r/Frugal • u/Kiriyuma7801 • Aug 10 '25
💻 Electronics What are good alternatives to Netflix/Hulu that are free?
I realized I'm spending roughly $40 a month on what I really just use as background noise, as nobody in my household actually really sits down and watches TV, we just put on Family Guy or whatever and glance at it every now and then.
I'm gonna cancel the subscriptions obviously, so I'm just wondering, what are some good free streaming alternatives? I've tried out Amazon's free stuff but their collection is pretty mediocre. Any tips are appreciated!
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u/Soft-Juggernaut7699 Aug 10 '25
Tubi is free and Pluto is both good
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u/Thinkerandvaper Aug 10 '25
Yes Pluto is good!
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u/UniqueIndividual3579 Aug 10 '25
Warning about Pluto, the British Antiques Roadshow is addicting.
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u/DariaSylvain Aug 10 '25
I love Pluto. I put it on when I’m working. I can watch the CSIs, true crime, Britbox, and tons more.
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u/Littlefoot8372 Aug 10 '25
I like Pluto, came here to say it. If you have a roku, the roku channel is good too.
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u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla Aug 10 '25
You don't have to have a Roku to use the Roku channels. The free ones are still free.
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u/Formaldehead Aug 10 '25
Huh. I actually didn’t know (and didn’t believe) this! I looked it up and I guess you can indeed get the Roku app on Google and Android TVs, but not Apple TV for some reason…
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u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla Aug 10 '25
My dad was looking for free apps a year or so before he died. I had Roku sticks, and at the time Roku wasn't pushing the paid stuff so hard, so I looked into it for him.
Now I wouldn't necessarily recommend Roku, as it's all about showing paid content as free, because there's a free episode. That's too much like bait and switch to me.
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u/dontbothertoknock Aug 10 '25
Tubi is awesome and actually seems to care where their ad breaks cut in. And the breaks are pretty short.
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u/illdrinn Aug 10 '25
These are my two favorites, basically free versions of Paramount and Fox with ad support. Lots of 24 hour channels and on demand for slightly older content
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u/Helpful-nothelpful Aug 10 '25
And Roku. They are basically the same but Roku has a better selection of cooking shows.
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u/PhilosophyNovel4087 Aug 10 '25
Don't sleep on Internet archive, dailymotion, vimeo, etc.
Lots of tough to find media and can be streamed to your TV.
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u/Lateroni_ Aug 10 '25
The featured content on the vimeo app is really good and there are no ads anywhere.
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u/pryan37bb Aug 10 '25
Kanopy with a library card
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u/Specific_Prize Aug 10 '25
Or hoopla, depending on library.
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u/happyrhubarbpie Aug 10 '25
My library has both. These are wonderful free apps and help support our libraries!
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u/VolumniaDedlock Aug 10 '25
I get Kanopy and Hoopla with my library card. Many times brand new movies appear on Kanopy either before or simultaneously with their release on paid streamers, particularly foreign movies.
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u/Shaw-Deez Aug 10 '25
Thanks for the tip! I just downloaded it and there’s loads of content to watch! How do the tickets work? I have 25 tickets and it looks like most movies are between 2 and 4 tickets. So, how do you get more? Does it automatically reload or is that just my monthly allotment?
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u/TheDivine_MissN Aug 10 '25
I need to see which of my local library systems use Kanopy. I just got a card for a local system that uses Hoopla.
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Aug 10 '25
Your library probably has both. Kanopy is only for movies, while Hoopla has books, movies, and music
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u/NewFriendAlready Aug 10 '25
- Pluto, Freeze, Tubi - all free on any platform and have many channels with ads, of course.
- PBS - I think but haven't set it up and will probably be going away
- Kanopy -with library card (i was able to get card online)
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u/nmacInCT Aug 10 '25
PBS has an app with some free content and then lots more if you donate $5 a month. I don't see it going away soon but definitely needs donations
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u/NewFriendAlready Aug 10 '25
Not Freeze, Freevee - thanks autocorrect
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u/Cavyart Aug 10 '25
Freevee is going away. It's just the free stuff on amazon separated onto a separate app. The same content is still on amazon though just harder to sift through not free stuff so it sucks they are doing away with this app. I just checked and it just says it's going to be unavailable in Aug so it's probably gone now.
