Buffering takes place when the internet has any inconsistency in its speed. And when there is not any problem in the connection between user and internet providing server you will not notice any buffering. But even for a single moment, your connection wavers you will get to see buffering happening. If it happens the player stops for a while before playing back so that the internet connection regains its strength. Once the connection is smooth you will be able to see your content again.
Having said that, this problem is limited to internet connection only. Cable TV is free from such problems – it never buffers. Why? Because it sends data to every server in a parallel way, even if the TV is off. When someone turns the TV on they catch up with signals your TV has already received. Cable TV has such infrastructure and systems that manage things very smoothly – without any fluctuation of signals. For getting amazing yet comprehensive channels, you can check the spectrum channel lineup – cable TV channels become more important after comparing the pros and cons of watching through the internet. The best part is, you can research and evaluate before signing up the cable service provider and what they have to offer according to your budget and preferences.
When it comes to the internet bandwidth that depends on many factors such as compression and decompression, distribution method, and bandwidth allocation. However, Cable TV uses a specific spectrum for the specific channel. Collectively, a Cable TV system utilizes a huge range of Spectrum – almost up to 600++ MHz.
One drawback of cable TV is that cable compresses some specific channels to make other channels fit within a targeted spectrum. This affects quality though. Moreover, the Cable TV infrastructure is built in a closed system, they provide a set-top box with hardware that controls the encoding and decoding of signals. But hundreds of channels through one connection and on one single bill for the entire household makes all the minor inconveniences and most of the cons bearable for most of the users and they prefer cable TV services over anything at any given time.
When a user tunes in on TV technically they just shift the RF receiver to a different channel (Spectrum). Whereas the internet has a complex mechanism – the user, when tuned in, technically sends a request to the channel, parameters are exchanged, transmission starts and Rx ends to start buffering and decoding, and then rates are being adjusted.
Since the market has a new feature that allows is live streaming, the internet and TV cable have become strong competitors. When it comes to TV, channels are broadcasted regularly. While on the internet everything can be personalized – you stream what you want to watch. Both have different mechanisms thus both can be evaluated by different methods.
Internet speed depends upon many key factors, though, mostly a high-speed connection is being used by cable service providers. This connection is shared by many subscribers, which means the less the users linked with that connection, the more stable the speed of the internet.
Wrapping up,
As mentioned in the article, cable TV does not before because it is not dependant on the internet connection. Buffering takes place on the internet-based apps or online platforms and this happens because of the fluctuation in the speed over time. Some people are considering cutting the cords to cut down on their monthly bills but when it comes to a smooth experience and hiccup-free entertainment for the entire household – internet services still cannot challenge that. Cable TV does not buffer at all has to be one of the prime reasons, people are comfortable with the conventional services and may never part ways with them in the future too because of the reliability factor for the family through one service.