The Future of ChannelsDVR?

#1

The future outlook of both OTA and TVE doesn't look good for self hosted DVR solutions. The final "form" of ATSC 3.0 will likely have encryption on most stations and/or individual programming and TVE seems to be heading in the same direction as more channels are being DRM protected.

Thankfully, ATSC 1.0 will likely be around for at least a few more years and many TVE streams will continue to operate without DRM, but how long will it last and will it be a slow death or quick?

I believe it will likely be a domino effect in which the major broadcasters begin to sunset ATSC 1.0 and move to encrypted 3.0 with the smaller ones following suit.
The same will likely be true of TVE encryption.

The only way to stop this is a major push back from the public, and even that may not be enough. Perhaps there is a way for ChannelsDVR to log watch history and share that information with the networks to track advertisement statistics, though I'm fairly certain that most users wouldn't welcome this change and I doubt the devs will take this path.

Making sail on the open seas is another alternative. While I do not condone it, I do see the merits of it as a form of protest. I fear I'll soon have to have a dozen different subscriptions and use a dozen different apps just to enjoy the same content I can access in ChannelsDVR (all of which is legal and paid for).

TLDR: Enjoy ChannelsDVR while it lasts in this form, in a few years there may be no way of owning your own DVR equipment and freely storing/accessing your own recordings.

#2

I am waiting to see what happens with Discovery Family Channels since they are now part of HBO MAX.

ATSC 3.0 and DRM Transition: A Historical Perspective
#3

I've been wondering everything you mentioned for almost a year now. Lately it struck me that the giant media companies are all about the shareholders and profits, and OTA is expensive as hell since they have to maintain towers and bicker with the FCC over everything.

Why wouldn't all television be streamed in 10 years?

So much for my dream of an ESPN OTA affiliate in every city.

#4

I'm getting a library card.

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#5

This has been my approach with Channels DVR (and everything else good in life) for quite awhile now.

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#6

In some ways the future of live, linear television is on shaky ground. As more and more live and on-demand content moves to “streaming apps” there will be no need for “tv channels.”

It’s disappointing because we are being forced to give up any control over how we watch the content we paid for.

#7

The entire Linear TV is for dinosaurs. Heck even my parents ditched linear TV and stream everything.

Unfortunately I believe you are correct in your assertion that we will have a dozen subscriptions and apps in the future. Every industry for every product seems to be moving to subscription models.

My view of pay/piracy. I am willing to pay for content as long as I can consume/use/view content how/when/where I want. If the content provider refuses to allow me to consume the content how I want. Then **** them. I will go back to piracy and save the money.

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#8

I am totally willing to pay for my content. However, I am not willing to pay what I consider extortionate prices for a service with 100s of channels I am never going to watch. It is one reason I quit my cable service. I counted once and realized I only ever watch 10 of the channels they offered. So, I took up their "Choice" service which is over the internet and includes 15 channels of my choice and my locals.

If easy OTA and TVE go away, I will wait for the shows I want to watch to come out on bluray or be available to stream (like buying the season on iTunes or whatever) because we don't watch that many different shows so it doesn't add up per year to what we would pay for all the streaming services.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. I am totally willing to be wrong.

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#9

One of the reasons Amazon gave for discontinuing Fire TV Recast (their DVR) was that people prefer streaming to OTA TV. Obviously, they didn't ask me or anyone in this forum.

#10

The only LiveTV I ever watch is News/Sports all other shows I watch the next few days at my convenience... and any series I am a fan of I use Anystream.

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#11

The complete lack of Internet security, maybe due to humans or AI intervention making it virtually unusable. I often wonder if a 2nd isolated network would eventually be created, with much stricter standards ... for those who can afford it.

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#12

Seems to be a pretty robust streaming economy here already.

The OTA stations switching to streaming would suck for me, a hardcore sports fan who gives ChannelsDVR everything it can handle replaying, rewinding and fast forwarding pretty much any fast action game I watch.

I'm watching the NBA play-ins streaming on Sling right now, and it's ******* torture.

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#13

As long as the price is fair and I don't have to sit through crappy commercials, I'm fine.

#14

Somehow I suspect you'll end up disappointed.

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#15

I agree the risk is very real and as someone who thoroughly enjoys the functionality and autonomy CDVR delivers, I hope that legal work arounds can be found. Given the current political climant (and the corporate donors who are influencing policy with a heavy hand), I don't hold out too much hope unfortunately.

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#16

Yep, exactly I watch a ton of sports too and I really hate that we're going to move to streaming for a lot of them. That means no ability to skip commercials, have to watch everything live and then put up with horrible transport controls in these apps.

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#17

Best description I've seen yet.

#18

Why would that be the case? YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling, Hulu Live, etc. all have cloud DVR functionality too. They suck by comparison to Channels DVR of course, but time-shifting is possible.

AFAIK some can start watching while still recording, but some require you to wait until the event is over? (The latter would be a deal-breaker for me.)

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#19

The FCC has more goals than just entertainment. I live on the beach and if there is a large hurricane that wipes out the power and internet grid, then "streaming" will not be available. There is a reason there needs to be broadcast of TV and radio and why I expect it will continue for long into the future (at least until the zombie apocalypse! :slight_smile: ).

I am a big fan of Channels DVR but its not because I enjoy linear TV.

I want a consistent UI for all my content, I want to be able to skip commercials and willing to pay a reasonable fee for it, and I want to retain my library of content electronically so I can stream when I want.

NONE of the streaming services really accomplish this. Their interfaces are all heavily cluttered with crap and the recordings are near impossible to navigate and find what you want quickly. There is also a constant filling your screen with "suggestions for you" that I have zero interest in and often find offensive. I can't tell you how many times I turn on my profile on a service and get presented with something my wife looks at me and thinks that is what I'm watching? Or its totally inappropriate for our younger viewers. There are so many political agendas being pushed on my family either through the interfaces of these services or through ads that we are forced to watch. I'm paying a small fortune to Hulu for "ad free" and "live tv", and somehow even if I record a show I often still am forced to watch some of their ads. We watch a crime show series from the library that is so painful to be nearly unbearable because its throwing 8-10 ads at every break and repeats the same ones over and over. They keep doing it because they can. Being able to record on my terms to a show I paid for, and then play it back as I wish, I will gladly pay for that service. I guess if linear TV goes, then being able to use something like PlayOn to record might be the next best alternative.

I will add one more comment... that this is why a lot of honest people result to pirating content when the providers are so disconnected with what their customers want.

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#20

Yeah I mentioned that I have a U-verse DVR on the NBC thread so it will work even though it's crappy compared to channels. I'm sure there's other DVR options but for those that are streaming only (i.e. not subbing to cable replacement) there's basically none for sports. This may unfortunately be our streaming future as linear increasingly goes away.

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