A lot of people say that streaming services are the future of TV and movies and standard TV is on its last legs. Most people have a subscription to a streaming service like Amazon Prime or Netflix but does that really mean that TV is completely obsolete. The number of people paying for traditional cable TV channels and subscriptions is rapidly declining, while streaming service subscriptions are on the rise – source here. If you’re thinking about entertainment options for your home and you can’t decide between sticking with your normal TV service or subscribing to a streaming service instead, here are some of the pros and cons of both.
Advantages Of Streaming Services
Accessibility is one of the major benefits of streaming services and it’s why people love them so much. You can watch Netflix from anywhere that you like as long as you’ve got an internet connection. That means you can watch movies and TV on the go, wherever you are. But if you’ve just got a normal TV subscription, you can only use it when you’re at home. If you live in an apartment block or your house is a listed building, you might not be able to put a satellite or digital TV aerials up which means you’re not going to be able to get Sky in your house. But any house with a phone line can get an internet connection so, regardless of where you’re living, you can always use streaming services.
The price is another big bonus with streaming services. A Netflix subscription costs around £6 a month (depending on how many users you want to have on it). But if you’re paying for Sky, it’s going to cost you a lot more than that, especially if you want all of the added extras like sports or movie channels. There aren’t any installation costs with streaming services either so the overall price is going to be way lower. You can always just make do with freeview TV and not pay for it at all, but you’re very limited in terms of content.
Content is another massive advantage when it comes to streaming services because you’ve just got so much there. There are thousands of movies and TV shows on streaming services and they’re always creating their own content which you won’t be able to see anywhere else. Some of the most popular TV shows are Netflix or Amazon originals and the money is increasingly being channeled into releases on those platforms rather than cinema releases and standard TV channels. You also have complete freedom over what you watch and when, rather than just having to watch whatever is scheduled on the TV. If you pay extra for premium Sky services, you can watch some things whenever you like but it’s more expensive and you’re still fairly limited.
Binge watching is fast becoming the normal way to view content. When a new show comes out and you’re hooked by it, you might want to just speed through the series to find out what happens at the end. You’re not going to get that with TV and you’ll have to wait a week between each episode. A lot of people consider that a benefit of streaming services but it can be a drawback as well. If you find a new show, you can easily watch the entire series in a couple of days, then you’re waiting a year for the next series to be released. But if you’re watching one episode a week, it makes it more exciting and the payoff at the end will be a lot bigger.
Disadvantages Of Streaming Services
Streaming services are great but there are a lot of drawbacks to them as well. The quality of content, as already mentioned is a big one. You might be able to get a lot of stuff on Netflix and they release their own content, but the majority of the films and TV shows on there simply aren’t that good. Even though more movie makers are looking to streaming services, most of the big releases are still hitting the cinemas. But if you’ve got a Sky movies package, you can usually get the films that are still showing at the cinema. If you’re using a streaming service, you’ll have to wait for ages until those movies are available, if they’re ever available at all.
The other big problem with content is that it’s only on there for a limited amount of time. You have the same issue on Sky but you can record things so if you do want to keep a movie, you can. A lot of people are getting rid of their DVD collections because they’re outdated and they take up space, but there is still one benefit. You can watch your favourite movie whenever you like. But if you’re using Netflix, you might go back to rewatch a film, only to find out that it’s been taken down. This is particularly problematic if you’re halfway through a TV series and it gets taken off before you can finish it.
You can sometimes get new movies on Amazon Prime, but they’re not included with the normal price of your subscription. Any new releases have to be paid for separately so if you’re watching a lot of stuff that is in the cinemas, you’re probably not actually saving that much money. It’s still cheaper than seeing it in the cinema but it’s not very cost effective.
The level of choice on streaming services might seem like a good thing, but it can actually be a negative. When faced with so many choices, it can be difficult to decide on what to watch. Everybody has spent ages sitting there scrolling through every single thing on Netflix, unable to decide what they’re in the mood to watch. You get some recommendations on there to help you pick but they’re not always that accurate. But if you’re watching TV, you’ve got a limited number of options. You can just flick through the channels and find something to watch. A lot of people consider that a downside but often, it’s actually a benefit.
Streaming services might have a lot of content, but they’re in competition with one another which means if you just choose one, there are going to be things that you can’t watch. Disney, for example, are starting their own streaming service and putting all of their content on there exclusively. That means you’ll have to pay for another subscription if you ever want to watch any of their content. You could always just subscribe to all of them but that’s going to be pretty expensive. Of course, you do have the same issue with TV to some extent but things usually end up being shown on one of the TV channels at some point.
You don’t get any extra services with your streaming subscription but when you’re paying for a TV service, you usually get everything else rolled into one. Sky and Virgin both offer package deals with your internet connection and phone bundled together which is usually pretty good value. But if you’re paying for a streaming service, you’ll have to pay separate bills for all of those things.
Reliability is a big problem as well. In bad weather, your TV reception might be a bit fuzzy but it’s never really that much of an issue. But with streaming services, you’re relying on your internet. If you’ve got a good connection, you’re fine most of the time. However, if your internet goes down or it’s running slow during particularly busy times, you might struggle to watch something properly. Even if it plays, the quality might not necessarily be very good. It’s best to check your internet connection before you make a decision so you know whether it’s quick enough or not. Additionally, if you don’t live in a built-up area, it would be worthwhile to compare the best internet options for rural areas if you are considering changing providers.
Conclusion
You might still be at a bit of a loss as to which is better, streaming services or old fashioned TV. The truth is, they’re both good in their own way and it really depends on what you want out of it. The price is a big benefit of streaming services because they do tend to be cheaper on the face of it. However, when you consider the savings you can make by rolling your internet, phone, and TV into one package, the difference in price isn’t always that big. If you want to watch a lot of new releases, you’ll be paying extra on streaming services as well so a Sky subscription might be best.
In terms of content, there is more choice on streaming services but a lot of that stuff isn’t very good and you won’t be able to watch any movies that are still showing in the cinema. Choosing the right thing to watch can be a bit of a pain as well so if you’re indecisive, streaming services aren’t ideal for you.
Sometimes, you might not have a choice because you can’t put a satellite on your house, in which case you’ll need to use streaming services. The other major benefit is that you can download things from streaming services onto other devices so if you commute a lot and you want to watch films and TV on the go, it’s worth getting a streaming service.
Before you make your decision, think about what you want to watch and how, then you can decide which works best for you.