Cord Cutting 101 – Tips and advice for the would be streamer.

Cord Cutting 101

Tips and advice for the would-be streamer

By Nintendroid – Updated Feb. 2021

So, you want to cut the cord but not sure how to begin? This article will cover everything you need to know. In this article I will cover both first and, third-party, streaming options as there are many, network equipment, internet plans, and apps and services. At Nintendroid I want everyone to know how to setup their own devices, install their own apps, maintain their apps and devices and, have the information needed to make informed decisions when using any streaming services.

I have tried to make this article as comprehensive as possible, hopefully, without boring anyone to death with technical jargon. All of the info contained within will be very useful for new and seasoned streamers alike so, even if you’ve been streaming for a while, read over this article as you may learn something new.

Coming from cable television can be a challenge, especially if you can’t live without your live TV. Most of us in the streaming world prefer to watch things on our own schedules, without commercials, and have learned to live without live broadcasts. There are plenty of ways to continue getting live content though and, at a fraction of the cost of cable. I will cover these options in depth but, first, you need a streaming device. See my other blog entry titled “Which device should I buy?” to learn about all the different Android, Android TV, and Fire TV streaming devices. You can also stream from your, PC, mobile phone or tablet, and cast both to your smart tv.

Next, we have to talk about your internet connection. If you cancel your cable or satellite television service check to see how much internet alone will cost per month. Some providers charge more if you don’t have any other bundled services but, it is still usually cheaper to have internet alone versus paying for cable that you will no longer use. Also, shop around. Many areas have more than one option for high speed internet providers and, new customers usually get a discounted or promotional rate for the first year or two.

Another important thing to consider before moving forward with cord cutting is checking with your internet service provider to see if they impose data “caps” on your service. “Caps” on your internet service refer to the amount of data which you are allotted per month. Some providers limit you to a set amount per month and, if you stream all of your media and entertainment, you may very well exceed that limit. Check to see if there are caps or data limits for your service, choose a plan without limits or, if available in your area, choose another provider without data limits. Most providers offer unlimited plans, without limits, for a little more per month if unlimited is not included.

In most cases you will not experience any service disruption for going over any limits but, you may be charged for going over. Check the rates for going over and compare plans and/or providers accordingly. Many providers will give you a one-time waiver if you go over, meaning they will alert you of going over but won’t charge you the first time. Just be aware of this and, if it happens, go ahead and upgrade to unlimited if available.

NETWORKING EQUIPMENT

The next most important thing for “cutting the cord” after choosing your streaming device, is having a network with the speeds and reliability to accommodate it. So, the next thing you will want to do is get a good modem and router and upgrade your internet speed. Don’t worry, even though this will be an initial investment, it will pay for itself in no time. The average cable customer pays around $150.00 per month, or more, for basic cable and basic internet. Most also pay monthly fees for their internet equipment, cable boxes, other hidden fees for TV services and, the equipment you rent is usually subpar compared to devices you can purchase yourself.

Before you go out and purchase your own network equipment, you must check with your internet service provider (or ISP) to see which modems are approved for their network in your area. Usually, there is a page on their website for “approved devices” or “compatible equipment.” Always check there first and, call them if needed, to get the list of devices you can use. You will notice that most approved devices lists will include both cable modems, and “gateways.” They should also have at least one approved “EMTA” device for those with their home phone service packaged into their cable. Gateways are a combo device with a cable modem and router in one. Personally, I would advise against these devices and only get an EMTA device if you have/need your home phone through your cable company.

Standalone routers will offer many more options over a gateway device and will provide for better coverage. First, let’s take a look at one of the most common cable modems and then go I’ll over routers. The latest cable modems are built to run on “DOCSIS 3.1” systems. DOCSIS is the network backbone and the system that cable broadband internet runs on. It’s not important to know what it is or how it works, only that your modem supports it. Going forward most cable companies will run on DOCSIS 3.1 so call your provider and ask them if they support it and what the minimum is. Many still support DOCSIS 3.0 and lower.

NETGEAR CM1000 CABLE MODEM

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The Netgear “CM1000” model cable modem is one of the most widely supported modems across all cable providers so, chances are, your provider will support it. (Note* if you have Spectrum you will need the CM1000V2 model!) Or get the newer CM1100.

