Internet Streaming Tv Services

It's only natural for a potential cord-cutter to think, 'Why do I need cable when I can just stream everything online?' Indeed, most of the major networks -- from ABC to TNT -- have web portals and mobile apps, all of them capable of streaming their current shows.

Just one problem: Once you ditch cable or satellite or whatever 'traditional' (read: paid) service that pipes TV into your home, you may lose access to some of those networks. That's because many of them won't let you stream their content unless you have an active TV-provider subscription.

I'm looking at you, AMC. You, too, SyFy. Oh, and don't try to slink away, TBS. Give us your shows! We'll gladly (well, 'gladly') sit through your commercials.

Fortunately, some networks are more generous, allowing pretty much anyone with an internet connection and PC or mobile device to watch all -- or at least some -- of their programming. Here's the scoop on what you can watch for free. (Note: Show availability may vary between desktop browsers and mobile apps.)

ABC

Home to popular shows such as 'American Crime,' 'Black-ish' and 'Modern Family,' ABC offers only some shows for free; others do require a sign-in. For example, at this writing, you can watch three of the four most recent episodes of 'Black-ish.' The most recent, however, meaning the one that just aired, requires a sign-in. And if you want earlier episodes or previous seasons, you're out of luck.

Some shows have different restrictions. For example, the entire first season of 'Designated Survivor' is available for streaming, but only the pilot and episodes 7-11 are freely available; the others require a sign-in. However, dig deeper and you'll find an almost Hulu-level selection of 'throwback' series you can stream, including 'Brothers and Sisters,' 'Felicity' and 'Sports Night.'

CBS

CBS, which owns CNET, has the best online streaming network in history! Ahem. Actually, the network offers a considerable library of TV, everything from current series like '2 Broke Girls' to soaps like 'The Young and the Restless.' In between: classics like 'Taxi' and 'Star Trek' (every series to date, including the upcoming 'Discovery') and every single episode of 'Frasier.' You'll find a total of around 100 shows, new and old alike.

However, while you can watch a smattering of episodes for free (the number varies from show to show), it's not a sign-in you'll need to access the larger library -- it's a subscription to CBS All Access. The service costs $5.99 per month, or $9.99 if you want to watch commercial-free.

Fox

If giving up cable means giving up 'Bob's Burgers,' forget it! Fortunately, Fox employs a model similar to that of ABC, though with a little extra confusion thrown in for good measure.

Without a sign-in, you can watch the latest five episodes of current shows, and new episodes of returning shows unlock eight days after airing on TV. However, the Fox site imposes a 'Preview Pass' that limits you to one hour of free viewing (though not commercial-free). After that, it appears that you'll need a sign-in if you want to continue watching in your browser. The mobile apps don't seem to have that limitation.

NBC

NBC's model is also similar to that of ABC, with a mixture of free and sign-in-required offerings -- but a lot more of the former, thankfully. You can watch the latest five episodes of 'This is Us,' including the most recently aired, along with a couple weeks' worth of 'The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.'

Even better, you can watch the entire first season of 'The Good Place,' and NBC also has classic shows like the original 'Battlestar Galactica' and more recent fare, including the pretty-good-while-it-lasted 'The Event.'

The CW

The CW's deal is simple: You can watch the five most recent episodes of just about every show that's currently on the air, from 'Arrow' to 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' to 'Vampire Diaries.' But there's also a spin-off service, CW Seed, that offers free access to an eclectic wealth of extra content, including 'Constantine,' 'Everybody Hates Chris,' 'Pushing Daisies' and over 200 episodes of 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' This is an especially good source of animated DC shows such as 'Vixen' and five iterations of 'Justice League.'

Other networks

As noted previously, networks like AMC, Science Channel, SyFy, TBS and TNT won't stream anything unless you sign in with valid TV-provider credentials. That's definitely a bummer if you're interested in staying current on shows like 'The Walking Dead' (AMC), 'The Expanse' (SyFy) and 'The Detour' (TBS). But Food Network, HGTV, History Channel and others will let you stream at least some of their content -- usually a smattering of recent episodes of any given series.

