re: so.....i'm thinking about ROKU

For 20 bucks a month you can get Sling TV which will get you ESPN and the ESPN App on your Roku.

You can get local channels with an antenna which you can build yourself for a few dollars.

Sling TV has a promotion where if you sign up for three months you can get either a free Roku streaming stick or half off of a Roku 3. LINK

I recommend getting the Roku 3 rather than the streaming stick. I have both and the Roku 3 seems to work better.

This deal almost makes the 3 month subscription to Sling free. (It ends up being about 10 bucks more than just buying a Roku 3) That is a pretty cheap way to try it out.

You will have to subscribe to Sling once you get your Roku. The app might come pre-installed on the Roku menu, but if not it's very easy to find and install. Then, the Sling app will allow you a few free days to decide before you buy.

If you want the SEC network on Sling it will cost $5 more per month over their basic $20 subscription. The ONLY reason I subscribe to Sling is for football. I have no interest in any of those DIY, HGTV, Lifestyle, old movie, etc. channels. There is no penalty for unsubscribing and subscribing at will, so as soon as football season is over I will unsubscribe then pick it up again in the fall.

As one poster already mentioned, watching live sports on Sling can be really spotty. It drops out a lot. I understand that hardwiring the device with an ethernet cable instead of relying on WiFi helps the experience, though. Anyway, as long as you have a Sling subscription you can get most events through the WatchESPN app on the Roku, which for some reason streams a whole lot better than Sling. Just get the WatchESPN app and enter your Sling password as your provider.

You need one Roku/Firestick/Roku Stick/etc. per television, yes.

Now, Sling will only allow one viewing stream at a time, so while you're watching a sporting event on Sling or WatchESPN your family members on other TV's will have to stream something else, such as Netflix.

If I recall correctly, Netflix allows two streams at the same time with their basic subscription price. I upgraded to $12.99 per month for four concurrent streams.

All in all, outside of internet service, which I'd get without TV, I'm paying $12.99 per month for Netflix, $25 for Sling, or $37.99 total. I don't count Amazon Prime in with my cost because I would buy that anyway for the free package deliveries.

Yeah, but I'm trying to keep it simple and legal.

I would go with an FireTv & get a sling box.

YouTube KODI and instal it on your computer, hook up HDMI and say thank you.

You're welcome!

(No message)

I finally just upgraded from my first-gen Roku to a Roku Streaming Stick. So much better.

If you're a religious cable user, Roku isn't going to supplant that. If you're just a casual cable user, then Roku may work for you.

I primarily use Amazon Instant through Roku to binge watch a few cable tv shows (after they've aired on cable) and watch movies. I no longer even use Netflix (though my family does). I've begun re-ordering cable during college football season.

Roku/Amazon Instant is enough for my needs for most of the year, though as I don't generally watch much tv.