Fitness Streaming Services Make New Year’s Resolutions Easier Than Ever

One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is to get in better shape. And why not? It’s a great time of the year to look in the mirror and commit yourself to a goal of working hard to look great. Plus, it’s much easier nowadays to fit a great workout into your busy schedule.

Back in the day, there were options for working out at home, but none of them were really great. But over the last decade or so there’s been a huge influx of fantastic home workout programs. Now these programs are taking advantage of a new trend—streaming video.

There are several fitness streaming services on the market—here are some highlights.

Beachbody On Demand: This streaming service, from the creators of popular programs like Insanity and P90X, is often described as “the Netflix of the Fitness Industry.” With a subscription you can watch and work out to hours and hours of streaming videos from all types of workout programs. Plus, there’s a bunch of other added features included like workout calendars and nutrition guides. The service costs $12.96 per month, so it’s certainly much cheaper than many gym memberships.

Daily Burn: This service is great for a more personalized touch. There are daily workouts added each day, which gives the sense of live workouts as you keep up with your trainers. Additionally, there’s a strong community and forum on the Daily Burn, which can help keep you focused and help you with any questions. There’s a one-month free trial and then the service costs $14.95 per month.

DDP Yoga Now: This is a streaming service for yoga beginners, novices, and experts (oh, and pro wrestling fans). DDP Yoga Now offers not just tons of streaming yoga workouts, but also other types of workouts to create an effective workout plan. There’s also nutrition guides and tracking tools to help you keep up with your goals. The service starts at $29.99 for a monthly subscription or costs $107.88 for a full year subscription.

Booya Fitness: Normally the only way to do a boutique fitness class is to crowd into a studio with thirty other people. Booya Fitness is trying to change that by offering boutique classes streaming. They have nearly every class you can think of alongside nutrition guides and personalized workout plans. There’s a month-long free trial and then the service costs $9.99 per month.

Yoga with Adrienne: This is another yoga streaming service, but Yoga with Adrienne is free on YouTube. She helped popularize a trend of trying to do 30 straight days of yoga as a fitness goal. She is a great teacher, and there’s no reason not to try it if you’re interested, since it is absolutely free.

Millionaire Hoy: Every Monday, Millionaire Hoy and his wife post new videos and they run boot camps in Southside Chicago. He posts lots of short workouts and makes it really easy to follow along and to know where to start. If you take a look at his older videos, you can see how much he has improved over time, as the new content he is putting out is really premium stuff. The best part is all of his videos are free on YouTube.

As you can tell, there’s a ton of great services out there. The hardest part now isn’t getting yourself to work out, but deciding which service you’ll be using. Luckily the technology is there to give us a ton of options.

from Fitness Streaming Services Make New Year’s Resolutions Easier Than Ever

There's More to Streaming Video Than Netflix

When people focus on streaming services, they always talk about the bigger ones... you know, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, and so on. The “big guys” get all the attention. However, there are plenty of other emerging services you’ve probably never heard of that are worth looking into. Many of them are niche services that only cost a few dollars.

The nice thing about these smaller services is that they have a way of filling in the blanks that occur in the bigger ones. Everyone loves Netflix, but if you’re a sports fan or feel they don’t offer enough comedy, you can sign up to one of these smaller streaming services to have the perfect streaming collections.

Let’s take a look at a few worth checking out.

SeeSo: SeeSo is a comedy lover’s dream. At only four bucks a month, it includes every season of Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, and several other SeeSo original comedy shows. Seeso can be part of your Amazon Prime membership or you can order it on its own. It’s available to be watched on a variety of devices.

SelectTV: Rather than a streaming service, SelectTV is a streaming aggregator. You can find movies and TV shows from all over the Internet. It even includes content on Hulu, and other premium services, so you can watch it whenever you want without having to switch from service to service to find it. Like listening to the radio? SelectTV features radio stations and a slew of other content that will make your streaming entertainment needs easier.

Daily Burn: Daily Burn is a unique offering in the streaming world. Focusing on physical fitness, Daily Burn offers you the chance to stream thousands of workout videos. You can choose from a wide variety of styles, for every fitness level. Whether you like kickboxing, dancing, yoga, or something more extreme, Daily Burn has got you covered. Daily Burn is slightly more expensive than some streaming services, at $15 a month, but it’s definitely cheaper than a gym membership. Not to mention, it features new live workouts every day.

Shudder TV: If you’re a horror fan, Shudder TV is a must-have. Like SeeSo is for comedy, Shudder has all you need if you’re a horror lover. From haunted houses to possessions and cult classics, Shudder TV offers collections curated specifically to your horror interests. And best of all, it’s a complete bargain at just $5 a month. Great for those sick of the terrible horror selection in Netflix.

