Recently, we probably surprised some people by insisting that even smart TV owners should use a streaming box of some sort. Our rationale is pretty simple—streaming devices are built from the ground-up to deliver content easily, efficiently, and without the junkware you're likely to find on the platforms baked into a smart TV.
If you've been reluctant about picking up a streaming device, today's a pretty good time to act: Sling TV is offering a free Roku Stick to anyone who signs up for a month of the cord-cutting cable TV service.
Whenever we write about cutting the cord Sling TV is one of the first services we mention. For twenty bucks a month, users can enjoy a host of cable channels (including ESPN, Comedy Central, AMC, and the Food Network) on their TV or mobile devices. Since the subscription is month-to-month, you can cancel at anytime—it's sort of like having a Netflix account but for live cable TV.
Roku and Sling TV are kind of like the peanut butter and jelly of cord-cutting; both services offer user-friendly software and reliable functionality, which makes the experience fun and easy to warm up to. There's a reason the Roku Stick ended up in our round-up of the best streaming devices.
The Roku Stick usually retails between $45 and $50 on its own, so if you decide that Sling TV just isn't for you and you cancel the service before a month is up, you're still basically getting a $20 to $25 off a mighty fine streaming device.
Just remember to cancel the subscription before you're automatically charged for another month of Sling. As my grandfather used to say, "That's how they getcha!"
