500 Channels and Nothing On – The Death of Traditional TV Programming!

So there I was… Up late at night.  My usual insomniatic self. On this particular occasion I was waiting for my mind to reach complete exhaustion so that I could fall asleep.

It was nearly two years ago that I was laying on the couch in my apartment watching TV. It was a little after 2am. 

As I jumped from channel to channel, I really started to get angry.  I was paying more than $100 a month for cable TV, and I was not able to find anything on that was worth watching. 

It was at that moment that I decided to become an early adopter of what I believe to be the future of online entertainment /edutainment, and the death of traditional television.

The next day I packed up my cable box and dropped it off at the cable company. 

My next stop was my local electronics store (Best Buy) where I purchased an AppleTV.

Unlike my usual approach to buying electronics I didn’t do much research on the AppleTV.  I just liked the fact that it connected to the internet for content.

You see… For more than 10 years I have been predicting a change in the future of television.  I have long since believed that the lines between TV and Internet will continue to blur until there is no line at all.

For those of you old enough to remember, there was a time when TV was just a few channels that consisted of the major networks and a public broadcasting channel.   The choices were very limited.  There was a time when the same was true for radio and even magazines.

The Internet has changed the playing field dramatically.  Today and well into the future its all about “Niche Content.”  Prior to the Internet it did not make sense to have a television show or even a whole network devoted to say… photography, but that is not the case anymore.

Getting back to my story of transition. 

I brought home my AppleTV and was intrigued to be able to view movies, photos, and other content on my big screen TV.  Yet the experience was a little weak and limited to what Apple wanted to provide and monetize through iTunes.  So I started to do a bit of homework and what I discovered was indeed exciting.

The AppleTV is basically a small apple computer that has outputs for a TV Screen rather than to a desktop monitor.  And while it ships with limited function, it can be altered to perform just like a regular computer with mouse, keyboard, and extra storage. 

Now for those of you that know me, you know that the last thing that I need is another computer, but I did want to bring out the best in my new AppleTV.

After a bit of research I discovered a company and product called ATV Flash.  This $50 program gives the AppleTV a complete makeover and breaks through its original “out-of-the-box” limitations.

Now all of the sudden I had access to an endless supply of online content that was just mind blowing.  Yes all of this content is available on your computer, however it is a different experience to kick back on your couch and watch it on a big screen.

OK, lets look at a few of the changes and the costs that go along with it.

Cable TV was costing me about $110 a month.

Apple TV – $229 so basically it is paid for with a little more than 2 months of cable service.

Now I can buy content from the iTunes network such as movies and even my favorite TV shows and watch them without commercials!  Can you hear the angels singing?

One of the first things that you learn when you download TV shows is that a half hour show is about 21-22 minutes and an hour long show is about 42 minutes.  That means that through traditional TV programming you are exposed to 18 minutes of commercials for every hour or TV that you watch. 

Nearly all of the shows that you may be a fan of can be purchased; however, in many cases you can view them online for free through sites such as Hulu, but of course the free viewing does have a few commercials but usually far less than traditional programming.  One of the nice things about Hulu is that you can even watch programs from way back in the day such as Gilligan’s Island.   or even Fantasy Island.

Ok so you can get some of the same viewing experiences as you could with traditional television by watching TV shows and Movies, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

I’m a photographer by hobby.  Wouldn’t it be amazing to watch shows on photography?  I’m not talking about a show, I’m talking about 5, 10, 20, 50 plus shows on photography.  Well, they exist in what are known as podcasts. 

Here’s a link to more than 100 episodes to Moose Peterson’s Show on Wildlife Photography This is just one example of hundreds and someday even thousands of free shows.

Let’s say you want to learn about physics or even law.  Did you know that many Ivy League colleges have podcasts of their classes online? Anyone up for a free Harvard or Princeton education?

And here is a cool thought…

Do you have some specialized knowledge that you would like to share?  It’s very easy to create your own podcast that people all over the world can subscribe to and view on their TV from the comfort of their couch.  These can be free or paid! Can you see where this is all going?

As an early adopter of online content nearly two years ago, I have never looked back. 

I genuinely believe that my quality of life is better as a result of this change.  My ability to chose content all the way down to a tiny niche interest has expanded who I am and what I can learn. 

The shear amount of entertainment that you can find online is amazing and most of it will never reach the big TV networks.

And even better news is that an AppleTV with an ATVFlash makeover is easy even for the average Joe or Jane. Soon there will be many off the shelf options for viewing internet content on on your big screen.

I encourage you to take the leap to the future or entertainment / edutainment and leave the antiquated world of traditional network television behind. You will likely find it to be an enriching experience.

Comments and feedback welcome.

~ Jesse Jameson