by Georges Brunet, Chief Editor of the @StreamOnABudget blog.
Unless you are a mega-sports fan or cannot do without DVR for playing back archived episodes of your favorite shows, you really don't need to pay hundreds for an overloaded cable TV package. Honestly, a robust internet service (something that provides unlimited bandwidth) and just a couple of good streaming TV service are all you need, all at a budget price you can live with. Here are just two of what I use for paid streaming, and it's all under $35.00 per month.
Internet service is not included here, only paid TV plans, but there's no reason to spend any more than $75 to $100 per month for unlimited high speed internet. Of course there are cheaper internet plans out there, but any plan that doesn't offer data caps is recommended since streaming can take up an extremely large amount of bandwidth.
Oh, and another note about streaming TV: What I am about to present to you does not include anything like pro sports channels nor DVR service, cloud DVR, or anything that "records" shows for playback later. Generally, most current shows (and some classic series) are available via the On-Demand services, so you shouldn't miss any of your favorite shows. In many cases, channels also include a "Look Back" option where you can watch a program from a network archived up to three days (some times a week) from when it was scheduled. If you need to have pro-sports like NHL hockey or NFL football, there are separate premium TV addons available for those, but they won't be covered in this article.
On to the recommedations...
BELL FIBE TV STARTER $15.00/month*
*costs are approximate, standalone outside of bundle offers from Bell TV, accurate at the time of publication.
Using the Bell Fibe TV app, available on most streaming platforms except Roku, you don't get cloud DVR service and you don't need to rent any equipment from Bell TV, and get 30+ of the most popular channels as seen on cable TV and satellite TV systems nationwide. All the major Canadian broadcast channels (CTV, CBC, Global, City TV) are included, as well as all of the US broadcast channels (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox), and dozens of other "standard" networks that you would get on most basic cable TV tiers these days.
Plus, if there are any FREE PREVIEWS of any channels, they will appear in the channel guide of the Bell Fibe TV app. Click the link to find out what channels are in free preview right now: https://www.bell.ca/Whats-on/Free-previews
As of this writing, the Bell TV app is only available on devices running the Android TV / Google TV operating systems which include (but not limited to) the Google Chromecast with Google TV and Fire TV, but standalone apps like CTV, Global TV, CBC TV, etc, are all available on most major platforms including Roku. The Bell TV service is also available to watch online by logging into the Bell TV website.
As of this posting, Bell’s Fibe TV Starter package includes the following channels:
- ABC - EAST
- AMI-AUDIO
- AMI-TÉLÉ
- AMITV
- APTN
- ASSEMBLY
- CBC
- CBS
- CHCH TV
- CITYTV
- CPAC - ENGLISH
- CPAC - FRENCH
- CTV
- CTV2
- FOX
- GLOBAL
- ICI RADIO-CANADA TÉLÉ (ICI)
- ICI RDI
- MÉTÉO MÉDIA
- NBC - EAST
- OMNI.1
- OMNI.2
- ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
- PBS
- THE WEATHER NETWORK
- TV1
- TV5
- TVA
- TVA
- TVO
- UNIS
- VIDEO ON DEMAND
- VU!
- YES TV
RiverTV is the first Canadian live TV and on-demand streaming channel provider with 43 top channels (and growing) including a slate of US streaming channels, featuring thousands of hours of original programming.
The affordable RiverTV package includes a great lineup of your favourite channels and programming content from Global, CBC, CBC News Network, CHCH-TV, W Network, Showcase, Food, HGTV, Teletoon, Treehouse, HISTORY®, Adult Swim, Slice, YTV, MovieTime, Crime & Investigation, National Geographic, Silver Screen and more, plus exclusive US streaming channels including Bloomberg Quicktakes, Cheddar, Law & Crime, Newsy and REVOLT. RiverTV also features many a la carte channels and add on packages, including Hollywood Suite, Super Channel, Nick+ and lots more.
RiverTV also features 1000's of hours of 'on demand' content, for 'anytime' TV watching and enjoyment. Catch up on episodes of your favourite shows, enjoy hit movies, and binge on complete seasons of popular, 'must-see' series.
RiverTV is available on all major streaming devices Roku players, Roku TV™ models, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Edition smart TV, Apple TV, iOS (mobile and tablet), Android (mobile and tablet) and Android TV devices (including NVIDIA SHIELD and Google Play-enabled TVs like Sony, Sharp, Philips and more), as well as on the RiverTV website.
Don't forget to add the myriad of FREE TV options to your streaming mix-- Pluto TV, Plex Live TV, Tubi TV, and hundreds more-- and you can have a complete streaming TV package with thousands of free movies and TV episodes, old and new, hundreds of streaming channels of all genres, and a lifetime of entertainment that won't break the bank.
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