The main disadvantages of movie streaming services
Movie streaming is the latest internet buzzword in many social circles. No one wants to go to the movies anymore and storing movies on computer hard disks seems to be an outdated idea in a world where internet access is so cheap and readily available. If you type “benefits of streaming services” in your search engine, you will get thousands of results trying to convince you why streaming content is such a good idea. However, you have to wonder. Is it all good or is there any dark side to streaming media? It can’t be all good, can it? To answer this question satisfactorily, there are several factors you will have to take into account. Also, there are people who will praise streaming media and there are those that see no apparent benefit of streaming over downloading movies. Better yet, there are those that prefer downloading movies and going out on movie dates in real theaters.
Here, I’ll try to explain some of the disadvantages associated with streaming movies.
Bandwidth use
The first disadvantage of streaming movies is the idea of bandwidth use. In order to stream a movie sufficiently without stoppages or sluggishness, you need an internet connection that is fast enough and offer the necessary bandwidth. Where this may not be a problem in developed countries where people have access to internet connection almost everywhere, the same cannot be said in the least developed parts of the world. In least developed countries, access to an internet connection is very scarce, especially in rural areas. Those that have access to internet do not have the necessary internet speeds and bandwidth to be able to stream movies efficiently. Thus, downloading movies in such places seems to be a more reasonable idea.
Online Only
Another disadvantage that people encounter when they stream movies is that the service is only available online. That means that you have to have access to internet access in order for you to stream media. Without internet connection, there is nothing you can do. The same is not true for downloaded media that is stored on your computer hard disk or other storage devices. Downloaded media can be watched and re-watched any time you want without requiring internet connection.
The need to internet connection in order to watch streamed media often plays against streaming services. However, streaming offers streaming services an advantage in that they are protected from having to pirate other people’s media.
Streaming requires skills and is expensive
Streaming movies also requires having some skills in browsing the internet. Someone who has zero knowledge on how to use internet and how to browse may not be able to stream content. This can preclude some people from using streaming services. Also, in order to stream on genuine websites, you have to buy a monthly subscription and the moment you stop making the payment, you are cut off from accessing the content. The monthly payment can add up to your bills and become expensive over time. You can’t watch movies online now without a subscription.