By CHRISTOPHER J. SURPRENANT
Managing Editor
Did you miss Parks and Recreation? What about Modern Family? Have you heard about House of Cards and Orange is the New Black?
In 2014, the masses have a variety of entertainment options available in more ways than ever. The word “television” is much looser. No longer are viewers chained to the family television set. Instead, TV is available everywhere, from the phones in our pockets to the computers on our desks, and college kids are loving it.
“When I use the internet, I have more flexibility in what time I watch stuff,” said Saint Rose junior Alex Sherman-Cross. “I may have to wait a week to watch a show, but I can watch it at 1 a.m. when it’s usually on at 8, when I’m still on campus.”
Sherman-Cross is one of many who are finding the convenience of streaming more conducive to a hectic schedule. Traditional television compels viewers to tune in on a specific night at a set time. The schedule is rigid and does not allow for viewers to miss an episode. This becomes problematic with highly serialized shows such as NBC’s Revolution or ABC’s Scandal. With streaming services widely available, these shows are no longer “must-see,” but rather “watch later.”
There has been a general decline in overall interest in live television, particularly among viewers 18-49. The 2012 World Series slipped in the ratings from 7.6, down from 8.7 in 2011, according to Jim Edwards of Business Insider.
“We’re at the beginning of a major shift from watching TV to watching video—including TV shows and movies—on the internet and mobile devices,” he wrote.
This shift has been a long time coming.
“I’m pretty sure I haven’t watched live TV since I graduated high school,” said teacher Jen Sabonis, 27. “I’d much rather stream shows and work TV around my schedule than work my schedule around a show on TV. Also, price-wise, I think streaming is a way better deal, hands down.”
Pricing has been a major factor in whether someone even signs up for cable in the first place. For a standard cable package with a 2-year agreement that includes around 70 channels, Time Warner Cable is currently charging $39.99 a month for 12 months. That price increases to $44.99 for months 13-24. In total, Time Warner Cable makes $1019.76 from a standard cable subscription for 2 years.
Conversely, one could subscribe to both Netflix and Hulu Plus for $7.99 a month. Over a 24-month period, that same subscriber would be paying $383.52, saving $636.24.
Netflix offers a variety of movies and television shows, as well as critically-acclaimed original programming like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. While their television selections are limited to past seasons of current shows, subscribers have the chance to catch up on popular water-cooler programming like American Horror Story. On the other end, Hulu Plus offers subscribers access to every episode of a television show’s current season, allowing for casual viewers to miss an episode of Grey’s Anatomy without worry.
Unlike a traditional television set, subscribing to a streaming service allows for portability. Each service has made available a smartphone and tablet app, and also works regular television sets.
“I not only watch on my computer, but I also have a Roku streaming box to watch Hulu Plus and Netflix on my TV,” said recent Saint Rose graduate Kayla Furnia.
Roku is a device that integrates a variety of streaming services all in one place, aggregating a slew of web content right to the owner’s television set. The basic player starts at $49.99 and works as a replacement to the traditional cable box.
While there are certainly shows that provide irresistible hooks that demand a viewer watch live, those hooks just don’t fit in to the shifting viewing habits of consumers.
“I don’t really miss watching live,” Furnia said. “If I can catch The Walking Dead live, I’ll watch it, because otherwise I’m bound to see a spoiler somewhere, but my work schedule changes every week and I work weird hours so it doesn’t happen often. I’m usually always catching up.”
