How to Stream TV
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Maybe you’re looking into cutting the cord, watching the latest episode of This Is Us, or wanting to save money. What’s the solution?
Allow us to take you through the steps of something you might want to know more about: how to stream TV.
We’ll help you find the best internet service, best streaming device, and best streaming service with our guide. And if you’re already happy with your internet provider and TV setup, you can skip right to the part where we show you how to stream.
What do I need to start streaming?
You’re going to need the right internet provider and a streaming device that fits within your budget and has all of the streaming applications you need.
Great internet speed
If you don’t already have internet in your home or you’re looking for a better provider, we recommend Xfinity internet. It has download speeds of 50–1,200 Mbps, and most streaming services require 3–25 Mbps.
Recommended internet providers for streaming
‡ Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes $ fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area.
Most streaming services have a recommended minimum download speed for smooth streaming. And remember, these recommended download speeds are per device.
For example, Hulu + Live TV requires 8 Mbps to stream in HD. And if you and your spouse both want to stream on your own device, that means you’ll both be taking up 16 Mbps at once.
You can find more info on recommended Mbps for streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max as well as streaming a 4K movie in our best internet for streaming article.
Xfinity’s 3 for 1 Bundle* gives you unlimited internet, a free Flex 4K streaming TV box, and one Mobile Unlimited line.
With no contract requirement, a two-year price guarantee, and access to Peacock Premium, this is a pretty sweet bundle.
A streaming device or smart TV
If you already have a great 4K TV, you might want to go the streaming device route. Chances are, though, that your 4K TV already has a smart TV built in, but possibly not all the streaming apps you need.
But if you want a device that has everything, like a Roku Express 4K+, it might be worth the investment. Just plug it into your existing television.
Streaming devices
: An Apple TV has Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, iTunes, HBO Max, YouTube, Disney+, Sling, and more. And when a new app comes out, it will be available in the app store for you to download to the homepage of your Apple TV device. : This device works with Alexa and has apps such as Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, STARZ, SHOWTIME, NBC, ESPN, Disney NOW, and HGTV. : Even though it’s one of the least expensive options, the Fire TV has most of the apps you’ll need. Watch Disney+, Prime Video, HBO, Netflix, Sling, Hulu, and more. : Get two in one with this game console. Play your favorite video games and also stream Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more.
Smart TVs
: Insignias have Alexa built in and apps such as Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, SHOWTIME, and STARZ. : Sonys work with Alexa, give you a great HD picture, and have Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO. : TCLs have a built-in Roku TV and come with over 500,000 movies and TV episodes. : Samsungs have Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, as well as applications such as Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option, check out our best 4K TVs under $400.
How do I start streaming?
Now, here’s the step-by-step process of streaming TV in your home. Just three quick steps, and you’ll be watching all the movies and TV shows your heart desires.
1. Connect your smart TV or streaming device
First thing’s first: set up your smart TV or streaming device. (Duh, right?)
If you chose the device route, switch your TV to the correct input for your device after you’ve plugged your device in. Then follow the instructions on your screen to get you to the homepage where all of your applications live.
Don’t worry if you don’t see your favorite streaming service on your screen. Some devices require you to go to their "Store" or "Channels" app to download the streaming apps you’d like on your home screen.
2. Connect to the internet
While you’re setting up your device or smart TV, you might have already been asked to connect to your internet. If not, do so now under Settings. Then click on an app to make sure you’ve successfully connected.
If you notice your internet is a little slow, check out our guide on how to speed up your internet connection.
3. Download, sign up, and sign in to streaming apps
Smart TVs usually have all of the popular apps on the homepage. Devices, such as Apple TV, allow you to customize your layout so you must go into the Apple Store and download the apps you want.
Then launch the streaming apps and sign up or sign in.
Once you’ve done so, you can start watching Bridgerton while you cook, put on Encanto for the kiddos, or watch The Blind Side with the family on Saturday night.
Streaming on your smartphone
If you’re wanting to stream on your iPhone or Android smartphone, we recommend an unlimited data plan so you can stream as much as you’d like without worries.
It’s also the future. No one wants to be stuck on a one-hour train ride without being able to watch Star Trek: Picard.
Our best unlimited data cell phone plans include Visible Wireless (best value), Xfinity Mobile (best bundle), Mint Mobile (best price), and T-Mobile (best performance).
Best unlimited plans comparison
Recommended streaming services
There are two streaming service options: live TV or on-demand.
Live TV streaming services will give you somewhere between 30–150+ live channels, and some services have on-demand content and a DVR, as well.
We recommend YouTube TV because it’s perfect for most families. You get a wide variety of channels, such as news, kids, sports, and lifestyle. With YouTube TV, you’ll also get an unlimited DVR space so no one in the family is fighting for storage space.
