Streaming along

After a year without cable tv and six months without dvds, I can say with some assurance that one is able to receive by means of HD streaming (assuming adequate broadband) all the worthwhile viewing that any reasonable person could ask for.  So I offer the example of my experience to anyone weighing the merits of cord-cutting.

First off, I have to offer an unsolicited endorsement of the inexpensive Roku device for streaming video, with a simple remote (80-90% fewer buttons than a cable remote) and an efficient interface that lets you search for films or programs across all streaming channels (there are hundreds if not thousands of them).

Netflix is of course the granddaddy of streaming services, what Kleenex is to tissues.  For $11 a month (soon to go up), you get access to more movies and tv than you could ever watch, and some you might actually want to watch, certainly enough to maintain your subscription from month to month indefinitely.  Their blanket-bombing of original programming has clearly diminished their offering of recent and classic movies, but the service is still a must-have.

Amazon Prime offers a lot of films for free, and has most recent films for $4-6.  If you don’t shop through Amazon Prime ($13/mo), you’re likely to know someone who does and may share their login in a pinch.  Amazon is definitely competing with Netflix on original programming, to the detriment of broad coverage, but is worth accessing for total benefits (or if for free).

Hulu has become surprisingly essential to me, especially once I signed up for the commercial-free option ($12/mo).  They’ve definitely picked up some of the slack left by NFX and AMZ in the selection of foreign and independent films, and I’ve enjoyed their array of documentaries as well as British tv.  Their featured programming is not usually of much interest, but you will find gems if you dig around the margins.  Let’s see how their acquisition by Disney changes things.

HBO Go/Now is overpriced at $15 a month, but sometimes essential, if you’re hooked on Game of Thrones or other programs original to HBO.  Ideally you have friends or family who have not cut the cord, and can give a cable provider login for HBO Go.

PBS Passport is a decided bargain for a $60 annual donation to your local PBS station, which gives access to current programs and a huge back catalog of programs like Masterpiece, Nature, Frontline, American Masters, American Experience, Independent Lens, and POV (also a good place to sample segments of PBS Newshour, though usually not till after 10pm).

YouTube is free, and a tremendous resource when other avenues fail.  For one thing, they have PBS Newshour live at 6pm, and available for streaming thereafter.  It’s also an easy and effective place to keep up with Stephen Colbert and Samantha Bee, for example.

As a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Indians, a single-team season subscription to MLB.tv
($90) is essential for my viewing pleasure.  If live sports are one of the reasons you hold on to cable, be assured that there are streaming options for any team you follow, which allow you to watch on your own device, schedule, and tempo.

Then there’s a near-infinitude of other streaming channels that are either free or available for a free trial, either directly, or through Roku or Amazon.  You can squeeze the juice out of them during the trial period, or by paying for a month or two in rotation, as I have done for Starz for a few films and original series, and for Acorn and BritBox while delving into British comedy.

Last and far from least, I’ve just become a charter subscriber to the Criterion Channel ($11/mo), as I never got around to doing for its predecessor Filmstruck.  For me the time is right to be revisiting old favorites in foreign films and directors.  I’ve always relied on Criterion Collection dvds, and now to have a vast selection ready to hand is a welcome development, which will be reflected in the direction of this blog.

If you’ve become dependent on DVR and/or DVD for your viewing pleasure, there is a period of adjustment in switching to all-streaming, but for ease of access and cornucopia of selection, you are likely to wind up quite satisfied, while saving a significant sum by only paying for programming you actually want.  Count me as one more happy cord-cutter.