What if you have a smart TV already?

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 doesn't mean you should use, say, a Roku device on your TV. If the proprietary smart TV interface included with your TV does everything you want it to do, then no, you don't need to get a Roku or Fire TV to attach.

On the other hand, I don't know the last time I bought a TV that wasn't a smart TV. 20 years ago? Longer? Something like that. On the last non-smart TV I had, I put a Roku and Apple TV device. That was in 2010. The last few TVs I bought all had built-in smarts. I tried them, but didn't really like them.

You see, I had used Roku and Apple TV, so I knew just how good a streaming device could be. I had experience with a faster, more robust system, and the built-in system didn't come close. If I had not had Roku or Apple TV experience, I may have been satisfied, but since I was familiar, I wasn't going to put up with it, so I kept using Roku, Apple TV, etc., bypassing the build-in systems.

Depending on personal preference, and the abilities of the family members, you may want to consider buying a device even with one of the top tiers platforms on your TV. If your family members prefer, or if you prefer, something like Amazon Fire TV above all else, and if your TV has Google TV built in, then sure, go ahead and add a Fire TV device to it. Or if you really like Apple TV, put that on your TV, even if it's a good quality Roku TV.

Essentially, do whatever makes your Streaming Life run better.

YouTube TV

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 channels in the lineup, as well as the Fox sports channels. There are NBC sports channels, MLB Network, NFL Network, NBA TV, and more.

Oh, by the way, don't confuse "Fox sports channels" with "Fox Sports channels." You see the difference? One means channels of sports from Fox, the other refers to channels that no longer exist that were sold by Fox to others, and are now Bally Sports channels. And Bally sports channels are not part of YouTube TV.

How can I say that YouTube TV has the major sports channels if they don't carry Bally? Well, those are regional channels, while the ones YouTube TV carries are national. That's the difference. But it's an important difference. You'll only find Bally sports on AT&T TV service, at least, at this writing. So, if that's a requirement, then YouTube TV isn't for you.

For a lot of people, YouTube TV would be a great choice for a live streaming service. My question as always is do you really need a live streaming service? If your answer is "yes" then keep reading. YouTube TV might be for you.

For news junkies, there are the major channels from NBC, Fox News, CNN, BBC, ABC, plus some regional news.

The lineup of entertainment channels is large, but not everything is included:

• AMC
• Animal Planet
• BET
• BET Her
• Bravo
• Cartoon Network
• CMT
• Comedy Central
• Comet TV
• Cozi
• Dabl
• Discovery Channel
• Disney Channel
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• E!
• Food Network
• Freeform
• FX
• FXM
• FXX
• GPB
• HGTV
• ID
• IFC
• MotorTrend
• MTV
• MTV Classic
• MTV2
• Nat Geo
• Nat Geo Wild
• NewsNation
• Nick Jr.
• Nick@Nite
• Nickelodeon
• Nicktoons
• OWN
• Oxygen
• Paramount
• Pop
• QVC
• Smithsonian Channel
• Start TV
• SundanceTV
• SYFY
• Tastemade
• TBS
• TeenNick
• TLC
• TNT
• Travel Channel
• truTV
• Turner Classic Movies
• TV Land
• Universal Kids
• Universo
• USA
• VH1
• VOD ONLY
• WE tv

Note that A&E Network channels aren't there: A&E, History, Lifetime, and the other channels from that family of networks. That's a notable omission, but the list that YouTube TV carries is pretty darn good.

What about local channels? YouTube TV does well in most areas. I'm in the Savannah, Georgia TV market and I get the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS (GPB here), and Telemundo. While that's good, it doesn't compare to what's available over the air via antenna, if you are close enough to a TV tower.

Missing from YouTube TV, but available on antenna in my area are local stations that carry programming from Bounce, CW, multiple PBS stations, multiple Court TV channels, Laff, Circle, Grit, Ion, MeTV, Antenna TV, Comet, TBD, Cozi, and Quest. You may get more via antenna. 

If you have an antenna and can pick up several stations, you may not need to have the local channels from YouTube TV.

What about DVR? Well, YouTube TV has one of the best insofar as the amount of content you can store. It's unlimited storage, but not unlimited time to store. Content rolls off after nine months.

What about device compatibility? YouTube TV runs on most of the major devices. Right now, there's a spat between Google and Roku, so if you don't already have YouTube TV installed, you can't download it to your Roku. It's also available on Apple TV, Fire TV, and of course Chromecast with Google TV, as well as the major gaming systems such as Xbox One and PlayStation.

If you need a live streaming service, and if you need local channels, YouTube TV is a great choice. If you can get live stations from an antenna, you may want to look into other, cheaper services such as Philo if you don't need news or sports, or either Sling TV or Vidgo if you want news and sports.

Even if you don't need local channels, you may find the YouTube TV interface much easier to use. It's really good, and better than most. You may find that YouTube TV helps make your Streaming Life so much simpler.

Testing TiVo Stream

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 wrote about recently. And now it's TiVo Stream's turn.

I'm going to spend the next several days using it exclusively. Well, that's the plan anyway. Of course, Robert Burns wrote "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men Gang aft agley" ("The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”). Or John Lennon's "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Either, or both, could apply.

Let's see how this goes.

Using Chromecast with Google TV

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 stick). That device, which uses a mobile device as a remote to launch and control apps, still exists, now in its third generation (released in 2018). The Chromecast with Google TV, released in 2020, adds an interface and remote to the package, making it a complete, full fledged, stand-alone streaming device. It's just that the name is too long.