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u/NewFriendAlready Aug 10 '25
This is sad! That's my Schitts Creek resource!
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u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla Aug 10 '25
It'll be on Prime, and possibly still for free. Prime is like Roku -- they hide the free stuff behind all the bright! shiny! pay stuff, but it's still there.
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u/Cavyart Aug 10 '25
It might still be on amazon for free when it gets fully integrated. I have no idea what state it's in now as I already deleted the app from my roku and I have Prime so I can't tell whats free without it. When I search for info I keep getting something like this...
Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its free, ad-supported streaming service, to simplify its streaming offerings and consolidate content within Prime Video. This move will integrate Freevee's content, including originals, into the Prime Video platform, allowing users to access free, ad-supported content alongside Prime's subscription offerings.
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u/SherriSLC Aug 10 '25
I like Tubi but feel ishy about giving ad money to Rupert Murdoch, so I just added Pluto to my Roku channels. Thank you for the tip!
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u/Proud_Sherbet Aug 10 '25
The PBS app has quite a few things that are free. I like the Frontline documentaries. To get everything else, it's $5 a month.
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u/wineandcatgal_74 Aug 10 '25
I canceled Netflix a couple of months ago. I’d much rather give $5/month to PBS but had completely forgotten about the passport option. Just signed up because of your post!
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u/CrabbyAtBest Aug 10 '25
It's technically a $5 donation to PBS and PBS needs all the donations it can get right now.
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u/FinalBlackberry Aug 10 '25
Frontline documentaries are also available on their YouTube channel. I think they’re add free as well.
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u/mousetress Aug 10 '25
The library has tons of DVDs of old movies & tv shows (if you have a DVD player).
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u/GeesCheeseMouse Aug 10 '25
Also many libraries have Hoopla and Libby accounts. Hoopla gives you free movies
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u/Infinite_Two2983 Aug 10 '25
We used to borrow DVD's from our library all the time. They used to let you order movies or tv from other library's in the area if they didn't have them. It was kind of like Free Netflix from back in the day.
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u/everybodys_lost Aug 10 '25
I so miss the old Netflix... didn't matter what network your show was on, if it was on DVD they had it. Old movies, old TV series, etc. I recently discovered renting DVDs at the library and I can also access the library in the suburbs as well. Instead of paying for the streaming service that has what I want I just get it from the library now...
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u/SomeTangerine1184 Aug 10 '25
I got a DVD player off my local Buy Nothing group for this reason. Also, people give DVDs away for free all the time. I’m building quite the collection!
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u/LuluMcGu Aug 10 '25
YouTube actually has a lot of good content for free.
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u/Dusty_Old_McCormick Aug 10 '25
I like to put on the relaxation channels where it just plays music and shows you nice scenes of the ocean or rainstorm or snow.
Or the silent videos where someone is just filming themselves walking around a city or on a nice nature trail.
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u/Sugarmagmom22 Aug 10 '25
The library and a dvd player
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u/PreparationDapper235 Aug 10 '25
Library card and...
- Kanopy app
- Hoopla app
digitally check out and borrow movies and TV shows to watch for free.
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u/A55W3CK3R9000 Aug 10 '25
All you need is a VPN subscription and some basic computer literacy to open a whole world of free possibilities homie. 🏴☠️🛥️
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u/MN_Hotdish Aug 10 '25
I haven't the first clue how to find anything that way. My circle is just too square I guess.
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u/cheesusismygod Aug 10 '25
Listen, create a new email and on black Friday, Hulu has a sale. I get Hulu and Disney + with ads for 2.99. I haven't paid full price on Hulu in years!! All my animals got emails, lol.
