Who even watches TV anymore?

[Rukh]

I don't think I've personally owned a cable/satellite subscription in ~15 years. I've had a TV, but it's hooked up to whatever game console or computer at the time. We watch netflix on it sometimes, I guess that's as close as I could say I've come. I think it's a bit different though as it's not a dedicated connection to television. You can watch netflix movies on your computer, or mobile phone. Heck you might be able to watch it on some fancy microwaves these days.

[Deleted]

Only thing its good for is sports and drama TV like Game of Thrones or whatever but even now you can watch all this stuff online for the most part. I haven't sat down at a sofa and watched TV mindlessly in about 8 years but this is becoming an increasingly common trend among 16-24 year olds. Youtubers get more views than some TV shows now.

[Elim Garak]

And you'd be wrong, and just as ignorant as the original poster. You're still watching television. It doesn't matter if you're watching it live or not, you're fucking watching television.

Oh the irony. Talking about ignorance. Yes there is Internet television, that is usual television transmitted over internet - it is not at all different from the traditional television, the only difference is you don't need a TV set - you can watch it on PC. But what you get is the same thing you get by watching it on a TV set, with rigid programming and commercials.

Watching TV shows online is not the same as watching Internet television. It's like you record a TV show using a video recorder, remove all the commercials and then watch it, only you don't do any of that and just skip straight to watching it.

TV show is a format of a show not a Television itself. They are created by TV channels to sell cable or subscription to the channel. But TV shows can be watched online outside of the Television format.

Saying that it is watching television because it's a TV show is like saying that when you watch a blu-ray it is the same as if you were watching a movie in a theater.

Silly.

[Graeham]

I mostly use my TV with my PS4, be it to play games or to watch stuff on Netflix or Now TV. That pretty much gives me access to everything I want to watch.

[Deleted]

I didn't watch tv for more than 7 years, I watch everything what I need on my pc or just playing games:P

[Tuesdays]

Once in a while I watch cartoons, wife loves ID channel, other than that it is a huge waste of money.

[Al Gorefiend]

And you'd be wrong, and just as ignorant as the original poster. You're still watching television. It doesn't matter if you're watching it live or not, you're fucking watching television.

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Just from the last few years, and purely off the top of my head:

Walking Dead
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
The Americans
Mr. Robot
Fargo
Justified
Jessica Jones
Daredevil
Orange is the New Black
Empire
Parks and Recreation
Archer
House of Cards
Silicon Valley
Sherlock
Transparent
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
and The League

Just to name a few. And yes, they're all television shows. No matter how much you want to claim otherwise in some cases just so you can be an elitist prick.

Well fuck me if you're including Netflix as television shows lol. I watch Netflix on a computer not a television. Or is this all just semantics for you? I guess seeing how personally you're taking this all everyone's just arguing semantics against your grand opinion.

[Random010203]

And you'd be wrong, and just as ignorant as the original poster. You're still watching television. It doesn't matter if you're watching it live or not, you're fucking watching television.

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Just from the last few years, and purely off the top of my head:

Walking Dead
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
The Americans
Mr. Robot
Fargo
Justified
Jessica Jones
Daredevil
Orange is the New Black
Empire
Parks and Recreation
Archer
House of Cards
Silicon Valley
Sherlock
Transparent
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
and The League

Just to name a few. And yes, they're all television shows. No matter how much you want to claim otherwise in some cases just so you can be an elitist prick.

Uh no. You have fundamentally misunderstood both the OP's and other posters intent and inserted your own ramblings about television which are somewhat unsubstantiated.

First off, none of those shows are live, they may be filmed live, but they are never broadcast live. This is integral to the entire argument about the use and purpose of television. All the shows you listed can be found online. Were they made to be shown on broadcast television? Probably. Regardless, if a show is made for television or not, it has little to no effect on the viability of television when all those shows could be channeled into any outlet, such as Netflix, or Amazon Prime. The whole point of OP's question is to understand whether or not people still use television, not "are shows made for television."

