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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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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.

Checkout Television on the Web pt. 1 “Is it right for me?” if you haven’t already.

So what do we replace our hundreds of cable channels with? There are several on-demand Internet streaming media services out there. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Netflix

Cost: $7.99/month streaming or $15.98 streaming + DVDs

Available on: Apple TV, Roku, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, Smart TVs, various tablets, phones and internet connected DVD players and devices

Commercials: No

This is the most well known service out there. They offer complete seasons of TV shows and an immense number of movies. Netflix just recently added Disney movies and TV shows.

Netflix doesn’t add TV shows the day after they air on cable. Generally, their shows are already available on DVD. They also offer a larger DVDs by mail service for an extra 7.99.

They do offer a 30-day free trail.

You can checkout their catalog at Netflix.com

Hulu

Cost: Free on computer, $9.99/month for Hulu Plus which allows access from other devices and a larger catalog

Available on: Apple TV, Roku, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, Hulu, various tablets, phones and internet connected DVD players and devices

Commercials: Yes, even with Hulu Plus

Hulu is a joint venture between NBC, Fox and Disney. Hulu offers free viewing of a good portion of their catalog including next day TV shows. If you want to stay current with TV shows from NBC, Comedy Central, Fox and others, this is your service.

One unique feature of Hulu Plus is the addition of the Criterion Collection. This is a nice feature for cinema fans because you’ve got a lot of great, critically acclaimed movies here.

Hulu Plus is free to try for one week.

Amazon

Cost: Depends

Available on: Kindle Fire, Roku, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, Smart TVs, various tablets, phones and internet connected DVD players and devices

Commercials: No

This one can be a little confusing, so bear with me.

With Amazon, you can buy TV shows and movies by the episode. This is much like iTunes. In order to buy shows and movies, you don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member.

If you want to watch unlimited streaming TV shows and movies (think Netflix) then you need Amazon Instant Prime Video. This will also give you access to free two-day shipping on a lot of Amazon.com items and access to the kindle lending library.

The Instant Prime catalog is very much like Netflix, but not as extensive.

Amazon is great for those shows that aren’t offered on streaming or the if DVD hasn’t come out.

For instance, my wife and I watch “The Walking Dead” the day after it airs. It isn’t offered on Netflix or Hulu, so we just buy the $1.99 episodes. Your purchases are always available from that point on. You are actually buying the episode, not renting it.

Amazon Prime offers a free 30 day trial.

iTunes

Cost: Per Item Cost varies, $.99 and up.

Available on: Apple Devices

Commercials: No

Most people will be familiar with iTunes. You buy the TV show, music, or movie and can watch it on your Apple TV, iPad, iPod, and iPhone.

Their catalog is huge and if you can’t find it here, good luck finding it anywhere else.

Redbox Instant

Cost: $8/month with 4 free DVD rentals from Redbox kiosks per month.

Available on: Mobile devices for now- iPad, iPhone, Android

Commercials: no

So, First off, I should point out that Redbox Instant is in beta right now so it’s not fair to compare them yet.

You have access to a limited catalog of movies you can stream and DVDs from a Redbox kiosk.

Redbox Instant isn’t taking any business from Netflix yet, but when it roles out publicly, this might change.

Check out the free 1 month trial.

Vudu

Price: Pay per download

Available on: basically, everywhere iTunes isn’t

Commercial: no

Vudu is from Walmart. I really like this service because it’s available in a lot of places, has a big catalog, TV shows are available quickly after air and they have nice curated lists of shows and movies.

Right now, they’re offering 10 free movies when you sign-up.

Blockbuster

Price: Starting at 9.99/month

Available: Roku, Smart TVs and mobile

Commercials: no

Ok, so I think blockbuster is confused by itself. It offers DVDs by mail like Netflix did, and it offers streaming purchases like Vudu.

I’m not sure how much longer they’re going to be around and I don’t really consider them players.

