I do agree that the streaming services are the future in terms of content delivery, but though there are many things to hate about cable/satellite companies and their DVRs, the one good thing is that once you pick one, you get a consistent interface to all of the content you subscribe to, whereas if I want to find out if a given show is on Netflix, Hulu, or whatever, I need to first do some homework, and then deal with their own interfaces with their own UI quirks. Also, once I've recorded a show, nobody can really take it away until I delete it, whereas if Hulu can't come to an agreement with content provider X, it's gone, and I need to go find it somewhere else.
You hit the nail on the head, Tony. This is what I've been trying to explain to the folks crying "chord cutting." The experience I get with my Tivo is FAR more efficient than anything I can do by going "over the top."
Don't get me wrong, cord cutting does have it's own issues too. The AppleTV does present a pretty unified interface to multiple services, including Netflix. The shows I buy show up when they are available, just like a DVR. For full seasons of shows, I simply go into the Netflix area and pick the show and resume playback where I left off. Work could be done by the other platforms to help unify things as well as a DVR can. I know how well this works from having a ReplayTV (RIP
) that seamlessly combined two different subscription services into one interface and it is an important point.
I just don't personally see much change in the subscription market and the way it works. DVRs changed it the most, but what is ahead for a medium that relies on airing shows on a specific schedule? Streaming or outright buying via the internet is still a very malleable setup, and the experience will change (and hopefully improve) over time. The two sides will likely blend more and more over time, with many providers already offering a wide selection of on demand content. Only difference there is that it's streamed from some box on the cable network, vs on the open internet.
Not only is content inadequate, but the Internet just can't handle that many people people doing that much streaming, particularly for big events like the Superbowl.
It will in time. CDN distribution is advancing very quickly, and demand for more speed will widen the pipes eventually. There is now pressure to expand bandwidth not only for the home/business markets, but also the mobile side. LTE rollouts require a lot of new runs to support the towers out there.
Is cord cutting for everyone? Nope. Just as subscription TV isn't for everyone. There were plenty of "cord cutters" before the internet. The methods to access content are always changing, with different benefits and weaknesses when compared to subscription cable services. Sometimes those methods are regional. Technically, I did watch Battlestar Galactica on a regular schedule following broadcast via a Tivo. It just happened to be a Tivo sitting in a projection room beaming the image onto a large screen in a theater
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