Fire TV free channels

More and more streaming platforms have discovered that many would rather watch free content than pay for it. That sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, it's not. You see, it's not quite as simple as that. Nothing ever is.

TANSTAAFL: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

If something is free, there's a reason. Sometimes, it's because there are advertisements. Sometimes it's because they want your data, which they'll then sell or use to target advertising. Nothing is really free, it seems.

So back to where I started. More and more streaming platforms have discovered that many would rather watch free content than pay for it. And they've discovered that they can sell advertising within the free content, and if it's not too much or too intrusive, people will stay with it. People get free content and they get advertising dollars. Win-win.

Well, that's the idea, anyway. And it seems to work a lot. In fact, a recent news release from Amazon Fire TV touts their revamp of their free offerings:

... Fire TV customers can enjoy content from the NHL, Xbox, and TMZ, as well as an entirely new Travel category. Built for anyone seeking their next big adventure, the Travel category on Fire TV Channels offers guides and other resources on trending destinations. Content providers include: Tastemade Travel, Rick Steves' Europe, Travel Hacks (Pack Hacker), and coming soon, Condé Nast Traveler.

Fire TV Channels brings together premium free content that spans diverse customer interests from a growing list of household names like ABC News, CBS Sports HQ, FOX Sports, Major League Baseball, NBC News Now, Martha Stewart, and America’s Test Kitchen.

This means more free (ad-supported) content. Sure, some people would rather pay than watch ads, but there are a lot of people that want it for free, and will sit through the ads.

My Streaming Life is made up in part of many free ad-supported television (FAST) services. Amazon's expansion of theirs is a good thing.

Picking a streaming service

There are multiple of different ways to pick streaming services. My way isn't the way most people do it, because there is some work involved, and many people would rather pay more and work less. And if the money saved by the extra work isn't worth it to them, then my way isn't for them.

First, let's clarify what I'm talking about. I'm referring to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Starz, AMC+, and the like. I'm not talking about the cable-like services such as YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, and so forth.

I'm talking about the (mostly) on-demand services, not the (mostly) live/linear services.

So, what I do is pick one, subscribe to it for a month, then at the end of the 30-day subscription cancel the service. During the 30 days of the subscription, I'll binge the service. At the beginning of the next month, I pick a different one and focus on that one. The next month, a different one. And so on and so forth. Over time, I watch them all, but only pay for one a month.

Most people don't do it that way. They subscribe to a service, or to a few services, and just keep them. And that's a perfectly legitimate way of doing it. My way lets me (over time) watch everything from all the services (or all the services I want) without the expense of all the services every month. Rotating around spread the cost out, but delays when I watch some stuff. To me that's worth the extra work and the extra wait.

That might not be worth it to you. You should do it however it works best for you.

Regardless of which way you do it, how do you pick which service or services to use? Well, recently, a question along that line was posed to TV Answer Man, and they gave seven questions you should ask yourself when making the decision. They are reasonable questions, and put together should help you make a good decision. They include:

1. What content do I want to watch? Different video streaming services offer varying types of content. Some specialize in movies, while others focus on TV shows or documentaries. Determine the kind of content you’re interested in and research which streaming services offer it.

2. How much does it cost? Video streaming services come in different price ranges, from free to premium. Determine your budget and compare the subscription fees of the services you’re interested in. Also, consider the cost of any additional features you may want, such as ad-free viewing or access to live sports events.

There are seven in all, and the article is worth a read.

My Streaming Life may be a little more complicated in how I subscribe to services, but I still have to ask those questions from time to time, just to ensure my picklist of services is what I want. Even if you simply subscribe and keep, rather than rotate, you should ask those questions from time to time.

Buying a streaming device: TV, box, or stick

Generally, I don't suggest buying a TV based on its built in streaming platform. What I mean is that while I'm a fan of Roku, I don't generally suggest buying a Roku TV.

I also think the Fire TV interface is good, but I don't generally suggest buying a TV with built in Fire TV interface.

Same for Google TV. There are TVs with built in Google TV, which is a good interface, but I don't generally suggest buying a TV because it has Google TV interface.

You see, over the years, the updates and new requirements for certain apps and services have crippled the built in streaming platform. For example, I used a family member's Roku TV for a period of time, and found it eventually became a frustrating experience because the device became outdated. I resolved it by adding a Roku Stick to the Roku TV. I simply ignored the Roku interface that was built in, and used the one in the Stick.

