500 channels and nothing worth watching?

by Dean Evans at Tuesday 14th April, 2009 at 10:18 am [0 comments]

Having grown up during a time where there were only four terrestrial television channels in the UK, the digital TV revolution promised increased choice.

I now have hundreds of satellite channels that I can flick between, from flagship movie offerings and fledgeling HD services to backwater shopping, news and religious channels.

Digital television has undoubtedly changed the face of TV watching.

Compared to the old analogue era, it offers a vast array of programming (from blockbuster movies to niche documentaries and reality shows). There are also convenient repeats and +1 hour catch-up channels. While the arrival of new PVR technology (with series-tracking functionality) helps viewers like me sift through all the noise.

But am I getting value for money? How many of the channels that have been stuffed into my full-fat Sky package do I actually watch? It’s increasingly becoming apparent that the traditional broadcast TV model doesn’t always offer the choice we think it does.

In short: more channels doesn’t necessarily deliver a better viewing experience.

So many TV channels, not enough time

“The tiered content strategy of PayTV operators is becoming increasingly inadequate,” writes Michael Greeson, Principal Analyst at TDG. He suggests that PayTV is either “too expensive to get what you want, or too restrictive for the amount you want to pay. In other words, there is in reality little room for individual choice.”

While digital TV certainly serves up an impressive buffet of programming, do we really watch all of these channels? I might have access to over 400+ Sky channels. But I only have 20 on my favourites list. I’ve never watched the Bio channel. Or the Paranormal Channel. And why am I paying for Rural TV and its ‘Classic Tractor Showcase’?

As Rob Pegorano points out in the Washington Post: “While we’ve never paid less per channel we receive, we’ve also never had to pay for so much stuff we don’t watch.”

Redefining the way we watch TV

TDG’s own research points towards a growing dissatisfaction with traditional scheduled TV. It found that 44% of consumers were displeased with their current TV bundle, compared to 26% who said that they were happy with the status quo.

Part of this dissatisfaction is having to follow a schedule. Today’s TV viewers increasingly want to watch their favourite programmes whenever they want to (hence the arrival of the PVR). Bar the odd live broadcast that can’t be missed, they want their TV ‘on demand’.

And we’re already seeing the next-generation of TV watching taking shape as online services like the BBC iPlayer, iTunes and Hulu gain in popularity. These services shun the idea of the bundle, letting you pick and choose your programming. Think about how many people now buy their music… why buy a whole album when you can cherry-pick the best songs from it?

“Online video,” says TDG’s Michael Greeson, “is emerging as the antithesis of pre-packaged, pre-bundled PayTV services; permitting unprecedented levels of user choice and control, with free or per-title costs but no forced subscription plan.

“The future of consumer video is about to be redefined.”

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