Sharen is wondering if it’s time to cut the cable and satellite cord. She writes:
“In an effort to pay less for everything, I’m thinking about cutting the cord on DirecTV. My sister says HULU carries The Science Channel, which is the one channel I watch most. Can I just pick any smart TV (looking at Samsung 4K Ultra HD 40″) or only certain brands? My nephew recommends Chromecast but I know there are others. Have a 300mb Wi-Fi Spectrum router/modem left over from working remote. Can I cut my Wi-Fi speed as well? Seems like I need a smart tv, a box like Chromecast and a wi-fi service or do I need something else?”
I will tell you that cutting the cord doesn’t always end up costing less. It depends on what type of service you want. You’ll need a good, dependable high-speed Internet is a must for cord-cutters. Netflix, the largest streaming service suggests a minimum of 3 megabits per second for SD, 5 megabits per second for HD, and 25 megabits per seconds for Ultra HD.
You don’t necessarily need a smart TV unless you just happen to want one. If you do select a smart TV, just make sure it has the app for the service you want available. Basically, a smart TV is a giant tablet that can also receive TV signals and be used as a monitor for game consoles, DVD players, cable boxes and other media devices. If you’ve decided that Hulu is a service you definitely want, check to make sure that TV has the Hulu app.
A streaming box or streaming stick can turn any TV with an HDMI port into a smart TV. But you don’t even actually need a TV unless you prefer to watch on one.
The following devices support the Hulu app:
- Sony, Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs.
- Hulu.com on a Mac or PC Browser
- Android phones and tablets
- Android TV
- Apple TV (4th gen or later)
- Chromecast
- Fire Tablets
- Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
- iPhones and iPads
- Nintendo Switch
- Sony PlayStation
- TiVo
- Wii & Wii U
- Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
- Samsung TV (select models)
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One
I’m not a huge fan of Chromecast, I’d probably suggest a Roku box or stick or Amazon Fire Stick or box. If you go with the streaming stick, you can effectively make any TV with an HDMI port a smart TV for less than $35. But other people really like Chromecast, so that’s just my personal preference.
To sum up, you’ll need a good, stable high-speed Internet connection.
A TV is optional, as is a smart TV. You can turn a TV with an HDMI port into a smart TV with a streaming box or streaming stick.
While there are free viewing options, you’ll likely want to subscribe to one or more streaming services like Hulu or Netflix.
Cynthia, you forgot to mention Amazon prime allows access to just about everything also, some where you don’t pay a separate membership charge.
I don’t even count my Prime membership in the cost of watching tv because I use it more for everything else. My internet costs $46.98 a month. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that.