Over The Air vs. Paying Cable vs Streaming

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Introduction 

This article will discuss the comparison between free over the air television vs getting cable/satellite television. The advantage and disadvantages of having to watch free over the air channels comparison to having to pay for watching cable/ satellite channels. 

Short History 

When television went from analog to HDTV by the United States government that all full power over the air stations to switch from analog to digital although not through necessary in high definition (HD) by February 17,2009. Eventually, they extended the deadline to June 12,2009. The low power had a different deadline to meet to switch over to digital. 

When the free over the air stations went digital also came advantage of adding more channels to add more different types of programming. These add channels is referred to as sub channels. Each station has an opportunity to add how many sub channels as they want. Each sub channel that they add means more advertising money that a station are able to get.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Over the Air

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The advantages of having over the air channels is that you don't have to pay for their stations because they rely on advertising money that they receive. 

Next is that Each stations can add different sub channels with different types of programs that allows to watch different shows that they can air. Each sub channel that the stations are able to get different networks in which contains of different array of different programs that they offer. Some of these outside networks that are offered are comedy, movies, crime shows, old syndication shows they have shown years ago. 

Some of the different networks can be from some of the major networks. Some of the different networks are: METV, Antenna TV, Laff, Create TV, True Crime Network, Buzzr (shows old game shows) to name a few. 

One of main disadvantage is that it doesn't have any of any of main channels like espn, CNN, Food Network plus others. Although the one thing though is that over the air channels does provide some substitute for that it lacks that to try to have some variety that would be capable to what cable does have. 

Another disadvantage is some places like the rural areas their variety of over the air channels might be limited to people. One the reasons that there might not be any television towers that would transmit signals to the television set to homes in the area. 

Third disadvantage is that for people who are sports fans is that over the air television doesn't have a lot of sports being shown. Most of the time they are shown on weekends, but there has been some sports that has been televised during the week. But the sports that would show teams that are not from your team in your local market.  There has been times where they would televise your local teams. 

Another thing is that people can't watch movie channels like TNT, HBO, Starzs, Hallmark and others. But there is an alternative to this is that people can rent movies for DVD/ Blue Ray for free. The only place that you can rent movies for free is from the local library. Most libraries has the new releases and some older movies. 

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Cable And Dish Companies 

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The advantages that some people would have lots of different channels with lots of different channels with different genres that would interest a lot of people with Cable and Dish companies. 

The companies offer different tiers of various channels with a number of channels a family would get. The higher tier that the people would choose means more variety of channels that they are able to receive. 

Next advantage is that more people from the rural area would have a chance to receive more channels to watch more programs on their television. 

Now for the disadvantages of having cable and satellite TV. The first thing is that you have to pay to subscribe for cable and satellite TV. The more the higher tier which offers more channels the price would increase. Which means more money that you have to pay when you subscribe to these companies. Getting pay per view and movie channels will cost more money as well. With all these channels that you pay, how many channels do you actually watch on regularly? We all don't like to pay for channels that we don't watch.  That is also a disadvantage of paying money to cable and satellite TV. Some cable and satellite bills can cost you up to and over hundreds of dollars that's before taxes and fees are included. Which means that you would pay over thousands of dollars every year. 

Streaming Apps 

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If you don't want to pay for all of those channels there is an option for that. Some companies like Disney and Discovery plus others which are also cable channels brought out their own apps with three or more channels in one app or movie channels which has shows and movies. Another example is that movie companies like HBO, Paramount also brought out their own apps that are only one channel that will show only movies. As for sports like NBA, MLB and NFL and even college level like NCAA has apps to have people who loves sports can watch games. 

But the disadvantages of getting these apps also cost money as well. If you get a few of streaming services the cost might be reasonable priced but if you get a lot of them it can cost you a lot of money. 

Final Thoughts 

For me I like over the air channels. I know that it's free and and limited channels but I get about fifty channels and unlike cable and others where there is contains lots of different channels with different programs but I do have limited income to pay for cable or satellite. 

But for others like yourself that are able to afford cable and satellite can get purchase that if you wish. That depends on a person preference.