If you’re considering downsizing from a full satellite or cable TV service to a skinny live TV bundle — a cheaper service with fewer channels that you’ll stream through an Internet connection — you have three offerings available currently, with more on the way. Prices start at $20 to $40 per month, although you can also choose service tiers that will cost $60-plus. But making the switch involves more than just picking a skinny service. You need to understand the skinny bundle TV hardware requirements before you can make the switch.

Each service will work with certain pieces of hardware, and it’ll be incompatible with certain hardware setups. Additionally, there’s the process of understanding how the skinny TV hardware differs from what you need to run a full cable or satellite subscription.

We’ve put together a list of the five key things to understand about the hardware involved and the other differences if you want to downsize from a full cable or satellite pay-TV service to a skinny live TV bundle.

1. You Need Fast Internet & Lots of Data

A subscription to a reduced pay-TV service requires you to stream your programming over an Internet connection. (It’s also called a skinny bundle or an over-the-top service, or OTT.)

So you need a fast Internet service that’s reliable both in terms of speed and connection. If your Internet runs slow sometimes, you’ll be very frustrated with trying to stream video over it. And you’re going to want an Internet connection with a high monthly data cap, 1TB for example.

2. There are no Subscriptions or Contracts

With a skinny bundle, you can sign up and then cancel at any time. There’s no contract to sign as with a full service and no penalties when you quit, in large part because the service provider is not giving you any hardware. You have to provide your own hardware and Internet connection.

3. Local Channels are still Limited

The current skinny TV bundles only offer local channels in a few large cities. More cities are added to the services every few months, so maybe you’ll get lucky and live in an area with local channels. If you aren’t that lucky though, you can use an over-the-air antenna to receive your local channels. Some over-the-air antennas can be set up and used indoors, which is good for those living in an apartment.

4. DVR also has Limitations

As it remains in its infancy stage, the skinny bundle TV services are still trying to figure out how to incorporate support for DVRs. Some are considering providing support through third-party DVRs, such as TiVo. Some skinny services are using or have plans to use a cloud DVR service, but cloud DVRs are extremely slow versus the traditional DVR boxes. (A cloud DVR would store your shows at a third-party location, away from your home. You then will download the programs when you’re ready to watch them.)

Changes are still in the offing in this area. But understand that if you love the DVR you have with your full cable or satellite TV service, skinny TV providers cannot yet duplicate the best parts of this feature.

Skinny bundle services do provide video-on-demand (VOD) services for certain channels, so you can download and watch shows that you may have missed live, similar to a Netflix service or to a full service. But there are limitations as to which channels and programming have VOD available within the skinny bundles.

5. BYOH: Bring Your Own Hardware

Generally, you do have to provide your own hardware at your own expense with the skinny bundle. We’ll discuss the hardware options in more detail, but understand that there are some upfront costs when switching to a skinny TV bundle.

With a full subscription, the service provides a set-top box, a satellite dish, free installation, or whatever else you need to receive and decode the signal. Sometimes you’ll be renting this provided hardware, resulting in a recurring monthly charge, which is another reason why your full service satellite or cable bill can seem so high. So purchasing a bit of skinny TV bundle hardware up front may save you some money in the long run over the monthly rental fees.

When you’re ready to pick a streaming hardware option, just be sure that your skinny TV bundle service supports the hardware you have. Some services only work with certain types of hardware. Here are the options to consider.

Amazon Fire TV Stick: If your skinny TV service will work through an Amazon Fire TV Stick, it’s easy to set up and use. Plug an HDMI cable into your TV’s HDMI port and plug the other end into the Fire Stick. Some versions of these sticks will plug directly into the HDMI port. Switch to the input channel on the TV to match the HDMI port you’re using. Then follow the on screen instructions to connect to the Internet via WiFi and begin streaming. The latest Amazon Fire TV Stick ships with a remote control.

Check Price on Amazon

Apple TV hardware: As with the Fire TV Stick, you’ll connect the Apple TV hardware to the TV’s HDMI port via an HDMI cable and follow a similar setup process. You can connect Apple TV to the Internet via an Ethernet cable or via WiFi.

