The Future of TV - Linear vs. Streaming and beyond

Meanwhile here in Australia, I gave up on watching these shows on FTA a long time ago.
Nine have chopped and changed TBBT that many times, and then they’ll air a handful new episodes over a few weeks then suddenly it’s gone from the scheduled for another 2 months.

Why bother showing it at all…

This is one programme on FTA that I do still watch, that I forgot about.
Gogglebox… though I’ll watch it on TenPlay on a Friday or Saturday night, as I can’t stand to watch it live on WIN with that hideous solid blue logo on screen.

Same here. I used to watch new eps of TBBT on Nine, but have since watched it via other means, and I’m glad I did. Otherwise, if I wasn’t that invested in it, I would’ve given up on watching it altogether. Judging by the ratings late last year (at least after The Block finished and when The Good Doctor started & went up against it), it seems quite a lot of people have done just that.

Its spin-off, Young Sheldon, has premiered in NZ & the UK recently, but has yet to have an airdate in Australia. I watched the pilot ep whilst holidaying in NZ earlier this month & as soon as I got back home, I obtained the rest of the series (at least those that are aired to date) via other means.

I wouldn’t be surprised that by the time TBBT & Young Sheldon airs on Nine, it would probably air at a late night slot, due to falling ratings.

I don’t watch The Project for the same reason I won’t listen to 2GB- I can’t stand sanctimonious asshats. 30 seconds of Waleed’s preaching is enough to darken my mood for the evening.

I find Gogglebox extremely useful for keeping in touch with some of the garbage that is being served up on FTA. I usually view that show live via Foxtel Go on a Wednesday night.

I used to be very interested in the drama offerings the networks produced but find what is on offer lately very wanting. Packed to the Rafters was the last serial I watched regularly on commercial TV. I’ve sampled various things but the quality isn’t good enough to hold my attention or the subject matter doesn’t appeal. I’m still watching Foxtel Originals Wentworth and A Place To Call Home each season and I’m looking forward to seeing how Picnic at Hanging Rock turns out. Other than that I’d prefer to watch those limited episode British crime dramas or a Netflix drama. If any of that kind of stuff was still being shown on commercial television and it wasn’t so damned difficult to keep up with the scheduling, I’d probably still be watching free to air.

The networks have made it very clear they’re only interested in catering to a certain audience and the sugar hit that comes from capturing those eyeballs for the duration of their latest hit reality format. I won’t watch 90 minutes of the same shit regurgitated three or four nights a week. It wasn’t that long ago that I would watch several hours of free to air a few nights a week. Now there is an alternative in streaming, I can’t see how they’ll ever persuade viewers like me to come back.

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My TV isn’t even connected to an antenna anymore. The building that I moved to about 8 months ago doesn’t have an external antenna and I never got around to buying a set of rabbit ears.

Not sure if it is still the case, but TBBT was for a time premiering on TVNZ on demand day and date with the US before its TV airing a couple of days later. Same with a few other shows.

I occasionally have the 6pm news on while I’m cooking dinner otherwise I don’t watch anything FTA. I have a 55 inch TV in my room which I use to chromecast Netflix etc or watch off hard drive

When I saw the promo for the premiere of Young Sheldon whilst over there, it mentioned that episodes are available on TVNZ on demand.

According to the following link, TVNZ on demand is up to the same ep as the US: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/young-sheldon (Note: eps won’t play online outside NZ)

And it’s also still the case for TBBT, in which it’s up to Ep 15 (last ep aired in the US) via on demand, whilst it’s up to Ep 12 on TVNZ 2.

Australian commercial networks, take note! :wink:

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Report released: Australian trends in online and on demand viewing

The 2017 Online & On Demand report, based on research conducted by Nielsen on behalf of Screen Australia, has been released today. The report finds streaming services have completely changed how Australians view content, yet broadcast TV remains popular and piracy levels have declined drastically.

“The global screen industry is in a rapid period of change, driven by technology. Consumer hunger for content is immense, and the report makes it plain that if creators allow device-neutral access to their content at a reasonable price, people will get their wallets out,” said Fiona Cameron, COO of Screen Australia.

“Free-to-air television remains king, but AVOD services like YouTube are nearly as widely used and SVOD platforms such as Netflix have seen incredible audience growth. The report also confirms that younger Australians are frequent users of new content platforms, including social media outlets like Facebook to access video.”

“The speed of change in our industry is not going to slow down, so undoubtedly there is pressure on producers to stay abreast of where their audience is, and for regulators to form policy that meets the market.”

