The new options for watching TV online is a hot topic with readers — and a confusing one. A story I wrote last week comparing the new online TV services with cable had one reader asking, “Why did you leave out Roku?”

If you are wondering the same thing, let’s rewind to the basics of internet TV.

Who is internet video for? Anyone who likes to watch movies and new or old TV shows. In its current form, internet video services also target people who are fed up with their cable provider, hope to save money and want to watch video on TV, a smartphone or any device inside or outside the home. Internet video isn’t limited to computers.

Consumers who are considering a move to internet TV should take a step back and think about what they really want. Do you just want an alternative to cable TV so you can continue to flip through channels? Or do you just want access to certain TV shows, a few live sporting events and a library of movies? That will help you decide whether this global movement to change the way consumers watch TV is for you.

If this is just like TV or renting videos, why is it better? It’s not better for everyone. If you love big cable packages and access to every single channel, this isn’t for you. Internet video may actually cost more if you’re trying to add every single online service available. And if you love watching local channels, you may be stuck with cable if installing a TV antenna to get local channels for free is not a reliable option.

But it is better for the new breed of TV watchers. You can choose and pay for what you actually want to watch, for the most part. You don’t need to rent TV equipment or pay strange fees beyond taxes. And you can cancel anytime, including after football season ends. You still have to pay someone — probably a cable or phone provider — for internet and you may upgrade to a faster speed. And not all traditional cable and broadcast channels are available online. But in The Denver Post analysis of costs for the top 30 channels in America, based on Nielsen’s ratings, the price of cable was still about 20 percent higher than the most expensive internet TV service.

What’s the difference between Netflix, Sling TV and Roku? This is the difference between renting a video, watching it live on cable and the actual cable box.

Netflix is an on-demand service with a massive library of movies and TV shows that you can watch whenever you choose.

 

Sling TV is live TV, much more like cable TV. So when you turn it on, you may catch a show midway. (Of course, these cable-alternative services like Sling also offer the TV shows and movies on demand or let you record them to view later.)

And Roku is a streaming box that connects regular TVs to online content, displaying the services like apps on a smartphone. Roku alternatives include Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Google Chromecast and AirTV Player.

What’s available? The better question is, “What’s not available?” While the latest movies often launch digitally for rent or purchase on sites like Amazon or Vudu, new releases take a while to show up on monthly subscription services like Netflix — and there’s no guarantee that hot movies will ever end up on a service. That’s why consumers must pick and choose services that best fit their video-watching needs. If you love HBO, for example, the standalone $14.99/month HBO Now streaming service will have the same content, plus access to an archive.

As for regular live TV, services like Hulu and DirecTV Now still negotiate with TV companies for access to new shows and movies, just as the traditional cable industry does. No deal, and the channel won’t be available. Hulu, for example, launched its live TV service this month without popular channels from Viacom (Comedy Central, Nickelodeon) and Discovery Communications (Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery). But not to worry. Those channels can be found on one of the other services, with DirecTV Now offering the most channels in its $35 starter plan.

We’ve charted the top 35 cable channels, based on Nielsen’s ratings, to give you a sense of what channels are available from the different streaming services:

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Must-have internet TV

Online TV is starting to look a lot like cable TV. But not all services are equal. Here’s a look at how many of the top 35 cable channels are offered by the five main internet TV companies. Of course, more channels are available from each internet TV provider but we stuck to the top 35 for simplicity. The top-35 data is based on Nielsen’s ratings from September 2016 to May 2017. Channels are listed in order of popularity, with chart data gathered from company sites as of May 2017.

= Channel available in basic plan
= Channel available as upgrade

Channel	Sling TV	DirecTV Now	Hulu Live	PlayStation Vue	YouTube TV
Cost/Channels	$20 for 30	$35 for 60	$40 for 50	$30 for 45	$35 for 40
Fox News
ESPN
USA
TBS
HGTV
Discovery
MSNBC
TNT
Hallmark
History
AMC
CNN
ID
Disney
FX
Food Network
Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
Bravo
Nick at Nite
Lifetime
TLC
A&E Network
Freeform (Family)
TV Land
Nick Jr.
SyFy
Paramount (Spike)
Animal Planet
MTV
BET
E Network
Lifetime Movie Network
Comedy Central
TRU TV
Headline News

Key:
= Channel available in basic plan.
= Channel available as upgrade

Source: Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, Sony PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV

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What about the Colorado Rockies and other teams? The sore spot for many online services is local TV. Depending on where you live, local TV channels may be available on streaming services. But here in Denver, no service offers all the local networks. Companies like Sling encourage customers to install a TV antenna to get over-the-air channels for free. But since antenna reception is spotty, especially in Denver, paying for cable or satellite TV may be your only option if you really want these channels.

