At the face value, we will find online streaming services less expensive than cable TV services. However, it still depends on your needs – what you want to watch and what your preferences are. Streaming services might cause you more money than what you have thought initially because you have to have a stable and steady internet connection with an ample amount of data to ensure you enjoy hiccup-free streaming. Also, you should consider the fact that if you are sharing the online streaming service on the same internet connection it might slow down. You got to watch the quality of the video you are watching.
Additional cost for streaming services
The drawbacks that can make you end up paying more than your plan are the following. We are going to talk about the hidden cost that can make streaming services more expensive. Speaking of affordable pricing, when it comes to cable TV services Spectrum silver covers everything you would desire to have in your bundle and absolutely worth every penny.
You Cannot Bundle
If you choose online streaming services you will not be able to bundle them up with any other services. As a matter of fact, you will have to get a good internet connection to enable the functionality of your streaming service. Whereas, with cable TV you can bundle your cable service with internet or phone which is eventually a good and less costly deal.
The expense of Streaming Devices
The cost of any online streaming services doesn’t end at paying monthly bills. One of the additional costs that can make you spend a lot of money can be the cost of the device. For instance, if you want to watch the content of streaming services on TV you will be required to buy devices like Chromecast Apple TV or Roku stick which is a huge expense itself. That is on top of an internet connection with a good amount of data.
Higher Internet Data Consumption
While streaming HD content, it takes up to 1 to 2GB per hour of data – which means for a single user around 150 GB per month is required which results in higher internet bills.
Need To Subscribe To Multiple Services
If you want to watch sports along with movies and TV shows, you will need to subscribe to multiple services – for instance, ESPN + NETFLIX. Because cable TV services still have a monopoly when it comes to broadcasting sports content or especially the live coverage of sports. Again, that just adds to more expenses.
The more the content you want to watch the more cost you will have to pay. For example, if you subscribe to HBO, ESPN, and Amazon prime video all together with the total cost maybe $400 per year.
For and against streaming services
Let’s make it easier for you all by presenting a contrast of all the potential advantages and disadvantages of having or buying online streaming services. You will be able to decide and make a better decision based on your personal or household preferences. So here we go:
Advantages:
- Every service has its original worth watching content along with older shows and movies.
- You don’t have to pay any or hefty termination fees; you can cancel the subscription whenever you want to.
- You can watch the content of your choice whenever and wherever you want to.
- Premium or on-demand services have no commercials.
Disadvantages:
- Content is restricted to regions. Moreover, providers cannot show content created by other competitors.
- The latest shows and breaking news are not quickly available. So, you have to wait for them to release this content.
- On a cable TV, you can get to watch more TV shows than streaming services.
- TV has many sports channel that is something not available on streaming services. Bad news for sports fanatics.
How to Save Money While Having Cable TV
If you are someone who doesn’t want to cut the cord you can still save a lot of money through the following tips:
Be Alert
There are many scams out there. Make sure you talk to the company’s representative directly.
Get a Bundle
One of the best ways to save money is to bundle your TV package with the internet or phone.
Conclusive Notes
All of us areconsuming a crazy amount of visual content right now for the reason that there’s just a lot of great content is out there. Online streaming is certainly one of the most excellent options we have today, it also depends on the consumer how long they can wait or not, and/or would want to spend time watching the next show to binge-watching that you just heard about.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.