I have had “deal with tv” on my list of things to do for ages. I knew I was paying too much for cable, but I’m a tv gal so it seemed ok that I was prioritizing tv. But these days with all the streaming options it also seemed like there had to be something better. And I am already paying for Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. And Max. But as soon as I started to Google “tv options” I became overwhelmed and put it off.
So I finally started taking some action. I’ve been using a Tivo as my DVR with cable. So I pulled up my list of season passes and looked at what networks I really watched. And then I started to look at where I could get the various options. FX/FXX is easy because it’s always on Hulu. I could add Paramount+ and Peacock to get NBC and CBS. And was ABC also playing on Hulu?
I felt myself starting to freeze up again.
So I checked Hulu Live to see what coverage they had and basically, it was everything except AMC. I have been enjoying but figured I could AMC+ at some point if it was a dealbreaker for the next season of Dark Winds for example. Then I checked YouTube and decided since I already had Hulu I wasn’t going to go down that rabbit hole.
I didn’t love the idea of getting everything on streaming. There have been times when for example the internet goes out and I’ve been able to watch regular tv. It has been relatively infrequently. The other thing that I love is the ease of pausing and rewinding or fast-forwarding on regular DVR shows, and the fact that you can actually pause the screen and see what’s there. These didn’t seem like deal-breakers.
So it’s happened. I’ve added all my season passes to be recorded and there’s an option to go to my stuff and find recorded programs. So far it seems to work which I guess is what one wants. I am not as comfortable with the interface. I don’t see for example how to display what shows are upcoming to be recorded. We’ll see. And I now get Disney+ so I’ll be poking around there.
I know that I can always go back to cable if I hate it. And I’d be more appreciative if that was the case.
Next, I’m not sure I need my TiVo anymore but that’s an emotional decision I can put off for another day. I will add it to my list.
Do you still have cable? If not how are you getting tv these days?
