See Old version with information about Hulu, Netflix, etc last updated 2014.
and 2017 review


Terms: TV used to be something you got thru an antenna on your roof. Then we got cable with the same channels which gradually expanded.

High speed internet opened up new options:

  • Internet TV (IPTV) - Refers to content received over the internet instead of broadcase, satelite, etc. regardless of how it is delivered.
  • Streaming TV - Programs created by a wide variety of companies and individuals for broadcast on Internet TV.
Source: Wikipedia

Display Devices that enable smart TV: Smart TV - A TV with an operating system loaded into firmware which allows app pre-installed or downloaded to display content from the internet G


See Popular TV channels in entertainment

2021

Sources of Free programs:
Local Broadcast TV - Locast.org
Featured Channels | Roku Channel Store | Roku
Streaming TV Matrix | Kill the Cable Bill.com
Online TV Channels: How to Watch TV Online without Cable | Kill the Cable Bill.com Free TV and Movies | Dave McRitchie How to watch and live stream 2021 AFC Championship game on Roku, Apple TV and other connected devices - CBSSports.com

2018 (2021 Consumer Reports)

Streaming Media Devices
Device costs CR Connect-
ivity
CN ____HDR____ Services
4K Streaming
NVIDIA Shield TV Pro $200 82
Amazon Fire TV Cube $120 70 3 8.0 Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Redbox Instant, M-Go, HBO Go, HBO Now, Showtime, AMC, UFC, Hallmark Movies Now, Boomerang, Dailyburn, Stingray Qello, Netflix, Sling TV, Tidal, NBC Sports, nick, Discovery Go, TUBI, MUTV, Popcorn Flix, CNBC, philo, SHUDDER, IFC, Daily Motion, Outside TV
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K $40 69 8.0 Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Redbox Instant, M-Go, HBO Go, HBO Now, Showtime, AMC, UFC, Hallmark Movies Now, Boomerang, Dailyburn, Stingray Qello, Netflix, Sling TV, Tidal, NBC Sports, nick, Discovery Go, TUBI, MUTV, Popcorn Flix, CNBC, philo, SHUDDER, IFC, Daily Motion, Outside TV
Roku Ultra $70 68 4 Dolby Atmos, HDR10 Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Hulu, HBO Go, Google Play Movie and TV, HBO Now, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, Starz, Movies Anywhere, CBS All Access, Disney Movies Anywhere, MLB.TV, NHL, NBA, WWE Network, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL, MLS, UFC.TV, Tennis Channel Everywhere, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW, Spectrum, Fandango NOW
GoogleChromecast Ultra $50 67 3 Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, HBO Go, Google Play Movie and TV, HBO Now, Showtime, CBS, Disney Movies Anywhere, NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB.com At Bat, MLS, UFC.TV & UFC Fight Pass, NBA 2015-16, Sling TV, Watch ESPN, Fox Sports Go, WWE Network
AppleTV 4K (32GB) $180 66 3 8.7-4.5 HDR10 &
Dolby Vision
Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, HBO Go, HBO Now, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, Starz, CBS, Movies Anywhere, WWE Network, MLB.com, MLS, UFC, NBA, NHL, NFL, NFL Sunday Ticket, Tennis Channel Everywhere, iTunes, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW
AppleTV 4K (64GB) $200 66 3 8.7 HDR10 &
Dolby Vision
Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, HBO Go, HBO Now, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, Starz, CBS, Movies Anywhere, WWE Network, MLB.com, MLS, UFC, NBA, NHL, NFL, NFL Sunday Ticket, Tennis Channel Everywhere, iTunes, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW
Roku Streaming Stick + $55 57 3 9.2 Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Hulu, HBO Go, Google Play Movie and TV, HBO Now, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, Starz, Movies Anywhere, CBS All Access, Disney Movies Anywhere, MLB.TV, NHL, NBA, WWE Network, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL, MLS, UFC.TV, Tennis Channel Everywhere, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW, Spectrum, Fandango NOW
Amazon Fire TV
with 4K Ultra HD
and Alexa Voice Remote
$50 69 2 8.3-4 Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, HBO Go, HBO Now, MLB.TV Premium, NFL, NBA, NFL Sunday Ticket, MLS, WWE Network, UFC, Showtime, Sling Television, Gamefly Streaming, Movies anywhere, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV NOW, Starz, CBS All Access
Roku Express (2017) $30 65 8.2
HD Streaming
CR - Consumer Reports Score
Connectivity Score - (1-5) - Number of channels

CN - Best Media Streamers for 2018 | Cnet

Note: Most new TVs have the features of these devices (Playing from content providers - Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO GO, ESPN, YouTube, SlingPlayer, ...) built in.

