06-29-2015, 09:29 AM
It really depends on how serious you want to get with it.
For some people, having an antenna for OTA channels and then subscribing to Netflix is enough.
Others use HTPCs, tuners, antennas, external hard drives, and a ton of other more DIY stuff to get it done.
After going back and forth with a bunch of crap, I now just use the 3 major streaming services and an antenna and it's more than enough for the small amount of free time my wife and I have with 2 kids. As mentioned by others, Amazon prime is $100 but I buy it annually for the shipping more than anything, it just happens to come with a streaming service and a decent new music service as well. Hulu can be had for free (Bing perks monthly) or for about $30 a year if you look hard in the right places. I'm grandfathered into the $7.99 Netflix price for a bit longer I believe, but if you're a new member it's $9.99 for the streaming service. A really good way to save a few bucks is to buy your own modem and router when Newegg has a combo special if you haven't already. Setting up your own home network is simple and saves you quite a bit over time (not to mention better performance than those shitty modem/router combos you get from most big ISPs). Comcast increased their price for modem rental to $9.99 a month, not sure about other places, but your own modem and router usually pays for itself within a year (and will last much longer 99% of the time) and then you're saving money right there. Also, I'm locked in to $29.99 a month for 25 Mbps down through my ISP for 24 months. Not a bad deal at all and I'm sure you can get close to that with any of the big providers if you're willing to get told no by enough customer service agents until 1 of them cuts you a deal.
Upfront costs - $120-ish for Motorola Surfboard and TP Link Archer modem and router, anywhere from $10-$50 for a couple of decent indoor antennas.
Yearly costs - $556 per year for 25 Mbps internet, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime (free 2 day ship even on Sundays, streaming, + other perks). That's less than $50 per month for what is usually more than enough for most small households.
For some people, having an antenna for OTA channels and then subscribing to Netflix is enough.
Others use HTPCs, tuners, antennas, external hard drives, and a ton of other more DIY stuff to get it done.
After going back and forth with a bunch of crap, I now just use the 3 major streaming services and an antenna and it's more than enough for the small amount of free time my wife and I have with 2 kids. As mentioned by others, Amazon prime is $100 but I buy it annually for the shipping more than anything, it just happens to come with a streaming service and a decent new music service as well. Hulu can be had for free (Bing perks monthly) or for about $30 a year if you look hard in the right places. I'm grandfathered into the $7.99 Netflix price for a bit longer I believe, but if you're a new member it's $9.99 for the streaming service. A really good way to save a few bucks is to buy your own modem and router when Newegg has a combo special if you haven't already. Setting up your own home network is simple and saves you quite a bit over time (not to mention better performance than those shitty modem/router combos you get from most big ISPs). Comcast increased their price for modem rental to $9.99 a month, not sure about other places, but your own modem and router usually pays for itself within a year (and will last much longer 99% of the time) and then you're saving money right there. Also, I'm locked in to $29.99 a month for 25 Mbps down through my ISP for 24 months. Not a bad deal at all and I'm sure you can get close to that with any of the big providers if you're willing to get told no by enough customer service agents until 1 of them cuts you a deal.
Upfront costs - $120-ish for Motorola Surfboard and TP Link Archer modem and router, anywhere from $10-$50 for a couple of decent indoor antennas.
Yearly costs - $556 per year for 25 Mbps internet, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime (free 2 day ship even on Sundays, streaming, + other perks). That's less than $50 per month for what is usually more than enough for most small households.
