What’s more, many live TV services do offer the same ability to watch on-demand. They can be more expensive than streaming services, but for many people, it will be worth the extra cost. Here are 10 reasons why you should switch to live TV, along with a few tips to help you select the best live TV streaming service.
1. Live TV Usually Comes With Sport Streaming
Do you enjoy watching your favorite sport on the weekend? Like to sit back with a beer, relax, and cheer your team on? Live TV seriously takes the points here over streaming platforms, which generally don’t offer any live sports content.
Most cable and internet TV services come with some sort of sports streaming. For example, you may have access to the National Rugby League, European football streams, and various special events such as the Olympics.
On top of this, many sports are accessible by streaming live TV for free. For example, if you stream local TV channels, you will usually have access to at least a few games per week—depending on licensing and broadcast deals, of course.
2. An Internet Connection Isn’t Required
One great thing about live cable TV is that it doesn’t require an internet connection. In most cases, this will make your service more reliable. For example, you won’t be prone to outages due to bad weather or issues with your internet service provider (ISP).
Another issue with streaming services is poor quality. At peak traffic times, your internet connection may become too slow to stream high-quality content. With a cable connection, you won’t ever have to worry about quality issues due to a congested network.
On top of this, cable or satellite live TV is often the best option for rural customers. Since rural internet connections can be slow and expensive, you might have issues with streaming services constantly buffering and using your data too quickly.
3. You Will Benefit From Loads More Content
If you’re an avid movie and TV watcher, it’s easy to feel like you’re running out of content on popular streaming platforms. Even larger platforms like Netflix can become rather sparse if you’ve been watching them for a few years.
One of the best things about cable TV is that it enables you to select what sort of channels you want to have access to. Even the cheapest live TV streaming services come with a suite of channels with more than enough content for you and your family.
With one of the best TV streaming packages, you will have access to everything from dedicated movie and TV channels to lifestyle programs, live sports, documentaries, and much, much more. Before you renew your streaming subscription, think carefully about whether you would get more enjoyment from the content offered by live TV subscriptions.
4. It Can Be Bundled With Other Services
In the US, cable TV services are often bundled with things like internet or phone solutions. Because of this, it’s possible to save a significant amount of money by purchasing all three together.
What’s more, bundling your utilities together like this is very convenient. You will only have one bill to worry about, rather than individual ones for your streaming service, internet, and phone.
Another thing worth noting here is that you will often experience better performance if you’re using a cable TV service from your internet service provider. Most plans are also quite flexible, enabling you to upgrade or downgrade them as required.
5. You Can Record Programs for Later
Streaming services are very easy to use because they enable you to play programs on demand. However, live TV can be used similarly if you set it up correctly. Most packages enable you to record programs to your hard drive so that you can view them later.
This is particularly useful for people who lead a busy lifestyle and don’t want to miss the next episode of their favorite show.
Let’s say, for example, that you’ve been asked to stay back at work late one evening. However, it’s the finale of the series you’re watching, and you don’t want to miss it. By setting it to record, you will be able to catch up on it a few hours later when you get home.
6. You Will Have Access to Local Channels
With the best streaming for live TV, you will often have access to local channels from your area. If you’re a community-minded individual, you might like to take advantage of these to keep up with what’s happening in your area.
For example, many rural areas have dedicated channels touching on various aspects of life outside of the city. You will often find local channels with specialized local news, along with ads for upcoming events.
7. On-Demand and Pay-Per-View Content is Available
Another standout feature of live TV services is that they often enable you to purchase on-demand and pay-per-view content. One popular example of this is new releases, which can sometimes be purchased to watch at home when they are released in the cinemas.
On top of this, many pay-per-view sports events are streamed on live TV. This includes everything from boxing and UFC to high-end wrestling and other events.
However, it’s worth noting that these services are somewhat specialized and that not all providers offer them. If you’re interested in them, we’d suggest chatting to potential cable TV companies and finding out which ones offer the events and features you want.
8. Content Discovery Made Easy
Have you ever spent half an hour browsing Netflix and trying to decide what to watch, only to give up because “there isn’t anything”?
This is where the live TV streaming services can be super beneficial. Since you will have access to a large number of channels, it’s easy to flick through programs until you find something you like.
For example, let’s say you’re looking for content in a niche genre. Many live TV packages come with channels dedicated to special interests, and browsing these will help you narrow down your search. There are also channels solely devoted to specific eras, where you’ll easily find older shows and movies that are often absent from streaming platforms.
9. Live TV Comes With Live News
There are numerous ways to consume news in the modern world. From social media to dedicated news websites and daily emails, it seems that information about the latest world events is always at our fingertips. However, there’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned news channel.
Most live TV services come with at least one live news channel, which you can use to keep up-to-date with global affairs. Sometimes, you will get dedicated channels for specific regions, languages, or even ethnic or religious groups.
Even if you don’t have time to sit down and watch the news regularly, this remains an attractive feature for those who like to put the news on in the background while they’re cooking or cleaning.
10. You Will Benefit From Ads
Everyone hates ads, right? This might be so, but what you probably don’t realize is that ads can actually be very beneficial and rather interesting. As long as your live TV service doesn’t plague you with frequent long ad breaks, you might actually come to enjoy them.
This is because TV advertising is one of the primary ways companies advertise new products and services. Paying attention to TV advertising will help you keep up-to-date with new and advanced technology, and many people find themselves purchasing new items after first seeing them on TV.
TV ads also let you keep up with the latest TV series and movies. Often, short trailers or segments are played during the ads to encourage you to watch a title—you might particularly enjoy this if you find yourself constantly struggling to find new things to watch.
Conclusion
Streaming services have exploded in popularity over the past decade, but live TV services have certainly boosted their game as well. They generally offer a wide range of channels, access to live sports events, and dedicated news and local channels.
On top of this, you may have access to on-demand and pay-per-view content. Cable TV is more reliable and generally offers better video and audio quality than streaming, and many packages can be bundled with services like internet and phone for a better deal.
The take-home message here is that if you’re sick of streaming platforms and are thinking about changing things up, it might be time to take the plunge and switch to live TV.
