Why Streaming TV Is Better

Why is Netflix so much better than cable TV? Why is Amazon Video just as good? Why are there dozens of other streaming companies that could easily overtake your monthly entertainment dollars? Isn't it because we know we deserve better now that we have easy access to more personalized material? That's part of it, but there's more in the picture.

As Tina Fey told Reuters, "with broadcast, when you're going into people's homes, you have to be a little more polite." By "broadcast" she means traditional TV.  "You can get into more dangerous topics" on Netflix, she said. There are two reasons for that. First, we can choose what we want to watch and when we want to watch it with streaming content. So we don't end up with nothing but sleaze on the tube when kids are around. In other words, there's no risk of inappropriateness because we can choose what we see. The second reason is that there are no advertisers! Marketing rules in traditional cable. If the advertisers aren't happy, the network isn't happy and you might end up being less happy while you sit in your living room. While some plans streaming companies offer still include ads, there are many that don't. Amazon Prime, Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster on Demand, and Hulu Plus (specifically, their most expensive plan) are among them. Therefore, directors who want to create something really edgy or potentially offensive go to the aforementioned companies. They win and you win!

Fey was able to find an outlet in Netflix when her show, "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," wasn't a good fit for old school cable, she says. That show is being nominated for Emmys and similarly boundary-crossing shows are getting extremely positive feedback, too. Original content from streaming companies is good stuff! Want to try something a little more provocative than usual? Or maybe something a little more controversial? Something simply different, perhaps? Try a streaming TV platform.