“For Screen Australia, the findings show that Australian content is still immensely popular, and when you have platforms like broadcaster catch-up services housing a lot of local content, they’re rewarded with viewership.”

THE REPORT

In the three years since the study was previously conducted (2014), the video-on-demand (VOD) landscape has changed considerably and has seen the introduction of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix and Stan into the Australian market.

The report is based on an online survey of 1,683 Australians aged 14+ who watch professionally produced screen content online. User generated content such as self-recorded videos or the classic ‘cat video’ style of online content were not counted.

SECTOR MIX

The report reveals that the SVOD sector including the likes of Netflix, is a clear growth area with 68% of 2017 respondents using such services, compared to 37% in 2014. Use of broadcaster catch-up services has also increased to 87% (from 74% in 2014).

Use of ‘Other AVOD’ services like YouTube and video on Facebook continues to grow, with 82% of respondents accessing professionally produced content via these platforms (up from 70% in 2014).

VOD users are still watching content via traditional platforms, with the percentage of people watching broadcast TV each week remaining fairly stable (86% in 2017 vs 90% in 2014, although the 2017 did include time-shift viewing). However the amount of people accessing content via transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) services like the iTunes store, has decreased considerably (14% in 2017 vs 41% in 2014).

YouTube remains the most used VOD platform, followed by Netflix. ABC iview, Plus7 (now called 7Plus) and Tenplay remain in the top 5 as was the case in 2014.

VIEWING BEHAVIOURS

People who watched VOD reported they still spend most of their viewing time (14 hours per week) watching broadcast TV, although the growing popularity of SVOD is evident with 8.75 hours viewed per week.

SVOD users reported changing attitudes and viewing behaviours, with 52% saying they watch less free-to-air and 46% saying they are now less likely to download films and TV programs to rent or own through TVOD services like iTunes or Google Play.

Behaviours also change with age, with broadcast television being most popular with those aged 60+ (96%), whereas SVOD is most used with those aged 18-34 (81%). Despite being a new way to access content, broadcaster catch-up services are also popular with 45-59 year olds (88%) and those aged 60+ (92%).

The study shows that 80% of VOD viewers are watching content at home at least weekly, whilst 27% of VOD viewers report watching remotely at least once a month. Smart and connected TVs (e.g. using an Apple TV) have overtaken computers as the most popular device to access VOD content, whilst 25% are now using their smartphones, compared to just 10% in 2014.

Viewing remains a predominantly solitary activity, with 58% of respondents saying they watch “more screen content by myself than I used to.” The 2017 survey revealed that 75% of respondents believed that they watch online screen content “on my own if others in my household are not interested.”

VIEWING SCREEN CONTENT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

90% of active VOD users are also active on social media, and 74% have viewed screen content via social platforms. YouTube (50%) and Facebook (41%) are currently the most popular social media platforms for accessing screen content. Facebook has recently flagged its intention to grow this space.

YouTube was the most popular social media platform to view content across all demographics, although Facebook came close in the 25 -34 age range (53% YouTube vs 49% Facebook). Using Instagram and Snapchat to view content was far more likely for those aged 34 or less.

CONTENT DISCOVERY

Recommendations from family and friends have the most influence on viewing choices, with 65% of respondents rating such conversations as one of their top five influencers.

Viewers aged 45+ were the most likely to consult professional news and reviews, whereas younger viewers (18-34s) were most likely to use online recommendations based on past choices (e.g. YouTube’s ‘recommended’ feature or Netflix ‘top picks for…’) and from social media personalities and bloggers.

CONTENT CHOICES

The country-of-origin trends in viewing across broadcaster catch-up and SVOD services are generally reflective of the volume of that content on those platforms e.g. Netflix Australia has only recently started local commissions.

For instance, broadcast catch-up viewers were more likely to watch Australian series (drama and comedy) than any other content type. Whereas foreign content is more popular with SVOD users, particularly Hollywood movies with 66% reporting having consumed this content (although 47% also reported watching Australian movies despite the smaller catalogue available).

Although overseas content was the most popular content type to be purchased by TVOD users (34% movies, 31% series), interestingly Australian movies (21%), series (21%), and documentaries (21%) rounded out the top five content types that were consumed.

When asked to nominate their top three favourite Australian works, respondents named over 400 different titles, reflecting high awareness of locally produced screen product. The five most referenced productions were all dramas - The Castle, Mad Max, Home and Away, Crocodile Dundee and Offspring.

