LGBT Senior’s Tech Talk: Streaming TV Made Simple
Mark McNease/Editor
We cut the cord several years ago after holding onto cable out of a common fear that giving it up would bring calamity. But as the rates kept rising year after year, and we lost everything that had been recorded on the cable’s DVR when the box went bad, we said enough and made the switch to streaming.
We love it! Our main source is YouTubeTV, which has as many channels as cable did, and can record hundreds of hours of TV shows we don’t watch live. (Recording also means we can speed through any commercials.) And with streaming, it’s all connected to your account and not a cable box. Instead if having to pay extra for a second box in the bedroom, or even a third, all you need is a TV, WiFi, and an account with any of the streaming services.
Not only does this mean our TV essentially goes with us anywhere, and can be streamed on any device, it also means I can travel with my Amazon Fire stick, plug it into a hotel room’s TV, and see everything we’d see at home. On that note, too, I recently discovered Hampton Inns are now making streaming the default, either through in-house apps or with the ability to connect your own device. Smart move! Hotels don’t have to pay a cable fee for their room TVs now, they just need streaming apps. It’s about time!
So, if you’ve cut the cord on cable, or you’re thinking about it, welcome to the wonderful, sometimes bewildering world of streaming television. There’s never been more to watch. There’s also never been more ways to accidentally spend $80 a month on services you forgot you signed up for, so let’s fix that.
What Is Streaming, Exactly?
Streaming means watching TV shows, movies, and video content over the internet instead of through a cable or satellite provider. No dish, no cable box, no appointment window between noon and four. You watch what you want, when you want, on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer. The tradeoff is that instead of one big cable bill, you’re now managing several smaller subscriptions — and that’s where things can quietly get out of hand.
The Big Four (Plus One)
Here’s a plain-English rundown of the major services:
Netflix is the one that started it all and still has one of the strongest libraries of original series and films. It’s what most people picture when they think of streaming. Monthly cost runs from about $7 (with ads) to $23 depending on the plan. Good for: drama series, documentaries, international content, and a surprisingly strong LGBTQ+ catalog.
Amazon Prime Video comes bundled with an Amazon Prime membership, so if you’re already paying for Prime shipping, you have it. The library is solid, with excellent original series, and it’s one of the better values if you’re already an Amazon customer. Watch out for the “rent or buy” buttons — not everything included with Prime is free, and it’s easy to click your way into a charge.
Hulu is unique because it offers next-day access to current network TV shows — so if you watch ABC, NBC, Fox, or CBS shows, Hulu lets you catch up without a DVR. It also has a strong original series library. Plans start around $8 with ads. Hulu also offers a live TV package if you want something closer to a traditional cable experience.
YouTube — the free version — is genuinely underrated as a streaming option. Millions of videos on every subject imaginable, full episodes of older TV shows, documentaries, news, and more, all free with ads. YouTube also has a paid tier called YouTube Premium that removes ads and adds some original content, but the free version alone is worth having on your TV.
Disney+ rounds out the big five and is worth mentioning because it’s not just for children. It carries the entire Marvel and Star Wars catalogs, classic Disney films, National Geographic, and a growing library of adult-oriented content. At around $8 a month with ads, it’s one of the more affordable options.
The Problem Nobody Warns You About
These services are designed to be easy to sign up for and easy to forget. A free trial ends, the charge begins, and six months later you’re paying for something you watched once in January. This happens to everyone, and it adds up fast.
Here’s the simple fix: once a month, check your credit card or bank statement and look for streaming charges. Write them down. Then ask yourself honestly whether you’ve used each one in the past 30 days. If not, cancel it. You can always resubscribe when there’s something you want to watch — these services make it just as easy to come back as it is to sign up.
You Don’t Need All of Them
This is the most important thing in this column. You do not need Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, and YouTube all running at the same time. Pick two that match what you actually like to watch. Use them. When you finish a series or run out of things you want to see, cancel one and try another. Think of it like a library card rather than a permanent purchase.
A good starting point for most people: keep Prime Video if you already have Amazon Prime, add one other service based on your taste, and use free YouTube to fill in the gaps. That’s a complete, affordable streaming setup that covers more content than you could watch in several lifetimes.
One Last Tip
If you have a smart TV made in the last five years, all of these apps are probably already installed and waiting for you. You don’t need any extra equipment. Just open the app, create a free account, and start your trial. And set a calendar reminder for the day before that trial ends, so you can decide whether to keep it — on your terms, not theirs.