![\"Chromecast-Featured-ready-to-cast\"](\"https:\/\/daily.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Chromecast-Featured-ready-to-cast.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhen Google launched Chromecast last Summer, I immediately jumped on the bandwagon and ordered one for each of my televisions. Until recently, Chromecast and it’s applications were just an addition to my living room needs, making being a couch potato that much easier. As Chromecast added more and more applications under it’s belt, the little $35 dongle became more and more useful, even to the point dare I say that I could cut the cord and no longer be a slave Comcast.<\/p>\n
For the past decade, I’ve happily paid my bill and when I watched TV, I watched what was previously recorded on my DVR. I never watched live TV. Everything I watched was always an hour after it aired or the next day or so. My wife was the same way. We recorded what we wanted to watch and watched it when it suited our lives. We only watched a dozen TV shows across a dozen channels. Why did we need to pay for over one hundred channels when we only wanted to watch a few shows? South Park does a pretty good job explaining this situation.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=678VQM1L4b4<\/p>\n
Being tired of the above happening over and over again, we decided to use Chromecast to cut the cord and get rid of Comcast’s archaic take on television. For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been happily TV cable subscription free, but still relying on Comcast for my Internet access and still saving a ton of money.<\/p>\n
I was paying Comcast $140 a month for high speed internet, a cable TV subscription, and 1 HD DVR box. I would have added more HD boxes but Cocmast wants to charge you $10 a month to watch HD TV on your already HD capable TV.<\/p>\n
Now, I’m paying Comcast $70 a month, cutting my bill to them in half. I have a Hulu Plus subscription that runs $7.99 a month and a Netflix subscription that runs $7.99 a month as well. When it comes down to it, I’m saving over $50 a month by subscribing to these services and getting rid of Comcast’s traditional take on television. Even if you factor in spending $30-$35 a Chromecast for multiple TVs, in the long run it’s still much cheaper.<\/p>\n
Why use Hulu Plus and Netflix?<\/strong> I was worried I would forget when a new episode is available as I can’t just pull up the DVR anymore to see what I haven’t watched yet. Thankfully, Hulu Plus has a queue, automatically adding your favorites. You’ll need to watch your favorite episodes soon though, they only stick around for a few weeks.<\/p>\n Using both services in conjunction together seems to be a near winning combination, especially now that both are offering an every growing arsenal of original series. I use Netflix to find something to watch when my Hulu Plus queue is emptied. When it’s move night, I check out Netflix, or Plex, which I’ll get to in a moment.<\/p>\n Netflix and Hulu Plus can’t cover it all.<\/strong> All is not lost though. Thanks to Google’s trusty Google Cast extension for the Chrome web browser, you can easily watch content not found on Netflix or Hulu Plus. Just head on over to AMC.com or CBS.com and visit your shows full episode section. Then, hit the Google Cast button to Cast that tab to Chromecast. Hit the full screen button and you’re set. I’ve been Casting tabs from a 4 year old computer with ease. I have zero buffering or syncing issues. Heck, I was even able to Cast some shows from my Samsung Chromebook.<\/p>\n Spur of the moment live broadcasts can work too. A few days ago on New Year’s Eve, I was even able to find ABC’s livestream of the NYC event and everyone at our New Year’s Eve party was able to watch the ball drop at midnight. It worked out perfectly.<\/p>\n
\nHulu and Netflix are similar services, yet offer vastly different types of content. Hulu tends to focus on new shows, allowing you to watch most of your favorite episodes from cable a day after they air. Having to wait a day to watch your favorite show when you’re used to watching it on DVR the next day is no different here. Hulu Plus does have commercials on most shows, but the ads don’t run for very long and to be honest, I haven’t been bothered by them thus far.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Netflix is more of an archive service, having entire series ready to stream at the click of a button. Netflix doesn’t get the latest episodes of the latest shows as fast as Hulu Plus does, but will generally have a much larger library of TV shows and movies at your disposal.<\/p>\n
\nSadly, not all of your favorite shows are available on Netflix or Hulu. Take The Walking Dead for example. This show is archived on Netflix, but if you want recent shows, neither Netflix nor Hulu Plus has them available. You’ll need to head on over to AMC’s website to view the latest episodes. This goes for many of my wife’s favorite shows on CBS<\/a> too such as Two Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, or NCIS.<\/p>\n