Top 5 Best Live TV Streaming Services for Cutting the Cord

Here is a straightforward guide to help you start or keep up with the fast-changing world of the best live tv streaming services on the world wide web, in addition to other alternatives for the cord-cutter virgin.

We will review our top five choices for the best live tv streaming services and help get you started with cutting your cable and satellite bill down to just paying for internet. We help you find out who is worthy of making the cut. Will it be YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, PS VUE, CBS All Access, Philo TV, or FuboTV?

Also, we will help you avoid the confusion and pitfalls that intimidate users from making the full commitment. You will learn the trendy lingo and setup mechanics at a pace that will make them easy to digest.

Thus, if you would like to save money, learn how the cool kids are cutting the cord, all with less than 15 minutes of your time, take a look at our video and use the article as a print guide.







#5 Best Live TV Streaming Service

CBS ALL ACCESS

Counting down from number five, we start with CBS All Access CBS All Accessas one of the best live tv streaming services for the cord-cutter virgin. If you would like to watch live local television from CBS, including original content like Star-Trek: Discovery, The Twilight Zone, Big Brother, and sports games from the NFL, then CBS All Access is the one-stop shop. CBS also has a complete library of video content on-demand of all the shows you don’t have time to watch live. It’s also certainly one of the most economical services available.

The Breakdown

How much does it cost? The subscription starts at $5.99 monthly.

What’s the catch? You will have to sit through commercials, but you can upgrade to the ad-free plan for $9.99 monthly.

What are the perks? You get all the CBS All Access original programming like Star Trek: Discovery, The Twilight Zone, Big Brother 24/7 Live Feeds, and over 10,000 episodes from the CBS library.

What equipment do you need to stream CBS All Access? You can use several streaming media players or smart TVs such as; Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku TVs, Android, web player, and more.



#4 Best Live TV Streaming Service

HULU WITH LIVE TV

Next, we rank Hulu with Live TV as the fourth best live streaming service for the cord-cutter virgin. Hulu carries all the exclusive NBC programming and original programmings like Handmaid’s Tale and syndicated tv shows like Seinfeld, Rick and Morty, This is Us, etc.. The service comes with a basic package which can be either ad-supported or not, based on your subscription tier. It also has a vast library of theatrical films. You can get premium add-on channels like Showtime and Cinemax or additional locals if you want more content. Just check to make sure it’s in your area. It carries over 60 lives stations from select TV markets. You can also pay more to get additional features like “improved DVR” and “unlimited streams.”

The Breakdown

How much does it cost? The subscription starts at $44.99 monthly with live TV channels.

What’s the catch? You will have to sit through commercials, and it contains ads.

What are the perks? You get all the Original Hulu content like Handmaid’s Tale, favorite network TV shows, video on demand, add-on channels, Live TV package, and cloud DVR.

What equipment do you need to stream Hulu with Live TV? You can use several streaming media players or smart TVs such as; Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku TVs, Android, web player, and more.



#3 Best Live TV Streaming Service

DIRECTV NOW

Third, DirecTV Now wedges in the middle of our best live tv streaming service list for the cord-cutter virgin. DirecTV Now is an internet based live TV streaming service for people who may already be familiar with DirecTV satellite service. The service offers two base packages; Plus and Max, which provide over 40 and 50 live tv channels respectively. Each tier has premium channel add-ons; such as sports, Starz, Showtime, as well as over 40,000 on-demand shows and films.

Lastly, you get limited cloud DVR, but if you would like to stream on over two screens simultaneously, you need to pay extra.

The Breakdown

How much does it cost? The subscription starts at $50 monthly for Plus and $70 monthly for Max.

What’s the catch? You will have to pay extra for additional TV screens, and the cloud DVR feature is limited, for now.

What are the perks? The base package includes HBO, and if you’re an AT&T Wireless customer, you get a discount.

What equipment do you need to stream Hulu with Live TV? You can use several streaming media players or smart TVs such as; Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku TVs, Android, web player, and more.



#2 Best Live TV Streaming Service

SLING TV

Runner-up on our list of best live TV streaming services for the cord-cutter virgin is Sling TV. The service offers two identically priced packages with on-demand stations and live TV. The difference between the two plans is the following;

First is the Orange Plan: The Orange plan has 22 live TV channels, such as Disney and ESPN for one screen.

Second is the Blue Plan: The Blue plan has 35 live TV channels and three screens, but no Disney or ESPN.

Smartly, you may combine the Orange plan and Blue plan to get a total of four screens. You may also add-on cloud DVR access for an additional fee.

The Breakdown

How much does it cost? Orange and Blue subscription plans are $25. You can save money by bundling the Orange and Blue plans for a total of $40.

What’s the catch? There is limited local TV stations available and limited simultaneous screen streaming allowance.

What are the perks? Sling TV includes a relatively cheap cloud DVR feature .

What equipment do you need to stream Hulu with Live TV? You can use several streaming media players or smart TVs such as; Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku TVs, Android, web player, and more.



#1 Best Live TV Streaming Service

YOUTUBE TV

Our favorite pick for the best live streaming service for the cord-cutter virgin is YouTube TV. YouTube TV has more stations in its foundation package than any competition, and its channel coverage contains all four locals in regions of the country. Those are ABC. CBS, NBC, and Fox.

Additionally, it has the best cloud DVR of this group, including unlimited storage. The user interface is very familiar to YouTube viewers, and it provides the majority of the attributes a cable service can give you. And unlike many other services, it is the least complex to setup from start to finish.

The Breakdown

How much does it cost? Plans start at $40 monthly.

What’s the catch? The unlimited cloud DVR has a quirky limitation. When an episode you’ve recorded appears in the VOD library of YouTube TV, the on-demand version replaces it, which means you lose the capacity to fast-forward through commercials.

What are the perks? Unlimited DVR and it includes all major local channel networks.

What equipment do you need to stream YouTube TV? You can use several streaming media players or smart TVs such as; Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku TVs, Android, Xbox, web player, and more.



CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In summary, we recommend you begin your cord-cutter live TV streaming journey with YouTube TV. It is the most honest service provider that you may already be familiar with, most natural to transition into, easiest to install on internet-connected devices, and most comfortable to navigate. We highly suggest you use this service on an Android-based media player like the NVidia Shield, for the best viewing experience. The NVidia Shield is the Cadillac of all media streaming players on the market.

Welcome to the Cord-Cutter Club!!!

Lastly, we recommend that you test out all the other services included in this review after you sign up for YouTube TV. We urge you to take advantage of any free trial offers before making a financial commitment.

Remember to call your internet provider to ask them for any promotional deals that will help you upgrade your speed at a reduced cost. If you would like to keep your existing cable or satellite tv package as a safety net, use your newly added streaming service as a bargaining chip. If they cannot match your savings for tv, offer to keep your internet package as a compromise, if they agree to reduce the price. You will have a higher success rate at getting your provider to reduce your internet package with this tactic. It’s a win-win scenario for both you and your provider. They will be able to keep you as a loyal customer, and you can enjoy a cord-cutter lifestyle with just an internet package. So press forward and good luck!

Listen to Our Podcast

WAIT, THERE’S MORE…

Please remember to take our Slacker Test and keep up with all our latest Guides, Reviews, and Podcast, every week by signing up for our newsletter below.