How-To Guides about Cord Cutters

Search "my Roku remote won't pair," and most of what comes back isn't a pairing failure at all. If the remote can already move through Roku's menus and pull up voice search, pairing has succeeded, and the real issue is that the TV hasn't been set up for power and volume control yet, which is a separate step handled independently of pairing.

Screen mirroring an Android phone to a Roku takes only a few taps, but only if both devices support Miracast, the wireless display protocol Roku relies on. Pixel owners should skip mirroring altogether and lean on in-app casting instead, since Google built its phones around Google Cast and DIAL rather than Miracast. That one branching decision, Miracast or not, determines almost everything else in this guide.

If you're trying to watch The Open 2026 without missing a shot, here's the short version: USA Network carries live coverage every round, NBC joins on the weekend, and Peacock is the streaming layer that connects all of it. No single cable channel covers the whole event, but the rights structure is more logical than it first appears once you understand which platform owns which window.

This guide tells you exactly how to watch the 2026 MLS All-Star Game live online and whether you qualify for the free trial. The game streams exclusively through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. No cable broadcast, no over-the-air channel, no alternative platform. "Free" applies only in two specific situations. Figure out which one describes you, then follow the steps below to have a working stream before tomorrow's 8 p.m. ET kickoff.

U.S. viewers with a digital antenna can watch USA vs Belgium for free tonight on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. No account, no trial, no credit card. No antenna? FOX One's 3-day free trial covers the match with no upfront charge, as long as you cancel before it renews. UK viewers have the cleanest deal: BBC One on TV or BBC iPlayer online, free and in 4K. Australians can watch on SBS at no cost. India is the one exception ZEE5 holds the official rights at approximately ₹799 (around $8 USD), with no free...

Plug your Fire TV Stick into an HDMI 2.0 port. Save the HDMI 2.1 port for a gaming console or PC. If you have a soundbar, that goes in the ARC or eARC port, not the streaming stick. That single paragraph covers the setup most people get wrong when figuring out the best HDMI port for Fire TV Stick use, and everything below explains why it works this way and how to confirm you've got the right port on your specific TV.

Turn off Autoplay Next Episode in your Netflix profile's Playback settings. That single change stops the continuous playback pattern that leads to the "are you still watching?" prompt, which fires after three consecutive episodes or about 90 minutes of uninterrupted viewing, per Engadget. The steps below walk through exactly how to do it on a browser and on mobile, and what to expect once you have.

YouTube Watch History Workaround: Browse Without the Algorithm

Cricket fans worldwide are gearing up for what promises to be an electrifying showdown between two cricketing powerhouses. The T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 Final featuring India versus New Zealand represents more than just a match—it's a clash of strategies, skills, and national pride that will captivate millions of viewers globally. With streaming technology evolving rapidly and cord-cutting becoming the norm, watching this epic finale has never been more accessible, regardless of your location...

The 2026 Oscar nominations have dropped, and if you're anything like me, you're already mapping out your viewing strategy. From blockbuster sequels to indie darlings, this year's nominees span every corner of the entertainment landscape—which means they're scattered across just as many streaming platforms and rental services.

The streaming landscape just got a little friendlier for channel surfers. If you've ever found yourself scrolling endlessly through Roku's massive collection of free live TV channels, wondering if there's something specific you're missing, you're not alone. With over 500 of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) channels now available across the platform, discovery has become both a blessing and a curse—there's tons of content, but finding exactly what you want can feel like searching for a needle...

How to Watch F1 Live Streams Online for Free: The Complete 2024 Guide

These games exist nowhere else. Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV is the only way to watch two MLB games every Friday night in 2026, and if your subscription isn't set up, you'll miss first pitch tonight. This guide covers exactly what you need: the right plan, which devices work, what it costs, and every confirmed game through June 26.

YouTube Premium removes the pre-roll and mid-roll ads that YouTube itself serves. What many subscribers don't realize is that it also includes a feature called Jump Ahead, which can skip past the 30-second to two-minute creator-read sponsorships baked directly into the video. This guide covers how to trigger Jump Ahead on mobile and desktop, why it shows up on some videos and not others, and when to switch to SponsorBlock instead.

You know that feeling when March rolls around and suddenly everyone becomes a basketball expert? March Madness has this incredible way of turning casual fans into tournament bracket obsessives, and honestly, it's one of the best sporting events of the year. But here's the thing – you don't need to be tied down to an expensive cable package to catch every incredible upset and nail-biting finish.

