I'm testing Hulu with Live TV to cut the cord — here's the pros and cons

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I'm testing Hulu with Alive TV to cutting the cord — here'south the pros and cons

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I'chiliad ready to cut the cord, and I've spent the last week testing Hulu with Alive Tv, one of the most well-known competitors in our best cable Boob tube alternatives list. I've had the crawling to cut the cord for years, but I finally made the decision to move on from cablevision recently, and began my testing past looking at YouTube Tv.

Hulu with Live TV Cheat sheet

Price: $64.99
Channels: More than 74
DVR: 50 hours (or 200 hours for an extra $9.99 per calendar month)
Simultaneous streams: 2
Broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, Play tricks, NBC, The CW

And while information technology impressed me, it still had some quirks about DVR recording management and its mobile picture-in-picture failings. That said, it proved good enough for me to not delete my business relationship.

Just I moved on to Hulu with Live Idiot box, a service that is notable because it includes Hulu's shows and movies at the same $64.99 per calendar month cost as YouTube Tv set. That said, I had some difficulties actually watching shows, plenty that I'yard not exactly impressed.

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To epitomize how I got here, I desire to cut the cord because of the cable box's primitive nature, merely my roommates don't want to give up their specific channels. And so I'm planning on getting rid of my cable box, and telling them that their $127 per calendar month cablevision bill is their problem. I'll even offer to permit them share my account with me.

My goal is that somewhere in this experiment I convince them it's time for all of us to wave adieu to cable. Maybe I can find the set of channels they desire in a service we like. But that'southward not equally likely, equally they're big Yankees fans and the YES Network is stuck on DirecTV Stream, fka AT&T Television set, which I'm not optimistic well-nigh.

Where Hulu with Live TV beats (or matches) cable

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey)

Hulu with Live Television set defaults to a recent channel view, which is a great way to spring back to what I was just watching.

So let'southward showtime with the positive things, and I hope this section isn't too curt. Video (mostly) looks peachy on Hulu with Live TV, and the app often feels like a cable TV box that is adapting to me. The Live Television receiver grid defaults to a recent channel view, which is a great style to bound back to what I was just watching.

YouTube Tv and cable exercise not take this personal arroyo. When you're trying to find a aqueduct — and y'all tin't just dial in a number, every bit I'll go to below — menus can be tiring, then Hulu with Live TV'due south Recents sorting is welcome.

(Prototype credit: Henry T. Casey)

Hulu understands how the grid view of channel surfing is nonetheless a priority for those who think like they still have cable. While both Hulu and YouTube have said filigree on your Goggle box, Hulu also offers information technology on mobile, whereas YouTube TV but gives you a single cavalcade stack of what's on live on what channels.

Also, Hulu offers picture-in-movie support on iOS, something Spectrum does (and YouTube TV doesn't).

Where cable however beats Hulu with Live TV

(Prototype credit: Henry T. Casey)

The biggest problem for me with Hulu with Live TV was stream stability. While the shows looked great, nearly once every two hours or so, it would freeze. I'd have to hit pause and play, or move to a dissimilar show and back to un-stick it.

This is likely the thing that'south stopping me from keeping Hulu around, instead putting it nigh the bottom of my playlist. And earlier anyone asks, I've got pretty damn expert net, with 232.49 MBps down and 9.68 MBps up, according to Ookla's speedtest.

I've noticed something particularly aggravating and inconsistent about Hulu with Live Television set, and it made me instantly non want to keep it around. And information technology'due south all about rewinding and fast-forwarding alive Television set. Unlike cable or YouTube TV, at that place are limitations that might have you lot pulling your pilus out.

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey)

I often struggled to rewind and fast-forward alive TV programming, including a moment where I hit an un-skippable advertisement break while skimming through the ABC game show The Hustler.

Likewise, Hulu, because information technology doesn't take an unlimited DVR cap like YouTube, gives you two options for managing shows you want to run into/follow: add to My Stuff or Tape. If you make the mistake of just calculation a show to My Stuff, you lot'll not exist recording it, and have an advertizing-filled queue of episodes to watch.

I as well just detect the Hulu apps on all platforms to not exist big plenty for both Live Telly and the regular Hulu content. Yous've got a Live section and a Boob tube department, and that feels redundant. It's even more awkward on mobile, where the TV section is upwardly meridian and the Alive section is on the bottom.

Does Hulu with Live Telly hit the sweet spot for channels and price?

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey)

Just similar YouTube Tv set, Hulu doesn't leave me pain for channels. It's actually even better for me. It'due south got CNN and MSNBC for when I feel basic enough to want to run into how most people process the news, ESPN for when I want to encounter Stephen A. Smith blow up virtually sports trades, and I tin follow my favorite sport (pro wrestling — yes, I'k trash) on USA, TNT, Pull a fast one on and VICE.

Hulu with Live TV struggles on the My Roommates Test, lacking PBS and Yes, the two channels that this household believes are must-accept. It's also missing BBC Globe News, some other aqueduct the roomies want.

Answering your cord-cutting emails

Reader David Cross (not that David Cross), wrote in to mention that he switched to Sling TV from YouTube TV for the selection. He noted, though, that he got in early on, back when YouTube Telly was only $35 per month, only that didn't final every bit he said "I thought since I was an early on adopter they would show more dearest!"

This brings up an interesting situation, as service prices practise get raised over time. Sling bumped prices up by $5 over the last yr, and finally moved that new price to users in August. As these still relatively new services grow, information technology'southward good to keep an center on them, and to think of them yet equally businesses, like cablevision. It'south up to these companies to prove that we shouldn't un-cut the string.

David's favorite part near YouTube Goggle box is how the Turner Classic Movies channel would put movies in his library for later. I'm curious near what on need content that I didn't watch will bear witness up in my library.

Reader Alan points out something I didn't think of that we lose when we cut the string. On cord-cutter services, aqueduct numbers are gone. At present yous have to navigate menus to observe the channel y'all desire, and not just tap in a number.

Hulu with Alive Television does non rank highly

Two of the best cable Tv set alternatives in, and I've got a broad disparity in my #1 and #2 slots. Because even though I like Hulu's guide-axial organizations, I had likewise many bug with buffering/stuttering, as in I had whatsoever. YouTube Tv set offered a much more than stable stream, so I'g keeping it around for the time being.

Cord-cutting power rankings so far

one. YouTube Boob tube
2. Hulu with Live Tv

Next upward, I'm going to have a look at the affordable Sling and Philo (starting at $35 and $25 per month, respectively). After that? Fubo TV and the newly re-christened DirecTV Stream (the service fka AT&T Idiot box) are on deck. By the cease of this, I'll have made up my mind. Just for now, I'd demand some big shocking reveal and upgrade to Hulu's offer for it to climb out of its hole.

Stream Time is where Tom's Guide senior editor Henry T. Casey dives into the big choices we make about streaming media. Nosotros tackle it all, from the best and worst streaming services and devices, to the never-ending list of shows to sentinel.

Be certain to check out my guides to the best streaming devices  (and all-time streaming services ) for more than recommendations. E-mail me at henry.casey@futurenet.com or go out a comment beneath with anything you'd similar to see me cover in the streaming world — I might just address it in a future installment.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom'southward Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

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