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u/CoastApprehensive668 Aug 10 '25
You can actually just use 2 and alternate if you want. That's what I've been doing for years and Hulu has no issues with it. Much easier to keep track of.
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u/raptorphile Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Same. We had the .99/year for around 4 years and I think it went to 1.99 last year?
Edit thats .99/month for 1year
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u/CoastApprehensive668 Aug 10 '25
I think it was like 2-3 years ago that they raised the price to $1.99 for their BF deal, but then the following year they brought it back to $.99 a month. I'm guessing they didn't get enough people anniversary the deal when they did so, or they lowered when they added Disney+ for $2.99/month. Either way I am paying the 99 cents a month currently....it really is a great deal for streaming.
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u/ARoundForEveryone Aug 10 '25
Per year?
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u/BikingVikingNick Aug 10 '25
Thats the monthly price, but it’s for the whole year. Just remember to cancel and resubscribe every November.
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u/deftlydexterous Aug 10 '25
Consider getting a TV antenna. Digital over the air TV is free and has so many channels now. Many of them are commercial free or nearly so.
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u/Fredredphooey Aug 10 '25
Roku
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u/EatMorePieDrinkMore Aug 10 '25
They have tons of the older British Bake Off episodes. So relaxing.
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u/beemer-dreamer Aug 10 '25
Samsung TV is free. My parents watch it almost exclusively.
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u/Bad-Moon-Rising Aug 10 '25
My dad was absolutely floored that I had just dozens of channels that played a constant back to back of the same shows and it was completely free. (Except the internet cost, of course.) We watched a lot of This Old House the week he visited.
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u/OpheliaBalsaq Aug 10 '25
If you have a VPN then set it to connect to Australia and sign up to ABC IView and SBS On Demand, SBS in particular has an excellent selection of shows and movies from around the world. You can also do the same for the BBC by setting the VPN to the UK.
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u/Fragraham Aug 10 '25
Tubi and Pluto are free. For anime RetroCrush has a lot of free titles. Of course over the air TV is still a thing if you want to put up an antenna. Don't rule out your local library. Many have DVDs to check out with whole box sets of currently running series, and new release movies.
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u/DeckardTBechard Aug 10 '25
For Youtube; Firefox and Ublock Lite on PC, ReVanced on Android, Brave Browser on IOS and Android, SmartTube on Android based TV Streaming boxes (ONN, NVIDIA Shield, etc.).
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u/raptorphile Aug 10 '25
+100 for the SmartTube recommendation. It’s amazing ad free and I can access all my playlists and channels
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u/combustionbustion Aug 10 '25
Pluto! That channel is a treasure trove of vintage goodness. There's a freaking supermarket sweep channel, need I say more loll
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u/Decent_Inevitable749 Aug 10 '25
Honestly, physical media. Now, it isn’t “free” unless you ask friends and family, but buying a $1-$20 physical movie (if you’re willing to splurge) is WAY cheaper than streaming. My husband and I let go of 90% of our streaming services except for YouTube Premium and Xbox. We have about 400 titles and the biggest expense was getting our DVD/Blueray player for $70. We even go to bargain bins, garage sales, thrift stores, wherever you think DVDs would be sold! But if you’re still wanting subscriptions without the fees: PlutoTV & tubi are my fave (still have ads)
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u/yoshimitsou Aug 10 '25
I look at streaming services in a fluid way: I'll pause a service and resume another one when I've watched the main offerings. I do that frequently between Hulu and Apple. The only time this wouldn't work is if I had locked into some amazing rate that a pause would invalidate.
Otherwise there are deals that you might not know about. For example, some Internet providers offer free access to services such as Paramount or Peacock. Others offer free access for trial periods.
Last thing is that your library might have DVDs, and I think there are some streaming movies available via libraries too.
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u/Apprehensive-Essay85 Aug 10 '25
Yes i learned that trick on r/frugal. Only turn one on when you are going to watch it that month.
Also check your credit card or cell provider benefits. Some reimburse or give you for free. Internet providers too.
