Online streaming is becoming more and more popular over time. According to a report online streaming grew by 60% and traditional television viewership dropped by 4% in the year 2014. Experts suggest that this trend is expected to continue in the future, however many experts are also of the idea that the service has to improve to be able to continue to grow at the same rate. So, why this fear? Let’s talk about some downsides to online streaming.
Major Issues with Video Streaming
Using the Internet as your primary medium has lots of advantages but video streaming can sometimes become frustrating because of certain problems:
Slow Connection Speed
The flashy list of brand-new movies and television shows offered by streaming services is not of much use if you cannot actually access the content due to slow Internet speeds. It’s understandable that high quality videos are bigger in size, and if you do not have the right bandwidth you’ll have a difficult time buffering the video, plus download also takes forever. This is why users with slow Internet connections have trouble enjoying streaming services.
Constant Connectivity and No Offline Viewing
Services such as iTunes, Hulu Plus, or Netflix require uninterrupted connectivity, you can only stream the content. Downloading it and watching it later is not an option in this case, and most people believe this to be a big hurdle.
More Devices Will Cause Issues
The more devices you connect with the network, the slower your speed will get. Applications will compete for bandwidth; it is better to disconnect other devices or at least exit applications that require the Internet when you stream videos.
Availability of Content
The collections available via these services are usually limited to a particular geographical area. This is understandable due to varying copyrights laws, but it is still frustrating for the consumer. Plus, content often ends up being updated late or simply is not available in specific countries.
Service-Exclusive Content
Some programs are only offered by one service, so most consumers will end up having to subscribe to multiple services to access their favorite shows.
You still see Ads
Online streaming does not guarantee ad-free viewing. Advertisements are there because streaming services try to boost their revenue streams.
ISP Data Caps
Your ISP might limit the amount of data that you can use in a particular month, check these limits and make sure you don’t go over them. If you need more bandwidth then upgrade your connection.
Looking at all these problems, choosing a proper service is often difficult, try going for a service that has a lot of customization options. Plus, you need the right laptop or mobile device to enjoy these services. However, many experts are still of the idea that traditional method of viewing television is the best, and hence Direct TV packages are a great choice.
Problems with Digital Music Streaming
Music streaming sites also have their share of problems. These range from inadequately paid royalties to people simply not wanting to pay. Artists make little or nothing from these streaming sites. This has caused musicians to lose faith in the streaming site’s profitability. Spotify is a major guilty party when it comes to this problem.
If payouts to artists are made, it is in low amounts and lack transparency. The musicians have no idea about the accountability – Spotify actively refused music owners access to their accounting books.
In addition to all this, a major issue is that people don’t feel the need to pay for music. Any song is easily accessible for free on YouTube and other such sites. In fact there is a larger variety of artists and remixes, live versions and other derivative works that are not available on streaming sites.
User abandonment on music streaming services is extremely high. A study claimed that about 70% of user accounts on Spotify are abandoned.
Most people find that “cutting the cable” is a great choice that offers flexibility and on-demand content,;you can watch what you want, whenever you want to. This is great if your Internet connection is reliable and fast. However, it is wise to consider all these issues before abandoning traditional cable and television broadcasts.
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