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As streaming service subscription costs proceed to rise, many individuals are searching for different choices and discovering a less expensive different — free, reside TV streaming channels.
For those who’re not conscious, most sensible TVs have built-in apps with free content material and free reside TV channels. Whereas most channels are ad-supported, there is not any cost in any respect.
Two of the largest choices are The Roku Channel and Google TV Freeplay. Each have a whole bunch of channels out there throughout a variety of classes, and each are straightforward to make use of. Which service comes out on prime?
What free TV channels can be found on Roku?
I am unable to say I would ever really regarded on the reside channels on The Roku Channel, so I used to be fairly stunned at what number of channels there are. The app would not clearly say, however most stories counsel there are greater than 500 channels, all free.
For sports activities, you will discover choices for all the main leagues — NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. None of these channels had reside video games, however all of them had traditional video games, studio reveals, and unique programming. There are CBS and NBC providers, with channels devoted to fight sports activities, skilled wrestling, monster vehicles, the X Video games, boxing, motorsports, fishing, golf, pool, soccer, ladies’s sports activities, aggressive video gaming, and even pickleball. I counted simply over 70 sports activities channels.
For those who like to remain updated with the information, all of the nationwide networks can be found, together with CNN, ABC Information, NBC Information, Fox Information, CBS Information, Scripps Information, and BBC Information, plus loads of native information decisions. The latter choice is fascinating as a result of Roku makes use of geolocation to find out which stations are near you and reveals you these channels.
One factor you will discover a number of on The Roku Channel is channels devoted to a single present. Looking the checklist, I discovered Gunsmoke, Little Home on the Prairie, Legislation & Order, Dr. Phil, Residence Enchancment, Decide Judy, CSI, Duck Dynasty, and dozens of different decisions.
There are additionally a number of channels for cooking and residential content material, actuality TV, sport reveals (like Household Feud, Recreation Present Central, The Value is Proper, Deal or No Deal), documentaries, true crime (Dateline, Crime TV, Oxygen True Crime), comedy, journey, and extra.
Total, Roku’s free reside TV channels are fairly spectacular. There are alternatives for each class I may consider and extra.
What free reside TV channels can be found on Google TV?
Specializing in Google TV Freeplay channels, there are over 250. However there’s an vital distinction I am going to level out on the finish.
For sports activities, Google has channels devoted to fight and wrestling, soccer, billiards, golf, and motorsports, plus NBC Sports activities now. I counted about 20 channels in all, which is considerably fewer than Roku, and just one for a serious league — the NFL.
Like Roku, there are a lot of channels devoted to a single present. I discovered Saved by the Bell, Actual Housewives, Maintaining with the Kardashians, Baywatch, and even a Saturday Night time Reside channel. The choices right here appeared to skew extra fashionable, and the traditional TV part was positively so much smaller.
All the main information networks can be found, however the native part was noticeably smaller.
There have been a number of true crime channels, some documentary choices, comedy and film decisions, and several other sport present channels. In brief, a lot to select from, however not almost as many as Roku.
Roku or Google TV: Which possibility is best without cost reside TV?
There was some overlap, however I felt like Roku was the clear winner for quantity. It had extra classes and choices for every class.
However Roku is not the higher possibility.
Proper beneath “Google TV Freeplay” is a “Free Channels From Different Apps” part that seamlessly integrates different apps, together with The Roku Channel, into the interface. The channels are damaged down into classes, akin to sports activities, information and opinion, crime, motion pictures, sport reveals, traditional TV, and hit TV. There have been greater than 1,000 channels out there in all.
A serious draw back is that in the event you click on on one in every of these channels and do not have already got the app, you will must obtain it and doubtless create an account. However that is solely the primary time, after all.
All of those free apps can be found on Roku, however it’s a must to head to your house display and choose every app individually earlier than even understanding what’s on. Google TV enables you to see what’s out there on these apps with out leaving the display. Google TV’s free channels alone are superb, however not higher than Roku’s. However when you think about the service implementation, Google TV is vastly higher and truly provides you entry to a couple hundred extra channels since Google’s aren’t out there on Roku.
Whereas each are good choices, you may have the simplest entry (and entry to extra channels) by means of Google TV. Combining the 2 foremost choices provides you an intensive library of free content material.
