Streaming straight from TV app versus playing from your cable box? (1 Viewer)

[Chris M34]

Which has better quality audio/video? I feel sometimes streaming sounds louder?

 

[Todd Erwin]

I watch pretty much anything that is on a broadcast network on their subscription streaming app rather than a recording on my DVR.

ABC/FOX: Hulu w/o ads
CBS: Paramount+ w/o ads
NBC: Peacock w/ads

Not only is the quality better (in my opinion), but shows are not interrupted by the local network affiliate who is trying to squeeze a few more local commercials into their programming, which happens all too often by every affiliate in the Reno market. Also, some shows on CBS are being streamed on Paramount+ in 4K now, while the local CBS station still broadcasts in 1080i.

 

[jayembee]

I watch pretty much anything that is on a broadcast network on their subscription streaming app rather than a recording on my DVR.

I've been the opposite, for the most part. I find the remote interface on most streaming platforms to be annoying AF. They're rarely intuitive. Using the remote through the cable system is easier. So, I've been inclined to not only watch via the cable for broadcast network programming, but also some of the non-broadcast channels like FX vs. Hulu and HBO vs. MAX.

That said, I'd recently been tending to watch some stuff via Hulu -- Justified: City Primeval and Fargo S5 (FX) and Will Trent (ABC) -- instead of their broadcast/cable alternatives. Maybe I'm finally getting used to the remote interfaces.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If you’re going through a cable box rather than OTA digital antenna, you’re most likely getting that signal compressed twice - first when the network delivers it to the cable company, and then again when the cable company sends it over their service lines to you. You’re probably going to have to just A/B them yourself and see what looks better to your eyes, but all things being equal, I’d guess that streaming is probably going to yield a better result than the cable box.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I have gigabit internet so streaming on an ATV4K is far and away better than anything I’ve ever seen come through a cable box.