Cable TV Is the New Landline - AppMasterWorld.com
Monday, May 29, 2023
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
AppMasterWorld.com
  • Home
  • News
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • SAAS APPS
    • Marketing
    • Business
    • Creative Apps
    • Management Apps
    • Productivity Apps
    • Saas offers
  • GAMING
  • INDUSTRY
No Result
View All Result
AppMasterWorld.com
No Result
View All Result

Cable TV Is the New Landline

January 6, 2022
in News

This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. Here is a collection of past columns.

People have been predicting the death of cable TV for a long time, but this really might be it.

As recently as a decade ago, nearly all Americans — more than 85 percent of U.S. households — paid for packages of TV channels from cable or satellite companies. That started to decline haltingly at first and then far more quickly in the past few years.

Now, the share of American homes that pay for conventional TV service is closing in on 50 percent, according to recent assessments from the investment analyst Craig Moffett and S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan research group.

For comparison, cellphones were around for decades before the percentage of Americans who didn’t have a landline telephone at home reached 50 percent, around 2017. (In the most recent government figures, about one-third of American adults have a landline.)

Maybe it seems inevitable and predictable that cable TV would go the way of the landline. I promise you that it was not necessarily obvious, even once Netflix started to take off. Old habits die hard. Old industries that make a lot of people rich die even harder.

And don’t forget that some new technology habits catch on fast but don’t stick. Remember Myspace? Or predictions that electric scooters or Segways would become go-to forms of transportation for urbanites?

What may be a terminal decline of America’s cable TV industrial complex is a big deal. It shows that technology can change entrenched ways of doing things slowly, and then suddenly, with profound ripple effects.

Ian Olgeirson, a research director at Kagan who has been following America’s TV market for about 20 years, told me that he was caught off guard by how quickly the monthly cable bill went from being standard to obsolete for many Americans. (Protocol had more on this in a recent newsletter.)

Olgeirson and other TV experts I’ve been speaking to didn’t single out one tipping point in cable TV’s big shrink. They said the downward trend was more like a series of creeping changes that piled up.

Netflix offered us sofa sitters a happy alternative to paying for 500 TV channels that we mostly didn’t watch. In the TV industry, there was also a slow realization that clinging to the old ways might be fatal. Cable TV companies stopped fighting so hard to keep people from defecting and were happy to instead sell you zippy internet service for streaming binges.

Once the cable TV edifice started to crumble, entertainment companies like Disney decided that they couldn’t go-all out to prop up the system that had sustained them for decades. They’d prefer to become their own Netflix.

Old TV still has some life left. For now, Americans spend a majority of their TV time watching conventional television rather than streaming video. Streaming is also a tough business. And including the quasi-cable-TV services from online companies like YouTube and Hulu, about two-thirds of U.S. households pay for some old-school TV channels. An optimist would say that it’s stunning that cable TV has stayed this resilient.

But it’s clear that the cable TV system that for decades brought joy and headaches to tens of millions of Americans is petering out. The wild card, as Moffett, the investment analyst, wrote in a private report to his clients this week, is whether Americans keep turning away from cable and satellite TV relatively slowly, or whether it will “abruptly collapse, like a Jenga tower.”

And the ripple effects may only have just started. For example, major sports leagues like the National Football League have thrived on the money in the cable TV system. If the cable model topples, it could torpedo sports as we know them.

I have always loved TV. I felt like a real grown-up when I first started to pay a mammoth TV bill, partly to watch my favorite football team. I had scaled back my cable TV package, but then a few months ago I was notified that my bill was going to increase by about $10 a month. That was it. I’m a no-cable household now, too.


Tip of the Week

Finding an elusive home Covid test online

Brian X. Chen, the consumer technology columnist for The New York Times, brings his tech noggin to the hunt for an at-home Covid test.

I’m sure some of you were in the same position that I was over the holidays: I wanted to get tested for Covid-19 before visiting a family member. For me, it was my 1-year-old niece. Local stores were wiped out of at-home tests, and I had no luck on the websites for CVS and Walgreens.

So I used the same approach that I took to buy the PlayStation 5 video game console and outsourced the hunt to computers.

After a quick web search, I found that the product tracking site NowInStock had an entire section devoted to Covid test kits. My colleagues and I have recommended this website before to track down popular electronics, including video game gear and laptops.

