Live TV streaming services are a natural starting point when you’re cutting the cord. These services offer many of the same channels you had with cable or satellite TV, but deliver them over the internet to your smart TV or streaming device. They include cloud-based DVRs so you can record your favorite shows—and skip through the commercials—in many cases, they’re the only way to watch specific pay TV channels. Still, the cost of live TV streaming services can get quite high, and in some ways they won’t be exactly like what you had with cable. Our top picks will help you avoid overpaying and get the TV features you most care about. Why you should trust us As TechHive’s resident cord-cutting expert, I’ve been reviewing live TV streaming services ever since the launch of Sling TV back in 2015, and I’ve been a cord-cutter myself since 2008. Beyond just product reviews, I write a weekly column about streaming and over-the-air TV for TechHive, and my Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter has more than 30,000 readers. Updated December 20, 2024: We’ve updated this story with the most recent price changes (or should we say price increases) and performed a general refresh of this story. The TV streaming services we recommend YouTube TV — Best TV streaming service overall Pros Simple interface makes live TV easy to navigate Unlimited DVR allows for a huge on-demand library (with skippable ads) Broad selection of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels Cons Can’t delete recordings or mark them as watched on TV devices One-off recordings only work for live sporting events Menu doesn’t clearly separate DVR and on-demand video (with unskippable ads) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price YouTube TV $82.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $82.99 at YouTube TV Why we like YouTube TV YouTube TV is the best drop-in replacement for cable or satellite TV. It’s not exactly cheap at $83 per month, but it offers a broad mix of the local stations, live news, national sports, and entertainment channels you’d get with a typical pay TV package, almost certainly at a lower price. Its interface is easy to comprehend, its cloud DVR lets you record an unlimited number of programs for up to nine months, and you even can bundle NFL Sunday Ticket at a discount. Who should get YouTube TV If you want to cut the cable cord without overthinking it, this is the easiest starting point to recommend. Still, other services may offer a better value—either by bundling other services or omitting popular channels—or by delivering more regional sports coverage. Read our full YouTube TV review Hulu + Live TV — Best TV streaming service, runner-up Pros Excellent value for Disney bundle subscribers Expansive on-demand catalog Recommendations and staff picks make the app fun to explore Cons Live TV can be inefficient to navigate Hard to figure out which programs allow ad skipping Can’t watch on TV devices while traveling Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Hulu.com $82.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $82.99 at Hulu.com Why we like Hulu + Live TV The main thing that distinguishes Hulu + Live TV from YouTube TV is its inclusion of the full Disney bundle, so you get Hulu’s on-demand catalog, Disney+ (with ads, unless you were grandfathered in), and ESPN+ in the $83-per-month base package. Hulu’s cloud DVR service lets you save an unlimited number of shows for up to nine months, and while the interface can be busy, it ties everything together in a way that encourages discovery. Who should get Hulu + Live TV Hulu’s live TV package makes a lot of sense if you’re paying for any of Disney’s other streaming services. Disney+ and Hulu each cost $10 per month on their own (or $11 per month together), while ESPN+ is even pricier at $12 per month (also available with Disney+ and Hulu for $17 per month). With Hulu + Live TV, you get all those services at no extra cost. Read our full Hulu + Live TV review DirecTV Stream — Best TV streaming service for sports fans Pros Excellent grid guide with useful sorting options More sports (at least in its $100-per-month tier) than other streaming services DVR is easy to navigate and has its own dedicated menu section Cons No visual preview when fast forwarding on Fire TV and Android TV Sluggish performance on some lower-end streaming devices Some national sports channels are pushed out to more-expensive packages Best Prices Today: Retailer Price DirecTV Stream $101.98 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $101.98 at DirecTV Stream Why we like DirecTV Stream DirecTV Stream’s starting price is $101.98 per month, but the main attraction is its $115-per-month “Choice” package, which includes more sports coverage than other live TV streaming services. In some markets, it’s the only way to stream certain regional sports channels that remain tied to pay TV bundles. The cloud DVR and grid guide are highlights as well, with an interface that will make cable or satellite converts feel at home. Who should get DirecTV Stream YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV only offer patchy regional sports coverage, and standalone streaming options are still limited. Sports fans who can’t stream their local baseball, basketball, or hockey teams any other way would be wise to consider DirecTV Stream despite its steep price. Read our full DirecTV Stream review Sling TV — Best budget-priced TV streaming service Pros Lower entry price than any other streaming bundle Simple menu system with easy access to favorites DVR supports ad-skipping, partial recordings, and time-shifting Cons Price can