That’s the question that arises for the future. Will linear TV (channel) watching gradually disappear in favour of on-demand (PVR, VOD, SVOD, online, downloaded etc)? Will broadband be the way to deliver all TV, even linear, despite being “less efficient”?

The conventional wisdom is that change is slow and seldom 100%. Many industry reports suggest that SVOD is simply an “add-on” to payTV. Linear TV is important for many people today, and will be so in the foreseeable future. Here are two reports that provide some insight into where we are heading:

• In the Netherlands linear TV watching is at 40%, though still the most popular category.
• In the UK linear TV viewing stands at 60%.

This might well be due to broader availability of high bandwidth IP over cable, ADSL and fiber connections in the Netherlands, and more focus on traditional terrestrial and satellite broadcast delivery in the UK. But there are also differences in the TV content and distribution industries, and note that also the market research approaches may differ. It is tricky to compare the results; but the differences seem significant.

Linear or non-linear TV watching preferences may be something completely different than broadcast and online delivery, but there surely is a practical connection: non-linear TV needs online bandwidth.

BroadbandTVNews reports on a “new” finding that Consumers like things integrated in their TV. Given the dynamic of streaming (OTT and/or in-Home and/or device-to-device) that is of course a moving target. But not exactly real news. Still: it is a confirmation of what should be generally known in the industry: integrated devices can offer a simpler user experience. The key reasons people like their streaming integrated in the TV is convenience of input-selection and a single remote.

Unfortunately the TDGresearch website offers little additional information.

Despite the widespread availability of inexpensive ancillary TV streaming devices, new TDG research finds that 32% of OTT TV Users prefer having the native connectivity of a smart TV.

Source: Research: viewers prefer smart TVs for OTT

Sadly the EU now has a net neutrality law that only pays lip service to the principle. The loopholes are so big that you can drive a bus through them. A Stanford Law Professor sums it up:

1. Fast lanes for copmanies that pay for “specialized services” exception. That can be almost anything….
2. Practically full permission to offer free bandwidth for specific services. This is often done by network companies offering their flavour of a content service, creating a non-level playing field for thirs parties.
3. (lower priority) traffic classes slowing down even if there is no congestion. E.g. using erratic packet delays to avoid VOIP calls to boost use of expensive voice network provider services. Also encrypted traffic and peer-2-peer will likely suffer.

There may be some opportunity to better define the loopholes. But practice is that the EU telecom companies won this one at the cost of competition and thus at the cost of the end-user.

Let’s end this one with the infamous Aldous Huxley Animal Farm quote: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.“.

Source: The European Parliament just dealt a major blow to net neutrality