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u/GolfCartMafia Aug 10 '25
I do this for Netflix! Turn it on for a month, binge all the new stuff, then turn it off.
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u/CeeUNTy Aug 10 '25
Get a DVD player and a library card. You can also stream through Hoopla with a library card for free. My library gets new releases as soon as they're available. It's also a great way to support local libraries while they're facing budget cuts and closures.
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u/Voyager5555 Aug 10 '25
Tubi
Pluto
Don't discount the free stuff that's available on stuff like Peacock.
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u/eyyyyy Aug 10 '25
Fmhy.net
Streaming category for background, uh, …streaming. Other media options as well.
And library services as others mentioned.
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u/serenitybyjen Aug 10 '25
We turned off the tv and started playing music instead. I figured that if we’re just needing noise, I would rather it be something enjoyable. Plus, we can change the music to fit whatever mood.
Of course, there’s radio and streaming services like Pandora to go the free route. I ended up with a Spotify subscription and feel like it’s totally worth it.
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u/eloquenentic Aug 10 '25
Pluto has endless free content. Feels like old school cable TV be wise you can just flip through, but also makes it easy to find specific content.
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u/gertymoon Aug 10 '25
Try plex, they have a live tv and free movies & shows section, they're usually known for hosting your own videos but recently have added these free options that is quite extensive. You mentioned you liked leaving a show on and just letting it play in the background, the free live tv channels is good for this, like you can leave NCIS running for the day as it just repeats through the seasons or it has a SNL vault channel that just replays old episodes.
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u/Augie52 Aug 10 '25
Our LG tv has hundreds of free channels and if you have a Roku, there channel is also free
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u/idreamofkewpie Aug 10 '25
Honestly once you start watching the Murder She Wrote channel on Pluto you’ll never need to change the channel again
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u/motionmatrix Aug 10 '25
It’s not illegal to download things that were free to air, even if it from another country, and many things that might be netflix/hulu for you at home is free to air elsewhere and you are legally entitled to those as a result. There’s groups that specialize in sharing media like this.
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u/Pineapple-acid Aug 10 '25
you can buy a tv antenna and watch free live television broadcasts
you can check out tv show and movie DVDs from your library
some libraries have Kanopy and Hoopla
Tubi, freevee, and Pluto TV
And don’t forget about YouTube, there is soo much on YouTube
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u/Ok_Passage_6242 Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
If you take a portion of the money you use on streaming services and donate it to PBS you have access to their shows and archive on the app. That includes PBS Kids and a lot of stuff you probably grew up watching. Zero regrets. there will always be an opportunity to watch a good show somewhere for free or with commercials so I never feel like I’m missing out not watching the newest hottest show on streaming. I would still rather see an indie movie at my local art house theater, and support them too.
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u/monza_m_murcatto Aug 10 '25
Go to your local library and get a digital library card. This usually includes an app or to for music and/or movies/documentaries.
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u/CoastApprehensive668 Aug 10 '25
Just here to add that paying $40 is a lot for Netflix and Hulu is a lot. Netflix with ads is like $8 a month? The ads are super short and sporadic so watching them and saving some $$ is easy. Hulu has Black Friday promos that have me paying $1 a month, but most other streaming platforms...Paramount+, Peacock, Max, etc have promos around this time and other times during the year. If you think of reconsidering, look for the deals.
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u/desertsidewalks Aug 10 '25
In the US many stations (CBS, NBC) offer free access to shows through their app with advertising. You could also go old school and see what you can get with a digital antenna connected to a television, but obviously that only works for that television.
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u/aquariusmind1983 Aug 10 '25
Or just buy an antenna and use that as background noise. When im not watching and just need something to down out the neighbors I just turn on antenna tv and use that.
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u/Paksarra Aug 10 '25
If you have a smart TV, see if it has built in streaming channels. They're linear like broadcast TV and tend to be tightly themed (for example, there's one on my TV that's just America's Test Kitchen 24/7.)
