Cable vs. Streaming TV Services

There are many important decisions you have to make this year. The elections are just around the corner, the PlayStation vs. Xbox rivalry is set to break new grounds this November, Apple is launching a new iPhone to compete with Samsung, and most importantly, the cable-streaming war is expected to continue in full swing until the close of the last quarter. There is a recent influx in the United States towards streaming services (click here for the statistics). People are cutting the cord and saying goodbye to cable TV. There are many reasons behind this and will discuss them all in this article.

Streaming services are becoming quite popular among the masses, as they offer what cable TV does not, i.e. convenience. We cannot say right now whether streaming will completely replace the cable but the trend is promising, and anything can happen in the future.

However, it is quite confusing and many people face difficulties while selecting the perfect TV service for their home. If you are one of those people, there is nothing to worry about! This article has got you covered. We will explain the major differences between the two so that it is easier for you to decide which one to get for your home.

Let’s begin.

CABLE TV

Cable TV is evolving. In this digital age, if you don’t evolve according to the expectations of the customers, you lag behind the rest. Cable providers now offer better video quality, channel lineups, and whatnot. For example, TWC TV packages are designed to meet the requirements of every household. You will get a daily dose of sports, news, entertainment, lifestyle, comedy, travel channels, and more.

Cable TV has Extensive Channel Lineups

If you sign-up for a basic plan, you get 100+ channels with the majority of the cable service providers. The channel lineups are quite extensive. You have all the national channels to stay informed about the happenings, along with a dash of international networks and top-grade premiums. The local channels are there too so that you can stay updated with the local sports, news, and entertainment.

Cable TV is a Heaven for Sports Fanatics

There is always something going on in the world of sports. Sometimes, the Lakers are playing Boston Celtics in the world of NBA, and how can we forget Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens in the NFL? Games like these deserve a special mention. They are a great way to bring friends and family together. Fortunately, cable TV offers tons of sports programming, covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, US open, NHL, and college football or basketball. Moreover, you can also watch the local college sports games on cable. Channels like ESPN and Fox Sports give you access to all the major sports events of the world.

On-Demand

Many cable providers enable customers to order their favorite content via the amazing On-Demand service as well. You can binge-watch the most popular TV shows and movies whenever you like. For example, Spectrum has a quite extensive on-demand service. You can watch hundreds of TV shows and movies on the spur of the moment.

Cable TV is Expensive

The only reason why people are cutting the cord is due to the ever-increasing expenses of cable TV. When you subscribe to a service, you get special discounts and promotions on cable TV deals. However, those promotions are good for a year or two. After the end of the promotional term, the prices go higher.

Is Streaming the Future?

Yes, there is no doubt that streaming services are the future of entertainment. Back in the day, we only had Netflix or Amazon Prime to binge-watch our favorite movies. Now, there are tons of streaming services in the market having thousands of movies and shows, original programming, and everything that cable TV offers. For example, Roku is a popular streaming service. It has all the popular channels from cable TV in high-definition.

You can’t Just Watch Everything on Cable TV

Your cable TV provider might offer you more than 150 channels in your plan. However, to be fair, you are only going to watch a few of them. Most of the channels on your cable TV lineup are unnecessary. Streaming services may have limited titles, but they are the ones you actually need.

Streaming is Affordable

In the world of rising cable TV costs, streaming offers a great refuge. The plans start from as low as $10 and go to $20 maximum per month for one service. If you can combine two to three popular services, you will still be under $50.

Streaming Services are Not for Sports Fanatics

As we already discussed, cable TV has a large variety of local and national sports channels. You can watch all the major leagues and college sports. Streaming services have limited options when it comes to sports. You might miss all the live action from your favorite college team. Therefore, we don’t recommend it for sports fanatics.

Keeping the aforementioned points in mind, you can easily distinguish between the merits of cable TV and streaming services while choosing the right option for your home.