So I’ve been in my new place for a month. I still love it. I am buying things little by little, setting up my place the way I wish. I’m sort of a minimalist so I don’t have alot of big ticket items just yet. Furniture such as a dining set and couch set will be bought later on. I don’t have a whole bunch of decorations, but I have a flag up and I’ll be putting up a picture canvas sometime. Since I’m not allowed to put nails in the walls, I have utilized Command hooks and strips which have worked fairly well.

I have a low cost HD TV and I just bought a Chromecast Ultra. I also have an over the air antenna. I choose not to have cable because the cable company here is very expensive.  My over the air antenna is ok, I’ll update it once I get a tv stand. I just ordered internet as well since that is way cheaper than cable. I have a Netflix and Sling TV subscription. I also used HBO Now’s free trial option to watch shows too. I’ll get a subscription for that next year when the show I was watching returns with new episodes.

Over the summer I watched the final season of Orange Is the New Black, season two of Pose, and season one of Euphoria. The good thing about it being off season time for major tv networks such as NBC, CBS, FOX, & ABC, is that there is a vast selection of things to watch on other networks or streaming services. I want to do a recap of the shows I just mentioned. Don’t worry, I’ll try not to include spoilers.

Orange Is The New Black

Season 7 is the final season of Orange Is The New Black. For those that still watch the show, this season was fairly good. We got a wrap up of many characters and there was some unexpected twists and turns throughout. I’m glad the show ended on this note. They had a good run and the stars have all gone on to achieve great things in their careers. All seasons of Orange can be seen on Netflix.

Pose

I love this show so much. Season 2 was phenomenal. Season 2 was more somber, but there were still plenty of light hearted moments. The overall message is still one that resonates with everyone no matter what time period they are in. When life knocks you down, just keep pushing forward. There will always be bad days, but remember there will be good days too. The show was also just nominated for 6 Emmys including Best Drama and Best Actor in a Drama. Billy Porter received his first nomination for Best Actor which also made him the first openly gay Black actor to be nominated for an Emmy award. Pose can be seen on the FX Now app or Sling TV.

Euphoria

Oh my God. Zendaya hit the jackpot with this one. The acting, the background music, the cinematography. All of it top notch. Zendaya plays the main character, but her costars are just as important to the storyline as well. It’s a really well done show and I’m excited to see what Season 2 will bring. Euphoria can be seen on HBO, HBO Go, and HBO NOW.

The Services

The streaming services I used this summer can all be downloaded on your phone, computer, or streamed to your TV. Sling TV has three plans available with prices starting at $25 per month. FX is on the Sling Blue plan. HBO Now is the streaming component to HBO and does not require a cable subscription. HBO Now costs $14.99 a month. Netflix is the oldest of the bunch and has three plans to my knowledge. Each plan varies in price. I have the Standard HD on two screens plan for $12.99 per month. All three services offer a free trial period as well. Netflix free trial is 30 days. Sling and HBO Now free trials are 7 days.

For those who have ditched cable, you may be aware of streaming services and streaming devices, but if not, I’ll go ahead and give you a quick run down.

Chromecast

I ordered the Chromecast Ultra this past weekend because it was on sale in the Google Store. The Chromecast is a screen mirroring device that is compatible with Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Sling TV, HBO Now, Spotify, and other services. You plug the Chromecast into your TV’s HDMI port and set up the device through the Google home app. Once I get the Chromecast, I’ll probably write a review about it and talk about setting it up.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

The Amazon Fire stick is streaming device. Unlike the Chromecast, the Fire stick does not just screen mirror content. It is compatible with all the apps listed above and Amazon Music and Prime Video. The Fire stick is good for those who already have an Amazon Prime subscription. The Fire stick includes a remote.

Roku

Roku is another streaming device. It offers all the channels mentioned above and has its own set of channels. There are different types of the Roku, including: the Roku Express, Roku Express+, Roku Premier, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Streaming Stick+, and Roku Ultra.

I had a good summer of TV watching and I have a couple weeks before my regular TV shows come back on. I can’t wait to get the Chromecast and get that going so I can review it. Have a great evening 😘.