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Swoop TV or cable? A fair look at both
Cable is not all bad, and we would like you to hear its strong points from us first. Below, Swoop TV and a standard cable bundle go head to head on price, flexibility and daily use.
The two options compared
| Point of comparison | Standard cable bundle | Swoop TV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Introductory rate for year one, then full price plus box rental and added fees | From $7.42/mo with the annual plan ($89 for 12 months on one device) |
| Contract | Commonly 12 or 24 months, with a penalty for leaving early | None. Buy 1, 3, 6 or 12 months whenever you need them |
| Equipment | A leased receiver on every TV | Hardware already in your home, such as a Firestick, Smart TV, phone or laptop |
| Extra TVs | One more box, one more monthly line on the bill | Pick anywhere from 1 to 5 devices playing at once |
| Watching away from home | Restricted, and tied to the provider’s own app | Phone, tablet, laptop or web player on any internet connection |
| Setup | Wait for a technician | Roughly 10 minutes following our setup guides |
| Keeps playing offline | Yes | No |
What cable costs depends heavily on where you live and who supplies it. Grab your most recent bill and look at the final total rather than the headline offer. Equipment rental, broadcast surcharges and regional sports fees tend to stack up.
Areas where cable keeps the edge
Runs without internet
When the broadband drops, a cable box keeps going. Swoop TV needs a working connection to play anything.
Familiar remote
Everybody at home already knows the cable box. Moving to IPTV means getting used to a player app, though most people manage it in one evening.
Recording built in
Recording is standard on most cable boxes. With IPTV, recording or catch-up depends on the player you use and on the channel.
When moving to Swoop TV makes sense
You are a good fit for Swoop TV IPTV if you:
- have home internet of 25 Mbps or faster, and extra headroom when several TVs are in use (our speed guide)
- mostly watch live channels and sports rather than a couple of streaming apps
- are close to the end of a promo rate or cable contract
- would like TV in several rooms without renting another box for each
Sticking with cable could be the better call if your connection drops often, or if a family member simply will not use a new app. The fairest approach is to keep cable for a day while the free trial runs on your main TV, then decide. Our how Swoop TV works page walks through that first day.
Switching questions
Can I cancel cable TV but keep my internet?
You can, and most switchers do exactly that. Swoop TV runs on your broadband alone, so drop the TV portion of the bundle and hold on to the internet service.
What happens to my local stations if I leave cable?
Local channels for many US markets are part of the Swoop TV line-up. Look yours up during the free trial, and only cancel once you have seen them play.
Can I watch if my internet goes out?
No. An internet outage takes live TV down with it. For storm season, an inexpensive indoor antenna makes a good fallback for local news.
Put it next to your cable box tonight
Run the free trial alongside cable for one day. Same TV, same channels, and you decide which one stays.