I’m old enough to remember the days before “pay TV.” Gradually, cable TV made its inroads and more and more people started paying for it because of better reception and the increasing number of non-broadcast channel offerings.
Eventually, satellite TV came along, dominated now by Dish Network and DirecTV. Rita and I went back and forth between the two as their introductory offers expired and we found ourselves with TV service costing well over $100 per month. The rates for cable were just as high.
But then the coaxial cable used by cable TV companies like Comcast and the fiber optic cable used by phone companies like CenturyLink created the opening for a wide range of video streaming services which can make subscribing to cable or satellite TV unnecessary.
So, here we are at a crossroads (actually past it) where the cable companies will only be providing internet service and not TV service, because customers will use that cable internet service to stream their favorite TV channels (and Netflix) from other providers, in addition to having internet service for their home computers and internet-connected devices such as doorbells and cameras and other smartphone-connected appliances.
Rita and I quickly abandoned Comcast for TV service when we moved into our Avenida apartment. What we ended up doing was using Comcast only for high-speed internet, and we now stream everything. We pay $65 for internet service (which I need anyway for business), and we pay $64.99 per month for YouTube TV. They’re currently offering a $10 discount for the first three months. You’ll want to own a “smart TV” to simplify streaming.
Here’s what makes streaming a super-smart alternative — it’s portable. I can duplicate my home service at a second home, while camping, at work or anywhere else within the U.S. without having separate TV service at that location.
Golden Real Estate's Blog 