Last Updated on April 22, 2022 by Markeyus Franks
Time to get rid of our local cable cord and switch to a live TV network. Live TV network is a cable package. What’s the best part? There are not any expensive bills or hidden fees and contracts that bind you. The top cable TV alternatives have a full range of broadcast, news, entertainment and sports networks you would want to watch and let you add on premiums like Showtime or HBO.
Live TV network services are not streaming services like Amazon prime or Netflix. Instead, this TV alternatives are to watch news, sports or save episodes of your favorite reality series.
YouTube TV has proven itself to be one of the best entertainment options for its consumers. With a single payment plan, it lets you have five accounts and an infinite DVR that lets you save recordings for up to nine months with oodles of channels; YouTube TV lets you access 85+ cable and broadcast channels without installing a cable box.
Initially, the subscription was $40 a month. It then went up to $50. Consumers were not bothered with this increase as YouTube offered a pretty good deal for its worth. But now, the subscription has hiked to $65. This 30% increase calls for one to explore alternatives.
The top cable TV options each have a set of pros and cons. There are specific channels we prefer watching and recording to well rewatch. Recording is an important aspect, since with all the hustle and bustle around many of us would want to record and save shows to watch them later. Alternatives listed highlight features as well as gaps in live TV services.
But some of the services are obviously better than others with the price they are charging: They offer the most variety and savings.
Hulu Live Tv
Relatively new in the market, Hulu Live TV is proving to be an excellent alternative. It offers a wide range of channels, including locals with several add-ons like Showtime, HBO, and Cinemax.
With 65+ cable and broadcast channels and a DVR, you can subscribe for $64.99 a month. However, the hitch is that only two screens are to be accessed at a time compared to three for YouTube TV.
Option to upgrade to use unlimited screens is available for $9.99. That will cost you more what YouTube TV does. Moreover, to access the advertisement-free content on Hulu, Users will have to pay extra.
Listing some Features:
⦁ 65+ cable and broadcast channels
⦁ you can stream live local networks like CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox
⦁ cloud DVR storage capability of 50 hours and can be upgraded if needed
⦁ At the same time, you can watch on two screens, upgrade to unlimited screens is also available but for $1499 per month
⦁ You can make up to six profiles as per your preference
⦁ Inclusive of the whole streaming library of Hulu
PROs Cons
· on-demand library streaming included
· great mix of news, sports and entertainment channels, plus local
· Fifty hours of DVR cloud storage · Only 2 screens at once unless you upgrade
· Expensive add-ons
· Must upgrade DVR to fast forward through commercials
Fubo TV
Fubo, a strong competitor, and on the upside, offers more in terms of channels for the same price as YouTube TV. Its usual plan costs $6499, and comes with 250 hours of DVR space, and allows viewing on 3 screens at once
To add to that, a sports fan will for sure prefer Fubo TV. It’s one of the few online services in the market that streams sports in 4K resolution. It also offers a massive stable of add-ons for all kinds of sports, whether international, soccer, outdoors, etc.
While FuboTV gives access to more channels with a wider range at Elite $7999—its premiums showcase its downside. The add-on premium choices available are limited to AMC Premiere and Showtime.
Fubo TV’s features include:
⦁ FS1, ESPN, etc. are part of the channel lineup of fuboTV
⦁ At a single time, three screens are accessible for users
⦁ DVR cloud storage is of 250 hours
⦁ Fubo TV app available on platforms like AndroidTV, Roku, AppleTV, and FireTV by Amazon.
PROs Cons
· Wide range of sports Channels
· great mix of news, sports and entertainment channels, plus local
· you get 6 profiles per subscription · Expensive add-ons
· Turner networks removed
Philo
If you want to save money, then you should investigate Philo. At $20, you get access to 60 channels, inclusive of Discovery and Viacom channels. Philo Channels can be viewed on 3 devices at a time.
Philo also has add-on premiums, allowing the subscribers to add Starz or Epix within their plan for the additional pricing. These addons are for just 3.$/month
It has an unlimited DVR, but shows are only to be saved up to30 days. Wondering why prices are low? Because there are no sports or news channels.
Switching onto Philo means compromising on sports channels as those channels were not included under the line-up to keep the pricing low.
Features include:
⦁ live streaming channels
⦁ collection of over 40,000 on-demand titles
⦁ free cloud DVR
⦁ offers three concurrent streams
⦁ can create up to 10 profiles, with individual saved shows and viewing history
PROs Cons
· Range of entertainment channels at such a low price
· Unlimited DVR
· Three concurrent streams allowed · Limited add-on options
· No local or sports channels
Sling TV
Sling has various cable channel offers and add-on packages, several differing price points, and an a la carte cable substitute. 2 base packages are Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each run $35 monthly and includes different sets of conventional cable channels an option to merge the two packages for $50 or to add in premiums (Epix, Showtime, and Starz as group) DVR facility is also there but as an add-on for a finite period of time.
