IPTV has taken over the market of TV entertainment in the latter years, mainly due to the popularity of smart devices and the internet widespread all over the world. We all remember the days when cable TV was the go-to place for watching the hottest and best shows. Indeed, cable is still dominating. But will it stand forever, especially since IPTV is promising more options and better features? So, is IPTV better than cable?

We’re set to answer this question in this blog post. To accomplish that, we will compare the two formats, tackling them from different angles, including accessibility and budget. By the end of the post, you’ll be able to form your own opinion about the matter and decide which one wins the battle of IPTV vs. cable TV.

Let’s get on with it!

What is IPTV?

Internet protocol television is what IPTV stands for. Essentially, you receive the TV services using IP networks. As with everything that comes from the internet, IPTV allows for more freedom for its users. Additionally, with the video on demand feature that IPTV offers, users can access a library of movies, TV series, and so on, whenever they want. To make all of that possible, there’s an intricate network of servers dedicated to run everything smoothly. We will discuss the important details without getting too technical.

In general, IPTV is more user-friendly since it allows you to have more freedom over what you want to watch and when you want to watch it.

By the way, you may check out ourultimate guide on how IPTV works if you’re interested in the subject.

What is Cable TV?

Cable TV is a broadcasting method that relies on coaxial cables to transfer RF signals that have audio-visual data, channels, and broadcasts.

Nowadays, with the advent of fiber optic technology, cable has evolved too. Cable companies use light signals transmission to send data to your TV. 

IPTV vs. Cable TV

In this section, we will start our comparison of IPTV vs. cable, now that we have defined them in the previous section.

Installation

IPTV

To set up IPTV, you don’t need technicalities a lot. It’s straightforward. After you subscribe with an IPTV service, you just download the IPTV app that you want to subscribe with. After that, you need fats internet that isn’t less than 4mb/s. You may do an internet speed check to confirm the speed of your internet.

Check out this ultimate guide to learn how to install IPTV.

Cable

To install cable, you’ll need to ask for a technician to come over to your house to do the task. The technician will have a set of tools and devices that will allow him to connect you with the TV services. The process isn’t instantaneous and usually takes some time.

Ease of use

Ease of use is something that TV has embraced over the decades, ever since it was invented. The principle behind the ease of use is simple. The easier it is the more people will buy it.

The remote control is fairly easy to understand, and anyone, even a 3-year old can understand it.

IPTV has more options (like video on demand, for example) that are easy to access too, nothing complicated.

Image quality

IPTV

IPTV uses the MPEG-4 standard format to display the visual content. The latter format is efficient for streaming, so it’s of great quality. All the HD content gets compressed so that it doesn’t take a lot of time to load, causing buffering all the time. The images are usually crisp clear. However, there’s a single drawback, which is the bad quality when the internet is too slow. With IPTV, you have to make sure that your internet is always fast enough.

Cable TV

On the other hand, cable TV boasts great quality thanks to fiber optics, which allow transferring data quickly. The high quality of cable TV and its stability are super-cool.

Accessibility to Channels

IPTV

When it comes to accessibility to channels, IPTV boasts the best options. With IPTV, you may choose the list of channels that you want to watch, and the service provider will give you access to all of them. You have all the international options to choose from and niches that interest you the most.

Cable TV

On the other hand, if you’re into novelty and zapping to random stuff, cable is good for you. You’ll have thousands of channels that you won’t ever want to watch. You’ll also get some of the channels that interest you, but mostly, a huge list of nothing interesting going on.

Prices

Well, you know the thing about cable subscriptions; they are a little bit more expensive than they should, given that the alternative (IPTV) offers more features with less money.

Check out the prices of IPTV subscriptions.

IPTV is a good option for sports fans who want to follow the season from home without spending a lot.

Features and Control

IPTV

IPTV includes time-shifting, video recording, video and music on demand, and Start over TV as extra features to regular live TV. With the development of software and hardware technologies, more features are added to IPTV constantly.

Cable TV

Cable TV on the other hand is limited in the features it offers. You don’t have the video on demand and start over TV on cable, which sucks if you asked me. I’m a person who loves to binge-watch stuff all the time.

IPTV VS. CABLE TV

From the comparison, it’s obvious that IPTV is more versatile, accessible, and affordable. It seems that the audience of cable TV is the old generation who grew up with it in the past. The old generation got used to cable it, and they won’t change it.

Many cable TV services are now offering IPTV as well, which suggests that in the future everything is going to be broadcasted through the internet medium.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Pleasecontact us if you need help with IPTV subscriptions.