I was at WalMart the other day, and I saw a USB device for $10 dollars (I forgot the brand name) that will allegedly stream “100s of channels’ of TV shows. Plug it in, pay the annual fee, and you’re good to go. The fee is something like $3 or #30 dollars a year, I can’t remember.
I don’t have digital TV, and it would still be cheaper than cable, and, I don’t watch TV all that much. So, is it even going to give a halfway decent selection of channels, or is it just one of those non-working goofy things? (It was advertised a"As Seen on TV:” IIRC.)
There are plenty of reviews online. I truthfully have not looked too closely at it, but from what I can tell it’s not a scam but also not really all that great either. Apparently, the USB holds something like a directory of free video sites that you could access without the device if you knew where to look. I’d read more about it before I bought it. Then again, it’s only $10.
A Roku box would also give you access to hundreds of crap channels without a monthly fee. It’s the premium content that’s usually worth paying for (HBO and the like). It’d also let you watch Netflix, Amazon, etc. shows on your TV if you do that more often…
I have a Roku LT and it was the best $50 I ever spent. I dropped my cable and just have internet. I have yet to be at a loss for something to watch after like 2.5 years.
I’ll also recommend Roku. It has a well-designed interface and lots of content.
We dropped satellite a couple of years ago or so. We pay for Hulu Plus and Netflix (around $15/month total), and we also have streaming video available through Amazon Instant Video since we are Amazon Prime members.
We watch pretty much all of our regular programming on Hulu Plus. Netflix is good for kids stuff, documentaries, etc., and there’s plenty of decent stuff on Amazon as well. I rarely miss paying $100/mo for a bunch of channels I don’t like.
The only downside is if you are a huge sports fan and can’t live without the cable sports networks. I pretty much only watch NFL football (on local over-the-air TV) and F1/IndyCar racing (over-the-air and streaming online with NBC Sports Live Extra), so I rarely have an issue.
I’d get a Roku and a Hulu Plus account at $8/month. That will probably cover a lot of your needs.
The OP was ready to watch “television” on his computer anyway, so there’s really no need for anything other than the knowledge of where to go on the internet. Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, etc. can all be accessed directly from your computer. Even the broadcast networks are in on the action and you can often watch popular shows from their network websites. NBC.com, ABC.com, Fox.com, etc. all have streaming content.
Can you watch The Masters golf tourney in hidef on a 50" TV? Or the Stanley Cup playoffs also in hi-def? On a 50" TV screen? What about football, in hidef on a 50" TV?
This is what I’m interested in and I’d love to drop my cable if I can replace it with this. Thanks.
Ditto on the Roku love. We don’t have cable and can’t access OTA television due to geography problems. We’ve got a great, big hill blocking us from the local market’s transmitters. So we got wifi for the house and a Roku box.
Later, a friend gave me a rabbit TV stick and I use it to access channels I can’t get on the Roku. Win-win situation for me!