These days, it's relatively rare to find someone who doesn't own at least one Internet-enabled device, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. After all, according to an early 2013 release from the Canadian Internet Regulation Authority, about 80 per cent of the Canadian population uses the Internet regularly, so the majority of those in the nation are connected.

Perhaps these people have realized how convenient a number of tasks related to their daily lives are thanks to the Internet. For instance, for a fast readout of how much money is in an individual's bank account, they don't have to seek out the nearest ATM, they just have to sign on to their account on the bank's website. Or, rather than putting multiple cheques in the mail every month to pay utility bills, they can accomplish that with a few clicks on a computer.

Another thing that many people find helpful is the fact that they can watch their favourite TV shows and movies online. There are many advantages to doing it this way, rather than tuning in on televisions, and media reports have indicated that a lot of Canadians are coming around to this method of viewership. Boon Dog Professional Services revealed in mid-2013 that between Nov. 2012 and March 2013 TV service providers lost nearly 5,400 subscribers, who largely turned to Internet service providers (ISPs) for relief instead.

However, recent information published by Deloitte suggested that though people are going online more to watch TV and movies, they aren't actually cutting the cord.

Using both the Internet and TV
The study, which outlines technology predictions for the next 12 months, found that by the end of 2014, up to 50 million homes around the world should have two or more pay-television subscriptions. This means that people will be using both subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Netflix, as well as traditional TV packages from large providers.

"This trend is counter to historical expectations of 'cord cutting,' where by households would either drop their pay-television subscription altogether, or replace their platform-based subscription with a SVOD package," the report read.

Not in consumers' interest
However, there are plenty of reasons as to why Canadian consumers shouldn't be interested in having multiple accounts with Internet watching and TV providers. Just a fraction of the benefits are:

-More financial organization
-Less household expenses
-Increased freedom to watch online

The finances involved should be the biggest motivator to consolidate TV and movie watching online. Since so many use the Internet already when at home, why not eliminate the TV package bills altogether? Rather than paying for both accounts, just choose the one and save money for the household. Plus, this can help the family stay more organized - rather than having to remember, write out and account for two cheques in personal financial ledgers, just pay the one bill and be done with it.

On a practical level, watching TV on the Internet though services like iTunes and Netflix gives consumers a wider variety than whatever programmers choose to air on a given night. Additionally, the viewer can start, stop, rewind, fast forward and pause the program or film whenever they want to, as opposed to having to wait for commercial breaks to get up.