The Roku streaming box player gets a big update Wednesday with the release of the Roku 3. The $99 box, which replaces the Roku 2, has a faster processor, stronger Wi-Fi and, most important, a new search interface.
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While we knew it was coming, Roku has announced that the all-new Blockbuster on Demand service is now live on its video-streaming platform (US only), and will be available on the Roku Streaming Stick, Roku 2, Roku LT, and new Roku HD players (model 2500X).
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You can watch your favorite teams and get your favorite sporting events without the hefty cable bill. It’s not as hard as you think, and you’ll save big bucks doing it.

Now in order for you to watch live streaming sports free on your Roku or Apple TV, you’re going to need to cut your cable TV off. The  sports services aren’t free but they aren’t as pricey your cable bill and they give you more functionality. So, switching to streaming sports can save you, if you do it right.

You don’t have to miss your basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey or UFC. There are options for MLB, NBA, MLS, NHL and others. The streaming offerings are getting better for sports fan but you may still have to make some compromises.

Stream Baseball in HD with MLB.TV

If you’ve a real baseball fan and you’ve seen Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns at least twice, then you’ll be happy to know MLB has a great service called MLB.TV that lets you watch live MLB baseball games from your living room digital media device and your mobile devices. You’ll be able to see multiple camera angles, commentary, highlights and stats.

You may be subject to blackout restrictions depending on where you live.

The price is either an annual fee of $129.99 or a monthly subscription of $24.99.

Signup for MLB.TV or checkout the Top MLB Gifts under $50.

Stream Live Basketball with NBA League Pass

You’re probably wearing an NBA Jersey and don’t want to miss a game. Fortunate for you, the NBA has a service called NBA League Pass that’s similar to MLB.TV. You’ll be able to watch live streaming games over the internet, your TV, Roku, Xbox, android or iOS device. You’ll even be able to watch four games at once, rewind and pause games and watch game archives for the whole season. You’ll also have access to live streaming highlights.

As with MLB.TV, blackouts restrictions may apply.

The price starts at $64.99/year and changes with different options and packages.

Get your subscription to NBA League Pass or get yourself a jersey.

Stream Live Soccer with MLS Live

If you frequently wear socks that touch your knees, you’ll be happy to hear Major League Soccer has a great service for you. MLS Live streams live HD matches, highlights and archives. You’ll get about 230 games per year and access on your computer, Roku, iOS and Android devices.

Like you might expect, blackouts may apply.

Prices start out at a very reasonable $14.99/mo or $59.99 for the year.

Subscribe to MLS Live or get more ridiculous socks.

Stream Live UFC events with UFC.TV

Pull out your sweet affliction shirt and get ready to watch some live streaming UFC. UFC.TV has HD streaming of live events and archived fights. You can watch it at home with Roku or your Samsung TV or you can watch it on the go with your android or iOS device.

Some fights may not be immediately available depending on blackouts.

The price is $59.99 for six months.

Get some aggression out and subscribe to UFC.TV.

Stream Live Hockey Games with NHL GameCenter Live

If you whistle when you talk because you’re missing a front tooth then you’re probably either a hillbilly or a hockey fan. If you’re a hockey fan then congratulations. The NHL has probably one of the best sports streaming offerings around.

They offer access on just about every platform out there, Roku, Boxee, Apple TV, Xbox, Playstation, and Sony TVs. Also, they offer great functionality. Live games, replays, highlights, classic games, DVR, and slow motion.

This is also a great option if you live in a part of the country that does offer NHL coverage on TV. Blackouts may apply.

The price is great too at only $49.99/year.

Pickup a new helmet and subscribe to NHL GameCenter Live.

Stream Football

The NFL and NCAA have not kept up with the other leagues. Options for football fans are limited right now, but what is out there is free or nearly free.

SEC Network on Roku is a godsend for any SEC fan. You’ll get to watch the current week’s games and other content. The games aren’t live but they are free.

CBSSports.com Football games that air on CBS are streamed online at CBSSports.com. You can watch in your browser free. They also have a Roku channel but they only show highlights there. Full games can only be seen online at this time.

Checkout other great streaming services.

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Roku’s been updating their website this week… and just accidentally spilled the beans on the Roku 3, given this new support site. We presume the new model is the same 4200x Engadget turned up via the FCC a few weeks back. Of course, beyond a name …
See all stories on this topic » Read More

How to Cut Cable and Save Big

Related articles

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• FCC filing indicates Roku 3 may be on its way (digitaltrends.com)
• Roku 4200X appears in FCC filing, shows off smaller footprint (engadget.com)

So, you’ve installed the Plex Media Server and you’re streaming all of you’re DVDs, photos, and music to you’re media devices in your house. Awesome, but, are you really taking advantage of everything the Plex Media Server can do?

Related: Plex Media Server and Backing up your DVD collection.

Plex has tons of Channels of high quality TV shows, movies, photos, podcasts, etc. They can help you get around any weaknesses your  cord cutter setup may have. Here are the essentials to get you started.

Broadcast TV Networks

Watch full episodes of the most recent shows on the Big 3 TV networks and PBS. Sure, you can pick these guys up over the antenna and get great HD signal, but If you’re coverage is spotty or you just want to watch these show on your own time, then these channels are the answer.

Cable TV Networks

Even with Hulu and Netflix, there are shows that are hard to find anywhere else but streaming from the network websites. All of these channels will let you watch the latest and greatest TV Shows or catchup on old episodes without having to pull out your laptop.

Web Content

Discover great music using Pitchfork or find the YouTube videos everybody is talking about with Devour. These channels will get you started with finding great content that you don’t normally find on your TV.