Second, this isn't a debate about whether those shows you listed are "good" or "bad," that is an opinionated argument based on subjectivity and therefore pointless.

Lastly, let's look at the facts:

1. As people demand more data, outlets for shows such as Netflix will get even more popular.
2. Online subscription-based companies are much less expensive than even basic cable TV.
3. Most of the time people aren't exposed to commercials on Netflix and other notable streaming sites, there are now more commercials than ever on cable TV.
4. You can watch an entire series on Netflix/Prime which you can't do on cable.

People may still watch television, but more and more people are switching to online-based sources. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few decades we don't have cable TV at all.

[Witchblade77]

The general vibe I'm getting from this thread is that there are still shows which are attracting viewers, but viewers overwhelmingly want a modern distribution method going forward.

pretty much.

I mean, my parents still have cable, but I haven't had OR missed it in years. mostly I stream via Hulu or netflix with occasional CBS (becasue they want you to watch their stuff on THEIR app >_> ) being able to pause to grab a snack and catch up whenever you actualy have time is so very convenient.

as morbid as it sounds, I'd say once prior generation dies out - online streaming/Netflix/Hulu model is going to be THE way people watch the media. I mean some of the premium channels have already caught up on it (the ones that I know of are showtime and HBO), and obviously major basic channels have been online for years.

TV SETS on the other hand have nowhere to go but up :P now that smart TV's that connect to the internet without any additional gadgets are very much a thing. (not to mention gaming consoles and being able to have gaming subscription services without having a gaming console - "playstation now" on my smart TV was my gateway drug to actualy buying playstation 4. )

[anaxie]

The difference between streaming and being a Television slave is a big one

Cable Satalight and premieum channels to watch half the shows you can watch free is a fucking scam

Just burn your money same result.

It's about the educated and the uneducated.

Oh and you don't pray a show is going to air again if you discover a new series. You just fucking watch it.

[Ol Scratch]

Oh the irony. Talking about ignorance. Yes there is Internet television, that is usual television transmitted over internet - it is not at all different from the traditional television, the only difference is you don't need a TV set - you can watch it on PC. But what you get is the same thing you get by watching it on a TV set, with rigid programming and commercials.

Watching TV shows online is not the same as watching Internet television. It's like you record a TV show using a video recorder, remove all the commercials and then watch it, only you don't do any of that and just skip straight to watching it.

TV show is a format of a show not a Television itself. They are created by TV channels to sell cable or subscription to the channel. But TV shows can be watched online outside of the Television format.

Saying that it is watching television because it's a TV show is like saying that when you watch a blu-ray it is the same as if you were watching a movie in a theater.

Silly.

I just went through and underlined a few key words. Thanks for proving my point, though. Nice job.

Take particular note of the bold words. Then look at the subject of this thread.

<drops the microphone>

Edit: And yes, if you don't watch a movie in a movie theatre, it magically becomes something other than a movie. <thumbs up> Gotta love the way the brains of certain people work.

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First off, none of those shows are live, they may be filmed live, but they are never broadcast live.

Just... what? XD

Now "TV" only counts if it's a live broadcast? ROFL!

Other than most news stations and the like, I guess there is NO television. As even shows like Saturday Night Live have a few-second delay and show pre-recorded skits. Thus it isn't a live broadcast.

[Morssoe]

all those boring couples

[Witchblade77]

If you say, "I am going to go see a movie," that generally suggests you're going to a movie theater, not simply watching a movie anywhere.

Similarly, we are talking about the act of "watching television," which basically means you are using an actual television, not merely any instance of consuming programming originally intended for television.

maybe the problem is with semantics and phrasing in the original post?

personally I understood it as having a specific service for TV only. you know the kind where you still need to follow a TV guide, or miss your show, the kind you pay separately for - the dish, the cable box. I mean... a lot of people who haven't had a cable/satellite subscription in years - STILL have TV sets and use them, whether for gaming, movies or TV shows. while watching on your tablet or computer screen or hell - on my phone is certainly viable (yes I stream netflix on my phone sometimes, whenever I go visit my parents in fact as its a long trip and I try not to over-encumber myself as mom insists on believing that I must be starving and otherwise struggling and loads me up with stuff to take home... but I digress) modern TV's can provide almost movie theater like visual and sound experience and that's not going anywhere.

subscription that can ONLY be viewed on your TV and only on a rigid schedule (dvr has limits too) THAT stuff is slowly but surely dying out.

