19-01-2017 11:27
Just reading this article about Netflix and Comcast on the other side of the pond, and thinking how long it will be before the majority of pay TV is online. I reckon five years from here. Once mobile broadband is fast enough and has close to 100% coverage then who is going to need their dish?
An hour after Comcast Corp. said its Esquire cable network will shut down, a sign of flagging interest in traditional pay TV, Netflix Inc. reported its biggest quarter ever, beating analysts’ estimates on new subscribers and validating its vision of a world where everyone watches TV online and on-demand.
19-01-2017 13:55
@Anonymous User wrote:
Just reading this article about Netflix and Comcast on the other side of the pond, and thinking how long it will be before the majority of pay TV is online. I reckon five years from here. Once mobile broadband is fast enough and has close to 100% coverage then who is going to need their dish?
An hour after Comcast Corp. said its Esquire cable network will shut down, a sign of flagging interest in traditional pay TV, Netflix Inc. reported its biggest quarter ever, beating analysts’ estimates on new subscribers and validating its vision of a world where everyone watches TV online and on-demand.
Hi @Anonymous User
This is a very interesting subject and while I agree with you that more and more pay-TV is going to be delivered via the Internet. As time goes on. I don't think mobile networks are going to have as much of an impact as people think they are. However, if fixed line connections continue to improve that is going to have a much bigger impact.
Most people think that it's just network coverage that is the problem, but there is another perhaps more significant issue. On mobile data networks there is a finite amount of overall bandwidth available. In some areas there is a very finite amount of overall bandwidth due to old or limited infrastructure In a lot of these areas mobile networks are resistant to improve the infrastructure because there is not enough people using the mobile networks in these areas. There probably isn't going to be enough bandwidth available to have a large number of people streaming video on a mobile data network. Particularly as the minimum video quality people expect keeps increasing. Some think is going to have to give.
19-01-2017 14:52 - edited 19-01-2017 14:55
@commanda6 wrote:
@Anonymous User wrote:
Just reading this article about Netflix and Comcast on the other side of the pond, and thinking how long it will be before the majority of pay TV is online. I reckon five years from here. Once mobile broadband is fast enough and has close to 100% coverage then who is going to need their dish?
An hour after Comcast Corp. said its Esquire cable network will shut down, a sign of flagging interest in traditional pay TV, Netflix Inc. reported its biggest quarter ever, beating analysts’ estimates on new subscribers and validating its vision of a world where everyone watches TV online and on-demand.
Hi @Anonymous User
This is a very interesting subject and while I agree with you that more and more pay-TV is going to be delivered via the Internet. As time goes on. I don't think mobile networks are going to have as much of an impact as people think they are. However, if fixed line connections continue to improve that is going to have a much bigger impact.
Most people think that it's just network coverage that is the problem, but there is another perhaps a more significant issue. On mobile data networks there is a finite amount of overall bandwidth available. In some areas there is a very finite amount of overall bandwidth due to old or limited infrastructure In a lot of these areas mobile networks are resistant to improve the infrastructure because there is not enough people using the mobile networks in these areas. There probably isn't going to be enough bandwidth available to have a large number of people streaming video on a mobile data network. Particularly as the minimum video quality people expect keeps increasing. Something is going to have to give.
Mistake in the last post has been corrected by correcting the quote above. The perils of using dictation software
19-01-2017 18:09
20-01-2017 15:52
@4268 wrote:
What I can see is integrated services. You already get that with Virgin, it has integrated Netflix channel, which you can access with appropriate subscription. I can imagine links on Freeview devices in future to Now, Netflix, Amazon,TV Player plus and others.
There was actually an article earlier on BBC app about how Netflix was moving more to original content, making it less of an alternative channel more of an additional channel.
I have Virgin with Sports/Movies/Netflix but the TiVo box is so poor (a lot of on demand doesn't work and netflix can take 5-10 minutes to start) that I use the roku stick with netflix and now TV in preference to it. It must be bad to subscribe to an online service like Now TV as well so I can pretty much guarantee the movies work.
The Samsung TVs should have all the apps but as I have found with the 2016 models, they don't even have iPlayer!
If the roku stick ever got TV Player then it would pretty much cover every channel I would want bar BT Sport and Premier Sports which are the only reason I hang onto the Tivo box.
Personally, the sooner cable/satellite die the better.
20-01-2017 18:56
27-01-2017 16:08
Was just reading this. Very interesting development. Looks like my Virgin Media days are numbered. The day when broadband is king is getting closer...
27-01-2017 16:17
@4268 wrote:
@Anonymous User I also have a TiVo. I have mine hooked up to LG Smart TV. I find that the Netflix works well if you are using it from on demand. Takes longer from the channel menu.
@4268 I have Netflix on my Roku stick which is in a different league in terms of responsiveness. Given up on using it via TiVo.