This modem is ready for DOCSIS 3.1 and supports “Gigabit” speeds (1024+Mbps). Even if your internet speed is below this, the Netgear CM1000 will be a lot more future proof than most and there are higher models now as well. It’s predecessor, the Netgear CM700 is also a good choice for speeds up to 500Mbps and runs on DOCSIS 3.0. The Arris SB8200 is another widely compatible DOCSIS 3.1 modem that supports Gigabit speeds.

It may be more than what you need right now but as your provider upgrades and, speeds increase over time, one of these modems will continue to work and be supported for years to come. I would highly recommend any of the modems mentioned above, or higher models, as long as your provider supports them.

Whatever you decide to purchase just make sure it’s compatible with your service and can handle the speed of your internet plan. Look for “32×8” or “24×8” when looking at modems. These are the number of upstream and downstream channels and, the more, the better. DOCSIS 3.1 32×8 should last you for years but you can buy lower models.

Either way, the last thing you want is to buy a modem that cannot handle the speeds you pay for. I’d recommend DOCSIS 3.0 24×8 as the lower end for still having something that will be fast, survive future cable company updates, and won’t need replacing in a year or two.

Next, let’s take a look at routers. There are many types and models but what you want, at the very least, is an “AC” router with dual band 2.4Ghz/5Ghz. You will also see “AX” routers or “WiFi 6.” AX and WiFi 6 are the same thing and most devices at this moment in time are not yet compatible with WiFi 6. So until it becomes necessary, which will still be several years, AC routers will work just fine.

Here is a list of the best routers in 2021 by PC Magazine. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-wireless-routers I would also recommend checking their top lists for 2020 and 2019 as they will all still be relevant in 2021 and may save you some money by buying a slightly older model.

When shopping for a router you want to get one that will support your maximum internet speeds on the 5Ghz band. 2.4Ghz may be important as well if you have older devices or need more range but, most devices these days are 5Ghz band capable and run on much faster speeds than 2.4Ghz, though if you have older devices or need more coverage, 2.4Ghz will still cover your needs in most scenarios.

You might also consider a router with “mesh” or “Ai Mesh” technology, or, what is called a “mesh system” of devices. These routers allow you to use more than one to increase your WiFi coverage or, the mesh systems, will have multiple devices for much greater coverage. In many cases one device will be plenty but, if you have a very large house, thick walls and floors, or need better coverage outdoors, Mesh is something to consider.

My personal favorites, though a little older now, are the ASUS AC68U (or the comparable ASUS AC1900) router, and the ASUS AC3100. The “AX” and “WiFi 6” equivalent is the ASUS AX6000 and ASUS RT-AX88U.

ASUS AC3100 ROUTER

At any rate, ASUS routers are my favorite brand and are always very highly rated and on “top 10” lists every year. The older AC models offer many of the same features and benefits of the newer AX/WiFi 6 models, including mesh capabilities and, at a much better value. Even the oldest model, the AC68U, will handle up to about 400mbps on 2.4Ghz and up to 1300Mbps on 5Ghz with excellent coverage. Of course, your speeds and coverage will vary depending on your devices, distance from router, and other factors but this router and others newer and, more powerful, will accommodate the average home perfectly. Unless you have gigabit speeds and need 20 devices all online at the same time, there is no need for the most expensive models.

TP LINK DECO MESH SYSTEM WIFI SYSTEM (DECO S4)

As with modems, just make sure the router, or mesh system, you choose will meet your needs. Read reviews, check the specs, ask others who may own the device you’re interested in, and look into all the features it may offer. Your router will be doing most of the “heavy lifting” for your network so choose it wisely.

Most people have many devices these days in their homes and, while you may not consider it at first, you probably have more connected devices than you think you do. Think of all the phones, tablets, PC’s, gaming consoles, streaming devices, Smart TV’s, and other things that you have in your home that connect to the internet. You will soon realize you probably have quite a few so you will want a router that can accommodate all those devices at one time. Even the older model AC routers from 2019 will handle all your devices at once but, you will need to consider your speeds.

