In my quest to find out how to get cut back on our monthly expenses, I discovered that you can watch many television shows and movies by streaming them live over the internet.  Being technologically challenged at best, I was stumped on that is possible.  After doing a bit more research I learned all you simply needed to watch streamed content on your television is an internet enabled device like a Roku.

To put it simply, Roku is the easiest way to stream content to your television.  Simply take the unit out of the box, connect it to your television and the power outlet and the set up is a few simple self-guided steps.  The Roku 2 XD that I had the opportunity to review is fully capable of streaming content in 1080p, which for those that don’t know is high definition.

Like all Roku players, it has the ability to stream over 350 entertainment channels including the most popular like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu.  With the Roku I’m able to watch hundreds of movies and television shows using my HuluPlus and Netlfix subscriptions, which cost just a small fraction per month compared to what I’d be paying for cable or satellite television service.  The beauty of these Roku devices is that they all stream wirelessly, so they will work with your current wi-fi setup.

I give the Roku 2 XD the highest marks because its super easy to set up and use.  Its also very affordable, with units starting out at just $49.99 and includes free shipping.  For a limited time, through this special referral link, you can get $5 off your Roku 2 player. You can purchase Roku players directly from the company’s website, Roku.com.

Disclosure: Roku provided me with product in order to conduct this review. No additional compensation was provided and any opinions expressed are my personal and honest thoughts.

Are you tired of shelling out a big chunk of change each month to your cable company? I am.  First, we only watch a small percentage of the channels that we are paying dearly for and to top it off, the cable company we use has less than stellar customer service.  It also seemed like they were increasing their rates at every opportunity, to the point our rate for cable and internet was reaching $100 a month.  And that’s not even having a fancy cable package, that was for basic digital cable.

That’s when I started researching alternatives.  I first looked at satellite television.  They had enticing promotional rates, but when you read the fine print, you are locked into a 2 year contract of which only one year you qualified for the promotional rate.  I was reading on one of those coupon forums about how people get television for free or nearly free.  Intriguing. I like free. I like television.  Match  made in heaven I tell you!  Did you know that you can get most of the major networks on your television for free by using a digital antennae? I might have been the last person on earth to find this out, but since we had cable, it wasn’t something that I was terribly concerned with.

I did some more research on digital antennae and repeatedly saw that Terk Technologies received the highest ratings from consumer reviews.  From these reviews I learned that their products are diverse depending on your needs.  They have both indoor and outdoor antennae that are designed to pick up digital television signals from as far as 100 miles away. Since most Americans live within 30-40 miles of a digital television tower, Terk Technologies antennae are more than adequate.

Prior to installing the Terk Technologies Directional Indoor Antenna we did not receive any television stations’ signals.  After installing the antennae we received about 10 stations that came in crystal clear in high definition, including all the major networks.  It was easy to install and came with detailed instructions to make it fool-proof (a must for me!).  Simply connect the cable for the antenna to your television, plug in the power card and then run the set up on your television and you are good to go! The picture quality was fantastic as well; it was like you were watching digital cable, but without the pricey bill each month.  Guess who is going to be calling their cable company ASAP to cancel their service!?! I’ll sure enjoy that extra money in my pocket each month.

Terk Technologies HDTV antennae are sold at electronic retailers like Best Buy and also online from Amazon.com.  The pricing depends on which model your particular location requires.  The model I reviewed, the Directional Indoor Antenna retails for $69.99, but is currently on sale on Amazon.com for $38.79.

Disclosure: Terk Technologies provided me with product in order to conduct this review.  No additional compensation was provided. Any opinions expressed are my personal and honest thoughts and have not been influenced in any way.