And to top it all off, YouTube has a decent price tag, making it one of the best valued streaming services.
A quick comparison of live TV streaming services
° DIRECTV STREAM Device avail. for $5/mo. on 24-month installment agmt for well-qualified customers. Others pay $120 upfront for device. Taxes due at sale. See details. Price subject to change.
On-demand streaming services are typically cheaper and just give you content that you can stream whenever you’d like. But you could get two to three on-demand streaming services for the price of one live TV streaming service.
Check out our reviews on the top streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video.
We recommend all of them, honestly.
Netflix is the king of streaming services with its mass amount of content and original content. Disney+ has all of the Disney movies you and your family could ever dream of. Hulu gives you access to recently-aired new TV episodes the following day. HBO Max is home to new Warner Bros. movies. And Amazon Prime Video has lots of TV shows and movies, along with movies you can rent, all in one place.
Best Live TV Streaming Service Providers 2022
If you’re cutting the cord, might we suggest a live TV streaming service?
We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our disclosure policies to learn more.
If you’re thinking of switching over to a live TV streaming service, you’re definitely not alone. More and more people are ditching cable or satellite TV to save money (especially during these inflation times, sigh).
We’ll help you find the best live TV streaming service based on your budget, and ensure you have all your favorite channels and ample DVR storage to meet your or your family’s needs.
Let’s jump into the details of some of the best services in the industry.
† DIRECTV STREAM Device avail. for $5/mo. on 24-month installment agmt for well-qualified customers. Others pay $120 upfront for device. Taxes due at sale. See details. Price subject to change.
fuboTV is our favorite live TV streaming service hands down
You can expect a great variety with fuboTV, including 50 sports channels, and the best channel-to-price ratio in the industry.
250 hrs., saves indefinitely
1000 hrs., saves indefinitely
1000 hrs., saves indefinitely
What do we like about fuboTV?
- fuboTV has the most sports channels in the industry.
- fuboTV also has a decent number of news, lifestyle, and kids channels.
How big of a sports fan are you?
If you get the Pro plan, you’ll have close to 35 sports channels in your lineup. If you get the Elite or Ultimate plan, you’ll have about 50. (Now, that’s what we like to see.)
You’ll find your well-known sports channels in the entry-level plan, such as ESPN, Big Ten Network, FOX Sports, and NFL Network.
And you could say the https://jiji.ng/ Elite and Ultimate plans are for the sports megafans who don’t want to miss an Ole Miss college game or Rafael Nadal tennis match. Some sports channels in these packages include the following:
- ACC Network (ACCN)
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- GINX Esports TV
- MLB Network
- NBA TV
- NHL Network
- PAC-12 Networks
- Pac-12 Mountain (or your regional network
- SEC Network
- Stadium
- Stadium (1-3)
- Tennis Channel
- Zona Futbol
The whole family will love the channel variety
While you watch your Chicago Bulls play, your spouse can watch Flip or Flop, and your kids can watch Spongebob Squarepants.
fuboTV’s channel lineup includes the following channels:
- Animal Planet
- Big Ten Network
- Food Network
- FOX News
- FS1, FS2
- Hallmark Channel
- HGTV
- Lifetime
- MSNBC
- NFL Network
- Nickelodeon
- Telemundo
- Universal Kids
- Univision
What don’t we like about fuboTV?
- fuboTV no longer has TNT, TBS, and CNN
fuboTV is missing some key channels
Although this live TV service is the best for sports, we’re disappointed that it doesn’t have TNT for NBA games. (Shame!) But if you’re an avid basketball fan, an NBA LEAGUE PASS subscription might be up your alley.
You won’t be able to watch New Girl on TBS and you can’t get political news through CNN with fuboTV, but you get to enjoy Hallmark Channel and MSNBC.
YouTube TV is a phenomenal all-around service
Unlimited hrs., saves for 9 months
Unlimited hrs., saves for 9 months
What do we like about YouTube TV?
- YouTube TV has an arguably complete channel lineup.
- This streaming service has the best DVR in the industry.
You get 85 great channels for every personality in the house
You get 85 great channels, including the ViacomCBS channels that we all love, such as Comedy Central, BET, and Paramount Network.
But our favorite part about YouTube TV’s channel lineup: you get NFL Network, NBA TV, and MLB Network. Sure, you can get these channels with fuboTV, but you’d have to pay $15 more per month.
We named YouTube TV the second-best streaming service for sports because it had those three major sports networks and 13 other sports channels for $65/month.
