Frndly.TV is friendly TV

I've been a fan of Frndly.TV ever since it launched. The primary reason? Hallmark.

It's been difficult to find family friendly streaming content with which family members were already familiar. Hallmark is the, well, hallmark of family friendly programming. Sure, the programming is sappy at times, but if it says Hallmark, it's going to be family friendly.

There used to be a streaming service called Feeln that I was delighted to discover. I started watching it and was a yearly subscriber from the time Feeln launched in 2014. Actually, Feeln was a rebranding of a service with which I was not familiar: Spirit Clips. That was where you could find Hallmark content on-demand. That became Feeln, and with the rebranding push, I came aware of it, tried it, liked it, and became a yearly subscriber.

I continued to subscribe to Feeln until 2017, when it changed its name to Hallmark Movies Now. And, I continued to subscribe until Frndly.TV was launched in 2019. I liked Frndly, particularly liked that it carried current content -- there was no, or at least very little, overlap between Hallmark Movies Now and Frndly.TV -- and family members liked the live stream. I decided to stick with just one of the services, and when the Hallmark Movies Now yearly subscription expired in 2019, I let it lapse. I kept Frndly.TV.

And that's the background on how I came to be a fan of Frndly.TV. It actually had more than just the three Hallmark channels -- Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries -- and had more family friendly content. Today, at least as of this writing, it has 19 channels of live and on-demand content, with a 20th scheduled to launch soon.

The service has apps for the major streaming platforms -- Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast/Google TV, Android TV -- as well as mobile platforms. And, with plans as low as $6/month, it's a heckuva deal.

Frndly.TV is an important part of My Streaming Life.

Onn UHD Streaming Device fails the test

Recently, I tested the Onn FHD Streaming Stick. It didn't go well.

Then, I got the Onn UHD Streaming Device to test it. I have to admit, it went a lot better. But it still didn't go well.

I'll give you the ending now: okay device, but I recommend the higher priced Chromecast/Google TV for a similar platform, or a Roku Express 4K+ for a similar priced streaming device.

Let me tell you what I liked about it first.

The price. The price of under $30 is a good. And it may be worth that price. Maybe.

It's not much more than the Onn FHD Streaming Stick, but it's a much better device. So, for the money, the Onn UHD Streaming Device is much superior to the FHD Stick.

It's noticeably faster, and much more stable. As with the Stick, setting up and downloading updates was actually pretty smooth. Like the Stick, the device is an Android TV powered unit. It included the option to use an Android phone to set it up, but I don't use an Android phone. Even so, manual setup was easy enough. The only problem came when running apps for the first time. I had to configure each, signing in with my account, but that's not a major issue at all for me. That's true for almost any device. Bottom line is setup was easy, and didn't have the sluggishness of the FHD Stick.

Also, unlike with the FHD Stick, the UHD Device responded well to the apps. At least, it didn't hang up nearly as much. I was so frustrated with the FHD Stick that I cut the testing short, after I had tried the features and used it for a few days. I didn't want to keep using the Stick. The UHD Device was a much better experience. However, it wasn't up to my standards.

In the week I tested the Onn UHD Streaming Device, I had to power cycle -- unplug and plug it back in -- the Device as many times as I normally have to do a Roku in a year. That's not an exaggeration. I rarely ever have to unplug a Roku device to restart it. In the last year, either three or four times. I think three. In the past two years, maybe six times. Perhaps seven. But no more that that in a 12 or 24 month period.

I had to unplug and restart the UHD Device five times this week alone. That's over 50 times more than a Roku on average over a period of time. And that's not acceptable.

Still, I have to say it's a huge improvement over the FHD Stick. But not enough. Once testing was done, I disconnected the Onn UHD Streaming Device and reconnected the Chromecast/Google TV, which is my secondary device, behind Roku.

Oh, there's one other thing I like about the Onn devices. The remote is pretty good. I actually like it better than the remote that comes with the Chromecast/Google TV device. If the Chromecast/Google TV came with the Onn remote, it would be a much better experience. Almost enough to threaten Roku as my go-to device. Yes, I like the Onn remote that much.

Why? The layout of the remote makes more sense to me. I don't have to look as much as often to see what button I'm hitting. The Chromecast/Google TV remote team could take lessons from the Onn design team.

Oh, there is one thing, and one thing only I don't like about the Onn remote. There is no pause button. You have to press the center button, which functions as an OK button, a pause/play button, and probably something else. I prefer the separate pause/play buttons.

So, as I said, I won't recommend the Onn UHD Streaming Device, but if I found myself using one, I would be okay with it. At least, a lot more okay than with that Onn Stick. If not for the almost daily hangups of the device, I would put it in the "yeah, its a good device, go ahead and get one" category. As it is, I won't try to scare people away from it, but I won't encourage it either. My Streaming Life doesn't need an unreliable device.