NowInStock automatically scans retailers’ websites for various brands of home tests, and shows a comprehensive chart of where kits are available. I was looking at the site late at night when Walgreens lit up with some test kits available. I quickly ordered a few for me and my brother-in-law, and the shipment arrived in about two days.

NowInStock used to let people set up email alerts when new stock became available, but the site was overwhelmed. It now offers alerts only via the Telegram app. But I found that manually checking the website for Covid tests was fine for my needs.

This is not a suggestion to snatch up a superfluous number of Covid tests. But there are times when we will need rapid tests. Unfortunately in this era of scarcity, methods like this are how we can buy what we need efficiently. Good luck and stay safe!

Before we go …

  • One year since the Capitol riot: Online chatter about celebrations and rallies for the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has been relatively muted and appears “unlikely to translate into sizable real-world efforts,” my colleagues Sheera Frenkel and Ryan Mac report. They write that it shows a fracturing of far-right groups online in the past year and a focus on local rather than national political engagement.

  • How crypto fever led to a political fight: People who “mine” virtual currencies, including Bitcoin, have gravitated to a city in Paraguay where electricity is cheap. Laurence Blair, a contributor to Rest of World, writes that the crypto boom is now part of a battle between Brazil and Paraguay over one of the world’s most powerful hydroelectric dams.

  • Precious distractions: My colleagues recommend their favorite video games, including one that takes players into the minutiae of high school life, and the latest version of Halo.

Hugs to this

Enjoy this giraffe stooping to take a drink. (My colleague Melissa Kirsch shared this in the At Home and Away newsletter.)


We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think of this newsletter and what else you’d like us to explore. You can reach us at [email protected].

If you don’t already get this newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here. You can also read past On Tech columns.

Growth Capital For Online SaaS and App Businesses | Clearco
This is how you fund your business without giving up any Equity Click Here To Learn How!!

Previous Post

The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ protagonist wants you to watch great films

Next Post

Lawsuit says Meta shares blame in the killing of a federal guard.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

dropshipping spocket

How To Start Your Drop Shipping Business With Spocket in 2022!

Groove Funnels – We All Want A Free Sales Funnel Builder

Groove Funnels – We All Want A Free Sales Funnel Builder

Remote team management: 5 challenges and solutions

Remote team management: 5 challenges and solutions

WPFunnels – A Drag & Drop WordPress Sales Funnel Builder

WPFunnels – A Drag & Drop WordPress Sales Funnel Builder

Elementor plugin

Elementor | How Do You Get Your Website Started?

Emma email campaign

Emma | Personalized Email Marketing Solutions for your Business

A calendar that is actually useful, batch deferrals, and more.

A calendar that is actually useful, batch deferrals, and more.

8 Factors To Begin Using An Online Form – Forms on Fire ?

8 Factors To Begin Using An Online Form – Forms on Fire ?

Vendasta – All in One Platform For Success

Vendasta – All in One Platform For Success

Sanebox

SaneBox | Email AI To Keep You Sane

Red Pill for Sales CRM

What is VipeCloud? Sales CRM and Marketing Suite

AppMasterWorld.com

AppMasterWorld.com is for techies, who wants to be up to date before others. We work hard to serve you first and best of all and to satisfy your hunger of Technology. I hope you will get latest business, gaming, social media news and much more. If you have difficulty in any topic or doubt in mind. Just Feel Free to ask me in comment of that topic.

Trending Now

WhatsApp: We won’t lower security for any government

Clearing up one of The Green Knight’s biggest mysteries

What if, instead of being enslaved by AIs, we could date them?

Is Destiny a PvE or PvP game? Bungie can’t decide

Violent Night, Netflix’s JUNG_E, and every other movie you can stream from home this weekend

Most Popular

Peter Thiel, the Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker

Peter Thiel, the Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker

Twitter chaos after wave of blue tick impersonations

Twitter chaos after wave of blue tick impersonations

Pac-Man has a new wife, thanks to Ms. Pac-Man drama

Pac-Man has a new wife, thanks to Ms. Pac-Man drama

  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Copyright. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • SAAS APPS
    • Marketing
    • Business
    • Creative Apps
    • Management Apps
    • Productivity Apps
    • Saas offers
  • GAMING
  • INDUSTRY

© 2021 Copyright. All rights reserved.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT