Aereo , the embattled startup that captured shows from the broadcast airwaves and let users stream them digitally to their computers , smartphones or tablets , is essentially dead after a Supreme Court ruling Wednesday . The court , in a 6-3 vote , ruled that the service violated copyright laws , even though it was using miniature TV antennas to access publicly broadcast signals from local TV stations . The startup has said there was `` no Plan B '' for its survival if the court ruled against them . The owners of ABC , Fox , NBC , Univision and other broadcasters had filed suit against Aereo . ( Time Warner , the parent company of CNN , was not a plaintiff in the case , but did support the broadcasters . ) Aereo started in the New York City metropolitan area and is now online in New York and 10 other U.S. markets . It charges $ 8 a month and has never revealed how many users it has . So , now , the question becomes : What will Aereo 's users do instead ? Presuming that Aereo does , in fact , cease service as it now exists , there are other options out there for folks still unwilling to fork over the money for cable TV . From apps to Web-streaming hardware , products exist with which millions have already `` cut the cord . '' But , as with much of life , there are upsides and downsides to this approach . Here 's a look at what 's out there , what people like about it and what cable still has that the Web ca n't duplicate . Streaming hardware . In the past few years , the market has been flooded with devices that can stream Web content to your television . Startups with dedicated devices , like Roku , soon were joined by some of tech 's major players . Apple , Google , Amazon and Samsung all have streaming devices with varying capabilities , and all the major video game consoles can be used to do so as well . Once a techie luxury , devices like Google 's Chromecast or a low-end Roku can now be had for as little as $ 35-40 . That 's come in handy for folks looking for alternatives to traditional television because ... Apps are everywhere . Ask people who do n't have cable or a satellite dish what they use to watch television and a short list of apps are mentioned again and again : Netflix , Hulu and Amazon Prime . Streaming accounts for each offer TV shows and movies . Hulu focuses on new TV episodes ( or , at least , newer ... more on that later ) while Amazon and Netflix are mostly movies and previous seasons of popular shows . For some , that 's enough to substitute for the full array that cable offers . Especially when paired with ... Rabbit ears ! OK , so maybe the antenna you 'd go out and buy today would n't bear much of a resemblance to the twin-pronged , set-top gadgetry many of us remember from our childhoods ( tinfoil wrapped round the tips optional ) . But with a digital antenna , you get the major networks ( ABC , CBS , NBC and Fox ) , PBS and other local stations in a lot better quality than you used to get . Put that together with the streaming options and you 're starting to build yourself back up . However ... The drawbacks . Despite all the digital options , there are some things that you just ca n't replace when you pull the plug on cable . If you fall back on watching only broadcast networks , for example , your picture quality may suffer . Also , none of the above-mentioned apps stream TV shows as they are airing . On Hulu , many shows are n't available until 24 hours after they air . In the age of plot spoilers online and on social media , that 's risky . And it gets worse . Fox and ABC have chosen to wait eight days before letting non-subscribers watch new shows . It 's even tougher to keep up with your premium cable favorites . HBO made news in April by announcing it would make some old shows like `` The Sopranos '' and `` The Wire '' available on Amazon . But a three-year delay means `` Girls '' or `` Game of Thrones '' fans are still out of luck . As are those fans hoping to watch ... The big game . Ask non-cable subscribers about the holes in their new TV setup and many bring up live sports . While many cable networks stream via their websites and mobile apps , most , like WatchESPN , require a cable subscription to access them . If you enjoy hitting your local sports bar , this may not be such a big deal . If you 're more inclined to kick back and watch sports at home ( particularly if you follow a team outside the city where you live ) it 's tough . In the end , the cable-vs.-digital debate appears set to continue for a while , much like many other situations in which emerging technology has collided awkwardly with entrenched institutions . But , for better or for worse , the Supreme Court on Wednesday did n't help the digital side 's cause .
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against streaming startup companies . They used micro - antennae to pick up broadcast signals for users . Some are switching to digital television instead of cable . New ##ly , live events are still tricky to get .