[Elim Garak]

Edit: And yes, if you don't watch a movie in a movie theatre, it magically becomes something other than a movie. <thumbs up> Gotta love the way the brains of certain people work.

So when I watch a movie on a blu-ray I'm not participating in a theater experience, right? So how come when I watch a show online I watch a television?
Do I listen to a radio when I listen to some music? Do I read a paper book when I read an e-book on my phone? Do I play real tennis on Xbox kinect? Do I play a multiplayer game when I'm all alone in a multiplayer game? Is semantics really semantics?

[klogaroth]

So when I watch a movie on a blu-ray I'm not participating in a theater experience, right? So how come when I watch a show online I watch a television?
Do I listen to a radio when I listen to some music? Do I read a paper book when I read an e-book on my phone? Do I play real tennis on Xbox kinect? Do I play a multiplayer game when I'm all alone in a multiplayer game? Is semantics really semantics?

No because you see when someone asks the question does anyone go to the cinema they really mean does anyone watch movies.
The same as someone asking the question does anyone watch TV means does anyone watch shows.

Don't you see how it works?

Ignore the original post and answer your own question.

[klogaroth]

Like you, like me, most everyone else seems to basically be saying they have no interest in any sort of cable or satellite service, as it's overly pricey and inferior to streaming services or torrenting in terms of both availability and portability.

Yup.

Especially since this is in the OP:

I find series I like, buy the boxset and watch them whenever I want, and if I can't buy it I'll watch it on netflix or torrent it and buy it when available as I collect CDs/DVDs/Blu-ray etc.

It's pretty obvious what question is being asked to anyone that actually read the OP.

[Elim Garak]

No because you see when someone asks the question does anyone go to the cinema they really mean does anyone watch movies.

I don't know where you live, but around here everyone watches movies and when people ask if one goes to the cinema they mean to know exactly that, if one actually goes to the actual cinema to watch movies as opposed to doing it at home.

[klogaroth]

I don't know where you live, but around here everyone watches movies and when people ask if one goes to the cinema they mean to know exactly that, if one actually goes to the actual cinema to watch movies as opposed to doing it at home.

I was agreeing with you by means of sarcastically disagreeing.

Unless you're now agreeing with me by means of sarcastically disagreeing with my sarcasm?

[Elim Garak]

It's pretty obvious what question is being asked to anyone that actually read the OP.

Ok, we seem to be in an agreement

[Chirri]

If you're watching TV shows online then you're still watching tv. you're just not doing it on a TV

Watching TV (today) can have different meanings. Most (all?) of us are old enough that we're familiar with what "watching TV" meant 10, 15 years ago - setting aside time to be in front of a television for the currently airing broadcast of a show, with about 1/3 of the air time filled with really loud commericals. It was an event, even if it was a small one. If you couldn't watch when it aired, you had to hope you knew someone who could record it for you on tape, so you could watch it later.

That's what "watching TV" means to me. A TV network's schedule before mine. An actual television set. Loud ads. One episode at a time. I certainly wouldn't call pulling out old TV show collections and binge watching them (off of tape or DVD) "watching TV." There's no reason to call watching shows on your own schedule "watching TV."

If you want to call streaming with or without ads on your own time "watching TV" you're welcome to, but no one I know has ever called watching a show off network-schedule "watching TV." It's been "watching this show," or "watching this series."

I think we use Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon... not sure what else, if anything. We're without Cable TV because of the way our house is put together and where we'd even watch TV (don't want to drill through the fire break between floors), and the shows on cable we'd have an interest in are generally available through streaming services (thanks for catching up to the rest of us, HBO).