Technology Trends- Cable or no Cable?
Do you have any idea what shows NBC or CBS are playing during prime time? Or are you too busy binge-watching Master of None on Netflix? If so, it may be time to cut the cord to your satellite or cable TV service.
These days, the ability to order up on-demand content that’s mostly commercial-free makes cutting the cord to your cable or satellite service a desirable option. In fact, most teenagers and kids watch TV differently than their parents. They’re accustomed to video-on-demand, viewable on any device, whether it’s the TV in the living room or their iPad or smartphone. Virtually any content you can possibly want is available at your fingertips via streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and Roku.
Sure you might miss a presidential debate or a live sporting event, but if this content appeals to you, you can always get it online. And that’s exactly what cord-cutters are doing. According to Nielsen Media Research, an estimated 73 percent of CNBC’s October 28th GOP presidential debate viewers were 50 or older. However, social media surrounding the debate went wild with more than a billion posts relating to the upcoming elections.
Sports is also something you’ll want to consider before cutting the cord. If you enjoy watching out-of-market sports shows, then you can always go to MLB.TV for baseball, NBA.TV for basketball, stream from NFL.com for football, or get Sling TV for ESPN and other sports packages.
If you are ready to sever your relationship with cable or satellite TV, you’ll need some hardware to get your content and we can help with that. For one, you need a set-top box like AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Google Chromecast. For local content, you can get an antenna that will provide free, over-the-air high-def local content to supplement on-demand offerings. Go to TVFool.com to input your address and see what kind of signal is available in your area.
In order to maximize streaming the content, it’s also essential to get your network in tip-top shape. Most people don’t realize that their networks can’t handle the amount of content that is being sent around their homes. We can make sure your network is both completely secure and that the hardware is robust enough to handle that content without interruption, eliminating endless buffering. Finally, we can make sure your cables are organized, optimized, and are giving you the best possible signal for all your streaming home entertainment needs.
Need help picking out that perfect gift this holiday for your loved one that will help them cut the cord for good or want to breakup with cable yourself? Give us a call today. We can help guide you in the right direction with gifts that will please anyone on your list.