Commentary: The slow death of cable TV and why cutting the cord isn’t too painful
SINGAPORE: There was i clear moment where cable TV left a lasting memory – on the night of September eleven, 2001.
I had just got domicile subsequently a long day at work, toddler in tow. It was near 9pm our time and a friend from the newsroom called to say, "Switch on CNN".
I did and for the next few hours, in between settling the toddler and organising dinner, I watched riveted as the twin towers went down in New York. Information technology was, needless to say, the most shocking live coverage of the worse terrorist set on America was going through and I was witnessing it in my home.
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I take not watched CNN on TV for years now. That's because I take "cut the cord" and stopped subscribing to cablevision TV in favour of on-need, streaming services.
WHEN Cable TV WAS THE CENTRE OF HOMES
In a fourth dimension when at that place were very few options, cablevision TV offered us a menu based on our interests.
Depending on what you wanted in your bundle, you could selection news, lifestyle (retrieve TLC?), and if nosotros had parents living with united states we could pick overseas colloquial channels (similar TVB or SunTV) and drawing channels similar Disney or Nickelodeon for the children.
For so long, the TV was a literally the center of whatever dwelling – there was a comforting regularity to our days.
On the weekends, I could lookout Nigella Lawson licking batter off her spatula and declaring everything was "gorgeous" or Jamie Oliver drizzling an insane corporeality of olive oil on everything he made.
We could sentinel favourite shows together as a family. At the top of Game of Thrones mania, start was on Mon nights at 9pm.
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My older male child, a huge fan, would rush abode from school, vehement through the door, still sweaty in his school uniform and we would sentry each episode with relish.
We would so spend time talking about what went downward, unpacking what each scene meant.
ENTER STREAMING
And then quite suddenly, Netflix came into my life.
With involvement piqued by what my young students were telling me, I tried Netflix – and this was before it came to Singapore and the fee was less than Usa$10. My coffee for a week cost more than that.
Listen bogglingly, I could download whatsoever I wanted to watch and gasp, didn't demand to look. I was able to watch information technology anywhere (on my telephone, on my iPad, on the smart Telly) and anytime (even on long jitney rides).
Before long I was subscribing to HBO Go. Nigh recently, because I wanted to watch the Oscar winning movie Nomadland, I didn't think twice about parting with another S$12 or and so for Disney+. In the old days, my fixed cable Tv set bundle would not take included the expensive flick prepare.
What I could become in these streaming services made me rethink how much money I had paid for cable TV. Even if I added upward all these individual subscriptions, my cable TV bill was all the same larger and I was nonetheless confused at why a show like Pawn Stars was showing on the History Channel.
The concept of Tv set has inverse. Content providers were sending their shows straight to the consumer and it was liberating. Conspicuously, this shift is not confined to Singapore, already one of the most wired countries in the world.
Information shows that the last 10 years have seen an explosion of online streaming services – Netflix, Hulu, Disney and HBO accept added millions of subscribers. Disney+ said more 100 million people take signed up since it launched its service in February this year. Local broadcaster Mediacorp has MeWatch with on-need shows also.
ENTER COVID-19
To be fair to cablevision Television operators, they did try. Both SingTel and StarHub quickly pivoted to offering their services online and via their apps. They likewise tried bundling home broadband and mobile services to make the whole thing more than bonny.
Just all this still relied on having a box installed, making sure the system was gear up and paying quite a chip upfront.
Plus good luck to you if y'all ran into some technical trouble – I had to help my mum with her cablevision subscription recently and waiting to reach a man phonation was alike to waiting for a splinter to come off my toe – frustrating and painful.
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Beyond the service and the platform, it likewise boiled downwardly to the content. Every bit these streaming giants abound ever bigger, they can invest in some of the best writers, directors and actors for new, innovative shows.
Naturally, they want to get straight to their consumers instead of allowing their content to play via pay-Television models.
In Apr this twelvemonth, Disney appear it would shut downwardly some of its sports and movie channels in Southeast Asia. This means channels like Fox Movies and Sports will no longer be available on StarHub or SingTel. Yet some other reason for cutting the string.
COVID-xix too triggered some other fundamental affair cable TV was able to provide us: Live sports.
At the tiptop of infections, live games stopped. Suddenly, there were no more large game days, no fans, no reason to come across on Saturdays to cheer Arsenal or Liverpool with friends over drinks and food.
It was the trigger we needed to stop hanging on. We had done then for years, even when broadcasters bid for ever higher rights – after all, in a monopoly, where else could you cry into other than your StarHub or SingTel box?
Of course, with the European Championships effectually the corner, it will be back to the big boys one time again - except this time, you lot tin can pay for a onetime fee and watch it on mobile.
All of these changes accept had an consequence. At the finish of final year, StarHub and SingTel had nearly 698,000 pay-TV subscribers, downwards from 962,000 subscribers in 2014. And this number is set to decrease further, say experts.
THE Ascent OF NEW DILEMMAS
This is not to say nosotros have not lost anything in cutting the string.
Where before, watching Tv was a communal activeness, it is at present much more of a solo effort. Save for the odd weekend movie night, streaming has meant that each member of the family follow their ain favourite show.
No one for instance, cares for the Korean dramas I accept come to bask and I don't really care for the anime shows the boys like. So streaming has given us freedom and choice but in a way, it has also given us greater isolation, our faces lit up by a screen, like ships passing in the dark.
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And not to mention the thoroughly bad thought of binge-watching – referred to as watching many episodes in 1 sitting.
Researchers are saying that gorging-binge watchers are on the ascension and they are sleep deprived, finish up eating unhealthy snacks, and requite up time to do useful, healthy things like socialise and exercise. Which is why it makes sense to put a limit on screen time.
Honestly though, in these strange pandemic times, there are no perfect options and I would rather accept on-demand content any day.
Especially when staying domicile has become a new normal and in that location's simply and so much blistering one can tolerate.
Plus, what better style to forget about mutant strains and the disability to meet friends and family unit than to sink a few glorious hours into Vincenzo?
Then excuse me while I dive into the latest flavor of The Handmaid's Tale.
Crispina Robert is an editor at CNA Digital News where she oversees podcasts .
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