Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Proof isn't needed. The point, made repeatedly in this thread for many many months now, is that live broadcasts are linear by their very nature. Whether terrestrial, satellite, cable or IP stream is used to deliver it is irrelevant. Live TV is linear.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Yes, I raised this simply because some views expressed have been that there will always be the Sky Sports channels as they are now because people want to watch sport live. I just wanted to make it clear that we could simply have streamed channels, which you could watch live.

There has been confusion on this thread due to some pedantry over technical terminology. Whilst I accept completely that watching live by streaming is linear TV, just as our broadcast channels are linear, the word 'linear' has been used quite widely on the internet as meaning the conventional broadcast channels.

However, the point I have made here is not irrelevant to those who prefer to watch everything via conventional scheduled TV.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

True. But not really the point here.


Premium sports channels, until relatively recently, have only been available via a 12 month pay TV contract, where you have to pay for non sports channels as part of the package.


Streaming services such as the Now TV sports subscription gives people just the sports content, and don't force them into taking channels they don't want. Plus, it is a monthly subscription and people are not tied into a 12 month contract.


That is the significance of streaming services.

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

If you are interested in how EPGs will adapt to new ways of viewing in the near future, you will find this a jolly good read.

It refers to the barker channel for Netflix mixed in with the broadcast linear channels (already on Virgin Media) and also suggests that we will have much shorter EPG lists in future which will include just the main channel (eg ITV), and when clicked will display the subsidiary channels (eg ITV2, 3, 4, ITV Be, etc). This would be much easier to navigate and reduce our reliance on channel numbers to find the channels we are looking for, I believe.

A nice little look into the very near future.


http://v-net.tv/2017/05/04/what-the-...ebook-channel/

Re: The future for linear TV channels
 

Seems like they just read my post from about a month ago. :D