Advantages of Cable TV in the USA

Cable TV has long been the major source of televised entertainment for most American households. The favorite TV programs we have come to love can be easily accessed with just a push of the remote button. As technology in telecommunication has advanced, cable TV is facing stiff competition from video streaming sites and platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, Flickr and LiveLeak. Nevertheless, cable TV still has strong advantages that still makes it a valuable utility in the United States. We’ll explore some of these advantages as we proceed.

Stable and Reliable Viewing Experience

Stability is one of the key advantages of cable TV and its leading-edge over satellite TVs and internet streaming sites like Netflix. Satellite TVs are vulnerable to disruptions caused by weather, such as rain, severe storms, hurricanes and sudden gusts of wind. Streaming sites are dependent on the WiFi signal strength. During occasions when the Wifi signal is weak, viewers will experience buffering and lags in their Netflix shows. Loss of WiFi signal can cut the shows short and you’ll have to wait until the connection
gets stable again.

Cable TV has no such limitation when it comes to watching a cable TV program. Nearly all of the time, you’ll be able to watch a seamless flow of your favorite TV shows without having to worry about disruptions and buffers. The only instances where cable TV shows could go out when there are significant flaws or damages to the cable system, like a broken cable or malfunctioning router. Other than that, you can watch your favorite TV shows at any time of the day, any weather and any season.

Armored cable demonstrates excellent crush, heat, moisture and chemical resistance to meet the requirements of harsh industrial conditions and hazardous locations.

Extensive Channel Options

Cable TV gives you the convenience of choosing great programs and shows from an extensive set of available channels. The number of channels can vary depending on the cable TV service provider’s subscription packages and bundles. Your provider can give you a selection of cable tv packages that you can choose from and can fit your budget and TV program preferences. Most providers will provide you a channel lineup where you can choose a package that meets the preferences of every member of the family. The great thing about cable TV is that the channel lineups are mostly family-oriented – there are channels that the whole family can watch together.

Let’s admit it, we love to rule over our remotes sometimes and we want to explore great shows that are shown at a particular time. Most cable TV users practice channel surfing or quickly scanning through different television channels to find something interesting to watch. This option isn’t available on streaming sites. The good thing about being able to easily scan channels is that you will be able to come across a good show at a particular time slot. Your favorite TV series, soap or sports program may be aired at a certain time at specifically scheduled days. While waiting for these days and times, you can scan for channels that have interesting shows or have programs that are similar to your favorites.

Channel surfing is a fun way of establishing a TV viewing schedule and habit among cable TV users. It gives you a sense of freedom and control to watch the programs you want at any time. It also gives you and other TV viewers the opportunity to alternately watch your favorite programs that are airing on the same or adjacent time slot. This is particularly applicable if you are sharing a single television for all family members to watch on. While streaming sites can give you the option of choosing your favorite shows, the option of easily changing shows and programs doesn’t come as easy as with cable TV’s remote-based scanning. Kids can sneakily change the channel their parents are watching, especially during ad or commercial breaks – something you can’t do freely on a streaming site and using a single television. Channel surfing on a cable TV develops a sense of unity, sharing and closeness in families, as they jointly watch TV programs while waiting for each other’s turn to watch their favorites.

Bundle and Plan Flexibility

Another good thing about cable TV is its flexibility in transmitting the information. If you wish to avail of internet service in your home, don’t cut the cable cord just yet. Most cable companies offer bundles and subscription plans that include other services in a single package. These services can range from an internet connection, landline connection, a combination of internet and phone connection and even cellular phone service. When it comes to wire connections, your cable service provider will provide the modem, cable box and extra wires to set up your bundle package. In addition, you enjoy cable TV, internet and phone services together and at the convenience of a single bill. Plus, bundles are relatively more affordable when you compare your monthly billing with having different service providers or subscriptions for cable TV, internet and telephone.

Affordable Price

Cable TV at its basic package is fairly inexpensive compared to satellite and streaming services. It has minimal hardware requirements and cost, which are most of the time provided by the cable company. Since cable companies follow the FCC requirement that they provide a basic cable package that consists of a lineup of a few local channels and broadcast channels, you can be assured that you are getting some quality channels and programs at the most basic package. Your basic entertainment needs can still be sufficiently met by a cable TV subscription. If budget is not a constraint, you can get exclusive cable TV content like live sports telecasts, on-demand titles, pay-per-view channels and exclusive televised special events.

There are so many benefits that cable TV can still offer, which still makes it a significant source of entertainment for most households in the US. Cable TV companies have also made innovations in their offered services and packages to make cable TV subscriptions more attractive. Telephone and internet bundles are great options for the dynamic needs of modern cable TV subscribers and most cable TV providers have come up with bundles and plans to meet such needs. Thus, it can be safe to say the cable TV is here to stay and will remain so for a long time.