The name doesn't impact how it works, though. I mean, it does describe it, sure. It's a Chromecast, and it has Google TV built in. How does it work? Actually, it works great. The interface is different from Apple TV's and Roku's, but there are similarities too.

Setup

I didn't set the Chromecast with Google TV up again. I had done it when I got it, and it was easy. The on-screen prompts make it a breeze to set up. The only people that would have trouble setting one up are those that can't remember their Google password. 

Responsiveness

The most important thing to me with a streaming device is when you press a button, does it do what you want it to do, and is quick about it. I've used devices that have a noticeable lag between button press and action. This isn't one of those. Chromecast with Google TV responds like I want a device to respond.

App Selection

Having access to the Google Play store means that Chromecast with Google TV has a huge library of apps. But not all. I looked at 35 major cable alternative apps and other major popular apps. Most work with Chromecast with Google TV, including:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• YouTube TV
• Sling TV
• Philo
• Fubo TV
• Vidgo
• Frndly TV
• Prime Video
• Apple TV
• Disney+
• Discovery+
• Paramount+
• Peacock TV
• YouTube
• HBO Max
• ESPN
• Bally Sports
• Acorn TV
• BET+
• Crackle
• Fandango Now
• IMDB TV
• Locast
• Movies Anywhere
• Plex
• Pluto TV
• Tablo
• Tubi
• Vudu
• Xumo

Not all those I checked work with Chromecast with Google TV, however, including:

• AT&T TV
• Britbox
• Stirr
• The Roku Channel

Still, a pretty good representation. By the way, Roku has all but one, YouTube TV, and that's because of a contract dispute that's underway as I write this.

True, this is not a full representation of everything. I didn't even look at apps that work with cable systems, but rather focused on apps that don't require cable. I focused on the cord cutting end of things.

Interface

If the device isn't responsive, it's not one I'll use. If the device doesn't have the apps I want, it's not one I'll use. Chromecast passes both of those tests. But there's one other test: the interface. If the device is difficult to use, I won't use it.

Unlike Roku, Google TV doesn't limit the home screen to a listing of your apps. Your top apps are there, but not all of them. You can drill down to them in a few clicks of the remote, but they aren't all available form the home screen.

On the home screen are recommendations. Apple TV and Fire TV do this also, so if you have used those devices, you'll be familiar with that. Apple TV makes all your apps available on the home screen though. However, Google TV is not like Amazon, which rearranges your apps for you. With Google TV, you control which 12 apps show on the home screen, and the order of the apps, both on the home screen and on the apps screen.

Oh, and while I'm calling it the home screen, Google TV calls the screen "For You." It includes recommendations from your apps.

There's a selection of five highlighted items at the top. Of the different one it game me (5 at a time) I would only click on one or two of the five. Mostly stuff I didn't want, but still there was stuff I did.

There's a Top Picks line that includes movies from your apps or your Google Play library. 

There's a line of Your Apps, which contains, you guessed it, your apps. Well, 12 of them. Plus a link to the rest.

The home screen includes a line of popular movies and TV shows, plus many lines of movies and shows from various genre and categories.

Since it's Google TV, it promotes YouTube, which is owned by Google. There are YouTube video recommendations.

There are several rows of these, in all sorts of categories, and the suggestions are okay. Some are spot on, others miss the mark entirely. Overall, though, the selections aren't too bad. I'm hard to shop for.

Conclusion

It didn't take long to get used to the different (not all that different) remote. The interface isn't difficult to navigate. While I prefer a list of apps, I can see why some would like the recommendations. I usually go to the apps, and though I have a few dozen apps, I only use a handfull regularly. I like that Google TV doesn't rearrange your apps, unlike Amazon's Fire TV.

The device is a good little device. Check that. It's a great little device. It hasn't replaced Roku as my device of choice, but I can see why others would make it their device of choice.

It's a great way to take control of, and enjoy, your Streaming Life.

Calculating your savings

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 give discounts if you bundle packages. If you have a three-service package, you probably have a larger discount than a two-service package. Changing your plan may mean the discount isn't as great. You need to watch for that.

So, write down the services (two or three) that you have today, and the total bill, with all fees and taxes included. That's what you're paying for those two (or three) services.

Splitting The Service

Dropping a combo service means you need to replace multiple services.

Internet

To stream, you'll need Internet service. If you have only one Internet Service Provider (ISP) available, then it's easy, though far from ideal. If you have more than one ISP from which to choose, shop around for a service that will meet your needs.

How fast does your Internet service need to be? If you are a gamer, or have one in the household, get really fast service. If you don't have a gamer in the house, then 25 mbps service will do the job. Get the price for the service you need or want, and write that down.

Phone

Next, if you need a home phone, you need to find a replacement service. If your ISP was your provider, check the price on keeping the service. That would probably be simplest, but not necessarily cheapest.

Look into other services, such as Ooma, Vonage, or others, and get the pricing there. Don't forget to calculate fees and taxes, as almost every service will have those. Write that down.

TV

Finally, the really hard part. You need to determine what services you need. If you already have some services, ignore them, as their cost is the same regardless of any changes you make. Perhaps your existing streaming services are enough. If so, that's awesome. You've saved a lot of money, because this part is $0.

However, if you do want to get a new service, or group of services, figure out those and add up the cost of them all. Write that down.

Compare

If have figured all the services you'll need, and written down the totals, all that remains is to add them up. Compare that number to what you're paying today.

Are you saving money? If not, you may want to re-think a few things. Do you really need the services, including phone or all the streaming services you've selected? If so, then consider if streaming is really for you. It's not for everybody.

If you are saving money, though, you now have an idea of how much you'll save as you enter this phase of your Streaming Lefe.