Cable, satellite TV cost too much?

Guy Martin.

It seems like every time we turn around the cost of our cable/satellite TV service goes up. And for many, we only watch a couple of channels from the hundreds they provide. And if you want premium channels, you still have to pay for them. So, a regular question I get is, are there alternatives to this quandary?

In today's age, we have smart televisions. What makes them "smart" is the ability to directly connect them to your internet, and then you can stream online content from hundreds of free and subscription-based apps. A lot of the televisions are either Roku or Fire televisions. These are two of the most common technologies. Fire televisions feature the Amazon Prime service. The Roku televisions use the Roku interface setup. You can still run your cable box into the smart TV. You can get your Amazon Prime Video on both of these options. The combination of all these features will give you an endless supply of entertainment.

Now, if you do not have a smart TV, and have a TV that you really like and don't want to give up, you can still turn it into a smart TV. You accomplish this by adding a standalone device. Two common options are the Amazon Fire Sticks and Roku Streaming devices. These devices work by connecting to your WiFi internet connection and then streaming content through the internet. With each device, you can subscribe to services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. So, there is cost involved to get the programming you want, but that's the point...programming you want. And there is a plethora of free channels you can add. These are a great alternative to the high cost of cable and satellite.

An awesome benefit of these devices for cable subscribers is that you can watch much of your cable content with these devices. This eliminates you having to use a cable box for each TV in your house. Now that is a huge bonus, since Spectrum requires a cable box for each television at a monthly cost for each box. To accomplish this, you will need to download the app from Spectrum, DirecTV or whichever service you choose to your streaming device, or even your smart phone. Yes, you can even watch it on your smart phone and tablet devices. Once downloaded, you will need to login with the account information from your provider to be able to stream and watch your service on the device.

You can purchase these devices from Amazon, Walmart and other websites. They are also available at our local Walmart. Prices range from $20 to $100 for the devices. Black Friday sales always have great prices, too.

Many people hear about being able to get all movies and TV, including subscription channels for free with the Fire Stick, but it has to have a program installed before it will work. There are many sellers out there who claim they have "jail broken" the device and that you will now have access to a huge amount of TV and movies. The first question I am usually asked, "Is it legal?" That's a tricky question, as there are at least two factors involved. First, the program that they use to accomplish the "free" aspect is a legitimate program. However, in all actuality, it's not legal. The reason is because it utilizes television shows and movies all around the world that are being shared by people who have recorded these shows.

The end result is that pirated copies of shows are being shared. And, it is a cumbersome and unreliable solution to try and get free TV. The interfaces used to navigate these programs are crude at best, and have frustrated many people who have tried this venture. The old saying, "you get what you paid for" comes to mind, and in my opinion definitely applies to this option for free TV. There are many legitimate free apps out there that will get you movies and television shows, you will just have to experiment with it and see what works best for you.

Please, feel free to call, email or come in and visit my shop if you need help or have questions. I sure would love to meet you, even if just to shoot the breeze for a few.

For more information call Guy Martin at (661) 972-0448, email [email protected] or visit 20424 Brian Way, Unit 4 Tehachapi.