never chime in on ways to do it, but I'm going to give my thoughts on this topic now. Most of the support Websites concerning streaming and traveling offer suggestions about using a Firestick or a Roku Stick. The reason is that those devices are small and easy to pack. And, to my understanding, the Firestick is the easiest to use when it comes to setting up a streaming device in a hotel. The problem is that many hotels force you to agree to terms when you connect to their WiFi. With Roku devices, you have to have a computer or smart phone to complete the process. It's a little more complicated and not as easy as a Firestick, according to my understanding, but both work well. If you have a Roku device, you can use any current model. All the current Roku device...

When you decide to start streaming, you have a few ways to go when it comes to getting a streaming device. There are three main types of streaming devices: stick, box, and TV. If you have a standard TV, or a smart TV that doesn't work the way you like, you can add a stick or a box very easily, and use that as your streaming device. And that's the way many many people stream. Most people that purchase and Amazon Fire TV will pick up a Firestick. It's a stick, as the name says, and is a very popular choice for many. It fits behind the TV, plugged into an HDMI port, and you don't usually see a cord protruding from behind your TV. Roku Stick devices and Google Chromecast devices are also like this. I know the current Chromecast isn't really a stick, but for this discussion, it acts like a stick. Or sticks act like it. Either way. Another option is to get a set top box. The Roku devices such as the Express or Ultra models are this type of device. Apple TV devices ar...

If you're new to cord cutting, and you're having a hard time picking the right live streaming service, allow me to suggest that you don't let that slow you down. Why is that? Well, quite simply, it's easy to switch streaming services. Unlike cable TV or satellite service where you have a long-term contract, your live streaming service is a month to month proposition. And, they offer free trials. Some only offer three days, some offer a week, and sometimes, you'll find longer trial periods. Let me suggest that you not try multiple streaming service free trials at the same time. You may not have time to focus on more than one during the free trial period. So, I suggest you pick a service, do the free trial, and don't forget to cancel before the free trial ends. Oh, about canceling the free trial, you need to be aware that the service may stop it immediately. After all, from their standpoint, they're letting you watch for free until you make a decision. Once y...

I mentioned recently that I would be testing the TiVo Stream device. Well, I did that. And I'm a little disappointed. The TiVo Stream is an Android TV device. The interface is fine. It's not quite the same as the Google TV interface of the Chromecast with Google TV . As I mentioned earlier, I like the new Chromecast/GTV device. The interface of the TiVo Stream is definitely TiVo flavored, and that's fine. Anyone who has used a TiVo DVR will be familiar with the remote and the interface. You know you're using a TiVo. And that's a good thing.  I've used TiVo DVRs, starting in 2006 and continued until just a couple of years ago. As a DVR, it's top notch. As a streaming device, it lacks something: reliability. I took about a week to use the TiVo Stream as my primary streaming device, and it worked great -- most of the time. I had the occasional hiccup with YouTube, but that's not unheard of with any device. I had connection issues with Hulu, and that was fr...

There are a bunch of articles online that cover reviews and comparisons between different streaming services. The idea is to give the reader enough information to make a decision. Am I going to do that? Maybe. Not right now, but I might one day. So, what is this about? Well, there's actually a Web tool that I really like. I'm not sure how easy you would find it to use, but I find it very easy to use. Of course, I may have a different approach to finding live streaming services than you might. To me, if I want a live streaming service, it will depend on a few things: channel selection, device availability, and price. Everything else? To me doesn't really matter, at least not that much. And the Web tool to which I refer does what I need it to do, in a simple and easy to use manner. I don't know who's behind the company. I suppose I should look into that, but I haven't. I will say that the Web tool does a good job for me.  It's called Suppose, or Suppose.TV, an...

There are a lot of IPTV services available to stream a lot of content online. However, most of them come with some really major issues. For someone new to streaming, there can be some difficulty in determining which services to use and which services to avoid. I'll try to offer some thoughts and tips for picking which services to consider and which to avoid to help you make the most of your Streaming Life. What is IPTV? First, let's get the definition of IPTV out of the way. IPTV is the abbreviation for Internet Protocol Television. So, what does that mean? That depends on who you ask. One accepted definition is : “IPTV is defined as multimedia services such as television/video/ audio/text/graphics/data delivered over IP based networks managed to provide the required level of QoS/QoE, security, interactivity and reliability.”  Keeping it simple, it's TV over the Internet. What are IPTV Services? Again, depending on how technical you want to get -- I'm not going to do th...

