Cut the Cord or Buy a Bundle?

Streaming services are nudging cable television aside as single device technology is taking over the market. Early adapters of smart tech will remember the iPhone emergence; a first of its kind encapsulating phone, music and camera in one pocket sized device. Televisions have followed suit, fast forwarding past the need of dvd’s, cables and dvr. Audiences ranging from Millennials to Baby Boomers are now buying smart tv’s to bring music, video, and live television to their screens while keeping both form and function in mind. 

Home Technology Experts tackles a question most people are asking: What is better, cable or streaming?

“Homeowners are on a mission to streamline household technology on the least amount of devices, and have every viewing option in one place. Smart tv’s own the market and continue to break the mold with options and picture quality,” states Alex Karoussos, President of HTE. New products have even tackled the issue of aesthetics, where a Sunday sports fan and a discerning interior designer may share a wall without compromise, with mounted tv’s that display fine art or mimic a mirror when not in use. 

While quality of picture progressively increases (4K) streaming content has yet to keep pace. While streaming is undeniably convenient, it can be limiting to image quality and the number of tv’s in a home. “Your tv may have the capacity to emit a 4K image but the quality of your service will always depend on your internet connection. With a poor connection, your investment in a high-end device will suffer if the picture is not great. We see this happen often. It’s incredibly visible when streaming sports or highly detailed productions; the picture quality just does not compare to hard-wired cable,” says Alex. “Streaming is usually limited to a certain number of devices, as well. Say, three devices on a subscription and five tv’s, laptops and tablets in your home. You will only be able to watch on three at a time.”

Cable has less limitations and delivers a better picture through 1080i or 1080p, depending on connection. A direct connection to the tv delivers high-end video output for a less pixelated and clearer picture. “Live action sports always stream better when connected to cable,” says Alex. “The only downside to cable is apparent, the tv must be connected to wires and a cable box.”

While TIVO has become all but forgotten, Karoussos is still a believer, “It’s worth a look. TIVO offers solutions for free over-the-air stations with an antenna that delivers amazing picture quality and networks such as NBC, ABC plus streaming.” Apple has announced they will mix it up and become the ‘cable box of streaming.’ Karoussos is a fan, “You can use Apple TV for everything." HTE determines the best solutions based on discussion, customizing the audio video project to a client’s wants and needs. “Cable isn’t dead yet.”