Let’s take a minute to talk about streaming your video content.
People like me toss that phrase around and presume everyone knows exactly how to stream their video content.
I was tugged back to reality last week when I got an email from a reader who said, “I don’t understand streaming. What if I want to watch a program on at 8 p.m. on the History Channel?”
So let’s take a step back and talk about the different types of streaming.
You can stream prerecorded content from the internet — like from Netflix, Hulu or Amazon — or you can subscribe to a service like SlingTV or PlayStation Vue that streams live TV channels.
Streaming prerecorded content is the way you can binge-watch entire seasons of shows. The live TV services show you the content at the same time it’s being broadcast.
So because the History Channel is included in the SlingTV subscription, it would be possible for the reader to watch her show live at 8 p.m.
If you don’t subscribe to a live TV streaming service, you can still stream the prerecorded content from any source, but it generally won’t be available to watch until 24 hours after it airs — or longer. In fact, depending on who owns the rights to the show, it may not be available for streaming at all.
Now let’s talk about how you watch the stream.
You’ll need a device with a screen that has an internet connection. That can be a phone, tablet, computer or smart TV, or a set-top box like Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV connected to your television.
The set-top boxes do a pretty good job of bringing content to you through their video channels.
If you use an Apple TV, you can go to the ABC, NBC and CBS channels to see their available content. Each content provider has its own channel or app on the boxes.
There are also channels or apps for subscription services like Netflix and Hulu Plus.
SlingTV is also available to watch on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One and Android TV.
We can cover some more cord-cutting subjects in the coming weeks. Feel free to send an email or leave a comment with your cord-cutting questions.
———
ABOUT THE WRITER
Jim Rossman writes for The Dallas Morning News. He may be reached at jrossman@dallasnews.com.
