Cable TV is something which has been present in our lives for more than half a century now. It is the only technology that hasn’t become obsolete or taken over by an even modern alternative completely. This is evident from the fact that by March 2021 there are still 74 million households connected to cable subscriptions, even amid the pandemic and tough competition from internet-based alternatives like streaming apps. But, this is also a fact that after enjoying the throne of visual entertainment for more than 50 years or so the current state of cable is deteriorating, and the competition is getting brutal with each passing day. At this point the future of cable looks bleak, to be honest.
So, seeing cable TV being replaced by streaming services, providers have switched their business model and are now including cable TV in bundle deals. In a bid to attract customers towards cable TV through discounts, major providers now offer bundle discounts, like Spectrum TV and internet can be bought as a bundle for exclusive discounts and additional perks and privileges
Apart from bundling there have been other alternatives as well, which are mostly routes that are taken from a business point of view in order to salvage the dying cable industry. This alternative came in the form of streaming apps that were developed by these cable providers.
Now every major cable provider has their own app, which they give with every cable package, a move to keep their consumer base intact. These apps allow users to watch live TV and all the channels that are available in their cable bundle. Mostly it is mandatory to have a cable package with a provider in order to get access to their native apps, but, several cable companies also provide these apps in the form of streaming TV packs, a major example of this is Spectrum TV Choice which is a streaming package available to existing Spectrum Internet customers.
Cord Cutting and Focus on Streaming
In the wake of the pandemic when the world was going through an economic recession and people were in deep financial troubles due to unemployment, this made the majority of the public desperate so they started looking for means to cut their cost of living. In this situation, the most plausible option for many was cord-cutting. Cord-cutting is a trend that originated somewhere after 2015, in which people started ditching their regular cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services like Netflix.
Netflix itself had a much bigger role in this shift as it was a medium of entertainment people never experienced before. With huge user support, Netflix became the biggest streaming service in the world, and soon many new heavyweights of the entertainment industry started churning out their own streaming platforms, some major examples of it are Amazon and Disney.
The biggest advantage of these streaming platforms was that they were not only inexpensive but also portable, something which cable viewers were deprived of. Moreover, there was an immense amount of ready-to-watch content for users which further boosted consumers to consider streaming services.
Seeing this major shift in the entertainment sector made cable providers consider the potential streaming possessed, and that is why they started making their own streaming platforms. Now there is another dilemma since there are a lot of cable providers consequently there are many apps as well from these companies, and not all of them are good. To simplify this debate we have written this piece consisting of the best apps that are currently offered by cable companies.
Best Streaming Apps from Cable Companies
There are more than 500 cable TV and internet providers and most of them have their streaming apps. This makes it difficult for viewers to choose which providers they should go with, as most of the time the deciding factor becomes the channel line up or cost. But, since the world is moving towards streaming now, this is also going to become a major factor in deciding which cable provider to choose. So, here we have the list of the best apps that are being offered by major cable providers.
Spectrum TV App
The first in this list come from the second biggest provider in the country, Spectrum. The Spectrum TV app is an all-in-one package that allows users to watch live TV channels that are included in their channel lineup, along with an amazing library of on-demand content. Spectrum was one of the pioneers to get into the streaming business, and the best thing about this is that they are one of the few providers that offer streaming as a standalone service for their internet customers. Spectrum TV is supported by all major platforms including Xbox, Roku, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, and Android operating system.
Cox Contour TV App
In second place comes Contour TV App from Cox cable, the third-biggest cable company. Cox is a brand that is known for its diverse cable packaging and amazing channel lineup. The contour TV app has all the best features of Cox cable infused with cutting-edge technology like the parental guide, voice recognition, and even a cloud DVR service to record live programming and watch it at a later time on any iOS and Android running device. Users get access to the Contour TV App when subscribed to any cable bundle, or they can also get a Contour stream player with their internet that allows them to use this streaming app with regular TVs as well.
Xfinity Stream App
Last but not least is Xfinity’s Stream App. This comes from the biggest service provider in the country. So, rest assured that consumers are going to get the best service from them. With the Xfinity Stream app users not only get live programming but they can even enjoy live sporting events including the Winter Olympics. Xfinity Stream app has over 2800 hours of pre-recorded programming as well for users to enjoy, and all this in 4k ultra HD. Users can enjoy live sports and news telecasts along with a mix of live and recorded programs all with the Xfinity Streaming app.
Conclusion
Streaming is the future of entertainment. This is clearly evident from the fact that major cable companies have also started developing their own streaming apps. However, at the moment this shift is in very early stages, which is why the quality of these apps is not up to the mark. For precisely this reason, we have researched and brought the best apps that are offered by cable providers. This list might help consumers decide if they want to switch providers or want to go with a specific cable company keeping in view their streaming technology.