Free trials… yep, they’re offering all kinds of promos to get you to try them. Maybe I’m a bit bitter from paying $5-6 for a 1-day VHS rental back in the 1990s and I’m not interested. Pass.

Now, which device is right for you? Television on the Web pt. 3 “Pick a Device”

Which services are you interested in? Which have you used? Which do you recommend?

Two of the most popular ways to cut the cord to cable TV is to use a Roku box or an Apple TV. Which one is right for you?

We’re stacking up the Apple TV 3rd generation with the comparable Roku XS.

Price

They’re both $99. The similarities don’t end there.

Roku does offer other models that start at $49. You can check them out here.

Hardware

So, neither of these little rectangular boxes has anything remarkable on the outside. They’re basically  1″ x 3″ x 3″ squares that sit under your TV. The Apple TV is ever so slightly larger but for all practicality, the same. The Apple TV does feel sturdier, but I don’t plan on throwing them across the room.

If you flip them around and look at the back, you’ll notice a similar set of connectors.

Roku 2 XS Rear

Apple TV 3rd Gen Rear

Both have HDMI and Ethernet but the Roku has AV out and a slot for micro SD and the Apple TV has a slot for optical audio. I do like the ability to play videos off of the micro SD card slot on the Roku. Also, the Roku has a USB connector that can be used to play back video from a hard drive.

If you aren’t using a TV with HDMI, you’re only choice is the Roku.

The remotes are also very similar. They’re small, simple and well designed. Both setups also allow you to use your phone as a remote.

Winner: Roku

User interface

So both systems use icons for their various channels. Both interfaces are snappy and responsive without any noticeable lag. The Apple TV’s interface is more convenient because you can see all of your channels and once, while you’ll be doing some scrolling left and right with the Roku. Also, Roku does display an ad at the bottom of the home screen.

Apple TV Interface

Roku 2 XS Interface

Winner: Apple TV

Setup

Easy as can be with both of them. If you can hook up a toaster, you can install these guys. The directions are simple to follow. You’ll need to set up an account with Roku and the Apple TV but Roku does collect credit card info so you can make purchases from the channel store. In reality, you’ll need to give Apple all of that info to make use of the Apple TV to its fullest.

Winner: Tie

Quality

You’ll get 1080P, 5.1 Surround sound and supper fast 802.11n WiFi. No real differences here.

Winner: Tie

Content

Roku is the big boy in this category.

Apple has Netflix, Hulu, MLB.TV, NHL, NBA, Flickr and YouTube. You can also purchase/rent content from iTunes.

Related: Cord Cutter Guide

The Roku answers with Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Instant, Spotify, Vimeo, Pandora and about 300 other channels of various uses. There is also a channel for Plex Media Server. Notice there is no YouTube channel with Roku. If that’s a must, then Apple TV is your box.

Winner: Roku

Play Content from your Computer

As you might expect, the Apple TV interfaces beautifully with your iTunes library. All of your purchases will be available to all of your other Apple devices. If you already own a bunch of Apple devices, have a lot of iTunes purchases and are bought into the Apple ecosystem then the no-brainer choice here is an Apple TV. You’ll even be able to use Apple Airplay to stream content straight from your iPad or iPhone.

If you’re not tied into the Apple world of products and content then you might want to give the Roku a good hard look. You can stream video from your computer but you’ll need media server software like XBMC or Plex Media server installed on the computer.

Winner: Apple

Music

With Apple TV, you have your iTunes library. That’s it when it comes to music. With Roku, you’ve got Spotify, Pandora, and about a dozen other options including radio services.

Winner: Roku

Conclusion

If you’re an Apple person, then go with the Apple TV. It’s just the right move. If you want a lot more channels and more options when it comes to getting content then Roku is your box.

Buy Roku 2 XS 1080p                                              Buy Newest Apple TV 

What do you think? What is the big deciding factor for you?