Other great channels in YouTube TV’s channel lineup include the following:
- ABC
- BBC America
- Cartoon Network
- CNN
- The CW
- Disney Channel
- ESPN, ESPN 2
- Food Network
- FOX
- HGTV
- Golf Channel
- MSNBC
- Nat Geo
- Nickelodeon
- PBS Kids
- Pop
- TBS
- Telemundo
- Tennis Channel
- Universal Kids
YouTube TV’s DVR has the biggest storage space with unlimited hours. So you can literally record everything. (And recently, Hulu + Live TV added an unlimited DVR storage to its service, as well.)
Record all of The Office episodes, NFL games, and The Price Is Right every day, and still have space to record more.
What don’t we like about YouTube TV?
- Record everything you want, but you can’t save your recordings indefinitely
YouTube TV deletes your recordings after nine months
We stand by our statement that YouTube TV’s DVR is the best.
We just have to warn you that your recordings will be deleted after nine months. So you won’t be able to record The Hobbit and save it in your library indefinitely to watch today and in a year from now.
But if you plan on deleting your recorded TV episode after watching it, you don’t have to worry about YouTube TV’s ninth-month-deleting spree.
Hulu + Live TV is best for families
‡ Compatible device and internet connection required. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
What do we like about Hulu + Live TV?
- Hulu Live comes with Disney+ and ESPN+.
- This streaming services gives you live channels and lots of on-demand content.
Everyone in the family will love the ultimate entertainment bundle
Who wouldn’t love the live TV channels and on-demand library from Hulu, live sporting events from ESPN+, and all the Disney+ movies you’ve ever dreamed of?
Why do we ask? Because both ESPN+ and Disney+ are now included with Hulu + Live TV!
So enjoy The Mandalorian or the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans game with the family, then watch one of the great Hulu Originals afterward.
Hulu + Live TV gives you a huge on-demand library and live channels in one service
Hulu Live has the biggest on-demand library out of all of the live TV streaming service. So this service is perfect for those who want to watch The Bachelor in real-time or binge last season.
Other TV shows you can stream on Hulu Live include the following:
Hulu Live’s channel lineup include the following:
- Animal Planet
- Cartoon Network
- CNN
- The CW
- Discovery Channel
- Disney Channel
- ESPN, ESPN2
- Food Network
- FOX News
- HGTV
- Golf Channel
- Lifetime
- MSNBC
- National Geographic
- TBS
- Telemundo
- TNT
- USA
What don’t we like about Hulu + Live TV?
- Hulu Live only lets you stream on two devices at once.
- You can’t watch NBA TV, MLB Network, or Nickelodeon with Hulu Live.
Expect to add a fee to your monthly bill
Hulu Live’s allows only two users to watch live channels at the same time, so if you have a family of four, you might run into problems.
If you’d like more than two simultaneous streams for the family, you’ll get the option to pay an extra $10 per month for unlimited streams.
Right about now, we used to bash on Hulu Live’s 50-hour DVR storage. (Can you imagine?) Now, the whole family gets to enjoy unlimited DVR storage like you can with YouTube TV.
Watching NBA TV, MLB Network, and Nickelodeon won’t be happening
Hulu Live has 75+ channels, so with that, you won’t be getting all of the channels under the sun.
Here are a few other popular channels you’ll be missing out on:
- BBC America
- Comedy Central
- Hallmark Channel
- PBS
- PBS Kids
- Paramount Network
Sling TV is best for money savers
50 hrs., saves indefinitely
50 hrs., saves indefinitely
50 hrs., saves indefinitely
What do we like about Sling TV?
- You get live TV at a reasonable price.
- Sling TV has three inexpensive packages to choose from.
Sling TV has a great price tag for 30+ popular channels
There aren’t many decent live TV streaming services out there that offer a good chunk of popular channels for $40, making it perfect for those who want to cut the cord because of that expensive cable bill.
You won’t have to give up on TV altogether. Thanks to Sling, you won’t have to break the bank.
Just try not to spend that extra money you’ll be saving on online shopping (or maybe that’s why you’re making cuts elsewhere in your life).
Which Sling TV package is best for you and the fam?
Both Sling Orange and Sling Blue are the same price, but both plans have almost a completely different channel lineup. And the Sling Orange + Blue package is basically a combination of both.
If you have kids, you’ll want Sling Orange. You’ll get Cartoon Network and Disney Channel for the little ones, and ESPN and Food Network for you.
If you love news channels, get Sling Blue. You can watch FOX News, MSNBC, and NBC. But if you want them all, Sling Orange + Blue is for you.
If you want to know more about the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue, check out our comparison piece where we break down which package has which channels.
What don’t we like about Sling TV?
- Don’t expect all of your favorite channels.
- Sling TV has low DVR storage.
