Streaming-how to decide which to purchase?

[pinklemonadegurl]

My cable bill was outrageous and we sometimes watch TV, but not daily. Teens are phone-attached and I rarely commit to series. So, I went to an Xfinity Flex and have added Hulu,( and Peacock is provided). I already have Netflix. My only guilty pleasure at times is the Real Housewives. I don't want to add channels that don't provide me with anything fresh/new, and I don't want to waste $. Seems some streaming services provide previous seasons, but not current seasons.

It all seems like a jumble when I research Sling, Peacock Premium, etc. I don't want to 'repeat' channels on various streaming services. I must be thick headed.

Any suggestions?

 

[kenny]

It is getting mind-numbingly complicated and ridiculous.
I don't pay any attention to all the choices of service.
I just watch whatever service my husband picks.

I say, let's go back to having only 3 channels on broadcast TV ... ABC, CBS, and NBC.

 

[victoriangurl96]

We alternate streaming services. We've had Hulu, Netflix, Peacock Premium, HBO something-or-other, and about a dozen others. We usually pay for two at a time, create "watch" lists or "my stuff" lists, and when we've seen the shows and movies we like we cancel the service and subscribe to a different service. We pay for the 'no commercials" option. If one of us is really interested in watching a particular tv show we check the IMDb website to see which service has it and order that one. Or sometimes we'll just do a free trial and binge watch it. This way our monthly streaming costs are under $30. No cable bill.

There's always some overlap. For example, "Frasier" is on both paid streaming services we currently have. On the other hand, some old classic shows are only on free channels (with commercials) like Pluto.

I agree with @kenny though. I'd love to go back to the 1970's and just have broadcast tv with ABC, CBS, and NBC (plus PBS). It was simpler, cheaper (free), and everyone looked forward to and watched the same shows. Even the commercials were better.

 

[LilAlex]

^ There is great free off-air HDTV including all the major networks -- all you need is the right antenna in a metro area. (Of course, there is nothing on those stations anymore.) Unlike cable, off-air HDTV has no compression artifact so it is the sharpest picture you will ever see. We get a few dozen channels and have never (ever) paid for cable. You can go to antennaweb (Google it for the link) and it will tell you (IIRC) which direction all the towers are from your location, etc.

We have cycled through a bunch of streaming services (via Roku, typically) and mostly access Netflix and Amazon. We have tried Hulu, HBO, Disney+ for long enough to watch whatever old content there we cared about. Our latest is The Great Courses. Free, but you gotta pay for the content.

 

[kenny]

^ There is great free off-air HDTV including all the major networks -- all you need is the right antenna in a metro area. (Of course, there is nothing on those stations anymore.) Unlike cable, off-air HDTV has no compression artifact so it is the sharpest picture you will ever see. We get a few dozen channels and have never (ever) paid for cable. You can go to antennaweb (Google it for the link) and it will tell you (IIRC) which direction all the towers are from your location, etc.

We have cycled through a bunch of streaming services (via Roku, typically) and mostly access Netflix and Amazon. We have tried Hulu, HBO, Disney+ for long enough to watch whatever old content there we cared about. Our latest is The Great Courses. Free, but you gotta pay for the content.

Cool!
I had no idea anyone still broadcasted a TV signal over the air.

 

[victoriangurl96]

Cool!
I had no idea anyone still broadcasted a TV signal over the air.

Yup... https://www.youtube.com/c/AntennaMan

 

[LilAlex]

Off-air network HDTV was a bit of a hassle 20 years ago (or whenever it started) because you needed an external digital tuner. But for all "modern" TVs -- all flat-screens -- there is a digital tuner built in so all you need is a cheap-o external set-top indoor antenna. We have a half-dozen of them on our various TVs and they were ubiquitous online but I can not find a good photo of them anywhere. I see "indoor digital TV antennas" now for $10 - $200 but they should not be > $20.

The ones we have have a small footprint and all look like this (minus the dramatic black background):

 

[pinklemonadegurl]

Off-air network HDTV was a bit of a hassle 20 years ago (or whenever it started) because you needed an external digital tuner. But for all "modern" TVs -- all flat-screens -- there is a digital tuner built in so all you need is a cheap-o external set-top indoor antenna. We have a half-dozen of them on our various TVs and they were ubiquitous online but I can not find a good photo of them anywhere. I see "indoor digital TV antennas" now for $10 - $200 but they should not be > $20.

The ones we have have a small footprint and all look like this (minus the dramatic black background):

Wow. Thanks for the info. I had no idea antennas still existed( or worked)

 

[GreenPapaya]

Do you have tmobile? It'll pay for most of your netflix and a year each of Paramount plus and Apple TV. Then our citibank account pays for Amazon prime and Hulu (which i hate and never use because we have the commercials one). And of course, hubby has to pay for sling and peacock because he follows the premier league, French, Italian, German, South American leagues and various soccer championships that are scattered all over various streaming memberships. Ugh. If it was up to me it'll be F you to every one of them and just read free library books for entertainment. Lol

 

[victoriangurl96]

Do you have tmobile? It'll pay for most of your netflix and a year each of Paramount plus and Apple TV. Then our citibank account pays for Amazon prime and Hulu (which i hate and never use because we have the commercials one). And of course, hubby has to pay for sling and peacock because he follows the premier league, French, Italian, German, South American leagues and various soccer championships that are scattered all over various streaming memberships. Ugh. If it was up to me it'll be F you to every one of them and just read free library books for entertainment. Lol

Most U.S. libraries also have a zillion free DVDs to borrow including tons of full tv series - American and British. In my area a lot of libraries have done away with late fees. And of course there are interlibrary loans. Request online, they're shipped to your local library, and during Covid they might bring them out to your car for you.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I didn't really enjoy Amazon prime - we probably get a watered down version here

We get a deal on netflex with the internet bill

we had to get a roof tv antennae here when we moved in to watch regular (digital) free to air tv which really surprised us as we didn't need one in Wellington

we even had to pay to get someone to come out to work it out for us (our big telly was like only 6 months old the time)

But its because we used to live in line of site of the big powerful antennae on top of Mt Kaukau or so the installer guy said (we could indeed see it out the kitchen window) and here the local antenna was a much weaker one

Back before the tv signal went digital we didn't even need rabbit ears