The glorious days of cable TV are now starting to decline. In fact, in 2015 alone, the number of cable TV users has plunged to 56% as streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, and the likes have started gaining more attention compared to cable TV. And here are some reasons why.
1. Ease of Use
For cable TVs, you don’t have much power over what to watch as it follows a programming schedule. Even before the day starts, cable TV channels have already plotted their program lineups for the whole day. Hence, the audience won’t have much choice but to wait for their favorite show’s scheduled time.
But the good thing about streaming platforms is that you have more control over the shows you want to watch. Thanks to the Netflix tech stack, for instance, everyone can enjoy a seamless user experience. You can pause and play whenever you want, load shows faster, and even replay a certain part of the video, which cable TV doesn’t offer.
For that reason, Netflix and other streaming platforms are gaining more users. Even the younger generation can enjoy it too for its easy-to-use features.
2. Device Compatibility
Speaking of user experience, another reason why more and more people are moving to streaming platforms is that it provides more opportunities for audiences to watch no matter where they are, at any time of the day using whatever device they prefer to use.
Unlike cable TV, you’re not left with as many options when watching compared to streaming services. In fact, you’re only allowed to watch your favorite shows using your TV. And if you need to go out or run errands for a bit, you have no choice but to turn it off and just go on with your tasks, making you miss the opportunity to finish watching the show.
But with streaming services, you can pick whatever device you want to use to watch a show. And the best part of it is that you can enjoy it anywhere. You can take it to every corner of your home or even travel watching it as long as you have a good internet connection.
3. Cost
The cost is yet another factor that makes people prefer streaming platforms more than ever. This is because streaming platforms offer much cheaper services than cable or satellite.
For cable TV, you’ll need to spend up to $100 on average for a one or two-year contract. Plus, you will need to pay an additional fee to rent added equipment like a digital converter and a cable box. While they only cost around $10 a month, their costs can still add up fast and result in an unmanageable bill over time.
On the other hand, there are streaming services that would only cost you around $7 to $17 a month for each platform you choose. If you can’t pay or don’t want the streaming platform anymore, then you can simply stop your subscription or stop renewing your subscription for the next month. Basically, you won’t be tied in a one or two-year contract.
4. More Freedom
Because cable TV channels already have a set of programming, it’s hard to always tune in and wait for your favorite show. And if you need to go to the bathroom, answer a call, get the door, or whatnot, you can’t pause what you’re watching. Therefore, you’re left with no choice but to just let yourself miss details in the show.
But, with streaming platforms, you have more freedom. You have the say when you should watch your favorite movie or series as the programs are readily available on the streaming platform. All you have to do is to load it.
And if you need to attend to some business shortly, you won’t have to worry about missing any details or scenes from the show as you can play it whenever you want. And if you don’t want to watch anymore, you can simply pause it, turn off the TV, and get back to it later whenever you’re ready.
5. Personalized Options
Binge-watching your well-loved shows on cable TV is hard as the programs are randomly scheduled by channels. Therefore, it’s a bit of a challenge to find some movie or series aligned with your taste.
But thanks to technology, that won’t be a problem – that is, if you were to utilize streaming platforms, though. These days, movies and other shows are categorized neatly on streaming platforms and provide suggestions, making it easier for you to discover new movies or series of the same genre.
Probably the best feature of streaming services is that they have separate categories dedicated to children. Unlike in cable TV where you always need to keep an eye on what your child is watching, streaming platforms have separate channels for kids’ use wherein the contents are already filtered for them.
6. No Commercials
With the competition in the business world getting tougher and tougher every day, brands need to come up with ads to get noticed more by their target market. Because of that, audience around the world is bombarded with ads. In fact, the American audience alone is exposed to approximately 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day.
And because of that, cable TV users often tend to switch channels during commercial breaks. Some would even lose interest and would rather turn off their TV instead.
Conclusion
With the majority of streaming services, though, you can enjoy commercial-free programs. Hence you can enjoy your favorite program more without any interruptions.
Do note, however, that not all streaming platforms are ad-free. Peacock, for instance, has ads, depending on the plan you choose. But the good news is that you have more platforms to choose from that are equally good, such as Apply TV Plus, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, and more.
These days, cable TC users have become rarer and rarer as many people are making a switch to streaming platforms. You can’t blame others, though, as streaming services provide better options and services compared to the traditional ones.
