Best Ways to Watch Silicon Valley Online

Silicon Valley is the popular satirical comedy featured on the HBO channel. You can watch the latest season online through these TV providers.

© CreditDonkey

HBO NOW AND HBO GO

HBO provides two options for viewers who want to watch it online:

1. HBO NOW
   
2. HBO GO

HBO NOW is an on-demand streaming service which you'll need to subscribe to. It's a standalone, which means you won't need an account with an existing TV provider.

There's no contract either - you can start and stop the service anytime. This option is the cheapest way to watch Silicon Valley online.

You can download the app via providers like iTunes, Google Play or Roku. The app works with most platforms, including PCs, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and smart TVs.

HBO GO, on the other hand, is an extension for those who already have a TV provider. It's pretty much the same thing - except the app is free.

The app offers a huge on-demand library of HBO's original and featured shows. You can catch Silicon Valley along with other HBO originals such as The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. You won't even have to wait for new episodes - they're available as soon as the live broadcast ends.

If you're thinking of subscribing to a TV provider, here are some that offers HBO.

DIRECTV

DIRECTV is one of the accepted TV providers for HBO GO. You can use it to download the app and watch Silicon Valley.

Except for the Premier package, HBO is not included in all other DIRECTV packages. Instead, you'll get HBO, STARZ, Showtime, and Cinemax free for the first three months of your service. After that, remember to cancel or they'll start charging.

If you want HBO for good, you'll have to add the channel to your package.

If you're a fan of football, go with DIRECTV. They have the NFL SUNDAY TICKET (another add-on), which lets you watch all out-of-market games every Sunday.

The app even lets you stream your DVR recordings. If you can't catch the live broadcast of Silicon Valley, you can just record it on your DVR for later.

DISH

HBO GO also accepts DISH as a valid TV provider. Just log in with your DISH account details, and you can access the on-demand library.

Unlike DIRECTV, DISH doesn't offer a trial version of HBO. You'll have to purchase it separately as an add-on. The cost is almost the same as getting HBO NOW, so if you prefer cutting the cable, it's better to go with the HBO NOW app.

The advantage of going with DISH is that you can record your shows. DISH's DVR is one of the best in the market. Their Hopper DVR can record up to 16 shows at once and has over 500HD hours of storage. You can record the whole season of Silicon Valley and Game of Thrones without running out of storage space.

DISH's monthly fees are also locked in for two years, with no price hikes in the middle. If Silicon Valley is all you want to watch, then you'll just need to subscribe to their cheapest plan - The "America's Top 120" - and add HBO.

But if you want cheaper options to watch Silicon Valley online, consider these over-the-top providers.

ONLINE TV PROVIDERS

If you don't want to deal with contracts or expensive monthly fees, consider these online TV providers.

SLING TV

When it comes to over-the-top providers, Sling TV is one of the cheapest. They have two main packages: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. Sling Orange has the ESPN and Disney channels. Sling Blue has Bravo and Fox Sports.

Both packages cost the same, so your final choice depends on what you like. You can view the complete channel lineup here.

Whichever package you choose, you'll still need to add HBO to catch Silicon Valley. Again, it costs the same as a standalone HBO NOW subscription.

Sling TV has no contracts, and you can stop your service anytime. There are no equipment or installation fees either, so you can be flexible with your subscription.

Sling TV has a Cloud DVR, with 50 hours of storage. It works with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, PCs and smartphones.

Sling TV is good if you want a few other channels with HBO. But if you just want to watch Silicon Valley, the standalone HBO NOW service is a cheaper option.

DIRECTV NOW

DIRECTV NOW is the online version of DIRECTV, just like Sling TV. There's no contract or installation fees. You can start and stop the service anytime.

Like other TV providers, HBO doesn't come included in DIRECTV NOW's packages. You'll have to choose one and add HBO after. What's good about DIRECTV NOW is that their HBO subscription is cheaper than other providers.

The downside is, their base package is pricey. Even with their discounted HBO, you'll get cheaper rates by going with Sling TV or simply subscribing to HBO NOW.

It's not the cheapest, but if you want more channels, DIRECTV NOW offers more than 65 channels with their basic "Live a Little" package. This is great for people who want to channel-surf.

DIRECTV NOW is also compatible with the PC, smartphones, smart TVs, as well as streaming devices like Roku and Chromecast.

PLAYSTATION VUE

PlayStation Vue is another over-the-top TV service provider. You can get HBO by subscribing to a basic package and adding HBO after.

However, be warned - PlayStation Vue is probably the most expensive option among online TV providers. The base package with HBO would cost almost as much as a satellite or cable TV provider.

The upside is that it does have good quality broadcast. PlayStation Vue's videos stream at 60-frames-per-second. If you want great video quality, PlayStation Vue might be for you.

The PlayStation Vue is available on iOS, Android, Roku, and Fire TV. However, since it is a PlayStation product, you won't find it on rival systems like the Xbox One.

Like Philo, the PlayStation Vue has unlimited DVR. However, they only store your recordings for 28 days. Again, you won't be able to record and binge-watch the entire season of the show, but it's good enough to record that episode you missed.

AMAZON VIDEO

For those who just want to watch Silicon Valley, Amazon Video one of the cheaper options on this list. You can catch past seasons of Silicon Valley by purchasing them a la carte. You can choose to buy them by individual episode or entire seasons.

For the latest season, check to see if it's being offered on Amazon. Sometimes Amazon doesn't offer the latest season and you might have to watch it elsewhere.

The good thing about Amazon Video is that purchased episodes / seasons stay in your library forever. You won't have to keep a subscription unlike HBO NOW. It's a good way to catch up on previous seasons in case you haven't kept up.

BOTTOM LINE

If you just want to watch Silicon Valley, the cheapest option would be to subscribe to HBO NOW. The price for the subscription is about the same as adding HBO on other TV providers. The upside is that you won't need to pay for a base package.

Another option is to buy individual episodes of Silicon Valley on Amazon Video. It may seem pricey at first, but you'll always have the collection in your account. This is the best option if you'd like to re-watch previous episodes.

However, if you're thinking of getting other channels as well, the cheapest option is Sling TV. They have a cheaper "skinny" bundle, so you can customize your channel selection.

Finally, if price is not an issue, go with DISH. They've got a great DVR and prices are locked in for two years. You can also use their DISH anywhere app to stream Silicon Valley on your smart devices.

At the end of the day, your budget will be the deciding factor. For the cheapest provider, go with HBO NOW. For the best TV experience, go with DISH or DIRECTV.