A closer look at Frndly TV

I said recently that I would be looking at live streaming services. And it's only fair for you to know ahead of time that I don't regularly use a live streaming service. If you want to know why, read my recent post about that.

For now, I'm taking a look at one of the live streaming services that I think is a real gem: Frndly TV.

I've been a fan of Frndly TV for quite some time. And with plans starting at $7/month, it's a great deal. Well, to me it is.

Unlink YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo TV, and DirecTV Stream, there are no local channels in the Frndly TV plan. Which means if you want local channels streaming, this may not be the service for you.

Of course, if you have an antenna, or can add an antenna to your setup, then Frndly TV is one to consider.

Mostly, it's a matter of taste. What type of content to you want? If you want family friendly TV, it's hard to beat Frndly TV. Even if you want other content, using Frndly TV as an add-on rather than a primary service is still an option.

Three Hallmark channels, UP TV, MeTV,and so many others make this one of the most affordable ways to watch those channels.

While the number of available channels isn't huge, right now it's at 38 channels, the selection of a good one if you want family friendly TV.

Streaming the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open, one of the four major golf tournaments, starts today. If you're a golfer, you're probably interested. Even non-golfers follow the majors. It's quite the big deal.

If you're looking to watch the U.S. Open, you have plenty of options, including streaming options.

The U.S. Open will be broadcast by NBC, and carried by to additional networks that are owned by NBCUniversal: USA and Peacock.

So, how can you watch the 122nd United States Open Championship?

NBC

If you have an antenna, you can watch NBC for free. If not, there are streaming services that carry local NBC broadcasts.

• Sling TV (Blue) ($35/month) (11 markets only)
• Vidgo ($55/month; $67/three months)
• YouTube TV ($65/month)
• Fubo TV ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month; includes Disney Bundle, meaning ESPN+)
• DirecTV Stream ($70/month)

USA

• Sling TV (Blue) ($35/month)
• Vidgo ($60/month)
• YouTube TV ($65/month)
• Fubo TV ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month; includes Disney Bundle, meaning ESPN+)
• DirecTV Stream ($70/month)

Peacock

This standalone service is $5/month for Premium (the free tier doesn't get you all the sports). It's also free to Xfinity Internet customers.

The U.S. Open schedule is available on the Peacock Website. If the U.S. Open is something you want in your Streaming Life, you have plenty of options.

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NOTE: Sling TV carries NBC in 11 markets only:

• Chicago
• Boston
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Hartford/New Haven
• Los Angeles
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale
• New York
• Philadelphia
• San Diego
• San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
• Washington, DC

A closer look at Philo

I said recently that I would be looking at live streaming services. And it's only fair for you to know ahead of time that I don't regularly use a live streaming service. If you want to know why, read my recent post about that.

For now, I'm taking a look at one of the live streaming services that doesn't get enough love: Philo.

At $25/month, Philo isn't the cheapest live streaming service, but it's close. And it's a really good service. But Philo isn't for everybody.

As is true of the other less expensive live streaming services, Philo does not carry local channels. Philo also doesn't have many news channels, nor does it have much sports programming. If you have or can put up an antenna for live local channels, then that's no longer an issue.

News may not be an issue. Philo has BBC World News, Bloomberg, and Cheddar news. If you simply want news, there are those, plus several free news services available on the major streaming devices. ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC all have news streams available for free. There are others as well. If you want to high ratings talking heads from the cable news channels, you won't find those for free. But if you want more news than opinion, and not all the shouting, then the free services available on the major streaming devices will fill the bill, and that becomes no longer an issue with Philo.

Sports? Okay, that's a problem. Philo has Motor Trend, but that's it. You won't find ESPN or Fox Sports for free, or in a standalone package. Bally Sports hasn't launched yet, and that may not have everything you'd expect at first. So if sports is a big thing for you, Philo probably isn't the way to go.

Unless you only follow a certain sporting season. For example, if you like college football (using my personal example) then you could subscribe to Sling TV during football season, then save $10/month by switching to Philo the rest of the year.

