Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Linear tv days are numbered that is without a doubt argue with it all you like end of the day more and more people are cutting the cord and using online, why do you think verizon, comcast, dish, hbo have invested heavily in online tv? Because they can see online tv is the future, sky have already invested in online tv with the skygo monthly the ticket. The proof is there in black and white.
Linar tv will not die out completely there will always be some sort of demand for it as for live sports companies like nbc, fox, bein, sky are already proving that people will watch it live online.
One thing is for certain virgin, bt,plusnet, sky etc will have to invest heavily into the structure of their broadband networks, guess what? They already are because they know more and more people are using online services such as Netflix, skygo, blinkbox.
Linear tv will still be here in 10 years but i think it will be very few channels.
Someone said Netflix has a limited number of shows, so does linear tv it's the way rights work.
I can't say much but i am part of a test group for a major provider who are ready to pull out of linear tv and move into online only.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Nail on the head, not head in the sand, well said theone.....:clap::clap::clap:

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I think linear tv will be around for many,many years t come. I doubt it will ever disappear completely. We need linear tv for live sports events as already mentioned but also for live news events or indeed news flashes. As far as I know on demand programs can`t be interrupted to inform us of a `news flash` such as a bomb going off somewhere or a member of royalty being involved in a crash,or can they? I guess someone will say they can or will do in the future.
What I`ve noticed more and more of is adverts before and sometimes during on demand programs which really irates me. I know it`s done to cut the costs down but still annoys me!

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

You should see the ad breaks on USA channels and on demand lol we've got it light compared to them.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I'. m sure your'e right and no doubt they'l increase in numbers here too in years to come

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Mod status has nothing to do with it. Look through our posting histories, you'll find Chris and I disagree on a lot. Just not on this.

---------- Post added at 09:12 ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 ----------

He's right.

They actually have breaks immediately before and after the credits, and while have breaks every few minutes in the programme.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

True, but the adds are much shorter --- on popular US streaming services anyway.

It is possible to spend less time watching a US show that way, than via a UK TV channel, even though there are more adds.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I recalled 4 ad breaks through one episode of the goldbergs which is only a 25 minute show lol.
Although through revenge which is a 50 minute show there was 6 ad breaks each were about 1 minute 45 seconds long, i only know that as xfinity has a countdown at top of screen lol.Also on nbcsports live ad banners pop up at the top of screen quite often

---------- Post added at 13:37 ---------- Previous post was at 13:34 ----------

This is true i use xfinity more than anything these days gone are my days of torrents (naughty i know).

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Screenshot of nbcsports live ignore the blurriness my phones cam is crap, but it gives you a idea of the advertising in the USA.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I watched nbcsports(n) yesterday for the first time(thanks to you and my new fire tv)
I couldn't believe the advertising banners coming across the top left of the screen every few minutes.
Can't imagine it ever happening here. Or could it?

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I wouldn't be surprised to see uk sports channels with advertising banners in the not so distant future if prices for rights keep sky rocketing.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Thought this chart from Nielsen is worth reproducing:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2015/04/8.png

Fundamentally, linear TV just doesn't scale in the way that content on streaming services does.

This from Cracked is worth a read too: http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-crappy...dy-saw-coming/.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Interesting chart but I don't know how you come to that conclusion. I suspect the pattern for streaming services would be much the same - a growth of content available, but people still watch the same old.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

This is also a decent read.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

I meant more in terms of discoverability. The streaming services provide ways of finding related content that you might be interested in watching but with hundreds of channels it's hard to find entry points to the shows you might want to see.