How to Watch Live TV Online without Cable or Satellite

Cable has been the best source of Live TV Entertainment for more than decades. But that had changed over the recent years. No more there is a necessity to depend on sable with the advent of streaming services that had begun replacing the traditional cables. Since more people started to cut the cord they had not just moved onto to online services for streaming Live TV but also opted for various Streaming devices that helps to give unbiased entertainment on-the-go as well as at your home.

For Newbies, who are unfamiliar with cord cutting, there have been quite a rumors by people pointing that cord cutters are pirates, online services are costlier than cable and it won't suit you. Guess what? They are wrong. As a matter of fact, cord cutting is cheaper than cable but still, the debate continues.

Best Alternatives for Cable TV

For a while now we were looking for some of the cable tv replacements that can cut the high priced TV subscriptions for good. People should always be precise when selecting the devices they want since not every online streaming service allows you to watch Live TV.

You might think how to differentiates them? Mainly it depends on two things - Live and On-Demand Content. Some of the familiar streaming services like Netflix or Hulu are good for their Online On-Demand Movies, and TV Shows but when it comes to Live TV they don't compete at all.

For watching Live TV on a regular Cable or Satellite TV and a Streaming service differs only by the medium and almost everything remains exactly the same except it gives you the flexibility to watch it on-the-go. For Streaming services, lowering your Internet bills while cord-cutting is mandatory while there are many Internet Service Providers like AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Optimum, Spectrum etc. and different types of connections Cable, FiOS, DSL, and Satellite always check the best suitable one before you use.

Selecting a Live TV Streaming Service is done easily and it totally depends on what you want. Some of the top services are Sling TV, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV (Live Sports). So we took the liberty of classifying these services based on the pricing, availability, no of channels, and other perks that benefit the viewers.

Sling TV

Sling TV is the most affordable option and it really fulfills the life of a cord cutter. Sling TV currently has two packages with its basic pack - Sling Orange costs $20/Mo offering more than 30+ Channels and Sling Blue offers 45+ Channels is priced $25/Mo. While on combining both it offers 50+ Channels at a $5 discount of $40/Mo. Features like Cloud DVR, Additional Extras Pack, Premium Channels like HBO, Showtime are available.

Supported Devices include Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Amazon fireTV, Chromecast, Xbox One, AirTV Player, Android TV, Windows, LG, Chrome, Samsung etc.

DirecTV Now

DirecTV Now is the bling of streaming services has many Live TV channels but the price just seems a bit high. Offers 4 Packages - Live A Little ($35/Mo - 60+ Channels), Just Right ($50/Mo - 80+ Channels), Go Big ($60/Mo - 100+ Channels), Gotta Have it ($70/Mo - 120+ Channels). Popular Premium Add-ons like Cinemax, Starz is available as Stand-Alone Channels. No restrictions cancel at any time.

Supported Devices are Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Tablets, iPad, iPhone, Google Chrome, and Safari.

PlayStation Vue

Sony-Owned PlayStation expanded its streaming service PS Vue to all other platforms and devices. The Basic package "Access" starts at $39.99/Mo with 45+ Channels covering cable networks like AMC, ESPN, HGTV and the topmost pack "Ultra" covers 90+ Channels for $74.99/Mo with Core and Elite packs in between. Add-ons such as Sports Pack, Epix Hits, Español Pack, and other Standalone channels. If you are a PlayStation User then you might get a for few Add-ons and Standalone packs.

Supported Devices are PS4, PS3, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Fire HD Tablets, Chromecast, and Android TV.

Hulu Live TV

Hulu with Live TV still in Beta but gained a massive amount of subscribers. It has 50+ Live TV Networks with Unlimited Access to Hulu Streaming Library. Premium Networks, Enhanced Cloud DVR, and Unlimited Screen are customizable Add-Ons. Hulu Live TV Subscription costs $39.99/Mo. Always keep track of the local news in your area with its checking tool.

