Watching television and catching up on your favorite shows and current affairs is something you cannot do without. Though cable TV is the prevailing method for watching TV, you might have considered switching over to streaming platforms and letting go of your cable TV subscriptions for good.
However, streaming platforms still lack a few important features and functionality that cable TV can still offer. So, before you finally decide to cut the cord, make sure to go through this article and understand what you will be giving up if you let go of your cable TV subscription.
Limited Channel Lineup
Probably the most important feature that streaming platforms still lack today, is the wide selection of TV channels available on cable TV. While streaming platforms do offer quite a decent selection of content for viewers to enjoy, they still cannot make up for the abundance that cable TV has to offer.
Moreover, streaming platforms often tend to drop channels from their lineup depending on contract disputes. While the two parties are busy settling those disputes, the customer ultimately suffers as the channels remain unavailable.
DVR Is Not Consistent
With cable TV, you are familiar with how your DVR service would function overall. You can easily program your DVR to record shows at the designated time slots, which shows to record, and whether or not you want the repeat telecasts to be recorded.
On the other hand, streaming platforms do not offer that kind of DVR service. While some offer DVR services, others do not. And even if they do offer DVR services, you cannot really make sure what episodes you will be able to record. And if the episode vanishes for some reason, you are left hanging high and dry.
Furthermore, the most irritating of adscannot be avoided on all streaming platforms. You might be forced to watch all the ads during a certain episode as there might be no option to pause, forward, rewind, or skip an ad.
You Depend on the Internet
Switching over to streaming platforms means that you would be completely dependent on an internet connection. Unlike cable TV, streaming platforms would be subject to performance drop, buffering, and picture quality variation. In the case of cable TV, even if your internet is down, you are not completely out of entertainment optionsas you wait for your internet connection towork.
Not as Reasonable as They Appear
You might think that streaming platforms do not bind you to a contract so they must be easier to let go of. That may be true but that benefit is compensated with their gradual increase in subscription fees. The streaming service provider then has the freedom to charge you the fee they like. You might have subscribed at a reasonable rate, but it won’t stay reasonable for long.
Lack of Local Channels
Every region is more interested in the local channel lineup that a service provider has to offer. If you want to watch a certain live program on TV channels like ABC, NBC, or The CW, you would first need to make sure whether the streaming platform even offers those channels in your region. Some streaming services like YouTube TV and DIRECTV may have updated their channel lineup with almost every channel included, but there are still many deprived regions.
Single Streaming Service Won’t Do
Lastly, opting for a streaming service would mean that you would have a selected collection of channels. If you are ever in the mood for a channel that is not part of the lineup, there won’t be much you would be able to do other than subscribe to a different streaming service. As a result, you would be paying relatively more for multiple streaming services as compared to when you were paying for cable TV service that offered all the channels under one roof.
Is Streaming the Right Choice for You?
Switching over to a streaming service completely is not an easy decision. You have to consider several factors before you can make an informed decision. Though, if you think that you make do with all the things mentioned above, then streaming platforms may be the way to go.
However, if you cannot let go of the benefits that cable TV still offers, then we would recommend checking out cable TV services like Optimum TV. The service provider offers a rich TV channel lineup, remarkable features, and a reasonable price tag. And it even offers a few great bundled plans so you could access both the internet and cable TV at reduced rates. Make sure to hop on to the BuyTVInternetPhone platform for further service description and instant subscription.
All Things Considered
While streaming services do offer certain advantages like freedom from schedules and niche programming, they definitely cannot compensate for the loss you would face by canceling your cable TV subscription. So, make sure that you are satisfied with all the aspects before you decide to cut the cord.