That showed me that platforms built in to TVs may not be up to speed over time. And that's a problem. The TV may be good -- the image and sound -- but the interface may be bad.

Also, my main TV is a Google TV device, but I prefer Roku, and run Roku on my TV.

Now, having said that, I did buy a Roku TV recently. Three reason for that: 1) I was curious about the new Roku built TVs;  2) I wanted a second TV in a second bedroom; and 3) it was on sale.

Those three factors all worked together and I bought a TV based on the interface, which is something I don't generally do. Had any one of those factors not come into play, I would not have purchased that TV. But all three led me to think that the Roku TV was the way to go.

However, unless there are multiple reasons for purchasing a TV based on the platform -- I had three -- then I don't generally consider the platform. I'm not yet convinced my Roku TV will work as it should for as long as it should, and I may end up adding a streaming device to update it in a few years.

Just to be clear, don't avoid buying a TV because of its platform, and generally don't based the decision solely on its platform.

If you want or need a new streaming device, and your current TV works just fine, don't replace the TV. Buy a Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, or Apple TV device to add to your TV and use the device instead.

My Streaming Life hasn't depended on the platform of a TV. I've always had the freedom to use whatever platform I want, regardless of the one built in to the TV.

Over half of USA may cut at least one streaming service this year

A recent study shows that over half of streamers in the USA are considering cutting a streaming service as a way to save money. I am not in that group.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not sitting on a pile of money, not needing to save pennies here and there. I do want to save money, and I do. But I won't be cutting off a streaming service to do it.

No, streaming isn't that important to me. Rather, I don't have the problem because I don't subscribe to a bunch of services.

Yesterday, I wrote (again) about how I will rotate streaming services. This month, I'll subscribe to one service, and the next month, I'll drop that one and subscribe to a different one. And still a different one the following month.

HBO Max this month, for example. Disney+ next month. Paramount+ the following month. Peacock one month. And so on.

Coincidentally, a Cord Cutters News published an article highlighting a recent study that said that 56% of US streamers are looking to save money by cutting at least one streaming service:

A new survey shows how many people are considering cutting streaming platforms and which might be the best to keep.

According to the Benzinga and Dig Insights Economic Sentiment tracker, 56% of U.S. consumers said they are considering canceling subscriptions to save money.

The poll was conducted in March 2023 and showed a jump from the 51% of U.S. consumers who answered yes to the same question in November 2022.

This doesn't surprise me. In the last three years, prices have gone up at a tremendous rate. More people are having to cut back on things as a result. And cutting a streaming service is a way many are considering.

Which is yet another opportunity for me to promote the rotation method of streaming. Cancel all your services except one. Watch that one this month. Binge shows if you like. Watch that one service. If you run out of stuff you want to watch, fill in with free ad-supported television (FAST) services.

At the end of the month, cancel that service, and on the first of the next month, subscribe to a different one. Every month, do that. Over time, you've watched everything you.

My Streaming Life has been that way for a while. It works well for me. Let me again suggest that it may work for you as well.

Saving money with streaming services

There are a lot of options when it comes to streaming services. There are a lot of streaming services. Some are free ad-supported television (FAST) services, but some have subscription fees. Everyone is familiar with Netflix of course, but there are many others, and you probably know about all of the major ones:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• Prime Video
• Disney+
• HBO Max
• Apple TV+
• Paramount+
• Peacock
• Starz
• AMC+

There are more of course. These run from $5/month to $20/month.

Then there are services that are pretty much are replacements for cable. Those include:

• Frndly TV
• Philo
• Sling TV
• Vidgo
• DirecTV Stream
• Fubo
• Hulu+Live TV
• YouTube TV

They run from $7/month to over $70/month, depending on what services they include.

You may have noticed that cable companies and their lackeys in the media have promoted the idea that streaming is more expensive than cable. They point to the cost of all these streaming services. And if you turn your brain off, you might fall for their propaganda.

There are a few things wrong with their argument. First of all, you probably don't need a live streaming service. You may be used to a service that offers a bunch of channels that offer continuous programming. You know, cable.

But when I started streaming, there were no live streaming services, so I learned real quick that I didn't need live streaming. I didn't need programming that was simply a replica of cable.

