Are Cable TV Services, A Rip-off?

Cable TV, as we know it, is not a rip-off. If this was a rip-off, they would not get anything in return. It is just that the trends are changing and the world is moving towards something different, also called to be on-demand content that you get with streaming options. So, the main question is “Are cable TV services a rip-off” but you should also know whether “cable TV is dying” and being replaced with better substitutable options that work better for some of the markets now. 

Is Cable TV, A Rip-Off?

Cable TV cannot be a rip-off, because the providers are giving you services and innovating over it. Yes, it is overpriced. The problem is that most shows and channels paid for do not go into viewing and usage. Some people may be using it to get shows, while some may want the news channels, while others may want the sports channels and their exclusive sports content. These services are overpriced for users with a single use of cable TV services. So, it is more about how you are obtaining the use of your cable TV packages and what your usage at the moment is. Cable TV even offers great bundle packages, which have internet, TV, and even phone in many cases with many ideal US providers of cable and internet services. One such example of the Xfinity double play bundle, which offers internet, TV, and phone with great reliable services and a smooth connection, the best thing is its affordable pricing and plans that you can avail of according to your specific needs. There are many more examples in the industry, so cable TV cannot be a rip-off, while some services may be pricey, they offer greater services on the table. However, in short, cable TV is not for everyone, just like streaming TV is not for everyone.

Is Cable TV Better Than Streaming?

Now, this just depends on you and your usage but the table will shortlist the reasons why you should get either of the options, which will depend on the type of customer you are, what you’re looking for, and what will help you fulfill your need.

For example, if you are a family with younger kids, it is best to have cable, because you have a variety of channels for both adults and kids while for kids parental control becomes easy. However, with streaming parental control options cost, with the raising pricing of having the right devices like TV streaming and the appropriate dongles to manage the content like a record, save, or repeat. With cable TV, everything comes under one package, but with streaming, you have to purchase multiple plans with different streaming services to have different content like Hulu, Netflix, and others.

On the table being shown are cable TV and streaming, of which cable TV offers better lineups for the channels than its counterpart does. While YouTube and FuboTV both do not have many channels on them and are missing many of the top 25 high-rated channels. While cable has most channels and content except some like SHOWTIME or HBO, some cable providers like Xfinity, Mediacom, and AT&T offer SHOWTIME on cable but charge an extra fee. 

Netflix and Hulu do not offer content like TV rather show, movies, and entertainment-based content, while there are no local or national shows like pet shows or local reality TV content on them either unless it picks the hype and an agreement to display it is given. This is mainly why Netflix has moved on to creating original content and not all of that content is for the whole US market. 

On the other hand, AT&T is one of the few streaming companies that have an offering of a channel lineup like sports and news to stream, but you need to understand that the cost for them will be much or even more than the cable TV because you need a high-speed internet connection too. AT&T did recently get rid of their two-year contract policy, which makes it an attractive streaming option to take up.

Conclusion: Bundling Options Make It Attractive

Cable TV may cost high admittedly, but the services are great if you have the right provider. So, if you feel the costs are higher for you, you can choose bundling options. There are many providers with bundling options at a great price and offer many discounted options too. You can even add a phone with the TV and internet in some cases and other deals like free installations or discounts on the modems/routers that come along with it. 

However, some may have hidden costs to them too that streaming may not have. So, which one to go for? There is much debate on this but it depends on what your usage/location is and thus what will work best for you. So, do your research and make a calculated choice before paying for anything.