After reading a quirky article over at cracked.com (mature content) that blames the internet and gaming on the drop in TV viewers, it got me thinking… Is the TV business really going down the tubes?
The internet has… well everything. Between legal streaming, and illegal downloading you can watch just about everything that was only available on TV a few years ago. Even premium shows from HBO & Showtime are available. Obviously this has to be hurting the cable companies, and eventually (if not already) the advertisers who depend on viewers to go buy their products.
Some cable companies are even throwing around the idea of charging the user for use and downloading. Isn’t that going a little backwards in time? I remember around 1993 you had to pay per minute, or there was a limit on the minutes you had with good ol’ dial-up Prodigy.
Personally, I do not have cable TV. I’ve had cable in the past, but I would go weeks without watching a show, and it just seemed silly to be paying for a service I wasn’t using. To be fair, I cancelled my TV in the “off-season”, however, now that I have, I do not plan on going back.
I use Netflix streaming to catch up on TV shows I’ve never seen, and all the major networks have the new shows up the same week they are aired. I don’t even see the point of paying for cable TV service if I’m not missing out on anything. So, I have to watch the season preimere of Grey Anatomy a day after it airs on TV… I’m okay with that.
Another perk to the online viewing is I don’t need a DVR, and I don’t have to quit playing a game to watch my favorite shows. I can watch them whenever I want online! Not to mention, if I miss anything in news world, I can watch the video clips a dozen times over on YouTube.
So, where do you stand… Are you a TV watcher? Do you watch TV shows online? Do you think it’s fair that cable companies might start charging for downloading or usage? Is your life so busy that you don’t even care about TV anyways?
September 12th, 2008 at 6:28 am
For me TV is still something that matters. It’s a convenient device for just flipping on to whatever happens to be interesting at the moment. I dont have to hunt around for stations like I would on the net, I’ve got surfing buttons built right in.
I dont watch as much TV anymore because I play a lot of MMOs online, watch dvds, and play other games. I’ve hardly ever watched shows online, especially not shows that were actually available on TV. Electric Playground, Project Lore and JustinTV being exceptions
TV advertising has only minimally influenced my buying decisions (usually if it shows me something I didnt know or hadn’t seen about a product which might cause me to try it)
Honestly, for me, TV has gone downhill since the late 90s when they introduced so much reality TV. A lot of it was mindless and crummy, and it was ok with me if reality TV shared the airwaves as long as I could find something Else to watch. But reality TV took over, and that was that. Except for the few decent scripted shows that I actually liked, I couldn’t stand most reality shows, and simply shut them off. Fortunately the internet happened to get my attention at the same time. So I said screw that noise, I turned my TV almost completely off for good.
Another big reason why I’m not a fan of TV anymore is because of the raw amount of duplication and redundant airing. When I’ve seen the same episode of a show 10 + times, and still haven’t seen a new episode, even if the show was good, I tend to look for other stuff to watch. If the rest of tv is crowded with garbage I can’t be bothered watching, I just shut the thing off.
The problem is TV stopped meeting my needs like it used to in the 80s. Most of the good stuff was killed off, replaced or put into constant reruns. If they dont understand why they dont have the same viewerbase that they used to, they need to get their heads out of the sand. The internet had a minimal amount to do with it. They did it to themselves with shortsighted and silly broadcast decisions. The net might be a convenient scapegoat but the reality is, competition for entertainment dollars is at an all time high.
In the 80s for me it was just 4 TV channels, movies, 4 radio stations , sometimes 2 newspapers/half a dozen magazines/50-65 comics, rarely videogames, books, a handful of tabletop games.
Now my choices are: 80 TV channels, 7 radio stations, 3 newspapers , 100 magazines, 20-40 comics. the internet, DVDs, videogames, books, a dozen different tabletop games
There’s just way too much stuff competing for my attention constantly. TV while enjoyable, is having to occassionaly sit now, just like radio, and newspapers, and books, and magazines, and comics and even tabletop games. There’s just way too much stuff competing for my money and attention constantly.
And this is all without factoring in other stuff like work, friends, family, sporting events etc. If they want me to watch, they need to keep putting good shows on. NOT JUST cheap reality junk, actual good shows. EP/ROTR, Heros, Eureka, Sarah Connor Chronicles, yadda decent food network stuff. Decent scripted stuff and or decent stuff with hosts. Game shows are not something I could care about, neither are “reality tv” stuff.
These days the most entertainment I find is on the cartoon networks, comedy channel, sci fi, and food, discover, news and HGTV (rarely) networks. The rest of it has little interest or value most of the time (there’s exceptions but). I know people like golf but Golf channel? Seriously they wonder why we dont watch as much TV and they have a GOLF channel??? (sorry to golf fans out there but its always more fun to play than to watch).
