Commentary

Non-Linear TV Is Coming, But Not That Soon

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 25, 2013

Linear TV and viewers? Breaking up isn’t that hard to do. But it might be a long, not-too-pretty split.

This week, Cablevision quietly expanded its cloud-based DVR system -- also called "network DVR" -- which can now record 10 shows at once.

On Wednesday, a Federal Court reaffirmed a lower court decision allowing Dish Network to continue its Hopper set-top box whose features include the ability to record entire broadcast primetime schedules with commercials being skipped.

Say hello to non-linear, anytime, any-direction TV. The kids are all doing it. A panelist at the OMMA Data-Driven Marketing conference, for instance, said his kids don’t watch linear TV at all.

This affects all TV networks, broadcast and cable, in a big way. The networks continue to rush towards other revenue sources -- digital ad sales, video on demand, consumer fee-based program sales, social media TV- connected money, and retransmission revenues.

It also causes the threat of TV station blackouts, lawsuits, and rip-roaring rhetoric with pointing fingers.

Despite all this evidence pointing in a non-linear direction, DVR, on-demand and other non-linear forms will account for only 15.8% of U.S. television viewing in 2015, up from 9.9% in 2010, according to IHS Screen Digest TV Intelligence Service.

There is a big demographic split in time-shifting technology, with young viewers looking for devices that give them the most flexibility and older viewers more stuck in traditional viewing patterns.

Also: Just under 50% of U.S. TV homes have DVR technology.

Looking to speed up the non-linear TV world? Wait for your favorite channel to tell you not to watch that next show live.

2 comments about "Non-Linear TV Is Coming, But Not That Soon".

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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, July 25, 2013 at 4:15 p.m.
I just finished all 13 episodes of "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix. This stuff is even better than House of Cards, but the creator was also responsible for Weeds, so it's no surprise. My point is that releasing all the shows at once is great. You watch when you want to watch, not when the network says you can. No promos or snipes or commercials, just pure TV for less than the cost of HBO. I'm ready for more of this new kind of TV. With the Chromecast plug-in at $35, the networks should be worried.
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Edmund Singleton from Winstion Communications, July 26, 2013 at 4:29 a.m.

As a Cablevision subscriber because of the pipe they laid years ago there is no competition so I am stuck with them. The last few days the internet and phone service has been down for hours as they installed the new network DVR options, I guess?