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Lifetime to shut down

(February 2021)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
RD
Roger Darthwell
I'm sorry that this is happening, not because I will miss the channel, but it's sad to see that linear TV is no longer seen as viable, this makes AETN UK as the fourth broadcaster to have closed channels recently after ViacomCBS, Discovery and Disney. Even though I'm also thinking that the economic downturn caused by coronavirus may have been a factor in it's closure


When ITV closes, then you can say linear TV is not viable. Until then.... Please don't apply hyperbole across the whole medium based on the decision of one channel closing.


Is it hyperbole though?

The number of new channel launches in the UK has greatly slowed compared to 10 years ago when, before Sky had its strange queue system bought about by legacy boxes which lacked the capacity to store extra channels, 2-3 new channels would pop up on its EPG a week.

Other than live channels like GB News and UK News, would you now invest in a linear channel if it were not backed up by an extensive catch-up service perhaps containing content from other providers too?

I recently invested in a Sky Q box and, other than the 30-40 minutes after the kids have gone to bed and me & the missus have dinner, we don't watch linear TV really anymore. Even the kids - 5 years old and 8 years old - know their way around iPlayer and want to watch the programmes they want to watch more than watch CBeebies or CBBC live.

Now, of course, my case is anecdotal but, in this report from Campaign Magazine, "Samsung Ads’ Behind the Screens report shows streaming time jumped from 54% in January to 59% in June, moving ahead of linear (46% in January and 41% in June)...This is despite television watching time increasing both for streaming and linear services, but streaming popularity has grown more rapidly (up 36% compared with a rise of 11% for linear).

"While the vast majority of UK viewers (72%) still watch both linear and OTT, there is a growing percentage (14%) of viewers that are “streamers only”, the report added. On average, people in the UK were, as of June, streaming content for 43 minutes per day longer than linear TV."

We may be not there yet but the future Roger Darthwell envisages seems to be coming whether we like it or not.

Thank you for confirming my thoughts, but I still think that linear TV could make a resurgence in the future.....just like vinyls
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member

When ITV closes, then you can say linear TV is not viable. Until then.... Please don't apply hyperbole across the whole medium based on the decision of one channel closing.


Is it hyperbole though?

The number of new channel launches in the UK has greatly slowed compared to 10 years ago when, before Sky had its strange queue system bought about by legacy boxes which lacked the capacity to store extra channels, 2-3 new channels would pop up on its EPG a week.

Other than live channels like GB News and UK News, would you now invest in a linear channel if it were not backed up by an extensive catch-up service perhaps containing content from other providers too?

...

We may be not there yet but the future Roger Darthwell envisages seems to be coming whether we like it or not.

Thank you for confirming my thoughts, but I still think that linear TV could make a resurgence in the future.....just like vinyls


First of all the plural of vinyl is not "vinyls". It is just vinyl. Much like sheeps isn't a thing either, sheep itself refers to a single sheep or more than one sheep in a field.

Second of all, arguing that linear TV could make a resurgence is sort of like saying analogue TV will come back. We all know it won't, both because a) it was wasteful in the first place, and b) all those frequencies were sold off for 4g and 5G. The whole concept of "digital" TV is basically compression, which is why you have 75 channels in the same "space" you had four previously. Your original argument was that the entire concept wasn't viable based on one channel closing. Like I say, when ITV stops, everybody else probably would have too.
Ghost and Roger Darthwell gave kudos
KE
kernow

Is it hyperbole though?

The number of new channel launches in the UK has greatly slowed compared to 10 years ago when, before Sky had its strange queue system bought about by legacy boxes which lacked the capacity to store extra channels, 2-3 new channels would pop up on its EPG a week.

Other than live channels like GB News and UK News, would you now invest in a linear channel if it were not backed up by an extensive catch-up service perhaps containing content from other providers too?

...

We may be not there yet but the future Roger Darthwell envisages seems to be coming whether we like it or not.