With the way the industry is moving, however, the local channels will most likely sign agreements with streamers or offer their own standalone channel. CBS All Access, which is $5.99 a month, offers not just regular live TV, but access to already aired TV shows.

Also mostly missing from internet TV is access to live sports events and channels, like Root Sports, which has the exclusive rights to Colorado Rockies games in the local market. Of course, if you’re a paying customer of DirecTV or a few others and subscribe to Root, you can stream Rockies games online or watch them on TV.

But more regional sports networks are expanding outside of traditional pay-TV services. Outside of Denver, Sling TV offers Fox Regional Sports Network on its Sling Blue plan, which is $25. DirecTV Now offers Fox Sports 1 and 2, plus the regional Longhorn Network. Blackouts may still apply.

Things change every season, though. Amazon will start streaming NFL Thursday night games this fall for Amazon Prime members, who pay $99 a year. And last week, Major League Baseball said it would stream one baseball game each Friday on Facebook. The first one, last Friday happened to be a Rockies game.

How much does it cost? Prices are all over the place. And you’ll likely pay at least two companies — the internet provider and the video provider. Some channels are free, such as The CW Network. Other single channels can set you back $15 a month, which is what HBO charges. Cable alternatives with multiple channels start around $20. But some go as high as $70 for DirecTV Now’s top plan or $64.99 for PlayStation Vue’s $64.99. None include internet.

We compared the cost of cable to the five main streaming TV services for the top 30 channels plus internet. Comcast was the most expensive, at $117. Sling TV came in at $90.99 but could only offer 24 of the 30 channels. The cheapest was YouTube TV at $65. But it only had 14 of the top 30 channels, so it’s not really a fair comparison. But all the services continue to add new channels. YouTube TV added AMC and BBC America last week. (YouTube TV has not yet launched in Denver.)

For on-demand video, Netflix is a bargain, with prices starting at $7.99 a month. Hulu without live TV also starts at $7.99 a month. If you have favorite TV shows and don’t mind catching them a season late, they may be available on Netflix, Hulu or others. The Hallmark Channel isn’t online, but the Hallmark Hall of Fame library is found at Feeln’, a streaming channel that starts at $2.99. Pluto TV is free and offers 75 “live” channels, like CNBC. But Pluto loops the content so you won’t see the same thing on the same cable channel. But still, it’s hard to beat free.

What do I need? Besides service, you need internet and a viewing device, like a smart TV, smartphone or streaming box. If you want to watch on a big TV, you’ll need a streaming device, like a smart TV, a Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast and numerous other options.

The devices tend to start around $30 and have no monthly fees. Link the device to a home’s Wi-Fi or internet service and then use a cable to connect it to the big TV. In some cases, you can also wirelessly send video from smartphone to TV. The devices make it easier to connect to all the channels, from Netflix to Starz, which end up looking like apps on a smartphone. For the most part, devices like Roku don’t offer video services themselves. They just link users to those channels.

The cable alternatives have also rolled out features like cloud DVRs so you can record favorite shows and store them in the cloud to view later.

What should I do? Start with figuring out your must-have TV channels or content to see if they are even available without a cable plan. Decide if you must be able to watch the shows or events as they happen, or if you can wait a week or season. And then add everything up, plus internet, and compare it to your existing service. Even if internet TV ends up being more expensive, it may be worth it not to have to pay the local cable provider.

Help us out: Readers have been sharing their stories about how they are picking and choosing TV options in this new world. We’ll be publishing examples next week to show how the variety of TV options makes sense for one family but not another. Share your TV choices and monthly costs by emailing Tamara Chuang at tchuang@denverpost.com