Now, this is where internet speeds come into play. Let’s say you have two or three streaming devices as well as other devices connected to the internet at one time. You want a smooth experience on all of them and, if they are all in use at the same time, you will want the speeds to accommodate that. I would recommend at least 100Mbps if your ISP has it available in your area. Of course, even faster is better but, for the average home 100-200Mbps should be enough for everyone to have a good experience online. For example, let’s say you are streaming 4K Netflix. You are probably using about 25Mbps to do so. If two people are streaming this content, now you are using 50Mbps and so on. So, consider how many devices you have, how often they will be used simultaneously, and what you will use them for. If you have many devices, PC’s, gaming consoles, etc. you will want faster internet. If you only have one or two devices in use at one time and don’t think you will need a higher tier internet plan, try starting at 50Mbps and see how everything performs. You can always upgrade later if it doesn’t meet your needs.

As a cord cutter you will be taking advantage of either free, paid, or premium apps and services to view your favorite content or, a combination of them all. You will find that apps these days these can easily replace your cable, cable box, DVR, and on-demand content for less, little, or even NO money. So, if you’re ready to give up conventional cable or satellite providers and join the streaming revolution, here are some things to consider, what you can expect, and how to proceed.

Whether you choose to use free apps, paid services, or premium services, the transition may take some getting used to. If you choose to go the solely free route, or free with Debrid services (which I will explain further down), you will have to learn to abandon routine. No longer will you say, “I need to watch my favorite show on Thursday, at nine o’clock.” No, you may be able to watch it on Thursday but it would be more like ten o’clock or may even be Friday or Saturday. Now, of course, if you have a paid service for live television this wouldn’t be the case but, as a free or low cost “debrid” streaming app user, you will have to get used to watching your favorite shows at a different time or date than when they aired. (There are free “live TV” apps but, be prepared for unreliable or low-quality streams.)

As time goes by you probably won’t even mind not seeing things as soon as they air anymore as your options will have greatly increased. Entertainment is now on your schedule, commercial free and, you will have access to a far wider range of content.

“So how do you keep up with the series you watch without cable?” you may ask. There is a great companion that goes hand-in-hand with streaming apps called “Trakt” or, most paid live services will still have the familiar guide.

Trakt is a free service that keeps track of all your favorite films and series, tracks what you have watched, let’s you see what you haven’t caught up on in a current series, and allows you to build collections of movies and series to take with you anywhere across all your favorite apps and add-ons. You can easily see, in your apps and addons, what you have and haven’t watched in your favorites lists.

The first thing you should do as a new cord cutter is sign up for a free Trakt account at www.trakt.tv. Then, when you open your favorite app or add-on you can go into the settings of either and “authorize” (or activate) your Trakt account from within. For instance, let’s say you open your app, go into the settings and click to login to, or authorize Trakt. The app will present you with a code on your TV screen that you then enter at www.trakt.tv/activate from another device, like your phone or PC. Once activated, the app will integrate with your Trakt account allowing you to either import all your favorites or, if you don’t have any favorites yet, allow you to create a collection within your app and these will be saved in your Trakt account from now on.

The main benefit of using Trakt is that your favorites remain the same across all your apps and all your devices. If you uninstall an app, switch to another app, or change to a new or different device, your collection of favorites goes with you and isn’t lost or deleted. You won’t have to rebuild your list of favorites or fear having to back it up if you change apps or devices. If you are watching a series and forget at which episode you left off, Trakt will let you know which episode you watched last and which one is new or that you haven’t watched it. It’s the best service for keeping track of your favorites and saving them for use with all apps and addons and is absolutely FREE. (For experienced, or advanced users there are other services similar to Trakt as well that you can use in Kodi in conjunction with your Real-Debrid or Premiumize accounts. www.showrss.info is a site where you can create an account to sync with your RSS manager in Kodi that will keep you up-to-date on your current series. There are also ways to integrate this with other add-ons to automatically cache content to your Debrid cloud.)

I will cover “debrid” and various other paid methods below but, first, I want to talk about 100% free streaming as that is where most people begin their cord cutting journeys. For most, they at least want to “dip their toes” into the streaming world before cutting the cord to get an idea of what the experience may be like.

Now, let me be VERY clear here, while this is a good way to start out and get a feel for how things work, it is in NO way any indication of what your experience will be like if you use just one inexpensive paid service like real-debrid (about $3 USD per month).

