Thrifty Living: Cutting the Cable TV Cord with Roku, Netflix and Wi-Fi streaming

Let's face it. Cable TV is getting just too expensive and we are getting much less value for it than what we did when Cable was the only game in town. In 2008, a new player emerged changing the way we consume entertainment. Today, the Roku multimedia streaming box leads the market by bringing hundreds of channels of great programming into your home for less than a night out at the movies.

Today, I will show you everything you need to enjoy great programming without breaking the bank.

ESSENTIAL #1: A good Internet package: Monthly cost, apx. $60.00 - $75.00/mo

It's important to mention that Roku will not function without a good Internet connection which will be your highest monthly cost. Now, when you consider *everything* that you do online, like web-browsing, checking your email, Skype calling and more, having Roku is a mere extension to your monthly usage. When you are ready to officially "cut the Cable TV cord", be sure that you get a good loyalty deal from your cable company to keep only your Internet. Also make sure that your Internet speed is at least 10 Mbps to ensure optimum viewing of content in HD and that you have a robust usage limit since most of HD content can run over 1 GB per hour.

ESSENTIAL #2: The Roku box: One-time purchase, apx.$60.00 - $110.00

Currently, there are four models of Roku streaming devices ranging from the cheapest model, a simple stick which plugs into a free HDMI port on your TV, to a full-featured box about the size of a square hockey puck that includes a USB port for playback of external media from a memory stick.

Canadian Versions:

1. Roku Stick Streaming Player 3500CA, Purple
2. Roku 1 Streaming Media Player - Canada
3. Roku 2 Streaming Media Player - Canada
4. Roku 3 Streaming Player - Canada Version

US Versions:

1. Roku 3500R Streaming Stick (HDMI)
2. Roku 1 Streaming Player (Black) (Roku 2710R)
3. Roku 2 Streaming Player (Black) (Roku 2720R)
4. Roku 3 Streaming Media Player
5. Roku HD Streaming Player (Certified Refurbished)

The Roku 3 is the only model that includes a USB port and happens to be the most expensive, though highly recommended. If you are like me, you may be one who likes to download his media to a USB drive and use it as his own personal PVR, I just wish this great feature was available with the more budget-friendly models. For those who prefer getting their entertainment on-demand, then I recommend the Roku Streaming Stick (to keep your set up neat and cable-free) or the Roku 1 for about the same price. Go to Roku's website for a detailed comparison of each model.

Once you have your Roku set up and ready to use, now comes the fun part: getting all the great content! There are plenty of free channels that will get you great movies and TV shows, mostly the classics, and That Thrifty Guy plans on reviewing them soon, but here are just a couple of recommendations to get you off to a great start:

NETFLIX: Current plans start from $8.00/mo

I won't really classify this as an "essential" purchase, but the monthly cost for Netflix beats every Cable TV package out there and you get current fare that will keep you entertained as much as Live TV. Mind you, current TV seasons are usually about a year delayed (some of my favorite shows like Arrow and Revolution made it to Netflix after their initial seasons completed), but new release movies and recent additions are frequently updated. There are plenty of TV classics to keep you in TV rerun heaven, though, so you won't run out of options. New movie releases are usually about 3-6 months after they've been released on DVD or Blu-ray and reach Netflix about the same time as Cable TV premium channels like HBO or Showtime get them. At half the price, though, it's a no-brainer.

HULU PLUS: Current plan is about $8.00/mo

Second to Netflix, I would recommend getting Hulu Plus. Though not available in Canada, US viewers get immediate access to the most recent episodes of the top TV series on the air, as well as classic TV offerings like I Love Lucy, Star Trek, Twilight Zone, and much more. (Arrow and Revolution, by the way, appeared next-day in Hulu Plus, so if you simply can't wait to watch your favorite shows, it's worth an extra $8-bucks a month and STILL better than Cable TV even with Netflix in your budget.)

THE BEST "FREE" CHANNELS on Roku

Though I wouldn't really call these channels as essentials to install on your Roku, I consider them worth a look as these are the best of the free content that is available.

• Crackle: The Crackle Television Network is a Sony-owned network that features plenty of their library movies and TV shows. The only annoyance about this channel is the infrequent and repetitive commercial breaks within the media stream. There's nothing worse than getting into a great, suspenseful movie only to lose the momentum with a break for cat treats, not once, but sometimes twice or three times during the same break. It's completely free to sign up and watch their content on your computer, wireless devices or the Roku. I hope that Crackle will someday make available their service without commercials, it would be worth a small fee to avoid them altogether.
• Fox Now: There are only a few free Roku channels that provide viewing of full episodes of popular PrimeTime TV series. Fox TV's Fox Now channel gives us access to recent episodes of nearly all of their current series and specials. Commercial breaks are included, but I really don't mind the promotions for upcoming episodes or series from this network. This channel definitely gets top marks and is a must for any starter package.
• PBS: Another must-add channel for your Roku should be the PBS channel. Just like Fox Now, it provides on-demand access to recent episodes of nearly all of their series and documentaries, including the dramatic offerings from their great Masterpiece program. 

There are other TV network channels available such as ones from SyFy, CBS, and Showtime, but don't look for full episodes here. These channels are merely promotional showcases with clips and featurettes from their respective series.

For the kids (and those that wish to relive their childhood), there are a few terrific family-friendly channels that I highly recommend.

• Disney: This channel is loaded with family goodness featuring mostly promotions, clips, behind the scenes materials, and trailers from Disney's studios, such as Marvel, Lucasfilm ("Star Wars: Rebels"), and of course the parent company, but if you take the time to look through the massive library of content, you will find playlists with the classic Disney cartoon shorts we all grew up with, as well as current internet favorites and web-series. It's definitely a channel your family can enjoy together.
• Hasbro Studios: There are two versions of this channel, a free "sampler" version and a full subscription-based version which brings us the classic Transformers and G.I. Joe shows from the 80's, among other great Saturday-morning cartoons. The free version offers a selection of episodes from all of their catalog titles. The seasons are not complete, but does still offer hours of great entertainment for everybody. You can subscribe to a paid-version of this channel through Vezo.tv (at the time of this post, the monthly cost to access this channel was $4.99, with a free 3-day trial, along with ad-free versions of many other Roku channels; a review from That Thrifty Guy is forthcoming, stay tuned!)
• Angry Birds Toons: Yes, that addictive game played on millions of tablets and smart-phones has its own Roku channel, and I must admit, there's a lot of great funny animated shorts here. The latest update of this channel included sub-channels of a few Hasbro Studios titles, but are once more a mere sampling of episodes. The cartoons are even funnier after playing the game since the situations the cartoon characters get into must be resolved with super-powers used in actual game play, the familiarity of this makes it hilarious at times. Definitely a fun complement to the Roku channel package.

There are many more other channels that can be added to this list and we will be featuring many of them in posts to come, but as a starter guide to Roku, the channels I've highlighted today give you the best start. 

Image courtesy of Idea go at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Summary of Costs:

• Initial start-up in the purchase of the mid-range version of the Roku player: about $75.00, comparable to those "installation" costs from any cable or satellite TV provider.

Monthly:

• Internet service: $60.00
• Netflix: $8.00
• Hulu Plus: $8.00

= $76.00/mo

That's about half what my last cable TV "deal" was before I ended it some time ago. How are you saving money on your entertainment budget? What are your favorite Roku channels that you would like to recommend to our readers? Drop me a line at thatthriftyguy@gmail.com or give us your comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

Yours truly, 

That Thrifty Guy!