Cable and satellite companies have run the television industry for many years now. But with the emergence of video streaming websites and devices, it may be time for everyone to kick their cable box out the door.
Every month I open up my Comcast bill and there are some new random charges. Often, I try to call and talk to someone about my issue, but I usually either give up after 20 minutes of elevator music or end up angrily hanging up on some employee who doesn’t offer any solutions.
We no longer have to watch tedious commercials over and over again. We no longer have to pay for hundreds of channels that we will never use. We no longer have to record our shows or follow the constraints of the enslaving TV Guide. The Internet has opened up countless possibilities for the way we consume television programs. Many of the major networks have their own websites where full episodes of everyone’s favorite shows are available at any time.
Online media streaming websites such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have also changed the way people are watching television programs. Families and friends used to sit down together week after week at a specific time to make sure they didn’t miss their favorite weekly show. Nowadays people like to wait for a season to be finished so they can binge watch the entire thing in just one weekend.
These streaming sites not only let you watch network television programs, but they also release their own original content. Between House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black and The Square, Netflix has won 10 Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes in the past two years. Amazon recently won its first awards at the 2015 Golden Globes, thanks to Transparent.
Many companies realize the potential in online media streaming and decided to take that to a new level with media streaming boxes. Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV connect to your television and have apps built in that let you access Internet services like HBO GO and Flixster. Apple TV also lets you play any iTunes content through your television set. Each of these devices is under $100, but if you are looking for something even cheaper to replace your monthly cable bill then the HDMI streaming sticks are perfect for you.
Google Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick are all priced between $30 and $50. These small sticks plug right into your TV and can do almost everything that the other devices can, but they require a television with an HDMI plug. Because of their small size they are easy to travel with so you can watch your shows at a friend’s house or while on vacation. The Roku Streaming Stick and Fire TV Stick come with their own remote, while Google Chromecast turns the user’s computer or smartphone into the remote, requiring the user to be a bit more tech savvy.
Many people in today’s day and age are sticking with their cable boxes or satellite dishes because they don’t want to miss important sports games and other live specials, but even those can be streamed online. Several national sports leagues already have online streaming such as MLB TV and NBA Gametime where fans can watch games in real time, without having to deal with cable companies. It is only a matter of time before every big league sport is being streamed online.
Concerning other live programs, it seems that ABC started a new trend last year when The Oscars pre-show and full awards telecast was being streamed live for the very first time. Since then, the 2014 American Music Awards and the 2015 Golden Globe awards have also been available to stream live.
Follow Tanner Owens on Twitter @T_Owens21