Other Options: You may be able to incorporate hardware or devices you already own to stream these skinny TV services. Beyond working with the aforementioned Amazon Fire TV stick and Apple TV, Sling TV will work with Amazon Fire TV sticks, Apple TV, Google Chromecast sticks, Roku players, smartphone connections, the Xbox One gaming console, and Windows and Mac computers. As another example, PlayStation Vue runs on the PlayStation gaming console. Some Smart TVs can make use of apps through which your can run the skinny TV service. You’ll just have to check with each skinny TV service provider to see whether it can support the hardware you want to use.

Five Things to Know about Switching from Cable to Skinny TV

Did you make a proclamation for the New Year that you planned to get skinny? Did you make this proclamation loudly on social media, bragging about how skinny you would be? And were your workout clothes and diet shakes both tucked away in a dark corner of a closet within about two weeks of your brag?

Don’t despair. You can still save face by going skinny … but with your cable subscription. And if your tricky word play doesn’t fool your social media friends into believing you were talking about TV the entire time, at least you’ll be saving quite a bit of money each month.

But will a subscription skinny TV bundle be as unsatisfying as those diet shakes? We’ve broken down the key features of the three primary reduced pay-TV options available currently — DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and PlayStation Vue. Learn more about the best skinny TV bundle options here!

DirecTV Now

The satellite giant gives you four tiers of skinny service, ranging from 60 to 120 channels.

If you’re looking for the easiest service to understand, it’s DirecTV Now. It doesn’t offer a lot of extra purchase options and keeps the channel lineups within each tier pretty simple.

You will end up paying a bit more for the DirecTV tiers versus the other options, but you’ll also receive a larger variety of channels than the two other services. I was pretty impressed with DirecTV Now’s lowest tier package for $35, as it has plenty of great channels.

At the time of this writing, DirecTV Now is being offered to new customers with a seven-day free trial. Cancel during the trial, and you owe nothing. Or new customers can prepay for a three-month subscription and receive a free Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Packages and Costs

• Live a Little — 60 channels, $35 per month
• Just Right — 80 channels, $50 per month
• Go Big — 100 channels, $60 per month
• Gotta Have It — 120 channels, $70 per month
• Add-on channels — HBO, Starz, and/or Cinemax can be added for $5 to $8 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Live a Little — ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USA
• Just Right — Sports channels in lowest tier plus Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, MLB Network, NBC Sports Network, SEC Network, Tennis Channel, one regional sports network
• Go Big — Sports channels in two lowest tiers plus Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, TVG
• Gotta Have It — Same offering as Go Big
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Outside Network, Velocity Network, ESPN3, Pac-12 Network

Good

• Plenty of tiers
• No contracts or cancellation fees
• Best collection of desirable channels in lowest tier
• Easiest channel lineup to understand in each tier; no overlapping of channels from tier to tier
• Customers who prepay for three months receive Apple TV hardware or Amazon Fire TV stick for streaming

Bad

• Must sign up for account at DirecTV Now Web site before you can see packages
• Higher average prices than other two options
• Limited number of add-on packages
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• Cannot make use of cloud DVR services yet
• No NFL Network at any tier

PlayStation Vue

There’s a maximum 100-plus channels available through PlayStation Vue, but smaller tiers are available too.

Although the PlayStation Vue service has a pretty extensive channel offering, especially at the Core Slim level, it can’t fully match DirecTV Now’s offerings because Vue doesn’t have Viacom channels included at the time of this writing, such as Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central. Still, Core Slim is our favorite sub-$40 skinny bundle at this point, thanks in large part to its really strong sports channel lineup.

If you already own a newer PlayStation gaming console, you can stream the Vue service through it, meaning you won’t have to spring for extra hardware. And Vue’s cloud DVR service is handy for skipping commercials or recording shows, even though its performance levels are painfully slow versus traditional DVR hardware.

PlayStation Vue offers a 7-day free trial to new subscribers.