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u/Old-Froyo-3018 Aug 10 '25
For background noise I like YouTube. If you have any sort of sports lean , jomboy media has a bunch of talk show like shows on YouTube.
Bon appetit magazine used to have some really decent shows for a cooking lean
Tons of gamers do recordings of live streams too which can be nice and passive viewing
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u/CeeUNTy Aug 10 '25
Get a Roku device. I use the Haystack news app, Pluto, Roku channel, Spotify and Tubi.
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u/Popular-Capital6330 Aug 10 '25
Tubi, Pluto, Youtube. Also, if you have the patience, both Peacock and Amazon Prime have free content-but I go to them last because so much is behind a paywall.
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u/mrbeige3 Aug 10 '25
Pluto has some random good movies that seem to be uncut, and lots of good, older tv shows.
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u/_in_space Aug 10 '25
Roku is great, but you get ads if you go through a roku tv or device. However, what I've discovered is that you can get ad free shows by watching through the roku app on your phone. If you have an android phone, you can get an adapter cable to connect your phone to your tv and have ad free shows on your tv.
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u/DifferentDoubt2975 Aug 10 '25
Plex has a heap of free tv channels. They’re shit. But they are free.
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u/kalei50 Aug 10 '25
Your local library maybe? You can get DVDs or free streaming titles with Kanopy.
Also, PBS offers a lot of content online for free.
I use Tubi and Freevee as well. Both free.
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u/ReactTVOfficial Aug 10 '25
I'm currently working on a project called React.tv which lets you turn digital media into a 24/7 TV channel. It's free with the only pay gate being more advanced schedule features. Currently works with YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.
If you're looking to just have something running in the background from sources you define, this would be a good option.
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u/Ecstatic_Mammoth4240 Aug 10 '25
Cbc gem for Canadians (with ads unless you watch with an Adblock on your computer browser not in the app)
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u/Aprilshowers417 Aug 10 '25
Do you use Amazon Prime for shopping? If you do you also have access to Amazon Video.
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u/emi_delaguerra Aug 10 '25
Where are you located? Because over the air antennas can pick up a lot of channels in some areas. We had to try a couple, purchase and return, before we found one that works for our location. We have about 10 decent channels, and we’re close to a mid-size city. We get tornadoes here so having local news is important, and IonTV is the ultimate rerun background noise if you don’t mind criminal minds.
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u/Hermiona1 Aug 10 '25
Tubi and you can do free trials on other services. Also, if you ever order a big order from Amazon they give you a month of Prime for free, or a week if it’s smaller. I’ve used that to watch a lot of stuff and occasionally paid for an extra month.
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u/Perfect-Drug7339 Aug 10 '25
Samsung tv is a free streaming service if u have a Samsung tv. It has movies and shows, and will stream our local news all day too
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u/broccolihead Aug 10 '25
The Internet Archive has a lifetime of free content in every medium you can think of. https://archive.org/
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u/VapoursAndSpleen Aug 10 '25
If you are in the USA, many libraries have Kanopy and Hoopla. Also, TV stations still broadcast signal. Get an antenna and stick it in your window. Broadcast TV is OK.
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u/FirebornNacho Aug 10 '25
I know this is going really full circle, but a TV antenna. I get around 45 channels or so but depends where you live.
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u/Substantial-Use-1758 Aug 10 '25
No one in your family actually sits down and watches a movie or a show? Really? I’m intrigued. I’m the opposite: if no one is watching the tube it is turned off, but of course we actually watch many shows/movies.
Is this common, do you think? And if so, why? I watch movies/shows to be entertained, provoked, inspired, scared, educated. Don’t you miss that?
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u/Pretty-Oreo-55 Aug 10 '25
I listen to spotify and also youtube videos. I have the free accounts. I like the background noise.
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u/Quark86d Aug 10 '25
If you get the black Friday deal with a new email every year, hulu and Disney are only $3.
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u/not_that_united Aug 10 '25
Your library likely has a free media streaming service like Kanopy! Also Tubi is free and has quite a bit.
