Are Streaming Services Really Worth It...

Hi. I hope you are well and having a good day.

Today I wanted to write a short post about streaming services and evaluate the pros and cons of using streaming services.

So what is a streaming service? A streaming service is a platform which allows users to watch or listen to content over the internet. Biggest examples of streaming services includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, Spotify and Disney Plus.

The biggest advantage of streaming services are that they give you access to a wide variety of TV shows, films and documentaries to watch at your leisure. The luxury of choice that you have with a subscription service is the biggest selling point of any streaming service, it unlocks a wide variety of content to be watched. Some streaming services take the data from what was watched previously and give personalised recommendations to the viewer, which can ultimately improve their viewing experiences and gives more access to new content.

There is also an element of cost, which I believe could be an advantage or disadvantage however it is very much dependent on the individual and whatever people watch and how much TV is consumed. For example, if you have Netflix and use Netflix as a regular streaming service, it is probably more cost effective to keep Netflix or any other internet streaming services, rather than paying for a Sky package subscription. It is definitely worth working out whether the time you use on a streaming service is worth the amount every month paying for that subscription service, and deciding to invest in streaming or live channel broadcasts, or maybe even both! 

Now onto the disadvantages... most streaming services do require a stable internet connection to work effectively. There are times where you hear about different services being down, and people not being able to access different subscription services for an amount of time and the element of buffering whilst watching a TV show or a film. The choice of content can vary from various streaming services, with the chance that content can be easily removed from certain streaming services. Streaming services can be more affordable, however with accumulating multiple subscription services, this can get expensive. This is a disadvantage in my eyes, but once you stop paying for subscription services, you lose access to all of the content forever until you start paying for a subscription again. You never really own the access to it. It is sort of like a rental service, you never get to keep the content, unless you pay separately to own a film or a TV show on a streaming service like Youtube. 

When I look back and think how much I have spent on my subscription to Disney plus from back in the pandemic days up until the point where I cancelled my subscription last year, it actually horrifies me... Especially now as I don't have access to any of it as I don't pay that monthly cost any more! In my opinion, I don't think streaming services are worth it for me in my personal opinion and circumstances. The majority of shows I watch are on broadcasted channel streaming services anyway (Iplayer, More4, ITVPlayer) and the time I would spend over a month actually watching paid streaming services was really not worth me being subscribed to them. I find the choice of shows and films to watch very overwhelming at times! I decided to cancel my Disney Plus subscription as I realised I was only using it to watch Marvel films and episodes of Modern Family... I realised I wasn't really utilising the main advantage of streaming, which was the wide variety of content. That being said, I do still have a subscription to Spotify, which remains my only subscription to this day because I do utilise the subscription when I am working or at the gym, even though I do collect vinyls as well.

In respect to TV shows and films, I have decided to rely on the broadcasted channel streaming services with a TV license, stop paying for subscription services and returning back to collecting physical media. I had (and still have) a substantial DVD collection and I am returning back to collecting DVD's. As a lot more people are relying on subsciption services for their entertainment, it is amazing how many DVD's you can get for your money, especially on places like Vinted, charity shops and Cex! There is something so satisfying about collecting and using physical media in my eyes, and once you pay for a piece of physical media, it is yours and no one can take that away from you. 

I am really enjoying the process of finding and collecting more pieces of physical media, and would say definitely expect to see some thrifting or physical media hauls in the future because of it!

So yeah, it's all good...

Amy