Packages and Costs

• Access Slim — 45 channels, $30 per month
• Core Slim — 60 channels, $35 per month
• Elite Slim — 90 channels, $45 per month
• Ultra Slim — 100-plus channels, $65 per month
• Add-on channels — EPIX Hits and/or Espanol Pack for $3 to $5 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Access Slim — ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USA
• Core Slim — Sports channels in lowest tier plus Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, NBA TV, NFL Network, SEC Network, one regional sports network
• Elite Slim — Sports channels in two lowest tiers plus Golf Channel, ESPN Deportes, Outside Network, Velocity Network
• Ultra Slim — Same offering as Elite Slim
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, TVG, ESPN3, Pac-12 Network

Good

• Plenty of tiers
• Cloud DVR service available, even though it has slow response times
• Nice collection of desirable channels in lowest tier
• Best interface for accessing programming among skinny bundles
• Can stream through PlayStation gaming consoles
• Core Slim is our favorite sub-$40 skinny TV tier; best mix of regular channels and sports at best price

Bad

• Fewer channels than some other options at lowest tier
• If you want subscription movie channels, you’re limited to the Ultra Slim package
• No support for Apple TV hardware
• No inclusion of Viacom channels at the time of this writing (Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, et cetera)
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• No MLB Network or NHL Network at any tier

Sling TV

Up to 162 channels are available with the maximum Sling TV offering, but the basic tiers each offer less than 50 channels. (Sling TV is offered by DISH Network; click the link to read our Sling TV review from when it initially appeared.)

I don’t know how to say this any other way, so here goes: The channel offerings in Sling’s two packages are just weird and confusing. Some of the channels overlap between the two services. If you want a full collection of the primary sports channels, for examples, you will have to subscribe to both tiers, which you can do for $40 per month. Why wouldn’t the provider just put all the sports channels into one tier?

Sling offers the largest number of add-on channel packages, which are handy but which also can drive up the cost of this skinny bundle in a hurry. It can be a little confusing too, as you may have to purchase a full add-on package to gain access to just one favorite channel. Sling is attempting to give subscribers more of an à la carte feeling with this design, but it seems more confusing than helpful.

If you can just stick with the Orange or Blue offering though, this is definitely the least expensive skinny bundle out there. And it works with a variety of hardware options.

Packages and Costs

• Sling Orange — 30 channels, $20 per month
• Sling Blue — 44 channels, $25 per month
• Sling Orange and Blue — about 50 channels, $40 per month
• Add-on channels — Kids Extra, Comedy Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Sports Extra, Movies Extra, Spanish Extra for $5 to $15 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Sling Orange — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS, TNT
• Sling Blue — Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, USA, TBS, TNT, TruTV, one regional sports network
• Sports Extra (add these channels to either tier for $10 per month) — NBA TV, NHL Network, Golf Channel, Outside Network, Pac-12 Network
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, Tennis Channel, TVG, Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes, Velocity Network

Good

• Offers highest number of add-on packages
• Least expensive base options
• Large number of Spanish-speaking channel options in add-on packages
• Includes support for ESPN3 at lowest tier
• Offers seven-day free trial

Bad

• Channel lineup on tiers overlaps a lot, causing confusion
• Add-on channel packages can be confusing
• Pick a few add-on channel packages, and the price goes up fast
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• Weird tier splitting; NFL Network and Fox Sports 1 are on Blue tier, but no ESPN on Blue tier
• No MLB Network or ESPNU available at any tier
• No Nickelodeon, Fox News, or Discovery available at any tier

Hulu Live TV and Others

Hulu’s live TV skinny service is scheduled to start some time in 2017. Few details are available, other than the OTT live service is expected to cost less than $40 per month for the lowest tier.

It’s also possible that YouTube, Apple, and Amazon will begin offering OTT live services at some point in the next year, so keep an eye on this changing marketplace if the idea of a skinny bundle appeals to you!

