Kapil Balkaran
Professor Matthew Mecs
MDM 615 SEL
March 31, 2013
Television's Downfall?

Television has been an important source of media in our culture, before television there was radio, and before that there was print. Today, as technology continues to advance, so does the way that we obtain our media. Computers are now another window that viewers add to their media consumption habits. Access to the internet allows a virtually limitless source of entertainment. Movies, which once could only be seen in theaters eventually became available in the home through VHS and ultimately through BluRay. Brick and mortar stores like Blockbuster had immense success offering consumers the ability to rent movies upon release; but today these retail stores are close to extinct. Newsprint and radio are becoming dying forms of media, and the successful brands will prove to be the ones that are able to adapt through an online market. A study done by the Pew Research Center found that “more people continue to cite the internet than newspapers as their main source of news, reflecting both the growth of the internet, and the gradual decline in newspaper readership (from 34% in 2007 to 31% now)” (Pew, 2011). While television still seems to remain a powerful medium, there is no doubt however that it's viewership is at risk of more and more decline as companies like Netflix and Hulu become more dominant (Goodman, 2013). Websites like Netflix and Hulu are changing the way people watch their favorite shows and movies. Now people are no longer limited to their television or even their computer screen, with applications on multiple devices consumers can access media through their mobile phones, tablets, gaming console, and multiple other devices from virtually anywhere. The benefits of these sites, in many ways can even prove to outweigh those of cable television. For considerably a cheaper price users can subscribe to streaming services which offer on demand entertainment. Viewers are no longer limited to whatever is showing at the moment, instead their in control. Viewers can watch whatever is available at anytime. Viewers also are granted the ability to fast-forward, rewind, and pause the media, something a traditional television user is unable to do without the use of a DVR. Another great benefit of these streaming services is the ability to track and recommend shows and movies based on previous viewing habits. While networks have to wait for Nielsen ratings before they can improve the shows that are available, it is never as direct and user-targeted as a streaming site that can track a movie that was just watched and recommend something else just seconds later. Advertisements are the lifeblood for many television networks, even many “paid-for” cable networks have commercials. Streaming services either limit the amount of commercials or get rid of it all together. Viewers can watch the same show available on television in less time, which in this fast paced culture can prove to be an important leg up that streaming services have over television. Getting rid of the time restrictions and interruptions also create for new viewing habits that were never seen before the advent of sites like Netflix, and that is the idea of “binge viewing” or “marathon watching.” With the ability to access whole seasons of shows without commercial interruptions or having to wait a specific time for the next episode to air, viewers are now watching a whole seasons worth of a show in the matter of a few days or even as small as one day. Taking note of this, Netflix has begun to launch it's own original content with shows like House of Cards. Upon release these exclusive shows are launched with a whole season of episodes ready to watch. So it seems as if television is outmatched in every single way possible, but there is still a reason why television hasn't gone the way of the VHS. Television still offers the best way to watch live content like sports without lag or buffer times being an issue. Television is also usually the first household medium to obtain media content, meaning a television show will air first on television, but it will take up to a day, or months in some cases, before it is available to watch on a streaming site. Television is also doing a good job at integrating with newer technology to add a new experience to the way television is watched. No longer are people just watching television, but their watching and using their phones, tablets and computers to blog, tweet, and post about the shows they are watching. Many shows even have their own app allowing users to have a dual screen experience, something which isn't available through streaming sites. So while sites like Hulu and Netflix are becoming more prevalent, television is still adapting and with new technology still on the way it's possible television will be able to integrate the best components of streaming, many cable services already offer OnDemand and with gaming consoles or wireless devices, Netflix and Hulu can be streamed to the television. So even though many forms of media are dying, I believe television still has a long way to go.

References

Pew Research Center Internet Gains on Television as Public’s Main News Source (2011) http://www.people-press.org/2011/01/04/internet-gains-on-television-as-publics-main-news-source/

Tim Goodman Traditional TV vs. Netflix, Etc.? Not A Fight That Can Be Judged With Precision (2013)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/traditional-tv-netflix-not-a-410558