Using ONLY free streaming resources or the free live TV apps one could very easily come to the conclusion that streaming is a horrible experience and, if you’re only doing it for free, it may very well be. You will find that by using freely available links in apps or, trying to stream live broadcasts, you are almost surely going to encounter what is known as “buffering.” Buffering refers to a scenario where, when you are streaming, the stream cuts out and needs to “load” or you lose the connection altogether. This is pretty common when trying to stream absolutely for free and, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re streaming for free and this happens, just go back and try another link or source for the content you’re trying to watch. If you start your journey this way, just keep this in mind and, remember, it can and will get better when you pay just a little bit for your streaming content.

Also keep in mind that, when you drop your expensive cable package, rental fees, etc., that, you are going to have to offset some of those savings by paying for some minimal services if you want cable-like quality and reliability.

Something to consider when using 100% free streaming sources is, learning to accept that the completely free streaming sources just aren’t as reliable as a paid service. As you become more comfortable with how things work and are finally ready to let go of cable or even paid services like Netflix or Prime Video, you will be ready to make the switch to MUCH cheaper alternatives. Services like real-debrid, premiumize, and paid iptv services will be a MUCH better experience than free and, I wouldn’t recommend cutting the cord completely without at least one of these.

With free streaming sources you will most definitely encounter links to media, or live streams that: aren’t reliable, buffer (skip/pause), have audio sync issues, are poor quality, loss of connection, or other less than perfect attributes. This is where some of those offset savings come into play and I will cover each so that you can make informed decisions for which, or how many, you may need.

Paid services will always be far more reliable than purely free streams. At minimum, for roughly $40.00 USD per year, you will have a much more reliable, much higher quality streaming, and trouble-free experience when you add Real-Debrid. I will cover this in more detail further down but, to see how to sign up and pay for real-debrid right now, watch my real-debrid video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa4CTOQMeG8

As long as you have the broadband speed, network equipment to handle streaming, a decent streaming device and, at minimum, a paid real-debrid account, you will have a pleasant experience as a cord cutter. As I mentioned earlier, the transition may take some time getting used to, especially if you start out completely free but, hopefully, like many of us who have already cut the cord, you will find that the pros far outweigh any cons.

Just a few of the best pros include: Commercial free programming, entertainment on your schedule, huge savings over conventional means, less bulky equipment that you now own yourself and, a much more vast library of available content.

With all that said, you can cut the cord and have a great streaming experience, even on slower connections, if higher speeds aren’t available in your area. Real-Debrid, Premiumize, IPTV services and, even if you stick with Netflix and other apps or services, you can use anywhere between 2 to 7 gigabytes per hour (more for 4K), 4Mbps internet speed (or a little under 2 gigabytes per hour), is enough for streaming 720p content reliably. 5-7Mbps for 1080p, and 25Mbps for 4K streams are the necessary speeds you will need to enjoy quality streaming on one device.

If you’re on the fence about cutting the cord, try it out for a month or two. Start with only free sources and a free Trakt account. Get a cheap, yet reliable, device like an Amazon Firestick and try a few apps and services to see if it’s something you could transition into permanently. Even if you can’t live without cable it’s nice to have options and a broader array of content at your disposal, especially if free. Many people choose to only use their streaming devices for the occasional film or series that they can’t access through cable like a Netflix or Prime Video original series, a new film not yet available on demand, or content not available in their area. You can do even these for free just to test things out.

Now that we have covered equipment, speeds, and a few of the tools and services that cord cutters use, let’s consider and dig deeper into the services and apps. I will try to keep this simple and won’t cover devices like DVR’s for recording nor will I cover downloading any content, though both are possible, as they may be against the law in your area. So, first, let’s talk about popular paid services for streaming content and then I will delve deeper into the many options available both free, and paid.

There are many paid, or premium, streaming services available today. The most common are Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney Plus as well as a few others for “on demand” type content. You are probably already familiar with Netflix and either have it already, or know someone who does. Netflix offers a ton of content for one monthly price. It does not include any “live” content so, if you were expecting to watch your cable television channels with Netflix you will be disappointed. I will cover live streaming options that include television channels shortly but, let’s cover paid on-demand services a bit more first.

If you are an Amazon Prime member you may not be aware that the Amazon Prime Video streaming service is included with your membership. Prime Video is an on-demand streaming service very similar to Netflix and is quickly gaining ground with the amount of content that they offer, original series, and overall content available on the service. Prime Video also includes 4K content at no additional charge if you have a device that supports it. (Where Netflix costs more for a 4K content package). If you are retired with Social Security, or a college student, you are also eligible for a discounted rate for Prime! So, if you already pay for Amazon Prime for free shipping, definitely take advantage of the Prime Video membership that is included.