I'm a fan of streaming devices. I think Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google/Android TV devices are good options for streaming. But what if you already have a smart TV? Suppose your TV already has apps. Should you get a Roku or Fire TV device? The answer to that question is easy: maybe. More and more, smart TVs include one of the above-mentioned systems as the "smarts" of the smart TV. You can find Roku TV devices. Those are TVs that include the Roku software. You can also find TVs with Fire TV or Android/Google TV built in. You turn then on, and there is the Fire TV or Android/Google TV menu. If you have one of those TV -- Roku TV, built in Fire TV, or built in Android/Google TV -- then you really don't need a streaming device attached. Unless of course you want to. More about that in a minute. If your smart TV doesn't use one of those platforms, then I'm going to suggest that you look seriously into adding one of those platforms to the TV. That doe...

Over the years, I've tried different live streaming services. I want to be up front that I don't use live streaming services year round, so if you're looking for a fanboy of those services, you're not gonna get that from me. What you will get is my honest thoughts and opinions about whatever I'm writing about. And today, that's the live streaming service YouTube TV. I've made an effort to use all the major live streaming services, at least a little of them, say a month or two each, from various services. I've tried them, not just for a free trial, but actually paying money from my wallet to these companies. One of the best is YouTube TV. Why am I calling it "one of the best" instead of simply "the best" live streaming services. Patience, young one. All will become clear. The selection of channels available from YouTube TV is top notch. If you're a sports fan, you'll get the major sports channels. You'll find the ESPN chann...

I've recently added another streaming device to my arsenal. I recently obtained a TiVo Stream device and am testing it out. It's an Android TV device, similar to the Chromecast with Google TV. The interface is more like what you would expect from TiVo than from Google TV. I got my first TiVo DVR in 2006, and upgraded a couple of times along the way. All of the TiVo devices I've owned since 2006 have all been DVRs with some streaming capability. This is the first solely streaming TiVo device I've owned. A lot of people have said some good things about TiVo stream. With Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Fire TV devices, I never bothered to try the TiVo. My most recent experience with TiVo, trying to replace a defective device for my mother's setup, soured her and me on TiVo. But, I'm going to try their streaming device anyway. It arrived this past week, and I set it up, but didn't use it so I could complete my testing of the Chromecast with Google TV device I wr...

Last week, I said I would spend time using Chromecast with Google TV. I actually wrote that a few days before you read it. I began using it, and wrote the post, but scheduled some other posts ahead of that one. So, I've actually spent a lot more time than you might think using Chromecast with Google TV. I've used exclusively for the last several days. I wasn't sure how I would like it. I knew the device was a good device, and is one of my top three devices, behind Roku and Apple TV. After using it, I now wonder if it would have been number two if I had used it as long as I have Apple TV. Chromecast with Google TV is a good device. One thing I do not like about it is the name. "Chromecast with Google TV" is way too long a name for a device. Sure, Chromecast is taken, as that's the current version of the original Chromecast that was released as a stick in 2013, and converted to the current form of a dongle (yes, I know a stick is a dongle, but this isn't a s...

One of the reasons many people cut the cord and start streaming is to save money. That was my motivation. And I have saved a lot of money by streaming. Saving money may not be the only reason you would switch to streaming, but if you can in the process, why not? Today, I'm going to look at how to calculate the amount of money you'd save if you switch to streaming. What Do You Have Today? You probably have Internet service, and you probably have cable TV. You may have a home phone, also. Why is home phone important? Well, sometimes that's part of your overall package. Comcast/Xfinity offers a package that includes Internet, cable, and phone. If you decide to cut the cord, you still need Internet, but you can easily find replacements for cable, both live streaming and on-demand, but what about phone? Do you want or need your home phone? Sure, you could keep the phone service through your Internet provider, and that may be the thing to do. Just be aware that most services...