Now, sure, you may want to replicate cable. I'm just saying that you have the option to no do that. It's a different way of thinking to make that change, but it's how I like it.

Even if you do want a cable replacement, look at the lower priced ones. They may have everything you want or need. After all, $7 is a lot cheaper than $73.

Then when you figure in the cost of the on-demand services, such as Netflix, Hulu, and the like, you can spend a lot of money.

For me, I use those more than the live streaming services. And I subscribe to them all. Only, I don't subscribe to them all at the same time. I'll subscribe to one this month, another the next month, and so on. Each month I'll binge the service and watch everything I want to watch. At the end of the month, I cancel, then at the start of the next month, I'll subscribe to a different one. I watch everything I want over time, and save a lot of money doing it.

My Streaming Life has a lot of content. It doesn't have a large cost. Life is good.

Finally, a Roku TV

For years, I've had a Roku device. But I've never had a Roku TV.

There weren't any such thing when I started streaming in 2010, and my Roku was a set top box that worked really well with my existing TV.

I did try a Roku stick when they were introduced. If you wonder what that has to do with a Roku TV, you may remember (or just now be finding out) that the first Roku Sticks were MHL devices, not standard HDMI devices, and were initially sold as part of a "Roku Ready TV." I never had one of those, but when they came out with an HDMI version, I bought one.

I own a Roku Streambar, which is a third form factor Roku device. But in all this time I never owned a Roku TV.

I've used Roku TV devices. My sister had one at my mothers, and when my mother passed away, I had to handle a lot of things on site for a while and actually stayed there for a period of time. I used the Roku TV then, hated it, and attached a Roku Stick to it, making the fact it was a Roku TV no longer a factor. I used the attached Roku device, and just the screen and sound from the TV, not the Roku software and interface of the TV.

The reason is that the TV was very slow and sluggish. Well, at least compared to the higher end Roku devices I had attached to my TVs. I didn't like the infrared remote that came with the TV -- it was the infrared, line of sight part that I didn't like -- so I was going to get a Voice Remote anyway, so I just got a Stick for a few dollars more, since it included the Voice Remote anyway.

So while I never owned a Roku TV, I have used Roku TV, but wasn't impressed.

That could change. The owning part has actually changed.

I decided to add a third TV to the mix, putting TVs in the living room (existing) and two bedrooms (a TV was already in one bedroom). And, when I decided to make the purchase, the new Roku built TVs were on sale at Best Buy. So, I bought one.

I've installed it and used it a little. And I like it, so far. I'm going to try it for a bit and see if I continue to like it, or if my opinion will change.

My Streaming Life has never included a Roku TV of my own. Until now. I'll let you know how it goes.

Why Netflix won't sell its DVD business to Redbox

You may have heard that Netflix is shutting down its DVD business. That's kind of a big deal.

Netflix started as a DVD business, and did that for several years before they started a streaming line. Now, it's primarily a streaming business and DVDs are an afterthought.

With the recent news about Netflix getting out of the DVD business, some may have wondered by they don't sell the business to Redbox.

So, why don't they sell the business to Redbox?

TV Answer Man Phillip Swann was asked that very question recently, and explained it very well:

Why wouldn’t Netflix sell? Money is money, right? The unit is closing anyway so why not get a few more dollars from the old girl?

My guess is that Netflix believes that a Redbox sale would help boost the DVD business at a time when Netflix wants to keep the world focused exclusively on streaming. That is Netflix’s priority now. While the sale would bring in some money, the relatively small amount that Redbox would pay for less than two million subscribers is not worth it to Netflix. Putting another nail in the DVD category is more important.

That makes sense. Netflix must figure that what they'll make on streaming is more than what they'd get from selling the DVD business.

My Streaming Life hasn't included DVD rentals for a very long time. I've ripped DVDs I own and added them to my local video library, but actual DVDs from rental? Nope. I won't miss Netflix DVDs, not really. But I hate that those that use the service won't easily transfer to another service like Redbox.

Frndly TV viewership increases

For a while, I've been a fan of Frndly TV. It's a good selection of family friendly TV at a low cost. In fact, it is the only year-round live TV streaming service I use.