Then you have your more “niche” streaming apps like Disney Plus, and HBO Max that both offer content from many sources that you may not realize were included. For instance, Disney offers content from the Star Wars/Lucas Arts franchise and HBO Max has content from Comedy Central and Adult Swim. Then you have Peacock and Discovery Plus and a few other smaller services. There is no shortage of streaming services today.

Next, we have Hulu, which also has a great deal of on-demand content and offers several different plans to choose from with varying amounts of content. Hulu also has packages that include Disney, ESPN, live channels and sports so, now is a good time to mention the many live channel streaming services available. Along with Hulu, there is Sling, Philo, Fubo, and a couple others, including several offered by cable companies themselves.

If you have a cell phone contract you may also be eligible for a discount or free streaming of some of these services. Many of them will probably not have your local channels so you may also need a digital antenna or look for other options if you can’t live without your local broadcast channels. I will cover some of these in a bit.

Research your options and the plans and content on offer for your area if any of these services interest you. They will be much more costly than third-party IPTV services and will have much less content.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF FREE ON DEMAND STREAMING APPS THESE DAYS AS WELL

There are also apps that are officially available in your device’s app store, for free, with tons of older content. Pluto TV is a free app that offers both on-demand, and live streams of older content. Things like movies or series from several to many years ago and even limited amounts of current content. Then there’s Tubi and IMDB and, these two apps offer large libraries of content including films, series, and sometimes complete series. The quality of the streams in these apps is excellent as well. Then you have Xumo, Crackle, and a few others which are very similar.

There are so many options today, both free and paid that you could never watch it all. Take advantage of all the free options in your device’s app store and try them out to see what works best for you. I know I have personally found some real gems inside these free apps that I truly enjoyed. Like paid services, these free apps also rotate their content lineups and get “new arrivals” regularly.

Next, let’s move into the third-party “IPTV” area of streaming and then I will cover third-party “on-demand” type content. Again, I will not cover downloading nor recording in this article.

“IPTV,” or Internet Protocol Television, is the latest thing to hit the streaming world. These services offer almost all channels available in the highest tier cable packages, 24/7 series, sports, pay-per-view events, premium movie channels and more. They are usually anywhere from $10-$20 per month depending on how many “connections” you need and, are very reliable overall. If you just can’t live without live television one of these services is the cheapest option for the most content. Many of them will also have local channels and most have a TV guide and several “player” apps to choose from.

Do your research here and ask for a free trial before you purchase. Most will give you a free 2-day trial or, may charge $2-$4 for a trial, so you can try it before you buy. These types of services are not guaranteed to be up 100% of the time, just like cable, nor are they guaranteed to last forever. Buy these services on a month to month basis, or, three to six months if it saves you some money, to be safe. I do have a VERY reliable, personal favorite for this kind of service but, won’t mention it here. You can ask me about it by sending me an email to: nintendroid@mail.com or you can research the many available options at: www.reddit.com/r/iptvreviews and https://reddit.com/r/IPTV/

For the “player” for these services I recommend the Tivimate or iMPlayer apps.

There are also several 100% free live streaming apps like, Ola TV or LivenetTV but, I wouldn’t recommend them if you want quality and reliability.

Next, let’s talk about “third-party” streaming apps for on-demand content. These will be your most used apps if you can’t catch your content live or, want to watch it after it airs, or re-watch your favorite films and series.

Right before we go into these fully though, let’s talk a little about those “debrid” services I mentioned earlier as these go hand in hand with on demand apps, (e.g. Real-Debrid, Premiumize, and All-Debrid). These are paid services that link with your third-party streaming apps to offer many more, faster, and more reliable streaming links to content. Real-Debrid is the most popular service of this type for its price and what it offers.

Not only will you get larger (1080p/4K), more reliable links, but you can do things like download, play cached content in their app and others, and it also allows you to unlock what would normally be “Premium” file host downloads online. All of this without the need for a VPN. In other words, it’s used for more than just streaming. You can build a large a library of all kinds of different content with a Debrid provider and stream from your “cloud.”

If you’re going to become a true “cord cutter” I highly suggest getting, at least, a Real-Debrid account which costs roughly $40.00 USD per year at the time of writing this in August, 2019 (the same price when updating this article in Feb. 2021).

