User:Sellorne/Post-network era

Time-shifting Technologies[edit]
Television becoming time-shifting grants audiences the ability to, "watch what you want, when you want". It creates a new hegemony where audiences members have more agency, taking that power away from television providers.

[Original Article] The development of technologies with time-shifting abilities such as the VCR and DVR rendered broadcast times irrelevant, and also shifted discussion away from simple differentiation between cable and free-to-air television. Although much of this technological change coincided with the Multi-channel transition, its effect can be felt well into the post-network era, creating the groundwork for future technological developments including Hulu and Netflix On-Demand. [Original Article]

Time-shifting technologies within the post-network era of television popularized new audience viewing methods binge-watching and binge-racing. Binge-watching is a phenonmon that has occurred in the 21st century with the development of time-shifting technologies and online platforms. Binge-racing is an even newer concept that has branched it way out from binge-watching. It is still a relatively new term and concept that is still developing and changing. Not much is known about it, and little to no studies have been conducted, but the Postmedia News defines binge-racing as, "someone who tries to be the first to finish viewing a new batch of episodes within 24 hours of its release". With content readily available on platforms such as Hulu and Netflix, the practice of binge-watching and binge-racing raises questions about whether or not 'self-control and habit' are a major concern when participating in this form of bingeing. There is a correlation between binge-watching and younger audience members when compared to older generations who prefer appointed television viewing. With the combination of time-shifting technologies and binge-watching, it has greatly impacted television distribution, production, and economic patterns.

Cord Cutting
Subscription based services are cheaper than the increasing cable packages, promoting users to disconnect their services in favour of cheaper alternatives, this is cord-cutting. In 2013, it was determined that approximately 63% of American household have subscribed to a streaming service. Over-the-top platforms are preferred by younger audiences over appointed viewing. Younger audiences are gaining a dislike for cable television, as they get older the more their dislike grows resulting in the decline of cable television.