These channels should get you started. There are so many other great channels out there, like us on Facebook so you don’t miss our next Plex article.
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Related: Plex Media Server and Backing up your DVD collection.

This is the first in a regular series called Weekend Flix.

These are the best new movies and documentaries added to Netflix this week. There are some interesting documentaries focused overcoming adversity and social stigma and also challenging some of our preconceptions.

The Slanted Screen

Filmmaker Jeff Adachi salutes groundbreaking entertainers while turning a critical lens on the ways in which American cinema has depicted Asian men. Segments focus on the careers of playwright Frank Chin, comedian Bobby Lee and others. Reviews

Hermano

Brothers Daniel and Julio love soccer, but while Julio focuses on providing for their family, Daniel dreams about playing professionally. When a pro scout comes to watch them play, they face an agonizing choice between family and their sport. Reviews

Undefeated

Cinéma vérité tackles football in this inspirational profile of an inner-city Memphis high school football team, whose downtrodden players combine with a dedicated volunteer coach in a valiant effort to reach the school’s first-ever playoff game. reviews

Eating with Cannibals

This National Geographic documentary takes a detailed look at one of humankind’s ultimate taboos: cannibalism. Trek into the rain forests to hear from tribe members who have eaten human flesh. reviews

Daisy

Set in Amsterdam, the story features a love triangle between a young girl and the two mysterious men in her life. One is a hit-man and the other his pursuer. As the two men clash, Hye-young is caught in the middle of this action-fueled romance story. reviews

Side by Side

Keanu Reeves produced and narrates this engaging documentary about the history of digital cinema technology and its vast impact on the movie industry. Despite the digital takeover, many fans still embrace the unique qualities of celluloid film. reviews

If you’re a real Downton Abey fan, you’ll love this.

[...]

This is the final article in a 3 part series entitled, Television on the Web.

Be sure to checkout Part 1, “Is it Right for Me?” or Part 2, “Streaming Services” for more information.

Ok, so you’ve decided that cutting the cord to cable is right for you. You’ve picked the services you’d like to use. Now it’s time to find the right device.

There are a few factors to consider here. What you want to watch and how you want to watch it. Also, what ecosystem you use and finally price.

The list of which services play on which box is changing so fast that adding it to this article would risk putting outdated information. Instead, I recommend looking through the list of devices and deciding which ones support the way you intend to view your content and then doing further research to see if they support the streaming services you’re that interest you.

Some commonalities, with the exception of some low end budget boxes, expect to see HDMI and 1080p HD video. Also, wireless is the standard for these digital media devices. With the exception of the Boxee Box, they are all pretty small and unobtrusive.

Apple TV
Cost: $99

Odds are, you already have a bias to Apple products. Either you love their design and services and already own several Apple devices, use the iTunes store and generally like them, or you think they’re pricy, pretentious and have no intention of buying anything with a half-eaten piece of fruit on it.

Honestly, let that be your guide. Even if the services fit your need, if you don’t like the company, don’t invest in their products. To really get the full experience, you need to be part of the full Apple ecosystem.

That said, Apple TV has many of the popular services and also will allow you to play TV shows, movies and music from your iTunes library. You can also make purchase from iTunes directly from the devices and also stream content from your iPad and iPhone via Airplay.

The apple TV is definitely one of the strongest in this category.

Roku
Cost: from $49-$99 depending on which one you choose.

So, if you’re not interested in the Apple TV, then the Roku XS deserves a strong look. There is an active app developer base and new apps are appearing here all of the time. Nearly every service except for iTunes and Youtube are available on the Roku.

The interface is easy to use, if space and the system is overall solid and stable. Even the non-tech folks in your house won’t have any challenges using the Roku.

WD TV Live
Price $99 – $200

If I was starting from scratch, the offerings from Western Digital would be a compelling choice. You have two serious options here. The WD TV Live and the WD TV Live Hub. The first is more of a player but can also playback movies stored on an external drive. The second has a 1 TB drive that actually stores those shows and movies to the internal drive. This is a great option if you want a nice seamless setup and also plan to backup all of your DVDs.

Of course, you also have the streaming services like with the other devices in this article.

I like the $99 WD TV Live here. I don’t want to limit myself to the 1 TB in the Hub version.

The Boxee Box
Price: ~$165

Boxee started as a program that you could install on a home theater PC. They have since switched to the external box in your living room concept. To call it a box is a bit of a misnomer. its more of a pyramid-like thing. You’ll either love it or hate it.

The Boxee Box does a lot of things. Media server, streaming services, social media integration, a lot. What it doesn’t have is Hulu. Without that, I’m not interested. If you can live without it, well then this might be a good choice if you can get past it’s looks.

Smart TVs
Price: $500 – Sky’s the Limit

The segment of smart TV is large and growing. In fact, it’s hard to really find a “dumb” tv anymore. You might even already have one and not know it.

The smart TVs are great if you are already in the market to upgrade your TV. I would not, however, go out and buy a new TV just for the so called smarts. How smart is it to pay a several hundred dollar premium for a smart TV when you can easily add the same functionality with a little box sitting under your TV for $100.

Also another consideration, how often do you upgrade your TV? If you plan on holding onto your TV for 5-10 years will you have access to the next big unannounced service coming down the road?

If you like the idea of having the whole solution integrated into one device, then take a look at the offerings from Samsung and Panasonic. They really have some great looking TVs.

Gaming Consoles
Price: Lots

If you’re a gamer, you’ve got a way to watch most streaming services in the Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3. If you’re not a gamer, don’t go buying a gaming console just to watch Netflix.

Well, that’s it. Three articles get you closer to freedom from the cable company and freedom from a ridiculous cable bill.

What do you think? What did I miss? What questions do you have? Please comment.