Crackle

For some cutting the cord means deeper cuts than just the pay TV package. While it's almost certainly a given that cord cutters will subscribe to one of the big name streaming services, for some there just isn't any extra money in the budget. If you fall into this category, or even if you're just bored with your other services you might consider Crackle.

We had heard about Crackle for quite some time, but never really explored it until recently. What is Crackle? Simply put it is an online distributor of TV shows and movies. Instead of relying on a paid subscription Crackle utilizes ads during its streams. Now this may sound too good to be true, and it does come with caveats. While there are some very good contemporary options such as Jerry Seinfeld's very fun Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Sports Jeopardy, most of the content is either much older or was less than successful while in it's prime. Even shows that many would consider high quality, for example Seinfeld the sitcom, only offer select episodes instead of the many seasons one might find on a paid service.

Examples of movies that are currently offered are:

• "21"
• "Beverly Hills Ninja"
• "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"
• "District 9"
• "Guess Who"
• "Heavy Metal"
• "Heavy Metal 2000"
• "I Spy"
• "Jawbreaker"
• "Jerry Maguire"
• "The Net"
• "Olympus Has Fallen"
• "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"
• "Resident Evil: Extinction"
• "Shaun of the Dead"
• "Steamboy"
• "The Skulls"
• "Toy Soldiers"
• "Vantage Point"

While that is just a small listing of what is offered on the movie side, you can see that there are some movies that you recognize, and probably even enjoyed. Even it's simply going to be used a background noise while you work on other things, that is not a horrible lineup.

Crackle can be viewed online using your PC or via app on your other mobile devices, making it great for on the go watching, but getting the most of out the service would entail utilizing one of the TV adapters available.  We've used both the Roku and Chromecast devices with success, but many other products out there especially Sony products since Sony owns Crackle have support for viewing on your television.  Whether your looking to make deep cuts to your budget or just bored with the other stuff on your TV screen, and the thought of a commercial every now and then doesn't bother you, Crackle is certainly worth a look.