Can you really save money by streaming?

Years ago, I looked into streaming because I was fascinated by the idea of it. I didn't know about such a thing until I was visiting my son and saw that he was streaming content on a gaming device. I think it was an Xbox. Anyway, I was fascinated. So, I decided to look into it.

One thing I was not going to do was to move to streaming if it cost more to watch TV that way. The idea of paying more for the same thing didn't make sense to me. I didn't know about all the other benefits of streaming, but the deciding factor, if it came down to it, was the bottom line. Would it save me money?

So, here's how I figured out if it would save me money. And this is a good way for you to make the same determination.

What am I paying today? And what am I getting for that?

Depending on what services are available, you have to figure out what you're paying for those services today, and what you'll pay for the services if you switch to streaming. The services I had to consider were TV, Internet service, and home phone.

There could be other services to consider, depending on what your current lineup of services are. For instance, you may have a security system tied in with your setup. Or, you may not have a home phone. Or, your new ISP may offer discounted cellular service (Xfinity does this). So it may come down to:

• Internet
• TV
• Home phone
• Cell phone
• Security system

Take out any that don't apply to you, or won't be affected by a change. In my instance, home phone, cell phone, and alarm system were not in the mix. Actually, Internet wasn't either, as at the time, my ISP was not my cable provider, and wasn't immediately after the change. So, all I had to figure was TV. That was simple. You may have to figure all of these, an possibly even more. But do tally up what you pay each month for those services.

What goes up and what goes down?

Sometimes the price of one service changes if it's bundled with another service. For example, if your ISP is also your cable TV provider, you may be getting a discount for having two services. If you drop cable TV, you may lose the discount.

For example, if you're paying $150 for Internet and TV, it may break out into $100 for cable, $70 for Internet, with a $20 bundle discount. In this instance, if you dropped cable, you would subtract $100, but you'd have to add $20 because of losing the discount. That's still a savings, but not as much.

Faster Internet?

Another question you need to consider is if you need faster Internet. My default answer is "probably not."

Many people think you need really fast Internet service to stream. You don't. Now, you do need at least 25 Mbps to stream UHD/4K video, so if your speed is less than that, you may want to bump up to at least 25 Mbps. But do you need 100 Mbps? 200 Mbps? 1 Gbps? No, probably not. If you don't need it today, you won't need it tomorrow. As long as you have enough to stream UHD/4K, you have plenty of speed.

Those numbers, by the way, are for one stream. If you plan on streaming on multiple screens, then you'll want to multiply accordingly.

How do you replace cable TV?

There are a different options you have when it comes to what to replace cable TV. What service should you use to get the channels you want?

One thing to consider is an antenna. If you can put up an antenna, do so. In the long run, it's a cheap way to watch broadcast TV. That's your local network affiliates -- ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC -- plus the other channels that carry content that many households watch -- MeTV, Antenna TV, Court TV, Circle, Laff, Bounce, Grit, Ion, Cozi, True Crime, Get TV, Comet, H&I, and others -- giving you a wide selection of content.

That may be enough. Add to that some free ad-supported television (FAST) services such as Pluto TV, Xumo, Roku Channel, Tubi, and others, you may have enough TV to watch. But, if not, you have lots of options, ranging from Frndly TV at $7/month, Philo at $25/month, Sling TV starting at $35/month, YouTube TV at $65/month, Hulu+Live TV at $70/month.

On demand services such as many of the FAST services listed, plus basic Hulu at $7/month, may be all you need.

What you need depends on you. What I need depends on me. I go for less, using antenna, on-demand, and FAST services to fill my TV needs. But you may need more. So, use a service like Suppose TV to find the services that suit your watching habits.

What about other services?

Another thing to consider are the on-demand subscription services such as Netflix, Hulu (already mentioned), Disney+, Apple TV+, Discovery+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, AMC+, Starz, Peacock TV, and others.

Do you need all of these services? Maybe, but you don't need them all at once. You can subscribe for a month at a time to any or all of these. Pick one this month, a different one next month, and so on, from the ones that interest you. You get a lot of content for a lower price that way.

What does the comparison show?

Looking at what you were paying before, along with the numbers regarding what you'll pay each month. Keep in mind that if you already have any of these streaming services -- Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. -- then you don't figure them in. Or, if you do, you figure them in the current and the future. They cancel out -- you had the service before and after, so it's a wash -- meaning you can leave it out of the calculations if that makes it simpler.

After you've added up what you're paying today, and comparing it to what you'll pay going forward, is it worth it?

It may not be. You may already have the best bargain for your viewing habits. And that's fine.

Or, it may be cheaper to switch to streaming and drop cable. That way you'll save money from now on.

However you decide is the best way for you, whether it's moving from cable to a Streaming Life, or remaining with cable, doing what's best for you is always the goal.

Where have all the users gone?

NextTV had an article recently talking about the number of losses by traditional pay TV service. But, it wondered where those viewers went.

I'm inclined to say they went to streaming or over the air antenna, or both of those, but there is no data to back that up.

That's not to say data contradicts my suggestion, just that there isn't data to say one way or another.

Have people quit watching TV? I don't think so, although it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they did.

I used to watch TV when I traveled for business or pleasure. But, I haven't done that in years. Oh, I've traveled, but I rarely turn on a TV if I'm away from home. So in some respects, I'm watching less TV, though I'm streaming more.

