10 Best Services to Watch Lifetime and Hallmark Without Cable

Nothing beats the price: $28 is really cheap, one of the cheapest ways out there to get Live TV. And the fact that you get unlimited DVR -if you care about that kind of stuff- on top of that is kind of crazy. Just as a comparison, Youtube TV offers unlimited DVR but it costs three times as much.

Frndly TV is a streaming platform focused on family-friendly live TV channels, with an attractive price starting at $6.99. There are three plans, Basic, Classic and Premium, which respectively cost the $6.99 starting price, $8.99, and $10.99. The Basic plan only allows for SD streaming, but both other plans allow for HD. The basic plan doesn't allow for DVR recordings, but the other plans allow for 3 months and 9 months respectively. And lastly, the basic plans allows for only one simultanious stream, but the Classic allows for 2 and the Premium allows for 4. 

Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). For $20/month, you get over 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. It also doubles as a bundle since you get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost. No need to pay an extra $8/month. And of course, no minimum commitment and you can cancel anytime. To get it, you have to first subscribe or already be a subscriber to Xfinity Internet. You can then add it at checkout. At $20, it is one of the cheapest cord-cutting services out there, especially considering the channels that it offers. It's also one of the few services that offers Netflix in some of its bundles (for more on that, you can check this link).

With a starting price of $18/month, you can get local channels as well as basic national TV channels. It's good value if you only watch a few channels, but to increase your options, you have to buy into more packages. Prices vary depending location, but getting all packages should cost you around $79.5. You also can cancel at any time (here https://xfinity.com/buy/plan/internet/streamcancel) and change in between different packages depending on your needs. Exact pricing depends on where you are based.

Verizon Fios is typical of most cable packages, offering at least 60 channels with plans that range from $80 to $130 per month. But what sets it apart is that it operates on a speedy fiber-optic network and offers plenty of mobile and internet bundles. Its most basic plan, Your Fios TV, which goes at $80/month, lets you choose the first five channels. Based on your choices, Fios then decides the rest of the hundred channels you're entitled to. Their most popular plan, however, is More Fios TV, which goes for $109/month. Here, you get more than 300 cable, local, and regional sports channels plus basic DVR and a free set-top box. While some users like the fast speeds and the 4k quality on some live sports events, others prefer the ease, breadth of options, and affordability of cordless alternatives like YouTube TV or Hulu with Live TV, both of which are cheaper than Fios' most basic plan.

Exclusive to Spectrum internet users, Spectrum TV Stream is a live TV cord-cutting service that costs $40/month. It's cheaper than Spectrum's other TV plans, but that's because it doesn't carry sports and local channels—only news and entertainment. Some of the more notable ones include Disney, CNN, Fox, AMC, Discovery, and for classic Hollywood fans out there, the elusive TCM. It may not seem like much, especially when you compare it to similarly priced packages like Sling Orange, which for the same price covers sports, but it could be an attractive option for Spectrum users looking to pay for everything under one bill and who only need select cable channels to get their TV fix.

Low price: Priced at $53.19, Spectrum TV is good value for money compared to other internet TV services (like, for example, Youtube TV which starts at $64.99).

Non-live programming: If you love sitcoms, dramas and other pre-recorded programming and are not so interested in live broadcasts, Spectrum TV offers a great array of choices.  Note: ESPN is back on Spectrum! 

Spectrum TV's cable plans are some of the most popular out there, and for good reason. Its cheapest plan, Spectrum TV Select Signature, offers more than 150 channels (all in HD) for just $65/month. That price stays constant for a year, then it's subject to change as much as $25/month more. If that seems like a lot, then you should note that it comes with a free ad-supported Disney+ subscription and on-the-go (but not offline) viewing. For $10 more, you could upgrade to the Spectrum TV Select Plus Plan, which has RSNs and a complimentary ESPN+ subscription. All Spectrum plans carry local channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC where available, as well as the usual channels like ESPN, CNN, Disney Channel, HGTV, and AMC. You can also add premium channels like Max and Starz for an additional fee. If you don't care for local channels and live sports, however, you can consider Spectrum's cord-cutting alternative, Spectrum TV Stream, priced at $40/month.

Centurylink"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}">Centurylink doesn't offer its own set of TV packages. However, it lets you bundle its internet plans with two TV services: Dish, whose prices start at $85/month, and DirecTV, whose prices start at $70/month. All in, Centurylink's internet and TV bundles start at $125/month, which is a fair price for the speeds Centurylink offers, though you could also get Dish and DirecTV directly from the source for more or less the same price. Better yet, cordless alternatives, like DirecTV Stream, offer much of the same for reduced costs. You won't find a lot of discounts by Centurylink, but it does make billing easier. Currently, Centurylink is available in 16 states, namely, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South, Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Armstrong may be more known for its internet services, but it does provide a solid TV plan if you're covered and can afford it. In terms of coverage, it's only offered in six states, namely (and in order of availability) Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Its sole TV plan, Television Plus, costs $115.95/month for 100 channels (DVR is extra), but it's not available as a standalone. You'll have to bundle it in with one of Armstrong's internet plans, which start at $34.95/month. You're looking at a potential final price of $151/month, but that can always go higher or lower depending on the deals Armstrong is offering at any given moment. Still, for that price, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives with more channels, not to mention DVR storage and faster internet. But it's popular in the Northeast for a reason: being a small and local business means it provides great and personalized customer service. Unlike other cable providers, Armstrong also doesn't require you to sign long-term contracts.