Is 'streaming service' the correct term/name for those Hulu - Sling - ITV - Roku - Fubo - Netflix - Youtube - Disney... and whatever else. I do not have/use any of them and never had before. What are they? Sites that show links for TV stations ? The few foreign TV channels I see via internet, I 'tune' to them from their website address.

Is there something am doing wrong ? Why do I need the list above if they are pay services (I think) ?
The "cut the cable" trend deformed/pushed into "hire the net" which am already paying for the service. Is the new trend "pay twice" (for internet + streaming) providers ?

There has to be something I do not understand Light, please ?

 

They are services that show content that is NOT available on the Internet. Plus, they produce original content (shows) that aren’t available any place else. Several award winning television series are ONLY available on streaming services.

Paying for Internet plus streaming services is often cheaper than cable with the added bonus of contemporary television content only available on streaming sites. So this is the new normal.

Note that the internet is only used for delivery in lieu of broadcast or cable. In ways, it is similar to broadcast TV such as ABC, NBC, CBS, or PBS. And no, they are NOT web sites.

 

In the olden days, many got their local TV channels and the many "cable" channels using a wired cable connection and then also satellite.

I had cable but went to Directv in about 2002 since it better digital quality then cable, which was still analog at that time.
It also offered TiVo which allowed me to record programs and then skip the commercials, which I hate.
Skipping commercials also saves about 15-20 minutes per hour show.

About the time HD TV became available, cable companies started offering digital TV, and then digital internet which, when internet speeds became fast enough, allowed TV transmission using the internet.
This allowed video entertainment companies, such as Netflix, followed by Disney, Paramount, etc. to start offering there services over the internet, some for free and some for money (all are streaming services).
This continued until some of the providers, started to offer, for a cost, most of the local and "cable" channels formerly available only on cable/satellite.
This has now resulted in many former cable and satellite customers "cutting the cable" and going to a streaming service for their TV.

I recently did that with my Directv and went to Youtube TV, which has all the local and sports channels I watch, while saving me over $90/month.
I went with Youtube TV since they offer unlimited DVR cloud storage of any programs I get, so I can watch them latter and skip the commercials.
I haven't watched many commercial that I didn't want to in 20 years (and there are very few I wanted to), and I'm not about to start now.

Just to note, there a number of streaming services (e.g. Pluto TV, Tubi, Freevee, etc.) which offer many channels free of charge if you don't mind watching commercials.
And, of course, you can always pick up local over-the-air TV channels, if you have those, with an antenna.
But if you only want to watch some foreign channels, then it sounds like you don't need any of those.

 

And, of course, you can always pick up local over-the-air TV channels with an antenna, if you have those.

..... if your TV has a digital tuner or with a converter box.

 

if your TV has a digital tuner or with a converter box.

Only if you have an old analog TV is that a concern.
All HDTVs have a digital tuner built in.

 

Thanks, gentlemen.
On my plain ATSC TV, get my local broadcasts with my home built antenna; get a couple of foreign channels with my own 2m parabolic aimed to a satellite (no provider) and most european broadcasts from a dedicated laptop on wired internet service provider.
I suspect that if it was a 'smart' TV with a browser, I could do without the laptop.

 

I suspect that if it was a 'smart' TV with a browser, I could do without the laptop.

Quite possibly.

So it seems like you are getting all the TV stations you want and don't need any streaming service.

Long live the deciBel!