Is this what's happening to others? I have no way of knowing, as the data isn't there.

The article by  Daniel Frankel, which was published last week, mentioned that traditional pay TV services were losing large numbers of viewers:

Three of the five largest traditional bundlers of pay TV channels in America delivered second-quarter earnings reports this week, and each revealed marked increases in the number of customers ditching linear video service. 

However, there's no evidence they're going, well, anywhere.

Essentially, Comcast's entire portfolio of app-based, beyond-footprint video experiences is going behind a wall, so we won't be able to necessarily trade a clean line between customers, say, ditching the traditional Xfinity X1 Full Monty and adopting X1-like app-based viewing via an XClass smart TV.

Indeed, there are more dark places to hide in the video business than not these days. That starts with the vast market capitalizations of the tech giants, who rarely drill down on the quarterly usage metrics of their video apps and CTV device platforms.

While revealing a net loss of nearly $2 billion in the second quarter on Thursday, Amazon didn't come close to drilling down on how many folks use Amazon Prime Video worldwide, or its connected TV platform, Amazon Fire TV.

Likewise, Apple hasn't once revealed a subscriber -- or even active user -- metric for Apple TV Plus. How many active users does the Apple TV 4K CTV ecosystem have? Outside of research company estimates, we have no clue. 

Companies aren't reporting the data needed to understand what's happening. Whether that's because they don't want to have the data spun to reflect poorly on themselves, I don't know. Remember that streaming is a new thing, and there is no long history of reporting these numbers.

Until the companies start sharing the data, we can only speculate where the viewers are going. I went to streaming, and likely you did too, or are thinking about it. My Streaming Life suits me just fine, and I suspect others feel the same way.

Chromecast features worth considering

Google introduced the Chromecast device back in 2013. It's gone through some upgrades since then, including the newest version, introduced in 2020, Chromecast with Google TV.

The original Chromecast, and its successor, the 3rd generation Chromecast, was and is a basic dongle that works in conjunction with a mobile device for streaming content. It also allows casting of a browser tab from a Chrome browser.

The Chromecast with Google TV is all that, plus had an actual user interface and remote, like a full-fledged streaming device. And not just like a full-fledged streamer; it IS a full-fledged streamer.

I like bits about the Chromecast, though Roku remains my preferred streaming device. But, I certainly understand why some prefer Chromecast, or Chromecast with Google TV.

Recently, the Chromecast Blog listed 9 things about the Chromecast that make it worth considering as the streaming device of choice. At a high level, they are:

• See who’s at your door.
• Mirror your Android screen or Chrome tab to the big screen.
• Show off your photos on a TV with Chromecast.
• Cast your meetings to the big screen.
• The control is yours with Chromecast.
• Continue casting even when you leave the room.
• Let your friends and family join in on the party with a shared queue.
• Move your media from room to room.
• Cast with Android, iOS or Chrome on PC and Mac.

On the Chromecast Blog, you can read more about why it just might be the streaming device of choice for you. If you have been thinking about Chromecast, particularly Chromecast with Google TV, you may find it's a good way to begin or improve your Streaming Life.

Deals! Deals! Deals!

I don't normally write about deals, but will if I think it's a big enough of a deal. And, there are a couple going on that might be of interest to cord cutters. But, they are short-term deals and will likely end today or tomorrow.

First, if you're looking for a streaming device, the Fire TV Cube is a great choice. And Best Buy is currently running it for half price, $59.99. And yes, that's the current device, not a refurbished or older stock item.

That's a very good deal. If you've been looking at getting a Fire TV device, there is none better than the Fire TV Cube, and half price is the best price I've seen on that device.

Another good deal is a streaming deal. Sling TV is offering 20 days free. That's for new or returning customers. 20 days free.

That's hard to beat.

Meaning if you used both these deals, you'd have a top notch streaming device, and a very good live streaming service, at the best price I've ever seen.

Like I said, I don't often post about deals, but this seems too good to be true. But it is true. And worth a look if you're wanting to start, or improve, your Streaming Life.

Picking the wrong live streaming service

If you're new to cord cutting, or thinking about cutting the cord, there are some decisions you have to make regarding what streaming services to use. However, since that decision is something with which you don't have a lot of experience, how do you know if you made the right decision?

There are two answers to this, and they both apply:

1. You won't know if you made the right decision.
   
2. It doesn't really matter.

What? It doesn't matter? Of course it matters! Except, really, it doesn't. Well, as long as  you subscribed for a month, it doesn't really matter.

You see, with streaming, if you don't get it right the first time, so what? You still get streaming content, so it's not like you spent money and can't watch TV. Rather, if you picked a live streaming service that isn't quite what you wanted, you can change it. The service is only for 30 days at a time. If during those 30 days, you decide the service isn't all that, then cancel at the end of the term -- be sure you know the renewal date and cancel ahead of time -- and subscribe to a different service.

Streaming isn't like watching cable. No long-term contracts. It's easy to switch. And you have several choices when it comes to services.

Oh, and of course I'm going to throw out my usual nonsense: Do you really need a live streaming service? Can you find what you want on a free ad-supported television (FAST) service?

Don't feel pressured to get it right first time when you pick a live streaming service. If you find you don't like the service, it's easy to change to a different service. Having a Streaming Life give you options you never had before. I enjoy mine. You should enjoy yours as well.