I still can’t believe they dont understand why people are tuning out. It doesnt take a freaking rocket scientist. But no, it’s blame the internet, instead of looking at the big picture. /grumble
Anyway, TV isn’t dead, but it will die if they keep putting garbage on TV. The role of TV has changed because of the net, but just like radio, and print, it will evolve and adapt.
September 12th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I knew you’d have a long post for this, I was ready though, I had to filter it out of spam! (for some reason silly word press spams out long comments)
All good points! I didn’t even think about reality TV. It’s true though. I don’t mind the game/competition shows as much, but how many 20-somethings living in a house together shows do we need?
The only thing I miss about cable is HSN. I’ve never bought anything, but I have a thing for infomercials and cool little gadgets they sell on there (like the Roomba!)
September 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I like to watch my shows when they air if I can, but sometimes my busy schedule just doesn’t allow for it. Instead of having to record it (which I can’t always do, anyway—and our DVR at home sucks haha), it’s so convenient to be able to stream it on a channel’s website.
I think charging us for that service is lame—unless it’s a prior season. Then they might have a right to. But I know ABC has all the seasons of Lost available to watch, and so does South Park. Thank you! ;D Haha!
Even if they did charge us, though, there would always be a way around. Dozens of sites have users that upload movies and tv episodes in Youtube-format—it’s not illegal for viewers, just for the uploader. If you know how to find what you want—which I do—then you’re golden. This is what I rely on half the time. I only buy movies and tv seasons for two reason: 1) special features (I’m a sucker) and/or 2) I really like the season.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:19 am
It’s the internet companies who want to charge for use though.. not exclusive to watching TV shows, just internet use in general. I don’t know if this is a direct effect of TV viewers going down, or just wanting to make more money. I’d assume they’re linked since most ISP’s are linked to a cable company or phone company (who are also suffering since a lot are going cell phone only and no landline).
This:
“Time Warner currently charges customers a flat monthly rate for Internet access. According to reports Time Warner will test a new pricing model that creates a multi-tiered pricing plan based on broadband usage. Time Warner would put caps on usage and charge more should you use too much bandwidth based on your monthly plan. For example, if you view too many streamed online videos, buy too many songs from iTunes, or are a heavy user of P2P services than you might get hit with a Time Warner “overage charge.” ” http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006319.html
September 12th, 2008 at 9:17 am
For me the main perks of TV is simply the fact that my TV is larger than my computer monitor. But if I miss a show I need only download it, and stream it to my Xbox. It’s a bit crunchier, but there’s no commercials and I can watch it at my leisure. The only thing I’m hardcore about watching when it airs is football, because it’s just better live (and I’ve really never looked into downloading it, and don’t really care to).
I think the TV is slipping away, and eventually will just get merged with the internet. No sense in having two monitors that do the same thing, right?
As for internet companies charging for overage…that’s just silly. If one company does that, and another doesn’t…guess who’s going to get all the customers?
September 12th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I don’t watch TV. My TV is for my gaming/dvd’s only. That being said, I rely on Youtube and the .com’s (ABC, NBC … etc.) to catch up on shows that might interest me.
For example, the entire seasons of Ugly Betty and November Road were both on ABC.com and I got hooked on them that way.
With the majority of the world spending the primary part of their day at work on a computer, those moments where you have the time to check out a tv show online come a lot faster than the moments you can flip on your boobtube.
That being said (and it’s so funny because we had this SAME discussion on Justin.tv last night too!) I believe that TV will still remain. We live in a sort of bubble being on the net and forget that a lot of people aren’t as internet savvy as we. Especially older folks. So, I have a feeling that televisions and American Idol will still be running through plasmas, LCD’s and tubes for years to come.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Definately JPyke.. I figured sports would be a major exception. There’s not really a point in watching a game if you already know the score.
I don’t think TV is going to disappear, however, I would expect to see higher rates or specialized packages since viewership is down.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I have to watch T.V. because I’m an actress… I have to keep up with the shows because I audition for them all the time…
the ratings are still good or else the shows that are on wouldn’t keep running, so it’s ok and it won’t go away anytime soon.
I still watch it for entertainment too… I use all mediums of entertainment (i.e. gaming, the nets, DVD, reading, movies, T.V., etc.) … I have a lot of love to give!
September 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am
You know what the only reason I got cable is because the cable channels charge you MORE for just getting their internet service, and less for getting the internet/cable bundle! I think that somehow that’s how they cope with people not wanting to buy cable any more! =(
I only watch like 5 channels anyway!
September 12th, 2008 at 11:10 am
^ Wow that sucks. What service provider is that?
