Posted on 05/13/2011 10:38:44 AM PDT by Cardhu
In August 2010, the end of the age of television as we know it was widely predicted.
The US pay TV market had suffered its first ever drop in subscribers. In the end the economy was roundly found to blame, with cable packages being sacrificed as families were forced to tighten their belts.
But some commentators pointed to this as the inevitable result of the growth of on demand and over the top offerings available on the internet.
So is technology killing what we think of as traditional television - and taking pay TV operators with it?
It's a confusing picture. Nielsen, who track US television viewing habits, have reported a drop in television ownership - albeit from 98.9% to 96.7%. DVD sales are falling, while Netflix recently overtook cable operator Comcast to become the biggest subscription video service in North America.
IMS Research however is predicting digital cable TV subscribers in the US will increase by 7.8m between 2010 and 2015.
YouTube, Hulu, iPlayer, Netflix and other 'over the top' (OTT) services, not to mention illegal downloading, all offer alternatives.
Apple and Google have both launched OTT services that let consumers play online content through their televisions, although Google's service is only available in the US.
We're watching more video than ever before this way. But we're also watching more television. What is less clear is where the broadcast industry is ultimately headed.
Ask the experts
So what do those in the industry think lies in store?
Neil Gaydon is the chief executive of pay TV technology developer Pace. They manufacture set-top boxes and other technology for some of the world's biggest cable and satellite operators.
He points to a rise in subscription figures over the last two quarters as proof that pay TV is healthier than ever.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
No, TV has already committed suicide. It had nothing to do with the internet. It came in to fill the void.
You might want to check out Hulu Plus on http://www.hulu.com/
Star Trek: The Next Generation predicted this in 1988. Mr. Data informed a revived man from the 20th century that television was obsolete by 2040.
Within a couple of months we were bored because of the endless repeats.
So last week we bought a blue ray player that has net capabilities and subscribed to Netflix for $10/month. Using that and reducing the cable cut our bill from $!50/month to $80/month including the Netflix subscription.
We will probably lose HD on the cable but it doesn't matter for several reasons. We don't really watch TV that much. Fox, Deadliest Catch on Discovery, QVC for In The Kitchen with David Venable(!)and some local stuff because I have to keep up with local news for my job.
I will also probably lose live harness racing from the local track - The Meadows - but I can watch it on the PC and port it to a TV if I want.
We are anticipating cutting more cable as well. It's kind of wait and see what we miss.
On another note it IS kind of like the changes in radio. Even though I work in that medium I have to say that there is VERY LITTLE for me on our local stations. There is one good talk station, WPGB-FM and a "nostalgia" station that has some decent music.
So I bought a CHUMBYand port it via wireless to several other radios in our home. Works GREAT! Musical wallpaper and more.
While my youngest son has FOX on TV now when Mrs p6 gets home they will have on Netflix or some other net connection via the BR.
Cable will most likely be gone here by the end of the year.
IOW You have a Life!
We will be dropping Dish soon. We no longer will have to pay for channels touting tighter buttocks or selling cookware, mattresses,vitamins, etc. etc.
What a rip-off.
Hulu does that with any single series.
They call it auto-start.
I’m good with Direct TV so far.....
Is that just going from one episode to the next? Still not quite what’s needed; I don’t want saturation of an entire series straight, collating episodes from multiple series is the point.
I had never heard of a Chumby until your post...very interesting. Do you use it just for radio or what?
Bingo. What little content there was between huge blocks of advertising on what few channels which were not advertising outright (or 24/7 boring otherwise) seldom measured up to worth shoveling thru the rest for.
People have been bleating for ‘a la carte’ TV subscription for years. Now we have a good approximation of it, and the old-school networks are somehow surprised.
Same thoughts here. I think the only shows from today I watch are on History Channel's on-demand. I am having a great time introducing my 9-year old son to my favorites as a kid - Gilligan, Adams Family, Munsters, F-Troop, and the rest of the 1960s treasures. He likes them as much as I did. He is also hooked on old-time radio, his favorite being Edgar Bergen Charlie McCarthy. Nothing brings me more pleasure than to hear him yell for me from his room, to come running because Mortimer Snerd is on.
No.
The day will come (is almost here?) where you won’t be able to tell the difference between your TV and your Internet.
I switched over to Comcast/Xfinity this year. I live alone, so I only really need it for one computer.
Netflix for the win!
When we have the TV on, it’s generally just stuck on Nickelodeon. If I’m passing by and there’s a good SpongeBob episode on, I’ll sit down for a few minutes and watch.
That and the Spanish channel for la esposa and la suegra to watch their novelas.
I really wish I knew Spanish so I could watch the Spanish soaps. They look interesting. Of course, since I grew up in Hialeah, FL, there is no excuse for my not knowing Spanish!
No, at least not for a real long time. Why should it?
just bumping for later
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