You get what you pay for
Yes, Sling TV is on the cheaper side, but that also means you might not get all of your favorite channels.
You’ll absolutely find a lot of popular channels in their packages (the reason it makes the low price so great), but you won’t get your ABC, The CW, Nickelodeon, or Telemundo.
As for the sports channels. let’s just say Sling tends to the less than average sports fan. Sling offers the following sports channels:
Sling TV upgraded its DVR storage to 50 hours
Sling TV includes 50 hours of DVR storage in your service, which should be expected with the price tag.
You have the choice to upgrade to a 200-hour DVR storage for an extra $5 per month to make your monthly bill $45–$60.
Oh, and just a heads up: when your DVR storage is full, and you happen to record another show, your old or already-watched recordings will erase in your library (without warning).
DIRECTV STREAM is best for premium channel fans
^ Price subj. to change. New customers only. Available in select sales channels only. Restrictions apply.
° Limited Time Offer. $10 discount each month for first 5 months. Regular monthly price thereafter. Price subj. to change. New customers only. Available in select sales channels only. Restrictions apply.
** DIRECTV STREAM Device avail. for $5/mo. on 24-month installment agmt for well-qualified customers. Others pay $120 upfront for device. Taxes due at sale. See details.
What do we like about DIRECTV STREAM?
- Premium channels are included in three of DIRECTV STREAM’s packages.
- DIRECTV STREAM has four packages to choose from for the family.
If you like premium channels, you’ll want the CHOICE plan or above
If you get any package from CHOICE and above, you’ll get HBO Max free for three months.
When you get the ULTIMATE package, you’ll get STARZ channels in your channel lineup. Or upgrade to PREMIER to get HBO, STARZ, SHOWTIME, and CINEMAX.
In short, DIRECTV STREAM isn’t messing around. They tend to the fans of Outlander and Billions.
But wait, there’s even more entertainment. With DIRECTV STREAM’s device ($5/month), you’ll be able to stream Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more.
Which DIRECTV STREAM package is best for you?
The ENTERTAINMENT package is going to have more of your lifestyle and news channels, like Hallmark, HGTV, MSNBC, and USA.
If you upgrade to CHOICE, you’re going to get MLB Network, Nick Jr., and the Tennis Channel.
The ULTIMATE will give you all of the sports channels DIRECTV STREAM offers, including the Golf Channel and NHL Network, and all of the STARZ channels.
And lastly, the PREMIER package will give you the most channels you can possibly get with DIRECTV STREAM, including four premium channels.
What don’t we like about DIRECTV STREAM?
- It’s the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry.
You’ll have to budget with DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is the most expensive of the bunch, so this service might only be for those who love premium channels or want a traditional TV experience.
To put it in perspective, DIRECTV STREAM averages a little over $1 per channel. YouTube TV is 75 cents per channel, and fuboTV is about 50 cents per channel.
We hope DIRECTV STREAM will decide to lower its prices one day.
If you need a new, faster internet provider, check out our top internet providers for seamless streaming, recommended by our staff writer, Tyler Abbott.
Recap: Which is the best live TV streaming service?
: Perfect for families full of many of personalities, you can get about 50 sports channels and 110 other channels for news, lifestyle, movies, and kids with fuboTV. It’s the best-valued live TV streaming service because you get over 100 channels for $70 per month, a big DVR storage space, and an easy-to-use interface. : YouTube TV comes in at a close second because you get a solid channel lineup of more than 85 channels with the best DVR in the industry. YouTube TV is not for those who absolutely need their Tennis and HISTORY channels, but you will get your ViacomCBS channels, like Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. : Hulu Live offers a three-streaming-service bundle for one decent price. The bundle of Hulu Live, Disney+, and ESPN+ will make all members of the family happy. But if you want more than 50 hours of DVR storage and unlimited simultaneous streaming, you’ll have to tack on $15 to your monthly bill. : If you’re trying to save money but want live TV without the expensive cable or satellite TV bill, Sling is for you. Just keep in mind with that low price, you may not get everything fuboTV, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV can offer you.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Although DIRECTV STREAM is the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry at the moment, you do get premium channels included in most of the plans. And you get four plans to choose from to best fit your family.
Need reliable internet for streaming? Check out our top-ranked providers.
Not sold on live TV streaming? Check out the top-ranked TV providers.
Chantel is all about finding the best tv or streaming service to watch as many football games as possible to keep her Fantasy Football team in check. Prior to being a TV and Streaming Tech Reporter for Reviews.org, she worked for NFL Network and The Alliance of American Football. Before that, she received a B.A. of Communication at the University of Utah and an M.S. in Sports Journalism at USC. Go Utes and Fight On. Contact her at chantel@reviews.org
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