Is there an alternative to YouTube?

YouTube is the big dog when it comes to hosting user created content. Some think it's the only place to do that. But it's not. There are other places where similar content resides.

Vimeo, Vevo, and Dailymotion have been around for a while. And the latest hot alternative is Odysee. That one is interesting in that it is promoted by a lot of content creators as being more free -- as in free speech -- than any other platform. And there is a lot of truth to that.

But still, YouTube reigns above all of them. And that's partially because of laziness. Each of the various services has unique content, but most users simply go to YouTube and only go anywhere else if they can't find what they want. Some -- most? -- don't even know you can go elsewhere.

Last year, NordVPN published a list of the 10 best YouTube alternatives:

1. Vimeo
2. DTube
3. Internet Archives Video Section
4. Metacafe
5. 9GAG TV
6. Dailymotion
7. Vevo
8. Twitch
9. TED
10. Crackle

The article lists information about each of the services, and is worth a read.

You may not be seeking an alternative to YouTube, but you will certainly find some interesting content on these services, as well as new kid on the block Odysee. And that means more options and more content in your Streaming Life.

Making the call to cut the cable

In 2009 and 2010, I spent time running the numbers to determine if I could save money by streaming TV rather than staying with cable. Spoiler: yes.

I went through all the numbers, and bought the equipment to set it all up, and started streaming. But the last piece of the puzzle took a little while.

Until I saw an article last week on the Tablo Blog about it, I had pretty much put it out of my mind. But after seeing the article, I began to remember that it was, at the time, a pretty big step.

One thing that can be a problem is when they then start to pressure you, sometimes being subtle, sometimes not. Tablo covered it pretty well:

Don't let your provider convince you to boost your internet package or speeds either. Unless you've got online gamers in the home or other high-bandwidth needs, 25 MBPS download/3 MPBS upload speeds and a 1TB data cap are usually enough.

I've spoken to people after they cut the cord and they then brag about how they got a good deal on faster Internet. I let them enjoy their win. The cable company really won that, but they're happy, so I let them have it.

Cutting the cord is a big step. The call, or office visit, to cut the cable TV package can be intimidating, but it shouldn't be. It should be looked at as one of the steps to ensure you have a happy Streaming Life.

Wait until they find out ESPN is available

A survey by Beta Research show that, once again, ESPN is a must have network for many cable users.

ESPN seems to always top the list of cable channels that users want. This year's survey is no different.

The Streaming Advisor suggests this is the top reason that people keep cable, and he may be right. And his suggestion that if more knew they could get the channel without cable, they might cut the cord as well.

Let's look at the details of the survey. The top channels for men and women were different, as you might expect.

Among men, the favorite basic cable channels included ESPN, History and ESPN2, Fox News, CNN, Discovery Channel, Fox Sports 1, Comedy Central and National Geographic.

Among women, the top networks were Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Hallmark Channel, ID, TLC, Lifetime and History.

All of these channels can be had via Sling TV Orange+Blue with Lifestyle Extra for $56/month. Or Sling TV Orange+Blue and Frndly.TV for $57/month, which may be a better deal overall, with the extra family friendly content.

According to July report from US News & World Report, the average household pays well over $200/month for cable.

Using data from a variety of public sources, the site found the average monthly cable package is now $217.42 per month. That’s more than the average household’s monthly cost of $205.50 for all other major utilities combined.

That's a lot of money. And a heckuva lot more than $57/month, the cost of a streaming package that includes the most wanted channels (plus a lot more channels).

When people realize how much they can save by cutting cable and streaming TV, they may make a change. If this is you, then welcome to the Streaming Life!

Should you drop cable?

Do you have cable? Or know someone who does? And do they watch it? I mean, really, do they watch cable?

There have been articles about users "quiet quitting" cable, meaning they keep cable, but rarely ever use it. And that's more common than you might realize.

With the number of streaming services that offer great content, some TV users stop watching cable, but still pay for cable.

It's difficult for me to understand that, partly because I started streaming heavily with the intention of cutting cable. I was not one that started watching more and more streaming, then realized I was still paying for cable but not watching it.

Some family members were like that, though. When I asked why the cutting of cable wasn't happening, the response was that there might be something that's just on cable, such as sports programming.

The logic there is that paying $100/month (or more, in the example I'm using) every month keeps one from having to subscribe to a $35/month service when ESPN carries a game.

Yeah, I know, that would be considered flawed logic. However, it would have meant going into unfamiliar territory, and that can be scary.

If you, or someone you know, is in that situation, it may be difficult to take that last step. But the fact remains that there's not much that you would keep cable for that you can't also get on a streaming service.

Right now, I'm subscribing to a live streaming service to get ESPN. I'm dropping it at the 30-day mark, then re-upping when a game I want to watch airs. I'll end up subscribing three times to cover the college football season. (Draw it out on a calendar and you'll see why that's the case.)

But to the topic at hand. Should you try to convince a family member to drop cable if they are not comfortable doing that? I say no. Don't pressure them.

Rather, let them see what you are comfortable with, and how you are able to watch the stuff without the high cable bill. Don't try to talk them into something. Show them what you're doing.

My Streaming Life hasn't had cable in quite some time, because I haven't needed cable in quite some time. If others see how that works, and that it works well, they'll decide to save money, but in their own time.

Pi Hole is a keeper

I've mentioned my testing of Pi Hole on my local network. Generally, people use Pi Hole to block ads on their network. That's not really what I'm after. There are URL lists that are designed to block other things. Some block NSFW content. Some block malicious Websites. Some block tracking services. And of course, some block ad services.

When I set up my Pi Hole, I started using the standard ad blocking, just to test it out. It worked well. Be aware that it won't block all ads. For example, if you're watching YouTube, and the ads are served from YouTube, then you'll still see the ads. If they are from a different service, then yeah, it will block them.

That's because of how Pi Hole works. It blocks content from certain servers. If the server is not an ad server, you'll get the content you expect. Of course, if the ad is from the main server as well, Pi Hole can't tell the difference. So no, it won't block everything. It can't.

After that initial testing, I added other lists, particularly blocking tracking services and malicious Websites. I turned off the standard ad blocker, since I'm okay with ads. But if the ad also tracks you, it will get blocked.

So, I get some ads, and some ads get blocked. The ads that are blocked are tracking ads, and that's what I want blocked. Other tracking activity is blocked as well.

After a month of testing and trying different things, I've decided that I'm keeping Pi Hole. It does what I want it to do.

There have been no issues with it interfering with my Streaming Life, so it will stay on the network, and keep doing its job.