As you're browsing shows, look for a little 'key' icon -- that's usually the indicator that a sign-in is required. Without it: no streaming for you.

So here's my question: Given the hassles of hopping between sites and/or apps, the fairly major limitations on what you're able to stream for free and the lack of any kind of offline-viewing options, does it really make sense to cut the cord? I'm all for saving money, but with a basic-cable subscription and DVR, you might find yourself a much happier TV viewer. And isn't happy the whole point of television?

While you're mulling that over, check out CNET's directory of streaming TV services.

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• Before You Cut the Cord

• Discover Cable Alternatives

• Devices To Have on Hand

Streaming is a technology used to deliver content to computers and mobile devices over the internet. Streaming transmits data — usually audio and video, but increasingly other kinds as well — as a continuous flow, which allows the recipients to begin to watch or listen almost immediately.

The Two Kinds of Downloads

For streaming to make sense, you need to learn a bit about how data (music, movies, web pages, emails, etc.) gets to your computer. There are two ways to download content over the internet:

1. Progressive Downloads
2. Streaming

Streaming is the quickest way to access internet-based content, but it's not the only way. Progressive download is another option that was used for years before streaming was possible. The key differences between progressive download and streaming are when you can start using the content and what happens to the content after you're done with it.

Progressive downloads are the traditional kind of download that anyone who's used the internet is familiar with. When you download an app or game or buy music from the iTunes Store, you need to download the entire thing before you can use it. That's a progressive download.

Streaming is different. Streaming allows you to start using the content before the entire file is downloaded. Take music: When you stream a song from Apple Music or Spotify, you can click play and start listening almost immediately. You don't have to wait for the song to download before the music starts. This is one of the major advantages of streaming. It delivers data to you as you need it.

The other major difference between streaming and downloads is what happens to the data after you use it. For downloads, the data is stored on your device until you delete it. For streams, the data is automatically deleted after you use it. A song you stream from Spotify isn't saved to your computer (unless you save it for offline listening, which is a kind of download).

Requirements for Streaming Content

Streaming requires a relatively fast internet connection — just how fast depends on the type of media you are streaming. A speed of 2 megabits per second (Mbps) or more is necessary for streaming standard definition video without skips, reductions in quality, or buffering delays. HD and 4K content requires higher speeds for flawless delivery: at least 5 Mbps for HD content and 9 Mbps for 4K content.

Live Streaming

Live streaming is the same as the streaming discussed above, but it's specifically used for internet content delivered in real time as it happens. Live streaming is popular with live television shows and special one-time events or sports.

Streaming Games and Apps

Streaming has traditionally been used to deliver audio and video, but Apple has recently implemented technology that allows streaming to work with games and apps too.

This technique, called on-demand resources, allows games and apps to include a core set of features and functions when the user first downloads them and then to stream new content as the user needs it. For example, a game might include its first four levels in the initial download and then automatically download levels five and six when you start playing level four.

This approach is useful because it means downloads are quicker and use less data, which is especially important if you have a data limit on your phone plan. It also means that apps take up less space on the device they're installed on.

Problems With Streaming

Because streaming delivers data as you need it, slow or interrupted internet connections can cause problems. For example, if you have streamed only the first 30 seconds of a song and your internet connection drops before any more of the song has streamed to your device, the song stops playing.

The most common streaming error that crops up has to do with buffering. Usb ethernet adapter drivers windows 10. The buffer is a program's temporary memory that stores the streamed content. The buffer is always filling up with the content you need next. For example, if you watch a movie, the buffer stores the next few minutes of video while you're watching the current content. If your internet connection is slow, the buffer won't fill up quickly enough, and the stream either stops or the quality of the audio or video is reduced to compensate.

Examples of Streaming Apps and Content

Streaming is used most often in music, video and radio apps. For some examples of streaming content, check out: