The Cable Box of 2020
In 2019, the average television consumer finds themselves in an odd predicament. Content is no longer limited (nor has it been for some time) to subscribers of cable/satellite TV bundles. The rise of over-the-top (OTT) internet-based platforms, such as Apple’s iTunes and Netflix, in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s respectively has led to a democratization of content consumption the likes of which has never been seen before.
These services were able to popularize the concept of instant access to virtually unlimited titles in consumers’ living rooms for the same (or lower) cost of a brick-and-mortar rental store. Access to these services typically require the use of a television with built-in application access (a “Smart TV”) or what is known as a “Streaming Media Player” but required no physical transportation to retrieve a physical disc from a retail store. This extraordinary level of access and convenience ultimately led to the death of former rental behemoth Blockbuster in 2013.
In 2015, Dish subsidiary Sling TV launched their own OTT streaming service for live television. Previously, streaming content was mostly limited to on-demand access in which the user would select titles from a pre-selected library (Netflix) or would purchase titles individually (iTunes). Sling offered live television, including live sports, for a revolutionary low starting cost of $25 per month. At the time, I was working for a large electronics retailer, Best Buy. Following the launch of Sling, Best Buy (and others similarly situated) began to see a drastic increase in customers purchasing streaming players such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV in tandem with a digital over-the-air antenna. This became so commonplace, in fact, that the staff dubbed the pair of a Roku stick and a Mohu antenna the “cord-cutter special” in reference to “cutting the cord” with traditional cable TV providers. The transition to this style of consumption can yield hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year in savings.
The traditional cable television experience has largely been controlled by the provider as opposed to the consumer. Cable bundles through Comcast, Charter, Spectrum, and more typically require the use of a rented box to be installed on each television designated for service within the home of the subscriber. Each unit is rented for a fee per box, usually to the tune of $7.00-$10.00 per box. These units may or may not have DVR recording capability depending on whether or not you pay for the service. Additionally, these are typically bulky, slow, unreliable devices that are purchased and rented to consumers to maximize the recurring revenue streams of said providers. This is on top of already exorbitant costs for the television service itself due to a lack of competition in many markets. In my own market we have been subject to the whims of three major television providers for my entire adult life, all of which have similar pricing structures and qualities of (low) service.
Today, several live TV streaming providers compete for consumers’ dollars with differentiators of cost, channel selection, and interface quality. Major players include Sling TV, Google’s YouTube TV, DirecTV Now (soon to be rebranded as AT&T Now), and Hulu. Additionally, smaller, more niche providers such as Fubo TV and Pluto TV, among others, have launched more recently. These services are all accessed via the same means as popular on-demand services. This means that from the use of a Smart TV or small streaming media device, a consumer can access all of the content that they would ever desire at a high-quality, low-cost, simple rate. Thus, the traditional “Cable Box” has all but died in today’s market and been replaced with smaller, faster, cheaper, simpler devices that aren’t owned and operated by any one provider. We are free to choose our respective device and customize our own experience to fit our needs.
Which device fits your respective needs the best depends entirely on you. However, I will provide my top 3 recommendations based on what type of consumer you are. Here we go:
The Apple TV 4K (32GB storage) is the best choice for heavy Apple users and those who want the highest quality overall experience with little regard to cost. The user interface is intuitive, clean, and very responsive with a wide array of high-quality apps that are updated regularly. Additionally, AirPlay screen mirroring from Apple devices and integration with their HomeKit smart home platform is very useful. The high cost of $179.99 will be a deterrent to many, not to mention the need for a 4K-capable HDMI cable on top of it, but it is an excellent choice for Apple users and non-Apple users alike.
The standard Roku streaming stick is one of the most popular streaming players on the market. However, the “+” version has many of the performance improvements included in their flagship Roku Ultra in the form factor of a stick with no need for an additional HDMI cable or place to house a box. Roku provides a theme customizable interface (my girlfriend likes to make puppies the background to our own device) and the largest app selection available on any device. At $59.99, you could provide service to three televisions for the price of one Apple TV making it an excellent value. Negatives include occasional performance bugs and the addition of banner advertisements in the home menu. Overall, the Roku Streaming Stick+ is an excellent value for any aspiring cord cutter with several televisions in their home or different users that desire unique services on each device.
The lowest cost of my three recommendations comes with very few tradeoffs. Although you’ll be stuck with a smaller application library and middling wireless performance, robust voice search capability and a highly intuitive and responsive interface with enough of an app selection for most users makes it among the greatest overall value’s in a streaming player. If you’re looking for the lowest cost solution that you won’t later regret, I highly recommend the Fire Stick 4K from Amazon. Just be careful; Bezos just might be tracking you.
You’ll notice that these are all specifically 4K-capable devices. As there is now a wealth of 4K content at your disposal, even if you do not currently own a 4K television, you will likely own a 4K television in the future and will therefore be able to maximize the capabilities of your new purchase at that time. Technology gets outdated quickly enough as is so there’s not much sense in purchasing something already behind the times.
I’m always curious as to what products and services people are using to get their content so if you can, feel free to leave a comment below to let me know if you’ve had a great (or terrible) experience with any particular product or service. You can also find me on Twitter. Thanks for reading!
