3 On Your Side: Saving Money By Streaming Video And TV Shows
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Web video is all the craze these days. Movies, shows and more, and it can save you money on your cable bill! But figuring out how it works can be confusing.
Tonight, 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan sorts it all out for you.
Rob and Heather Conroy just celebrated an anniversary, saving money, after a year of no cable TV.
"It's been a really easy transition," said Heather Conroy.
The Conroys watch the major network shows over the air using an antenna and stream other shows.
"Occasionally, if there is something that we can't get anyplace else, we will buy it on iTunes and we will hook up our iPod to our TV," said Rob Conroy.
On iTunes, you buy movies and TV shows individually. Same thing with Vudu, Google Play and Amazon On Demand. Most cost about $3.99 a rental.
"You can buy on a per episode basis or subscribe to a whole season," said Scott Stein, with CNET.
Websites like Hulu offer many popular TV shows. The basic service is free, but you might have to wait a day or two for shows to be available.
Becka Svoboda from Philadelphia loves it. She streams video on her laptop and 42 inch TV.
"I can watch what I want, anytime I want, whatever time I feel like it. You literally click on the one you want. Click 'play' and it does everything else for you," said Svoboda.
Shell out $7.99 and you can get Hulu Plus, which gives you access to the shows sooner, along with an expanded library.
Like movies better? Netflix might be your best bet, also at $7.99 a month.
"Netflix has a wider variety of movies," said Stein.
But no matter which service you use, Stein says you can save money by opting for standard definition instead of high-def.
"The truth is the SD episode looks as good as DVD quality. So, for most people, you just save a buck or two and go for that SD version," said Stein.
For more, visit the links below:
