TV viewing, now and then

[GusB]

I was born in the 70s and television was a relatively simple affair. Three channels: BBC1, BBC2 and "Grumpian" (ITV). In the early 80s, Channel 4 came along and eventually Channel 5 emerged with all its "you-may-need-to-change-your-aerial" nonsense.

Digital comes along and complicates matters further, but at this point it's only really a case of having an additional box to plug into your telly. More channels, a little bit of capital outlay (and perhaps another aerial adjustment, but it's a one-off expense and you're good, right? *

Nah, fast forward to our wonderful internet-connected world, and oh - what a mess. My dad has recently switched from BT Broadband to TalkTalk in order to get the latest, greatest YouView box. He is under the impression that paying £x per month for this TalkTalk box should give him access to Netflix, NowTV and all the other bell-and-whistle "apps" that come along with these boxes. I'm having a hard time convincing him that many of these apps require additional subscriptions. NowTV is a particular bugbear - over the the last couple of years he has purchased 3 NowTV boxes, but the YouView box won't let him watch anything other than Sky Cinema, presumably because TalkTalk are trying to push their £12 a month Sky entertainment bundle. He's frustrated, and I'm beginning to agree with him!

I'm having a hard time trying to explain that no matter which device he's using, and whichever "platform" he's on, it's simply an app on a computer, whether that computer takes the form of a set-top box, laptop, smartphone or tablet and that he should simply subscribe to whichever service provides the programmes he wants to watch, but it doesn't help that ISPs are over-complicating things by offering extra bundles from other providers that promise the same stuff that you thought you were getting in the first place!

Does anyone else feel that it's a lot more complex than it needs to be?

* Note, I haven't referred to Sky so far - I have never had Sky, so I'm not really in a position to discuss it, but for those of you who have had it since the early days, I'm sure much of this still applies.

 

[yorksrob]

My overwhelming impression is that content hasn't increased at the same rate as platform capacity.

In truth, I watch mostly 80's and 90's repeats anyway.

The one thing that has caused a substantial improvement in the TV experience has been the arrival of BBC4.

 

[thejuggler]

We had virgin cable tv for many years when it was reasonable - full package including Sky sport for about £20 a month. Once it went to £50 that was it, cancelled, Freesat dish and box installed. I don't even know what NowTv or Youview is!

The time I get to watch TV is so limited - couple of hours a day at most - I can find something to watch and that's before venturing into any recordings I make and never watch. All the channels also have on demand should I ever be without.

I agree about BBC4

 

[nlogax]

As great as BBC4 is - and it's pretty much all I watch - it feels like a distilled version of BBC2 from thirty+ years ago.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Things were better in the old days.

My experience is that, on actual TV, most stuff you want to watch will still be on BBC1, BBC2, ITV or possibly Channels 4 or 5, and the rest is just filler.

Netflix I like though. Well, I like the content, the system is pretty bad IMO.

 

[SS4]

IMO the proliferation in availability has caused a decrease in the quality of content and channels struggle to fill airtime leading to the various repeats and stuff that's very quick to make. The best TV of yesteryear was better than the best TV of today and was better written because they didn't have fancy budget and technical specs to impress with (similar to how the video game industry). TV 20+ years ago was easier but much more restricted - hands up who couldn't watch their favourite program because someone else was watching TV?

The choice now is certainly more confusing than it was and ISPs could definitely be clearer but with broadband being a saturated market the ISPs are throwing in extras to entice customers to sign up with them and take market share from their rivals. For the OP's example think of the box as a free gift - if he wants extras he needs to pay for them separately


Netflix is good but the library is strangled by geography - the Yanks get more on a cheaper service and they actively block VPN

 

[Bevan Price]

TV then & now is pretty similar in that there are things you liked, things you hated, and things to which you were indifferent. Now, there is lots more choice - of things you like / dislike / don't care about. And somehow they often manage to get simultaneously 2 or 3 things you want to watch, followed by several hours of forgettable stuff.

Back n the 1970s, BBC TV channels closed for the night at around midnight. Midweek daytime TV was non-existent unless there was a major sporting event - instead there were educational programmes for schools -- and they sometimes shut down for a while between the end of schools broadcasts and the start of the late afternoon programmes for children.

I only watch Freeview, occasionally using iPlayer if I miss a programme (sometimes not easy when one has snailspeed broadband.). Despite having lots more time to fill, there seems to be less effort to create original drama. Instead, peak hours are saturated with soaps and never-ending "continuing drama series" - the same old tedious, repetitive rubbish week after week, year after year. (Yawn)

 

[GusB]

TV then & now is pretty similar in that there are things you liked, things you hated, and things to which you were indifferent. Now, there is lots more choice - of things you like / dislike / don't care about. And somehow they often manage to get simultaneously 2 or 3 things you want to watch, followed by several hours of forgettable stuff.

