Is it time for you to switch off your TV, for good? Traditional TV has been dwindling in relevance for years now, and the entry of smart TV that can act as mini-computer isn’t helping. Despite the strong offensive on TV, streaming is quite expensive – not only for subscription fees but also for internet connections. Let’s compare these two content delivery platforms to find the one that suits your best.
What is Streaming?
Streaming is media content delivered through devices connected to the internet. This content can either be live or recorded but played back in real-time. The practice of watching video content over the web has evolved as the result of internet connections becoming fast enough to facilitate the transmission of high-resolution entertainment.
With streaming, you only have content that you want to watch at any given second, while the rest resides in cloud storage – an idea commonly referred to as ‘on-demand’ consumption. This agile, more active way of consuming premium entertainment works by downloading, watching, and then deleting data as fast as to consume it.
What is Traditional TV?
Traditional TV is the old guard in the video content block. This channel works by delivering content through dedicated channels directly to a set-box, usually found beneath your TV, with a wired connection to the TV. The set-box acts to decode the programming for viewing. There is no internet required; the viewing experience is as simple as it sounds.
With traditional TV, the viewing experience is usually interrupted by commercial break dividing programming. It provides a dedicated pipeline for content transmission directly from the broadcasters, arriving on your device, where it is held. This connection allows you to watch live shows, channels, and another programming, or recorded content as well. Some people make the mistake of thinking that they can only watch traditional football games on TV, but this is not the case. You can watch the Cleaveland Browns or any other team via streaming apps and sites. It’s not even complicated at all.
Content: Streaming vs. Traditional TV
With the ever-growing popularity of streaming, media companies are undertaking huge investments to bring users not only critically acclaimed films from the past but also newer titles starring the most sort-after stars. This fact is evident in the fact that more than 50% of the best TV shows in 2021 were online streaming originals, giving traditional TV a run for its money.
Traditional TV, on the other hand, delivers a greater selection of content, including movies, TV shows, sporting events, music, live coverage of other events, and more. Even though streaming services are spending big to offer users more choice in their content libraries, traditional TV has more avenues to leverage content owing to licensing deals that run for decades.
Pricing: Streaming vs. Traditional TV
There are more ways to stream content over the internet, some paid while others are completely free. However, you still need a strong internet connection to be able to stream content at a decent quality, which means incurring high charges depending on where you live. For premium content, you will also need to spend more on a premium subscription plan to add to the cost of a connection.
Traditional TV, however, has everything in one place – you just need to switch your TV on and immediately access a channel of your interest. Some TV packages also come with a bundled package that includes phone and internet, which allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. Besides the basic price of pay TV, there are no other costs.
Ease of Access: Streaming vs. Traditional TV
The reality is, you will need a strong internet connection in order to stream. In fact, some popular online streaming services have minimum requirements for internet speed and strengths to stream video on their apps. The reliability of your connection has a lot of input in your viewing experience, which means streaming might be a limited option for people living in highly remote areas.
On the contrary, traditional TV rose to prominence in an era where either the internet was not yet invented, or was too weak to support a decent experience. The structure of traditional TV allows people who live in remote areas to enjoy content with little to no connection challenges. With the advent of satellite connectivity, traditional TV is even more accessible for people living away from urban areas.
Final Word
Nowadays, you can access almost anything that your heart desires, not to mention the best new content, on the internet. Still, streaming does not completely discount everything you have been accustomed to on pay TV, rather streaming and traditional TV complement each other – but streaming is the future of content consumption.