A&E networks

Before I dropped cable in 2011, I didn't watch A&E all that much. I used to some years back, when they carried Biography (Peter Graves and Jack Perkins) and similar programming. But, I got away from that as they moved the shows I watched to other A&E owned networks.

It's a popular network, though, with a lot of programs that a lot of people like to watch. And, of course, it's available on all the major live streaming services.

Or it was.

Turns out that when I used the Suppose.TV online tool, it doesn't show up on Fubo TV. It used to be there, but now it's not. In fact, it's not just A&E, but their six major channels to include History and Lifetime. Lifetime Movie, FYI, and Vice were the other A&E Networks channels dropped by Fubo TV.

That was a bit of a surprise to me. Fubo TV isn't as popular as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Sling TV, but it's traditionally been a good option for those wanting a live streaming service. But now, it has an A&E Networks size gaping hole in its lineup.

If A&E is in your must-watch lists of channels, you still have plenty of other options. You can also find A&E Networks channels on other services:

• Philo $25
• Sling TV $35
• Vidgo $55
• Hulu + Live TV $65
• AT&T TV $75

So, if you are a fan of A&E, you still have options. But, unfortunately, Fubo is no longer an option. That means Fubo and YouTube TV both do not carry those channels. I'm curious as to what might be going on. It doesn't impact my Streaming Life, but it might impact yours, so it's important.

Regional Sports

Yes, this the third day in a row I've written about streaming sports. But this isn't about watching hockey or basketball playoffs, but a more general sports topic.

Part of the reason I write about sports is that sports was one of the major concerns I had when I dropped cable. My concern was valid, as I had no access to ESPN via streaming from fall 2011 through 2014. In 2015, Sling TV launched and gave me the access to ESPN.

However, even now, in 2021, it's still not easy to get all the sports one wants. Regional sports networks are a prime source for many sports fans. Many of them, formerly part of the Fox Sports network, were sold off a couple of times, and now operate at Bally Sports.

Bally is looking to increase its regional sports footprint now. According to an article int he New York Post, Sinclair, which own Bally Sports, is bidding on the seven NBC regional sports networks:

If Sinclair succeeds in buying the RSNs, it would add dozens of popular National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball teams to its already vast collection of sports broadcast rights, including the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Capitals, Golden State Warriors, and San Francisco Giants.

Is this a good thing? I think so. I hope so. At least, in the short term. Right now, Bally is having trouble getting deals done with streaming services. Only AT&T TV, one of the most expensive live streaming services, carries the regional networks. While the NBC regional sports networks are few in number, the locations are huge and have large viewing audience potential. This will give Bally (Sinclair) more bargaining power.

What if Sinclair gets too big? Well, let's worry about the behemoth that is Disney and ESPN first, okay?

Will Bally be a solution for sports fans? Yes, it already is, for many. If the deal goes through, it just means it will be a solution for even more. For sports fans, it may be a service that make their Streaming Life easier.

Watching basketball

I've posted about how to watch the NHL finals as a streamer. But, there's another set of finals going on, and they start tonight. The NBA championship series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns tips off on ABC TV this evening. And, as a streamer, how would you watch?

Well, all four to seven games will be broadcast on ABC. So, you just need access to ABC. How does a streamer get that?

Other than going to a sports bar, you have five (or six) options. Those five (or six) divide up into two categories. So let's look at the five (or six) options, starting with...

Over the Air

Do you have a TV antenna? If you do, either connected directly to your TV, or to a network-connected tuner such as Tablo or Air TV, then it's a simple matter of tuning to your local ABC affiliate and watching the game.

But that only works if you have an antenna. Suppose you don't? Well, remember I said there were two categories? The other four options fall into that other category.

Over the Internet

You'll need to find a live streaming service that carries ABC. That rules out Philo and Sling TV, since they don't carry local stations. That's one reason their price is so much cheaper than other live streaming services. So, what's left?

There are four (or five) streaming services that carry local ABC affiliates:

• Vidgo $55/month
• Hulu + Live TV $65/month
• YouTube TV $65/month
• AT&T TV $76/month

What about Fubo $65/month? After all they advertise sports as one of their big draws, right? Well, yes, Fubo is big on sports. It's probably the best live streaming service for sports fans. So, why isn't it being listed? Because you many not be in an area where it will carry ABC. But you might.

Go to this page and find your market.

If you can get ABC in your market, then you have five streaming options. If not, you have four options.

Either way, cutting the cord and ditching cable doesn't mean you can't watch sports. If you're a basketball fan, you can still include the NBA championships in your Streaming Life.