FREE & LEGAL Cable Alternatives
Boxee – Roku – PlayOn – HTPC – OTA
We do the digging to give you the facts about FREE & low cost cable alternatives.
At this time, we recommend the ROKU LT- the best value streamer on the market.
Unlock the potential of the Roku with private channels. Our Roku private channel list is updated and “scrubbed” regularly with the latest Roku channels. Watch live feeds and episodes with Nowhere TV (code: H9DWC). Stream FREE music with Pandora or the many other music channel apps available. In addition, we index the latest FREE “live” streaming Roku channels like RT news, CNN international, BBC and Al Jazeera.
Roku may be today’s “best value” streamer on the market; however, many hardware devices are available:
- Boxee Box
- GoogleTV (logitech revue)
- AppleTV
- Gaming Console (xbox360,PS3)
- Blue-Ray players & internet ready TV
- HTPC – home theater PC (ie. Popcorn Hour, Xtreamer, build your own)
- Other devices discussed/reviewed at - AVSForums iboum.com
Watch movies and TV episodes (some free!) from the many streaming services available. The major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu+, Vudu, Amazon and Crackle can be found on most devices. Do your homework, not all devices offer all the services or play all streaming formats.
Today, the internet streams every form of media, and music is no exception. Many music streaming options exists (again, some FREE!) - Pandora, LastFM, MOG, rdio.
One huge negative with “cable free” – LIVE TV. Today, ”live” channels are mainly limited to news (Al Jazeera, RT news). Sporting packages (NHL,NBA,MLB) are slowly becoming available, but at a subscripton cost. One solution to minimize the withdrawals is OTA (over-the-air) broadcasts. Since June 12, 2009, all over-the-air TV broadcasts are broadcasting in digital. The reception can be better than what was available on cable. Check the interactive reception maps by zipcode at antennaweb.org or dtv.gov. Further info can be found in our OTA post.