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My monthly streaming bill is relatively low, totaling $41/month for Apple Music, YouTube Premium Lite, Netflix with ads, and Peacock with ads. I don’t mind the occasional ad on my video streaming services, so I subscribe to ad-supported tiers to save a few bucks.
You might expect free services to have limited usability, outdated titles, and incessant ads — and that assumption is not totally wrong. Yet, many free services have old favorites, local channels, and plenty of “Family Feud” episodes. If your paid, on-demand services are causing decision fatigue, it might be time to return to the simplicity of cable without paying for it.
Also: I use these 10 secret Netflix codes to find hidden movies – here’s how to enter them
As comfortable as I am with my subscriptions, I never stop looking for ways to save money. So, I figured I’d try some free video and music streaming apps to see if any could replace my big four services. Here’s how it went.
Vizio WatchFree+
- Ways to watch: Online; built-in Vizio TVs; app for iOS and Android
- Number of TV shows and movies: 6,000+
- Number of free live channels: 300+
Vizio TVs come with the brand’s built-in free streaming service, Vizio WatchFree+, which lets you watch hundreds of TV shows and movies on demand and access even more live TV channels. The best way I can describe the titles on this service is as “things you might have watched while staying at your grandparents’ house for the summer.”
The live channels consist of programs such as the World Poker Tournament, “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Bonanza,” and “Judge Judy.” However, what I did enjoy was the array of local news channels; watching the live broadcast was much better than keeping up with the networks’ digital formats I usually peruse.
If you prefer on-demand streaming, this service offers several obscure titles that may pique your interest, as well as some well-known ones, such as “Ex Machina,”…