Drama Fever: Korean drama has experienced an explosion of popularity in the U.S. over the last year. No wonder there’s a niche streaming service devoted to the genre. Drama Fever is free to watch with ads. You can also choose to pay $5 per month to do away with ads. Watch on the web, Roku, Apple TV, and many other devices.

There are tons of smaller streaming services out there and new ones emerging every day. Most of them offer free trials, so make sure to experiment so you can find the best collection of services for you.

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How the Roku Experience Translates to a Dedicated TV

Image: TCL/Roku

Honestly, nine times out of 10 I tell people don’t get a smart TV. I’m often not convinced it’s worth it to pay extra for the bells and whistles that come with them: they’re often slow, clunky and hard to manipulate. Plus, sometimes certain apps aren’t available, and it feels like you’re not getting nearly all that was promised. Looking for a Sling TV app on that Sony smart TV? Not so fast, my friend.

So when Roku contacted me to test one of its latest smart TV models, made in collaboration with TCL, I was skeptical: Yes, I own and like Roku's streaming devices, but would those sentiments transfer over to a smart TV?

My Roku TV Experience

Before testing this TV, my setup consisted of a regular flat screen TV hanging in my living room wired to a Roku 3. I loved my setup—although dealing with all the wires was less than optimal.

I replaced my old TV with the TCL Roku TV and now it would be hard to go back.

This isn’t your smart TV of yesteryear. First of all, my wife is incredibly happy because now there is no HDMI cable hanging from my TV since the Roku software is built right in. Second, with the Roku software built in, I only need one remote for all my TV watching. I can turn on the TV, change the volume, change inputs, and stream whatever I want without having to go hunting through the couch for the second remote.

Also, as a cable cutter an antenna is a tool I use all the time to watch things like football or some of my favorite shows. The Roku has the antenna featured as an app, so you can go from streaming ESPN to watching live over-the-air news with a push of the remote.

“We’ve made switching inputs a thing of the past with icons for over-the-air antenna, game consoles and set-top boxes," said Chas Smith, general manager Roku TV & Players. "These icons are right next to your favorite streaming channels.

As for picture quality, I was so blown away that I upgraded my Netflix account in time to watch Luke Cage in 4K. While I was slightly disappointed in the series (Daredevil > Luke Cage), the 4K UHD didn’t let me down one bit. Now, I’m counting the days until I can watch Planet Earth 2 on Netflix when it comes out in January.

Any Cons Associated with the TV?

Of course, not everything is perfect here. While it might seem minor, I do have a complaint with the remote. Like any Roku I’ve ever had, the battery cover breaks off incredibly easy. I’ve got two kids, and when they dropped the remote, which was inevitable, the cover broke. Now I’ve got the classic look of the taped-on-battery cover. That’s never been a problem with any of my other remotes. The Amazon Fire TV, which I also use sometimes, has a much sturdier battery cover.

However, as many Twitter users note, the Roku TV remote app is amazing, so you’re better off using that.

Have a Roku and a smartphone? Using the Roku app, you can use your smartphone as a remote. I use this more than I thought I would.
— Fantasy Author (@BrianRathbone) December 4, 2016

I also keep running into a problem when I try to plug my laptop into the Roku TV with an HDMI cable. It worked with my old TV, but I can’t seem to get it up and running; the picture keeps blinking repeatedly. However, my PS4 and Amazon Fire TV both work fine when connected to the TCL, so it’s likely just a weird incompatibility of my HP laptop—maybe this is a sign that it’s time to upgrade my HP Pavilion.

from How the Roku Experience Translates to a Dedicated TV

Luckily, Shopping for Cord Cutters Isn’t Too Hard

Time is running out to find the most creative and fun presents for everyone that’s on your list. While Black Friday might be over, stores and online websites are still offering great deals and incentives. If you’ve got anyone into technology, the Internet is filled with some crazy offerings, but the best way to go might be the entertainment route.

From streaming services to devices, here are a few things you won’t want to miss for the mobile viewer or the cord cutter on your holiday list.

The Services:

DirecTV Now: This brand new streaming service is offering its mid-level package for $35 (it’s normally $60) and it stays $35 for as long as you remain a member. Now will give you access to local channels (minus CBS), AMC, FX, and a slew of other great channels. You can even add HBO for just $5 a month. It's not perfect—we've noticed some bugs and buffering in our tests—but it still represents a good value.

Best of all, if you sign up for three-months, you get a new Apple TV 4 for free. This way you’re giving the gift of streaming and the device, all in one.

Sling TV: Sling TV has been around much longer than DirecTV Now, so most of the kinks that still plague DirecTV Now have been worked out. You can choose from three package, the cheapest being $20 a month. This package includes 25 popular channels including AMC, TNT, and other great options.

