There has been an increase in the number of people canceling their cable TV subscriptions and switching to streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and more. There’s little to no doubt that streaming platforms have a lot to offer, but should you cancel your cable TV service for them?
This is also known as cord-cutting. It has become quite a popular trend, so we don’t blame you if you have been thinking about it as well. You must also be aware that streaming platforms do not have the same content as your cable TV subscription.
This is one of the reasons why Netflix or Hulu are more affordable than a cable TV plan. However, certain cable providers such as Xfinity TV offer reasonable plans. Xfinity is a growing provider that has managed to earn its name in a short period.
That said, cable TV is also a good alternative for people who don’t have high-speed internet in their area because streaming requires the need for fast internet. Now, if you are confused about whether to cut the cord or not, we will be sharing the differences between both services.
Let’s get started!
Content
When you pay for a streaming subscription, you always have a wide range of movies and TV shows to choose from. Moreover, every month you get new shows that are released on the streaming platform for the first time.
In other words, you always have something new and exciting to watch each time you sign into your streaming account. There are limited series and movies that Netflix releases every month as well. Streaming platforms have also created fighters and categories for different genres.
You will never run out of content to watch and look forward to each month with a streaming subscription.
Cable, on the other hand, is more about live TV instead of on-demand content. However, there are cable TV providers that are starting to offer on-demand content as well. If you are someone who enjoys watching shows that are still being shot after every couple of episodes, then cable TV is for you.
That said, cable TV isn’t known for movies, so if you are a movie buff, perhaps cable TV isn’t for you. However, if you enjoy live sports, then cable TV has a lot to offer. You could always add on premium channels if you want to watch the latest movies, but it will cost you quite a bit.
Cost
If you are on a budget, streaming services such as Netflix, are a great option. If you are comfortable when it comes to watching TV shows on your smartphone, you could easily subscribe to Netflix’s basic plan.
Netflix, in particular, has several plans for you to choose from. They all offer different video qualities and also the number of screens you can use your Netflix on. Netflix’s most expensive plan offers you 4K video and allows you to stream on your screen all at the same time.
If you and your family enjoy streaming, then Netflix is a great option. That said, cable is much more costly than streaming services. There’s also the option for you to bundle your internet and cable TV services, but even then, it’s going to be rather expensive in comparison to streaming services.
If you have no specific need for a cable TV subscription, you should be more than okay with a streaming service subscription.
Reliability
One of the biggest advantages of cable TV is that you will always get consistent signals to your TV, making it very much reliable. Every time you turn on your TV, you will see something.
Streaming services, on the other hand, aren’t as reliable as cable TV. If your internet is down, you won’t be able to sign into your streaming service. Internet outages are rare, but they do happen, so if you only use streaming, you will probably have nothing to watch until the outage is finished.
Moreover, even after an outage, you could face internet disruptions. An outage is not the only issue. When it comes to streaming services, you always need a higher bandwidth plan if you want to watch your shows in ultra-HD quality.
If there are people in your house who use the internet for heavy-bandwidth activities, you might have to suffer continuous buffering each time you decide to watch a streaming show. Therefore, you will need to spend more on a high-speed internet plan, perhaps even fiber-optic.
Now, this is something you don’t have to worry about when it comes to cable TV, because even if the internet is down, your cable TV will work just fine.
All in All
Well, there you go!
There are of course many more differences between cable TV and streaming, but we have shared the key differences. These differences should make your mind about cord-cutting.
However, streaming services are a little hard to beat. You don’t have to pay too much and there is more content on it. But, cable TV is more reliable and easy to navigate, especially if you have elderly in your house who enjoy watching TV.
All in all, you have to see which service is more convenient for you and if cord-cutting will save you more money in the long run.
