I’ve been a satellite TV customer for over 20 years at this point, and I’ve been paying one company or another for TV since the mid-1980s. I’ve been streaming shows since about 2012, although obviously I didn’t do very much of it back then. These days, I find that in many cases I have the option of choosing whether to watch something by recording it on my satellite DVR or watch it through a streaming service. So this brings up a very valid question: should I beam it or stream it? Here’s the way I decide.
First question: Is it better quality on one service or another?
There are cases when I get better quality from satellite. Sports is a big one. I’ll get a clean 4K HDR feed from DIRECTV with no buffering, ever. I also get almost instant rewind and fast forward.
On the other hand, there are times *cough*HBO content*cough* when the streaming version is vastly superior. HBO doesn’t offer a 4K HDR feed of its content over satellite, which means that its satellite feeds sometimes look like muddy garbage. Somehow, other providers know how to give you a feed that looks good in SDR, but HBO can’t manage it.
So, if there’s a distinct quality difference, I’ll go where the quality is.
Second question: Am I just getting it on demand anyway?
If I’m getting the content using DIRECTV’s on-demand or getting it through a streaming app, it’s still using my internet connection. But, there is a difference.
With satellite, you’re pulling data as quick as you can. A 2 hour movie may only take 15 minutes to download. Then, your internet is clear again. If you stream, you’re getting multiple quality streams at the same time, for the entire time of the movie. This happens without you even realizing it.
Now, I don’t have data caps or anything, that’s not the problem. The problem is that sometimes I want to do something else with my internet. So, I’ll use the DIRECTV feed because it is more efficient.
Third question: Am I going to stop and start?
If I think I’m going to pause, rewind, stop, and start, I’ll probably end up using satellite. Some apps are really good when it comes to this sort of thing. Others, like Prime Video, aren’t. If I’m looking for a consistent experience all around, I’ll choose satellite. With satellite, I get a full-screen preview when I’m moving forward and back, instead of a small inset. Also, when I fast forward, it keeps going until I stop it. With some streaming apps, you have to keep swiping over and over again.
Last question: How am I going to listen to it?
Streaming apps generally get the W here. DIRECTV doesn’t have much stuff that’s got more than 5.1 channels, while there’s plenty of Dolby Atmos stuff on streaming. Plus, I get a seamless experience when using the same brand of ear buds as my streaming device. DIRECTV’s Gemini gives direct support for Bluetooth ear buds but that’s the only DIRECTV device that does.
Honestly, it’s up to you. It’s better to have too many choices than not enough. That’s one thing everyone can agree with.