Back n the 1970s, BBC TV channels closed for the night at around midnight. Midweek daytime TV was non-existent unless there was a major sporting event - instead there were educational programmes for schools -- and they sometimes shut down for a while between the end of schools broadcasts and the start of the late afternoon programmes for children.

I only watch Freeview, occasionally using iPlayer if I miss a programme (sometimes not easy when one has snailspeed broadband.). Despite having lots more time to fill, there seems to be less effort to create original drama. Instead, peak hours are saturated with soaps and never-ending "continuing drama series" - the same old tedious, repetitive rubbish week after week, year after year. (Yawn)

I well remember the programmes for schools, usually preceded with a big blue on-screen countdown clock. Recorded on a mahoosive Philips video recorder (Video 2000, of course) that was wheeled around the school, together with its accompanying television set, on a trolley that was probably welded together by the school janny. None of your flat-screen nonsense back then!

 

[yorksrob]

I well remember the programmes for schools, usually preceded with a big blue on-screen countdown clock. Recorded on a mahoosive Philips video recorder (Video 2000, of course) that was wheeled around the school, together with its accompanying television set, on a trolley that was probably welded together by the school janny. None of your flat-screen nonsense back then!

Yes, I remember those. And the school computer, also on a big trolley with a tape recorder to load up programmes. And also those big square cassette recorders which were basically a giant speaker.

I used to enjoy the "How We Used to Live" history series in particular.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I used to enjoy the "How We Used to Live" history series in particular.

So did I - and here it is on YouTube, complete with Countdown Clock!!!

 

[Howardh]

Modern TV - the good IMO -
Interactive channels such as the Olympics where you can follow your sport/team even if it's not on the main channels

The bad - far too many channels showing nothing but garbage; any half-decent programme is spoiled by the first three minutes telling you what's coming up; too many adverts/trailers TV being dumbed-down to cater for the masses.

In fact I probably watch only about 10% of the viewing time I did 20 years ago. I feel that time on front of the box is time wasted. That being said, the missing linear time is probably replaced by watching my favourite sports live via Youtube on the telly - so I suppose it's changing from the main channels to niche events (curling, winter biathlon, hockey, cricket streams etc); so for that I wouldn't go back.

Pity we have to pay a licence when we end up watching very little BBC (oh, darned, I've just started an argument there....) but to be fair, the Olympic (winter/summer) coverage is worth 4 years licence-fee for that interactivity and it would probably cost me that to sub to a sports channel for those events. So that's my argument flattened in one...

 

[yorksrob]

So did I - and here it is on YouTube, complete with Countdown Clock!!!

Ah yes, I remember watching that. They all went on holiday in a camping coach in one episode I seem to remember. Quality educational TV.

 

[nlogax]

Modern TV - the good IMO -
Interactive channels such as the Olympics where you can follow your sport/team even if it's not on the main channels

The bad - far too many channels showing nothing but garbage; any half-decent programme is spoiled by the first three minutes telling you what's coming up; too many adverts/trailers TV being dumbed-down to cater for the masses.

Can I add 'incidental music on factual shows that never ends because the producers believe we all need audio prodding to feel engaged' ? I'm pretty sure documentaries twenty-odd years ago didn't need the musical drama throughout their running time.

Yes, I am a grumpy old man.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm not a fan of drama documentaries. I like a good drama, and I like a good documentary but never the twain should meet as it seems like dumbing down.

 

[Groningen]

I have not watched television for at least 10, but it also could be 15 years!

 

[Butts]

I have not watched television for at least 10, but it also could be 15 years!

Is that when Van der Valk finished ? - or is Dutch TV that bad !!

Seriously it's been all downhill since they stopped playing the National Anthem when the evenings transmissions ended.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Wait, broadcast TV is still a thing? My television set's aerial connection broke about a year ago and I have never missed it, now I stream to a chromecast whatever I want to watch. I subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, WWE Network, whatever else I fancy until I run out of content, then cancel and change to something else.

 

[Groningen]

I can not watch (at the same time) at my PC and the television. I only program i watch on the Internet is Have i got news for you, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Voetbal (football) Inside. The rest of the time YT video's and Internet radio on the background.

 

[Busaholic]

My only visit to America, 1979, staying on the old Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. First night, seriously jetlagged, can't access our bedroom because hasn't been cleaned since last guests, were plonked in a public area with access to LA tv, all 1500 channels or whatever it was, and flicked between them all (it seemed) for about two hours trying to find something (ANYTHING) that was watchable for more than two minutes, and I'm interested in a vast range of topics, and in the end fell asleep to the topic of real estate prices in Reno, or wherever, that was the least worse option. More means less, believe me i.e. quality over quantity any day. But don't think that everything was rosy back in the old days in GB, there was plenty of dross amongst the gems on the BBC and ITV's general quality was also poor, although there were excellent shows there, principally from Granada TV.