This week's Supreme Court ruling spells the end for Aereo and anyone using the company's "antenna-rental-and-streaming" services.
Legal issues aside, Aereo filled a significant gap in the current smorgasbord of content available across a vast number of screens. It was a service that let you stream live network television to a computer or mobile device without actually paying for TV service.
Sure, if you just want to watch monthly-fee-free TV, you can buy a relatively cheap antenna that will pull in great-looking HD content. That's if everything works perfectly. And things rarely work perfectly. Your reception can be horrendous depending on the antenna, the way your window's facing, or whether there are big hills or buildings around you. And even if you strike reception gold, it still doesn't take care of the streaming part of the equation.
While Aereo presented a streamlined, no-hassle way to watch live TV on any connected screen, there's nothing exactly like it. But there are things that come close. You can still stream a ton of content legally using a combination of sites, services, and hardware.
Yeah, Yeah, Just Tell Me How to Watch the World Cup Immediately
You got it. Stop reading this and head over to the Univision site. They're streaming all games through the round of 16 live. They also have an app for iOS and Android, and the play-by-play is superb even if you don't understand Spanish.
If You're Already Paying for Cable
There's this myth that streaming TV shows over the Internet is something that only appeals to "cable cord-cutters." But many of us are just "cable-havers" who want a reliable and legal way to watch what we’re already paying for wherever we go. You’ll still have to pay for cable, but there are ways to get the home-TV experience on your computer by using services such as Xfinity TV Go, TWCTV (Time Warner), and Verizon FiOS Mobile. For these services, you may not get all the features you get on your TV, though: No pausing, rewinding, or firing up shows saved on your DVR. Programming may also be geo-blocked in some areas.
Streaming Options for the Major Networks
With the exception of ABC, most of the major networks don’t do full-on live streams. Most of them just have an archive of clips and shows you can watch, although you should check your local affiliates' sites if you're interested in live streams of local newscasts. If you want most of the major-network stuff in one place (not live-streamed, though), just go to Hulu.
ABC
Live streaming, but requires logging in with a service-provider subscription and depends on your area.
NBC
There’s no live stream for regular programming on the NBC site, but there's a deep archive of shows you can watch (including old episodes of The A-Team). There's also an "NBC Sports Live Extra" service that's available for free with your cable subscription login. It lets you watch some live sporting events and shows in a browser or on mobile apps.
CBS
No official live stream from CBS, but episodes and clips of their shows are available on their site and via their mobile app. CBS also does live streams of some special events, such as the Grammys.
Fox
While Fox only has archived episodes of its shows, Fox Sports provides live streams of events via a browser and mobile app after you log in with your service-provider subscription. Depending on your cable provider, you can also stream Fox News live.
Streaming Options for Basic Cable
CNN
CNN does have live streams accessible, but you’ll need to log in with your cable subscription info.
ESPN
Another good option for World Cup fans, WatchESPN streams live games but does require you to log in with your provider info.
MSNBC
Again, you'll need to log in with your provider info, but the MSNBC site provides live streaming and show archives.
Comedy Central
No live streaming here, but Comedy Central provides log-in-free access to last night's shows through a browser or app.
AMC
As long as you're a subscriber and you log in with your cable provider info, you can watch (some) episodes of Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead in your browser or on an app.
FX and FXX
The video archives here are patchy, but there are a ton of great shows in the mix. You need a cable provider login to access what’s there: Louie, Fargo, It's Always Sunny, and Arrested Development, although not all episodes are available for streaming.
The High-End Stuff
HBO Go
By now, you probably know the deal with HBO Go: It's "free" just as long as you subscribe to HBO, and there's no option to just pay for the streaming service. That's too bad, because it's the best.
Netflix
Again, I am betting you know about Netflix. It is the first tool any cord-cutter needs in their shed.
MLB.TV
All sports services should be this good and live-game rich (let's make it happen, NFL). If you just want to stream live games to a computer, the basic $80/year MLB.TV package is fine. If you want to stream to mobile devices, you’ll need the step-up MLB.TV Premium plan ($100/year).
Showtime
Similar to HBO Go, Showtime Anytime is a stream-anywhere service that comes free with a Showtime subscription. But there are also a few show episodes available for free (and without a subscriber login) on the Showtime site.
The Hardware Options
This week's Aereo ruling may impact the future of similar products on the market, but other watch-anywhere devices do have a few important differences. Most importantly, they actually require having a cable box and a subscription at home. That's because they simply feed the signal from your home TV to your connected device. On the interface end, rather than having to jump around between sites and services, you can have everything in one place and just change the channel as you would on a normal TV.
Sling Media’s Slingbox lineup is probably the most-famous of them, and it practically coined the term "place-shifting." You connect a Slingbox to a cable box or DVR, connect it to your home wireless network, and then you're able to remotely access live TV from your home. Pausing and rewinding is permitted, too. There are also DVRs with similar place-shifting features built in, including the Dish Network Hopper With Sling and the TiVo Roamio.
The Slingbox doesn't have an antenna input, though. If you want to stream and watch live over-the-air TV from your home on a connected device, your best bets are the Nuvyyo Tablo and Simple.TV boxes, which are both able to pull in and stream over-the-air broadcasts.
The MacGyver Option
You could also just buy a TV antenna, point a Dropcam directly at your TV, and then watch the live stream on your Dropcam feed. (Just remember to leave your TV on when you leave the house, make sure it’s tuned to the station you’d like to watch, and hide the remote from your dog.)
