A question that would bug any cable TV company because a lot has gone into the cable industry and no one wants to see their life’s work simply die out.
The transition that is happening, the drift from traditional to digital TV, has created a dilemma for most broadcasting companies. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are infiltrating most homes. They are doing so by actually handing over the majority of options to the viewers.
You get what you want and whatever you choose, unlike the cable TV where there are certain groups of channels depending on the package you bought.
Presence
I will call it an exaggeration, at least in the present times, and it is presumptuous to say that cable TV is lost and gone because it is not. It will still be here for the next 20 or so years.
A big contributing factor is that digital steaming carries the humungous load of being data heavy. There are still quite a few remote areas in the U.S where there is no possibility of high-speed internet connectivity.
It may sound like living in the dark ages to some, but since from the northern end to the south, America is vastly spread to the extremes of the Globe. It is geographically impossible to have a network that can sustain everywhere with the present tech.
These issues of limitations will remain a hindrance until they are overcome by providing optimum connectivity to everyone, everywhere.
Older generation
Internet of things is changing how we perceived life to be and soon is going to be a reality in most households. Cable TV will need to adapt with the change and that requires including Augmented as well as Virtual reality into the present tech.
Another reason why we will not see the traditional TV withering away in the next two decades is mainly the viewership. Most of us who are over the age of 30 have grown up watching it as a primary source of entertainment, information, and news.
The older generation is still more comfortable with simple comforts and pleasures. They prefer picking up a remote and flipping through channels over the strenuous task of actually trying to find what to watch and how to go on about it.
Until these viewers are alive, there is a high probability of cable TV surviving for quite some time to come.
Advertisers
Cable TV depends on the advertisers to keep the blood pumping. With the advent of streaming services, a major concern that the cable industry had was the unwillingness of those advertisers to invest in a venture that will not be able to sustain.
However, according to studies, the earlier preceding percentages are now showing an up-rise. It is mainly because even with the possibility of low revenue based advertiser, viewers are actually more interested in the fact that their favorite programs are running without the constant influx of irrelevant ads.
Moreover, advertisers are now focusing on more innovative ads that generate greater benefits to both the viewers and themselves.
Advantages and disadvantages
Cable TV has a few genuine advantages over the digital/streaming TV service. Many sporting events are only available on paid channels as the market for such events is quite expensive and over-the-top (OTT) streaming websites cannot afford to make such investments.
Another advantage is that streaming sites are usually relaying content that has already aired on Cable TV. Therefore, the variety and the volume of content are always greater on traditional TV.
Although, that is soon going to change since streaming services are starting to offer original programs that are tailor-made for specific viewers.
A disadvantage that digital TV has been facing is the quality of the streaming services. Many viewers are let down by the poor video quality which can be quite a bummer as no one wants to watch low-resolution programs.
It is also extremely non-dependable in case of weather upheavals. A storm can scatter the signals and with the connection lost, you are in the dark as to what happened next on your beloved series.
Then there is the buffering and the starting time confusion. Let’s be honest. Who wants to wait these days? No one, that’s for sure! Delays are bad publicity and lead to a drastic fall in the number of viewers.
A lot of this depends on the type of connection that you own as well as the routers and the quality of wiring. One might end up being extremely irritated if it all does not go well. So, it is quite safe to say that an option like Cox cable won’t cause any trouble of sorts.
All the big cable giants are offering package/bundle deals where they would offer you an internet connection with your general pay TV. This way, they can keep their cable business alive as well.
Nowadays, they are focusing more and more on linear bundles for example; you can get a package for fashion, sports or news lovers or one that caters to only kids. This defines and refines your options to give you a better, more personal TV experience.
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