Sourced: John-Mark Smith
Today, canceling your cable services and switching exclusively to streaming services isn’t unheard of. But, with the direction that streaming services are headed, some claim that it seems there will be no way to avoid the big bill at the end of the month. However, I think streaming services are the best option for both price and quality. I’ve had at least three different cable company experiences and everyone was less than satisfactory. Whether there were too many channels I didn’t watch, the feeling that nothing entertaining was ever “on” or the constant commercials on premium and cable channels, I’d had enough.
When I eventually caved and subscribed to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, I sensed a change. The fact that I can turn something on, binge a new television show or watch a movie with little to no interruptions is a game changer for me. Not only is just the experience of watching it so much more inviting, but in today’s popular culture, streaming channels are the buzz on the street. You hear people talking about these original shows and movies everywhere and engaging with people more intimately and instantly then how we used to talk about cable shows. The fact that you can stream a whole season instantly or watch a movie in the comfort of your home has really threw a wrench in the television and movie industries. Now, a show really has to be of quality to make you keep watching. This has then encouraged both industries to create better content for viewers and that has made all the difference in our entertainment experience as a whole.
Since there are so many new programs and options available in the entertainment industry, it can be easy to get lost and feel that there are too many choices. But thankfully, a lot of these streaming services offer an editor’s pick, popular movies or a similar section that allows lost viewers to find some well-established shows with a growing fan-base or viewership.
The largest debate against switching to streaming is the price. In some estimations, streaming services cost the same price per month, if not more than cable. Yet, I don’t think that these estimations are accurate. For one, not everyone pays for the individual streaming platforms they use. Netflix and a few other platforms allow you to stream on multiple televisions or profiles so it’s not uncommon to see three or four different people sharing an account and one individual gets the bill. Other than just the actual payment of the platform, the good thing about these streaming services is that people can watch things together, have viewing parties or even “mooch” off their roommates account (not that we encourage mooching at The Current, but it is an available option).
So yeah, you might be paying a few dollars a month for one streaming account, but you can get the content from others without having to pay for the service. Even if you do have to front the bill, I did the math. The most popular streaming services available today namely, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and the highly-anticipated Disney+ would amount to about $47 a month and according to a 2014 Federal Communications Commission report, an equitable cable service to these streaming platforms would cost roughly $64.41 per month. I don’t know, it really just seems like it’s time to cut ties with cable– pun intended.