quickly escalate to get certain channels Most channels top out at 30 frames per second Only supports one user profile Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Sling TV $40 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $40 at Sling TV Why we like Sling TV Sling TV’s starting price of $40 per month is a lot lower than most other bundles, which it accomplishes by splitting its channels into two base packages and omitting local broadcasts in many markets. The DVR feels a bit stingy—you get 50 recording hours, or 200 hours for an extra $5 per month—but it’s still the cheapest way to access certain cable channels without a big cable bundle. Who should get Sling TV Sling TV is an invaluable option for those who can skate by without a full range of local channels. It pairs especially well with an over-the-air antenna for local channels, and you can even use an AirTV device to feed those channels into Sling’s app. Read our full Sling TV review Philo — Best budget-priced TV streaming service, runner-up Pros DVR has helpful ad-skipping features Easy to find your favorites and recently-watched shows Integrates well with Fire TV, Google TV, and Apple TV devices Cons No sports, major cable news, or local broadcast channels Channel guide layout is disorienting No surround sound or adjustable streaming quality Why we like Philo For $28 per month, Philo offers lots of entertainment channels in an easy-to-navigate interface, and its cloud DVR even marks up commercial breaks to help you skip through them. Equally notable, however, is what’s missing: Philo doesn’t include any local channels, sports channels, or major cable news networks, which is a big part of why it’s much cheaper than other live TV streaming services. Who should get Philo Cord-cutters who favor reality shows, documentaries, and other forms of comfort food TV will find plenty to watch on Philo. Cheaper standalone services such as Max or Netflix might scratch a similar itch at lower prices, but they don’t have the same live TV and DVR features. Read our full Philo review How we test live TV streaming services Beyond just watching a lot of TV, we evaluate each service’s channel lineup to point out any important omissions, while also comparing basic features such as simulataneous streams and out-of-home viewing restrictions. We scrutinize each service’s DVR capabilities, including the ease with which you can access recordings, manage your storage, and skip through commercials. To evaluate video quality, we look for features such as 60-frames-per-second video support across a broad range of channels. We also examine every corner of each service’s interface, comparing features such as the grid guide, on-demand menu, and home screen. Our in-depth reviews include plenty of screenshots, so you can see for yourself what each service looks like. Other notable live TV streaming services we’ve reviewed Fubo prides itself on live sports and is only rivaled by DirecTV Stream on regional sports, but its lack of Warner-owned channels (including postseason sports staples TNT and TBS) leaves some serious gaps in its coverage. It costs $80 per month, including regional sports fees. Philo offers a terrific live TV streaming service for just $28 per month if you’re not interested in watching live sports. Frndly TV is the cheapest live TV streaming service by far, starting at $7 per month, with a channel lineup that leans heavily into classic TV reruns. It probably won’t fulfil many cord cutters’ needs on its own, but may be worth considering as a supplement to other services. Frequently asked questions about streaming live TV 1. How are live TV streaming services different from services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video? On-demand video services such as Netflix (also known as SVOD (streaming video on demand) or direct-to-consumer services) offer original programming you can’t find on cable, along with catalogs of movies and shows licensed from Hollywood studios. Some of these streamers are dabbling in live sports—most notably, Max’s B/R Sports add-on offers every event that airs on its cable channels—but for the most part this coverage is different from what’s on cable. By comparison, live TV services carry the exact same channels you’d find in a cable or satellite package, including major networks such as ABC and CBS, news channels such MSNBC and Fox News, and sports channels such as ESPN. They have similar grid-style channels guides and DVR features as well. 2. How do I watch live TV streaming services? Each of these services offer their own apps, which you can install on your smart TV, streaming device, smartphone, or tablet. You can subscribe to these services through their own websites, or in some cases directly through the app. 3. What about DVR? All live TV streaming services include some form of cloud DVR, allowing you to record live programming and skip through the commercials. The recordings are stored online, rather than on a box in your home, so you can access them from any of your devices—even while traveling. 4. Can I watch live TV streaming services while traveling? Yes, though some services have restrictions on what you can watch and how you can watch it. This article has more details. 5. Are there equipment or activation fees? No, live TV streaming services do not charge activation fees, and you can log in to watch on as many devices as you want at no extra charge. You may hit a limit on how many devices can be actively streaming at the same time—usually it’s two or three, depending on the service—and some services allow you to pay for more simultaneous streams if you need them. Read...

