CUTTING THE CORD:

DITCHING CABLE TO SAVE MONEY

DISCLAIMER

• The information contained in this presentation is the speaker’s personal knowledge and experience. It does not reflect the beliefs, opinions, or views of the Glenwood-Lynwood Public Library District.

• The speaker does not work for or receive compensation or gifts from any company, organization, media outlet or product presented tonight.

• The choices are enormous. We are not going to cover everything, but we will discuss major trends and numerous options.

TIME TO CUT THE CORD…

• Cost?

• Fee Disputes?

• Monthly Equipment &

Channel Fees? Ie,

Cable Boxes, HD

channels, Movie

Channels?

• Service Blackouts?

• Poor Cable/Satellite

Customer Service?

STREAMING GROWTH

eMarketer found the number of 'cord-cutters' who have cancelled pay TV service will climb 32.8 percent this year to 33 million.

OUTLINE

• What kind of television viewer are you?

• What is streaming?

• How to stream on your TV

• basic information on:

• Streaming devices

• Media Streaming Services

TELEVISION VIEWING

CHANGES

PASSIVEvs

ACTIVE

PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE

• Passive

• In the past, television came to you.

• You had very little control.

• Had to sit down at a specific day/time

• VCRs and DVRs helped jump start the change

• Passive viewer asks: “How many channels do I get?”

PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE

• Active

• You choose what/when/where you want to watch.

• VCRs/DVD players started this movement.

• DVRs added an additional layer of active.

• Netflix/Amazon Prime/Hulu, Network websites/apps -streaming added the final layer.

• No/limited commercials. (issue with cord cutters)

• Less time wasted channel surfing.

• Most of us are some combination of Active/Passive.

• Active viewer asks: “What programs do I get?” (not channels)

PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE

• Passive

• Antenna (1st TVs -present)

• Cable/Satellite subscription (1970’s – present)(on-demand/DVR makes this combo)

• Sling TV Playstation Vue YouTube (Google)DirectTV Hulu

• Active

• VCR/DVD/DVR

• Internet

• Cable on demand

• Smart TV or box

• Roku/Apple TV, etc.

• Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, etc.

• Sports packages

• Watching media on multiple devices - phone, tablet, desktop, laptop, television

TIME TO LET GO OF PASSIVE?

Are you ready?

Is it time?

Want a mix of both passive and active?

Want to keep everything the same?

Tonight you’ll be given some information to help you make that decision.

Tonight we’re going to focus

on television in your home.

I will mention accessing media through apps on

phones and tablets where applicable

WHAT IS STREAMING?

WHAT IS STREAMING?

• Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. Its verb form, "to stream", refers to the process of delivering media in this manner; the term refers to the delivery method of the medium rather than the medium itself.

• A client media player can begin playing the data (such as a movie) before the entire file has been transmitted. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies specifically to telecommunications networks, as most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g., radio, television) or inherently nonstreaming (e.g., books, video cassettes, audio CDs).

MUST HAVE: INTERNET

CONNECTIONNone of this happens without an Internet connection in your home.

Internet Speed for Optimal Streaming

Broadband/high speed Internet connection (DSL or

Cable) with a download speed of at least 800kbps

(higher download speeds are required for higher bitrate

content). You can check your speed here:

www.speedtest.net.

INTERNET SPEED?• 4-6 mbps: Often fast enough to

stream a 720p high-definition

video but can still be sluggish

during peak use, ie, evenings &

weekends.

• 6-10 mbps: Generally quick

enough to stream a HD 1080p.

• 10-30 mbps: Better if you have

another tv and a couple other

WiFi enabled devices.

• 30-50 mbps: Ideal if you’re

running a lot of apps at once.

• 50+: Super user who wants

uninterrupted streaming and

access to all WiFi enabled

devices.

HOW TO STREAM ON YOUR TV

wired

wired or

wireless

Internet TV

1 2

3

HOW TO STREAM ON YOUR TV

TV needs to be connected (Wi-Fi (wireless) or wired ) to the Internet

• Smart TV w/ apps – Wi-Fi (wireless) or wired

• any digital TV with streaming device(box or stick) (Roku, AppleTV, Xbox, etc.) – Wi-Fi or wired

• any digital (not analog) TV with laptop or tablet – physically connected to the Internet (LOW RES) – Wi-Fi or wired

• Many people are using their portable devices (tablets, phones) only and have stopped buying televisions. Any streaming service has an app for Android and Apple tablets and phones.

