SFN TV: The Newest Skinny Bundle Linear TV Offering

For decades cable companies have been using their monopolies on television to force consumers into long term contracts and expensive content packages. These models have forced people to shell out hundreds of dollars a month in order to get access to the channels they wanted, coupled with a whole slew of channels they weren't even remotely interested in. Want the (insert particular network here)? Well you got it, but you better like 24 hour fly fishing and competitive basket weaving and eighteen home shopping networks. If that sounds like you, then you know what I'm talking about.

For years, financially savvy consumers and industry analysts have derided this greedy model, all while asking the same question, why can't a customer just pick and choose what channels they actually want and pay accordingly? Adopters of Internet streaming services like Netflix Amazon and Hulu have praised the on demand delivery of TV shows and movies; however, these services all lack the major draw of cable--live television.

While a la carte television is still a hopeful fantasy (VIDGO seems to be hinting at it), Atlanta-based Southern Fibernet is offering a new streaming service dubbed SFN TV that hopes to bring cord cutters one step closer to the dream.

What is SFN TV?

SFN TV has over 100 channels broken up into different packages (aka skinny bundles) starting at just $5 per month. These packages offer different types of content; however, most of the “fat” (read: useless channels no one watches) that is bundled with traditional cable companies has been trimmed, allowing SFN TV's price points to be considerably lower than the average cable company package.

In addition to low subscription rates, there are no hidden costs and no cancellation fees, which is always a plus. The cherry on top is SFN TV's cloud based DVR system, which gives you the freedom to record a program from any one of your devices and play it back on any of your devices at any time within seven days.

What Channels Are Available?

SFN TV states that they are exploring additional content and updating and adding packages as they move forward based on customer feedback. While this is promising, SFN TV does not give a concrete timeline as to when these modifications will occur. Currently, SFN TV has four different packages to choose from. See below for a breakdown of the packages as well as their price.

• SNF MAX ($48/month) – 90+ channels including AMC, ESPN, MLB.TV, CNN, IFC, FX, Cartoon Network, FOX News, Disney Channel, BBC America, Discovery, and more.

• SFN Popular ($36/month) – 70+ channels including CNN, ESPN, Disney Channel, BBC America, AMC, Fox News, IFC, TBS, TLC, Freeform, and more.

• SFN Local ($10/month) – 15+ channels including FOX, The CW, and more. Note that while customers can sign up and access SNF TV from anywhere in the United States, SFN TV is a company operating out of Atlanta, Georgia, so the local package includes many Atlanta based network affiliates. SFN TV's website also states that all of the Atlanta-based content may not be available depending on your location, so keep that in mind.

• SFN Faith ($5/month) – 10+ channels including The Catholic Channel, EWTN, Aspire TV and more* as the name of the package would suggest, the content offered in this package is exclusively faith-based.

For a full list of the channels available with each package, head to SFN TV's official website. The price of each package also includes the use of SFN TV's cloud-based DVR service.

Which Devices Are Compatible?

Currently, SFN TV is compatible with Roku boxes (3 & 4 only), and Android devices, however it does require Android version 5.0 (Lollipop). SFN TV's website says that the service will be available on iOS devices as well as Apple TV 4, but there is no specific date offered as to when these devices will be compatible.

With the SFN Popular package, users can access content on 3 devices simultaneously, whereas if users opt for the SFN MAX package, they will be able to access content on 5 devices at the same time.

Is There a Trial Available?

Since SFN TV is the new kid on the block, they are offering a free trial period for those who are curious about whether SFN TV is right for them. Users can try any one of the packages listed above for 7 days, absolutely free. There are no restrictions to the free service, meaning that you will get the full SFN TV experience free of charge for seven days. Signing up is super easy and access is immediate, head here to check it out.

Much like Sling TV, SFN TV is attempting to offer consumers a more reasonably priced television bundle by getting rid of the excess channels the cable companies force consumers to buy into. While Sling TV reviews have long focused on how Sling TV is the truest form of a “skinny” bundle, SFN TV is gunning for similar recognition. However, it’s worth noting that the bundles aren’t quite as skinny, so it will be interesting to see the reception it receives from cord cutters in the long term.

It’s also worth noting that the package of popular channels seems to offer a strange mix of channels. Make sure to pick through them carefully to see if it has what you’re looking for. Regardless, SFN TV does offer a lot of channels that aren’t easy to find elsewhere, such as Discovery, FOX News, and the Weather Channel. So like the other skinny bundles out there, this one isn’t perfect. But it could certainly fill the cable void for the right person.

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