A monitor that you can take with you anywhere? Imagine how much more productive you could be as you work on your laptop on the go. But a slim, portable monitor can also be a great addition for your mini PC, your Nintendo Switch, or even your phone. Right now, you can get one at a great price if you snag this Arzopa portable monitor for just over $72, a good 34 percent off its original $110 price tag in this limited-time holiday deal. With a 15.6-inch IPS display and 1080p resolution, this portable monitor is on par with what your laptop has to offer, delivering crisp images, vibrant colors, great contrast, and color accuracy. It also has an anti-glare coating so your eyes won’t suffer as much fatigue over long hours, and the 60Hz refresh rate is adequate whether you’re doing work, watching Netflix, or doomscrolling all day long. This particular monitor model is plug-and-play with USB-C. No special software or hardware needed. Just plug in a USB-C cable and connect it to your device. With the ubiquity of modern USB-C, it’ll be easy to hook this up to your laptop, phone, gaming console, or whatever else. Don’t have USB-C? There’s also a Mini HDMI port. And it truly is portable. At just 0.3 inches thick, this Arzopa monitor is thin enough to slip into your bag right next to your laptop. And because it only weighs 1.7 pounds, it won’t weigh you down. So hurry up and upgrade your laptop productivity or portable entertainment setup with this portable monitor that’s only $72 on Amazon during this limited-time holiday sale. Save 34% on this portable USB-C laptop monitorBuy now at Amazon Read...

If YouTube TV’s forthcoming price hike feels like a breaking point to you, you’re not alone. Over the last week, I’ve heard from a bunch of folks who say the rate hike—from $73 per month to $83 per month, starting January 13, 2025—is the last straw. They’re now seeking alternatives to YouTube TV that will provide comparable channel coverage for less. Unfortunately, that sort of easy escape hatch doesn’t exist. Like every other live TV service (including satellite and cable), YouTube TV keeps raising prices because TV programmers keep demanding more money for their channels. Unless the entire industry embraces cheaper, more flexible bundles, the bill for all of these services will keep going up. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best live TV streaming services. The only alternative is to ditch your big pay TV package entirely. While this approach does involve sacrifice, the savings can be significant. Here are your options: Consider an antenna With an inexpensive over-the-air antenna and good-enough reception, you can watch the big four broadcast channels—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC—for free, along with PBS and a smattering of rerun-centric subchannels. An antenna won’t entirely replace a bigger bundle, but it’ll give you a big head start. You can even set up an over-the-air DVR to record shows for later. Antennas won’t work for everyone. Roughly speaking, you’ll want to be within at most 30 miles of local broadcast stations to use an indoor antenna, and within 60 miles for an outdoor model. Even then, obstructions and topography can impact the signal. Use the Antennaweb site to look up nearby stations for a sense of what you need, and be prepared for some trial and error. If you’re ready to experiment, we have a list of the best indoor and outdoor antennas available. Stream (some) local stations If an antenna isn’t feasible, you can stream some local stations instead, but it’ll cost you: Paramount+ with Showtime ($13 per month) includes a live feed of your nearest CBS station, including NFL coverage, along with on-demand access to primetime CBS shows. The cheaper Paramount+ Essential tier with ads ($8 per month) does not include CBS, but does offer the NFL games. You can often get Paramount+ for free in one-month increments. Peacock Premium Plus ($14 per month) includes a feed of your nearest NBC station, including Sunday Night Football, plus on-demand access to primetime NBC shows. The cheaper Premium tier with ads ($8 per month) does not include a local NBC feed, but does carry NFL games. The PBS app includes live feeds of local PBS stations for free, along with on-demand PBS programming. An optional $5-per-month “Passport” donation unlocks additional content. You can also use the free NBC and ABC apps to watch some network TV shows without a subscription, while the Paramount+ app offers some CBS programs for free as well. Unfortunately, live feeds of ABC and Fox are unavailable without a large pay TV package, but you can watch primetime shows from both networks on Hulu, which starts at $10 per month. Look for live news The major cable news networks—CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC—are not available without a big pay TV package, but you can access some of their content in alternative ways: Max offers an alternative CNN live feed with much of the same programming, but not in the same order as CNN proper. MSNBC’s website and mobile app offer live audio of the cable network for free. Some primetime Fox News shows are available on-demand via Fox Nation, but there’s no live feed. In lieu of cable news channels, consider the many free options available for streaming the news instead: Local news: Many local stations offer their newscasts for free if you know where