As I've mentioned before, my go-to streaming device is Roku. It's the device of choice for most people, according to most of the reports I've seen. However, being the most popular -- at least the most used -- streaming platform comes with some baggage. The number of issues with apps is greater than most other streaming platforms, but that's expected because of the larger number of Roku devices in use. So, when problems develop, what do you do? Well, it's hard to contact Roku. It's not impossible, but it's really frustrating. Apple, Amazon, and Google each have their own problems when trying to reach someone for help. Roku has a community support Website that can offer help. I've received help from those there in the past, and have helped others with issues. Most of the time, the issue can be resolved by performing some simple steps. The software equivalent of "try turning it off and on again" is "remove the app and reinstall it." And ...

We had an issue with the Website this weekend. On Friday, I noticed I had spelled a word incorrectly. Actually, I used the wrong word altogether. It was the post about Air TV that went up Friday morning. I intended to write "no subscription required" but instead wrote "so subscription required," which is the exact opposite meaning. I noticed it Friday evening, and decided to edit the post and re-word the end of the sentence completely so I not only used the correct words, but different words to clearly indicate you did not need a subscription to Sling TV to use the Sling TV app to watch Air TV content. That is when something really weird happened. The post completely disappeared. I was using my phone to edit the post, so I figured I had hit some incorrect key or touched some incorrect part of the screen that ended up deleting the post. So, I was trying to figure out how I wanted to deal with it. Then the email came. The email to which I refer is one from Google th...

The question many people ask when they cut the cord or start streaming is "How can I still watch TV like I'm used to watching it?" The answer is, you can't. You almost can, but it won't be the same. Is the difference difficult? For some people, it is. But for most people, it's really not that difficult. How do you determine how difficult it will be? Well, how upset do you get when the cable company changes the channel numbers, or drops a channel and replaces it with something else? If you throw a hissy fit, well, you got worse problems than trying to watch TV. But I know people like that. If you're like that, be better than that. If you're not like that, I suspect you know people like that. Bless their hearts. But, let's say you're a reasonable person that can deal with the stuff that happens. You're a functional adult, or on your way to becoming one upon reaching a certain age. You'll be fine then. Have you ever moved? I mean, re...

I replaced my TiVo devices with a couple of options. I manage TV at two locations and I put Tablo TV at one and Air TV at the other. Why? Well, both are great options. You remember my recommendation that either would be a good replacement for TiVo ? They're both great. They work a lot alike, but have some small differences. Which one would I recommend? Well, I'd say check for special deals on service bundles. If you already use Sling TV, go with AirTV. If you don't, go with whichever you can get a better deal on. You'll be happy whichever way you go. I truly meant that. And I went with both. But today, I'm going to talk about Air TV. I'll deal with Tablo TV later. Hooking up an Air TV device is pretty simple. Or it seems so. There are actually several options that can impact how you do it, and I'll talk about those, and about what options I chose and why. Here's how Air TV works. You hook up an antenna to the Air TV device. You add the Air TV device to y...

I'm going to test the new Chromecast device. This is going to be difficult, I can tell. Don't misunderstand me. I've used Chromecast before. It was my go-to device for casting from a Chrome browser tab for many years before Roku added that capability. I used the old stick style Chromecast. I used the newer dongle style (yes, I know, technically a stick is a dongle, but you know what I mean). And I've used the new Chromecast with Google TV. So, no, Chromecast isn't new to me. Google has two versions available: the standard Chromecast device is $30. That's the traditional device that required you to use a mobile device as the control and launcher. The other version is Chromecast with Google TV (they really need to work on that name) which has all the functionality of the standard Chromecast, but also includes a Google TV interface. It's $50 and has a remote. It's a full featured device. It doesn't require any other device to operate.  Well, a TV, but t...

>With the dispute between Roku and YouTube TV in the news recently, live streaming services are getting more attention. Not a while lot more, because they have probably been one of the major reasons for the large increase in the number of streamers and cord-cutters over the last few years. I'm not going to focus on YouTube TV nor Roku specifically right now. There is a lot that people are saying, and I talked about that briefly the other day . Today, I want to talk about the granddaddy of live streaming, cable alternative services: Sling TV.  I subscribed to Sling TV when the service was launched in February 2015. The service was, and remains, essentially a small cable TV-type package of channels. Over the years, the number of channels offered has increased, as has the price. Still, at $35 (as of this writing) Sling TV remains one of the cheaper options for cable alternative streaming services. Sling TV offers two packages. The Orange package is the successor of the original p...

