PIRATE PRESS April 2024 Month 2024
Vol. Issue 5? Vol.10, ?, Issue
Streaming Services Senior Ava Laury
TV serves as a major form of entertainment in the lives of many. Now, with seemingly endless options for streaming, anyone can watch anything, anywhere, anytime. With that being said, the sheer number of options available may seem overwhelming at times. I personally find myself searching and scrolling through the options longer than I spend watching a show or movie, sometimes across multiple streaming services. An aspect of modern television that I find frustrating is that nothing is on just one platform anymore. If you cannot find a show you are looking for on one streaming service, chances are you may have to start a trial or pay for another one in order to watch it. There is some convenience to streaming, sure, as you can watch uninterrupted shows at any hour without having to wait for them to air. However, some of that convenience has been siphoned from the viewer as well; many platforms now have an option to pay for premium and regular subscriptions, with the cheaper option allowing ads to appear. Some students have expressed their frustration with various flaws that streaming services face. “I think many of them have their pros and cons,” freshman Breckin Spence said. “Hulu is great because it has all the best movies and great shows that are nostalgic from cable TV days; however, the commercials are obnoxious and the expiring mechanism is quite confusing.” This begs the question: is convenience worth the money? With the number of strings attached to some of these deals, it may seem as though it would serve one better to simply pay for cable. I have sought to discover the validity of this statement. Currently, it seems as though the best deal on the market for cable is Xfinity, which, according to AllConnect, offers up to 185 channels starting at $20 per month. This comes with the ability to “record up to six shows on once on the DVR, watch on the go with the Xfinity Stream app, and customize your channel lineup.” While this is a seemingly very affordable, fruitful option for those who want to experience cable, there are some drawbacks to consider. First, the price listed as Xfinity’s starting rate is simply that, meaning it will increase by an amount depending on how long they are your cable provider. This starting rate has additional fees added, such as fees for the remote and cable box, and the basic package appear to only come with 10 channels. However, if one is able to find a way through these hurdles, they can obtain many popular channels for a price not much more expensive than a few streaming services. On that note, the best streaming service for your money seems to be Max, in which you can receive an ad-free experience with a large variety of shows and movies for $15.99 per month. There are also bundles that you can purchase that will give you additional streaming services to fill in the gaps that Max may not be able to provide, as a frequent pulling of shows across different platforms to find a home elsewhere has become increasingly common. In addition to the convenience Max provides, many students have cited Netflix as another one of the best and most affordable options for streaming. “Consumers are most willing to pay for a service like Netflix because they have such a unique platform,” freshman Eugenia Craig said. “They have shows that are only shown on their platform such as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Bridgerton.’ They are popular shows too.” Overall, it seems as though streaming services are a better deal, as you can buy multiple for the price of a cable provider and watch a vast quantity of shows at any time, but there are ways to make your cable TV experience affordable and worthwhile. You just have to know what you are looking for.