to look. Check out NewsOn, Zeam, Local Now, Haystack News, or your local station’s own website. You’ll also find local news via Tubi, the Roku Channel, Amazon’s Fire TV News app, and the free channels on Google TV devices. National and international news: Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Xumo, and Sling TV Freestream, all offer round-the-clock streaming news channels, even from major networks such as CBS and NBC. That may scratch the background TV itch you’d otherwise get from cable news. Find favorite shows elsewhere Outside of news and sports, it’s rare for cable channels to carry exclusive new shows that aren’t available on standalone streaming services. If there’s a show you like on YouTube TV (or cable), sites like Reelgood or MyBundle can tell you where else to find them. And if by chance a show is only on cable—like Yellowstone, whose final season was exclusive to Paramount Network—you can always buy that show individually through stores like Amazon Video, Fandango, or Apple TV. Sort through sports streaming options Sports are where replacing a service like YouTube TV gets tricky. Currently, there’s no way to watch ABC or Fox without a big TV package or an antenna. ESPN isn’t available on a standalone basis either—although that will change in 2025—nor are FS1, FS2, or college conference channels such as SEC Network and Big Ten Network. So what can you get without a service like YouTube TV? Some options: As I mentioned earlier, the ad-free tiers of Paramount+ and Peacock include live feeds of CBS and NBC respectively, including all sports coverage. Max streams all sports coverage from TNT, TBS, and TruTV. This will eventually cost an extra $10 per month on top of a standard Max subscription, but is included at no extra charge for now. Many regional sports networks are now available on a standalone basis. I’ve compiled the options for NBA and NHL teams. MLB TV and NBA League Pass offer games that are not broadcast in your local market. ESPN+ offers the same service for NHL games. NFL+ offers local and nationally-televised football games, but only on a phone or tablet. Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and even Netflix are picking up more sports programming as well, but their offerings are fairly scattershot. I’ve also compiled some additional tools to help sort through the sports streaming options, particularly if you’re trying to follow a specific team or league. Not ready to unbundle? Some other options: For now, the most complete live TV streaming service that’s markedly cheaper than YouTube TV is Sling TV. It offers a smaller bundle of pay TV channels, but still carries major sports channels, with three available base packages: Sling TV Orange ($46 per month) is currently the cheapest way to access ESPN and other ESPN-owned channels, such as SEC Network. Sling TV Blue ($46 per month) is the cheapest way to access FS1 and FS2. It also includes live access to NBC and ABC in some markets, and on-demand programming from all three channels everywhere. Sling Orange + Blue ($61 per month) combines both of the above packages. Unfortunately, Sling’s local channel coverage is lacking, with ABC, Fox, and NBC available only in select markets, and no CBS anywhere. For that reason, it pairs best with an over-the-air antenna. Hulu + Live TV is also worth a look. While it’s no cheaper than what YouTube TV will soon cost at $83 month, it includes the full Disney bundle (Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu’s on-demand catalog) at no extra charge. If you subscribe to any of those services on their own, you’ll save money by switching from YouTube TV to Hulu + Live TV instead. Lastly, you might take a look at some TV packages that don’t include sports or local channels. Because they omit the most expensive content on cable, their prices are significantly lower: Frndly TV ($7 per month) offers Hallmark Channel and a smattering of other largely rerun-centric channels. Philo ($28 per month) offers entertainment channels with a big emphasis on reality TV, but no sports, broadcast, or major cable news channels. Comcast’s NowTV is a $20-per-month bundle of entertainment channels and Peacock, with an option to add Netflix (with ads) and Apple TV+ for $10 per month extra. It’s available to customers with Xfinity home internet or Comcast’s cheaper Now Internet plans. Spectrum TV Stream is a $40 bundle of entertainment channels that also includes CNN and Fox News, available to Spectrum home internet customers. Just let go If you’re thinking that the cost of a la carte streaming adds up to more than YouTube TV or even cable, you’d be right. This has been the case for years, is not an original thought, and entirely misses the point. Unbundling your TV options does not automatically save you money, but it does let you decide what’s truly worth paying for. For that reason, standalone services are also highly incentivized to offer seasonal sales, comeback deals, and other discounts. These can considerably defray the cost of having a bunch of services at the same time. When you drop a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV, you’re adopting a different mindset, in which you make peace with not having everything. The sooner you realize you weren’t going to watch it all anyway, the easier unbundling becomes. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Read...