STREAMING DEVICES (ONE-TIME PURCHASE)

•Smart TV (apps built in)

•TV (digital – smart or not) + Box or Stick• Amazon Fire TV (popular with Amazon customers – box or

stick)

• Apple TV (popular with Apple customers)

• Blu-ray player

• Game Consoles - Wii, PlayStation, Xbox (popular with gamers)

• Google Chromecast (no remote – have to use phone/tablet – 3 disk models)

• Roku (largest share - 50% of the market, box or stick – 6 models from analog to HD/4K)

Digital Trends 2018

MEDIA STREAMERS 2018

• Best Media Streaming Devices

NEXT…

Once you’ve figured out physical product,

your Streaming Device (Smart TV or TV w/device) will need at least one

Streaming Service

MEDIA STREAMING SERVICES (MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS)

• Amazon Prime (Amazon Video) - $12.99/month just streaming or shell out $119 for the whole year & pay $8.99 per month for Prime Video Membership. Prime Video Membership streaming plus pay-per-view and digital to own, content subscriber add-on’s (Starz, Acorn, Showtime, etc.) plus 20 more features. Original Content.

• Hulu - $8 or $12/month (limited or no commercials). Hulu With Live TV is $40/month. The leader in current television content plus adding more film than any other provider. Cable replacement option for $55/month. Original Content

• Netflix - $8 (Basic, no HD, 1 TV)/$11 (HD with 2 screens at once/$14 month (HD with 4 screens at once). Adding less film content, but still have the largest catalog. Original Content

LET’S TALK MONEY

My current monthly cost:

• $98.90 - Internet only (100 MBps through Comcast (including all taxes & fees

• $10.99 - Netflix streaming (HD/2 devices at a time)

• $11.99 – Hulu Commercial Free

________________________________________________

• $ 121.88

MEDIA STREAMING DEVICES

Any questions about devices?

• Smart TV

• TV + streaming media device

• Amazon Fire TV - $40-$75; also TVs

• Apple TV - $180-$200 add’l storage

• Chromecast (Google) - $35-$70; also audio

• Roku - $30-$100; also TVs

• others

MEDIA STREAMING SERVICES• THE NETWORKS & CABLE CHANNELS

• CBS All Access - $6 or $10/month.• ABC/NBC available through cable replacement services

(Sling TV, PlayStation Vue). ABC/NBC free apps offer limited on-demand content.

• HBO Now - $15/month.

• NFL Network – FREE with Amazon Prime Video or $55/month with the Just Right Package.

• PBS/PBS Kids – free, limited on-demand. Passport $60/yr, Amazon Masterpiece $6/month.

• Showtime - $11/month ($9 w/ Amazon or Hulu).

• Starz - $9/month.

• News Stations CNN, Fox, MSNBC through cable replacement subscription.• Free: CBSN Live (US) and SkyTV (UK)

How to Watch Live TV Online

Guide to Streaming Video Services (Consumer Reports)

#1 QUESTION: CABLE REPLACEMENT

SERVICES

How do I get live (broadcast)television without cable or satellite?

Lots of choices today…

BROADCAST OPTIONS

Keep basic cable

26

channels

Antenna1

2

3: Cost Ranges: $20 to $55 per month

Streaming

Cable Replacement

Service

BEST HD ANTENNAS• Mohu Releaf - Best antenna overall, 30

Mile range• Cost: $35

• ClearStream Eclipse - Best flat antenna, 35 to 70 Mile ranges• Cost: $35

• Mohu Curve Amplified - Best amplified (reception) antenna, 50 Mile range• Cost: $70

BEST HD ANTENNAS

• Leaf Metro - Best tiny antenna, 25 Mile Range

• Cost: $18

• Clearstream 2Max HDTV Antenna - Best indoor/outdoor antenna, 60 Mile range

• Cost: $78

• Winegard Elite 7550 - Best outdoor antenna, 70 Mile range

• Cost: $135

Source: Digital Trends 2018

LIVE SPORTS

From Cord Cutters News:

• “Sports is still one of the main reasons people pay for cable TV. The desire to have access to live events is something many are willing to pay a lot for.

• The good news is watching sports as a cord cutter is easier than ever.”

The Ultimate Cord Cutting Guide for Sports Fans

LIVE SPORTS

• HD Antenna, FREE for CBS, NBC & Fox Sports• You can even watch big events like the World

Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and the Olympics.

• ESPN through cable replacement• MLB.tv Premium Service $113/season

or a Single Team for $88/year.• NFL Game Pass $55/season - Just

Right Package• NHL - All Access $139.96/yr;

$24.99/mo• Single Team Package - $111.96/yr

LIVE TV – CABLE REPLACMENT

• HD Antenna

• Hulu Live TV

• DIRECTVNOW

• fuboTV

• Philo

• PlayStation Vue

• Sling TV

• YouTube TV

THANK YOU

• Questions?

• Brian VagtLibrary DirectorGlenwood-Lynwood Public Library District19901 Stony Island AvenueLynwood, IL 60411http://www.glpld.org708-758-0090