TECH NOW: Best gadgets and services for cord-cutters

Jennifer Jolly | Special for USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption TECH NOW: New streaming gadgets, services Contributor Jennifer Jolly takes you through some the latest devices and services for watching without cable.

Chromecast lets you play video from computer%2C tablet or smartphone

Aereo lets you watch live TV from local stations

Roku has new models of its streaming media gadgets

It's been a few months since I talked about how you can give up cable and get by with cheaper and on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu. According to your emails, it's a topic you want to know more about. So I'm revisiting how you can cut the cable cord, starting with some of the newest services and gadgets to help you watch your favorite shows online.

If you're just now considering cutting cable, check out our original articles about finding content online, available streaming services and the best set-top boxes, and then come back here to find out what's new!

LATEST STREAMING MEDIA PLAYERS

There's a hodgepodge of new streaming devices on the market, as well as talk of both Netflix and Amazon working on their own new set-top media players. But as of today, Google's Chromecast is one of the best newbies. It's a $35 gadget that attaches right to your TV and lets you play 1080p streaming video from your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can browse media and control volume and playback right from your device in place of a remote control. The tiny Chromecast isn't any bigger than a USB flash drive and plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port to bring you Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Google Play, and content from your computer's Chrome browser. And that $35 price tag beats my other top picks in the market, the Roku and Apple TV.

So what's the catch? While Chromecast will work for people who just want access to Netflix and Hulu, those who buy or rent from iTunes will want Apple TV and those who buy or rent from Amazon will want Roku. Still, the $35 price tag makes this the best pick for budget-buyers.

On the subject of Roku, the company has just rolled out updated models of its popular streaming gadgets that range in price from $50 to $100. This includes its own version of a streaming stick. Roku has more than 1,000 channels, with more being added all the time.

It's also just partnered with M-Go, a service we mentioned during our original series, that lets you pay as you go to buy and rent TV shows and movies. Roku still gets my pick as the best overall for voracious viewers.

NEW STREAMING SERVICES

The hottest new service for cord-cutters is definitely Aereo, which lets you watch live network television from any local station or record it to watch later. Where you can watch is a bit limited, with options for computer, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Roku right now. The service is only available in select cities and comes with a subscription fee of $8 a month, but if you like keeping up with network TV, this could be easier than Hulu if it's available in your city.

In digital video, the market may be crowded, but not crowded enough to keep retailer Target out. The new Target Ticket service lets you buy or rent, download or stream. It offers more than 30,000 titles including new movie releases and next-day TV shows. But what makes this one stand out from the competition is its profile system, which allows parents to filter content for their kids based on age appropriateness.

Okay cord-cutters, we know you have questions, comments, ideas and a whole lot more to share with us. How much money have you saved by cutting the cable? Be sure to let us know.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly.