No longer cable TV

[Ignitionnet]

People tend to think of the USA as being even more TV addicted than we are. Not so much, more Internet addicted. The big cable companies in the USA have more broadband customers now than cable TV.

This is pretty big given the amount of Americans whose main option for TV was cable.

VM are in the same situation, they are losing TV customers just as the US cable companies are.

Looking forward to when BT begin to see the same effect. See if it was so smart throwing all that cash at content after all.

[muppetman11]

BT's recent broadband additions may say otherwise , content will always be desirable especially Sport.

Wasn't BT Sport introduced to help stop people moving to the likes of Sky and VM.

[Pierre]

TV is heading for a major change over the forthcoming decade.

The playing out of scheduled programming now seems outdated.

I, and I would guess very many others, very rarely watch a programme when it is broadcast.

Initially, this change started with sky+ a decade ago.

But now I don't even bother recording and series linking, now I just watch on demand.

The lines between internet and TV are now blurred, and soon will be impossible to differentiate.

Instead of having to wait every week for new shows, you'll be able to watch new series immediately, Netflix already do this.

I think it's great.

[qasdfdsaq]

Except you're forgetting live sport, which is a huge part of TV consumption (so much so that many people who don't have a TV make a habit of going to a pub to see it). There's virtually no point watching it at any other time than when it is broadcast, especially if you're betting on it.

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Looking forward to when BT begin to see the same effect. See if it was so smart throwing all that cash at content after all.

I think there's a huge, huge difference between people being less interested in cable TV and people being less interested in content. If anything, people are consuming far more content than ever and many people agree that we're having a bit of a golden age in terms of TV - Game of Thrones and the like raising the bar and getting people hooked. The thing that has changed is the delivery of that content, i.e. Netflix.

If BT, Virgin, Cable companies, etc. have any sense at all, they'll invest in this kind of platform in future instead of old fashioned broadcast. Binge watching is the new black.

[Ignitionnet]

Or they could rake it in like these guys have.

There's a lot to be said for having the dumbest, fattest pipes in town. See Hyperoptic and their forefather, Be.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Pierre

TV is heading for a major change over the forthcoming decade.

The playing out of scheduled programming now seems outdated.

I, and I would guess very many others, very rarely watch a programme when it is broadcast.

Initially, this change started with sky+ a decade ago.

But now I don't even bother recording and series linking, now I just watch on demand.

The lines between internet and TV are now blurred, and soon will be impossible to differentiate.

Instead of having to wait every week for new shows, you'll be able to watch new series immediately, Netflix already do this.

I think it's great.

I agree with most of this, but I would say the process began with on demand provision by the cable companies when we went digital!

Although internet TV is probably the way of the future, I would say that the big change will be that the internet channels will be diverted through set top boxes or internet enabled TVs.

I think it will always be a minority who choose to watch programmes through computer screens and laptops. Give me the big screens any day.