If you add together the cost for each streaming option on this page, you will still be paying less than the same programming as part of a traditional television service. Add to this, the fact that the streaming services on this page can also be used on any supported device at any location. Why not save money?
Customer satisfaction is an end-to-end experience, yet large providers outsource the important customer touch points in the middle. If you have experienced customer support bouncing internationally between billing and customer retention or technical support dispatched to a third party, you may be ready for a change. A friendly and local Dotto-One team guarantees that you can depend on same-day or next-day on site support when it is required. Why not be happier?
With streaming services, you select what you want to watch, at any time you want it. The TVGuide has become a catalogue, sorted using your preferences. The schedule is your own. You don’t pay for things that you are not interested in, including commercials. You have the option of watching entire seasons at once. You can stream content anywhere you have a connection to the Internet. Why settle for less?
How do you do it?
Here’s what you need:
1. A good Internet connection
Streaming uses the Internet. Netflix, a popular Movie and TV Series streaming service, requires 25 megabits per second for a single stream at the highest quality. To handle high quality streaming alongside mobile devices that are constantly upgradingand the constant pulse of household text and voice communications, you probably want no less than 40 megabits per second download capability for an uninterrupted experience during peak use. Since every connection is actually bi-directional your upload speed can limit your peak download speed. Considering new mobile devices can post high resolution photos to facebook and twitter, we would recommend no less than a 10 megabits per second upload capability. If you have friends and family using your network, consider even more.
Our FTTB 50 plan meets these requirements for a single television and has no data overage charges (unlimited capacity).
2. A display device
While size is a personal preference, the critical features of a good display include a resolution that can support 1080p (HD) or 4K (Ultra HD). It should have an HDMI input port to receive content from a streaming device and optionally a digital audio output to connect to an amplifier or external speaker system if you have one.
Check out pricing for top-rated displays at http://4k.com/. A 55″ LED 1080p (HD) TV starts at about $500 today, but 4K (UHD) is the current standard, and prices are coming down with increased supply and competition.
3. A streaming device
A ‘Smart TV’ has streaming built in. The major challenge with Smart TVs is that each manufacturer offers only a subset of the content and applications that are available to Android and iOS mobile platforms. For this reason, we recommend using a streaming device that connects directly to the television HDMI port and allows control from any mobile device. We have two recommended devices: (1) Roku 3, for people who want a dedicated device with remote control; and (2) Chromecast, for those who are comfortable with the touch screen of their mobile phone or living room tablet to control their content.
Both devices are available in most electronics stores. Chromecast retails for approx. $45, and Roku 3 retails for approx. $109. For anyone with a 4K TV, be sure to get the Roku 4 which is now available.
Movie / TV Content
Here’s a sample of what’s available:
$8.99 (HD) or $11.99 (4K) per month. First month is free.
Widely acclaimed original programming with over 14,000 television and movie titles to choose from. Netflix is the biggest name in streaming, accounting for 37% of global Internet traffic. The $8.99 plan allows two simultaneous streams, and the $11.99 plan allows four simultaneous streams. House of Cards and Orange is the New Black are some of the well-known original titles from a long list of current and forecasted original programming.
Pay for each title individually. Single viewing from $1.99 per TV episode or Movie. Purchase option allows an entire TV season or Movie to be owned for unlimited viewing. Limited free content.
New releases before Netflix or DVD. Thousands of movies and television shows. Google Play content additionally extends a complete selection of Music, Books, Magazines, News and Games.
Lots of free content. You can purchase individual titles starting at $1.99.
A wide variety of channels on almost every subject matter from a wide range of content providers. YouTube is by far the largest collection of content, keeping in mind it includes everything from cat videos, through music videos and news clips to recently released television shows and movies.
$79 per year. Free Trial. Free with Amazon Prime.
New to Canada, this great streaming service has one of the largest online catalogues of any content provider. A visit to http://amazonchannels.com gives you a peek at the extensive subscription content available to U.S. subscribers, which is slowly being released to Canadian consumers. Sign-Up at https://www.primevideo.com for access to a ton of great movies and televisions shows today.
$6.95 per month with a two-week free trial.
Crunchyroll is a leading global destination and platform for Japanese anime and Asian content. Crunchyroll delivers more than 25,000 episodes and 15,000 hours of officially-licensed content from leading Asian media producers directly to viewers translated professionally in multiple languages. Lots of free content, however paid content and HD content require a subscription.