Devices Supported are iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV & Fire Stick, Apple TV (4th gen), Chromecast, Xbox One & Xbox 360, and Samsung.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV recently added 50+ Networks to its Channels List covering Top Sports and Live TV Channels priced for $40/Mo also allows the user to add additional networks like Showtime, Fox Soccer Plus, Shudder, Sundance Now. All the big networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are included. While the service is still expanding by recently adding NBA Playoffs.

Devices Supported are Android L+, iPhone iOS 9.1+, Chrome, Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, Samsung, and LG TVs.

Choosing the Best TV Antennas

Before selecting a TV Antenna there are some criteria that every cord cutter should see in an Antenna and check if it is suitable for them or not. One of the main importance of ditching high priced cable is to save a whole lot of money and it gives you the independence to choose any channels. Likewise, these antennas help to watch free-to-air channels in the same way.

Who should get these antennas? If you are willing to ditch the cable or satellite and watch Live TV for free. Even though there are quite of a lot of streaming services that offer various channels but still you like to watch Local Channels for free then you will the perfect match.

Choosing a Streaming service can get you lot of popular national channels no wonder in that but you might miss out those free Local Channels. My strong suggestion is to have them both and balance it based on your needs. In order to get these regionally available channels, you need to pick out a TV Antenna i.e best suitable to capture channels and sub-channels if present.

The HD Antennas comes in different shapes and sizes based on the requirements while the Outdoor works for long-range, Indoor covers a must shorter-range, One-Directional receives the signal from a particular direction, While OmniDirectional from all direction so there is no "One-Fit-For-All" Antenna. Whatever Antenna you get based on your purpose try to install at a higher distance from the ground level because hills, buildings, and trees can bend, deflect or weaken the digital signals as it requires no obstructions in the line-of-sight.

Few top Antenna's include Mohu Sky 60 TV that covers almost 60 Miles Range and Winegard FlatWave FL-5000 covering 35 Miles Range. Also, don't forget to check the band if it servers UHF or VHF. Antennaweb.org finds the available channels in your area based on the distance and the over-the-air stations that can be received from your location. For more in-depth specs you can use the tvfool.com signal locator.

Want to record the local channels? since these antennas don't offer any inbuilt DVR's it should be done using an external DVR that offer recording functionality. Some of the Best DVR for Cord Cutters are Channel Master, Tablo Dual OTA, and Plex.

Stand-Alone Services

If you just want to watch a specific set of Live Channels Online from any of the big networks like NBC, FOX, or ABC either you can use your Cable TV or Streaming Service Credentials to watch live. But CBS has CBS All Access Service that costs $6/Mo with limited Commercials or $10/Mo that is Commercial Free.

While there are lots of Premium Channels that are provided as add-ons in the above streaming services can also be purchased individually. Like Showtime, HBO, Starz, Cinemax, Epix etc. Currently not all the Channels have their own streaming service but that will change by 2022 with Direct-to-Customer service.

Live Sports

Sports seems to be one the top reasons for anyone to get a streaming service. I would say, many sporting organizations like NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS etc. were the early adopters of stand-alone service. If you are new to cord cutting and a big fan of Live Sports having a dedicated service sometimes be quite costly even though it seems to have its own advantages. Since the pricing is decided based on the season, the team played, Pay-Per-Views and lot more.

For Sports Fans, FuboTV has an upper hand offering a wide variety of sports based channels, if you are all-time soccer fans then fubo is a perfect option or find our detailed guide to watch sports online and decide yourself. Even all these service are bound to blackouts and other licensing terms that might restrict access in your region.

Final Verdict

Even though Cord Cutting began for lowering the cost of the regular cable bill but it shouldn't put an end to what channels we want since it happens often. In order to cut the cost, we leave out the channels or just go with only a particular service.

But that shouldn't be the case. For maximum utilization and enjoy the life of a cord cutter you should have both Streaming Service and a TV Antenna (One-time Investment). Be picky, nothing wrong with that so you can choose the channels that you need.

Share your thoughts on how this worked out for you? We are open to suggestions drop them in the comments below. Subscribe to our Newsletter and Follow TechNadu on Facebook to get instant updates.