Your access to on-demand 4K content in third-party apps, and Kodi add-ons, will be huge with a debrid service and, you’ll see many more 1080p streams for series and films at a much higher transfer rate (speed) than the basic links you will get for free in these third-party apps. Debrid services also offer many more 720 and “HQ” (or smaller file sizes for links if you have slower internet speeds) as well so it will improve your streaming experience with on-demand content even if your speeds aren’t the best. It’s popular for a reason and, for the price, is the best value when compared to other premium streaming services. These are the current Debrid providers so check their sites for pricing and features. Again, real-debrid is, by far, the most popular option among streamers and offers the most content for the best value. Premiumize is more costly due to its features so do your research if you want to try more than one. www.real-debrid.com www.premiumize.me www.alldebrid.com

Now, finally, onto the third-party streaming apps at depth. They are called “third-party” apps (or Kodi addons) because you won’t find them in the official app stores like Google Play Store, the Amazon App Store, or the official Kodi addon repo. Some are better than others but, at the end of the day, they basically all do the same thing and, that is, serving you streaming links to content. All of these apps pull from sources on the internet and allow you to stream them to your preferred device. Generally, if your device is based on any version of the Android operating system, whether it be on a mobile device, TV box, Fire TV device, or Android TV/Google TV device, you can install these apps and enjoy free and debrid streams. You can also use Kodi on your PC and even Xbox consoles.

PICTURE IS ONLY FOR REFERENCE

We all know and love them or, if you’re brand new to streaming, let me name the most popular. 1.Kodi 2. Cinema HD 3. Nova TV 4. Bee TV 5. UK Turks App (does not work with debrid but is a great app nonetheless) There are also many others. Ask in the Facebook group if you are unsure of what is the best at the moment as this list changes from time to time. – https://www.facebook.com/groups/nintendroid

You can find these apps in the Facebook group’s Filelinked store, most of which are modified to remove the ads or, we can explain how to block them (and Kodi is, and always will be, ad-free).

To try our very own Kodi “build” (you will need a debrid account) see the install video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqAbLqYmQJw

Try them all and see which ones work best for you and use them with your favorite “player” app. The most popular player app is MX Player Pro as it handles AC3 and DTS audio streams as well as many others. You will find that most apps have no audio when playing links with surround sound audio in their built-in players so, this is why it is recommended to use another player as the default for all your third-party streaming apps. Kodi can also be used as a player and, another popular choice among streamers is the VLC app. Use what you prefer and what works best for you and your setup.

Here is a complete setup tutorial for MX Player Pro from the group’s Filelinked. It is a bit dated, showing an older version of the app but, the process remains the same. The version in the video is shown on Fire TV, but the process will be the same for the new on all versions of Android and Fire TV. The latest codecs file will be named “mx_neon.zip.”

MX Pro setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWEU3rwlbfM

IMPORTANT INFO FOR NEWCOMERS TO THE WORLD OF “THIRD PARTY” STREAMING

Finally, here are a few last things to consider if you are new to streaming or third-party apps in general, or, some information that you may not have been aware of regarding some of the “greyer” areas of streaming:

For the most part, third-party streaming apps exist because someone, somewhere, has a love for the craft and wants to share it with the world for everyone to enjoy while, someone else, somewhere else sees dollar signs. People have been profiting from piracy for years so if there’s a way to profit from it, it is guaranteed that someone will. Large companies also offer free content for profit through ad-driven apps and data collection which isn’t really much different.

At Nintendroid we want everyone to be aware of these official and third-party, for-profit, business models as well as device sellers.

First, there is an ongoing debate in all corners of the streaming world about whether or not people should “support” their favorite third-party app’s developer financially, either by donating, using official versions with advertisements without blocking the ads or, in some cases, paying monthly fees to use “premium” features in apps like these.

Some developers (app creators) choose to charge for their service, app “memberships,” or insert ads into their apps, profiting from piracy while, others, offer it freely without fees or advertisements (like Kodi addon developers).

Most free streaming apps contain ads and this is how the developers of those apps profit. You are probably already familiar with paid apps, or apps with ads, in your Android device’s App Store so, same idea. Since the content isn’t owned by the app developers of these third-party streaming apps, these apps can’t be found in the official app stores and, developers will use other means for generating revenue from their apps.

