Roku TV The Xavierite
Recently, there has been a lot of debate over whether people should switch back to cable with the pros and cons of streaming services. I find myself asking the same question, wondering if I should keep scrolling through Netflix or switch back to cable and watch whatever random show comes on.
It’s crazy to think about the fact that the way we watch television has changed so much. At one point in my life, I remember setting aside certain times just so I could sit and watch my favorite shows uninterrupted. I was even staying up to watch reruns of George Lopez at three in the morning.
Now we have this chance to watch all our favorite shows in one sitting, which sounds great…until you realize you’ve just finished a 10 episode series in a day and now have nothing left to watch. Cobra Kai, I’m looking at you.
So sure, both options have their perks; however, they certainly do come with their downsides.
There are many advantages to network TV; like when awards season comes around. People with streaming devices like Firesticks and Roku are always scrambling to find where to watch the Oscars or the Grammys, and trust me, I was definitely right there with them. I was googling “How to watch the Grammys live” like my life depended on it.
And it’s not just award shows; live sports events like the Super Bowl or the World Cup feel different when you’re watching it in real time. There’s something about experiencing it in that exact moment as it happens, then immediately going on social media (for me, that’s X, formerly known as Twitter) to see everyone freaking out at the same time.
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, and Kendrick Lamar won Grammys, and I could not have been happier. But what made it even better was seeing my friends on X celebrating with me in real time.
To me, moments like that just aren’t the same when you’re watching it at a separate time.
Then there are the actual TV shows; watching them weekly builds up this anticipation and suspense. Take The Walking Dead, for example. Every week, my best friend and I would tune in live, and there was nothing like pausing it midway just to freak out and over analyze every little thing.
But while network TV has its perks, it also has its fair share of headaches, starting with commercials.
Nothing ruins an intense build-up to a scene faster than a loud ad about car insurance or fast food. The suspense would be building; someone’s about to either die or get caught then boom, commercial break.
Then there’s the time they choose to air these shows and the sad moment when your favorite show gets cancelled because of low ratings. Mind you, I’m still crying over The Tomorrow People getting cancelled by The CW.
But then here comes streaming, where you can have it all, except for, you know, the live events and that weekly build up.
With streaming, you get the chance to binge-watch everything in one sitting. You don’t have to wait each week for the next episode.
Plus, most of the time it’s ad-free, so you can watch your shows uninterrupted. And let’s not forget, there’s a huge list of shows right at your fingertips, all easy to find. You can even download these apps on your phone, meaning you can watch your favorite shows anywhere, something I definitely do when I’m traveling.
But while these are all great things, the downsides are just as frustrating. Subscriptions are no joke. I have Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, and Viki.
By the time you add up all these prices, it’s basically like paying for cable. At that point, I might as well just get YouTube TV.
It would be easier if one platform had everything, but they don’t, so you end up subscribing to multiple services just to watch all the movies and shows you want. Then there’s the fact that live events aren’t included unless you subscribe to an extra package, which, of course, costs even more money. At that point, it starts to feel like too much.
And while having multiple choices sounds amazing, it can also feel overwhelming. Sometimes, I spend more time scrolling than actually watching, or I feel like I’ve already seen everything.
That’s why I think both options have their own appeal. They each have unique benefits, and it’s easy to see why people go back and forth between them. Whether it’s catching live moments or binge-watching an entire series (me with The Vampire Diaries recently), both have something to love.