Free or Low Cost TV Options: Video Streaming

Want to cut the cable? Part 2 of Free or Low Cost TV Options. Today, I'm talking about Video Streaming options.

There are a great many streaming options and websites that offer free television viewing. You can find them by doing a search with your favorite search engine. Google is my fave.

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Just be cautious about the sites. If you have a good malware and/or bad site blocker on your computer, like Vipre which I use, it will stop you from entering a website that is dangerous. If you find a site listing, and you wonder if it's okay to venture onto it, just enter this in Google or another search engine: Is NAME OF SITE a bad site or dangerous site? Or something similar that will give you the information you're looking for.

Streaming Video Resources

YouTube

Wow. I love YouTube. They have some amazingly good amateur videos and those that may be amateur but they're professional in their content.

YouTube offers videos uploaded by registered users. My channel is JoanReevesAuthor. Even some of my videos have been named "Must See Book Trailers" by USAToday.

You'll find amazing video content like webcasts from my friend Tom Townsend whose Military Motor Pool is a great show. Whatever you're interested in, you'll find a video that covers it.

YouTube also offers movies and other long content. How to find it? In the YouTube search box, enter free full-length movies or something similar. When you find a Channel you especially like, subscribe to that channel to receive notices of new uploads.

YouTube polices the uploaded content vigorously for copyright infringement so if a video makes it onto YouTube, it's legit.

Amazon Prime

Netflix

Hulu

Internet TV Webcasts

The Internet is the future of TV broadcasting. Even Comcast, the cable giant, knows this. They're offering a bundled TV package via Internet on 7 college campuses. they know that young people are more apt to watch broadcasts on their tablets and cell phones so they're grooming that market early.

There is much that falls into this category. Broadcast shows on the Internet are called webcasts. Well-known actors are producing their own work and broadcasting it via the Internet. Surely you've heard of Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. (You'll also find well-known actors in YouTube videos they've made and uploaded. I'm talking Oscar winners here.)

Here's a sampling of resources to get you started.

Streema offers radio and TV all over the world. Browse by country, genre, and scroll through the offerings. Click to watch the video you find.

wwiTV, that's World Wide Internet TV, an independent guide to streaming media available on the web. The link I provided is to the webscasts in the U.S. Scroll down the list and you'll find Christian, foreign language webcasts, and C-Span for those who have cable and are addicted to that network.

World Wide Internet TV doesn't provide the streaming content. They just list the webcasts available to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to easily find and access the media content over the Internet.

Crackle is a user friendly webpage with excellent information and instructions.

TV Web 360 offers varied programming. Their menu is in the left sidebar. Browse by subject matter.

Free TV offers webcasts from all over the world. Mouse over AMERICA then click United States that appears below that. Scroll through the offerings.

How To Get Started

1. Go to the website and take a quick look around to see if they have content that interests you and also a page that shows what supported devices can be used for the content. If you like what you see, take the next step.

2. On the signup page, you should be able to click to read the Terms of Service. Do this so you know how they will use the information you register. In most cases, they will embed a cookie of course, use your information to make sure you don't get content that may be denied by your country of residence, send you notices of new content, and use your info however they can to monetize their site. That's pretty standard, but read the TofS to make sure you're not allowing them something else. Also, in the TofS, the way to opt-out of targeted ads to you is usually spelled out in there. If that's okay, then proceed.

3. Register your free account. Make a note of your registration details so you'll remember them.

4. If you need to download any app for a mobile device or register your Smart TV, go back to the supported devices page and follow the instructions. That's it.

Takeaway Truth

If you're so inclined, cut the cable and join the youth of the world who watch TV via the Internet.