With the cost of living being constantly on the rise, consumers are assessing their decisions constantly aiming to get the most from every cent they spend. TV entertainment is one of these areas, but the industry is currently under review because of massive shifts. For instance, millions of people are always exploring convenient ways to start streaming the Grand National every April, and the number is still rising.
Aside from convenience, most consumers want to access the content they love at a very affordable cost. That makes it undeniably hard to find an easy balance, depending on whether the user is a sports lover, new movie fanatic, local content fan, or a series binge-watcher. It’s no surprise that Namibians are looking to re-evaluate their entertainment needs t take advantage of the hype surrounding online streaming services in Africa.
With many consumers considering streaming services like Netflix as an alternative to pay-TV, it’s worth exploring the difference between them. Here’s how the two services differ in terms of cost, convenient, and personal viewing preference.
Advantages Of Streaming Video Entertainment
For starters, you don’t need to pay any installation fee or buy any equipment upfront to start streaming content. You only need a mobile phone, a laptop or a desktop together with an internet source to plug and play. However, the download speed and associated costs depend on the internet package you’re using.
When it comes to accessing what you want, streaming services like Netflix offers a slightly older catalog of movies and TV series in their library compared to live TV. However, streaming services don’t measure to satellite TV when it comes to offering fresh content. For instance, Netflix is still showing the first and second seasons of big-ticket shows, while the same is already in the fifth season on pay-tv.
The Downside To Streaming Services
Video streaming highly depends on the quality of the internet that you are using. As such, the cost incurred to access the content online varies depending on the internet provider or data costs. At the time, the cost of accessing fast internet in most countries can be prohibitive, especially for long play. You might also need to subscribe to more than one streaming service to get access to different types of content.
For live content, most streaming services can’t compete with satellite TV. That’s because live broadcast services like DSTV, GOtv, and NBC buy exclusive broadcasting rights for different shows, including the biggest sporting events in the world. Additionally, international streaming services like Netflix don’t restrict young viewers and don’t contribute to the economy as they don’t employ local talent.
Best Value For Money
While streaming services seem to offer a competitive option based on price, it may be a lot more expensive than pay-TV depending on several factors. Moreover, Pay TV offers a huge variety of content compared to streaming services, so the price may not be an effective way to compare the two. As such, accessibility, convenience, and personal preference will determine the option you choose.
