Essay Example on Digital TV Revolution: The Shift from Analog to Live Streaming

From the year 2000, there has been a transition from analog to digital television in the US and elsewhere (Westerlund 4). Most people have turned off television broadcasting to streaming because of many benefits, for example, with live streaming, people access many channels alongside lesser disruptive features such as episode guides. Today, people prefer using the internet to watch television and other programs in that the live stream uses other services the same as browsing services. Livestreaming is a collective of hybrid television and also internet interconnected technologies and applications that run through computers. The paper will discuss in detail and demonstrate why streaming service is more popular than television.

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Streaming services became more popular than TV for a reason that things are best covered using Livestream than only broadcast services. The internet took more place because of the simple mistake the people in TV business think that it is synonymous. Fortunately, they began that realize that the internet is enormous given that it pulls more traffic than that on broadcast channels. According to research by Westerlund, streaming services are now becoming astonishing because the current generation lives in an environment that is dominated by the net (4). Therefore, when people are thinking about the future, words that come to their mind are push or pull; they consider where they have been and where they are headed. Push and pull imply that people can decide on what to watch other than following programs that are set by television personalities.

Netflix is the leading provider of on-demand online video streaming in the US, and Canada. In the US alone, it accounts for 29.8 percent of the peak downstream traffic due to the way it delivers its contents (Adhikari et al. 2). The basic architecture of the Netflix video streaming platforms, such as content formats, video quality levels, use of multiple CDN ranking under varying bandwidth situations fascinates the viewers of video-on-demand shows because they can watch these shows at HD/4K quality that is not found on television.

Watching videos online has turned out to be a popular form of entertainment in the last decade. On-demand internet video streaming enables users to view video content like user-generated videos, TV shows, music videos, and live streams something that is not common in offline television watching. The international video streaming traffic is projected to account for 72 percent of the overall consumer traffic on the internet by December this year (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 1). Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu are the common online video streaming platforms in America, in 2013, Netflix alone drew 32.30 percent of the entire downstream traffic during the peak periods in North America (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 1). The quality of service (QoS) metrics were used to assess the performance and reliability of online network elements that draw a large number of consumers in America.

The user-perceived quality of service (QoS) demonstrated four different kinds of influence factors that draws viewers to result to online watching; System rank; these facets related to the network, such as Netflix's at HD/4K quality as elucidated in the previous paragraph Context level; considers the environmental factors, such as the level of education and exposure to technology among the millennials in North America (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 1). The user-level; regards the mental factors, where the majority of those who viewed internet videos through YouTube expressed satisfaction and vowed to stick to it (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 1). Finally, the content level; indicates that Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu deliver quality and latest content formats, resolution, and one can watch a series earlier before the program appears in the television program.

The real-time streaming protocols keeps track of the session provided the client is connected and also maintains a progressive feedback channel with the client. The reply is used to modify the media delivery rate to avoid any interruptions in the playback, an aspect that lures more clients into watching internet videos over local television programs (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 3-4). The QoE metrics can be used to optimize the video delivery methods and the rate of adaptation procedures for an enhanced user experience that draws more viewers into accessing online video content through Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu (Juluri, Venkatesh and Medhi 17).

Streaming services are becoming more popular because the viewer is in charge and this increases consumer sovereignty. Also, it becomes easier for the consumer to compare online services and products since it is easy to switch from one channel to the other (Westerlund 21). The other reason why streaming services are becoming more popular than television is that TV is prone to product and service flaws. With Livestream, it is difficult to keep secrets because the consumer can switch to blogs or ask the company that makes the products to confirm the authenticity of the message. Livestream services are a true sovereign of an informed consumer thus availing an internet-centric world closer to the user. The old asymmetry of television is being overturned given that the old broadcast method comprised of passive audiences. The new method makes the audiences to be creative and allows them to discover many opportunities than the deficit old human nature.

