You are probably thinking about making the switch from cable TV to streaming TV. And why not? It was recorded that there were more scripted original TV shows released on streaming services than there were on cable TV, in this year alone. You have come to the right place; you will find everything you need to know about streaming TV in this article.
You might already have everything in your home that you need to set up streaming TV, but if you don’t, you won’t need more than $50 to get it done.
Table of Contents
Internet Connection
The kind of streaming you experience on your screen depends on the kind of internet that you sign up for. To stream a video in SD quality (standard definition), you need to have an internet speed of at least 3 Mbps, 5 Mbps for streaming movies in HD (high definition), and 25 Mbps for streaming in HDR or 4K. Chances are that the kind of streaming service you opt for will be HD or higher. Also, these are the standard Mbps for streaming on just one device. If there is more than one device connected to the internet, then you need to go for internet with Mbps higher than the aforementioned to meet the connectivity demands of all the connected devices.
Our recommendation is to go for Comcast Xfinity because of its fast internet speeds and wider availability in the US. Also, Comcast internet offers economical packages for streaming movies along with performing other internet activities on other devices simultaneously.
Streaming Device
After deciding on the internet connection, you will now be required to find a way to access streaming service on your TV, which can be made possible with;
- There are streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, etc. that can be plugged into the TV’s HDMI port to get access to all streaming services. These streaming devices have easy-to-navigate interfaces, an option to search titles, etc.
- Smart TVs are also essential when considering streaming services. TVs that can connect to the internet and have streaming apps built-in are considered smart TVs.
- Gaming consoles are also another method of streaming your favorite movies and TV shows. This streaming device is only a plus if you already own a gaming console, otherwise, it is not bought just for streaming.
How to Start Streaming
The next steps are pretty simple;
If you already have a smart TV, you just need to connect the TV to your home network, either through an Ethernet cable or a Wi-Fi connection. Ethernet cable generally provides a very reliable connection and you will experience less buffering while streaming.
If you don’t have a smart TV, you will need to plug in a streaming device to your TV’s HDMI port. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen to connect. Then you can connect the Ethernet cable to the streaming device or you can choose to connect to the internet wirelessly.
Sign in to popular streaming apps and start watching all the movies to your heart’s content.
What to Stream?
The option to stream is unlimited. Live TV streaming mirrors TV channels that you watch on cable, with commercials and all. The other option is on-demand streaming which is Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. that does not have any live content, but you can watch the movies or TV shows whenever you want.
If you don’t want to deal with the expenses of streaming services, you can always opt for dozens of free streaming services with surprisingly good selections. There are ads though, but they are supposedly less than what you see on cable.
Final Thoughts
Streaming TV has taken the world by storm; many are now preferring to switch to streaming rather than stick to cable TV. Streaming TV is also a much cheaper option. If you already own a smart TV, which I am pretty sure everyone in this day and age owns now, then you just need to connect to the internet and stream your favorite movies anytime you want. Just make sure the internet connection is good enough to consistently stream a movie without buffering, we don’t want that while we are watching a thriller, do we?