Of course, if you don't need major sports programming, then this won't matter. Personally, I really like Philo. It has a lot for the money.

The interface is okay. It's not my favorite, but it's functional. And you can mark certain channels as favorites, which it moves to the top of the guide.

Philo is one of the cheapest ways to get Hallmark. All three channels -- Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries -- are included in the package. Plus, you get a lot more.

A closer look at Sling TV

I said recently that I would be looking at live streaming services. And it's only fair for you to know ahead of time that I don't regularly use a live streaming service. If you want to know why, read my recent post about that.

For now, I'm taking a look at one of the live streaming services: Sling TV.

When I do go to a live streaming service, I usually go with Sling TV. That's because it has what I want, when I want a live streaming service, and it has a better price than other services with my target channels.

Sling TV was the first live streaming service, and I tried it when it first launched. Kept it a couple of months, got used to it, then dropped it until football season. And each year, I've used Sling TV for football, at least part of the time. If another service runs a really good deal, I'll use that other service, but when the deal is over, it's back to Sling TV.

I actually use Sling TV free (more about that in a minute) for Air TV (more about that too), so I see the interface rather often. I'm used to it. I do recall a lot of people complained when the new interface rolled out last summer. It's fine. It's not that much different than other interfaces. They're pretty much the same. One little tweak Sling TV has is the ability to mark channels as favorites and move those to the top of the grid. Not all services do that.

Local Channels (or not)

Unlike the other major live streaming services, Sling TV doesn't have local channels. Well, in most markets, it doesn't have local channels. There's a list at the bottom of where they do have locals.

Sling TV has a feature of sorts that can make up for missing local channels, but it's kind of expensive. Well, you have to buy some equipment, then you can watch local channels. First, you need an antenna. So, if that's out of the question, then you don't need to look at any more of this section.

If you do have one, or can put one up, you can purchase an Air TV device and connect your antenna to it, then add the device to your network. Then, you'll see local channels within the Sling TV interface. And here's the thing: you don't need a Sling TV subscription to use Air TV. That's because of the next thing that's different about Sling TV.

Sling TV free

Now, know up front that you can't get the full Sling TV lineup for free. But you can get some live streaming content for free. There are 167 channels of live and on-demand content for free. If you're familiar with Pluto TV, Xumo, Roku Channel, Plex, or any of the other free live streaming services, then you have an idea. And, again, it's free, so you can add the app to your streaming device and create an account. You don't have to do a trial of Sling TV regular services. Just create an account, tell it "no" every time it asks you if you want to subscribe (usually just a login or app launch), and watch TV for free.

The other plans, called Orange and Blue, are $35/month, and similar. Or, you can get both for $50/month.

A closer look at DirecTV Stream

I said recently that I would be looking at live streaming services. And it's only fair for you to know ahead of time that I don't regularly use a live streaming service. If you want to know why, read my recent post about that.

For now, I'm taking a look at one of the biggest, most inclusive live streaming services: DirecTV Stream.

DirecTV Stream began at DirecTV Now. Then it was AT&T TV Now. Then it was AT&T TV. Now it's DirecTV Stream. Oh, and there was AT&T Watch TV, which was a separate service. And there was some overlap in the services and names of services. But, now it's simply DirecTV Now.

Even with it's confusing upbringing, it's always been a good service, and is a good service today. However, it's usually been the most expensive service as well. Today, it still holds that title, but Hulu+Live TV matches its price.

The interface looks good and is functional. I prefer the guide, but for those that like the modern interfaces, the one on DirecTV Stream works as well as any.

On the guide, you can mark channels as favorites, but they don't move to the top. Rather, you can filter by favorites. Sorting is either alphabetical or by channel number which harks back to cable. The filters by Favorites, Sports, Movies, Kids, TV Shows, and Recent work well enough. One thing you cannot do is remove a channel from the lineup, as you can with YouTube TV. Still, it works well enough.

The large price tag comes with a large number of channels.