There are several services that can be considered live streaming services, and they aren't all the same. The phrase "live streaming" can mean a variety of things. If you consider live streaming to be actual live, real time, as it happens, then there aren't that many services available. But, if you consider a service that performs similar to traditional TV, then there are many. Let me offer a couple of examples of that varied difference. Services that are intended to be and act like cable replacements fall under the category of live streaming. They are, as mentioned, replacements for cable TV and act pretty much like cable TV services. They also usually have a larger cost involved, although at this writing, the prices range from less than $20/month to around $80/month, with most in the $65/month range. Some of these include Sling TV, YouTube TV, Philo, Frndly TV, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, AT&T TV, Univision Now, and more. There is also another group of live str...

As I write this, Roku and Google are in a pissing contest with each other. The result is that for now at least, YouTube TV (a Google product) isn't available on the Roku platform. Well, it is, but it isn't. If you already have the app, you can keep it and use it. Roku warns that if you remove it, you can't get it back . If you already have YouTube TV installed on your Roku device, you will continue to have access to the channel unless Google requires us to remove it. Note that you should not remove the channel if you plan to use it. New installations and reinstallations will not be possible at this time. So, what's it all about, Alfie? That depends on who you believe. If you believe Roku, Google wants changes to force certain Roku searches to limit to Google's apps. If you believe Google, they want things to remain the same and it's Roku that wants to change things. Who's lying? Neither. Or both. I don't know. I suspect it's one of those "depend...

My sisters and I lost our mother last year. This is the first Mothers Day without her. I won't spend a lot of time talking about things, but I will mention this. During the last few years of her life, she enjoyed much of the benefits of cord cutting.  She was a fan of technology up to a point. She loved her iPhone but never used it to its fullest extent. However, she used it to do things she had never done before: texting, video chats, Web surfing, and the like. She was fascinated by that, and enjoyed being able to stay in touch with family with greater ease. She enjoyed her M*A*S*H videos, her Murder She Wrote videos, and the like. I ripped out all of her DVDs, both movies and TV shows, to place on a Plex server for her to watch. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain it like I did to her. Launch this app called Plex, and there are all your movies and TV shows you can watch on any of your TVs, any time you want. She loved that. Watching her excitement a...

I've said time and again that I think anyone would do well choosing either Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Chromecast With Google TV as a streaming device of choice. My personal choice is Roku, but I am not exclusive to Roku. I have Apple TV devices connected to TVs, and I have Chromecast With Google TV on multiple TVs, but I have Roku on every TV. Why do I have multiple devices? Well, as streaming gains in popularity, more and more of the problems with mainstream TV come to streaming. As I write this, Roku and Google are having a pissing contest about YouTube TV, and probably about YouTube also. At the moment, YouTube TV isn't available on Roku, unless you already have it installed.  This is much like the arguments with cable carriers and certain stations that happens from time to time. You know the deal, "Call your cable company and tell them to keep WPXLY-TV available" kind of thing. Now it's Roku and Google sending emails asking you to bombard the other one...

Image: NBC/Universal I've spent over a decade streaming, using a variety of devices over the years. I've tried a variety of devices over that time, and I've spent a lot of money trying to get it right. I've not tried every device on the market, but I have tried the major players: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, TiVo, and others. So, what's the perfect streaming device? Well, that's not an easy question to answer. You have to consider several things.  Does the device carry the apps you want? Is the device easy to use? Is the device reliable? So, with those things in mind, what's the answer? That's easy. The perfect streaming device is ... non-existent. Oh, sure, some devices come close, but no device carries all the apps. There are some that aren't available on Roku, but are available on Apple TV, for instance. There are some that are only on Roku. Some are on Fire TV, but have a different, inferior version on another platform.  Sur...

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for TiVo. It was the first streaming device I had, even if I didn't know it. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, now that I think about it. I'm trying to recall just when I upgraded my first TiVo. It may have been after I bought the first Apple TV and Roku. It was around that time, though. And, that first TiVo may have had streaming capabilities, even if I didn't use them. Regardless, I mentioned before that using TiVo helped me make the switch to streaming. I really liked TiVo, but after I stopped using it, TiVo faded from my thoughts, even though the devices were still connected. I went without local channels often, because I didn't have cable and I didn't have an antenna. However, I eventually did put up an antenna and used it with TiVo. But, as I said, I rarely used TiVo. Still, I wanted to have the capability of watching local channels, even if I didn't watch them. When my mother had a problem getting warranty re...