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Some people can hardly remember the time before YouTube. The video host was founded in 2005, and year after year the platform got bigger and bigger. As early as 2006, around 100 million clips were viewed there every day. By 2010, this figure had risen to more than two billion per day. Today, users upload around 500 hours of video material every minute. No wonder, really. The largely free service offers almost endless entertainment, how-to and tutorial videos, music, and much more. Of course, users also have the opportunity to upload videos themselves, collect followers, and earn money with them. However, even passionate users often don’t know all the tricks for an optimal streaming experience. You can find such tips in this article: How to use YouTube perfectly on your PC, smartphone, smart TV and co. Further reading: I block every ad on YouTube and I’m not ashamed to admit it General YouTube tips These settings and tricks promise a better YouTube experience across all devices. Create GIFs from YouTube videos You can create GIFs from YouTube videos free of charge – flexible settings included.Foundry Did you know that you can create a compact GIF from a YouTube video with just a few clicks or swipe gestures? It’s even free: Visit the GIF generator at makeagif.com and insert the YouTube link to the relevant video. You can then specify the desired output quality (maximum medium for free use), determine the GIF length, and adjust the playback speed. Note: Free users must tolerate watermarks and a lower resolution. Use dark mode A small setting with a big effect. Dark mode makes YouTube more enjoyable, and not just in the late evening hours. It is particularly pleasant and useful to switch to dark mode when using the app for long periods of time, as it reduces eye fatigue and saves battery power. On the PC, we simply click on our profile picture and then on “Display.” Here you can now select the dark design. Dark mode is also available in the official YouTube app (Settings->General->Display). Variable playback speed In the playback options (gear icon), you can gradually adjust the playback speed of YouTube videos. This allows clips to be played back at twice the speed or up to four times slower. This is super handy if a YouTuber doesn’t want to get to the point in their videos, or if you want to watch a step in a tutorial in detail. Show subtitles If you’ve ever watched a video from the American South or a Seitenbacher advert, you’ll know the problem. Sometimes you can’t understand a word. However, the solution to such language barriers is easy to find, you can simply activate subtitles in many YouTube videos. The button for this can be found directly next to the small cogwheel below the video when using the browser, for example. More fun with YouTube on your smartphone or tablet These tricks and tips make YouTube even more fun on mobile devices. Play YouTube videos in the background on your mobile device (with Android or iOS) You can also play videos in the background on your smartphone with Firefox if you install a free plug-in.Foundry There is one small restriction on YouTube that can be really annoying. If you watch videos on your smartphone where you are only interested in the audio track (such as music or radio plays), you always have to keep the display activated and play the video in the foreground. As soon as you switch to another tab or deactivate the display, the playback also stops–quite annoying. The workaround for Android: A free plug-in is available for the Firefox mobile browser (Android | iOS): “Video playback in the background.” You can find this in the browser menu (three dots) and then under “Extensions” (see image). It also works on iPhone: First, start the video in the browser and then switch to the desktop version of the website in the settings. (You can skip this step on the iPad). Now, leave the website using the iPhone’s home button and open the quick settings using the usual swipe gesture (top right corner). Here you can now simply restart the video with the play button, it will then play in the background and you can hear the sound normally, even if the display is off. Tips and tricks for better YouTube on your PC MP3 download, keyboard shortcuts, or editing playlists together. If you enjoy browsing YouTube on your PC, you should know these practical tricks: Download YouTube music and save it locally as an MP3 You can convert YouTube videos to audio files (MP3) in a flash.Foundry Even beyond YouTube Music, the classic video host has plenty of music to offer from all genres and pretty much every decade since the invention of the sound carrier. And although YouTube itself doesn’t like it that much, you can convert such tracks with various web services in no time at all and save them locally as MP3s. You can do this here, for example. Use keyboard shortcuts There are many practical