Just know that, at the time of writing this, streaming content alone (without downloading it) is not illegal and your internet service provider could care less. You don’t need a VPN in the US for streaming and you aren’t going to get any letters from your cable company nor knocks on the door from law enforcement.

With that being said, I will leave it up to you to decide how you will proceed, whether or not you will pay for any services, apps, or features, block or don’t blocks ads, or donate to your favorite app developer. You will NEVER be judged in the group no matter how you proceed or what you prefer to pay, or not pay, for.

Personally, my advice would be to block the ads in these types of apps using an app called “DNS Changer Lilly,” by changing the DNS in the advanced network settings on your device, or by using the apps that have been modified to remove the ads. No one should be profiting from piracy nor from content they don’t own. If blocking ads troubles you, you can rest assured that app developers still earn ad revenue based on the number of active users of an official, unmodified, app and profit from these apps whether you see the ads or not.

HOW TO’s: Block ads on Firesticks/Fire TV devices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAv0iuWVGF8 Block ads on Android/Android TV devices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyPEXFk_dcg Block ads with DNS Changer Lilly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfP5V5Y1-RQ

Apps that are modified to remove the ads do not earn developers any ad revenue so it’s up to you whether or not you want to “support” them by using the official (unmodified) versions of apps. You can always donate to your favorite app while blocking the ads or using the modified versions, if you feel they should be rewarded for their work.

Second, onto device sellers. Don’t fall for the “jailbroken” Firesticks or Android device sales pitches if you are in the market for a new device. “Device sellers” are similar to the people who sold unlocked cable boxes, satellite cards, or copies of media in the past but, in this case, they aren’t doing anything you can’t do yourself in just a few clicks of the remote. Go ahead and buy your device, at normal price, from your favorite store or online retailer.

You may have heard of “jailbroken” or “loaded” devices such as Firesticks or Android “kodi boxes.” The “jailbreak” term is grossly misused and is nothing more than a device which has the “apps from unknown sources” option turned on. Period. That’s it. You can literally “jailbreak” a device in about three or four clicks of your remote.

Almost all Android devices have an on/off switch for unknown sources that anyone can turn on and, then install their own third-party apps. “Unknown sources” simply refers to apps that are acquired from sources outside the official App Stores on Android and Fire TV devices (third-party apps).

If you’d rather pay someone to setup your device for you, we get it, but we’d much rather see you learn how to do it yourself, for free, in just a few minutes. This way you can stay up to date with your apps and content sources, perform your own maintenance, and install any apps of your choosing and, trust me, your device WILL require maintenance and upkeep. Maintenance is just a part of streaming.

There is nothing wrong with buying or even selling a device. Many device sellers are professional and knowledgeable about what they are offering but, on the other hand, many more device sellers find Facebook groups like ours, Filelinked stores that aren’t their own, or watch a few YouTube videos and decide they are going to make money selling devices with little working knowledge of what they are actually doing.

These kinds of sellers have no clue how to properly setup a device, nor configure the apps, and couldn’t offer support if they wanted to, let alone instruct you on how to maintain your apps and devices. Just be aware that not everyone selling a device knows what they are doing, so ask lots of questions if you decide to buy one from someone who has already set things up. If you do choose to buy a “loaded” device from someone or online make sure to ask about support, updates, maintenance, and whether or not they have their own app store. A reputable seller will have their own app store, should offer free support, and will give you their email, website, and phone number.

At Nintendroid, we will always offer our advice, instruction, and app store, for free and will answer any questions you may have about apps or maintenance. If you feel like compensating us in some way, the best thing you can do is become a subscriber to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/nintendroidofficial

There are many reasons to have a streaming device and as streaming and broadcast media evolves and transitions, much like iTunes did with the music industry, it’s great to have every option at your disposal available. As television and media outlets evolve and change, so must we, and adapt to the landscape to stay up-to-date on what is current. We truly are in a “golden age” of entertainment.

Over time you will learn all the skills needed to stay up-to-date with streaming just by having done it for a while. There’s nothing really complicated about it, you just have to learn what works and what doesn’t and what works best for your own needs and setup.

Hopefully this article helps you on your journey, offers some insight or helpful advice, and better prepares you for what’s to come. Streaming is undoubtedly the future of content delivery systems and, over time, as cable and satellite fades away, streaming services and apps will become the new norm. As always, Happy Streaming!

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