Fubo and NBCUniversal's carriage agreement expired, and NBCU pulled its channels from Fubo on November 21, 2025, leaving millions of cord-cutters scrambling for alternatives just as the 2026 Winter Olympics approach. If you've been relying on Fubo for your NBC fix, you're probably wondering what your options are now—and trust me, there are several solid alternatives worth considering. The good news? You don't need to panic or rush back to traditional cable. Let's break down exactly how you can...

When YouTube TV announced its latest price hike to $82.99 per month in December 2024, many subscribers felt that familiar sting of yet another streaming service getting more expensive. But here's the thing. While that increase was supposed to hit existing subscribers on January 13, 2025, I've managed to dodge it completely. And I'm not alone.

Reviewed by Corey Noles

YouTube just dropped another AI bombshell, and spoiler alert: it's not all sunshine and seamless video discovery. The platform is testing AI-generated search carousels that surface video clips before you even click play—and content creators are already seeing dollar signs disappear.

Picture this: you're halfway through binge-watching your latest obsession when that dreaded notification pops up — you've hit 90% of your monthly data cap. Sound familiar? Well, if you're a Comcast customer (or considering becoming one), those days might finally be behind you.

The new Chromecast represents an evolution of Google's smart TV dongle as well as the Android TV platform. In addition to a remote control and the ability to install apps, Chromecast with Google TV hosts the debut of Google's innovative Google TV interface, which will eventually make its way to Android TV.

Apple likes to make their products simple. However, sometimes that simplicity leads to a confusing user-experience. Take the Apple TV, for example. How do you turn it off? Just press the power button, right? Sorry, there is no power button. Okay, so it's like an iPhone and has a nondescript button designated as a power button, right? Nope.

Reddit is one of the internet's greatest sources of funny and interesting videos. Its user base is extremely active, and a system of upvotes and downvotes ensures that the best content always rises to the top.

Much like the Chromecast, Android TV devices such as the Nexus Player and Nvidia Shield TV have always had those beautiful background images as their default screensaver. However, unlike the Chromecast, these "Backdrop" images, as they're called, weren't always customizable on Android TV.

Cord cutters are changing everything about TV—the more of us that sever ties with cable, the more changes we start to see. In fact, viewing habits have already changed so drastically that waiting a week to see the next episode in a series is no longer acceptable, as binge watching has completely eclipsed this old-fashioned format.

The Google Cast feature that serves as the primary interface for the Chromecast and comes bundled with Android TV devices like the Nexus Player is a marvel of modern technology. But as these things go, troubleshooting issues can be difficult with something so groundbreaking, especially when you consider that there are two parts to the equation—the casting device (your phone, tablet, or computer) and the receiver.

The older I get, the more my Friday nights involve watching Netflix at home with a bottle of Maker's Mark and a box of Oreos. Netflix is a big part of my life, and I'm not alone. YouTube and Netflix make up over 50% of all activity on the Internet, so it might be worth your time to understand why Netflix seems to cause so many headaches and what can be done about it.

Even though the 88th Academy Awards have come and gone, there's a good chance you still haven't seen all the films that were nominated—or even those that won big.

Amazon thinks that by simply removing an app from their Appstore, that they will stop users from accessing it. But with Android OS powering their Fire TV Stick and Fire TV, there really isn't anything they can do to prevent us from sideloading an APK onto the streaming media devices.

If you're a U.S. expat living, traveling, or studying abroad, or just someone who typically uses virtual private networks (VPNs) in order to access the North American video libraries of services like Hulu or Netflix, you were probably surprised to see that these video streaming services don't work on your Chromecast or Chromecast 2.

It's a breeze to send videos and music from your phone straight to your TV with an Apple TV or Chromecast, but these devices don't support all file types. While MP4 videos and MP3 music files are the norm these days, I still have a ton of AVI and FLV files that I'd like to watch on a big screen.

I loved the original Star Wars trilogy when I was a kid, but loathe all of the current DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming versions available today. Ever since 1997, every version of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi has had horrendous CGI effects added in that George Lucas deemed necessary to bring his "ideal" version to life.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2015:

For a lot of would-be cord cutters, the lack of streaming local sports is the only hurdle that needs to be cleared before they can sever all ties with big cable. This is why it was a huge victory for us anti-cable folks when Yahoo announced that they would be hosting the first ever live-streaming NFL game this Sunday at 9:30 AM Eastern.

Is social media ready to make the jump to the big screen? The developers behind the Android app Stevie think so.

It's no secret that we love the Chromecast. From watching movies to playing games to giving presentations, this little $35 dongle definitely packs a punch. But unless you have a strong, solid Wi-Fi connection in the 2.4 GHz range, this little device has been out of reach to you. Well, until now.