Terms:

HDR - High Dynamic Range - UltraHD Premium - HDR 10 - Provides a higher level of contrast between light and dark images on the screen to create a much more realistic image. - 1,000-2,000 nits - Standard dynamic range is 300 to 500 nits
Supported by - LG, Hisense, Panasonic, Philips, Roku TV, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba
It started rolling out with 4K TVs.
Smart phones Galaxy S9, LG G7 ThinQ, iPhone X, Galaxy Note 9 have HDR.
Read more at HDR TVexplained | TrustedReviews

Dolby Vision - Sometimes referred to as Dolby Vision HDR - Supported by LG, Roku TV, Sony, Vizio

All HDR-compatible TVs can play HDR10 content, which is the baseline HDR format. Some can also play Dolby Vision titles.

HLG—short for "hybrid log gamma"—and HDR10+. Newer (2018) HDR formats.
used by satellite companies such as DirecTV.

Dolby Atmos - Improved sound for a 7.1 sound system on BLu-ray Disc and premium online services

nits - candelas per square meter (cd/m2)

Candella - The international standard of luminous intensity, defined as the luminous intensity of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 x 1012 hertz and that has a radiant intensity of 1/683 watt/steradian. Abbr.: cd

HDTV - High definion TV - 1080p. (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) -

4K TV - 2160p (4,096 x 2,160 pixels)
You have to sit pretty close 5 ft for a 68" TV to get the real benefit.
However most 4K TVs come with other benefits like HDR.

UHD - Ultra HD - (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) 4K HDR and 8K HDR

Links:
Smart TVs in Products
Streaming Media Device Ratings | Consumer Reports
Best Media Streamers for 2018 | Cnet
The Best Video Streaming Services of 2018 | PC Mag
Apple TV Vs. Roku Vs. Amazon Fire Stick Vs. Chromecast: Which Streaming Device Is Right For You? | Forbes
Battle of the streaming sticks: Chromecast vs. Roku vs. Fire TV Stick
Where to Watch 4K Content With HDR | Consumer Reports 2018
Free TV and Movies | David McRitchie


2017

Contents: Costs | Football | Articles | Links Costs
Optimum TV after my introductory offer expired was $40/mo.

CBS All Access Payment Information - CBS.com $6 w/ commercials $10 w/o commercials


NFL RedZone mobile app - verizon  $1.99/mo.

Amazon Prime - Thursday Night Games - 
CBS All Access $5.99/mo

Hulu with Live TV $39.99/mo
  50+ channels Includes Cloud DVR
  
PlayStation Vue $39.99/mo
Sling TV 
  Orange package has ESPN 1 and 2                 $20
  Blue Package FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, and NBCSN live $25
  Both                                            $40
 CBS Not available
Google's YouTube TV  $35/mo
NFL Game Pass (delayed access) $75/yr


DIRECTV NOW (AT&T) - 77 channels
Special 3 mos for $10 Promo code YESNOW3
A&E, ABC, AMC, Animal Planet, AT&T Hello Lab, Audience, AXS TV, Baby First, BabyFirst, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, Bloomberg, Bravo, C-Span, C-Span 2, Cartoon Network, CBS, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, DC, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, Food Network, FOX, FOX Business, FOX News Channel, Freeform, FS1 FOX Sports, Fullscreen, FX, FXX , Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies, HGTV, History Channel, HLN, ID (Investigation Discovery), Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, National Geographic, NBC, NBC Sports, Nick, Nick Jr., OAN (One America News), Paramont, Reelz, RFD-TV, Syfy, Taylor Swift NOW, TBS, TCM, Teennick, Telemundo, TLC, TNT, True TV, TV Land, TVone, Univision, USA Network, Velocity, VH1, Viceland, WE TV, Weathernation