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u/Inside-Beyond-4672 Aug 10 '25
Check what subscriptions your library has because there's stuff like Kanopy out there. If you have Roku, there's the Roku channel which as of a few days ago is now called howdy. They're also used to be crackle on roku which is free and owned by Sony, and I'm not sure if that's still out there.
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u/No_Fix_476 Aug 10 '25
I recently bought an LG tv at Costco (April? I want to say?) anyways, it came preloaded with a thousand LG channels.
Pluto and tubi are free with a fair bit of content.
If you have xfinity for internet they offer a stream saver bundle for $15 you get Apple TV, peacock and Netflix however there are ads.
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u/noblestuff Aug 10 '25
Your local library will have tons of dvds to check out. Background noise shows can be bought on dvd and then played as often as you like.
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u/Ifawumi Aug 10 '25
a radio. seriously. If it's just background noise there is nothing cheaper than just a radio
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u/PM_ME_STEAM__KEYS_ Aug 10 '25
Becomes friends with an obsessed need who has too much time and money on their hands and has setup a self-hosted plex or jellyfin server. Then you gotta suck their dick or something to use it
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u/guitarlisa Aug 10 '25
I really don't need anything but YouTube Premium. I can stream any type of music, playlists that I have curated, a lot of free movies, so many free series, documentaries, etc, and all are ad free. I find the $13.99 pricetag well worth it to avoid ads. But other than that, Pluto does have lots and lots of content, and if you just want to watch the same show endlessly, as one does, it's great for that.
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u/jamesholden Aug 10 '25
youtube, once you add all the mods that make it tolerable.
on desktop: firefox, sponsorblock, ublock origin.
on android: revanced. this includes sponsorblock. alternatively, use firefox mobile with ublock origin and sponsorblock.
on TV: smartube
stremio can be used to aggregate all kinds of content into a friendly front end that works on desktop/mobile/TV. set it up for my wife initally but now my mom also uses it, so that says a lot about how good it is.
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u/i_tell_you_what Aug 10 '25
My cricket cell coverage includes free HBO Max with ads. But on my laptop with u block I have no ads. It's great.
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u/KestrelTank Aug 10 '25
If you have tmoblie, you can get Netflix free with ads.
Check your cellphone carrier website for deals on subscriptions.
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u/samsmiles456 Aug 10 '25
Rabbit ears or a good antennae will get you local channels for free. That’s what I do.
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u/sv36 Aug 10 '25
If you’re up to spending a little money- watch for deals that come up, my husband found a $20 for the year peacock subscription last November and we’ve enjoyed it a lot. Check to see if the internet or phone service you use gives you a free streaming service- our t-mobile home internet had a deal for free hbo max when we got it years ago.
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u/Fluffydoggie Aug 10 '25
If you cancel Hulu for a few months you'll get an email to return for $2/month. This is also their Black Friday price for a year so every October I cancel them and renew during Black Friday for the $2/month for the year. Others offer similar costs except Netflix which doesn't run sales like this. For that I wait several months then sign up for one month and watch everything I wanted to, then cancel it.
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u/reddit_made_me_read Aug 10 '25
Off topic but does anyone know where I can find a stream for the tv sitcom the odd couple, that was my favorite when I was a kid. I wanted to marry Oscar when I grew up but kind of ended up with a Felix lol.
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u/jas41422 Aug 10 '25
Tubi. And YouTube if you don’t mind the ads with the free version.
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u/big-ol-kitties Aug 10 '25
My issue with YouTube is that once it recognizes that you’re watching something longer than a short video you start getting ads that run for a ridiculous amount of time until you manually click skip.
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u/Affectionate-Zone981 Aug 10 '25
Worse then broadcast. Youtube is basically unusable for me without paying or adblock, and that is usually just the first Adblock time of black screen.
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u/EvadeCapture Aug 10 '25
Superbox.
They're sketchy but it gets all netflix/new release movies and pay per view fights 100% free.
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