Most (73%) VOD users who watch Australian content believe new/diverse local dramas and documentaries are important. Furthermore, parent respondents who consumed Australian content expressed a strong preference for a range of local content to be available for their children (59% strongly agree / agree). The majority (62%) believe that Australian dramas and documentaries give their children a different view of the world compared to foreign content.

DRIVERS AND BARRIERS

VOD users cited being able to watch what they want, when they want to, as the main drivers for VOD viewing, although the allure of free content (e.g. broadcaster catch-up and YouTube) and the ability to avoid advertising also registered strongly.

Internet connection speed was the main barrier (39%) to viewing more VOD content. However, 32% of respondents said they would watch more content online if prices were cheaper or if there was more content available (31%).

PIRACY

The 2017 study reveals a significant decline in content piracy amongst VOD viewers, with 17% of respondents suggesting they had used unofficial streams or downloads, compared to 43% in 2014.

Those aged 25-34 were the most likely to watched via pirated, illegal or unofficial services.

The full report is available to view here.

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My PVR has just carked it and I need a new way to record programs from Free TV.
There have been situations where I’ve wanted to record three shows on three channels but some PVRs are limited to two recordings or three recordings on two suites of channels.

There are PVRs and Fetch TV and Telstra TV and Foxtel IQ and Smart TV recording etc. but I’m finding a lot of conflicting info out there.

What do people use these days? What’s the best method?

very happy with fetch having tried a few other options that kept crashing and resetting and losing settings

Purchased it outright from Harvey Norman (sometimes they have deals - first one I purchased I got six gold class tickets - had to buy a new one after dropping it very hard on the ground…my fault)

Can you do multiple recording on multiple channels?

Yes. If you get the Fetch Mighty set top box, there are four TV tuners inside which can record up to six shows at once. From the Fetch TV site:

The Gen 3 Mighty Fetch box has 4 tuners – three for recording and one for watching, and can record up to six channels whilst you watch a seventh. Each of the three recording tuners in this box can record 2 Free-to-Air channels from the same channel family at the same time.

I think the Fetch Mighty is by far the easiest and most cost effective PVR to use for free to air TV. However, you need to remember that you require an internet connection to get the box set up, receive software updates and EPG information.

Thanks. This sounds like a good option. :+1:

Choice had an article on PVRs Their recommendations were in order:

Humax 4tune at the top followed by several Panasonic models (model numbers have probably been superseded by now) with the comment Panasonic seems to be the only big name electronics brand treating PVR seriously. Next was Humax 2 tuner. All these had an overall score above 70%. Below that were Beyonwiz T4 and T2 and Fetch TV Mighty at the bottom.

OK. Thanks. I’ve seen a couple of the Panasonic’s at JB HiFi. I’ll research further.

Stay away from Humax. My experience with that brand wasn’t good. I’ve had a Fetch Mighty for a couple of years. I don’t record very much FTA these days, rarely two things at a time. I have the news set to series record each evening but sometimes it won’t record and I’ll have to watch via catchup. I don’t know if it is just my box or antenna connection. I also find I have to unplug the box and reset it at least once a week because it freezes up. It’s nowhere near as reliable as my old Toppy. I really miss that reliable old workhorse.

It’s good that the Fetch has all the catchup services on it but if I miss a recording for 60 Minutes or Sunday Night I tend to use a stick computer connected to the TV because it has ad block installed on the browser.

Strange. My parents have that freezing problem with their set top box for their MySat satellite TV, in the past few months. They have been constantly asking me to fix it but I’ve now trained them to do it themselves. Must be something to do with the ageing components.

I’ve got a couple of different Panasonic ones. One I’ve purchased inside the last 12 months, the other I’ve had 5-6 years maybe.
Both can record 2 things at once. The older one has a DVD player. On the newer one, you can watch the other channels within the 2 Networks you are recording, the older one you cannot. I quite like the newer one, I don’t know the model number though.

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The reduction in scripted drama and comedy on our screens is already dire. This is a disgrace.

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At the moment we have probably more TV channels right now than ever before but viewers seem to stick to the established products, I guess in the same way that people tend to always buy the same brand of toothpaste or whatever product at the supermarket.

Not sure if I agree that there’ll be less TV stations on-air in 12 years time, but I do think the current trends of people moving away from traditional TV and over to streaming services will continue in the foreseeable future.

As it’s already been pointed out, 4ME ceased transmission in May 2016.

When 9Life launched in Late 2015, that was at the expense of the “EXTRA 2” infomercial channel.

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