Recommendations

Because the service lineups are in flux with these three offerings, consider our recommendations at this point as being fluid too. But, based on what we know today, here are our favorites:

• Best Deal for the Price: PlayStation Vue’s Core Slim. It has a good monthly price point at $35 with the best sports channels for the money. It is missing Viacom channels though. If you absolutely need Nickelodeon, et cetera, from Viacom, go with DirecTV’s Live a Little, knowing you’ll have to sacrifice some sports offerings.
• Best Overall Channel Lineup: DirecTV Now. The only major omission in any of its tiers is NFL Network. It has the most extensive lineup at each tier, but it also costs a little bit more to have all of those channels.
• Most Control Over Channels: Sling TV. With all of the add-on offerings, you can really customize your service. Just don’t pick too many, or the price goes up fast. And read through your options carefully, as there’s some confusing overlap between tiers.
• Best Sports Channel Collection: This was a tough one, as none of the three are perfect. But to gain the most sports channels for the money, I’d recommend Vue’s Core Slim. It doesn’t have MLB or NHL Networks, so you may miss some playoff games, but it gives you the most key sports channels for the lowest price.

[table caption=”Channel Lineup Comparison” width=”620″ colwidth=”35|20|20|20″ colalign=”left|center|center|center”]

Lowest Priced Skinny Bundle,DirecTV Now,PlayStation Vue,Sling TV

Monthly Cost,$35,$30,$20

AMC,Yes,Yes,Yes

BBC America,Yes,Yes,X*

BET,Yes,X,X*

Cartoon Network,Yes,Yes,Yes

CNN,Yes,Yes,Yes

Comedy Central,Yes,X,Yes

Discovery,Yes,Yes,X

Discovery Life,X*,X*,X

Disney Channel,Yes,Yes,Yes

E!,Yes,Yes,X*

ESPN,Yes,Yes,Yes

ESPN2,Yes,Yes,Yes

ESPNU,X*,X*,X

Food Network,Yes,Yes,Yes

Fox News,Yes,Yes,X

Fox Sports 1,Yes,Yes,X*

FX,Yes,Yes,X*

HGTV,Yes,Yes,Yes

IFC,X*,X*,Yes

MLB Network,X*,X,X

MTV,Yes,X,X*

National Geographic,Yes,Yes,X*

NBA TV,X*,X*,X*

NFL Network,X,X*,X*

NHL Network,X*,X,X*

Nickelodeon,Yes,X,X

Science,X*,Yes,X

Spike,Yes,X,X*

Syfy,Yes,Yes,X*

TBS,Yes,Yes,Yes

TNT,Yes,Yes,Yes

Travel Channel,X*,Yes,Yes

TruTV,Yes,Yes,X*

USA Network,Yes,Yes,X*

Weather Channel,X*,X,X

[/table]

Not Ready to Cut the Cord Completely? Check out the Best Skinny TV Bundle Options

When Sling TV was announced at the 2015 CES, it was instantly a big hit. It offered something that sounded a lot like “a la carte cable TV,” the elusive Bigfoot that TV viewers have been breathlessly seeking for years.

Sling TV is owned by DISH network but has its own one-page website for handing the avalanche of early interest in the service. Prior to publication of this review, it was invite-only. However, it was unveiled to the general pubic today with a free 7-day trial promotion. Although Sling TV gets its name from the relatively well-known Slingbox (owned by a subsidiary of DISH), it’s a separate brand and doesn’t require a Slingbox.

Cable isn’t required, either. (But you probably guessed that. Heh.) Sling TV’s slogan is “Take Back TV,” and it’s aimed squarely at the millennials who are known as the “cord-nevers,” in that they’ve never subscribed to cable, and other TV viewers known as the “cord-cutters,” who’ve stopped subscribing to cable to use streaming services like Netflix.

Sling TV offers 14 live cable channels for $20 a month with instant start-up and no commitments. Of those channels, DISH succeeded in getting three of the most sought-after networks among the “cord nevers” and “cord cutters”: ESPN, ESPN 2 and CNN. In other words, the crown jewels of 24-hour sports and news that can’t be found on a Netflix or Hulu Plus like you can with a TV show.

The other channels are well-known, not obscure, channels: TBS, TNT, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network / Adult Swim, ABC Family, Travel Channel, Food Network and HGTV. It’s not like you have to suffer C-SPAN as filler. AMC was added to the base package list as well, as of today. However, you may have to wait a bit until it’s available. That will include live streaming of such popular shows as The Walking Dead and Mad Men.

Sling TV is a simple, highly anticipated concept that needs brilliant execution. Does it succeed?

What You Need

You need a high-speed internet connection with at least around 5MBps, which is frequently an entry level speed. That’ll probably cost you around $20 to $30. The 4G data plan for your phone or mobile device will also work very well.

You also need a Roku 3 (2013 model), iOS or Android device or a Mac to use the Sling TV app and watch live TV.

At this moment, you might be thinking that sucks, particularly when it comes to watching on, well, TV. And it does, but that’s the current lineup for early invites.

Sling TV promises to broaden the number of devices when the service is opened to the general public. Accessibility will include PCs, Xbox One, other Roku boxes and the Roku Streaming Stick, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick and the Google Nexus Player.

I tested the Sling TV on an iPhone (iOS), Android tablet and Mac.

What Works

The user interface is simple, intuitive and looks the same across platforms. When you open the app for the first time, you’re presented with ESPN, their biggest asset (or the last channel you were watching), and a side-scrolling list of channels as an overlay. You also get that day’s program guide for the channel you are currently watching.

I thought the HD picture looked as good as expected with some compression artifacts occasionally occurring just after I loaded up a channel.

I used Airplay with my iPhone and an Apple TV to watch the Australian Open tennis final on my TV and that worked very well. On another occasion, the AirPlay connection crashed but that might’ve been more AirPlay than Sling TV.

You also get a movie channel where you can rent new movies like Fury, Lucy and Guardians of the Galaxy for $3.99 to $6.99 (SD) or $4.99 to $7.99 (HD). Most new movies in HD are $4.99. There are also older movies available, ranging from $2.99 for SD to $3.99 for HD. If you’re used to renting from Google Play or iTunes, it’s a pretty familiar selection.

What’s Missing

You can only watch Sling TV on one device at a time. Sorry [insert friend, family member or roommate]. Not surprising, but it could be a deal breaker for some of you.

Instant channel switching. Expect some buffering (albeit brief in the >1 to 2 second range) when you change channels.

There are playback options for pause, reverse, forward and start from the beginning (“Start Over”), but they were not available on most of the 12 basic channels that I reviewed except HGTV and Travel Channel.

Commercials are missing on ESPN and ESPN2. It appears the ESPN and ESPN 2 feeds are from WatchESPN, so you just get a blank screen during commercials. Not a big deal unless you love the ads on ESPN.

Hey, You Get to Watch Live Sports Again

While I experienced a few minor streaming hiccups here and there, I was satisfied with the picture and presentation. Mainly, Sling TV just gets out of the way so you can watch your live TV just like in the olden days. It works. Plus, Sling TV gives you all the more reason to stare endlessly at your phone in public so you don’t miss any of the big game.

As of today, Dish also announced a new package for Sports fanatics. At $5 a month, the Sports Extra package includes ESPN News, ESPN U, SEC ESPN Network, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Goal Line. Universal Sports, Bein Sports.

If you want even more channels, there are two other current options for subscribers. For an extra $5, you can get a kids’ package which adds Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, BabyTV and ducktv. Alternatively, for the same price, you can add a news package with Cooking Channel, DIY Network, HLN, and Bloomberg News.

Sling TV is off to a good start. Sure, it means watching TV in the 21st century isn’t as straightforward as it used to be, but it can be cheaper than traditional cable if you know what your specific needs are.

Say you’ve got a monthly TV bill that includes high-speed internet at home for $30, Sling TV for $20, Netflix for $8, Hulu Plus for $8 and Amazon Prime for around $8, then you’ve dropped nearly $75 per month. But that’s still cheaper than the average internet + cable TV package without even counting any streaming services.

There’s definitely more choice now for TV viewers, and expect those options to increase as competitors throw their hat in the ring. Do we hear Apple in the wings? (Rumors say yes.)

Sling TV Review: A New Hope?