Will the Internet be able to replace traditional television?

@Zarutaku Convenient because all TV channels are in one place and you don’t need to dig through 100500 services and launchers to get what you need?

@RobertBobert Convenient because people don't need to create their own program.

@Zarutaku But isn't YouTube, with its podcasts and thematic bloggers, already partially coping with this?

No because internet uses more net usage lf electricity and data transfer and can suffer from server overloads and even bog down the entirety of the internet if too many people stream at once especially if Indians get in on it. TV sends everyone the same thing live and doesnt have that problem. Analogue you especially can not replace, digital there is some argument for. Streaming services only took off because they used to be the cheaper option but TV can be free while being legal and no TV service fee for local broadcasts and special free satellites where internet you always have to pay for internet, there is no free internet unless you steal it from a neighbour. Of course this is excluding electricity costs though.

@traed In that case, do you think there is a chance for internet technologies to develop enough in the future to become much cheaper and more accessible? I mean, we already have smart TV, which combines the functions of a TV and a basic internet browser.

@Zarutaku that is, if we are not talking about large YouTubers with millions of followers like Mr. Beast or topics in which the Internet is more developed than TV, the competition will not be in favor of the Internet?

@RobertBobert
There is many reasons this is unlikely due to shortage of storage space and IP addresses and the current technologies used. Computing as a whole would need to change as would the energy system it runs on. Current rend with Blockchains and AI uses even more energy and data so that isnt in the correct direction things are going.

@traed So, do you think that we will not soon live to see the time when mass online viewing at home will be as common a family thing as television?

@RobertBobert
At current trajectory it doesn't seem likely. We are getting a crappy cyberpunk dystopia where we get garbage while government agencies and big tech companies and rich elites have it all. It can be changed though. Also I don't think it is heading in a direction of some family thing, the trend now is increased isolation rather than people doing things together. The people who counter this will be some people who try to avoid using modern technology due to it being so normalized and isolating.

@traed By isolation do you mean creating echo chambers where each person separately consumes only what they personally like and are interested in?

@RobertBobert
I had basically something alone that in mind. I was more focused on the use of small personal screens and the ability to access any time leads to less cases of people watching things together at the same time while also increasing time spent on such things due to higher access to more media. Echo chambers do play a role too in creating isolation as well but that has less to do with media directly but this can effect media sometimes.

@traed Do you think that the increase in availability and diversity of content ultimately leads to the fact that we watch more of what is interesting to us personally than trying to make some kind of compromise with loved ones or find common interests with someone?

@RobertBobert
I'd say it becomes less diverse rather than more sometimes. You would think these conditions should increase variety but you wind up with a lot of same'ish stuff due to the sheer quantity and the way algorithms eventually push the same things onto everyone which is more effective than ordinary social contagion. There is variation but less variation within each type it seems. Yes, you could say lack of compromise and the limited time and choice has more potential for bringing people to share an activity like that.

@traed Do you mean situations when you watch a video about Expedition 33 and YouTube algorithms recommend you reviews from a bunch of other bloggers on the same Expedition 33 instead of recommending more gaming channels in general?

@RobertBobert
Different sites have different algorithms but algorithms have more effect than just on the site. You see it makes people think about and talk about specific subjects and this feeds all these algorithms and strengthens the same patterns. So it crosses to different sites and off the internet as well. So it makes normal levels social influence blow out of proportion to extremes and occur rapidly. This lead to much of the world going mad and dumb in the past decade or so and leading to a lot of stagnation in entertainment media as being more the norm than other times it seems.

yeah, Robert the internet didn’t just replace TV, it turned it into a customizable, global, genre-bending playground on demand.

@RainyEvenings You mean, if you want to watch a series, turn on Netflix, if you want to launch a game, open Steam, and if you want to listen to a podcast about politics, go on YouTube?

@RobertBobert or just the age-old temptation to walk the plank without paying the subscription.
YouTube shows are locked behind region walls, Netflix, Amazon prime prices stack like Jenga tower, and your plan to watch anime vanishes off Crunchyroll the day you finally have time to watch. That's why I always look for the back doors.