The New Features In Streaming Services Show Why It’s Time to Drop Cable
The world of home entertainment changed dramatically with the widespread availability of cable television. People would see a similar phenomenon when VHS and DVD became commonplace. All of these technologies expanded what one could watch on TV at any given time. Some of the benefits came from time shifting. People were suddenly able to watch a broadcast whenever they wanted rather than having to get home by a certain time. People could also watch multiple episodes in a row if they had the inclination.
Today streaming media is accomplishing something very similar. We’re at a point where streaming options have become widespread and user friendly. Streaming services have moved beyond the initial phase where early adopters hop onto a trend to help streamline it. Now streaming is solidly placed as a successor to cable.
The number of streaming services available has gone up tremendously. Services like Amazon and Hulu cover a wide variety of TV shows and movies. While series like Disney + give people a chance to catch up with the vast amount of content from some of the biggest production companies. There are a few important points to keep in mind when starting out with streaming services.
Playback devices
One of the best things about streaming services is that it’s not locked to a single device. People usually use dongles or small boxes like a Roku or Amazon Fire when streaming to a TV. However, this is just the start of what one can do with online streaming services. Most mobile devices support all of the major streaming options. This means that people who are subscribed to a streaming service can enjoy it on both their TV and mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones.
What’s more, most streaming services fully integrate states between TV and mobile devices. This is one of the biggest improvements over cable. For example, imagine starting a show at home. Then it’s time to head to a doctor’s appointment. You decide to take the subway to get there. On the subway you might decide to use your phone to keep watching the show you’d begun at home. The streaming app would pick up from where you left off. At the doctor’s office you have considerably more space. So you decide to keep watching on a tablet. By the time you get home you can keep on watching that same content on a TV. And through all of these steps the apps and devices will resume where you left off.
Taking the idea of media in a new direction
At this point it’s clear to see how streaming takes TV and movies to the next level. However, it’s possible to take this general idea into some amazing directions. Take integration with other hobbies as an example.
People are starting to realize just how much they enjoy a combination of high tech hobbies and more earthly relaxation. This is made much easier thanks to streaming media. A trip to a distant cabin would usually mean giving up TV and movies. There’s something to be said for reducing time in front of the TV. But there’s an equally important point in finding ways to enjoy everything in moderation. Now people can use streaming media, often in offline modes, even in the midst of nature.
The true beauty of streaming media comes from the fact that everyone can leverage it into their own preferences. Cable is set content pushed out from people who demand you only watch it in a few different ways. But streaming media lives within any modern device. It’s just as mobile as the device and the person who uses it.
