Is cable TV a thing in of the past?

[Gnarwhal]

It definitely is. I'm 35 but I went to college later than most, graduating at age 30 with a degree in Communication Design/Media Arts. One thing that was interesting to study in one of my classes was the trend away from conventional delivery methods (cable, satellite, and antennas) to "OTT" (Over The Top) content systems like streaming services and the devices that support them.

The level of integration now with streaming services and hardware and the superior quality content you can get through many of them I think is really the swan song of conventional cable and satellite. Especially satellite. Cable can carry on with internet infrastructure but I think their days of offering television are over unless they finally cave and begin offering bespoke packages that allow the consumers to mix and match the networks they want. Most Millennials aren't interested in the programming the cable and broadcast networks offer besides sports and maybe some other national events, as far as entertainment goes the quality of TV shows produced on Netflix, Prime, HBO Max, Disney+ etc far exceed anything they're making on CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox - even on A&E, AMC, Paramount Network and Comedy Central.

I even got my 65+ parents off cable a couple of years ago, and now my family shares a pool of streaming services including YouTube TV. Between that we get our fix on sports, movies, news, home shows, etc.

A small but underrated side benefit of cord cutting is literally the lack of cords. I bought a new TV a couple years ago and we can put it wherever we want because it doesn't need to be near the coaxial outlet.

 

[Lost Witness]

Never was a fan of Cable TV

 

[Trophonius]

I like cable tv, because it has an order and regularity in the way they broadcast shows that streaming services don't. Some people may prefer the latter, but personally when I watch a 1-hour show it becomes a 1.30 hour task because I take pauses here and there to do something, plus I may binge on a show if I'm enjoying it, even if I have things to do. Like social media, I prefer to stay away of things that have potential to distract me.

Another thing is that I don't feel I'm being manipulated, because like social media apps, streaming services follow algorithms that show you content so you will spend more time using them, and to promote their not-so-good shows with false ratings. Content in cable tv is more general, it doesn't creep me out as much as netflix or other services.

Having said that, I still using streaming services. I'd use more cable if it were cheaper and had less ads.