Sling is undoubtedly a pretty good option for someone who wants selected cable channels, but live Television options for broadcast and local channels are less, and in most markets, access to it would need an antenna. Sling offers a deal which includes an AirTV Player and antenna for use. Hence it proves to be affordable but doesn’t have as many features as YouTube TV. For instance, Sling’s big downside is its lack of local channels Either local aren’t available, or only the local NBC and Fox channels are offered.
Sling also has Sling Latino and other international options covering several languages.
Features are:
⦁ access to AMC, CNN, A&E, History Channel, etc.
⦁ Sling also has a la carte and the cloud DVR
⦁ Stream three devices at the same time via Sling Blue
⦁ Orange plan allows you to stream one device
⦁ Supported on MAC PCs, Windows, Android, and iOS devices, Fire TV by Amazon, Roku, Xbox One, Nexus Player, Chromecast, 4th Generation of Apple TV, etc.
⦁ Inclusive of the cloud DVR
PROs Cons
· Inexpensive-only pay for channels you watch
· Cloud DVR- 50 hours of recording time for $5/month
· cancel Sling subscription at any time without a penalty
· 7-day free trial · Limited add-on options
· Internet Reliant, which implies buffering cause of bad connection
· Eats up your broadband
· Limited local programming
At&T
For $55, At&T offers the best deal if anyone wants local networks and cable channels. The Plus package has 45+ channels, and could be viewed on 3 screens, and has a 500-hour DVR. It is available to existing subscribers but not new subscribers.
AT&T currently offers AT&T TV with 65+ channels with no annual contract and no hidden fees It starts at $6999 a month, inclusive of taxes The DVR is only 20 hours, but it can upgrade to a 500-hour DVR for $10 more Local channels aren’t available in some geographies
AT&T TV delivers 65+ live channels, 65,000+ on-demand titles, and access to 7,000+ popular apps, all on the same screen.
Features include:
⦁ watch 3 streams simultaneously
⦁ cloud-based DVR
⦁ channels like CNN, AMC, HGTV, Discovery, and more
⦁ supported on AppleTV, Android TV, Roku, FireTV by Amazon, and more
PROs Cons
· HBO and Cinemax included in Max plan
· 500 hours of cloud DVR
· Voice remote
· No cable box required · Limited options, only 45+ channels
· To get access to regional sports channels, a substantial upgrade is required
Vidgo
Vidgo an extravagant and relatively new in the space of TV streaming live service. It emphasizes watching Television as an experience. The basic package includes 65+ channels, many networks of sports, and the capability to connect and download 30 channel apps. All of this is accounted for in your subscription, hence no extra charges.
Vidgo doesn’t have a complete DVR option but playback of 24-hour. Vidgo has a comparable channel lineup to YouTube TV and fuboTV. Local options are slim; ABC channels are only available, whereas MyTV and FOX are also available in selected regions. Its distinctive feature is its Social TV which lets viewers sync and partake in multiple social viewing activities. Here, while watching remotely, they can participate in commentary with friends.
Vidgo will not bind you in a contract, and you may cancel at any time. A free trial period of up to 3 days is in place, which you may cancel within the trial period for free.
Vidgo is on iOS, Android, Roku, etc. It is a lot more expensive than either Sling or Philo at $55.
Features include:
⦁ Live TV streaming service with plans of 65+ channels starting at $40/month
⦁ No contracts — pay month-to-month
⦁ Spanish-language plans are available for $15/month and $25/month
⦁ Three simultaneous streams are allowed
⦁ Works with Fire TV by Amazon, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku
PROs Cons
· Excellent Spanish-language plans
· Great selection of family channels
· Innovative social viewing features · No regional sports network
· No DVR storage or on-demand content
Choosing the best option depends on your and perhaps your family’s viewing habits. Services of, for instance, YouTube TV offer a variety of options. One does not need to stress about getting access to local channels from one source and cable channels from another source. Eventually, what service you choose depends on what channels and network you watch.
Overall, to narrow down choices, it results down to Fubo TV and Live TV by HULU as comparable competitors to YouTube TV. These alternatives offer live TV streaming of central cable networks and a complete range of broadcast local networks.
FuboTV must be the better option for now as it offers more variety and several channels, and an even better DVR service. It has also proven to be more affordable and has the advantage of having all Hulu programming and a broad range of add-on premiums