keyboard shortcuts available for YouTube videos, which promise more convenient operation and can save a lot of time, especially for frequent viewers. Note: If the shortcuts do not work, click on the video once (this will bring the player back into focus). ShortcutsShortcut functionSpace barPlay / PausekPlay / PausemMute videoleft / right arrow keyfast forward or rewind 5 secondsUp / down arrow keyVolume up or down (5 % each)jrewind 10 secondslfast forward 10 seconds.With paused video to the next frame,To the previous frame when the video is pausedShift key .Accelerate playbackShift key (Shift) ,Slow down playbackNumbers 1 to 9Jump to 10 to 90 % of the videoNumber 0Jump to the beginningfFull screen modecSelect subtitles (if available)Shift key (Shift) nNext videoShift key pPrevious videoPOS1 keyJump to the beginning of the videoEND keySkip to the end of the video Link to the exact playback position of a video You can quickly create a link to any playback position.Foundry You want to show a friend a funny moment in a YouTube video, but the clip is 15 minutes long? No problem. You can easily create a link to the exact position of the current playback. To do this, simply rewind to the point you want to link to and right-click on the video. Then click on “Copy video URL at this point” in the small window. The link will then be copied to the clipboard and can be inserted at any time by right-clicking and pasting or by pressing CTRL V. Edit playlists together with friends You can invite friends to edit playlists together.Foundry If you would like to allow friends or acquaintances to collaborate on your YouTube playlists, this is not a problem. First, open the playlist that you would like to share for editing. Note: If the list is not yet public, you still need to select/set this. Now you can select the “Invite employees” function via the Share button and generate a link that you can then forward to contacts. Make sure that the “Edit together” and “Allow new collaborators” functions are activated in the window. Play adverts 16 times faster with Chrome or Edge Gone again: This Chrome extension allows you to play adverts 16 times faster.Foundry If you’re sometimes annoyed by adverts on YouTube, we can understand that: The provider regularly places intrusive adverts in front of us before a video and often in the middle of it. Added to this is YouTube’s increasingly rigid approach to ad blockers. The solution (at least for Chrome users) is called “Ad Speedup – Skip Video Ads 16X Faster” and is available as a free extension for Chrome and Edge. It automatically plays ad sequences at 16x speed and skips them in no time at all. Useful YouTube tips for your smart TV Naturally, YouTube really comes into its own on the TV. The large display offers space for all the details and you can sink into the couch and relax while watching. These tips will make the video service even more fun on your Smart TV. Show or hide subtitles If you don’t know how to show or hide subtitles for YouTube on your Smart TV, it can be quite annoying. Fortunately, the function is very easy to access: Firstly, we pause the video and press the up button on the TV remote control. Here we now select the settings (usually on the far right; cogwheel symbol). In the following window, we can now select subtitles if they are available. In case of playback problems: Use an Ethernet cable This is not just a tip for YouTube, but a useful solution to problems when streaming is jerky or clips are slow to load (and also helps with problems with Netflix and the like). If you connect your smart TV to the internet via Wi-Fi, you sometimes have to deal with connection problems or slow data transfer, depending on the distance to the router. The solution? Lay an Ethernet cable from the router to the Smart TV, then the full bandwidth and unclouded video enjoyment is available there. Avoid adverts with YouTube Premium Google doesn’t exactly make it easy for us to install ad blockers with the app for the Smart TV – after all, this contradicts the business model of the free service. The remedy is to switch to YouTube Premium. This currently costs $13.99 per month (for individuals), deactivates all adverts, and allows uncomplicated background playback and offline music. More options: Stream to the TV via smartphone instead of the YouTube app There are a few advantages to streaming YouTube to your TV using your smartphone. You can also display comments or post them yourself (writing only on your smartphone). You can read how to set up such a stream here. For families: Activate parental control To prevent children from watching inappropriate content on YouTube on the TV (of which there is plenty), you can filter such content directly in the app. To do this, first go to the app settings on the smart TV, search for the “Restricted mode” entry, and activate the function. 