September 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Well, I’m kind of torn on this idea…. On one hand, so long as they continue to put forth jaw-dropping shows like Lost and the new Battlestar Galactica (in my opinion, the best and second-best shows ever on TV) there will ALWAYS be time for watching such quality.
On the other hand, when I see them have to develop Heroes as a stripped-down version of Lost so people can follow it easier, I get a bit depressed about the general state of how things will be produced in the future. (Not saying I dislike Heroes, I love it- but it is “Lost, Jr.” for those who want their big mystery answers immediately given to them. =P)
When I look to television shows, I look to shows like Lost as the future- tons of characters and character development. Massive detail in every scene. No filler shows or content. Tons of over-arching story driven from the first episode to the last. The longer the show runs (and shows shouldn’t run less than 6-7 years in my opinion, 5 at absolute minimum) the more you come to know and love the details about the universe created.
I think TV needs to continue in Lost’s mold- rather than being a passive viewing experience, like with Heroes or House or most other shows on television, where you just sit back and are told the answers almost immediately upon being presented a mystery, Lost is an active viewing experience- something never before done on TV. If you’re not pondering, clue-hunting, and thinking 100 percent of the time about what you think is going on, you’re not really taking part in the show properly.
But, I have to say it’s a personality thing. I do think there’s something to the concept that the younger generations have a touch of ADD in everyone… there’s so many choices for their entertainment, I hear many don’t want to spend time having to remember what went on in a show beforehand. And, unlike me, some people tune in and out every few weeks- then complain because they’re confused.
I think it’s really that simple… if TV morphs into a vehicle for complex, active-viewing experiences, it will hold a smaller but niche crowd of viewers. If it continues to pander to the “I watch once a month” crowd, the shows will be simpler, stripped down and therefore unable to compete with other forms of entertainment such as gaming, movies, and books.
On a last note- they really need to change the TV ratings gathering system, because I don’t buy for one second that Nielsen is accurate. I’ve had some outstanding shows canceled over the years that I’m positive had better ratings than what was reported. After all, Nielsen is just using statistics and guessing, in essence. I don’t think they should be guessing. =P
September 12th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
its funny because i actually watch more tv now since i have my dvr which allows me to watch stuff i wouldn’t normally watch with missing my favorites.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I have to say I watch everything online, I rarely go out to see movies in theatre’s unless its something I have wanted to see for a while.
We have basic cable just because we needed to have internet at our apartment, so I watch Travel channel and discovery channel and History occasionaly and thats about it hehe.
Otherwise all my silly shows like America’s Next Top Model, and Project Runway I watch solely online ^^
September 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I always Tivo my shows. If I did not have it, I would NEVER watch TV. It is not worth mytime to schedule when I want to catcha specific show. Even then, I only have a few shows I regularly Tivo that I love love LOVE! Also, Lilith, where do you watch ANTM online? I missed the first two episodes of this season!!! I need to catch up!
September 12th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Mandy: Speaking of special packages, the FCC (who I usually hate) is actually doing something kinda cool because of parents who are upset about having channels in their packages that they don’t want their kids to see (despite the options already available). They’re trying to force Cable providers to change their packages to a pay-per-channel kind of service. So that instead of getting basic or extended, you would only pay for the channels you wanted. Which in my opinion is long over due. I only get basic cable, because extended is way too much money for a zillion extra channels, when really I only want three of them. I’m really hoping the FCC can push this one through, so we can create our own playlists of TV channels, and not have to pay for stuff like the Golf Channel and Gospel Channels.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
It’s not only the Internet. It’s that people don’t have time anymore. In most housholds today. Both parents work. When they get home from a hard day of work. They just wanna shower and go to bed. When they do get days off. They wanna spend it with their kids. Which usually means leaving the house. I’m single and I’m on the Internet way too much to get into any TV shows. and watching a series on TV these days. Requires a lot of commitment.
Today we live in an incredibly fast paced world. Where news is coming at us from all directions. It’s a far cry from the News Anchors of yesteryear. When families would sit together in the living room and watch Dan Rather on the evening news. The TV can no longer satisfy us. We’ve become a nosey society. That has to know everything that’s going on right NOW! We wanna be in control. No longer will the TV be in control of us! We can control the information we receive!
Basically TV and the Internet will merge at some point and will have millions of channels.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I do thnk that Television is on the decline
Given a choice, I think people would prefer a high end computer and the fastest internet connection to cable television
September 12th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Youtube VG!
I just watched Episode 3!
Or got to http://www.ovguide.com and type in ANTM Cycle 11 in the search bar.
I always use ovguide to watch everything, its a complete listing of almost every free streaming site all neatly categorized in tabs ^^