Streaming platforms are popping up at a rapid pace, every now and then a new name is heard in the entertainment world. So is it time to cut the cord and say goodbye to cable? ScreenBinge investigates whether it is better to opt for a streaming service or stick to the old and sweet cable?
To begin with streaming platforms offer great flexibility that cable TV does not. However, with cable TV services you need to have a year or two year contract. If you were to cancel before that period you would have to face hefty penalties. With streaming services it’s simple if you don’t like the streaming service, simple, cancel your subscription and if you’re in trial period, you’ll even get your money back.
Cable packages can cost more than $50 and upwards on a one year contract depending on the company and package you choose, while streaming services can cost anything from $5 to around $60. So there’s this huge price point of view as well. The subscription cost of all Hulu, Sling TV, Direct TV Now, fubotv, Netflix, and Amazon Video are less than cable TV.
However, one problem with streaming services is that you may have to subscribe to multiple services if all the channels that you want are not available on your streaming service. But like wise you don’t have to pay for channels you don’t want which can save you a lot of money too! On the other hand cable TV offers around 500 channels which means you can have a lot of diverse variety especially when it comes to watching live sports.
For example you might have to upgrade you streaming service package to get live sports which may cost an additional few dollars every month.
All in all, in this age, where everything is connected to the internet, cable TV is not likely to survive for a very long time. You can easily start streaming on any device no matter where you are, whether you’re on your way to work or simply sitting and watching your favorite show in your garden. This cannot be done with cable TV, there’s no portability, and once the cable TV company guys fix the cable to your TV you can only watch in one place.
As per survey monkey, half of the respondents who report watching cable TV are 60 years or older while on the other side 27% of the respondents aged (18-29) said they prefer streaming. So it is pretty evident that streaming services are gradually taking over and the choice between cable and streaming largely depends upon the age group. While the older respondents are comfortable and satisfied with their simple cable TV the younger lot seems to be shifting towards streaming services.
The survey also reveals that a third of cable only users are planning to cut the cord in the coming 12 months, and another 27% said that they were moderately likely to cancel their cable subscriptions. While 4% of respondents said that they were extremely likely to cancel and switch to streaming.
The shift is very much linked to age as we can figure out from the above mentioned stats, streaming services also have their own pull, with millions being spent by streaming services on shows 24% respondents said that they use streaming services to watch content not available on cable TV.
Streaming services offer 4k UHD videos which are perfect for the latest TV devices available in the market today, while cable TV only offer 1080i, provided that you have good internet speed why not utilize your TV’s full potential.
More than half of respondents who bundle cable with streaming services, prefer streaming more. Again it’s an age factor as these respondents fall into the category of (18-29) year olds.
The greatest reason to shifting to streaming is cost saving, convenience and flexibility. Almost one third of the respondents cancelled their cable subscription in the past 12 months with the primary reason being cost savings. There are many streaming services that also offer limited free content, which means all you have to do is sign up and watch, so that may work for a lot of folks.
For many it is the simple, “watch it anywhere” to choose streaming services which Cable can never provide. For example you’re waiting at the doctor’s clinic, simply take your cellphone out turn on your streaming service and continue watching your favorite show. You don’t need to be on the couch of your living room all day, it isn’t healthy either, check out these health tips for a better body. Smart phones have also become one of the most used devices to stream content as most of the phones today have a screen large enough to enjoy watching videos.
Wrapping Up!
If you want a higher number of TV channels then Cable is your go to choice, keep in mind the cost and convenience issues though. However if you binge on a select few channels and like to keep it portable then streaming is the best option, with a growing streaming market coupled with high quality shows a huge shift in consumer demand is expected in the coming years. Let us know what are your views? Do you stream or use cable? And what is the basis of your choice? We would love to hear from you.
