Memorial Day 2021

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

Sports streaming: The Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600

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 is $55, and Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Fubo are each $65, while AT&T TV is $75/month.

Ten years ago, there was one option: antenna. Okay, there was go to a sports bar, which you still have today. But today, you have a lot more options in your Streaming Life.

Cord cutters, you are not alone

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 employees, but I don't like the limitations of cable, both technical and otherwise. I'm not giving up my Streaming Life.

Traveling and streaming

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 devices support this functionality. Firestick has supported this longer, and most people like it better.

If you're a Chromecast user, if the hotel uses a Web page agreement setup, you can't connect. Same with Apple TV. You're pretty much limited to Firestick or Roku for connecting to hotel WiFi.

Which do I use? Neither. When I go on vacation, I don't carry a streaming device with me. It's not what I want to do on vacation. I want to focus on where I am, who I'm with, and what we're doing. None of that means a streaming device.

Of course, it may be the perfect thing for you when you are traveling. Vacation and traveling aren't the same thing. Some travel for work, or short trips for personal that really isn't a vacation. I get that. But, I'm fortunate enough that I haven't been in that situation. Or unfortunate enough. Either way, since the situation doesn't apply to me, I've not made a priority of doing it, so I haven't done it.

But, I do know that if I was a Roku or Amazon Firestick user, I'd be comfortable taking one. If I was all-in on a different device, I'd want to pick up a Firestick or Roku for travel.

Sure, there are travel routers and such that make this easier, but the easiest thing for Firestick or Roku users is to simply pack a device and take it with you.

Don't forget the remote. You will need the remote. If you use a smartphone app to control your device, you'll still need the remote. Trust me on this. Or don't and find out the hard way. You can't use the smartphone app until you're connected to the network. And you can't connect to the network without a remote.

If you want to stream while traveling, there are only a couple of good options, but those that use them are happy with them. Whatever your preference, do what you need to make your Streaming Life an easy one.

Stick, Box, or TV?

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 are too. And, Amazon makes set top boxes, though most think of the Firestick when thinking Amazon.

My first streaming device was a Roku XDS, and I've always had a Roku set top box operating since then, even though I've also purchased and used -- still use, in fact -- a Roku stick device.

The upside of a set top box is that they are usually more powerful than sticks, often much more powerful. However, many modern sticks are powerful devices, so there's often not an advantage along that line in using a set top box over a stick.

The final way we're talking about today is a new TV. It's hard to find a TV that has no apps at all. Most have a small selection, unless they are a Fire TV set or a Roku TV device. You can find Android TV or Google TV devices too.

If that's the kind of TV you already have, you probably don't need to get a new TV. Maybe you do, but probably not. If you decide to forego the smart TV interface and add a streaming device, replacing the entire TV may be the way to go.

So, which is the best way to go when it comes to getting your first streaming device. The answer is simple: it doesn't matter, Get whatever you want. It'll work.

If you need a new TV anyway, a Roku TV or a Fire TV device will get you a good quality device and have all the smarts of the platform, Roku, Amazon, or Android/Google.

No matter which way you go, you'll be set to enjoy your Streaming Life.