The Covid-19 outbreak has led to more people stuck in their homes than ever before. The whole world over, individuals and families are trying to figure out what to do with their free time. When the adults aren’t working, and the kids aren’t engaged in at-home schooling, millions of people aren’t sure what to do with their free time. That has led to a rise in interest in both cable and streaming services. But if you’re considering one of these, which is the superior choice? Let’s examine a few of your options.
Traditional Cable
Traditional cable television is still a possibility. You can get it either through a box or multiple boxes that are set up in your home, or else you can get a satellite dish installed on your roof or wherever else is convenient. With cable, you’ll get a wide range of channels, including many local ones, like Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Though there aren’t any live sports happening right now, you can get them once the pandemic has died down, and things return to some semblance of normalcy.
The only issue with cable is that it is considered by some to be prohibitively expensive. Some packages can cost well over $100 per month. With jobs scarce right now, and money tight, some families are shunning this traditional option.
Hulu
Hulu is one of the popular streaming services that you can get instead of cable. You can watch it on your phone, TV, tablet, or laptop. This flexibility is convenient, and you get popular channels like TNT, TBS, Sci-Fi, ESPN, and others. The basic package will cost you $54.99 in most US markets. They don’t have Comedy Central, though, which is a major complaint for some households. Also, note that if you’re going to watch Hulu on your TV, you’ll need to make a one-time purchase of a Roku, or a similar device that streams media content.
Sling
Sling has emerged as Hulu’s main competitor in the area of streaming services. If you get a combination of their Blue and Yellow packages, it will cost you $45 a month. That’s cheaper than Hulu, and you get Comedy Central, as well as lots of other channels. However, you don’t get the local channels like you do with Hulu.
Netflix
Netflix is a cheaper streaming option. Their plans range from $9 to $16 per month. However, Netflix is not live TV. Instead, you can watch shows and movies from an extensive library, including lots of original content.
There are also options like Amazon Prime, as well as individual premium channel subscriptions, like HBO, Cinemax, or Starz. There’s the recently-launched Disney+ as well. Some people pay for multiple streaming services per month.
When you’re trying to make your decision, think about things like whether you have kids, whether you prioritize local channels or live sports, and how much you have to spend each month. Then, pick from amongst these services based on which one seems most appealing.
