Over the past decade, how we watch TV has changed dramatically. Gone are the days of four channels analog TVs – cable, satellite, and Freeview are now king. There is, of course, another form of TV, that over the past few years has become insanely popular, and that’s media streaming. It may not actually be TV, but it’s pretty much the same thing, the only difference is that it’s streamed via the internet, not a cable or satellite.
The question is, which is best TV – aka cable, satellite or Freeview, or media streaming? In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of each option, as well the best option when it comes to cost.
Let’s start with Freeview. This is what was brought in to replace analog TV, and as a basic TV package, it works well. Depending on the box you have, you can get up to 100 channels for free. You can even get Freeview boxes that record and live pause, just like cable and satellite TV offers. The major benefit of Freeview is that it’s free and gives a good selection of channels. However, it’s only a small step up from good old analog as the channel choices are rather poor.
Time to talk satellite and cable TV. The two biggest companies for this are Sky and Virgin Media; Sky is satellite TV, and Virgin Media is cable TV. Today, most basic packages come with boxes that offer live TV recording as well as the ability to pause, rewind and fast forward live TV.
There are lots of packages to choose from that can be tailored specifically to your needs. For example, if you are wondering what are the different sky packages? You would be surprised to know that there are lots of different ones, so whatever your budget you can find the perfect one. The great thing about these TV subscriptions is that the come with lots of added extras. Like Sky-on-the-go, for example, a sky streaming service that can be used on any device. Plus, there’s easy access to catch-up TV as well. There are various channel choices, movies to watch for free, and the flexibility to watch TV wherever you are.
Now onto media streaming from sites like Amazon Prime and Netflix. On average, streaming subscriptions are cheaper than TV ones and tend to consist of a one-off annual charge. Sites like Amazon Prime and Netflix don’t show live TV, they consist of movies and TV series, but that’s it. In terms of having all your favorite TV series in one place, they’re incredibly handy. However, when it comes to choice of channels and range of programs, they can’t compete with TV services like Sky. The costs may be lower, but that’s because what’s on offer is less. There’s no sports packages or live TV, just pre-recorded shows, most of which are shown on regular TV beforehand anyway.
In terms or which is best, TV or media streaming, TV wins hands down because of the amount of channels on offer. The price may be higher than streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but that’s because there is more on offer.
Picture Source/Credit – Flickr
