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If you have a smart TV at home, you’ll notice that your remote control is catered to streaming services and no longer numbers to indicate which channel you want to switch to. Well, if you’re ever bored of streaming services, many of which are on a per-subscription basis, it’s probably time to switch back to a good ol’ television channel. It’s just that the experience might feel odd and take some getting used to. Then again, these days, the TV channels are once again an expense because you do usually have to pay extra, alongside your monthly subscription for high-speed Internet service by a particular provider.

There is a certain kind of glory that fills your heart when you know you’re able to watch your favourite TV channel, once you know you’re tired of scrolling through other app-driven, streaming-type platforms. Who else agrees with me?

Depending on what you like, and what’s on offer by your Internet service provider, the experience of looking for that channel may be easy or difficult. If you were to ask me, ABC Australia HD would be my first choice for its current affairs and programme lineup diversity due to its offerings on culture, nature, history, and travel.

Another factor is your smart TV model, which can help determine whether your process of getting back these channels will be an easier or more complicated endeavour. If you’re lucky, you do not need a separate TV box that is provided by your Internet service provider because it’s their way of keeping up with the trends, which will have an additional cost.

I don’t think that many are watching the news on the big screen anymore, and this can sometimes make you miss out on some important information or certain pieces of news, unless you like news alerts sent to your smartphone/email inbox. While it can be more convenient to access on the small screens, I think that some youths and older adults (especially those outside the current affairs/news industry) would rather watch something else other than news or engage in something else on their smartphones or other devices that qualify as a small screen. This is why I’d rather have the news channels revived from the older days of cable TV subscription (unless you’re reading this and screaming “I still have cable TV!”).

There seems to be more and more coverage on the Aboriginal people and their culture and also the outback like Tasmania as well as Canberra, the country’s capital city. And while the local folks in Australia might find it quite the usual, for an outsider, having access to this is a privilege I enjoy but also appreciate.

The plus point is that the TV guide for each programme is on your TV screen, making it easier for you to decide which programme you would like to watch. So, hurray for that.

And yeah, I am still considering whether I should say bye-bye to at least one of my streaming services. The irony is you’re subscribing to these streaming services to have access to more variety, but end up finding all these a turnoff.