Thank you for confirming my thoughts, but I still think that linear TV could make a resurgence in the future.....just like vinyls


First of all the plural of vinyl is not "vinyls". It is just vinyl. Much like sheeps isn't a thing either, sheep itself refers to a single sheep or more than one sheep in a field.

Second of all, arguing that linear TV could make a resurgence is sort of like saying analogue TV will come back. We all know it won't, both because a) it was wasteful in the first place, and b) all those frequencies were sold off for 4g and 5G. The whole concept of "digital" TV is basically compression, which is why you have 75 channels in the same "space" you had four previously. Your original argument was that the entire concept wasn't viable based on one channel closing. Like I say, when ITV stops, everybody else probably would have too.


It's also like saying that Betamax, VHS or minidiscs will make a comeback. It's also likely that DVDs will become a thing of the past at some point.

Times have changed (and they are still changing), and certain things won't come back in the same way that vinyl has.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Of course it could be argued vinyl only came back at all because of the whole "retro is in" thing - that and it's an analog format, so it has a unique sound compared to the same recording presented on a CD or an MP3, which are digital and (often in the case of MP3) compressed. It's probably too early to say DVDs, MP3s and what not are old enough to be considered Retro, considering you can still buy them, which doesn't make them retro.

VHS on the other hand... well blank tape is still available to buy but realistically the improvements DVD (and later HDD) recorders gave in terms of picture quality probably means nobody in their right mind would go back to VHS if they can possibly help it, so its a relatively redundant technology. However looking at modern videos with so-called "VHS Filters" slapped on them makes them look nothing like VHS would have at the time anyway, its one of those things you can't recreate properly. So if any TV/Film producer wants authenticity when showing something supposedly recorded in the 1990s but clearly was done thirty years later on a 4K camera, please feed it through a proper VHS player/recorder.
VM
VMPhil
Not sure why we’re talking about linear TV making a comeback, it’s still there, I’ve just turned it on!
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Not sure why we’re talking about linear TV making a comeback, it’s still there, I’ve just turned it on!


You missed the point in the discussion where we strapped a flux capacitor to a video recorder and lobbed it out the window at 88mph. It proved linear TV was still existent in 2035, although we're still not sure how it came back on its own, being inanimate and all Wink
KE
kernow
Not sure why we’re talking about linear TV making a comeback, it’s still there, I’ve just turned it on!


I think the point was about linear TV being in decline, with viewership and the number of channels both on a downward trend, which could potentially be reversed in the future.

I think the current trend is likely to continue though, and don't see much of a resurgence happening in the future, especially with younger generations in particular increasingly viewing less linear tv (in general).
LL
London Lite Founding member
Linear seems to be these days a way of ensuring a scheduled programme then goes onto a VOD service than for a set time to watch.

There will always be reasons for linear, such as for live sports, events such as a debut of a tv series or for news, but there is a growing trend for viewers to watch shows broadcast on linear tv when they want rather than when a scheduler says so.
johnnyboy, MarkT76 and Roger Darthwell gave kudos
FB
Fluffy Bunny Feet
I'm sorry that this is happening, not because I will miss the channel, but it's sad to see that linear TV is no longer seen as viable, this makes AETN UK as the fourth broadcaster to have closed channels recently after ViacomCBS, Discovery and Disney. Even though I'm also thinking that the economic downturn caused by coronavirus may have been a factor in it's closure


When ITV closes, then you can say linear TV is not viable. Until then.... Please don't apply hyperbole across the whole medium based on the decision of one channel closing.


Is it hyperbole though?

The number of new channel launches in the UK has greatly slowed compared to 10 years ago when, before Sky had its strange queue system bought about by legacy boxes which lacked the capacity to store extra channels, 2-3 new channels would pop up on its EPG a week.

Other than live channels like GB News and UK News, would you now invest in a linear channel if it were not backed up by an extensive catch-up service perhaps containing content from other providers too?