While Sling has a three-month promotion, like DirecTV Now, for the holidays, if you buy one month of service you can get a free Roku Streaming Stick. And, if you want to offer Sling TV service to someone but don’t know where to start or what they have, Sling is offering gift cards, which make a great option, too.

The Equipment:

Roku Premiere+: Premiere+ is one of the newest offerings from Roku, and it’s also one of the coolest. In essence, it works the same way the other models of Roku work, but with some subtle and impressive differences. For instance, Premiere+ includes 4K and HDR picture quality (assuming you have a compatible TV), an enhanced remote that you can point anywhere, headphones for private viewing, and the ability to use your cell phone as a mobile companion or remote, as you see fit.

The $100 price tag isn’t bad on its own, but it also comes with some perks. For the holidays, buying a Roku means you get 2 free months of CBS All Access, Showtime, and Hulu.

TCL’s 55-Inch 4K Roku Smart TV: TCL may not be a familiar brand, but it's offering solid TVs at inexpensive prices. The 55-inch 4K Roku Smart TV is available for around $500. Not only is the size reason alone to buy this TV, the inclusion of the Roku streaming apps definitely sweetens the deal. Not to mention, it makes pairing an antenna with your Roku device a breeze.

Mohu ReLeaf: If you’re buying for someone thinking of cutting the cord, help them take that step with the purchase of a digital antenna. The Mohu ReLeaf is not only is a great antenna, but it’s also made of recyclable material, adding a sustainable twist to the standard antenna.

The ReLeaf will pick up channels in a 30-mile radius and is compatible with TVs that are HD and 4K. They are currently available for under $50.

Tablo DVR: Over-the-air DVRs are an excellent addition to any cord cutter’s home, and Tablo is one of the best. Not only can the Tablo record local channels that you get on your antenna, you can watch your recordings with a variety of apps ranging from Amazon Fire TV to Xbox One. Some might hold out for the Tivo Mavrik, based on the promise of a cloud based DVR, but there's still no release date for it yet.

from Luckily, Shopping for Cord Cutters Isn’t Too Hard

Blackouts and Price Cripple the NHL’s Streaming Service

Image: Shutterstock

The time all hockey fans have been waiting for is finally here: the beginning of the NHL season. But if you’re looking to watch using the NHL’s streaming service, NHL.TV, you might be a bit disappointed. The service isn’t terrible, but it does have a few glaring issues that might keep it from being your streaming solution this season.

But first, let’s start with the positives.

The NHL does a good job of offering multiple price points to make the service accessible to most everyone. This includes a yearly option to watch games throughout the league, an annual option for just a single team, and a month-to-month option.

NHL.TV also offers a DVR function which comes in quite handy. Enjoy watching multiple teams? The service will let you watch up to four games at once with the split screen feature.

Another solid feature is the mobile compatibility, so you can stream games right on your phone. And, you have access to a huge on-demand library to watch more hockey games than you could ever imagine.

Cool features aside, there are a few things that keep NHL.TV from being a true cord cutting solution.

First, one of the biggest issues is the word any sports fan hates to hear: blackouts. The only games you can watch live on the service are out-of-market games. So if you need a solution for watching your local team, this isn’t it.

You also need to look at the price. The different options cost $139.96 per year (to watch games from every team), $111.96 per year (to get access to one team of your choosing), or choose the first option but pay $24.99 on a monthly basis.

“I've been a user the last 2 seasons but am not subscribing this year,” hockey fan Shaun Spellman told Motherboard. “When you pay $120 a year, you expect to see ALL of the games. The blackouts became a big issue—we'd be scrambling to find a way to watch the game last minute because we had no idea it would be blacked out.”

At that price, you could practically pay for a complete cable TV replacement like Sling or PlayStation Vue, both of which offer solid solutions for watching hockey without cable. Here’s a quick rundown of each:

Sling TV: For only $25 per month, you can get more than 40 channels to live stream on Sling TV. This includes NBCSN, FOX regional sports networks, and in certain locations FOX’s main network that will all be broadcasting hockey games during the year. It will be scattered, but still a solid option for the price. Plus, other channels you can watch include TBS, TNT, FS1, FS2, CNN, and, AMC.

PlayStation Vue: Sony has a streaming service on its own, PlayStation Vue. The starting cost is $29.99 per month and all the same channels are included as Sling TV, including FOX live in certain areas. Plus, PlayStation Vue also has ESPN and ESPN2 in its starting package as well, so you can get even more live sports without cable.

Overall, NHL.TV isn’t inherently a bad streaming service but it certainly falls short when stacked up against services that can not only let you watch some hockey—but let you replace cable altogether.

Hopefully as the cable cutting trend continues to grow the NHL will continuously improve on its service and one day offer a reasonable one-stop streaming service for the real NHL fans. And perhaps it can take note from other sports and end the pesky blackouts. Until then, it seems like the NHL will remain behind the times in respect to cord cutting.

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