Now I know that I mention that I don't use a live TV streaming service, but the fact is I have subscribe to Frndly TV for years. I don't use the expensive ones that get most of the major cable channels because I don't care for the content that's available. If I did have one of those services, the content I would watch would be the same content you get on Frndly TV, or a close approximation.

I've thought of Frndly TV as a well kept secret and never understood why more people didn't subscribe. Well, more people are subscribing.

A report this week says that the viewership for April (so far) is up 90% over last April. It has nearly doubled in a year:

Here is a quick breakdown of what Frndly TV announced about its 1st quarter 2023 numbers:

• Total viewership on Frndly TV increased 82%
• Viewership per subscriber increased 50% per week
• Weekly active users increased 30%
• Impressions increased 90%
• Ad sales revenue increased 78%

"These numbers show the continuing appeal of Frndly TV to both our subscribers and advertisers," said Steve Sklar, Frndly TV Head of Advertising Sales. "We are demonstrating to the marketplace that quality, feel-good programming at a very accessible price is a model of success."

Frndly TV did not disclose subscriber numbers at this time.

For $7/month, you get a lot of content, including the three Hallmark channels, as well as a lot of other family friendly programming. I actually use the $9/month plan that includes HD (1080), DVR, and two streams.

My Streaming Life includes Frndly TV, and you may want to consider it for yours.

YouTube TV upgrades

There are many that cut the cord that turn around and subscribe to a live streaming service such as Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, or others. That's not something I did, or do.

The reason I didn't is that when I cut the cord, they didn't exist. I cut the cord in January 2011, and the first live streaming service didn't launch until 2015. After over four years, I found that I didn't need to pay for such a service. And, more importantly, I didn't want to.

I mention this so you'll have a better perspective on what I'm writing. When upgrades or changes happen to these live streaming services, they don't usually impact me. I don't get as excited about these things as others, because quite honestly, it doesn't really matter to me.

However, I realize that many who cut the cord are simply transferring their bills from one company to another. I cut the cord to save money, not to simply pay someone else the money.

Sure, many people are paying less money for a live streaming service than they paid for cable or satellite, but I'm paying even less, because I found that I don't need such a service. At least, I don't need it year round.

I read an article recently about upgrades to YouTube TV. It's mostly about picture quality, but that is a big deal. Getting a better picture for the same money is a good thing. Only, it's not for the same money, since it's for an extra $8/month:

The biggest one though is listed as "Picture Quality Experiments" and this could make the extra $8 a month actually worth it.

The first of these picture quality experiments is a transcoding upgrade that will improve the bitrate for live HD content — aka content in 1080p. Practically, this should reduce visible compression and pixelation and create a noticeably better picture. According to YouTube TV, this bitrate improvement will be targeted at "devices that support the VP9 codec with high-speed internet connections" and is temporary for now but could become permanent this summer.

The article also mentions Multiview, that rolled out for March Madness to allow subscribers to watch multiple games at the same time.

Improvements to YouTube TV are going to be very helpful to subscribers. My Streaming Life doesn't involve YouTube TV -- not at the moment, anyway -- but if yours does, this may be a welcome upgrade and option.

PBS coming to Local Now

I've been a supporter of PBS for years. No, I don't like everything they air, but I do appreciate what they do, and feel it's worthwhile to support. And I do.

I first became a PBS supporter, giving back in the 1970s. It was a result of one of those fundraisers that everyone hates, but are necessary because, well, quite honestly, they work. It worked on me, and I'm a tough nut to crack.

Anyway, I am a PBS supporter, and use the PBS app. As a supporter, I can access the Passport content.

I was happy when I saw an article recently that PBS was coming to Local Now:

Not all markets are live yet on the Local Now app, but PBS stations are starting to go live. If your market is not let yet by the end of 2023, you should find your local PBS on Local Now.

"The addition of local PBS stations is a major achievement for Local Now and cements our position as the leader of free-streaming local news and entertainment in America," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, the parent company of Local Now told Deadline. "Viewers of all ages know and love PBS, and soon they will be able to stream this amazing content for free, anytime."

I checked this morning, and it's not yet available for me. I'm assuming being in southeast Georgia, I'm not high on their priority list. It's like that for a lot of things. Many of the networks don't think about us, or like us. Well, me anyway.

Still, the news that PBS is coming is a thing I was happy to see. My Streaming Life is getting better.