What devices and browsers can be used with DIRECTV NOW? – DIRECTV NOW Help Center
DIRECTV NOW $35/mo. (may increase after 13 mos.
Online Streaming TV: 6 Streaming Packages That Will Let You Cut the Cord For Good | Money 6/15
The Best Video Streaming Services of 2017 | PCMag.com 7/17Costs over the Internet:
CBS How to Watch Football (NFL) without Cable TV
The cheapest cord-cutter option is to get an over-the-air antenna (OTA). Your local CBS and Fox TV channels still carry a lot of the games.
Network coverage changes from year to year:
2017-18
Sunday - FOX, CBS
Sun Night - NBC
Monday - ESPN, ESPN2
  DirectTV Now $35/mo
  SlingTV $20/mo
  NFL Game Pass (delayed) $99/season   PlayStation Vue $40/mo
  If you’re located within either of the two weekly teams’ local broadcast area, you have the option to watch the game as it airs on your local station for free.

Thursday night - CBS, NFLN, Amazon

See TV antennas in products.

Articles:
Streaming media netflix hulu huluplus BLu-ray comparison - Google Search
10 Living Room Streaming Options Compared 2012 - Streaming Media Magazine
Google Chromecast Review & Rating | PCMag.com 2014
"How to Ditch Your Cable Provider Without Giving Up on TV" - Popular Mechanics, May, 2009
What You Need to Know When Buying a Web-Connected TV | Product Reviews | Wired.com November 23, 2010
"Is it time to cut the cord on cable TV?" USA TODAY 1/3/2011
Searching for the Future of Television MIT Technology review Jan/Feb 2011

Bandwidth:

Best Streaming Media Player and Service Buying Guide - Consumer Reports 2016
You’ll Need a Speed of at Least 5Mbps This is what you'll want for a high-def stream, and that's only adequate if you are streaming to one device at a time. Most homes will need 10Mbps or more, and the FCC recently updated its definition of broadband to 25Mbps.
You'll need at least 15 to 25Mbps, to stream 4K UHD.

Bandwidth Calculator: How Much Internet Speed Do I Need? | BroadBandNow

Internet Connection Speed Recommendations | Netflix
5.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for HD quality
25 Megabits per second - Recommended for Ultra HD quality

High Speed Internet Service Provider Deals | Optimum Online
20 MBs 2-4 devices (e.g. computer, HD TV, regular TV, phone)
100 MBs 5-8 devices

What is the bandwidth requirement to stream a 1080p HD movie off a remote server? - Quora
  Broadcast and digital-cable HDTV (called ATSC) can send this at about 16 megabits per second. If you watch an NBC prime-time broadcast, this is basically what you're getting. ATSC uses an older format called MPEG-2.
  A Blu-ray will often use a more efficient format called MPEG-4 part 10, or H.264. This is more computationally demanding but about twice as efficient, meaning you can generally get the same quality with half the bitrate. In practice a Blu-ray film will be at around 25-35 megabits/sec (because why not use the space if you have it?), but if throughput is at a premium, H.264 can go down into single digits of megabits/sec. What is the bandwidth requirement to stream a 1080p HD movie off a remote server? - Quora


Bandwidth:
See Bandwidth in Networks
Links:
Smart TVs in Products
See reviews above
Roku
Best Streaming Media Player and Service Buying Guide - Consumer Reports
How to Cut the Cord and Get Rid of Cable TV
How to watch the NFL on the internet in 2017 | ZDNet
TV antennas
Video Sources
Digital Media Peer-to_Peer (P2P)
Streaming Media - Online Video News, Trends, and Analysis
Blu-Ray Disk Players
Dual band Wireless-N routers.
See: Wireless Networking bandwidth - configuration
Internet-tv at TVnewsRadio.com
Why the Future of Online Video Is in Serious Trouble [OP-ED]
"Is it time to cut the cord on cable TV?" USA TODAY 1/3/2011
HD Media Player Battlemodo: Apple TV Killers
roku - Gizmodo (11/17/10)
Video Box Battle Royale: Who Should Be Your TV's New Best Friend (9/28/10)
What the hell is going on with TV? - Fortune Tech
Sources for TV Over the Internet | eHow.com
The Top 5 Video Streaming Websites 2012
How To Watch TV Shows Online: Top 10 TV Streaming Sites 2012 - All My Faves 2012
Streaming Wars: Apple TV vs Google, Boxee, Roku, XBox360, PS3 at methodshop 2012
Archive: New on streaming
Tv on the Web - USA TODAY
Links:
Daves Roku Notes
Return to Services

last updated 14 Sep 2018