Recent studies show that about 40 percent of streaming service users have stopped using it now and that is incomprehensible for people who believe that streaming services are the future of entertainment. Streaming platforms have come forward as a strong alternative for traditional cable television, however, we need to ask ourselves if we are ready to assume this alternative just yet. Furthermore, cable television has come up with several new aspects, and calling it traditional might not be all that accurate.
In this article, we will find out the various reasons that make cable TV a better option for entertainment.
Vast Channel Lineup
Cable TV has an extensive and rich channel lineup that makes sure to keep you entertained at all given times. There are channels for every known interest, from animal planet to ESPN, from news media to youth niche channels – there is a treat for every member of the family. If you live in a large household or one in which every person is individualistic and has unique interests, cable TV can save you. For instance, Optimum cable makes sure to cater to your interests with its more than 220 channels at reasonable rates.
Number of Shows
Common fact: The greater the number of channels, the greater the number of shows. Broadcasting companies like NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, and WarnerMedia are responsible for making our lives so much better with the content they have produced. Friends, The Office (U.S.), Parks and Recreation, Sex and the City, How I Met Your Mother, and The Sopranos are some of the shows that are being cherished by generations till now. Even on streaming sites, these are the shows and not their original content that being watched repeatedly.
Live Entertainment Channels
Some content is meant to be viewed live. You cannot take the full-swinging joy of a Manchester United to win if you have not watched it live. Watching the highlights later on or taking snippets from your peers would never make it up for the way Ronaldo made that goal and missing it is no less than a crime if you talk sports.
I remember that during the 2020 U.S. elections, everyone was glued to their television screens. The polls, the talk shows, the live speeches, the real efforts of pure journalism that you can watch through your television, kind of makes it all real. Teleports you to the place these things happen and we cannot say the same if we just read an article about it or watch it later on. This content is made to be consumed live and that is the beauty.
Not that there are no live streaming services available, but the problem with such services is that they do not offer all the channels that you are habitual to watch on your screens all day. You would have to sacrifice some channels and can basket some but why compromise on something that gets you around the world from the comfort of your home? Moreover, these live streaming services charge a lot and if you want to add on some extra channels or would like to subscribe to another live streaming service, you would find a huge hole in your wallet.
Familiarity with the procedure
There is a certain sense of convenience that comes along with familiarity with the concept. With cable service, you have a connection. We have always been hating our cable companies for reasons that were not even genuine or case points. However, now that things are taking a turn, we realize that cable companies are not that bad altogether.
Billing and planning of cable service is something we have been doing or have seen our guardians doing since ever and so that is easy to handle. Especially if you have your internet bundled with cable service, it is a whole lot easier to get one bill and be done with it.
Cheaper plans
Since streaming services have come head-on and have given tough competition to cable services, it was evident that cable services had to bring out some top guns. With the fear of being replaced, cable services have started introducing new plans that are cheaper and give customers the benefit of saving money. Companies like Charter have introduced Spectrum cable plans that serve up to 125 channels in price as low as 45 USD. These plans are in line with the prices of many live streaming services that are not able to provide such an extensive channel lineup.
No need for additional equipment
Talking about familiarity, it is understandable how we know everything about cable requirements and well, the reason is that the only requirement is a television set. If you own a TV, everything can be set up by cable companies. However, if we look into switching to streaming services, there are a lot of additional expenses waiting there to make a mark on our credit card.
You cannot start streaming without spending a ton of money. We realize that it is a one-time investment, although, is it that necessary and worth the amount of money?
You would need a reliable, seamless, and high-speed internet connection which means upgrading your internet package. If you don’t own a smart TV or streaming device, you would be needed to invest in one before making the switch. While your money is being sacrificed, you would also miss out on the live channels. So tell me, would making the switch to streaming services be a wise decision?
No EXTRA dependability
Entertainment that comes from cable TV is not dependent on anything other than the cable provider which means if you are connected with a good cable provider, you have nothing to worry about. However, when it comes to getting the entertainment quotient from streaming services, you depend vastly on your internet provider. Streaming services cannot function without the internet.
There are times when your connection suffers lag and that might not even be your provider’s fault. Your device and the bandwidth being hogged by other family members can also be the reason for such a problem but you would have to live with that and for all I know, nobody wants to watch low-quality content that keeps on buffering.
Last Thoughts
The decision to stay with your cable providers is yours. If you feel that your interests can be well matched by streaming services, then you should, by all means, go for the switch but if you are in doubt, perhaps it is better to fully recognize your requirements and then make a well-informed decision.