I recently invested in a Sky Q box and, other than the 30-40 minutes after the kids have gone to bed and me & the missus have dinner, we don't watch linear TV really anymore. Even the kids - 5 years old and 8 years old - know their way around iPlayer and want to watch the programmes they want to watch more than watch CBeebies or CBBC live.

Now, of course, my case is anecdotal but, in this report from Campaign Magazine, "Samsung Ads’ Behind the Screens report shows streaming time jumped from 54% in January to 59% in June, moving ahead of linear (46% in January and 41% in June)...This is despite television watching time increasing both for streaming and linear services, but streaming popularity has grown more rapidly (up 36% compared with a rise of 11% for linear).

"While the vast majority of UK viewers (72%) still watch both linear and OTT, there is a growing percentage (14%) of viewers that are “streamers only”, the report added. On average, people in the UK were, as of June, streaming content for 43 minutes per day longer than linear TV."

We may be not there yet but the future Roger Darthwell envisages seems to be coming whether we like it or not.


I think BARB figures show there's still a good few years left for conventional TV. Granted audiences are not as they once were because of the sheer number of channels available but some would be more than happy with 3-4m viewers. Don't forget Amazon and their ilk want your data - I'm not suggesting stealing - but they want your profile to sell you stuff and it's a very clever model. You will never ever get viewing figures from them or Apple TV for example as it does not match their business model.
LL
London Lite Founding member


I think BARB figures show there's still a good few years left for conventional TV. Granted audiences are not as they once were because of the sheer number of channels available but some would be more than happy with 3-4m viewers. Don't forget Amazon and their ilk want your data - I'm not suggesting stealing - but they want your profile to sell you stuff and it's a very clever model. You will never ever get viewing figures from them or Apple TV for example as it does not match their business model.


For Amazon, television is just another hook to get the consumer into the Amazon ecosphere. They don't mind losing money on Prime Video, Amazon Music and those heavily subsidised Fire TV devices if they can get viewers hooked on Prime delivery and paying for the privilege.

It reminds me of how printers are sold, you sell the printer at a heavily subsidised price, then the real money is selling the ink. For Amazon, you replace the heavily subsidised Prime Video for Prime subs and subsequent orders, plus the data they gather on your viewing and buying habits.
JO
johnnyboy Founding member


I think BARB figures show there's still a good few years left for conventional TV. Granted audiences are not as they once were because of the sheer number of channels available but some would be more than happy with 3-4m viewers. Don't forget Amazon and their ilk want your data - I'm not suggesting stealing - but they want your profile to sell you stuff and it's a very clever model. You will never ever get viewing figures from them or Apple TV for example as it does not match their business model.


For Amazon, television is just another hook to get the consumer into the Amazon ecosphere. They don't mind losing money on Prime Video, Amazon Music and those heavily subsidised Fire TV devices if they can get viewers hooked on Prime delivery and paying for the privilege.

It reminds me of how printers are sold, you sell the printer at a heavily subsidised price, then the real money is selling the ink. For Amazon, you replace the heavily subsidised Prime Video for Prime subs and subsequent orders, plus the data they gather on your viewing and buying habits.


Agreed.

With services like Pluto though (the ones which have an " EPG" on them and channels dedicated to "Homes Under The Hammer"), do you feel a slight annoyance that many of the programmes on the linear streams are not available on demand elsewhere on the app? It might just be me but I know I've come to expect it now.

And I don't know about you but the Prime trick definitely works. I have been a Prime member pretty much since launch in the UK and, in my mind now, it's an essential purchase.
LL
London Lite Founding member


And I don't know about you but the Prime trick definitely works. I have been a Prime member pretty much since launch in the UK and, in my mind now, it's an essential purchase.


Absolutely. It's become very useful for buying small purchases as well without having to worry about going out to the shop during lockdown.

The Prime sub is cheaper than paying P&P for every single order.

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