Are you considering getting rid of your cable and simply using streaming services to provide your in-home entertainment? The rise of the internet, smart televisions, and streaming devices has made it possible for consumers to enjoy programming from a wide range of different sources. You may think that you can fully replace the cable experience by only relying on streaming services. However, you may find that there aren't too many compelling reasons to switch to streaming. Here are three reasons why you may want to stick with cable:
You'll need to invest in equipment. One of the benefits of having cable is that everything comes through one device. As long as you have a cable box, you can likely access network television, premium channels, on-demand movies, pay-per-view events, and plenty of other entertainment options. Without cable, though, you'll likely need a number of different pieces of equipment to replace that entertainment example.
For example, if you have an HD television, you'll need an HD antenna to pick up the network stations. You'll need a streaming box that is compatible with your streaming services of choice. And since not all boxes are compatible with all services, it's very possible that you may need multiple boxes. Also, if you want to record live shows to watch later, you'll need a special box along with an external hard drive. Add up the cost of all that equipment and you could easily spend hundreds of dollars to replace your cable box.
Your monthly cost may not go down much, if at all. One of the supposed benefits to ditching cable is that you'll save money every month. However, if you're truly trying to replicate what you have with cable, you may find that streaming isn't much cheaper. The main challenge is in cobbling together enough streaming services to match what you have with cable. Some services may only stream shows from certain networks or production companies. Others may only have older movies and a limited selection of shows. You could have to subscribe to multiple services to get the shows you want, which will increase your monthly bill.
Also, if you currently have your cable bundled with phone and internet, you may see your prices on the other two services increase if you drop cable. Add it all up and the cost savings may be slim or even nonexistent.
You could miss out on your favorite programming. While streaming services do offer a large and varied library of content, they don't have everything. In fact, you could miss out on the current season of your favorite show or you may be unable to stream a movie that was just in theaters. You will almost certainly have difficulty streaming live programming, like sporting events, news programs, or award shows. And if you like watching the networks, you may have limited access through your antenna during bad weather.
For more information, contact a local cable television company, such as Valley TeleCom Group. They can help you decide whether or not streaming can truly replace what you have in cable.
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