From http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjl/
Many have even taken the leap already by canceling cable and using HD antennas combined with the web/Netflix/Hulu/torrents to get the shows and movies they want to watch. Personally I haven’t made that move yet for a few reasons:
- I like live sports, which there really isn’t a great online alternative for yet.
- We have multiple “main” TVs, which makes it harder (but not impossible by any means) to get the content on the right TV at the right time.
- My kids watch various cartoons and movies, and it’s nice to get that on demand, record it on the DVR, or find it on TV quickly instead of having to go seek out the content online.
- As far as I’ve seen, it’s still easier to just have the tuner/DVR/etc. all in one box.
From what Digg founder Kevin Rose hears on the rumor mill though, another big step in the march to end cable could be coming in September with Apple’s iTV. Kevin says the rumor is:
The rumor: Apple will be releasing a revamped/renamed version of their ‘Apple TV’ set-top box, called ‘iTV’. The box will run the Apple iOS (same as the iPhone/iPad), and be priced around $99.
Very interesting. Kevin is very aggressive in thinking this will “change everything” due to new types of TV applications, “app stations” like ABC/CBS/HBO/etc., photo/video sharing from the iPhone directly to relatives TVs, and the iPad working as the perfect touchscreen remote. These are all very good points, and the $99 price point is low enough that it could see big adoption.
I’m not quite as bullish as Kevin. I think that there are a whole lot of people out there who don’t have an iPhone or iPad and aren’t as rapid to pick up new technology who will remain on their cable boxes for years to come. They love to spend time flipping through the endless channels and watch shows they really never knew existed.
However, there are a lot of us who are picking up new technology and also teaching our kids how to use it. My kids will never have their own cable box by the time they move out on their own, that’s for sure. So if the rumored iTV comes in September, I think it’s the first of a few big steps to damage cable TV’s stranglehold on us. I’d much rather personally give my money to Steve Jobs and Apple instead of Comcast, especially if they’re delivering a better product (that includes my sports).
