While streaming was touted as the next step of entertainment, in many ways it has reverted to the same tactics as cable television. In the late 2010s, the media underwent a massive paradigm shift. Traditional cable television saw a nosedive in usage while platforms such as Netflix and Hulu soared in popularity. At the same time, physical media also began to wane in popularity.
However, as these services and platforms became more ubiquitous, the corporations running them got ahead of themselves. While some changes were improvements, such as moving beyond the “binge” model of releasing episodes, others were steps back. In many ways, these services slowly adopted many of the practices of live TV that made the former more appealing. Here are the three biggest regressions back to cable’s tactics.
Breaking Up Streaming Services
The first biggest downgrade from streaming services is simply how many there are, much like cable packages. When Netflix first rose, it had a monopoly on the fledgling market. This was because watching shows this way was a novel concept, so Netflix took advantage of it. Back then, Netflix had films from virtually every studio including Warner Bros, Disney, Nickelodeon, etc. It used to be easy to keep track of.
However, as the years went on more studios began to invest in this new medium. With Disney+, HBO Max, and Paramount Plus rising within barely a few years, the “streaming wars” had begun. Now, roughly a dozen different services were competing. Furthermore, they even offered “bundles” like traditional cable packages, such as the Disney+ and Hulu combination. Just like cable, users have to choose from their favorites to keep.
Adding Advertisements
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The next biggest return from cable is the addition of lengthy commercials. The lack of advertisements while viewing helped streaming take off as quickly as it did. Those who grew up on cable back in the day probably remember sitting through tedious lengths of commercials. Fortunately, when Netflix came users could skip past these advertisements while binging their favorite shows.
However, that has changed in recent years. Now, many popular services are adding cheaper versions with advertisements. While optional, users must pay a hefty sum to go ad-free again. While not nearly as drawn out as televised commercials, they are one of many examples of overbearing advertisements in the modern age.
Constantly Shifting Catalogues
Lastly, the biggest way that streaming became “cable with extra steps” is that shows are constantly coming and going from them. At the dawn of the medium, many praised how it would be an endless repository of their favorite movies and TV shows for just a monthly fee. Users no longer had to manage DVRs or wait for their favorite show to come on and could have them all at their fingertips.
Once again, with the rise of competitors, things changed. With every major studio having its service, this led to a mass exodus from Netflix and Hulu that scattered their catalogs. Furthermore, the decline of services such as MAX in later years would lead them to purge swathes of their catalog. Most infamously, removing MAX originals such as Final Space left them almost completely unavailable.
Of all the returning features of cable, perhaps this is the one that highlights why physical media (such as Blu-ray and DVD) will always be needed. Once you own the physical copy of something, you own it. Period. No internet connection is necessary and it cannot be removed from your catalog.
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