Please help...questions about live streaming.

[Jem]

My current cable/internet/phone company was "unable to negotiate" a new deal with Corus Entertainment which means they are dropping 33 channels/networks from their program list. Many of these channels are ones I watch regularly, and I really don't want to lose them.
One of the options I have is to change my current bundle and then separately subscribe to Amazon Prime, which gives me access to Prime Video...which THEN gives me the option to add another subscription to STACKTV, a live and on-demand streaming service specifically offering Corus Entertainment networks. Here's the thing...not all content is available for on-demand (they don't say which shows specifically)...which isn't a big deal, but I'm curious how "live streaming" works. I'm still "old school" and I like watching my shows on the night they air. So is that how "live stream" works? Would I sign into my account and watch my show at the same time that it's on regular cable? I know I sound dumb...but I just never used a service like this before...
My other option is to just change providers completely to another that does offer the programming I want, but before I make a decision I'm weighing all my options and trying to figure out what will be cheapest in the end...

Why does getting decent TV, internet and phone have to be so flipping complicated nowadays!!!! So many different bundles and add-ons and streaming platforms...

 

[kashmir64]

I don't even have cable/satellite or any other television provider. I have internet and use Solarmovies. This site is completely legal in the U.S. They have most everything I could want to watch but it's usually a day later. I do have some trouble finding Animal Planet shows or some BBC shows however.

It is my understanding that live streaming means that it's happening right now. So if you're watching a live stream, it is how you want it, as in watching it as it airs.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We have multiple streaming services but no regular cable provider. We basically just watch stuff when it is contracted to be on the services we use. I’m not sure how people keep up with shows. Maybe some streaming services are better than others for that; but it doesn’t matter to us. We saved so much getting rid of cable!

We have purchased one show via Amazon every year. Each episode is available the day after it airs on tv. I thought it was going to be cool watching it “live” from the hotel on our vacation. But man those commercials were annoying!! I really haven’t missed tv. Especially now that we got Discovery+ so I can watch home and garden type shows again.

 

[Winchester]

We've been Prime members for years and it's easier for me to go through Prime to get Paramount+ and Starz that way. I only get Starz when Outlander is showing, then immediately cancel it after. I got P+ simply because of Picard, but then, when I wanted to cancel it, Rick said to keep it for a while. So we have Hulu, Prime, Discovery+ and Paramount+. We share Disney+ with our kids. I like Netflix and subscribed to it strictly because of Lucifer. Once Lucifer was done, I cancelled Netflix. When Rick is done with P+, I'll kill that one, too.

I'd love to kill our cable, but keep the cable internet. Rick is thinking about it and I think he'll come around. We'd probably go with HuluLive as that carries our local news. He's more worried about missing out on football than anything, I think.

I no longer watch our "standard" channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc), other than ABC World News Tonight and our local news. I'm now more into the History Channel, Discovery, Travel Channel, and the Science Channel. Animal Channel carries old River Monsters shows and Rocky Mountain Vet shows. And if there's a program from those "standard" channels, I can usually find it somewhere on a streaming channel and watch it that way.

I really like D+. It has shows to keep me occupied for a while. I've pretty much run through the paranormal stuff (a guilty pleasure, I guess), but there are still a couple cooking shows: Good Eats, Barefoot Contessa, etc. From back when Food Network really was about cooking, not competition crap. D+ carries History, Discovery, Travel Channel (which should be re-named to the Paranormal Channel as it hasn't been about travel for several years now), Science, HGTV, Magnolia (although I'm not a Gaines fan at all), TLC. I think that's it. I get it for $4.99/month with ads, although am considering the no-ad route.

 

[betsygee]

Jem Not dumb questions at all! The kids keep asking us why we're still watching cable TV with commercials but we're old-school too and I don't really get how streaming even works and there are so many options, it gets overwhelming. Good luck figuring it out!

I'd love to kill our cable, but keep the cable internet. Rick is thinking about it and I think he'll come around. We'd probably go with HuluLive as that carries our local news. He's more worried about missing out on football than anything, I think.

Same here. Duke is afraid to lose some of the car shows he likes. I once changed the cable TV line up and he can't access some show he used to watch. That was about three years ago and I'm STILL hearing about it so I hesitate to change anything. Someone told us that YouTube TV is good for getting the news shows we watch but I haven't really checked into it.

 

[denice]

I don't really get how streaming even works and there are so many options, it gets overwhelming. Good luck figuring it out!

I just started streaming HBO Max. I got it because they added a lot of the Discovery channels. I am still learning how it works. I've watched a few documentaries and movies. I have watched a little of the series. I still have cable but it has gotten so expensive even without the premiums.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Many are going back to the old directional outdoor antenna for TV. All kinds of channels are free over-the-air.

 

[misty8723]

If it's local channels you're interested in, there are streaming services who offer that and most of the other channels cable has. We have DTV streaming because it was the only one that had Bally Sports for local sports team. Here is a link that compares. When I was looking, I actually made a spreadsheet comparing the services to see which ones carried the channels we watched the most.

 

[Jem]

If it's local channels you're interested in, there are streaming services who offer that and most of the other channels cable has

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately I'm in Canada and Fubo is the only one from that link we have access to.
StackTV and Crave are, so far, the only other Canadian live TV streaming services I can get...I'm going to keep looking though.

 

[misty8723]

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately I'm in Canada and Fubo is the only one from that link we have access to.
StackTV and Crave are, so far, the only other Canadian live TV streaming services I can get...I'm going to keep looking though.

Sorry, did not know those were US specific. I hope you can find something.

 

[artiemom]

I have Xfinity --- yuck... Let's face it, all cable companies are liars and money grabbers. I have cable for internet, and some cable tv. I cut my service, way back, several months ago, when I discovered the bill would be increasing by over $20 a month. Too much for television; but, by decreasing my bill, I lost a ton of channels I always watched. I cannot even get CNN or MSNBC..

I also have an Amazon Fire Stick. I have an Amazon Prime account for items, so it works out good.
As Winchester does, I use my fire stick for Paramount +, and for Netflix. I would rather pay Amazon than give the money to cable. Pluto has some issues, and freezes a lot.. but I do like it. The commercials are so annoying. I usually fall asleep watching something, so it is ok.

I picked up Pluto (Free app) on the Firestick. It has a lot of old shows... sometimes I can grab an old movie. But it is not live streaming. You can get some live streaming from Paramount +, but not local.

For Netflix, (all movies) I got the add free subscription. I do not care for an ad, when I am watching a movie. I am very happy with Netflix. They have some really good movies, and some good series.

When I switched my subscription, I removed Netflix, only to pick it up myself, rather than have that added to my cable bill.

I really do not think there is an alternative to watch live streaming programs, without cable. The only option would be going back to an antenna.

I do not have a phone through the cable company. I do not feel secure enough, if the internet goes down-- as it has periodically.. and needing a phone. I do have my cell phone, but--- I am old school. always have an old fashioned landline, in case of emergencies.

 

[denice]

I got the limited ad subscription to HBO Max because it was cheaper. The ads are nothing like on live TV. It's just one or two very short ads then back to the episode or movie. It's a long time before another ad. I just watched the episodes of 'The Curious Case of Natalia Grace' and it was just on ID so it is quick. Still don't know what happened there other than everyone behaved badly and only Natalia Grace has an excuse, she came from an orphanage in Ukraine.