More people are turning to stream services but it does not mean that traditional television broadcasting has been overtaken. People are getting more and smarter and the network providers are also following the subscribers to allow them to access the content they need. For example, networks such as Netflix, CNN, Aljazeera, ABC, Fox, and more are popular on their websites (Our 21). The smartest networks are turning as per the demand as they provide services. The reputation served by mainstream services is better than that of television channels. The internet allows for selective exposure; it allows the consumer to skip the less fascinating content. As compared to watching television, one can easily fall off because they offer programmed content. Livestream services allow the consumer to discover new things, which are unique and outside traditional tastes.

Currently, an increasing number of youths are resulting in large volumes of online streaming channels, such as Youtube, Showmax, Netflix, and Spotify to get the latest movies and music content conveniently through their phones, and laptops as opposed to traditional television viewing. Tryon (n.p) argued that Netflix through its promotional agenda has played a significant role in redefining the channels of television, in part by positioning its recent access into original programming with the thought of availing quality movies to its target clients. Netflix has transformed the traditional need of DVDs to watch movies by enabling its viewers to watch full seasons of shows simultaneously, consecutively, and collectively, a mode of watching that has been embraced by a lot of Millenials (Tryon n.p) Netflix and other online streaming websites demand a small monthly subscription and further form a partnership with Youtube company, which means consumers will also be able to watch the documentary, and political news through their phones and laptops without worrying of instances of a power blackout.

Vanattenhoven and Geerts (199) researched on program popularity and access patterns for video-on-demand online services as opposed to TV in a real network. Their results ranked the popularity of television viewing in the following criteria; video-on-demand online services, Youtube services, and Tv programs were considered as the last option by many viewers. The program's popularity follows the Pareto principle (80-20 rule), where 80 percent of viewers prefer online video-on-demand services, while the latter opts for Tv programs (Vanattenhoven and Geerts 200). The majority of the 20 percent were clustered in the Baby boomers generation and were not exposed to advancement in technology. The majority of those who opted for video-on-demand online services cited its flexibility, convenience, cheaper monthly rates, and international connectivity with other colleagues around the globe through Skype and video conferencing services (Vanattenhoven and Geerts 200).

The Digital era is also another factor why streaming services are becoming more popular than television (Westerlund 1). It has given consumer control over when, how and when to watch what they want. Viewers can watch television programs from their bedrooms, while at the gym, with their computers, smartphones, among other things. Viewers now have a choice than the last decade where they had to rely on the set programs. Livestream services are becoming a massive success since people fancy paying for the internet other than cable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, streaming services have become popular than television because people are connected to the internet everywhere. The demand for television is restricted to a particular audience. Therefore, people following a particular program or television show will have to wait to know what will happen next. With streaming services, people can switch to different shows according to what they wish to watch. Most people are glued to taking streaming services than that of television.

Works Cited

Abrahamsson, Henrik, and Mattias Nordmark. "Program popularity and viewer behaviour in a large TV-on-demand system." Proceedings of the 2012 Internet Measurement Conference. 2012. pp. 199-210. https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/2398776.2398798

Adhikari, Vijay Kumar, et al. "Unreeling Netflix: Understanding and improving multi-cdn movie delivery." 2012 Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM. IEEE, 2012. http://www.hit.bme.hu/~jakab/edu/litr/CDN/NetFlix12.pdf

Juluri, Parikshit, Venkatesh Tamarapalli, and Deep Medhi. "Measurement of quality of experience of video-on-demand services: A survey." IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 18.1 (2015): 1-20. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deep_Medhi/publication/272376917_Measurement_of_Quality_of_Experience_of_Video-on-Demand_Services_A_Survey/links/5b8974fb4585151fd1402cda/Measurement-of-Quality-of-Experience-of-Video-on-Demand-Services-A-Survey.pdf

Our, Laura. "Netflix and the Development of the Internet Television Network." (2016). https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1448&context=etd

Tryon, Chuck. "TV got better: Netflix's original programming strategies and the on-demand television transition." Media Industries Journal 2.2 (2015). https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mij/15031809.0002.206/--tv-got-better-netflixs-original-programming-strategies?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Westerlund, Olle. "A concept on the Internet-based television." (2014). http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:839253/FULLTEXT01.pdf