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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Included stand supports landscape and portrait mode Easy wireless setup with modest input lag Decent bundled speakers Cons Moderate brightness Very limited color performance Battery life is limited at higher brightness levels Our Verdict The ViewSonic VG1656N offers a simple, reliable wireless connection, but disappointing color performance holds it back. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Portable monitors are a dime a dozen (almost literally, if you buy them on sale). But what if you want a portable monitor that’s also wireless? That’s exactly what the ViewSonic VG1656N offers at an affordable price. Unfortunately, ViewSonic sacrifices the monitor’s image quality to make it happen. ViewSonic VG1656N specs and features The ViewSonic VG1656N’s basic specifications are identical to dozens of competitors. It has a 16-inch IPS display panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, and a 60Hz refresh rate. None of these specifications are remarkable on their own, and the VG1656N’s nearly $300 MSRP would be hard to justify without its unique features. ? Display size: 16-inch 16:10 widescreen? Native resolution: 1920×1200? Panel type: IPS? Refresh rate: 60Hz? Adaptive sync: None? HDR: None? Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 60 watts Power Delivery-in? VESA mount: None? Speakers: 2x 2-watt speakers? Wireless display: Yes? Price: $299.99 MSRP Wireless connectivity is what sets the VG1656N apart. Though not uncommon, wireless portable monitors tend to be expensive, with many models sold above $300. That makes the VG1656N relatively affordable. Further reading: See our roundup of the best portable monitors to learn about competing products. ViewSonic VG1656N design Unboxing and setting up the ViewSonic VG1656N was a bit confusing, due to the fabric-covered magnetic stand that attaches to the portable monitor. I was able to set it up without consulting the manual, but it took me a few minutes to puzzle out the right orientation. It’s a good thing I didn’t need a manual, because my review unit didn’t have one in the box. The bundled stand is decent. It looks flimsy but proved remarkably stable—it takes significant force to knock it over. The stand can be folded to support several tilt angles and is stable once in place. The detachable stand also helps ViewSonic keep the VG1656N’s weight and bulk to a minimum: The display panel weighs 1.8 pounds and measures only 0.38 inches thick. The stand supports both landscape and portrait orientation. That’s a big perk, as portrait orientation is often a better use of a portable monitor’s real estate, and the VG1656N’s 16-inch display panel is the perfect size for portrait-mode placement next to a 27-inch monitor. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N is a wireless display with a built-in battery, so it can connect to a PC or Mac without any wires. This is made possible with a bundled Wi-Fi dongle. The monitor and dongle pair automatically, and I had no trouble with interference or mixed connections. The dongle connects to your PC over USB-C. It’s large—about twice the size of most USB flash drives—so it’ll be a tight squeeze if your computer’s USB-C ports are close together. You’ll also want to keep track of the dongle, since it’s required for a wireless connection. ViewSonic VG1656N connectivity The ViewSonic VG1656N’s wireless connectivity is clearly its headline feature. As mentioned, the monitor connects wirelessly to a USB-C dongle that you’ll need to plug into your PC. There’s no setup required; so long as the input mode is set to Wi-Fi, the VG1656N will automatically search for and connect to the bundled dongle (though a pairing mode is included if you need to pair with a different dongle). Matthew Smith / Foundry The monitor’s wireless connectivity is fine, but it’s no miracle. Wireless displays tend to suffer noticeable input lag, and the VG1656N is no exception, though it’s not too bad. Slow-motion recording at 240 frames per second showed input lag of around 100 to 200 milliseconds. I couldn’t visually notice a delay in real-time, but the monitor felt a little sluggish. Even so, most people looking for a wireless monitor will find the lag acceptable, and I suspect less critical owners won’t notice it. Wired connectivity is still available, through two USB-C ports. Both support DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Power Delivery, so either can be used for video input or to power the monitor. There’s one port on each flank, making the monitor easier to use with short USB-C cords. The VG1656N’s 16-inch display panel is the perfect size for portrait-mode placement next to a 27-inch monitor. ViewSonic VG1656N features There’s not much to talk about when it comes to the VG1656N’s menu system. Controlled by the power and volume rocker, it offers just a few image quality adjustments: brightness, contrast, and four preset image quality modes. Matthew Smith / Foundry The 2-watt speakers are decent, with good volume and clarity. However, there’s no bass, so games, movies, and music sound thin, though they’re acceptable in a pinch. The monitor’s built-in battery claims up to 3.5 hours of battery life. This varies widely with brightness settings—at full brightness, I saw it drain in about 1.5 hours. The battery can only power the monitor and can’t be used as an external battery for other devices. Viewsonic VG1656N SDR image quality The Viewsonic VG1656N isn’t a portable monitor that’s marketed on image quality. A look at the company’s official web page shows little information about image quality aside from resolution. Instead, the VG1656N is marketed mostly for its wireless connectivity and support for both landscape and portrait mode. A quick note: I tested the monitor’s image quality when it was connected to power and again on battery power. It appeared to operate identically in both situations. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness. This is an area where portable monitors tend to post mediocre results, and the Viewsonic VG1656N is no exception. It achieved a maximum brightness of 251 nits, which is similar to most competitors. This level of brightness is fine for use in a room with a few shaded windows but can look a bit dim if sunlit windows are nearby. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N’s contrast also falls in line with the alternatives, such as the Asus ZenScreen MB16HG. A contrast ratio of 1260:1 is fine for a standard portable monitor. However, as the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED makes plain, OLED portable monitors can provide a richer, more immersive image. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color performance is where the VG1656N runs into trouble. The monitor displayed only 64 percent of sRGB and 49 percent of DCI-P3. Most portable monitors can display a far wider range of colors covering up to 100 percent of sRGB and 74 to 81 percent of DCI-P3. The Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED once again takes things to another level, hitting 100 percent of both sRGB and DCI-P3. Put simply: The VG1656N’s range of colors is relatively narrow, which means colors can look dull and muted. It’s fine for office productivity and web browsing but not great for entertainment or content creation. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N’s color gamut disqualifies it for use by photographers, videographers, artists, and other content creators, so it’s no surprise to see that it also falls short in color accuracy. The monitor’s accuracy is still okay, but it’s nowhere near the best portable monitors on the market. The color was most obvious in cyan and green, and I felt each shifted slightly, but noticeably, towards yellow. While the VG1656N’s color accuracy wasn’t the best, it did well enough in gamma and color temperature tests. The monitor hit a gamma curve of 2.3, which is just a tad off our target of 2.2 and means the image looks very slightly darker than it should. The color temperature was spot-on our target of 6500K, so the image doesn’t look warmer or cooler than preferred. Sharpness is solid, too. 1920×1200 isn’t remarkable, but it works out to about 142 pixels per inch, which is much better than a 27-inch 1440p monitor’s pixel density of about 109 pixels per inch. Overall, the VG1656N’s image quality is a weakness. It’s fine for writing in Word, surfing the web, and sending emails, but otherwise won’t stand out. Content creators like photographers, videographers, and digital artists will need to give the VG1656N a pass. ViewSonic VG1656N HDR image quality The ViewSonic VG1656N doesn’t support HDR. That’s good, as any attempt to support HDR would fail. A wireless monitor with built-in battery has little hope of competent HDR. That’s because HDR requires high brightness, and higher brightness means higher power draw, something that doesn’t go well with a wireless display designed to function on battery power. ViewSonic VG1656N motion performance Much like HDR, motion performance isn’t a priority for the VG1656N. It sticks to a 60Hz refresh rate and quotes a high gray-to-gray pixel response time of 9.5 milliseconds. Motion blur is obvious when playing fast-paced games or even when scrolling a window across the monitor. Is the ViewSonic VG1656N worth it? The ViewSonic VG1656N is a reasonable choice for shoppers prioritizing wireless functionality over image quality. Its wireless setup is easy and reliable, and input lag is modest enough for productivity. Battery life is limited but usable. However, its subpar image quality and narrow color gamut hold it back. Still, if you just want a wireless portable monitor and aren’t too worried about image quality, the VG1656N makes sense. Read...

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