The idea of getting rid of cable TV is going mainstream, especially among people tired of paying top-dollar for the same content they can get online and missing out on even better content. Yes, streaming is worth it, but experts warn cord cutting is not for everyone.
Live Sports and Sports Content
In the past, you only needed one thing to watch live sports coverage – good-old cable TV. However, this thing has been a huge draw for cable subscribers, but streaming services are now offering the same content, maybe even better, conveniently on your internet-connected devices.
Streaming services now offer access to some of the major broadcasting networks and a host of sport-specific channels. Even though it does have everything covered like cable does, you bet that in a few years, everyone will stream the Miami Dolphins game or FIFA World Cup directly on their smart TVs.
Movies and TV Shows
Streaming services are adding new titles to their line-ups faster than cable TV can keep up. In fact, streaming is expected to ramp up its expenditure on acquiring licenses to timeless titles in the coming years, which means your favorite shows might be heading for streaming soon.
The only drawback: streaming services add new titles as fast as they take them away, often without notice to all the fans. That’s because streaming licenses expire, partners leave, and exclusivity clauses, among other things. With cable TV, you are almost always aware of what’s going on.
Free vs. Paid
Watching movies and TV Shows online free is quickly becoming the frugal way most people choose to spend their weekends and sick-offs. Yes, there are plenty of websites that let you stream movies free, at the cost of the occasional advert interruption. What’s more? It’s completely legal. That’s not all! Devices like Amazon’s Firestick Stick TV give access to free movies and TV shows.
Depending on the website, you can watch a huge variety of content, from dramas, action, horrors, to comedies. The content is also not limited to a production studio – you can stream the highest-grossing titles from the biggest names in movie production, but also older and independent content.
Picture Quality
While cable seems to be pulling one over streaming in sports content, it is the latter that is winning hands down when you’re talking about picture quality. As internet speeds have increased, users no longer have to suffer through annoying pauses and blur while streaming content online.
Instead, almost all streaming services offer 1080p support, with some offering 4K streaming depending on the user’s internet bandwidth. In contrast, cable TV is limited to 720p. If your internet connection is not strong enough, then brace yourself for the greatest threat to streaming – buffering.
Network Connection
Yup, internet connection is everything in streaming. The need for good quality internet is even greater depending on what you want to stream. For sports content, FuboTV, one of the best in sports streaming, suggests faster speeds of up to 40 Mbps to catch the latest sporting events as they happen live.
With cable TV, connection is also a major determining factor that affects your viewing experience. Considering the cable-to-source distance and the bad-weather factor, cable TV is no different than streaming on a poor internet connection. It all comes to the bearable option.
Bottom Line
Yes, streaming is the future of entertainment, but not everyone should cut the cord just yet – you can always do both. There is also the matter of cost to consider, but if you can – free yourself to better, convenient, and sometimes, cheaper alternatives to traditional TV. Yes, ditch cable TV for streaming.
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