4 ms·

Something I’ve found interesting with cable vs. streaming services is that when cable was the only option, people didn’t like that you had to get the sports pac

Something I’ve found interesting with cable vs. streaming services is that when cable was the only option, people didn’t like that you had to get the sports package to somehow get the history channel. In addition to this, it’s extremely difficult to turn on and off access to certain cable packages because you’d need to call them. Now though, we have the content split up very piecemeal and I now hear complaints that “there are too many streaming services”. It seems like we got what we asked for as a market but the model is still flawed.

mbg721 5y ago
But you still don't get content a la carte; Paramount's service comes with Nickelodeon and CBS football whether you want them or not, and they continue to push their favorite broadcast stuff no matter why you originally subscribed.
hbn 5y ago
I think the ideal setup from a user-convenience standpoint is where you just pay a monthly subscription to access everything and the money is distributed across whatever you watch the most. Though obviously that has a lot of logistical issues, like how you could get all these competing companies onboard with something that takes so much control out of their hands. And also the fact that watch time isn't a great metric for who deserves the most money. It wouldn't be surprising if low-quality, factory produced children's content would start making the most money since parents would just throw on some kid's show and let it babysit for most of the day. That's basically what happened on YouTube, with the weird auto-generated algorithm/SEO-optimised children's content.
- schnitzelstoat 5y ago
  >That's basically what happened on YouTube, with the weird auto-generated algorithm/SEO-optimised children's content. That was so weird. Like if I'd read that in a sci-fi book back in the 90's I'd have derided it as a ridiculous idea. And yet it actually happened.

mbg721 5y ago

But you still don't get content a la carte; Paramount's service comes with Nickelodeon and CBS football whether you want them or not, and they continue to push their favorite broadcast stuff no matter why you originally subscribed.

hbn 5y ago

I think the ideal setup from a user-convenience standpoint is where you just pay a monthly subscription to access everything and the money is distributed across whatever you watch the most. Though obviously that has a lot of logistical issues, like how you could get all these competing companies onboard with something that takes so much control out of their hands. And also the fact that watch time isn't a great metric for who deserves the most money. It wouldn't be surprising if low-quality, factory produced children's content would start making the most money since parents would just throw on some kid's show and let it babysit for most of the day. That's basically what happened on YouTube, with the weird auto-generated algorithm/SEO-optimised children's content.

schnitzelstoat 5y ago
>That's basically what happened on YouTube, with the weird auto-generated algorithm/SEO-optimised children's content. That was so weird. Like if I'd read that in a sci-fi book back in the 90's I'd have derided it as a ridiculous idea. And yet it actually happened.